Another Dimensional Reduction Strike?

The Mechanical Empire's cold, mechanical voice faded.

On the central Big Screen in Blue Star's highest Command Center, a blood-red countdown began to tick.

Seven days.

168 hours.

Each tick landed like a hammer blow to everyone's chest.

The cheers that had erupted when Yang Yu tore the Star Devourer apart died under those numbers.

The air felt heavy as lead.

Only the central air conditioning kept up its tireless hum.

Crack.

The electronic tablet slipped from Yun Ruoxi's hand and struck the hard alloy floor, its screen splintering into a spiderweb.

She slumped against her chair, eyes locked on the countdown.

As Blue Star's foremost scientist, no one understood the terrifying implications of "Two-Dimensional Foil" better than she did.

It was a harvester of civilizations.

Pest control for worlds.

A picture.

One picture was all it took to flatten an entire three-dimensional world into it.

Thickness reduced to zero.

Life reduced to zero.

"We can't stop it..."

Yun Ruoxi's lips trembled. Her fingers clawed unconsciously at the armrest, and she didn't even notice when her nails broke.

"That's annihilation at the level of dimensional law. Our energy shields would be like trying to stop a bullet with air."

She took off her gold-rimmed glasses and buried her face in her hands.

Her shoulders shook violently.

Li Qingcang stood before the command platform, his right hand clenched around his sword hilt.

Creak. Creak.

The tough sharkskin scabbard warped and twisted in his grip.

He had drawn his sword countless times in his life.

Against Beast Tides and Demon Gods, he had never hesitated.

But this time...

He faced a Dimensional Reduction Strike he could neither see nor touch, much less understand.

For the first time, his hand froze.

Even the courage to draw his sword had drained away.

Elder Wang