"An alliance with him could bring either fortune or disaster."
"If fortune comes, we can borrow his tiger's skin to play the fox that borrows the tiger's might, buying ourselves precious time to develop. We can also use his channels to learn the secrets of the myriad heavens and worlds and prepare for the dangers to come."
"If disaster comes... The disparity in strength between us is vast, like a child traveling alongside a giant.
"In the short term, we might gain his protection. But in the long run, our Boundless World may completely lose its voice, become subject to others, and even...
"be silently devoured and digested by him, ultimately reduced to a vassal with no chance of ever rising again."
Mortal World's analysis had struck the nail on the head, exposing both the greatest temptation and deepest danger of an alliance.
Buzz!
Yuan Thirteen's Electronic Eye flickered violently. Red light swept across everyone as his cold mechanical voice rang out without the slightest trace of emotion.
"Data modeling and deduction complete."
"Option One: Accept the alliance."
"Initial stage—within one hundred years. Probability that the Boundless World will gain development benefits: 73.5%. Estimated increase in resource acquisition efficiency: 300% to 500%. Probability of sharing high-end technology, partial: 41.2%."
"Later stage—after one hundred years. Probability that the Boundless World will lose its dominance: 68.1%. Probability that core interests will be seized: 55.7%. Probability of forced annexation: 31.3%."
"Option Two: Reject the alliance."
"Short term—within ten years. Survival pressure will surge, and the external threat assessment will rise to the 'high-risk' level. Estimated development speed will decrease by 15%."
"Long term—after ten years. Probability of retaining complete autonomy: 99.9%. Development strategies may be formulated freely according to one's own needs. All risks and opportunities will be borne independently."
"Overall recommendation: From