But when they truly faced a corrupted fallen civilization like their own, the elites of the extragalactic cluster felt the weight of the pressure.
"Because the Union is powerful enough, we understand how difficult it is for a civilization to ascend. The powerful civilization we take pride in has instead become a bottleneck holding back our ascension." Sage Xindra sighed and glanced over the people accompanying him.
"Have any of you considered this question? The Dragon Soul Empire has mobilized its entire population. Why, then, is it still being firmly suppressed by the corrupted civilization?"
Everyone fell silent. It wasn't that they didn't know what to say; it was the fear that came from guessing the truth.
"Looks like you all have an answer already. Speak up, Amba. Your wisdom has always been praised." The Sage spoke.
Amba gave a bitter smile. "Sage, facing the truth is hard. This is a difficult answer. I suspect the corrupted civilization is at least five times the size of the Dragon Soul Empire. Otherwise, with the entire population mobilized, they should have shown some sign of striking back. But from what we can see, they're not doing too well."
This assessment came from several factors. There had been no sign of a counterattack; the Dragon Soul Empire had only mounted a passive defense. The corrupted civilization's forces had also reached the Dragon Soul border arm. Although they still appeared to be resisting and even slowly expanding outward, that was merely due to the effect of the Wall of Sighs. Overall, there was a clear gap between the two sides' production capacities.
With the technological advantage gone, this disparity had become especially obvious. Both sides were fighting a war of attrition, and whoever had greater productive capacity would gain the upper hand.
"A difference