"I am inclined to believe that whatever caused all this was not a life-form possessed of a highly subjective will."
After summarizing all the intelligence, Benjamin came to a conclusion.
"It is more like a non-living entity that operates according to some fixed, enormous program. As long as our awakening and contact do not touch its core directives or cause large-scale disturbances, we may be judged as a 'tolerable error.'"
This speculation made the atmosphere in the room even more unsettling.
Within Rex's residence, shielded layer upon layer by technological means, the two "Awakened Ones," who had reached a preliminary consensus, fell into brief contemplation over the fragments of intelligence gathered so far.
A society that was peaceful to an eerie degree, a vast and real cosmic scale, a number of "Fallen Ones" that might far exceed expectations, and an invisible network that covered everything and coordinated it all in perfect order—
All these clues pointed toward an unfathomable system behind the scenes.
Yet they were like scattered pearls, lacking a central thread to string them together.
"All the abnormalities seem to have been covered up and digested by a powerful order." Rex tapped the metal tabletop with his fingertips, producing a steady, light rhythm. "Except for one place—"
Benjamin raised his head and picked up the thought. "The front line."
Yes. Only that star region, where they fought the so-called "alien threat," remained a place of constant "chaos" and "conflict" within this vast, peaceful, orderly universe.
If this "system" had a flaw, that place was undoubtedly where it was most likely to be exposed.
Now that they had identified their target, Benjamin and Rex immediately began acting without hesitation.
Relying on Rex's status as a renowned young engineer on Anvil Star, along with several insignificant but military-approved technical optimization