Temporary Halt

The stargates beyond the strategic nodes did not connect to new star systems, but to the Spirit Realm. This information was quickly relayed to the rear and learned by the Collectors.

"The Spirit Realm? Why do the gates connect to the Spirit Realm?"

"Unknown. The Council must have done something to the gates."

"That means we have no way to advance into the other star systems within the Gate World."

The Collectors were thus plunged into a difficult predicament, one bestowed upon them by the Council. The gates had effectively been sealed off, and Spirit Sovereigns were blocking the way within the Spirit Realm. No matter how many leaping organism clusters they sent in, it would be futile.

Because within the Spirit Realm, Spirit Sovereigns were invincible.

"Were any missed?"

First asked the other members of its kind, wanting to know whether any stargates had escaped the blockade.

"None were missed. Whether in the Holy Wom Commonwealth or the Inari Radiant Empire, the stargates at the strategic nodes all connect to the Spirit Realm."

"Fighting Spirit Sovereigns within the Spirit Realm offers odds of victory equivalent to zero. The Council has completely cut off the paths through the gates. One could even say that we, together with those occupied star systems, have been expelled from the Gate World."

The confirmed reports came back from the Collectors. The Council could not possibly have overlooked something like this; the Collectors' hopes had been nothing but futile wishful thinking.

It could be said that the Council's solution had truly stumped the Collectors, for they could not think of any good way to solve this problem for the moment.

"Are there any other options?"

One individual asked, and the other Collectors answered.

"There are no alternatives. Without relying on the gates, we cannot reach