The Wallfacer: Everyone wants to break through my wall.

The development of civilization is like rowing against the current; if you don't move forward, you perish!

……

After the meeting ended, Edith, who came to discuss the research arrangements with Lin Feng, asked, "Are you still troubled by the photonization problem?"

“How could I not be annoyed?” Lin Feng’s virtual body shook his head helplessly. “The emergence of graviton civilizations proves that there are more than just microscopic civilizations in the universe that we can imagine. Up to now, the number of microscopic civilizations can be counted on one hand, which is far less than the number of super-civilizations on the macroscopic scale. This is really unreasonable.”

“I know there must be some reason behind this. Now I just hope that the reason is not fatal to the integration, just like the dark forest that explains the Fermi paradox of the universe.”

Lin Feng was worried about this matter. In the billions of years of the universe, on such a large scale, there must be civilizations that have thought of the path to atomization and photonization. However, the unified entity has not been encountered yet.

This is remarkably similar to the Fermi Paradox of the past.

In this dark universe, the Fermi Paradox has an explanation in the Dark Forest theory, so what about the integration theory?

Lin Feng dared not think of anything positive, because the universe had always been this cruel.

Edith could certainly understand Lin Feng, but she also knew that worrying about these things was pointless. Lin Feng wasn't an omnipotent god, and worrying wouldn't solve the problem.

Edith said, "Maple, some things are the same whether you worry about them or not. There's really no need to have emotions about this, since you can't change anything anyway."

"Maybe it's because we can't detect those photon-based civilizations? Unless they actively contact us, it's difficult for us to detect their existence."

"Research into gravitation has restarted in many parts of the universe. The rest is a matter of other people's capabilities. There's no use in being anxious. You've already done your best."

"I hope things go as you expect." Lin Feng thought for a moment, then continued, "It's the same arrangement as before. Keep an eye on the people below and make sure the research progress doesn't slow down."

"Ah."

Edith responded.

Three years have passed in the blink of an eye, but on a cosmic scale, three years and three seconds are actually no different; both are times that pass very quickly.

Unfortunately, in these star systems selected as test sites, the integration received warnings from the graviton civilizations, but their attitudes differed from their initial reactions; in other words, the graviton civilizations at each test site gave different responses.

Some will issue warnings, some will offer friendly reminders, and some will simply launch direct attacks.

Well... it feels a bit like a split personality. After all, they had already broken off relations and started hitting each other, and then they showed different attitudes later on, which makes them seem very neurotic.

Logically speaking, a civilization with intelligence couldn't possibly consist entirely of lunatics, right?

Therefore, two hypotheses were put forward within the integration.

The first possibility is that while the scope of graviton civilizations is still very broad even on a cosmic scale, possibly covering the entire universe, they are not a monolithic entity.

Or rather, they are not the same civilization; they simply exist in the same way, both using gravitons as their civilization carriers. They are graviton civilizations transformed from different civilizations at different times and in different places.

The second possibility is that the graviton civilization cannot directly and effectively observe the unified entity.

This is easy to understand. The civilization carrier of the unified entity is the photon, which is the most common information carrier in the universe. In other words, we can only know the existence of a photon when we come into contact with it.

Photons are extremely light, and they could easily end up in some unknown corner of the universe through some Planck wormhole, making them incredibly difficult to observe.

Therefore, it is easy to understand why the graviton civilization did not recognize that the same civilization was studying gravitonization.

Chapter 379 Fantasy Civilization

Many years have passed since the unified entity made contact with the graviton civilization.

However, no one can give an exact number of years, because the scale is too large, and the relativistic effects have become so obvious that they cannot be ignored.

The speed at which time passes varies depending on the curvature of spacetime; for some, it is five years, while for others it is fifty years. Different spacetime coordinates yield different results.

For a long time, the unified entity was working to establish a unified time system within the civilization. After all, many things are inseparable from measuring time, and even personnel arrangements must at least provide a specific start date.

But later, the unified entity gave up because the scale was too large. It was impossible for the civilization to keep time the same. One day had passed in one place, but a year had already passed in another. How could this be measured according to a unified time?

Should we add 364 days to someone who has lived one day? Or should we take away the 364 days that someone has lived through one year and count it as one day?

Obviously, no matter how you arrange it, it won't work.

In this space where the exact time is unknown, a squad of photons receives a mission assigned by the higher-ups of the Unified Body.

The mission involves getting the team close to an alien civilization whose technology is inferior to that of the unified entity, and gradually taking it under covert control.

This alien civilization is unique. They possess atomic mechanical technology, but it seems they encountered something that caused their civilization to regress. As a result, they treated those atomic machines as 'magic' and developed another kind of civilization that the unified entity considers very abnormal.

In this distorted civilization, the power of the individual far exceeds that of the collective, and their social structure revolves entirely around the power of the individual. It is a dog-eat-dog world where only the fittest survive. If you are too weak, you may not even have the right to mate.

Individual wisdom is not valued in this civilization; only individual bravery and fighting can gain recognition from others and earn sufficient social status.

Once the team accepted the mission, they naturally knew the general situation of this civilization.

However, there was one thing they couldn't understand: what value did such a primitive and backward civilization have that made the unified body go to such lengths to arrange for them to come here and secretly control it?

When it comes to atomic machinery, the technology was developed by the Unified Body many years ago.

"Captain Wang, what's wrong with the higher-ups? Why are they issuing such a strange mission? That civilization doesn't actually possess 'magic' technology," a team member asked the captain.

“Old Pan, since you’re involved in this mission, I won’t hide it from you anymore. This civilization’s situation is quite unique,” ​​Captain Wang said.

Old Pan didn't join this team temporarily. He was the captain of another team. Because it was close by and he was quite capable, and because one of the members of that team accidentally fell into a Planck wormhole, he was transferred here by the higher-ups.

"What's so special about it?" Old Pan asked.

Team Leader Wang replied, "Do you remember when the Unified Body chose to hide in order to deceive the galactic overlord civilization, Radiance, and created a civilization called 'Jia' out of thin air?"

Old Pan quickly sorted out his thoughts, then suddenly realized and asked, "Is this the same? Is the civilization we're monitoring during the mission also an openly disguised entity?"

If Lao Pan's conjecture is correct, then behind this civilization is actually an atomized civilization.

An atomized micro-civilization is indeed worth the Alliance's attention. Since making contact with the graviton civilization, the Alliance has been filled with unease, hoping to make contact with other micro-civilizations and learn why photon-based civilizations are so rare.

Captain Wang said, "No, if the intelligence is correct, this civilization has transformed the micro-level civilization into tools unique to them."

Old Pan was taken aback, as were the other team members; they hadn't seen this in the mission intelligence.

"tool?!"

There's a lot of information behind this.

The opponent is a dangerous civilization that has defeated and enslaved atomized civilizations.

Then, for these people, going there would not be as simple as the mission description stated.

Old Pan asked somewhat disbelievingly, "Are you kidding me? I've seen the information on the mission target. That civilization's technology is very backward; they simply don't have the ability to modify a microscopic civilization."

"Old Pan, no one in the universe has ever stipulated that a civilization can only develop vertically upwards and cannot fall from a high place; a civilization can also regress."

Team Leader Wang's words prompted the team members to think.

Old Pan still didn't believe it. "Where's the information? Show it to me right now. If it's not inside information from higher-ups, I'll treat it all as nonsense."

"See for yourself."

As he spoke, Captain Wang handed the confidential document from his processor to Lao Pan for him to browse.

It was Sophon who first discovered this distorted civilization. During his infiltration and spying, he unexpectedly read the history of the atomized civilization from the data network composed of atomic machinery.

After learning about the situation, the high command of the unified entity immediately ordered Sophon not to take any further rash actions. After all, the one enslaving the atomized civilization was a macroscopic civilization with technology superior to theirs. The unified entity considered this civilization to be 'low-tech,' but who knows if that's the truth or just a disguise?

It wasn't until Zhizi had observed that civilized planet for several years that she gradually relaxed her guard and continued her investigation.

"...So what is the real purpose of our mission?" Old Pan couldn't help but ask after reading the inside information.

Captain Wang replied, "It's just the surface-level task: to investigate everything thoroughly so that the unified entity can understand the truth."

"With this information, isn't it practically confirmed?"

Old Pan felt strange. Sophon had been lurking on that planet for so many years, and the higher-ups of the Unified Body must have already investigated it. What else did they need to investigate?

"What solid evidence? Humans aren't the only ones who lie in the universe. This information alone is far from enough to prove anything, and it might even be bait," said Captain Wang.

"Barefoot, who are we luring..." Old Pan paused, then realized what he meant and murmured, "No way?"

Some in the upper echelons of the Unified Body suspected that this civilization was a bait for the Unified Body, while the Unified Body sent the Photon Squad as bait, also placing it in the open.

"This mission has too many possibilities, and the risks are no less than those of previous missions, so don't let your guard down," Captain Wang reminded his team members.

Old Pan suggested, "Why don't we just destroy that civilization? Who cares if they're setting a trap for us? The safety factor for dead people is definitely the highest."

Although the higher-ups sent them here to act as both bait and investigators, and to adapt to the situation, Lao Pan had no intention of following their plan, after all, his life was in his own hands.

Even if the Photon Man, due to the Photon Entanglement and Planck Wormhole, is someone that even Pan himself can't figure out how to kill, a Photon Man who doesn't want to die at all, the universe is so big, what if?

"We were sent here, don't you understand the higher-ups' attitude? They'd rather not destroy it than let it die. This civilization is more useful to the unified entity if it's alive than dead," Captain Wang reminded him.

"The higher-ups want to take it over?" Old Pan asked, puzzled.

Team Leader Wang countered, "No, it's about studying this civilization. If the intelligence is as we suspect, then this civilization is of great research value to the Unified Body."

……

Lin Feng looked at the investigation report sent back by Lao Pan and others after their in-depth investigation and muttered to himself.

"Interesting, very interesting..."

Edith, standing nearby, said, "This civilization is very special. They were once hostile to a microscopic civilization. Before the other side could detect them, they completed their research first, understood the internal workings of atomic machinery, and launched an attack without hesitation, gaining absolute control over the entire microscopic civilization in one fell swoop."

"It's a pity that, in order to maintain the integrity of the civilization, that micro-level civilization adopted an absolute dictatorial social structure. Because the authority had too great an impact on the individuals in that civilization, once the hostile civilization learned about their internal operating mechanism, it directly simulated the highest authority and easily gained absolute control over that micro-level civilization."

In this malevolent universe, excessive centralization also carries considerable risks. For example, it is quite easy to forge the orders of those in power and cause a highly centralized civilization to collapse in an instant.

For example, this current civilization, after seizing the highest authority of this atomized civilization, can directly enslave it.

“However, after gaining absolute control over these micro-civilizations, the macro-civilizations did not choose to destroy them, but instead chose to enslave them. One civilization became the servant and tool of another. Fortunately, we did not choose this path, otherwise we would have to immediately reform or think of ways to check and balance them.” Edith said with some relief. The hidden dangers of excessive centralization were too dangerous and directly related to the survival of the unified entity.

If the Taylor system had chosen absolute dictatorship when it was atomized, it would likely have been left in the Milky Way forever, enslaved like this atomized civilization, or even wiped out.

Lin Feng's virtual form shook his head. "What I meant by interesting is not this."

"Not this one?" Edith looked at Lin Feng in confusion.

Lin Feng explained, "After absorbing the micro-civilization as its servants, this civilization relied on this micro-civilization, which had been reduced to a tool, to reach an even more glorious peak. However, the end result after the glory was decline, because the micro-civilization did too well, which caused the macro-civilization that enslaved them to fall into internal strife for more than five thousand years, and the macro-civilization, along with its knowledge system, was wiped out."

"In terms of comedic ability, this civilization is quite unique in the universe."

When other civilizations merge, they usually experience a technological explosion or become even more powerful than they are now. However, this civilization indulged in decadence and debauchery while at the pinnacle of its glory, and even became highly dependent on the atomized civilization that had been reduced to a tool, ultimately resulting in internal strife.

If we're talking about being funny, then this is truly hilarious. Looking across the universe, there's probably no other civilization that would act like this. It can only be said that the decision-makers of that civilization all had their brains soaked in water.

Without decades of cerebral thrombosis, how could civilization have been allowed to degenerate into this state?

Lin Feng continued, "Of course, the more crucial point is that this unique structure of civilized society has lost a large amount of the original knowledge of civilization due to internal strife. Furthermore, because the micro-level civilizations have diligently served the people, the development of the entire civilization has become heavily biased towards idealism, and the thinking about things has become subjective. Such a civilization is extremely rare in this universe."

If it were just an ordinary civilization, Lin Feng wouldn't be so interested.