"Interesting," Hye fell into a long, contemplative silence. "But surely such events are rare? How often can a world lose its hundred-year protection?"
"They are incredibly common," Olana corrected him, her voice holding the cold pragmatism of a trader.
"The system is efficient. It groups worlds that finished their apocalypses at roughly the same time into clusters. These are the 'Hot Zones.' An entire group of these worlds might lose their protection simultaneously, sometimes once every few days. The universe is vast, Lord; somewhere, a world is always dying."
"What?!" Hye stood up from his throne, his mind reeling. "You're telling me it's not just one world at a time? Are they grouped together? In a single sector?"
"A Hot Zone typically occupies an entire sector," Olana confirmed. "The proximity is dense—a stellar system apart, at most. When the shields drop, it's not a single battle; it's a sector-wide meat grinder."
