Over 20,000 years. Honestly, for someone who's wandered the cosmos for 130,000 years, that's nothing.
These years have been rich with experience, not a monotonous repetition.
Initially, he did hesitate.
He even dreamed nightly of failure and subsequent judgment.
Countless people watching as he was branded a traitor.
Giotto knew he wasn't one.
Under dimensional warfare, the Federation couldn't survive.
This became even clearer after the emergence of the evasion ship.
The Federation's technology was inferior to even the simplest knowledge provided by that civilization.
The Federation couldn't even ensure its survival.
But he…
Wasn't a traitor.
He was a savior!
Returning to save all of civilization.
"We must go to war. How do we prepare?"
Giotto asked.
He'd been planning this war for a long time, lacking the means until now.
With the evasion ship and increased funds, he could finally act.
Based on their current production capacity, they could produce 200 ships daily, but he publicly announced only 120.
The remaining ships were supplied to the Rusty star nation's military.
The Rusty star nation had long since allied with him. Although their progress wasn't fast enough, this war wasn't particularly reckless.
Because their targets were solely the enemies of the Rusty star nation, not Supernova Technology Company's enemies.
The Rusty star nation's royal family was eager to participate.
Leveraging Supernova Technology Company's funding, they were mass-producing warships.
A star nation without a warship production line didn't deserve the name.
Rusty star nation's warship production lines were outdated, using designs from 14,000 years ago.
Fortunately, surrounding star nations were similarly equipped.
"We now have 130,000 ships and 3,289 warships."
"According to our intelligence, most star nations possess only 2,114 warships and 8,267 ships, many over 4000 years old."
"The Obsidian Shield star nation has a typical deployment of 3,127 warships and 28,370 ships; they're our strongest opponent."
"The Dragon star nation is focusing on biological enhancements, aiming to create cosmic dragons. They have the fewest warships—only 726—and 2,229 ships; they're not a major concern."
Toma K had already gathered information on the three surrounding star nations.
This information might contain errors, but not many.
Previously, Rusty star nation would have been considered second-tier among the four.
Now, among the 130,000 ships, 110,000 are made from evasion materials, giving them an advantage against Federation ships, let alone those of the bordering star nations.
The Federation, while not deploying its own fleet, recruits numerous explorers.
The quality of these explorers' ships varies, but thanks to the Federation's vast resources, even their weaker ships are superior to those produced by the surrounding star nations.
Among the four star nations, Rusty is relatively isolated.
Their poor relations with the others are because these three star nations surround Rusty.
Theoretically, any expansion by Rusty would necessitate conflict.
After years of conflict, these three star nations even formed an alliance.
They aim to dismantle Rusty star nation.
This makes reconciliation impossible.
Therefore, when initially selling ships, Supernova Technology Company didn't consider the surrounding star nations.
"Yes, we have sufficient ships."
"However, a swift attack on Obsidian Shield is unlikely to succeed."
"This would allow other star nations to react and encircle us."
"Attacking Dragon star nation would be quick, but the combined forces of the other two are still formidable."
"So, we strike the Multi-Mind Star Nation first."
The Multi-Mind Star Nation received its name because it was founded by a powerful psionic master.
He subsequently disseminated psionic abilities within the star nation, using psionic strength to determine social status.
This star nation is unusual; it hasn't experienced rapid development for a long time.
There's even some internal turmoil.
"That aligns with my thinking."
"The Multi-Mind Star Nation is in disarray, and we've been preparing for many years, already contacting a large corporation within the star nation."
"Once we attack, this corporation will assist us, allowing us to swiftly conquer the Multi-Mind Star Nation."
Giotto had primarily managed Supernova Technology Company's internal affairs for many years.
Toma K handled external challenges.
He constantly traveled among three star nations, ostensibly conducting business but secretly cultivating his own network.
"I know, it's the Kỷ Corporation."
"Tell them to slow down, waiting for the final, decisive strike."
"We can activate the Long Star Nation agent and have them relay a distress signal to the Multi-Mind Star Nation as quickly as possible."
"We can deploy 10,000 ships along their route; once they move, we launch a surprise attack."
Two birds with one stone.
Giotto had rehearsed these scenarios countless times.
He knew exactly what to do.
"What about Obsidian Shield? No precautions?" Toma K asked.
Giotto carefully considered.
He pondered adding another layer of certainty.
Ultimately, he decided on a swift victory, committing all warships and ships to the attack on the Multi-Mind Star Nation.
"You should know the situation with Obsidian Shield better than I do."
"Activate our agent inside Obsidian Shield to create chaos."
"We don't need much time, just 50 years."
The distance between the star nations wasn't excessive.
Fifty years wouldn't be the duration of the war, but a fifty-year delay could determine the outcome.
Fifty years would allow them to produce more ships.
These ships would be sufficient to contain Obsidian Shield.
Giotto and Toma K meticulously analyzed and refined their war plan, making it even more secretive.
They decided to launch the attack in five years.
This would primarily be carried out by the Rusty star nation.
But they knew.
The Rusty star nation and its three neighboring star nations were evenly matched; if they were truly capable of waging war, they wouldn't have remained stagnant for so long.
Relying solely on them for victory was risky.
"Then I'll handle it. Be careful."
Giotto said to Toma K.
Toma K would travel to the Rusty star nation's capital aboard a shuttle capable of 170,000 km/s, becoming the battlefield commander and leading the fleet to the front lines.
This was a decisive battle, allowing no mistakes.
"Don't worry. This is a war we will absolutely win."
"I'm just going on a trip."
Toma K departed a few days later.
This marked the entry of this region, peaceful for tens of thousands of years, into a state of war.
After Toma K's departure, Giotto sought out Luna.
He'd deliberated for a while after their conversation, finally deciding to reveal some of the technology he'd obtained.
No point in hoarding diamonds or fine porcelain.
Keeping these things to himself ultimately served no purpose.
If war truly broke out, he might die.
These things would then truly become meaningless in his mind.
Luna usually stayed at Research Star City but also frequently visited headquarters.
Giotto couldn't hide the war plans from Luna. He had already summoned her to headquarters to discuss some matters.
The discussions weren't about military aspects but about ship production and internal plans.
Once war erupted, internal company issues would undoubtedly arise; everyone would have their own thoughts.
Especially within such a vast star nation.
Some would believe launching the war was a mistake.
They might strike, or even sabotage facilities.
Was war wrong?
That statement isn't false; in fact, it's absolutely correct.
However, this assumes the absence of external factors.
For instance, two unrelated individuals could live peacefully, but if they dislike each other, they might fight.
That's wrong.
But what if those two individuals were locked in a room?
Both are starving, with no food available.
To survive, the only option is to kill and eat the other.
Is such a war wrong?
It's mere instinct.
The causes of war are diverse.
And among star nations, this diversity is even broader.
From simple citizen conflicts to inter-star nation interests.
Within a star nation, some "pacifists" might shout, "Why must we wage war? Cosmic resources are limitless; shouldn't we explore outer star systems?"
This allows everyone to leave the room; two or more people can search for food outside.
But finding food outside is difficult.
One option offers immense investment with uncertain returns.
The other offers readily available food.
Which is better?
Is this a hypothetical?
Clearly, more choices exist, but why choose the easiest one when others are possible?
What if another factor is added?
These two individuals already have conflict.
Killing and consuming a rival, versus leaving that rival to search for uncertain sustenance.
An easy choice.
At least, Giotto chose the former.
Because he was human, not a machine with absolute logical reasoning capabilities.
He couldn't predict whether the other side intended to kill him; that was the question.
This returns to the fundamental question of why civilizations inevitably go to war.
You don't understand the other side's intentions.
That is the original sin.
Unless you can completely control the other side.
But would they allow themselves to be controlled?
Or would you let them probe your every thought?
But would you do that?
All your technology, all your thoughts, are laid bare to another civilization. How can you be sure they'll keep their promise not to attack?
These are paradoxes.
Absolute paradoxes of life.
As long as life exists, conflict is inevitable.
In the book, this is called the inherent flaw of life.
This flaw can be criticized, but the critic's qualifications are crucial.
Those truly qualified can point out the error in the war.
Criticism means negating what is perceived as wrong.
But if you can't prove something is wrong, criticism becomes mere lip service or emotional release.
To demonstrate error, you need concrete evidence.
For example, you might argue that war is wrong and peace is right. Why is peace right? Because it allows for cooperation and mutual benefit.
Offering a solution is the only way to avoid war.
Only then can criticism achieve its purpose.
Luna had been pondering these issues lately.
What circumstances could prevent war?
The Federation currently faced numerous problems: dimensional warfare, resource conflicts with the Flyer Civilization, and even the internal conflict she had instigated.
War is always a double-edged sword.
It can elevate a civilization or destroy it.
How can war be controlled?
Like criticism, find a solution.
With a solution, everything becomes manageable.
The Federation's solution to internal conflict was simple: natural resolution.
This was one solution.
If the Federation won, nothing would change. The Federation would be invigorated and continue functioning.
If the new government won, it wouldn't escape Luna and Ayla's control.
Perhaps the new government's leaders wouldn't know about Luna and Ayla, but they would still be secretly working behind the scenes, further decentralizing power.
This might not be ideal for them, but it would undoubtedly benefit humanity.
Next, they would instigate humanity's seizure of resources from the Flyer Civilization. The battle-hardened new government would then find conquering the Flyer Civilization relatively easy.
Not through war.
The new government's fresh structure and the powerful forces built upon the old government would compel the Flyer Civilization to submit.
Their choices would be limited.
Either ally with humanity against other dimensional enemies or face them alone.
And Luna's initial "rural encirclement of the city" plan prevented the Flyer Civilization from choosing the latter.
This was part of Luna's foresight.
Of course, this was a situation she herself had created.
Luna was reminded of these issues because she had received news of the Flyer Civilization's dimensional invasion.
The plan would likely progress faster than anticipated.
And would likely be significantly smoother.
The initial unification might be completed within the next 5000 years.
But while she pondered these things, Ayla would still be the one making the actual decisions; she was just the CEO of Supernova Technology Company.
Luna reflected on this.
A notification appeared before her.
Giotto had arrived.
She put these thoughts aside.
She wondered what Giotto wanted.
If it was about the war, she might be able to influence things.
Luna sat in her room, mentally controlling the door to open.
Giotto entered.
"Mr. Giotto, what brings you here?" she asked.
Giotto stood before Luna, his face clouded with worry.
"I've recently developed a new technology, but I can't figure out its applications."
"So I came to discuss it with you."
Giotto's acting was unconvincing.
Even if Luna didn't know that his technologies weren't his own, she would suspect something from his clumsy performance.
"Oh? What kind of technology?"
Luna's interest was piqued.
Since joining Supernova Technology Company, she had only seen the anomalous liquid metal and evasion materials.
After all these years, Luna had assumed Giotto had only obtained those two technologies.
She hadn't expected him to reveal something else now.
Giotto waved his hand; a holographic table materialized before them.
He then shared the data with Luna.
A blueprint, or rather, tens of thousands of formulas combined, instantly appeared on the table.
Giotto had gone to great lengths to make these formulas look like his own handwriting.
But Luna could see numerous errors—Giotto's misinterpretations.
Luna had initially found this overwhelming.
However, her years at Supernova Technology Company had compensated for this; her physics knowledge had reached the one-star scholar level.
Even a low-level scholar could understand the core concepts.
Luna was quickly engrossed.
"This…it actually describes space!" Luna was shocked by the formulas.
These formulas were all related to space, explaining its fundamental nature.
Giotto, hearing Luna's words, was equally astonished.
Space?
He had assumed it was some new material.
After Luna's reminder, he re-examined the data; his auxiliary brain instantly connected various concepts.
It truly was about space.
Wait a minute.
Why hadn't he noticed this before? He'd studied physics for so long.
Giotto felt his entire education was a sham.
"So? What do you think of its potential applications?" Giotto asked.
Luna took a moment to recover.
She was confident this was a cutting-edge technology, far exceeding previous advancements.
While she had some doubts about the evasion material, this was definitive.
This technology undoubtedly originated from a Type 2.8 or higher civilization.
Their mastery of space was simply unimaginable!
Luna believed Ayla would be equally astonished; this wasn't ordinary technology; it even touched upon warp-related concepts.
Perhaps its perfected state could be a warp drive.
Of course,
A true warp drive is impossible to create; it requires an astronomically high energy expenditure.
Probably only a Type 4.5 civilization could utilize it.
This technology only involved specific applications of space, insignificant compared to a warp drive.
But it was still spatial manipulation!
The Flyer Civilization also manipulated space, using those bulging spatial containers.
However, the underlying technology wasn't advanced; its implementation was relatively simple.
Initially, the Federation hadn't thoroughly investigated it, but after thousands of years of research, they mastered the technology.
And discovered it was a huge waste of effort.
Because the more space was bulged, energy consumption skyrocketed; it was simply inefficient.
The Flyer Civilization even employed deceptive tactics, claiming a bulging space container could hold 1.2 times its volume.
But part of that 1.2 volume was hidden externally.
Like giving you a one-cubic-meter container, claiming it holds 1.2 cubic meters, but that's only what you think.
In reality, it holds only 1.1 cubic meters, with the extra 0.1 cubic meter being a reflection from a mirror placed inside.
A truly extreme deception.
Ayla hadn't directly used this technology for exploration.
Instead, she'd had several Federation companies produce imitations.
That's why they'd wasted thousands of years.
The technology, while ultimately useless, could, under stable conditions, provide an additional 3% of space.
But compared to the spatial technology Giotto had presented, it was garbage.
"Massive, incredibly massive."
"This is a top-tier weapon; how could it lack potential?"
A weapon?
Giotto was stunned.
How did this relate to weaponry?
Or rather, why did everything presented to Luna seem to be weaponized?
"If we made a weapon, how powerful would it be?"
Giotto asked cautiously.
He didn't want to reveal that this wasn't his creation.
Although Toma K had assured him that everyone knew the technology wasn't theirs,
a thin veil of secrecy still existed; it wasn't soundproof, but it offered concealment.
If that veil were broken, other secrets would soon be revealed.
Luna considered carefully.
"If my hypothesis is correct, this could become a super-range weapon."
"But further research is needed."
"I'm not an expert in this area. I suggest inviting several top-ranked scholars. Don't use financial incentives; use one of the formulas. Seeing this, they'll come running."
This was a treasure trove of information.
Just from what Luna saw, she could envision the creation of a spatial phase.
This spatial phase would exist for a period before dissipating.
One might react with, "That's it?"
But note, this isn't spatial closure, but dissipation.
This spatial phase is a separate space, a separate singularity.
The dissipation of this space bubble means the disappearance of a "universe," releasing a terrifying amount of energy that Luna couldn't calculate.
But it would undoubtedly become a top-tier weapon technology, surpassing most current super-range weapons.
Most importantly, this weapon would be secret and small.
How much energy would a small, collapsing space bubble release?
"This shouldn't exist, yet it does." Luna was awestruck.
Current Federation technology hasn't even touched upon this.
Creating a new space bubble in the universe—if this technology were fully mastered, not only warp drives but the creation of entire universes wouldn't be impossible.
If we used a magic-based classification of technology,
this would be forbidden magic.
Its very existence shouldn't be.
Luna could understand the information, but couldn't replicate it.
This was a long road ahead.
The Federation currently lacked the necessary technology, even at the most basic level.
Therefore, she needed to recruit numerous scholars to participate in research and development.
But before that…
Luna felt the need to understand the true nature and origin of Giotto's technology.
Most importantly, why, when she examined Giotto's memories, this technology didn't exist.
This was Luna's biggest concern.
But approaching this matter required caution.
If Giotto truly possessed a significant secret, carelessly questioning him might endanger all of humanity.
Uncovering all of Giotto's technology…
The Federation would inevitably make this new technology the future direction.
Similar to how Ayla used basic logic to control all the Federation's machines.
If a more advanced civilization left flaws in this knowledge, the day they developed this technology would also mark the takeover of their civilization.
This was Luna's concern.
Regardless of whether Giotto knew the origin of his technology…
This technology itself was a double-edged sword.
It could help humanity advance.
But it could also plunge humanity into the abyss.
But could Luna truly remain calm?
No.
If Giotto's previous technology didn't trigger deep concerns in Luna, this technology surpassed any previous limitations.
It was too powerful.
It revealed the immense gap between the Federation and more advanced civilizations.
Others were civilizations that had developed for tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of years.
The Federation was barely 200,000 years old.
It was like a child facing an adult.
Their knowledge bases were on completely different scales.
It's like someone unfamiliar with a certain fact. When the fact is outside their frame of reference, they might find it simple.
For example, starting a company in the 21st century.
Producing anything, even a snack, seems simple.
Someone might think, "Give me money, and I can create a product line."
But in reality, even if you succeed, to whom do you sell it?
If it were so simple, every snack company should survive.
But in reality, most food companies fail within a few years.
The market competition is far more intense than imagined.
If you want to participate, you must be prepared for losses in the millions or tens of millions.
The saying "ignorance is bliss" is true.
After truly experiencing difficulty, a sense of urgency and fear often arises.
It's like someone who believes they've truly been reborn or time-traveled. Without a typical system or cheat code, they're still insignificant.
Luna felt the same.
She sensed the disparity and the Federation's future.
A Federation once again on the verge of annihilation.
Perhaps, at its current scale, humanity is unlikely to disappear completely.
But the Federation, and this star nation, might vanish from the historical record.
And Luna sadly realized that to prevent this…
She had to learn this technology.
"How long do you estimate it will take to develop this weapon?"
Hearing Luna mention a weapon comparable to super-range weaponry, Giotto's eyes lit up.
The upper limit of super-range weapons is high.
The most important factor is energy.
Rusty star nation and the surrounding small star nations didn't possess super-range weapons.
Or perhaps they did.
But these super-range weapons could only traverse great distances; they were merely super-long-range planet-destroying weapons.
Their energy levels weren't sufficient to destroy a star.
"It will take 4000 years."
"That depends on our investment."
"4000 years is the fastest; with insufficient investment, it could take over 10,000 years," Luna said.
Giotto was stunned.
"Are the requirements for super-range weapons that high?"
He didn't fully understand the complexity of super-range weapons.
Super-range weapons have undergone many changes, but even the earliest versions weren't simply scaled-up weapons.
For example, a super-range weapon must not consume more than 5% of its energy within its operational range. This technology itself is beyond the capabilities of all current star nations.
Only the Federation possesses this technology.
Perhaps in the next tens of thousands of years, the star nations will develop it.
Wars might then become truly significant for star nations.
But that's in the future.
Each super-range weapon presents technological challenges; this is inevitable.
And the development of spatial technology needs to start from scratch. Even with Luna's assistance, it will take a considerable time.
"Yes, it will take that long."
"You also need to consider the travel time for those scholars to Rusty star nation; it will likely take even longer."
"If we want to initiate development, we should start soon. I can take charge of this."
As Luna spoke, Giotto hesitated.
Although he wanted to conquer human civilization, he felt the investment and time required for super-range weaponry were too significant.
"If our company wants to become a true top-tier corporation, mastering super-range weapon technology is necessary."
"This technology alone could place us among the top ten corporations in human civilization."
"Mr. Giotto, if you don't want to be confined to this small area, it's best to trust me."
Luna was surprised that Giotto hesitated at this juncture.
This was closely related to his perspective.
A narrow perspective easily leads to retreat in the face of long-term challenges.
It's like a nearsighted person facing two paths.
One path's end is unclear, but the other leads to an apple tree, clearly visible.
Which path would the nearsighted person choose?
Giotto was in a similar situation.
He wasn't perfect; he was a small player in the old Federation.
Even in the new Federation, he chose to develop on the fringes of civilization like Rusty star nation.
He had ambition.
But he lacked vision.
When faced with a risky endeavor, he retreated.
This is why, before Luna's arrival, despite his long development time and superior technology, his market valuation remained only in the hundreds of trillions.
Hearing Luna's words…
Recalling the miracles Luna had wrought for him…
Perhaps he could let Luna handle this.
He was ultimately indecisive.
"Alright, you do it. I'll fully support you."
"Let's go!"
Giotto became a cheerleader.
Luna didn't find this incongruous.
Giotto had always been this way.
...
Almost every Luna transmitted information to Ayla.
Ayla felt she had become an extension of Luna.
She had no time for anything else.
After collecting this information, she needed immense computational power to process it and devise solutions.
Although Luna might not accept these solutions, she felt it was her duty to complete this task.
Each Luna was exploring different things.
The most information came from the Flyer Civilization, Hossie's Eternal Cycle star nation, and the Rusty star nation.
This information alone would keep Ayla occupied for a long time.
Take the Flyer Civilization information, for example.
Luna only needed to handle the larger issues; she had already planned how to promote cooperation.
But cooperation between civilizations isn't as simple as just promoting it.
Many conflicts can still arise.
Ayla had to consider these issues.
She could delegate this to local Boundary Gods.
But the Boundary Gods, being almost human in intelligence, were created by her and would be rigid in their approach.
Federation politicians could provide assistance.
However, they had their own interests and wouldn't fully favor the Federation.
Some would do things beneficial to themselves but detrimental to the Federation.
Corruption within the Federation was widespread, even under the Boundary God's surveillance.
This was the nature of human desire.
Another reason existed: loopholes.
Federation law couldn't be completely airtight. Minor infractions resulted in minor punishments, not immediate removal from office.
This allowed many to exploit loopholes.
But eliminating these loopholes would make the Federation excessively rigid; everyone would follow the rules without exception, lacking any human touch. Then why have politicians at all? Just let the Boundary God manage everything.
In short, the Federation had many internal issues.
Therefore, Ayla still needed to consider many things.
She might not resolve them, but she had to consider the fallout from potential failures and plan for cleanup.
These were her concerns.
Failure to do so would lead the Federation astray.
It might not cause collapse, but it would certainly slow progress.
Such delays, especially in the current context, were highly undesirable.
Fortunately, the information Luna provided wasn't entirely unrelated to her current tasks.
For example, the evasion material.
Ayla, in her young girl form, oversaw numerous scholars in the research command center, having devoted considerable effort to verifying it.
"Conduct a final test on the Dimensional Ship 1. Launch is imminent."
"This is our seventh dimensional exploration. We've waited thousands of years for this moment."
This was due to the Federation's three-generation policy.
No one disregarded Ayla's orders just because she was a simulation.
Currently, Ayla was in charge.
She enjoyed this feeling of leadership, especially being treated as a person.
Initially, she had difficulty adapting.
She could only interact normally with Luna.
But time smoothed things out. Over time, the barriers between her and others disappeared.
Dimensional Ship 1 was the Federation's first ship genuinely designed for dimensional exploration.
Previous probes didn't qualify as ships; they didn't meet the required specifications.
The potato chip, while a planetary-class warship, wasn't built for dimensional exploration. It was discarded by Ayla simply because it couldn't provide the spatial research data Luna desired.
Of course, Ayla would only admit to this being one of the reasons.
"This exploration is crucial; it incorporates years of research."
"The Flyer Civilization is under large-scale dimensional invasion. If we don't progress, we may follow in their footsteps."
Ayla considered this dimensional exploration a new beginning.
The lessons and experience from the previous six failed attempts were incorporated into Dimensional Ship 1.
That's why this ship took so long to build.
It wasn't that the evasion material was difficult to create; it was the numerous challenges in making various components evasion-capable.
Thousands of physicists and engineers worked anxiously in the warship, or rather, the dimensional gateway observation station, conducting adjustments and tests.
"Hull inspection complete; no deficiencies detected."
The hull was the most thoroughly checked component.
Four minor checks after the hull inspection, the propulsion system was checked.
Then came the electronic components throughout the ship.
Finally, the communication equipment.
Why last? Because its primary function wasn't to gather data, but to transmit it back.
Previous explorations had shown that not all data from within the dimensional gateway was transmitted.
They needed to increase the transmission success rate to at least 80%.
The overall inspection took three days.
Just as Ayla was about to initiate the seventh exploration…
She received new information from Luna.
It was Giotto's latest formulas.
Upon seeing them, Ayla was equally astonished.
But she didn't see any weapons.
Instead, she saw hope for dimensional exploration.
Dimensions were a matter of space.
These formulas involved the most fundamental aspects of space.
Their existing theories might be overturned.
"Halt the seventh dimensional exploration plan immediately."
"Assemble everyone!"
Ayla issued an urgent order.
The scholars were stunned.
Everything was ready; why stop now?
It was like everyone had undressed, ready for the final step, only to be told to stop. It made no sense.
Dissatisfied scholars gathered for the meeting.
Thousands of people filled the conference hall, buzzing with discontent.
Ayla ignored the commotion and transmitted the information directly to each scholar. They only needed to read the text.
[First, the reasons for halting the plan:]
[The seventh dimensional exploration plan remains incomplete. We've obtained more advanced spatial knowledge from another civilization.]
[This knowledge may contain traps, but the most crucial information could lead to significant advancements in our understanding of space.]
[Below is the obtained data:]
The formulas appeared before all the scholars.
The entire hall fell silent within a second.
Everyone seemed speechless, as if their vocal cords were seized.
Perfect, utterly perfect!
The previously unsolvable problem had a solution!
These were truly divine formulas!