Ten years later.
As the war continued to escalate, both sides began deploying increasingly powerful weapons. That relatively small battlefield had been ravaged so thoroughly over the years that it was practically plowed over on a daily basis.
Over 90% of the soil had been vaporized by the sheer destructive force of these weapons—leaving not even a trace behind.
In this place, poisonous gases and lethal radiation were more common than breathable air. For an ordinary person, stepping foot on this ground would mean instant death—without even a chance to struggle.
But for the modified beasts and specially-treated mechanical constructs, this environment posed only minor inconveniences. These factors barely registered as threats.
Inside the command chamber, the commander of the Gaiensar Civilization stared at the analysis chart in front of him, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.
The data on that chart was not just any ordinary report—it was a detailed location analysis of the enemy's commander from the Wizard Civilization.
The analysis indicated that the enemy commander was currently hiding on a Aelthorpe Star.
This conclusion had been reached through a combination of espionage and countless subtle clues gathered over years of conflict.
For most civilizations, this kind of intel would be practically useless—about as redundant as putting on pants just to fart.
After all, in a war of this scale and power, anyone important enough to command strategic assets would immediately sense any assassination attempt and go to any lengths to disrupt it. Reaching the enemy's command post would require breaking through layer after layer of defenses.
And if you've already broken through that far… then it really doesn't matter whether you know exactly where the commander is or not—you've already won.
Moreover, anyone serving as a commander in such a supernatural war had to be ridiculously powerful. The kind of overwhelming strength that could solo most of their own army. Such people didn't have weaknesses that could be easily exploited.
No transcendent being would tolerate a weakling ordering them around.
However, the Gaiensar Civilization had another option besides brute force.
A secret method unique to their civilization—one of their most deeply hidden trump cards. One that had time and again produced unimaginable results by sabotaging enemies from within.
If this commander has truly remained in charge of this battlefield for years, then they must be a high-ranking member of the Wizard Civilization's top governing body—the Wizard Council. If this operation succeeds… it could very well tip the scales of the entire war in their favor.
The biggest question now is—can the target resist the power of the Heart of Gaiensar...?
After a long moment of contemplation, the commander remained undecided. Choosing caution, he sent a request back to Gaiensar's homeworld—calling for a meeting of the Psionic Council.
That way, even if the operation failed, at least he wouldn't have to shoulder the blame alone… though he would also miss out on a share of the credit.
The following day, after listening carefully to the commander's report, the council members quickly split into two camps. One side believed it was the perfect time to act, confident that their civilization's secret weapon would not let them down. The other side urged caution, arguing that the intel was insufficient and that deploying the Heart of Gaiensar without more testing would be reckless.
Sitting in the front row, the three highest-ranking councilors furrowed their brows in thought.
Before long, one of them asked, "Is there any way to force the enemy commander to reveal their power level? That would help us estimate their actual strength."
The Gaiensar commander hesitated. "Very difficult. The Wizard Civilization follows a pure cultivation-based system. Their top-tier individuals are their strategic weapons. It's nearly impossible to obtain accurate data on them using conventional methods…"
"That does make sense…"
The senior councilor nodded and exchanged glances with the other two.
After a brief exchange of looks, he said, "In that case, let's vote. Majority rules."
The rest of the council nodded in agreement.
Not long after—
The vote was concluded. The motion to use the Heart of Gaiensar passed with an overwhelming majority.
Seeing the result, the commander felt a wave of relief—but also a tinge of unease. With over 80% of the council in favor, it meant that the vast majority had absolute confidence in their secret weapon.
Such blind faith… could one day lead to disaster.
He didn't say it aloud, but the thought stirred a quiet sense of caution within him.
Staring at the weapon system now fully primed and ready, the commander of the Gaiensar Civilization finally pressed the activation button.
With that, an indescribable force surged outward as the energy within the Heart of Gaiensar was unleashed.
This was not ordinary power.
It was the crystallization of the collective will and consciousness of every psionic in the Gaiensar Civilization. Each person had contributed only a tiny fragment—but given that nearly the entire population practiced psionics, the collective input of trillions had created a truly colossal force.
This wasn't raw energy or destructive firepower in the conventional sense—it was the manifestation of thought and emotion, the embodiment of Gaiensar's cultural ideals and mental framework.
Anyone who came into contact with it would experience direct psychic resonance with trillions of Gaiensar minds. Against that kind of overwhelming ideological force, the target's own identity and beliefs would be immediately overwhelmed and rewritten.
They would still be the same species… but once their mind and worldview were altered, betrayal would become inevitable.
That was the true nature of the Heart of Gaiensar—a weapon of psychological conversion.
Designed to dismantle enemy resistance from the inside out, turning even the most formidable foes into allies.
And now, their target was the commander of the Wizard Civilization—most likely a senior member of the Wizard Council, someone with immense authority.
If they could overwrite that person's ideology, then the gateway to the Wizard Civilization would be flung open—and the war would enter its final phase.
There was no warning. No sign.
In the blink of an eye, the intangible psychic wave containing the will of trillions swept through space and struck Aelthorpe Star, without the enemy ever sensing it.
Seconds passed.
Then came a strange, ominous silence—until dozens of nearby Aelthorpe Stars simultaneously opened fire on the original.
It's been exposed…
Watching the scene unfold, the Gaiensar commander instantly understood—the best-case scenario was now off the table.
'I wonder… is that commander still alive…?'
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