Chapter 3: Ancient Empires

The enormous metallic sphere in the sky has approached the ground so closely that it is almost within reach. Its vast surface obscures nearly half of the sky, pressing down like another land. I can clearly see the intricate metallic structures on its surface; some resemble towers, others are weapon launch silos, and some appear to be protrusions of communication devices. More numerous are the densely packed, dark cannon muzzles, akin to a forest. Between these metallic facilities, there are also large circular depressions, seemingly platforms for takeoff and landing or energy gathering facilities. This terrifying jungle of steel moves slowly across the sky, silently conveying a sense of overwhelming fear to me, positioned directly beneath it.

All I can do is continuously repeat in my mind the thought of making this enormous sphere move away from the ground

By the way, what about the other two metallic spheres? Originally, there were three metallic spheres in the sky, but now why can we only see one? Could it be hiding behind the metallic sphere that is almost touching the ground?

But just when I was about to give up, a feeling of something being connected suddenly emerged from the depths of my mind

Uncertain how much time had passed, a mechanical voice finally resonated deep within my mind: "Receiving external command set... Permission confirmation... Fuzzy instruction analysis... Warning, the content of the instructions you submitted will alter the operational form of the World Arbitration Agency, please confirm that you possess sufficient authority... Confirming again, the No. 2 World Arbitration Agency Gaia is changing its trajectory www.hetushu.com.com... Confirming again, the No. 2 World Arbitration Agency Gaia is changing its trajectory www.hetushu.com.com..."

"What on earth is this..." I murmured

But in that fleeting moment, a brief clarity emerged from my already chaotic thoughts, and I recalled the voice that resonated in my mind when the energy pillar appeared at the school gate

In this dream, my intuition has always been remarkably accurate, as if I instinctively feel that, although this is a dream, the events occurring in this world will undoubtedly affect my reality.

I feel as if my mind is nothing but a mass of mush, with various chaotic elements mixed together, making it extremely difficult for me to extract the information I seek.

Here is ... ... that dream? I looked around and found that I was surrounded by those gray metallic buildings that appeared in the dream. There is no doubt that after losing consciousness, I returned to this strange place.

I rubbed my forehead and looked around, suddenly realizing that the surroundings seemed a bit off, as if it were too dark...

Ah! That's right! I remembered! What happened before I fell into a coma—at that time, I was standing at the school gate with Qian Qian, and a student from an elite school was bullying our classmate. Not wanting to cause trouble, we were preparing to leave quickly, and then what happened?

What happened

Ghost? Or holographic image?

"Run quickly!" I shouted, suddenly sitting up.

So I raised my head

Suddenly, in the library, everything clearly returned to my mind; the countdown sound of that mysterious "Tianzheng Remote Strike System" seemed to echo once again in my thoughts

In the next moment, I felt as if my heart had skipped several beats

Dozens of minutes have passed, and there is not a single sound; in the silent expanse, all I can hear is the increasing heaviness of my own breathing. The enormous fortress in the sky has clearly descended closer to the ground, and the previously indistinct metallic protrusions are now distinctly visible.

Based on the development of the plot, I believe it is the latter

The sudden sound startled me, and I instinctively jumped to the side, only then did I turn back to see the "person" beside me

In just a few seconds, this desolate place transformed into a vibrant and magical world, where beautiful natural scenery and surreal futuristic visions astonishingly merged together. The landscape could only be described as magnificent, and I stood dazed in the already transformed metallic city, almost forgetting to breathe

This is quite difficult, as I have no idea where to start. Theoretically, there is no subject on planetary fortress control in high school curricula

A pale blue, translucent girl is floating there, her unfocused eyes turning in my direction

No matter how much I complain in my heart, it cannot change my fate of being crushed by this airborne fortress, which resembles a small star—although it descends so slowly that no movement is perceptible, my intuition tells me that this enormous star and the fortress of books are still descending

What should we do now? Run? Just kidding, do you know how big this giant metal sphere is? I estimate its radius has already exceeded 1,000 kilometers! Even if this thing descends slowly, it will be enough to turn me into a pile of dumpling filling before I can run away!

Regardless of what it is, whether it be supernatural phenomena or superpowers, it seems that I can influence that energy and the associated Zenith attack system to some extent. In other words, it is highly likely that this attack system has been activated by me. It now appears that there must be some connection between this dream world and the Zenith attack system, which means that I can indeed influence things in this dream world.

Wait, it seems I have forgotten something...

I made an effort to calm my mind, and I began to concentrate, trying to control the celestial fortress in the sky that was about to bring me catastrophic disaster

Then ... ...

It must be like this! After all, this is my dream, and it is my territory. My will can certainly influence the elements within this dream!

A melodious yet emotionally flat female voice suddenly rang in my ear: "This is the oldest and most powerful civilization in this vast multiverse, the Siring Empire, which once ruled the universe with magical technology."

What on earth is this? This scene is a bit too science fiction, isn't it?

It is said this way, but I still feel uncertain about whether it can succeed. By now, I no longer regard this world as an ordinary dream. This peculiar dream has transcended the realm of typical dreams, even rising to the level of supernatural events. Only heaven knows whether I am truly dreaming or have been consumed by some illusion, or worse, whether I have been struck by lightning and transported to another world—though that possibility is slim, as the writer promised not to write about time travel.

Focus, focus! I silently reminded myself, forcefully suppressing the distractions in my mind, concentrating my attention entirely, and striving to convey my thoughts as accurately as possible

A surge of joy filled my heart, and the connection I had just established was interrupted once again due to my overwhelming emotions

... at this point, I still have the leisure to think about these matters. One celestial fortress is already enough to turn me into dumpling filling; if two more come, it will at most just compress the filling a bit more evenly

This situation lasted for more than ten minutes before I finally began to gradually regain control of my thoughts

My head... it hurts so much...

As the sound of the machinery subsided, the enormous sphere in the sky emitted a deep rumbling sound and began to rise slowly. With the onset of the low rumble, this silent world suddenly underwent a dramatic transformation

That's it

I seemed to have glared fiercely at that arrogant rich young man and entertained the thought of teaching him a lesson

Hello, the girl across from me bowed and said, "I am the No. 2 machine of the World Arbitration Agency, Gaia. It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty"

The urgent task at hand is to remain calm, calm! This metal sphere is descending slowly along with the books, and it won't crush me for the time being. Before that, I must find a building where I can take shelter, and this building must be sturdy enough... sturdy enough to withstand that enormous fortress in the sky, which is practically a small asteroid

Hello, I displayed a peculiar expression (hoping that the other party could infer the meaning of a smile from this already severely distorted expression). My name is Chen Jun, so... what can I do for you?

The gray sky seemed to be illuminated by a glowing display screen, quickly donning a new azure hue that was far more beautiful than the pure colors one would expect in this steel world, even surpassing the cleanest sky I had ever seen. The distant, blurred mountains were rapidly covered in green from top to bottom, allowing one to sense the rich breath of life from a thousand miles away. Around me, the cold metallic buildings regained their vitality, a pale blue halo appearing on their surfaces, while twinkling lights lit up one by one, centered around me. From a high vantage point, it resembled a blossoming firework. The enormous fortress-like sphere in the sky also underwent a transformation, as torrents of blue and white light surged from its metallic crevices, creating a mysterious and spectacular beauty that filled this massive aerial stronghold.

Then, this monotonous world regained its colors

I might as well run a thousand kilometers rather than look for such a sturdy place

The sound that resonates every time one departs from this world suddenly echoed between heaven and earth, for the first time carrying a sense of joy: "I have found it ... ... "