A 10% reduction could lead to a much greater reduction.

By the fifth day, the Proxima Centauri civilization's rate of fire had dropped by 74.58%.

The tower remained radiant, a beacon in the darkness, small yet enduring.

The Proxima Centauri civilization was beginning to lose hope.

They had expended 20% of their total energy reserves, yet they still couldn't harm the tower.

Even the leaders felt a sense of dread.

This was just a single tower. If the enemy fleet arrived, could they destroy even a single ship?

Chaos reigned!

The longer the tower remained, the greater the unrest on the planet.

"We're doomed. We've angered a powerful hunter."

"Like prey charging at a predator, inviting the hunter to strike."

"What are the leaders doing?"

"Are they leading our civilization to destruction?"

"Annihilation might be imminent."

"Escape!"

"Flee this star system!"

Hundreds of ships were leaving the planet daily, now that all the civilization's forces were focused on the tower. They saw a chance of escape.

On the first day, 27 of the 241 ships that launched broke through the atmosphere and escaped; the rest were intercepted.

More beings saw a glimmer of hope.

On the second day, 375 ships launched, with 31 escaping.

On the third day, 842 ships launched, with 57 escaping.

On the fourth day, the number soared to 1354, with interception efforts failing to keep pace. 482 ships escaped.

By the fifth day, the sight of thousands of ships fleeing into space enraged the civilization's leaders; these were cowards abandoning their civilization.

But they couldn't stop them.

The fundamental instinct of any living being is survival.

Civilizations and nations provide stability, the most essential element for survival.

Without stability, both civilization and nation would collapse.

"Continuing the attack will only lead to more desertions."

"Then what can we do?"

"A bunch of cowards! They don't understand the sacrifices we've made to protect our civilization. They only know one thing—to run away."

"We only have two choices: continue the attack or cease fire. Choose wisely."

The leaders simultaneously saw a view of space in their minds.

The tower.

So immense, so terrifying, so impenetrable, so insurmountable.

"Cease fire!"

"What about another 10% of our orbital resources?" (Proxima Centauri b orbits Proxima Centauri approximately every 11 Earth days.)

"That would drain even more resources. You know how much we've depleted in the past few days."

"Stopping now is the only way to maintain some semblance of economic stability."

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Energy is wealth.

A 30% reduction in energy consumption is equivalent to a 30% reduction in a civilization's wealth.

Inflation might stabilize the economy, but even a 5% fluctuation in energy supply would cause a major economic crisis.

And now, it was 20%.

They were avoiding this problem.

But why couldn't they stop?

Because even a complete economic collapse could be rebuilt, but a destroyed civilization couldn't be resurrected.

They were caught in a dilemma.

They could only order more warships to cease fire, reducing their firepower.

By the end of the fifth day, their firepower was down to 34.57% of its original level.

On the sixth day, gazing upon the still-intact tower, the leaders were utterly demoralized.

"It's over!"

"Continuing is pointless."

"We must accept the vast chasm between our civilization and theirs."

They had already consumed 23% of their energy reserves.

They couldn't continue throwing resources into this one.

"Perhaps we should send a ship to scout the tower."

Having ceased fire, they had few options left.

"No, that's likely a trap. We should observe for longer."

No one knew if the tower was a Pandora's Box.

The leaders shouldn't have believed the prediction; it concerned the fate of their civilization and couldn't be dismissed lightly.

But on the second day after making their decision, they discovered something alarming.

"Our actions have angered the higher civilization, potentially costing us the chance to join their federation."

"We will be excluded, considered a non-federation civilization, and destroyed."

"Energy weapons will travel across thousands of light-years to reach our star system, just as happened thousands of years ago in a nearby system. A high-energy burst annihilated a planet, plunging the entire system into a stellar-scale nuclear storm for millions of years."

"Only by entering the tower and obtaining the passport to civilization will we have a chance of gaining their acceptance."

"These imbeciles..."

The leaders were furious upon receiving this information.

The most alarming aspect was that some actually believed it.

Even though their civilization had reached Type 1.8, and their culture was highly advanced, this wasn't something that could be rationally explained.

Because the tower had no discernible origin and was indestructible.

It was something that everyone had witnessed, leading to the inevitable conclusion.

Its very simplicity made it believable.

"Locate the source of the prediction!"

An image appeared in the minds of all the leaders.

It was an old, dilapidated waste-processing robot, its head crushed. Inside, they found a component unlike anything in their civilization—a circuit board.

This circuit board was charred.

"A conspiracy!"

"A total conspiracy!"

"Spread this information!"

Instantly, every being received this message.

But it was too late.

The tower had demonstrated its superior technology, indicating it came from a far more advanced civilization. Why would a superior civilization resort to such petty manipulation? It was merely a clever tactic by the leaders.

Even if this superior civilization had used such a tactic, so what?

They were simply disseminating information to avoid unnecessary conflict.

More than half the ships that had initially attempted to flee now turned towards the tower. More ships launched from the planet's surface, joining the exodus.

A cloud of despair settled over the civilization's leaders.

The enemy's subtle manipulation suggested it wasn't as powerful and unreachable as they initially thought.

The message might be true, but it was also likely a fabrication.

They knew the truth, but they couldn't stop it.

Tens of thousands of ships, carrying hundreds of thousands of creatures, headed towards the tower.

They could order the fleet to intercept them, but that would be futile.

Space was vast. Once the tens of thousands of ships dispersed, the fleet could only use force to stop them.

Destroying the civilian ships would be disastrous; the resulting chaos among the population could be catastrophic.

This wasn't a decision made by a few; it involved the majority.

If the leaders acted against the will of the people, they would lose their power.

If they prevented entry into the tower, they risked civil unrest, creating an opportunity for those opposed to their leadership.

If they allowed it, they risked the unknown intentions of the advanced civilization.

Another message arrived.

"Our soldiers, not civilians, were the first to enter the tower."

This news further demoralized the leaders.

Soldiers possessed greater combat capabilities but not necessarily the deeper understanding or insight of ordinary citizens.

Several key points emerged from this information:

1. Salvation: Every member of the civilization wanted salvation. They felt the same threat as the leaders but had limited options. Entering the tower was their best chance.

2. Power: The civilization behind the tower was incredibly powerful. Everyone wanted the power it offered, a chance to climb the social ladder.

3.Non-violent Entry: Entering the tower didn't result in death. Those who tried suffered no harm.

This was a sophisticated strategy, using a facade of peace to exploit the civilization's survival instincts and greed.

No living being is without greed. Organisms constantly seek energy from the world and universe; this is the root of greed. Unless a being requires no resources and is immortal, it will be driven by greed.

Realizing this, the leaders felt like they were standing on a precipice, their civilization hanging precariously above a chasm.

They felt their only recourse was to pray that the advanced civilization's intentions matched its message.