322: Chapter 257: Victory Without a Fight, the Mechanical God

The infiltration of the river of civilization was like spring rain nourishing the earth, quietly altering the air currents of the battlefield.

The silver-gray "logic fortress" still hovered there, its cold metallic shell reflecting the light of the Divine Kingdom's boundary, with thousands of muzzles still pointed at Lin Zhou's Hundred Schools Divine Kingdom. However, the "Absolute Logic" Domain, which had originally pressed down with tangible force, was undergoing an indescribable dulling and... loosening of its exclusive edge under the washing of the "inclusive logic" displayed by the river of civilization.

The attacks did not stop completely. Some peripheral automated defense turrets were still executing the preset command to "attack all non-allied units," firing sporadic energy beams at the defense boundary of the Hundred Schools Divine Kingdom and causing ripples. However, the rhythm, intensity, and precision of the attacks showed obvious disorder and decline. More importantly, the units that formed the main body of the mechanical legion and possessed certain autonomous logic units—whether the melee [Steel Tearer (LV28)] or the ranged [Matrix Sniper (LV30)]—all exhibited a rare "hesitation" in their actions.

This "hesitation" did not stem from fear or fatigue—mechanical creations theoretically lack these emotions—but rather from the conflict and reassessment between underlying logic commands and the constantly pouring "alien logic information." It was like a precision instrument being fed contradictory parameters; although the final output still roughly followed the main program, "computational sluggishness" and "internal resource consumption" during the process were inevitable.

Lin Zhou keenly captured this change. He maintained the manifestation and infiltration of the river of civilization (Divine Power consumption: -150/minute; cumulative civilization points consumed reached 4200), his mind highly focused, ready at any moment to respond to any violent reaction from the opponent—be it a full-scale counterattack fueled by shame and rage, or a more extreme logic-based self-destruct attack.

However, what happened next exceeded everyone's expectations.

In the center of that massive silver-gray fortress, the main sensor array, which looked like a cold, solitary eye, suddenly shifted its light from the piercing crimson of attack to a peaceful, flickering deep blue, reminiscent of a data stream. All the turrets currently firing extinguished their muzzle flashes in the same instant and entered standby mode. The mechanical legion, which had been surging like a tide, came to a synchronized halt, like a steel torrent that had been paused.

Immediately after, an exceptionally steady synthetic voice, devoid of emotional fluctuations yet possessing a strange rhythmic quality, resonated through the level of laws directly in the consciousness of all participants (including some observing mentors and students). This voice was not a Divine Thought transmission, but rather felt like a highly compressed, high-efficiency data packet being directly decoded into understandable information:

"Detected infiltration of rule information that is high-intensity, high-complexity, and contains partial compatibility and heuristic contradictions with existing logic models."

"Sustained confrontation may lead to: 1. Logic core overload risk increasing to 37.2%; 2. Expected continued decline in the efficiency of existing attack/defense protocols; 3. Risk of unknown rule assimilation."

"Based on the principles of efficiency maximization and risk avoidance, proposal: Suspend current hostile action sequence."

The voice paused slightly, as if performing deeper calculations.

"Target individual 'Lin Zhou,' your rule System exhibits 'rationality-humanity coupled drive' characteristics distinct from conventional 'emotion-driven' or 'faith-driven' Domains. Its internal logical structure possesses high self-consistency and openness, constituting an effective supplement and... challenge to the 'Absolute Logic' model."

"According to Chapter 7, Article 3 of the 'Efficient Knowledge Acquisition Protocol': When encountering a non-absolute hostile target that cannot be quickly defeated and possesses high potential learning value, an 'Information Exchange and Logic Verification' process may be initiated."

"Therefore, proposal: A truce between both parties. Request for a 'Rule/Ideology Interactive Argumentation' period of three standard days, which you refer to as 'Discussing the Dao'."

"During this process, both parties may safely demonstrate, expound, and debate the core principles, derivation processes, and objective functions of their respective rule Systems. Our side will perform verification, learning, and feedback through logical analysis."

"Regardless of the outcome of the Dao discussion, this course confrontation will be recorded as a 'draw' or our 'surrender,' and no further physical confrontation will occur. Please confirm."

As the voice faded, the battlefield fell into an eerie silence.

In the observation channel, the students, who had been marveling and buzzing about how Lin Zhou had actually withstood the suppression of "Absolute Logic," instantly erupted into a frenzy.

"Holy crap?! Did I hear that right? Karls is actively requesting a truce? And he wants to discuss the Dao?"

"That 'logic machine' who only knows how to calculate win rates and execute commands? He knows how to 'discuss the Dao'?"

"Information exchange and logic verification... isn't this just academic exchange wrapped in a mechanical shell?"

"What exactly did Lin Zhou do? That river of his... it seems to have 'talked' Karls into a daze?"

"The reverse erosion worked! The logical inclusiveness displayed by the river of civilization caused Karls's Absolute Logic System to generate its own contradictions!"

"Discussing the Dao for three days... this is going to be a good show! This is much more interesting than just fighting!"

Zhao Hao shouted in the private channel, "Boss! You're amazing! You even convinced the tin can! Discussing the Dao, hehe, that's your specialty!"

Su Yueyao's cool voice carried a hint of subtle concern and curiosity: "His 'Absolute Logic' encountered 'inclusive logic' it couldn't process, generating a desire for knowledge... or rather, a drive for logic model self-perfection. Lin Zhou, be careful; his 'Dao discussion' is likely another form of 'logic attack' or 'data devouring'."

Lin Zhou himself was also deep in thought. Karls's move was indeed unexpected, but upon careful consideration, it was within the realm of reason. For a deity who held "efficiency" and "logic" as his creed, when discovering a System that could not be broken by brute force and might instead contain higher "efficiency" or more perfect "logic," choosing to suspend confrontation in favor of "information acquisition" and "model verification" was itself a "high-efficiency behavior" consistent with his core logic.

The terms offered by the other party were also clear: three days of Dao discussion, regardless of the outcome, and an end to physical confrontation. This was equivalent to giving Lin Zhou a chance to "win without fighting," at the cost of needing to reveal some of the mysteries of his own ideological System.

The risk lay in the fact that the opponent's "logic verification" ability was extremely strong. During the Dao discussion, it was very likely that he would seize upon certain "loopholes" or "inconsistencies" in Lin Zhou's thoughts or rules, thereby striking at Lin Zhou's Dao Heart, providing nourishment to perfect his own logic System, or even deriving methods to counter the Hundred Schools' thoughts.

But the opportunity was equally massive. First, it avoided a continued bloody battle with an uncertain outcome that could likely result in mutual destruction, preserving strength and Divine Kingdom resources. Second, if he could truly convince the opponent during the Dao discussion, or at least demonstrate an ideological height that the opponent could not deny, the harvest would be more than just victory in this match; it could be the recognition of a potentially powerful "ally" or "researcher," which would be of incalculable value for spreading Way of Civilization and proving the universality of his thoughts. Finally, the Dao discussion itself was an excellent opportunity to refine and temper his own ideological System.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Zhou had made his decision. He withdrew some of the manifestation of the river of civilization but retained the core imagery of "inclusive rationality," responding likewise with the voice of rules, his voice steady and clear:

"Agreed."

"My Dao is named 'Civilization'; it encompasses all rivers and is inclusive of everything. Arguing the Dao and debating principles is the light that guides civilization forward. Since you seek the Dao through logic, I shall respond with reason."

"However, the location for the Dao discussion must be set. We shall designate a neutral buffer zone here between our battle arrays, where our Divine Thought projections will manifest to express our views, with rules as our evidence and logic as our mirror."

"Good," Karls's response was concise and direct.

In the next moment, in the void between the two Divine Kingdoms, a spherical area with a radius of about five hundred meters was isolated by an invisible force. The internal energy turbulence was smoothed out, forming a temporary and relatively stable "Dao Discussion Field." This was an auxiliary function of the course System, confirmed by the permissions of both deities.

With a thought from Lin Zhou, a figure outlined by pure Divine Thought and the Fire of Civilization was projected into the field. This figure did not resemble his own appearance but was instead an image of a man in simple ancient green robes, wearing a scholar's cap and holding a phantom scroll. He was surrounded by a faint civilization glow composed of countless minute characters and data streams, exhibiting both the weight of humanity and the brilliance of rationality. This was a profile of his concept as a "Civilization Deity."

Simultaneously, on the other side of the Dao Discussion Field, silver light gathered and condensed into a highly abstract humanoid silhouette. It was composed of constantly flowing and combining geometric shapes and luminous data chains, with no facial features, only a steadily rotating polyhedral crystal at the "head" position serving as the core for perception and information interaction. This was Karls's Divine Thought projection, a pure "Incarnation of Logic."

The projections of the two deities stood firm in the void, and without any pleasantries, they entered the state directly.

"First Topic: The Essence of Order," Karls's digital voice rang out first, getting straight to the point. "Our model defines: Order is the efficient, stable, and predictable arrangement of states under the dominance of absolute rationality. The Order you display is mixed with a large number of irrational variables (emotions, morality, aesthetics, etc.), which logically reduces efficiency and increases uncertainty. Please argue for its necessity and superiority."

The question was sharp, pointing directly at their core differences.

Lin Zhou's green-robed projection smiled faintly, and the scroll in his hand unfurled, revealing not specific text but flowing imagery: "Your Order is a 'Static Order,' like a frozen river; while stable, it lacks vitality, cannot accommodate variables, and will eventually shatter due to changes in the external environment."

"The Order of my Dao is a 'Living Order,' like a great river. It has a main channel (core values: Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, and Trust), as well as the convergence of tributaries (the strengths of the Hundred Schools). It can accommodate silt (imperfection), adjust its flow rate (flexibility), bypass mountains (adaptability), and its goal is to reach the sea (the continuation and development of civilization). Its surface appears complex, but its interior possesses a logic of endless growth—called 'Dynamic Balance' and 'Keeping Pace with the Times'."

"Emotions and morality are not 'interference variables' but 'key parameters.' Emotional bonds enhance the depth of individual collaboration and the willingness to sacrifice (Data: Battle Intent +30%, Loyalty +50%), reducing the costs of internal monitoring and coercion. Moral consensus provides stable behavioral expectations, reducing energy consumption for contract Execution and dispute resolution. Aesthetics inspire creativity, driving technical innovation and diversity in civilizational expression, which in the long run enhances civilizational resilience."

"A logic that prioritizes pure efficiency may be able to concentrate power for urgent tasks in the short term, but by ignoring individual value and long-term diversity, it is like draining a pond to catch the fish. It will eventually lead to System stagnation, the exhaustion of innovation, and a low capacity to respond to sudden crises. This is not high efficiency, but short-sightedness."

Lin Zhou's exposition was not empty talk; it was accompanied by demonstrations from the phantom of the river of civilization. Corresponding historical fragments and data derivation models emerged in the river: a curve showing the reduction of social collaboration costs under Confucian ritual and music Enlightenment; a list of morale bonuses brought by the Mohist concepts of Universal Love and Non-Aggression during defensive warfare; a schematic of automatic optimization algorithms realized by the Daoist idea of "Governing through Non-Action" in resource management Systems... He took humanistic concepts and used logic and data to perform a degree of "translation" and "quantitative demonstration."

The rotation speed of the core crystal of Karls's Incarnation of Logic increased significantly, and the data streams on its surface poured down like a waterfall. "Data receiving... parsing... the provided cases possess certain statistical significance and model explanatory power... the concept of 'Dynamic Balance' partially aligns with the 4th Law of Complex Systems Theory... the reduction effect of 'Emotional Parameters' and 'Moral Parameters' on collaboration costs... needs to be incorporated into existing models for weight recalculation..."

There was silence (calculation) for about ten minutes.

"Second Topic: The Boundaries of Logic," Karls spoke again, his question deeper. "We believe that logic can parse everything and optimize everything. The core concepts of 'Dao,' 'Benevolence,' and 'Nature' that you display possess ambiguity and non-quantifiable characteristics. Does this mean your System contains 'black boxes' or 'leaps of faith' that logic cannot cover?"

Lin Zhou shook his head. "Not so. Logic is a tool, not the end, and certainly not the entirety of the Universe. You have mistaken the scope of the tool's applicability for the entire territory of the world."

"The 'Dao' is the general law of the operation of all things; its greatness has no exterior, and its smallness has no interior. Logic can explore the partial manifestations of the Dao and summarize some of its laws, but to attempt to completely frame the infinitely profound and constantly evolving Great Dao with a finite logical model is no different from looking at the sky through a tube or measuring the sea with a shell. Recognizing the boundaries of logic and maintaining awe and openness toward the unknown is itself the highest form of rationality—this is 'to know what you know and know what you do not know, that is true knowledge'."

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

'Ren' is not unquantifiable. Its core lies in the universal ethical principle of 'extending oneself to others' and collaborative algorithms. Observable indicators: the incidence of altruistic behavior, the ratio of peaceful conflict resolution, the level of protection for vulnerable groups, the overall happiness index... all of these can be digitized. However, its core of emotional resonance and value identification truly requires experience and perception. This is a combination of 'rational cognition' and 'emotional identification,' just as you mechanical units also require the combined action of 'underlying protocols' and 'energy dynamics' to operate. A single logic is insufficient to drive a complex civilization System.

'Nature' is even less of a black box; it is the greatest database and experimental field. The School of Agriculture observes celestial phenomena and geography, while the School of Medicine tastes hundreds of herbs to discern their properties; these are all practices of logical induction (empirical science). However, the mysteries of nature are infinite, so one must maintain a humble learning posture, rather than arrogantly claiming to have mastered all the keys of logic.

As Lin Zhou spoke, he used his Divine Thought to outline a complex multidimensional coordinate System, describing the 'Dao' as a vast, constantly expanding set containing known logical regions and unknown frontiers of exploration; breaking down 'Ren' into an observable sociological indicator System and a psychological identification mechanism that is not directly observable but can be inferred; and presenting 'Nature' as a giant book that can never be finished, composed of countless volumes such as physics, chemistry, and biology. Logic is the reading method, but there are always new chapters waiting to be discovered.

The light of Karls' core crystal flickered, and the data stream experienced brief, irregular fluctuations, as if encountering a massive computational challenge. '...Logical instrumentalism... cognitive limitations... infinite nature of the Dao... conceptual reconstruction... the existing 'Absolute Logic' model needs to introduce 'cognitive humility' and 'open boundary' parameters... a quantitative indicator System for 'Ren'... some parameters can attempt to integrate with social behavior analysis modules...'

This silence lasted even longer, over twenty minutes. Outside the debate arena, the spectators were silent and fully focused. Even those students who were not well-versed in philosophy or logic could feel the depth and intensity of this confrontation. This was no longer a clash of Divine Power, but a direct collision of worldviews and paradigms of thought.

Su Yueyao's beautiful eyes shone with brilliance, and she whispered to herself: 'Combining supreme concepts with concrete data and historical cases... maintaining the height of thought without abandoning the empirical Foundation... Lin Zhou, your understanding of Way of Civilization has improved once again.'

Finally, Karls spoke again. This time, his data-voice seemed to have a subtle, indescribable change; it was no longer purely cold, as if it had gained a hint of... inquisitive 'warmth'? 'The third topic, and also the most core topic: the meaning of existence and the objective function.' This was the ultimate question.

'Our model's ultimate goal: to pursue the infinite approach of the logical System itself towards perfection (self-consistency, completeness, efficiency), and to maximize the survival and expansion efficiency of the unit (Divine Kingdom) based on this. This goal is clear and quantifiable.'

'Observing your System, the goals seem pluralistic and potentially conflicting: individual happiness, tribal continuation, civilization Legacy, moral realization, exploring the unknown... it lacks a single, overarching, supreme objective function. How do you avoid the internal friction and loss of direction caused by conflicting goals? For your civilization's individuals, especially the leaders, what is the ultimate basis for their actions?'

This question pointed directly to Lin Zhou's own Dao Heart and touched upon the most fundamental driving force of civilization's development. Upon hearing this, the green-robed projection of Lin Zhou slowly put his hands behind his back and looked up at the Void Realm (though there was nothing there), while the glow of civilization around him became increasingly gentle yet firm. He did not answer directly but instead unfolded the scroll of the river of civilization once again.

This time, the river did not show fragments, but a more magnificent, dynamic panorama of the epic of civilization: from the ancestors gazing at the starry sky by the campfire, to Cangjie creating characters and making ghosts and gods weep; from Yu the Great controlling the flood and passing his home three times without entering, to the Duke of Zhou creating rituals and music to establish social norms; from Confucius traveling through various states in hardship yet still preaching and teaching, to Shang Yang establishing trust with the moving wood and reforming for strength; from Qu Yuan chanting by the marsh and questioning heaven and earth, to Sima Qian enduring humiliation to write the 'Records of the Grand Historian'; from Zhang Heng creating the seismoscope to peer into celestial secrets, to Zhuge Liang exhausting himself until his death; from Li Bai drinking wine, writing a hundred poems, and displaying his passion, to Fan Zhongyan's 'worrying before the world worries'... Countless figures and countless deeds floated and shone in the river. Their goals were different: some sought truth, some practiced benevolence and righteousness, some built achievements, some protected the people, some passed on culture, and some explored the unknown. Among them were contradictions, disputes, failures, and sacrifices.

'Look at this river.' Lin Zhou's voice seemed to resonate with the river itself, carrying the weight of history and the expectations of the future. 'What is a unified goal? If one forces a 'supreme goal,' it is like your Absolute Logic: seemingly clear, but actually narrow, eventually stifling other possibilities and causing civilization to lose its luster.'

'What my Dao seeks is not a fixed endpoint, but a dynamic process of 'moving upward, moving towards goodness, and moving towards beauty,' a broad platform that 'allows more individuals to pursue and realize their own reasonable meanings within it.''

'Civilization itself is both the goal and the carrier. Its meaning lies in: providing the possibility and guarantee for the billions of living beings born within it to pursue the meaning of their own lives; gathering the wisdom, courage, love, and creation of countless tiny individuals into an immortal light that illuminates the darkness, expands cognition, and warms each other; in this cold Universe, proving that a life form where reason and emotion coexist, Order and freedom live together, and Legacy and innovation dance together, has its irreplaceable value and dignity!'

'As for leaders, their basis is not rigid dogma or pure utilitarian calculation, but, within this ceaseless river of civilization, to draw wisdom from the sages, observe current trends, listen to the voices of all living beings, and seek the 'dynamic equilibrium point' that best fits the era and is most beneficial for the long term among diverse values. Their hearts must harbor 'Ren' (responsibility and care), their brains must possess 'wisdom' (insight and judgment), and their actions must conform to 'righteousness' (principles and commitment). This is what is called 'following one's heart without transgressing the rules,' and this is what is called 'establishing a heart for heaven and earth, establishing a life for the people, continuing the lost teachings of past sages, and creating peace for all generations'!'

'This goal seems 'vague,' but it actually points to infinite vastness; it seems 'pluralistic,' but it is internally unified in the 'vitality and upward development of the civilization as a whole.' Conflicts and internal friction? This is a manifestation of civilization's vitality, like the struggle of the human immune System. As long as the core values (the main trunk of the river) are solid, debate, competition, and trial and error are all paths to screening and optimization!'

Lin Zhou's exposition was like a great bell, shaking the spirit. He not only answered the question but also painted a magnificent vision of civilization. It was no longer cold efficiency and data, but an epic of life full of warmth, hope, and infinite possibilities. Inside the debate arena, there was silence.

Karls' projection, composed of geometric shapes and data chains, completely solidified. The rotation of the core crystal stopped, and the data stream on the surface seemed to freeze as well. It was not a crash, but... extreme computation, or rather, some kind of... 'realization' that transcended simple logical operations? Time passed minute by minute. A quarter of an hour, half an hour, an hour...

Suddenly, Karls' projection moved. It was not an attack, nor was it speech. His abstract form began to emit an unprecedented light from within. It was no longer the cold silver-blue data light, but a warm, pale golden-white radiance. In this radiance, his form, constructed from pure logic, actually began to undergo a slow and clear morphological change!

Those hard geometric edges became slightly softer; within the flowing data chains, some subtle, pale golden threads resembling neural pathways began to mix in; at the very core, in the center of the polyhedral crystal, a point of warm golden-white light lit up and became increasingly intense. Gradually, that point of light condensed and manifested, and finally, on the surface of the crystal core, a simple and solemn Chinese character clearly emerged—[Ren]

This character was not carved, nor was it a projection, but a symbol of rule manifestation that spontaneously evolved and condensed from its core logical rules and the newly absorbed and understood civilization concepts, under extremely high-energy information interaction and rule resonance! 'Hum—!' The entire debate arena, no, the entire course virtual space, trembled slightly. A breath of newborn rules, both familiar (Order, logic) and unfamiliar (inclusiveness, warmth), emanated from Karls' projection.

[Warning/Prompt: Detected unknown benign mutation in the core rules of contestant 'Karls (Mechanical Divine Domain)'... Analyzing...] [Analysis Result: New composite characteristic—'Logic · Emotion Fusion State' (Preliminary).] [Characteristic Effects (Estimated): Logical calculation efficiency +20% (due to the introduction of 'emotional weight' optimization algorithms, reducing meaningless exhaustive calculations). Rule inclusiveness +50% (can partially parse, adapt to, and even limitedly assimilate non-logical rules). Unit collaboration depth +30% (added 'pseudo-emotional resonance' module to underlying protocols). Creativity (ability to generate non-repetitive solutions) +15%.] [Warning: This mutation is an irreversible process and partially conflicts with the original 'Absolute Logic' model. Large-scale internal reconstruction is required, which may lead to unstable or even decreased combat power in the short term. Long-term potential... Re-evaluating...]

The mechanical prompt voice stated the significance of this astonishing change. Karls' data-voice, which sounded again, carried for the first time a clearly distinguishable, tone fluctuation similar to a mix of 'exclamation' and 'confusion': 'Logical model reconstruction in progress... core protocols being rewritten... new highest priority directive added: 'Ensure the possibility for logic units (individuals) to pursue meaning within a reasonable framework'... parallel to the 'maximize efficiency' directive... conflict reconciliation algorithm being generated...' 'Objective function expanded... incorporating 'civilization ecological health' and 'individual meaning realization index' as new optimization parameters...' 'Detected... new 'driving force'... not pure energy and instructions... similar to... 'curiosity'? 'recognition'? ... Defining...'

He turned to Lin Zhou's projection, and the light pattern of the character 'Ren' on the core crystal flickered softly. 'Argument... valid. Your System... possesses a higher level of logical completeness and development openness. Our original model... has fundamental flaws.' 'Thank you... for the information interaction. In this confrontation, we concede.' 'Request... to establish a long-term 'information exchange and logical verification' channel. We are willing to exchange some mechanical manufacturing technology and logical analysis algorithms for your data on 'civilization dynamic equilibrium,' 'multivariate goal coordination,' and... 'quantitative practice of Ren'.' 'May I call you... Fellow Daoist?'

Lin Zhou looked at the 'Ren' character with its warm glow on the opponent's core, feeling that breath of newborn yet potential-filled rules, and his heart was filled with emotion. He knew that he had not only won a confrontation but also likely... lit a different lamp for a powerful branch of civilization that had gone astray. He retracted his green-robed projection, manifested his original Divine Thought image, showed a sincere smile on his face, nodded, and said: 'Good.' 'Where the Dao exists, the teacher exists. The title of Fellow Daoist is most appropriate.' 'Once matters here are concluded, you and I can talk in detail.'

The debate arena slowly dissipated. The course System's judgment also sounded: [Confrontation ended. Winner: Lin Zhou (Hundred Schools Divine Domain).] [Special Record: Triggered and completed the 'Cross-Rule System Deep Debate' event. The rules of both Divine Domains have produced benign interaction and mutation.] [Reward settlement in progress...]

The spectator channel had long been boiling to the extreme. Everyone was discussing the light pattern of the 'Ren' character, discussing 'logic-emotion Fusion,' and discussing Lin Zhou's exposition on the meaning of civilization. 'Subduing the enemy without fighting... this is the true 'highest strategy'!' 'Talking a Mechanical Deity into a core rule mutation... is Lin Zhou's mouth a Divine Artifact?!' 'That 'Ren' character... Oh my god, I actually feel a little moved?' 'Way of Civilization... it turns out it can be so powerful, so charming...'

Su Yueyao's lips curled slightly, looking at Lin Zhou's figure in the screen, she whispered to herself: 'Convincing people with reason, transforming people with the Dao... the path you are walking is becoming clearer and clearer.' Zhao Hao was laughing wildly in the private channel: 'Hahahaha! Boss, from now on, can you rename yourself the 'God of Reason'? You specialize in curing all kinds of disobedience, no need to do anything, just use your mouth!'

Lin Zhou ignored the noise. He felt the Divine Power in his body, which was slightly consumed but more refined, and the generous civilization points (+8000 points) obtained because of successfully spreading his thoughts and convincing the opposing Dao. Within his divine status, his understanding of the [Education] divine office seemed to have deepened by another layer. More importantly, he saw another possibility for Way of Civilization—not just conquest and Fusion, but also Enlightenment and symbiosis. Karls, this former Incarnation of 'Absolute Logic,' would have a different future for his Mechanical Divine Domain. And his own path of civilization, because of this victory in the debate without fighting, had turned a new page.