"Yun Mei told me before she passed, though she was only guessing. She noticed your increased appetite and sleepiness these past few days, symptoms of pregnancy, so..."
Mu Jiahe smiled, "So that's why you were so out of sorts those few days?"
"Mhm!"
Mu Jiahe held Xiao Xun tighter, "It seems you're ready to be a father."
Xiao Xun voiced his concerns, "But the Four Demon Kings of this world are still at large, and the other world is facing an imminent apocalypse. Neither world is suitable for raising a child."
Mu Jiahe encouraged Xiao Xun, "The Four Demon Kings must be defeated. As for the apocalypse, I believe it's all nonsense. You don't know, but since recorded history began, the original world has had all sorts of doomsday prophecies. Yet, after more than five thousand years, none have come true."
Xiao Xun pondered, "But this is different. What's circulating online is very alarming, and it's not just that lost civilization; almost every country and ethnicity has mentioned this apocalypse to some degree. The most credible source is our former fortune-telling masters who also made predictions, and the dates generally match those of the lost civilization."
"Then let's take it one step at a time! If that world is truly going to be destroyed, we will survive in this world for eternity. Therefore, your top priority is to quickly find a way to defeat the Four Demon Kings and their subordinates."
As she spoke, she took off the ring on her hand and put it on Xiao Xun, "I don't need this for now; it's more useful for you. You can give it back to me when I need it!"
Xiao Xun didn't refuse, as he truly needed the ring these days.
After a short rest, Xiao Xun had Aries escort him to the Twelve Palaces of Time, and then he entered the Hall of Time. He hadn't been there in a long time.
Xiao Xun glanced at the cola in the refrigerator, which was undoubtedly close to expiring. This was because time flowed too quickly here; several months passed here for every few days outside. Conversely, spending several days here might only amount to a few hours outside. Xiao Xun utilized this time difference to browse military forums and learn the knowledge he needed.
Since it had been a long time since he last visited, he had almost forgotten the language and script here.
Having not logged in for many days, his old account had expired. There was no other option, so Xiao Xun "hacked" into a new account.
The people here had all experienced "nuclear war," so their key to victory in war was absolute military suppression, leaving the opponent no chance to retaliate.
Concepts like "Blitzkrieg," "steel torrent," and even "nuclear deterrence" were like children's squabbles, too primitive.
The true way to achieve overwhelming victory was "dimensional reduction attack."
Xiao Xun was captivated by this term and searched for what a dimensional reduction attack was. The answers he received were abstract, discussing various dimensions in a muddled way that Xiao Xun couldn't comprehend.
It wasn't until someone provided the most straightforward explanation: A painting belonged to a two-dimensional world, while you existed in the three-dimensional world. You could easily pick up the painting and, with a simple lighter, the most common item in the three-dimensional world, effortlessly turn the two-dimensional world into ashes.
Similarly, creatures from the fourth dimension viewed beings in the third dimension as humans viewed ants.
No matter how large an ant was, or what abilities it possessed, whether it could fly or wield magic, it was an existence that could be crushed by a mere fingertip from a fourth-dimensional being. To beings of even higher dimensions, they were like bacteria, not differing in size but in their state of conscious existence.
Beings in the three-dimensional world couldn't even perceive higher-dimensional existences with their naked eyes, just as ants were unaware of humans.
Xiao Xun was stunned by this concept and the method of victory. This was the most prevalent theory at the moment, but how could it be achieved?
He posted several inquiries, but there were no concrete explanations or methods.
Glancing at the time, it was getting late, so he had to leave the Hall of Time for now.
Currently, "dimensional reduction attack" was merely a theory with no practical operational methods. He would still have to rely on the most traditional means of military suppression and the development of more powerful weapons of mass destruction to win this war.
However, he immediately felt that his efforts were in vain.
Because as soon as he returned to the Fire Shield Divine King's Palace, he heard disaster warnings from different locations: earthquakes, blizzards, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, and floods.
Sailor Physus smacked his forehead, "These are clearly the work of the Four Demon Kings. They're using the forces of nature as weapons."
Xiao Xun curiously asked, "Do we have any countermeasures?"
"The Elf race, who revere the power of nature, might have some solutions. I've already sent people to find Vikonah to discuss strategies."
Xiao Xun scratched his head, "It seems there won't be any peaceful days ahead."
Suddenly, he remembered something, "By the way, are there any impacts on the coastal areas? Like tsunamis or typhoons?"
Sailor Physus shook his head, "No reports so far."
Xiao Xun felt a bit worried about Saren Fini. After all, he had left her alone there. Although he had left eleven of the Twelve Star Envoys behind, he would feel guilty if anything were to happen to her.
Despite knowing that concern often clouded judgment, Xiao Xun couldn't help but feel concerned.
Upon leaving the Fire Shield Divine King's Palace, Xiao Xun saw a massive object gliding overhead, obscuring the sky.
Looking up, it was a Zeppelin airship.
Xiao Xun went to the Second Arms Factory. Because the Zeppelin airship was exceptionally large, a dedicated production facility was built, known as the Second Arms Factory.
Xiao Xun observed the busy workers in the assembly workshop and then headed directly to the design department on the second floor.
Zeppelin was holding a magnifying glass, standing on a desk with blueprints spread out, bending over to examine them meticulously.
Hearing someone enter, he looked up. Upon seeing Xiao Xun, he immediately jumped from the desk onto a chair and then approached Xiao Xun.
"Your Highness Swain, what brings you here today!"
Xiao Xun walked to the window and pointed at the slowly moving Zeppelin airship outside, "How do you get this thing into the sky?"
Zeppelin explained to Xiao Xun that the airship was filled with a substance called hydrogen gas, which allowed it to take off, and then propellers powered by magic stones propelled it forward.
Xiao Xun then inquired about how to control the flight altitude and how to land. Following that, Xiao Xun posed a critical question, "Hydrogen gas is flammable and explosive, and many people here are fire mages. Your creation has immense safety risks."
Zeppelin replied with a smile, "Your Highness, I've also considered the issues you've raised. Therefore, the airship uses lightweight aluminum as a plating, and we've added fire-retardant materials and insulation devices to ensure its stability."
"Also, this airship flies too slowly. It's only suitable for transport, not combat, right?"
Zeppelin took out the airship's blueprints and explained to Xiao Xun, "The airship can ascend to an altitude that the enemy absolutely cannot reach. Then, a manually operable hatch is designed at the bottom, through which we can drop proximity-fused gunpowder bombs from high altitude to strike the ground."
Xiao Xun nodded. Indeed, this was the same way it was used in games.
"What is the current production volume?"