Chapter 213: The FTL Tech Combo Pack! Communications! Suppressor!
'Faster-than-light particles…!'
It didn't take long for Li Ang to recall some of the details he had once seen in the original Edge of Tomorrow novel.
Human scientific teams had once observed and speculated that the Mimics' reset technology was actually based on a technological device that used faster-than-light particle communication!
This FTL communication technology was the pinnacle of the Mimics' evolutionary journey—the ultimate tech they had mastered.
By harnessing this powerful "precognitive" ability, they had become one of the dominant species of the universe.
In other words, the Mimics were a broken alien species that won by exploiting "time" itself. They won every battle by knowing the future.
So, the Mimics' so-called "reset" ability wasn't psychic powers, and it definitely wasn't some mystical or supernatural thing—it was just their clever use of tech.
They couldn't actually reverse entropy or alter the timeline to travel back into the past.
What they could do was use faster-than-light communication to outrun the flow of time, allowing their future selves to eliminate incorrect outcomes and help their present selves make the right decisions.
In essence… this was basically ancient Chinese divination—just with a sci-fi twist!
'Yes, that's it—all of it makes sense!'
Once Li Ang sorted through all the logic and origins behind the Mimics' reset tech, the immense pressure he'd felt melted away in an instant.
Fear often comes from the unknown.
Now that he understood the Mimics' reset ability and its true function, Li Ang could finally proceed with confidence and begin planning a proper counter-strategy.
'Whew… good thing I didn't act impulsively. If I'd been dumb enough to copy the movie's protagonist and rush off to take Omega down in a suicide attack, I'd have thrown my life away for nothing!'
A wave of relief swept through Li Ang—he felt like he'd narrowly escaped disaster. He didn't even want to imagine what kind of punishment he'd face if he died and was forcefully sent back in time.
Turns out, traversing the multiverse through a level-2 Stargate wasn't going to be smooth sailing. The game had only just started, and it had already thrown such a devious trap his way.
Normally, Li Ang could just follow the established plot when arriving in a new world and quickly move to complete the mission.
But clearly, the kinds of worlds he'd face from now on wouldn't let him breeze through so easily.
If he wanted to maintain his original speedrun strategy, he'd have to first decipher the enemy's tech tree and understand how their abilities functioned.
That was the only way to avoid the hidden traps disguised as puzzles.
It had been like that on Pandora, and it was even more true here in the Edge of Tomorrow world.
'If I can't copy the movie's protagonist and go down in a blaze of glory to gain the reset ability, then I'll just have to forcibly integrate Omega into my Matrix system!'
Now that he understood Omega's true nature, Li Ang immediately made up his mind—he had to capture Omega and plug it into the Matrix as a resource.
Once that was done, he could study Omega's faster-than-light particle tech and use the Scientific Nexus megastructure to improve and develop even more FTL-related tech branches.
And now, Li Ang was about to own an Omega that had the equivalent of a "four-dimensional video recorder"—a miraculous creature capable of foreseeing the future!
From a four-dimensional perspective, this tech point was downright overpowered.
Before making any decision, Li Ang could essentially perform a "divination" to preview the consequences and then pick the best course of action.
It was clear that this tech could be put to use in managing his mega-corporation, helping him consistently make the most optimal choices.
'Who would've thought that the Edge of Tomorrow world would just hand me a decision filter? Though I suspect this thing's already brushing up against causality manipulation.'
Being naturally cautious, Li Ang—God of Playing It Safe—wouldn't dare recklessly use this device to peek into the future.
Even if he did use it, it would only be within Universe 003, the Edge of Tomorrow world.
That's because this universe's quantum microstructure was absurdly stable—practically indestructible!
With how often Omega used FTL communication to alter decision-making in real time, it should've had massive effects on the universe's microscopic fabric.
And yet… there were no effects at all!
If this had happened in any other universe, the quantum structure would've collapsed long ago, and the universe itself might've had to reboot from scratch.
'What Chosen Gray Mist? Klein's gray fog from Lord of the Mysteries must've been anchored in this universe or something.'
Li Ang chuckled to himself, suddenly remembering how the protagonist of Lord of the Mysteries could also perform divinations in the gray fog and receive clear answers.
But Klein's method was relatively restrained. It wasn't like Omega constantly looping resets to get a guaranteed answer from the future.
Thinking it over, Li Ang still believed his own system's archive/load function was superior.
Directly reversing entropy across the entire multiverse, flowing backward in time—just imagine how much energy that would take, how much rare negative entropy you'd have to burn!
No doubt about it—this was the kind of privilege reserved for top-tier Paradox Interactive war criminals.
Shaking off his scattered thoughts, Li Ang refocused on FTL communication technology.
If he managed to capture Omega, it would mean that Megacorp would officially gain access to an absolutely broken tech point in Universe 003.
With some processing via the Scientific Nexus, the company might even improve or evolve other powerful FTL-related technologies!
Like a proprietary, self-developed FTL propulsion system.
So far, Megacorp's research division only had antimatter engine tech.
And even that had been painstakingly developed in Universe 001—the Ghost world—using condensed matter technology.
But now, the company was on the verge of acquiring its own FTL engine. For Li Ang, this wasn't just a tech milestone—it was a ticket to the big leagues.
Only civilizations that mastered FTL propulsion were considered advanced, eligible to participate in the high-stakes conflicts of elite interstellar societies!
In fact, "light speed" was the baseline standard for measuring a civilization's advancement.
Any race that hadn't even broken the light barrier—hell, not even reached sub-light speeds—was nothing more than a pathetic insect.
In the Stellaris universe, FTL tech was just the beginning.
But in other sci-fi realms, it could be outright god-tier.
As the highest-ranking executive of LA Megacorp, Li Ang naturally aimed to crush and dominate the multiverse with overwhelming superiority.
And acquiring FTL propulsion tech was non-negotiable.
'Alright, time to check the FTL tech tree.'
He quickly brought up the tech research interface of the Scientific Nexus and found the relevant nodes for FTL tech.
[FTL Particles] → [FTL Communication] → [FTL Engine] → [Planetary FTL Suppressor]
As expected, there were quite a few FTL-related tech branches—and every single one of them made Li Ang salivate with desire.
FTL particles were a no-brainer—the Mimics had used these to create their FTL comms system.
And that was likely the first FTL tech point Li Ang could obtain right away.
FTL communication tech didn't just allow for "divination" and precognition—it could also be used to manage a vast interstellar empire.
Whether spanning multiverses or stretching across billions of light-years, this device could ensure real-time information transfer.
This would massively boost the company's administrative efficiency and let Li Ang maintain complete control over his entire territory.
Even across the Stargate in another world, he could issue commands directly—no more building countless relay stations to pass down orders one by one.
LA Megacorp was all about efficiency!
'Now that's what I'm talking about.'
Li Ang grinned in satisfaction. As someone who worshiped efficiency, this tech was absolutely essential.
Next, he turned his gaze toward the FTL engine tech.
According to the system interface, there were a whopping six different propulsion methods under the FTL engine category.
These included:
Subspace Travel
Hyperspace Navigation
Wormhole Tunneling
Warp Drive
Gravitic Propulsion
And finally, Oscillation Point Drive!
The gravitic engine needed no explanation—Li Ang's Infinity-class dreadnoughts already used that tech for FTL space jumps.
But that engine had come free from the system—LA Megacorp had never developed its own FTL propulsion.
Now, with Omega in his grasp and the Mimics' FTL comms tech on hand, he could finally begin R&D on his own FTL engines.
Once the core propulsion tech was solved, mass-producing Infinity-class ships would no longer be a pipe dream!
'Oscillation Point Drive? Isn't that from Dead Space? Didn't expect to see it here.'
Li Ang raised an eyebrow and clicked on the Oscillation Point Drive to check its details.
[FTL Engine: Oscillation Point Drive]
Origin: Dead Space · USG Ishimura
'Yup, it really is a tech point from Dead Space!'
From the system interface, Li Ang quickly understood the tech's core concept.
Ships outfitted with this drive could create a spatial contraction field ahead of them, allowing them to travel within the oscillated region of space-time.
The ships would be enveloped in a warp bubble to protect them from being warped or destroyed by the intense gravitational distortions inside the oscillated field.
'So this thing achieves FTL by vibrating space-time? That's pretty close to how warp drives work!'
Li Ang mused thoughtfully.
In fact, FTL propulsion methods could be grouped into three main categories.
The first was like the Precursors in Pacific Rim—just punch a hole through space-time and sneak into your neighbor's house. Classic wormhole tunneling.
The second included warp drives, oscillation drives, and gravitic engines—these bent local space-time to move faster than light.
It's like drawing two far-apart points A and B on paper. By folding the paper, you dramatically reduce the distance between them.
The third category was more special.
Both subspace and hyperspace travel worked by abandoning conventional space and moving through alternate dimensions.
They relied on special tech to unfold higher-dimensional spaces—like a web of interwoven threads between gravity wells of stars.
These formed FTL highways that ships could jump between at insane speeds.
Basically, it was like your neighbor installing a direct internet cable from the server to their PC—no more traffic or lag, just blazing speed.
Or better yet, the Department of Transportation built an express lane just for your neighbor, and now he's flooring it at 200 mph on an empty freeway.
Of course, this third type of FTL propulsion was a hybrid of wormholes and space-warping techniques.
But regardless of the method, mastering FTL travel was a must for any advanced civilization—a basic requirement.
Any race that couldn't even grasp this tech didn't deserve to sit at the high table of galactic power.
After reviewing the three major types of FTL propulsion, Li Ang decided the third one suited his bold and unrestrained style best.
He loved drifting, after all.
Wormholes might be convenient, but they guzzled power—like the Precursors in Pacific Rim, who nearly hollowed out their homeworld to maintain them.
Such a flashy, wasteful method? Not Li Ang's style.
Especially since he already had Stargates and stable, reliable wormholes stolen from the Precursors.
As for warp engines—his infinity-class ships already had gravitic drives.
So now he wanted to try something new.
Hyperspace travel? Now we're talking.
'You're the one!'
Having locked in his target FTL tech path, Li Ang turned to the final FTL tech node:
[Planetary FTL Suppressor]!
'This thing's also known as a Gravity Well Projector? Wait a sec… I think I know what this does…'
Li Ang felt a vague sense of familiarity—but couldn't quite remember what the suppressor's exact function was.
So, he decided to… [continued]
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The fundamental working principle of the FTL Inhibitor is the manipulation of gravitational fields—by intensifying the gravity within a target zone to its extreme limit, it forms a natural barrier that cannot be penetrated.
Any object or spacecraft attempting to enter hyperspace will be forced to remain in normal space.
This technology is essentially like slamming a blockade onto a stretch of interstellar highway—if Old Wang wants to go full throttle, too bad; he either has to detour or turn back the way he came!
Almost instinctively, Li Ang grasped the importance of the FTL Inhibitor.
It could establish a "no-go zone" to protect a Universal Conglomerate's key assets and block incursions from advanced civilizations into corporate territory!
It was somewhat reminiscent of the "Bunker Project" from The Three-Body Problem.
"Damn, I've stumbled onto some top-tier gear here!"
Li Ang chuckled. Though he had no use for this thing just yet, he knew that sooner or later, this FTL Inhibitor would come in handy.
In interstellar travel, movement typically occurs through either normal space, subspace, or hyperspace.
Clouds of antimatter capable of annihilating entire fleets in the blink of an eye are great for taking out civilizations traveling through normal space.
But they're useless against advanced civilizations that travel via hyperspace.
That's because those civilizations don't even touch normal space—they move through alternate-dimensional realms, flying faster than light through other spatial layers.
It's like landmines buried in the ground: no matter how lethal they are, they can't do anything to a bird flying overhead.
The two exist in completely different dimensions and simply don't intersect—so the annihilation properties of antimatter clouds can't even be triggered.
But now, with this tech in hand, Li Ang could stop hostile civilizations no matter what dimension or space they're traveling through at FTL speeds—they'd have to halt the moment they hit the inhibitor!
After all, that route would be dead-locked by Li Ang's inhibitor. Ships traveling in hyperspace or subspace simply wouldn't be able to pass through.
They'd have to either reroute or retreat!
If the enemy civilization avoided hyperspace routes—the FTL express lanes—and opted instead for the slower normal space path, then Li Ang could just blanket the area with dense antimatter clouds…
...effectively cutting off any thought of encroaching on the Conglomerate's sphere of influence.
"What a shame... I can't even afford to play with this thing right now. Damn thing burns through resources like crazy!"
Li Ang checked the resource requirements to research this tech, along with its construction and maintenance costs—it was like pouring money straight into a black hole.
Creating even a localized zone required an enormous power supply and a massive base.
And by massive, we're talking "drain-an-entire-sun" levels of energy and materials—just to get it started.
And that's only the initial activation cost. Continuous operation and daily upkeep weren't even included yet!
If you wanted to keep the device active and maintain a localized interdiction field, you'd have to burn through half a sun every month.
That kind of expenditure was way beyond what the Universal Conglomerate could shoulder right now.
At that moment, Li Ang—who had long been used to steamrolling lower-tier worlds with dimensional superiority—felt, for the first time, the pressure of just how expensive it was to operate at high-level cosmic play.
Just one simple FTL Inhibitor had him breaking out in a cold sweat. Forget about all the other overpowered tech out there!
"I really have to push harder on the tech tree. Right now, the Megacorp hasn't even scratched the surface of high-tier civilization. How can I talk about reviving the company or bringing order to the multiverse at this rate?"
Before closing the system interface, Li Ang took one final look at the FTL Inhibitor's tech specs.
As expected of a god-tier tech device, it involved numerous advanced disciplines—particle physics, gravitational field manipulation, and deep hyperspace theory, to name a few.
Its operational process involved using the microscopic properties of special particles to create a region of hyperspace that was completely inaccessible.
At the microscopic level, it directly warped the structure of space-time itself!
"This really is the sci-fi version of a Domain Expansion. High-level civilizations kicking off a war with a good ol' 'Domain Expansion: Infinite Void'."
Li Ang smirked and examined the two types of high-energy particles capable of warping gravitational fields:
The first type: Gravitons.
A theoretical particle beyond the Standard Model, gravitons interact with gravitational fields and serve as carriers of gravitational force. With precise tuning and directional control, graviton beams can be used to generate immensely powerful gravitational fields.
The second type: FTL Particles.
The same stuff used by the Omega in Edge of Tomorrow.
These particles operate by altering microscopic domains to distort space-time.
Either of these particle types could be used to construct an FTL Inhibitor.
Now that he fully understood all of this, Li Ang knew exactly what needed to be done:
Deploy his most elite agents, led by his top commander, and use the Matrix system to forcibly integrate Omega into the power grid!
That was the first major checkpoint in this multiversal world: capturing Omega.
"Every time the going gets tough, it's always my first-drawn artifact that saves the day—guaranteed, full-control, no fuss."
Li Ang was growing increasingly fond of the Matrix—it had helped him take down way too many bosses already.
From Europa, the top transcendent AI of the Cyber World, to Eywa of Pandora, they'd all been one-shotted by the Matrix.
Now that Li Ang understood the full picture, there was no way he was going to bumble around like the protagonist of Edge of Tomorrow, blindly probing Omega's defenses.
All he had to do was send V to lead a strike team on Paris and raid Omega's lair head-on.
But this time, everyone only had one shot—including Li Ang himself!
If the mission failed and Omega triggered its Reset mechanism, pulling off another surprise attack like this would be much harder.
Li Ang wanted to avoid any mid-operation accidents or surprises—chaos only made things worse for the Megacorp.
If they ended up drawing the attention of the UDF and getting intercepted, Li Ang would be forced to intervene directly against the human forces in Edge of Tomorrow.
So the optimal strategy was to call in V and the others, explain the situation clearly, and personally oversee the frontline to make real-time decisions.
If this mission failed, Li Ang would have to be ready for the worst-case scenario.
With that, he immediately ordered the AI Europa to send messages to V, Jackie Welles, and Reed summoning them to the command center for a briefing.
"Let's hope this mission goes as smoothly as the last few…" Li Ang thought silently.
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