The relationship between Mû and Atlantis quickly drifted into chaos, especially because of mutual rivalry, which kept progressing. However, the 'big divorce' had a more explosive effect than expected on our universe. The various colonies were already adversaries to each other and knowing their motherlands to be in conflict broke taboos. The first real wars took place mostly by proxy. Reiner and Sied hoped to resolve their territorial disputes in battle, as they had not succeeded diplomatically.

These two have, as mentioned before, a critical problem: hardly any men can born there. However, the anomaly is restricted to a specific, albeit gigantic, part of a galaxy. The kingdoms therefore determined that their only reliable solution would be to simply expand their living space beyond the area of influence of this phenomena, then establish 'industries' to produce males outside. On paper, the idea is defensible.

In actual reality, Mû was fiercely competing with Atlantis. The empire made every effort to establish its colonies on key locations, locking every nations of the Great Slope into their cursed domain. For example, Aleasis Vecna gained a chunk of the 'South'. The Aprium inherited its own dwarf galaxy, in the 'North'! Since it is only 25,000 light-years away from the solar system, expansion in that direction started early. Finally, Mara was founded halfway along a corridor leading to the gravitational abyss. Despite being neutral, the tiny state allied itself with lesser societies around Reiner, building an impenetrable net.

Ultimately, Sied only secured one star system outside of the tainted area, recovering it in extremis under Aleasis Vecna's nose. As for Reiner, we started a war on the Aprians almost immediately, the very day that it became an option. This forty-year campaign allowed my homeland to acquire Yah'les and Ganthra, which are now the only planets in a position to 'manufacture' and 'store' males. Each has the unusual feature of being located in intergalactic space, a fact that does not help our logistics. Nevertheless, these sources are far from sufficient to guarantee adequate supplies for the kingdoms, so they will be forced to attack their neighbors, often.

This bloody mess ended when Mû and Atlantis signed a non-aggression pact including their settlements, protectorates and allies, sanctifying the dangerously precarious situation of Reiner and Sied. Sure, they were rich in minerals, but with the lack of a sufficient birth rate, human resources remained far too scarce to allow any local production of Ar'eloah. A shortage that no trade could ever compensate for. In fact, the Aoos directorate and Aleasis Vecna were making an obscene amount of profit from the Great Slope's vulnerability, buying quicksilver at bargain prices.

Things stagnated until a craftsman discovered, almost by accident, a technique for generating the substance in astronomical quantities. Previously, one had to immerse an adult in a pool of mercury and apply an electromagnetic treatment to the whole. Basically, you would get something like 1 or 2% of the total mass of metal in pure Ar'eloah. This process then required expensive filtration. The human subject would come out exhausted, if not poisoned by the acute toxicity of quicksilver. Nothing unmanageable, given our medical expertise.

Instead, the new strategy achieved a superb 100% conversion rate! Miracle! The catch? Subjects used in this procedure ended up being incinerated alive. Obviously, said method was made illegal and even seen a form of cannibalism. But, with the radical change of mentalities in Atlantis, a human life became less valuable within its colonies, which included Reiner and Sied. They had no hesitation in generalizing it as a norm. This is how they went, in just three centuries, from miserable lands to first and second largest economic power! The power shift was reversed.

Reiner, now lavishly supplied, had in mind to turn the non-aggression treaty against Mû. Indeed, this deal only concerned mainland relationships and therefore did not involve their protectorates own possessions, which have a specific status. To put it simply, no Murrean settlement can attack any of its Atlantean counterparts, while a Reinir one is perfectly authorized to invade allies of Aleasis Vecna! That's what we call a 'convenient omission'. My kingdom offered a vassal status to all oppressed planets, organizing a network of partner nations. Their mission? To hunt inside enemy's territory and bring back male slaves. The supply was finally assured!

Countries aligned with Mû could not admit such a massive infraction of the mortal peoples' rights. Slavery's generalization on the Great Slope turned into a central issue in all debates. Atlantis saw no problem with it and enjoyed an increase in wealth thanks to its favored relationship with its own affiliates. What should have been solved peacefully, long before it got worse, became a geopolitical affair.

That crisis escalated out of control. Mû and Atlantis were, usually, only separated by 54 million kilometers. A distance which seems ridiculously vast when one thinks the world on horseback. It is not. The journey takes four minutes using conventional propulsion. So, we might as well say that this two were stepping on each other! As the people's moral objection got fierce, unmanageable, protests at the border became more and more violent. A morning, we saw the last straw, so Atlantis retaliated and plunged us into a global conflict.

The 'First War of Mû' started (or 'First War of Atlantis', if you're more of an abolitionist than a pro-slavery guy). To describe it, briefly, we all threw ourselves simultaneously into a colossal assault against all of our competitors. There was no place that escaped it. The Aprium locked its borders and sent reinforcements against the entire Great Slope. It succeeded in preventing Reiner from acting freely. Without them, all of the Mara protectorates would have been crushed immediately.

If some battles were violent, the conflict turned out to be quite humble: Mû managed to conquer its opponent in ten years. This carnage undermined confidence of everyone involved. The Atlantean emperor was removed from power, slavery repealed and the mainland re-established as a mere colony as a punishment. The Great Slope, by contrast, would emerge stronger. Reiner's and Sied's rivals exhausted themselves trying to seize the kingdoms. They were no longer just economic powerhouses, but now also the leading military and industrial players, superior to Mû itself! What does it matter if slavery is abolished, when the one in charge can ignore it?

All pieces were thus in position for the greatest catastrophe, the downfall of Mû. I realize that I am, once again, at my page's bottom and I still haven't finished this damn summary! Seriously. Well, let's hope the following chapter will be enough to do so.