For humanity, burn the stars.

Oshido stared at Qin Heling, revealing his inquisitive intent:

"You should already understand my position. So, what is your position?"

"I'm also curious about your vision for the future."

"Is it merely a search for a safe haven amidst the stars, or a plan to set human civilization on a new journey?"

Qin Heling stood in the center of the study, raised her eyes, and met Oshido's gaze.

Since the other party was so frank, he naturally wouldn't hide anything from them either.

"I will certainly not be content with merely surviving."

"If I have the chance to re-establish myself among the stars, I must take back Earth."

"This place is far more than just a habitable planet for humanity."

"It is our hometown, the cradle of civilization, the resting place of countless compatriots—and also the place where shame began."

Oshido's whiskers swayed gently, showing no surprise or offense at Qin Heling's bluntness.

"As a Vera who once fought against humanity and witnessed the outcome of that war..."

"I advise you not to do that, because it will only destroy human civilization once again."

However, it paused for a moment, then continued:

"Of course, you do have the right to seek revenge for humanity."

"And if that day ever comes, after admiring your abilities and will, I will fight you as an Imperial warrior."

A brief silence fell over the study.

In the silent clash and conflict of wills, there was no smoke or sparks.

Two hostile races, yet their communication at this moment is incredibly frank, and they are even able to understand each other.

Soon, both of them tacitly stopped discussing the matter.

After all, no one can predict things that are so far into the future, so there's no point in discussing them now.

The immediate challenge is how to escape this meticulously crafted prison, how to grasp that faint hope, as fragile as a candle flickering in the wind.

The starting point for all grand visions rests on whether this escape will be successful.

Oshido's whiskers overlapped in front of him as he spoke earnestly:

"Then, let's get back to the actual plan."

"The plan is simple: let you escape Earth using the warp drive."

"I will assist in the exhibition to reinstall the warp drive into the Starmark... I don't need to say more about what happens next."

Oshido had no way to get Qin Heling to leave using the device at this moment.

Because if it did that, it would expose itself, which is clearly not the outcome he wanted to see.

The Starmark, equipped with an imaginary jump device and exhibited there, is different; at least it can shift the blame.

Qin Heling nodded, his gaze sharp.

"When the time is right during the exhibition, I will activate the device to jump and leave Earth."

Oshido's optical fiber organ swayed slightly, and his voice became heavy:

"But I must remind you, whether that device can take you to the right planet is entirely up to fate."

"Even after all these years, I have tried to summarize the patterns, but the success rate of reaching the 'planet' is still less than 30%."

It paused, letting the number settle in silence, before revealing an even more suffocating truth:

"At the same time, a large number of planets in the universe are not suitable for human habitation."

"Overall, the success rate is less than two in a thousand."

"To use this wooden Noah's Ark to venture into the stars would surely be a dead end."

After making such a fitting metaphor as "Noah's Ark," Oshido said solemnly and compassionately:

"Even later, even if you manage to find a suitable planet..."

Whether human civilization can be revived and allowed to take root and flourish again in the universe is entirely up to fate.

Qin Heling listened quietly, her face showing no sign of wavering.

After a moment, he suddenly chuckled softly.

"I never expected to hear the word 'divine will' from your Vera."

Oshido remained silent for a moment, his whiskers slowly drooping as he shook his head slightly.

"It is precisely because our civilization is powerful enough to conquer the stars and continuously expand our territory..."

"I realize more clearly than anyone else how vast the universe is, and how insignificant an individual's will is compared to that."

Qin Heling took two steps forward, stopped in front of the desk, and smiled at Oshido, saying:

"Inspector Oshido, there was one inaccuracy in your analogy just now."

Oshido's fiber optic organ flickered slightly, revealing a wave of doubt.

Qin Heling took a deep breath and said, word by word:

"What really matters is never whether Noah's Ark was made of wood or steel."

"But what it carries is humanity's hope."

"No matter how faint the hope, it is the only starlight we can hold in our hands right now."

Even for Qin Heling, who knew the imaginary jump coordinates, this was a huge gamble.

Because the universe is constantly changing, coordinates in the sea of ​​imaginary numbers are also affected.

Especially since there is still more than a hundred years between now and the timeline he is familiar with, the deviation of the coordinates will be greatly amplified.

Since the coordinates in the game didn't work, he could only rely on luck and adjust to a rough location based on the star map.

Even if there are errors, we can't worry about that now.

"In any case, thank you for passing this hope to me."

"What happens next is a matter for humanity itself."

Oshido gazed at Qin Heling silently for a long time, then said with admiration:

"Such a mind...such a will..."

"I don't believe in saviors, but perhaps in times of crisis, an individual might emerge who can lead the species out of its predicament."

"If only the Vera could also draw such a spirit from human civilization."

Oshido shook his head slightly, not continuing the topic, but returning to reality:

"At that time, I will provide you with a spacesuit left over from a pre-human civilization under the pretext of 'exhibition needs'."

"—Of course, we will upgrade and modify it using Vera's technology."

Its whiskers activated a light screen on the table, displaying various data to Qin Heling.

"If we jump into space, then we can use it to reach planets no more than 1 million kilometers away and enter their surface."

"Even if you unfortunately land on a harsh planet after the jump, it can sustain you for a period of time."

"Perhaps that's enough for you to find a way, or... at least find a suitable tombstone."

Qin Heling remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"I have no objection, it's been a huge help."

"In fact, I never expected these things to be outside of my plans."

In Qin Heling's original plan, he would never have dared to hope for Oshido's support at this moment.

Find the device and then fight to the death; that was all he could do.

But even if he had long since given up everything in order to grasp that tiny hope, it didn't mean he had to completely resign himself to fate.

The more thorough the preparation, the greater the chance of success, which is undoubtedly something to be happy about.

After a moment's thought, Qin Heling took half a step forward and looked at Oshido.

"I have another request, and I hope you can grant it..."