Sky Curtain: The Darwin Incident at the outset, the Declaration of the People's League

[New students are coming soon]

Chapter 85 Stepping into Space Again

Even though most subhuman species have gone extinct in the struggle for survival, a small number of human descendants have survived through evolution, and human wisdom will eventually return.

As the sun cools on this planet, surface temperatures drop, and the creatures underground can finally see the light of day again.

[Worms were among them.]

They evolved into various races, one of which, an arboreal serpentine creature, regained human intelligence. They thought with a spiral-shaped brain and created with a single large hand, which evolved from the two feet of their human ancestors.

On the screen above, an image of the worm-man evolving into a snake-man was displayed.

Well... at first glance, it has absolutely nothing to do with humans!

The complaints from all over the world instantly exploded.

"Seriously, this thing can be called a descendant of humans? A spiral brain is one thing, but what's with the single giant hand? If our ancestors knew their feet evolved into this shape, they'd probably crawl out of their coffins and complain about Qu's aesthetics!"

"No, the key point is that they have retained human intelligence, not their appearance. But to be honest, their appearance is indeed very different from that of humans."

"This isn't just a matter of being far apart, this... tsk, how should I put it, I really think this kind of thing is less genetically similar to a banana than a human!"

Although their living environment and lifestyle differ greatly from those of human ancestors, the process of social change among the snake people is remarkably similar to that of humans in the Old Earth period.

Predators have evolved into killers.

Predators were once the apex predators of the planet, and even though their sharp claws have atrophied, they can still kill without weapons.

In their culture, hunting and dueling are prevalent in order to unleash the violent impulses in their blood.

However, in the process of modernization, the barbaric customs of the original assassin tribe were gradually abandoned by the progressives, and the global conflicts arising from the struggle between conservatives and new wingers were not fatal.

The screen above just showed footage of the Assassin Clan's duel.

"Releasing impulses through duels? That's too barbaric! What's the difference between them and those giants who only know brute force? Even though their claws have degenerated, killing with bare hands is still cruel to think about."

"But at least they are making progress. Progressives are abandoning barbaric customs, which is much better than those races that have remained in a primitive state."

"Barbaric customs will eventually be eliminated. Only by adapting to the development of the times can they survive in the long run. They did it."

"Moreover, after a long period of development, their duels are no longer fatal, are they?"

In an ocean without fire, life seems unlikely to develop intelligence or achieve stable growth.

However, cyborgs have developed a unique set of biotechnology.

From the time of the fish-men, they began to domesticate and utilize other creatures. By the time of the organoids, they had begun to modify other creatures on a large scale, using advanced genetic engineering technology to turn the creatures themselves into their tools.

[A city of cyborgs, where nutrient solutions are pumped by a giant biological heart; in the exoskeleton dwellings of the inhabitants, they use bio-lights, skin, television, and medical tsunamis.]

[Finally, they even began building bio-ships in an attempt to return to the void!]

[If this were an exam, and Qu were both the question setter and the examiner, then the cyborg would definitely get a perfect score!]

"My God, bio-electric lights, bio-televisions? This is outrageous!"

"Their ability to transform other organisms into tools is incredibly advanced, more amazing than any technology we've ever seen."

"Their biotechnology far surpasses that of currently known civilizations. To develop such technology in an ocean without fire truly deserves full marks. Qu's modifications, though brutal, unexpectedly unleashed their potential."

"Being defeated and then learning and imitating is one way, but won't that lead to repeating the same mistakes?"

[The lizard shepherd has degenerated into an animal devoid of intelligence]

However, the reptiles they domesticated opened the door to civilization.

The lizard people discovered traces of both Qu and humans through archaeological discoveries. Although genetically they are not related to humans, they identify with human culture and consider themselves descendants of humans.

The lizardmen fear that one day Qu will return and bring disaster upon them; their civilization develops cautiously under this terrifying threat.

"..."

Observers from all over the world watched this scene and fell into deep thought.

Is this lizard man even human?

Cultural identity... well, let's just say we'll consider that.

Anyway, most of the other humans have turned into aliens.

The Warhammer universe and a few Stellaris universes thought so.

Have no idea.

There are so many aliens here that the courtroom is exhausted and the People's Alliance is at its wits' end.

Moreover, in essence, those things are indeed descendants of humankind.

They just don't want to admit it.

[The nearly crippled colonial version has passively existed in the world for countless years; the only commendable thing is that they can survive no matter how harsh the conditions.]

However, the long passage of time eventually changed them, and they began to differentiate into different organizations. They changed in different directions, and each 'person' became a unique unit, playing a specific role.

To be more specific, for example, some transform into root systems to absorb resources, some into tentacles for movement, some into claws for attack, and some into armor for defense...

During this period, they competed with each other, constantly evolving new types of units.

Ultimately, this competition ended with the emergence of modular beings.

Modular beings are intelligent entities formed by aggregating multiple units; they can exchange body parts and combine or separate.

Their cities, like their landscapes, are all strange and wonderful.

Their society has become a highly egalitarian collectivist society, where everyone is willing to fight for the whole. From immobile excrement absorbers to their current diverse forms, the modular people are undoubtedly great.

"From being disabled people who could only passively survive to modular people who can actively evolve and cooperate, their resilience is truly admirable. In a highly egalitarian collectivist society, everyone strives for the whole, which is the key to their survival and development."

"They demonstrated the tenacity of life in their own way. Even when they were almost crippled at first, they were able to find their own path in evolution. This greatness is worthy of learning by all intelligent life."

"Collectivism! Every individual is a cog in the machine; let's unite!"

The winged beings' brains were exceptional among avian creatures, and they evolved into intelligent winged beings, whose intelligence quickly brought them civilization.

However, during the course of evolution, the heart was unable to simultaneously support the enormous brain and flight, resulting in an extremely short lifespan for this species.

The superior flying abilities of the Winged Ones enable them to be highly mobile, thus abandoning the concept of nationhood and becoming a truly global society. Factional struggles are minimal, allowing the Winged Ones to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the cosmos.

Over several centuries, the flat-faced people built a civilization with moral values ​​very similar to those of human ancestors, and they also embarked on the path of colonizing other planets.

However, in their star system, the gravity of other planets is relatively low.

After being separated from their mother's high-gravity environment, the flat-shaped people spent over a thousand years transforming themselves into irregular-shaped people.

Their bodies have undergone tremendous changes; their twisted limbs are even more bizarre than before.

Unlike the original Martian colonists, the shapeshifters wiped out the flat-faced inhabitants of their home planet during the war. They also discovered the remains of the Qu and the aliens, and the shapeshifters began to venture into the depths of space.

"Exterminate their own kind on their home planet? How cruel."

"The law of the universe is survival of the fittest. In order to develop and to go to space, they sacrificed their own kind on their home planet. Although it is cruel, it may not be a bad choice."

"This kind of divergence has happened before between Earth and Mars, but they just took different paths."

"Exterminating one's own kind for personal development is no different from the behavior of those ambitious villains. Even if they can reach the universe and develop a powerful civilization, they will eventually destroy themselves because of greed and cruelty."

"But if I had to say... is a fish that leaves the ocean still a fish?"

"...Good question!"

The original parasites bonded with their hosts because of their unique abilities, but now the hosts have become mere puppets; even if they evolve stronger bodies, they are still just puppets.

In this way, they became symbiotic beings.

In this situation, the parasite completely controls the host, and the host becomes a tool that can be exchanged.

Once civilization reaches a certain level of advancement, parasites can exist completely independently of their hosts, but they still retain the habit of raising and using hosts.

In the Parasyte world, Shinichi Izumi's face instantly darkened as he looked at the image of symbiotic humans in the sky.

"This is outrageous! The host is clearly a symbiotic partner with them, yet they treat him as a puppet, a tool to be traded. This is completely different from my relationship with Xiao You!"

Yes, he was speaking from a human perspective.

His right-hand man remained silent on the matter.

Actually... if it weren't for the accident, Shinichi would have already been eaten by himself.

To be eaten and turned into a puppet...sigh.

Has this kid forgotten what his original fate was?

[One of the fish-men's descendants has wings that have transformed into sails, and their flexible tongues have replaced their original hunting hands.]

This is the sailor tribe.

After the return of intelligence, the Sailor Clan spent a considerable amount of time achieving social stability.

They were fragmented, and their ocean world, dotted with islands, was divided into countless different tribes until one tribe completely prevailed, and only then did society begin to develop normally.

"With islands scattered across the land and numerous tribes, it is truly remarkable that they have managed to achieve social stability. The resilience they have shown in taking such a long time to go from being dispersed to unified is admirable."

"Moreover, with their sail-like wings and flexible tongues, their evolution is perfectly adapted to the marine environment. They can move nimbly in the water and hunt for food. This adaptability is incredible. I believe that once they get on track, they will develop rapidly and may even be able to explore the mysteries of the deep ocean."

"This will take too much time to unify things in the early stages, but this adaptability is indeed commendable."

Those who indulge in desire remain immersed in it, hardly changing, and stagnant.

But time changes everything.

[Tectonic movements drastically altered the Earth's surface environment, and most pampered, lustful individuals were unable to adapt and perished.]

A mutated race survived.

Unlike their ancestors who were preoccupied with reproduction, they embarked on a journey to build civilization.

Although their ingrained hedonistic desires still lead them to hold grand celebrations.

This is the Satir ethnic group.

"Finally, someone who's stopped indulging in desires!"

Tony Stark from the Marvel universe rolled his eyes, his tone full of mockery.

"The previous lustful people only knew how to enjoy themselves all day long and were stagnant. I thought they would become extinct sooner or later. I didn't expect that they could mutate into the Satir tribe. They have made some progress."