People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

"Ernst, you've misunderstood me."

"Who am I? No matter who's disgusting Victoria, I, Levi, will definitely stand up for her!"

"It doesn't matter who Lafshini's sister is, or how much benefit she can give me, but the fact that the Tara people can break free from oppression and strive for independence is very important to me!"

Chapter 709 Exchange of Intelligence

Levy's attitude was clear and unambiguous.

As a staunch anti-imperialist and anti-feudal fighter, he had long been dissatisfied with these arrogant nobles. Most of them didn't even qualify to sit on a lamppost, and were even worse off than capitalists. But ironically, on this land of Terra, there were far too many things that allowed them to divert attention from their problems, enabling them to remain in their positions of power.

Letania sucks the pacifier of the Witch King's remnants, Colombia sucks the pacifier of Victoria, Victoria sucks the pacifier of the Tara people, and the Great Flame sucks the pacifier of the Year Beast. Each country has its own pacifier, and everyone can even enjoy a public pacifier that works all the time—the Infected.

No matter what it is, if it's bad, it can be done by an infected person. If it wasn't done by an infected person, that's okay too; the person who did it can quickly adapt and become infected.

What? You're asking why Ursus doesn't have its own dedicated pacifier?

It used to exist, but the brilliant and ambitious late emperor accidentally launched a great conquest, turning Ursus from a child into an adult who swept through Terra. He beat all the pacifiers in the past and won them all, so now there's nothing left to talk about.

Unfortunately, after the Great Conquest was interrupted, Ursus could only use the public infected to divert attention from the problem. However, while the infected were a versatile solution, versatility is never the best approach. So the conflict eventually accumulated to an uncontrollable level, and then, bang! It exploded.

Levi was unaware of many inside stories, but he simply believed that the nations of Terra were still too urbanized.

But as a biologist, he also respects species diversity.

Therefore, he remained silent, quietly conducting his research—a research that, once completed, might completely change the world.

Hey, Siberia doesn't tolerate idlers. We don't bother with small jobs; if we're going to do something, we'll do something big!

Until Ernst sent him this "task".

He had many things to do, and he originally wanted others to take care of the other matters so that he could focus his energy on scientific research.

However, Sukabul! Abrahana is incompetent; it seems I must step in!

Without much hesitation, Levy accepted the task with a face full of fighting spirit.

During this time, he needs to collect information about Tara, conduct research, and prepare various plans.

He wasn't worried about whether Abrahana would follow Ernst's advice and come to him.

So what if Abrahana doesn't come? Can't he just go and look for her?

Even if we take a step back, does he really have to rely on Abrahina? His goal is to promote Tara's independence, not to put Abrahina in power.

He didn't need Abrahana to teach him how to resist exploitation and oppression, organize political movements, and wage armed struggle against the feudal landlords in the ditch. That little girl might not even be as skilled as her!

The only slight deficiency might be a lack of public support, but this can be cultivated gradually and isn't something to rush. Levi also has his own foundation in Colombia, serving as a hidden fund for his operations and research into matters that Rhine Lab might not be aware of. He could certainly use this money to further cultivate grassroots connections in the Tara region.

Moreover, there were some things that even Ernst didn't know.

For example, Levy did indeed have some "his own people" in Colombia. These were ordinary people from the lower and middle classes, from mines, pioneering sites, or urban factories. These people were the seeds he spread.

He wasn't that old, but he was certainly not young either. Who knew how many more years he had left to live in this hellish environment of Terra? There were some things he was doing himself.

It's not that I don't trust my comrades, it's just that when you trust others, you must also trust yourself! I've never heard of anyone who can get things done by doing nothing and completely trusting others.

He was taught that hard work pays off, more work pays off, collectivism, and teamwork.

And these people, as long as Levy gives the order, are of course willing to go to Tara and become new sources of sparks.

But this is a last resort. After all, in Terra, where kings and generals truly have some backbone, ordinary people with little fighting ability would be essentially just throwing their lives away if they did this. So, let them lie low for now.

Ernst let out a slow sigh of relief.

It's so comfortable to chat with people like Levy. Although they come from different countries, have different cultural backgrounds and educations, and even live in different historical periods, they share many common values.

Ernst dealt with those political figures every day, having to stay true to himself and avoid being assimilated by them, while also meticulously scheming to push things in the direction he wanted. It was incredibly tiring.

On this land, there are only a handful of people with whom he can have such a comfortable conversation.

Levy is one.

What he was about to say was indeed the truth hidden in his heart, a genuine secret that could hardly be told to anyone:

"Levy, you're researching Originium, right?"

Levy, who was drinking, glanced at Ernst with some surprise upon hearing this, and put down his glass.

"Yes, I'm researching Originium. Comrade Ernst, do you perhaps know something about this?"

He knew Ernst well. Ernst was very self-aware; he didn't understand things and never offered advice—he would never do something like an outsider instructing an expert. It was common knowledge that Levi was researching Originium; his department was called the Originium Life Science Department, something Ernst already knew. Logically, he wouldn't have asked such a completely meaningless question.

Unless he's drunk.

But Ernst only drank one glass, and his face didn't even turn red. Besides, he had the body of a Terran, with a leopard's head and tail, so how could he get drunk so easily?

Therefore, Ernst's mention of this surprised Levy, and he was somewhat puzzled.

Ernst didn't hide it and nodded directly:

"I didn't know before, but now I know a little bit."

“What do you mean?” Levi chuckled. “You still have time for scientific research? I see you running all over Terra every day. There isn’t even a plane in this place. Nasti said you’re so busy that even your tail is losing fur.”

That's not an exaggeration. The tail shedding is clearly because Nasti scratched it too hard!

Ernst rolled his eyes, mentally noting that a Sarkaz banshee had grabbed his tail in a fit of excitement and then complained about his shedding fur! He then explained:

"I met the creator of Originium."

"So Originium really is man-made?"

Levy's tone carried a hint of surprise, but more so a sense of relief, as if to say, "Just as I thought."

Ernst was incredulous: "You knew?"

"I guessed. My research is far from reaching that stage, but the properties of Originium are truly extraordinary. Nature may produce one or two very special miracles, but nothing like Originium..."

He reached out and pointed to the Originium lamp above his head, then glanced at the Originium artifacts and equipment scattered throughout the office.

"Do you think it's natural that Originium is everywhere, and each one is such a miraculous thing?"

Ernst fell silent for a moment.

Indeed, this is the same as what Priscilla said.

Natural amber is an unparalleled miracle, a true treasure.

Why are "treasures" considered rare? As the ancients said, things are valued for their rarity. If something is abundant, how can it be called a "treasure"?

Ernst himself didn't buy inspirational quotes; he was the one who gave them to others. Those inspirational articles that say things like "treasure is the experiences and friendships (love) you've gained along the way," while later considered toxic and shameful, were initially accepted.

The reason why it was recognized was that people at that time still believed that things like "love, friendship, and experience" were very rare and precious, comparable to those vulgar things like "money, treasures, and power".

Later, however, various complex reasons led to some changes in people's thinking. The idealized and righteous image began to lose its appeal, and people simply became more "realistic."

Therefore, Ernst's rare "natural amber" is a "treasure," while the "Originium" made later in imitation of Ernst's characteristics is not—natural diamonds cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars and are hard to find, while artificial diamonds can be bought in large quantities for tens of dollars on Taobao.

Seeing that Ernst remained silent, Levy knew that Ernst had agreed with his answer.

he asked:

"How did you come to know the creator of Originium? Is he still alive?"

Ernst nodded, then shook his head, and sighed deeply.

"Well, that's a long story."

I need to ask for leave for the final exam.

Yes, that's right, final exams.

As many college students know, senior year typically involves completing a semester's worth of classes in a month, followed by final exams at the end of the month. The reason I've been updating with such a gloomy theme these past few days is because I've been in class from 8 AM to 9 PM every day, leaving me no time to write.

Thankfully, these days are coming to an end. Final exams start tomorrow and will be finished before National Day. So, I'm asking my buddies for a break to study, get a good night's sleep, and recharge for the exams!

Please grant my request, Your Majesty!

Chapter 710 An Unbreakable Alliance!

"So you're saying that all the Originium in Terra was created by a scientist from a supposedly extinct human civilization?"

Levi rubbed his chin, looking at Ernst with a suspicious expression.

Ernst nodded, and then asked:

"Then, this supposedly extinct human civilization left behind more than just Originium on Terra. There are numerous relics in Terra's oceans, skies, and the far north ice fields? Even the President of Colombia himself is part of this legacy? A super AI that is almost indistinguishable from a human?"

Ernst pursed his lips and nodded again.

Levi took a deep breath, his body now sitting upright without him noticing. His hand holding the glass trembled slightly as he tilted his head back and downed the empty glass in one gulp. As the air settled, his expression became indescribably complex.

"And this extinct human civilization was incredibly powerful. The reason they did all this was to guard against an even more powerful adversary. We don't even know what that adversary is yet. All we know is that even with such great efforts, human civilization was still wiped out in an instant?"

Ernst opened his mouth, he really wanted to argue, after all, the previous civilization wasn't just wiped out instantly. From the information provided by Trevor Friston and Precys, it was clear that the previous civilization wasn't completely defenseless when the lumberjacks arrived.

Scientists, led by the "Prophet," waged a prolonged struggle on the planet Terra, developing technologies such as the "Heavenly Pivot," the "Deep Blue Tree," "Originium," and the "Static Retention Center." However, in the end, Ernst wasn't entirely sure whether the so-called "Lumberjack" had actually discovered Terra, the escaped enemy.

After all, even if He discovered it, Terra clearly still contains so many relics of the previous civilization, including many animals closely related to, or even brought by, that civilization, as well as many native creatures that came into contact with those relics. If the lumberjacks had discovered it, they would have had no chance of survival.

We can't just say that we let them go because they didn't look like humans at the time, can we?

If that's the case, the previous civilization would have already mastered the technology of uploading and downloading souls to new bodies. How can the "Lumberjack" guarantee that when he cuts down the tree of the previous civilization, the branches and leaves won't cosplay as other races, or that the entire tree won't turn into phantom tanks to avoid disaster?

This is clearly illogical.

But if you say He didn't discover it, then the ancient civilization, so powerful that it could directly transform planets into weapons, was still destroyed. None of the contingency plans left behind by the [Prophet] and others worked. The Deep Blue Tree crashed, the Heavenly Pivot inexplicably turned some of the Sarkaz into Sarkaz, the Stasis lost power, and the Originium was even personally certified by Prisses as "not enough time, not perfect."

Furthermore, if the Preservator's reaction wasn't a disguise, the Originium might have undergone even more unexpected changes, and Precys himself might even have become a hidden wolf!

So, faced with Levy's question, Ernst could only close his mouth again and nod helplessly:

"Although the details are not quite right, that's roughly how it is."

Levy was starting to lose his composure.

Even with his experience, temperament, and magnanimity, he was somewhat unable to control his emotions at this moment.

How can we fight this? Is it even possible? Does the Terra civilization have the strength? It's very difficult, isn't it?

He originally thought that the crisis on this land was at most a little trouble at sea.

The Great Tranquility destroyed the history of a prosperous Iberia in just a few hours, something even he had heard about.

But now it seems that the problems in the sea are nothing compared to what's to come. Search qUN:1007691436 for the remaining issues; those are truly heavyweights!

"The Sea Spawn [Deep Blue Tree] in the sea poses a great threat, but it is a crisis that has already been revealed. Now that we know about it, your World Summit can naturally take some preventative measures in an orderly manner."

Levy swallowed hard, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"However, apart from the [Stasis Site] posing a slightly smaller threat, the others—[Heaven's Pivot]—are like a Damocles' sword hanging over our heads. Even if Laterano doesn't destroy Terra, no one knows if it might go out of control like the [Deep Blue Tree]. [Originium] is even more of a heavyweight!"

Even Levi didn't know how to guard against something that had become so deeply integrated into the daily lives of the Terrans, almost constituting the lifeline of this era.

Calling for a complete ban on Originium across Terra?

That's utterly delusional. Not only are the mobile cities of the Terran kingdoms different from those of Kazdelnia, almost entirely powered by Originium, and their industrial systems are built around it, banning Originium would be tantamount to sending Terra back to the Stone Age. Even if the Terran kingdoms did agree—though they would absolutely never agree—it would be nothing more than burying their heads in the sand!

The Terrans don't use Originium, but Originium will fall with the natural disasters anyway, there's no way to avoid it!

While behemoths can indeed suppress natural disasters to some extent, there are only so many behemoths. How can they possibly spread their power throughout the entire Terra?

Therefore, even banning Originium doesn't mean we've defeated it. Furthermore, without an industrial system built upon Originium, how will Terra cope with other crises in the future?

There was absolutely no clue.

Levy was even a little puzzled. Why could Ernst maintain such a calm and composed attitude when he already knew about this?

"Because panicking won't help."

Ernst waved his hand. Levy was slightly taken aback, then gave a wry smile.

Yes, panicking won't help.

Given Terra's current level of power, neither the Blue Tree nor the Three Source Stones seem like something they could withstand! Not to mention the Heavenly Pivot. At least the former two weren't designed for attack, but the Heavenly Pivot is purely a weapon. Can Terrans with just a wooden stick fight against those terrifying things from previous civilizations, things even more terrifying than Levi's "Star Wars" plans?

If we really get into a fight, it'll just be a matter of experiencing both short-term and long-term pain.

As for the lumberjacks hiding in the back, there's no need to even think about them—they're all going to be wiped out in one hit either way. We can explore the area in front later.

Instead of worrying about them, we should focus on cultivating our current territory. At least with the World Summit, Terra has the potential to unite and withstand crises.

What was originally a zero chance of survival now has at least a slight chance.

It's hard to say exactly how many, as neither Ernst nor Levy had enough information.

The former had already heard from Vina about Iberia's invitation to visit and had indeed considered going to the seaside of this world to witness the scars inflicted by the Great Tranquility. The latter, on the other hand, had indeed made considerable progress in his research on Originium, and before Ernst revealed this information, he had already drawn some similar guesses and conclusions based on his own abilities.