People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Sir Byron, from the Royal Academy of Victoria, is the son of the chief designer of the famous "Bombardment of the Cataclysm" experiment. His father collaborated with Earl Patrick of Victoria, using the high-speed battleship HMS Trafalgar to launch hollow shells equipped with specially designed primitive detection devices, unleashing salvo after salvo at the Cataclysm. This provided the nations of the land with the first, though only a few seconds long, continuous and extremely valuable real-time data on the Cataclysm. Sir Byron himself inherited his father's expertise, working at the Royal Academy of Victoria, and is considered the greatest authority in the field of Cataclysm and isolation layer observation, bar none.

The Nauman couple from Letania are both professional geologists who also have extensive research on Originium Arts, natural disasters, the natural environment, and ecosystems. Their papers have been published in many well-known scientific journals in Terra. They often take the lead in conducting field research in various dangerous areas. At the end of last year, they were invited by Vina to go to Kjerag to investigate "climate warming and geological anomalies".

It's worth mentioning that the two of them also had connections with the Lord of Sheep, Dolly. Ernst instructed Vina to extend the invitation to them, which was in accordance with the Lord of Sheep's request.

Fourthly, there is Kristen Wright, the brilliant Colombian scientist who is about to accomplish this unique feat in the history of humankind on Terra. No further elaboration is needed; her scientific achievements and reputation, built upon the two Starstrike missions, have already resonated throughout the land. Even the most stubborn old scholars must admit that she will be the undisputed leader of the future scientific community on Terra.

All that remained of her was a tiny, rice-grain-sized silhouette as she began to enter the rocket's crew capsule—but Mackie didn't feel insignificant at all.

On the contrary, he sincerely believed that a person who could gamble with his current status, accumulated wealth, high reputation, and even precious life just to achieve his lifelong pursuit was undoubtedly worthy of respect.

In the past, people could only see these people in newspapers. They came from different countries and traveled long distances to gather here, just to do their part for the same cause.

Wu McGee withdrew his gaze.

Lu Er, a Casimir merchant, seemed somewhat out of place in this place.

However, he also has things he can do.

His father, Kane, once called himself a "journalist," but he lost respect for those who were about to become news figures, so he eventually died far from home and was buried in Colombian soil.

His return to this land is not for any other reason than to reclaim this code name.

Just as Mr. Ernst's "Speech of Light" in Casimir truly brought brilliant light to the Great Knights' Territory, he will become a qualified journalist, assisting Mr. Ernst, thousands of miles away in Laterano, in completing a brilliant report on this historic moment.

Tightening his tie and taking a deep breath, McGee's gaze was fixed on the huge screen behind the launch site. In his ears, he heard the somber, solemn countdown to the rocket launch, a countdown filled with countless emotions.

【5】

Sir Byron gritted his teeth and wrapped the chain of his silver pocket watch around the lever on the control panel. His father had done the same and ultimately completed the groundbreaking experiment that shook Terra before the cataclysm struck. He hoped to inherit that good fortune and also hoped to make history himself.

【4】

Geologist Magna Nauman held her husband's hand tightly, silently murmuring her daughter's name, "Adele." The tension in her heart was even greater than when she encountered the kind-hearted deity entertaining himself around a stone table while investigating the geological conditions of an unnamed snow-capped mountain in Shelag.

【3】

Saint Carmen, who came from Iberia, had a particularly complex look in his eyes. He brought with him all the technological data from the golden age of Iberia that had been preserved for the construction of this rocket. He didn't know which of them would be useful, but as an old sailor who had spent his whole life dealing with the sea, he also harbored a desire to conquer the "sea of ​​stars".

【2】

Inside the rocket cockpit, Christensen looked down at the small pendant in her hand, a slight smile playing on her lips. Not far from her, the shapeshifter, instructed by Ernst, had already disguised himself as a mechanical device. He would accompany Christensen into space to ensure her safety should anything happen to the rocket.

For the shapeshifters who have lived on Terra for countless years and have witnessed "everything", the sky is the limit. Going to the realm beyond the sky is also a novel experience that can be described as "long-lost"!

【1】

In the underground of Tremont, in the Stasis Chamber of the Preservers, the projector brought by Mark Max was broadcasting everything at the launch site in real time. The horned beast was not focused on a rocket launch, but was silently watching his father.

Trevor Friston’s massive, round body showed no outward fluctuations of emotion, but Mark Max seemed to sense the complex emotions his father was experiencing at that moment.

From scratch, with manned spaceflight, the Terrans have taken their first step toward that vast cosmos. They will find everything in outer space incredibly novel. Before they realize the cruelty of the universe, they may have plenty of time to enjoy this honeymoon period with the cosmos.

As for Trevor Friston...

That was his hometown, which he had not returned to for a long time!

【emission】!

McKee held his breath, completely focused. The moment the large screen in front of him lit up, the businessman from Kazimierz had vanished, replaced by a professional reporter from the Rose Newspapers.

"We are not the ones launching rockets."

"It is the earth that is refusing to let the prisoners of the sky return."

"At this moment, as far as I can see, the rocket named after Gagarin, carrying a great explorer, has broken free from the earth that has imprisoned its soul for tens of thousands of years."

"I don't know how to describe that scene."

The rocket's tail section, with its eight propellant rings and starlight streams intertwining to form a spiral beam of light, tore open a cloud of smoke resembling a sandstorm in the center of the Gobi launch site. Vertically above it, a roaring beam of light, like a sharp sword, pierced the isolation layer, mercilessly penetrating the mold between the earth and the night sky, revealing the pure, circular night sky behind it.

The coating on the observation window glass of the launch site began to melt, but for everyone inside, including those watching through the brightly lit screen, the image was permanently etched into their retinas: the twelve thruster nozzles resembled the rune nodes of an ancient Originium magic circle, and blue-blood-like coolant seeped from the rivet seams of the rocket's outer shell, vaporizing into holy light that enveloped the rocket body during ultra-high-speed friction.

After several seconds when time was no longer perceptible, a deafening roar, like countless pipe organs playing a Lateran hymn, finally arrived, as if the entire earth was singing a hymn for the sword that shot straight into the sky!

That was a man's holy sword, piercing the god called the sky!

Despite having made ample mental preparations, rewritten the manuscript countless times, and meditated on the scene before him countless times in solitude, McKee was still somewhat speechless at this moment.

His glasses were filled with that dazzling light, and he could no longer hear any sound other than the aria-like roar.

McKee finally understood why Ernst, when contacting him to be the reporter for this interview, had him, at the end of the interview, say that seemingly ordinary, even unconventional and unbelievable, statement together with him, who was far away in Laterano.

And what exactly does that sentence mean?

He spoke almost in a muttering voice into the microphone in his hand, his eyes fixed on the rocket that shot out of the isolation layer's hole, and softly uttered his thoughts, including that famous quote that would be etched into Terra's history, a quote that could be considered the best interpretation of the significance of the World's Fair, the World's Summit, and Project Star:

"This is the most sacred scene I have ever seen; it surpasses everything I have ever experienced before."

"Just imagine it, I hope all of humanity will think about it."

"When we look down from the vast universe, all national borders disappear in our eyes."

Chapter 1013 Agor: The dice have been rolled!

"When we look down from the vast universe, all national borders disappear in our eyes."

In Agor's territory, at the Governor's Meeting Hall.

The room, which originally housed more than ten governors, now had only three people. Heratia sat at the head of the table, with her carefully selected allies, or rather, puppets, beside her.

After a brief period of turmoil, Agor has now stabilized again. After Heratia took sole power, she promulgated the "Martial Law of Emergency in Agor," declaring that in order to counter the enormous threat posed by the ever-evolving Sealings to Agorian civilization, she would concentrate power as much as possible and improve the efficiency of government administration without shaking Agor's democratic system.

This is due to considerations of realpolitik—Agorian society has been in the state of “absolute democracy of prehistoric civilization” for a long time, and whether Heratia acknowledges it or not, the high moral standards, the concept of separation of powers and mutual checks and balances inherited from prehistoric civilization have been deeply rooted in the hearts of the new generation of Agorians. In the short term, even if military means are used, Heratia cannot achieve absolute centralization.

After all, they don't know the pain until Haisi's stick actually hits them. Forcibly moving into absolute autocracy will only trigger wave after wave of rebellions within Agor. It would be better to settle for second best and use a series of reasonable and legal means to "reduce" the number of members in the Council of Governors, and finally select two easily controlled puppets to establish a so-called "Three-Person Council".

As long as this fig leaf remains, the Agorians can continue to deceive themselves, and Heratia can successfully grasp supreme power, concentrating the Agorians' overly dispersed forces to achieve those great things that they never had the chance to accomplish before—a win-win situation.

"But we were still a step too late."

Watching the Gagarin rocket soar into the sky, breaking through the isolation layer and transforming into a bright star in the heavens, Heratia couldn't help but sigh.

Manned spaceflight breaks through the isolation layer and explores space.

This was originally Agor's unfinished work.

Had it not been for the sudden outbreak of the Seabringer crisis, the Agorians would have already broken through the Starpod's blockade and begun a new round of exploration in Terra's outer space.

Heratia was someone who had lived through that era. At this moment, her gaze was fixed on the bustling launch base hall in the holographic projection, and her mind was in turmoil.

From this moment on, the civilizations on land that had once been despised and looked down upon by Agor finally united and achieved, for the first time in history, a transcendence over the sea!

Heratia could convince herself with many reasons that this was just an overly lucky coincidence on land. They were too fortunate to have caught Agor entangled with the Sea King and unable to escape, to have received the help of the "treasure" and the Creator, and to have joined forces in an unprecedented way at Agor's weakest moment, catching Agor off guard. It was because of these almost irresistible factors that Agor lost this round.

That's absolutely true. Aside from the final team fight with Ernst where he was essentially whipped around like a top, Agor played flawlessly the rest of the game!

But Herathia wasn't one to suffer a defeat. A loss is a loss; stubbornness won't make up for it. Agor may have been out of step with the times, but for a land-based civilization to seize this only chance of victory was a skill in itself!

Moreover, Agor has only lost at the beginning, and the competition has only just begun. The land has only just caught a glimpse of the ocean's back.

"Grand Consul of Heratia".

A familiar voice came through the blond governor's headphones; it was Clementine.

She was assigned to Lateran to attend the World's Fair. Because she was not a member of the World Summit system, Agor was not allowed to have her own exhibition hall at the World's Fair, but she could still attend the event as an invited "non-member country guest" along with representatives from several other countries in special circumstances (Eastern Kingdom, which was in the midst of a civil war between North and South, and the divided Bolivar).

Heratia's gaze remained fixed on the holographic projection, and she answered softly:

"Clemissa, what is it?"

"Grand Archon of Heratia, Ernst cough cough, the land civilization has once again demonstrated an amazing technology at this exposition."

"They built an information network covering the entire Terra and successfully broadcast the launch from the Columbia Space Center live from Laterano."

Heratia stood up abruptly, a look of surprise flashing across her face. Ignoring the astonished and fearful gazes from the other two people in the room, she frowned and pressed for an answer:

Have you figured out the principle behind it?

“I don’t know yet,” Clementine shook her head.

"Is it technology from a prehistoric civilization?"

“I don’t know,” Clementsa replied.

"If there are any scientists who can be recognized, Agor can offer a high price and provide a research environment far superior to that on land. You can be in charge of the negotiations. As long as he is willing to agree, we can offer any price."

Clementa paused for a moment, whether surprised by Heratia's words or simply pondering them, before finally retorting:

"I'm sorry, Grand Consul, no, the mainland side has only announced the technology and hasn't said anything else."

Heratia Exchange Group;: 夿浯琪，？ 熝泗似二 sighed slightly and calmed down.

She was a bit too hasty. That's true. Although most people on land lack foresight, are greedy for small gains, have a narrow mind, and resist progress, there is never a shortage of talented people. It's impossible that they don't even understand the most basic principle of "protecting scientists."

It won't be easy for Agor to poach people. Even if Heratia could offer a price that the mainland could never match, it wouldn't be possible, because she simply doesn't have the right to make an offer.

This is one of the reasons why Ernst "refused to let Agor join the World Summit." If Agor had been allowed to join the World Summit, given their strength, it would have been almost certain that they would have become a permanent member of the Security Council. At that time, they would have been able to exert a huge influence on the World Summit based on their strength. However, the World Summit would have had almost no binding force on Agor. In that case, the World Summit would only become a replica of the "Starry Sea One-Man Show".

If Agor demands the technology be made public at the World Summit, how will Ernst explain this? Or, if they are less blatant and simply state that they want to "publicly recognize this scientist who has made a great contribution to the peace and development of Terra" at the World Summit, will Ernst recognize him or not?

In other words, this technology comes directly from Ernst and Heaven's Pivot. If there really is such a genius scientist, wouldn't that be falling into Agor's trap?

Ernst wasn't confident that the Land could retain such a person under Agor's sweet-talking tactics. To expect him to trust the Land's own moral standards and patriotism? That would be a gross overestimation of the Terran scientists' moral character.

Even more so, in the future, once Ernst, the founder of this summit, steps down, it is foreseeable that all subsequent secretaries-general will be either Agor's people or puppets.

To avoid this outcome, the best option is to politely engage with Agor from the beginning, but resolutely prevent him from sitting at the table.

Perhaps hearing Hera's sigh, Clementa apologized on the other side:

"I'm sorry, Heratia."

She didn't even address him by his official title, but instead used his more intimate first name.

Heratia shook her head:

"No, it's nothing, you don't need to apologize. Even if others don't think of protecting their scientists, Ernst certainly will. There are risks involved in poaching under Ernst's nose."

"Moreover, Agor doesn't actually lack a scientist like that."

Agor's technology is a generation ahead of the land. The reason Hera asked this question is more based on the simple relativity in the competitive mindset that "leaving the enemy behind by a year is the same as being ahead by a year."

Besides, who would complain about having too few genius scientists?

“However, Clementa, you could try contacting Christen Wright and asking if she would be willing to come to Agor.”

Heratia changed the subject and gave another order.

While they couldn't find a super genius capable of achieving global communication in such a backward environment on land, they found an ordinary genius who had entered Terra's outer space and possessed firsthand, preserved information—Kristen's talent was only considered average in Agor—which wasn't bad either.

Clementine hesitated upon hearing this.

She had heard that Christensen and Ernst had a good relationship, so wouldn't it be a bit risky to do this?

But she had already disappointed Heratia several times, and if she refused again now, it would really make her seem a bit incompetent.

So this trip was a free vacation, wasn't it?

Clementine pursed her lips and nodded in agreement:

“I understand. I will head to Colombia immediately and contact Ms. Christensen as soon as she returns.”

She cut off the communication.

Heratia sat back down in her seat, the words the Casimir journalist had uttered at the end of his report replaying in her mind.

When we look down from the vast universe, all national borders disappear from our eyes.

She felt that Agor should now reassess his past analyses of the land.

Land dwellers live in the harshest environments, yet they are never short of capable individuals. If they continue to split and fight each other, wasting their energy on internal strife, then they are naturally not a threat.

But if they were to act as described in that statement, when national borders disappeared and the nations truly united...

Now, Argonaut, which has stagnated for hundreds of years in complacency, may finally be facing a long-awaited challenge.

"As the eldest children of ancient civilization, we should put aside those illusions and pretenses as soon as possible."

“Agor faces challenges not only from Haisi, but also from neighbors we have never paid attention to.”

"The dice has been cast!"

Chapter 1014 Terra is Burning

"The cabin air supply system is being adjusted."

The cabin's air circulation system emitted a soft "beep," and the steady electrical sound brought a rare sense of security.