People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Holding the small black crown in her hands, Theresa looked at the Doctor and Ernst in front of her and teased them.

The Sarkaz have a tradition of giving their Demon Lords a cool "King's Title." Sometimes, these popular "King's Titles," which summarize the Demon Lord's abilities, characteristics, or personality, are even more widely known than their real names.

Titles like "The Vanquisher," "The City Builder," "The Sunbringer/Burning Flame Traitor," and "The Wandering King/Azure Fury" are far more memorable than the names of these demon kings.

Theresa had also thought about her own "King" title. Although she didn't really care about it, it was, after all, part of her being a Demon King, so it didn't seem unreasonable to consider it a little.

However, after countless reflections, she finally realized that none of the titles—whether it was "Tailor" based on her profession before becoming the Demon King, "Hero King" based on her achievements as one of the Six Heroes, or "Disloyal King" based on her building the Tower of Babel, advocating ideologies completely different from traditional Sarkaz, triggering a civil war, and ultimately being defeated and killed—seemed adequate to encompass her.

Humans are complex, just like the Flame Demon King who was both the "Sun Renewer" and the "Burning Fire Traitor." His life was so complex and legendary that it could not be easily summarized in just a few words.

Therefore, Theresa felt relieved.

She had no intention of giving herself a title; she would leave that to future generations to judge.

People will always have one most profound impression of her, and that impression is the most memorable thing she left in people's hearts. If she could, she would hope that it is love.

But now, a strange thought suddenly occurred to her—

Is she the only queen in the entire history of Sakaarvuz, no, in the entire history of Terra, who twice gave away the [Crown] to others?

Who do you plan to wear it?

Theresa asked.

The doctor pointed at Ernst:

"Let Ernst wear it."

Ernst pointed to the doctor:

"Let the doctor wear it."

Theresa: "

It turns out that people can actually laugh when they're speechless.

So this is what it feels like to burst into laughter?

Please, while the survival of civilization is indeed a heavy responsibility, while this little black crown doesn't have a particularly good reputation because it's been tied to the Sarkaz for so long, and while it's not of much use to either of you...

But at least show me some respect! I am the Demon King, after all. Giving the crown to Amiya was a last resort at the time, without asking her opinion. But now I am willingly handing the crown over to you!

Although this originally belonged to you.

"Ah~"

Theresa sighed silently, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the Doctor and Ernst, finally settling on Ernst:

“Mr. Ernst, you are the most suitable person for it.”

Ernst grinned.

The survival of civilization is a hot potato. There's something really strange about this thing. It's hard to say whether a civilization will survive or not, but no one who wears it has ever had a good end.

Ernst wasn't superstitious, but he was a pragmatist, and he wasn't so idle as to voluntarily live in a haunted house or carry haunted items.

If it's not necessary, he really doesn't want to wear it voluntarily.

But Theresa is not wrong. From the current perspective, he is indeed the most suitable person for this black crown.

Hmm, the Doctor has lost his memory. He knows almost nothing about Terra and the previous civilization. Even though Kal'tsit has been trying to help him catch up, as the saying goes, "You can't teach someone a thousand times, but you can learn something in one go." It's hard to say how much the Doctor has actually "understood".

Ernst admits he had some highlights, but everyone has their peak moments; don't mistake one moment for eternity.

Even if we consider only the point of "allowing Black Crown to play a greater role," Ernst is far more suitable than the Doctor. After all, the platform to showcase their talents is right there. With Ernst's current status, position, and influence, having Black Crown's assistance would be like adding wings to a tiger! As for the Doctor, while Rhodes Island is somewhat famous, do you think most countries would give him face? Because of whose face would they be giving him?

7 Moreover, and most importantly, their destination was Agor.

The requirements of the Six Survival Plan, the reminder from the [Prophet], the warning from the Doctor, a series of anomalies and solutions all ultimately point to that ocean, whether it is turbulent or calm.

Ernst would eventually have to face the ocean.

The ocean once brought him the most serious crisis of his political career. The force and arrogance revealed by Agor almost suffocated the land. In that crisis, Ernst took a shortcut.

With the help of Precyth (Originium), he finally subdued Agor, forcing them to return to the negotiating table obediently.

Everything in the world seems to be connected by cause and effect in some mysterious way. This is not so-called destiny. Destiny is beyond your control, but cause and effect are sown by yourself.

The cause that Lu Ernst planted with the help of the power of the ancient civilization has now yielded a troublesome result born from the ancient civilization itself.

This fruit is the problem of the [Deep Blue Tree], or rather, [Lo]'s problem.

But the ocean was completely foreign to Ernst. It's not funny to admit, he was a complete landlubber; he wasn't very good at swimming. His best achievement in the water was completing his swimming lessons at the university's swimming pool.

As for going into business, he never even considered it, let alone tried it.

The ocean is beautiful, containing countless treasures, but he had never been down there, and he knew nothing about it. He also lacked the knowledge to do so, after all, humanity's exploration of the ocean was not very profound—humanity had never truly understood the starry sky above and the ocean beneath its surface.

He and the Agorians, and the [Deep Blue Tree] and Lo, naturally have a huge information gap.

The best tool for bridging information gaps is the preservation of civilization.

With it around, at least Ernst doesn't have to ask about everything, nor does he have to worry about someone intentionally concealing or misleading him into misjudging certain situations.

It can even remain invisible most of the time, avoiding the possibility that Ernst, the film, would be discovered wearing the Demon King's crown, which would cause controversy.

From all perspectives, Ernst had no reason to refuse him.

Okay, no buts.

This is just another responsibility. He's used to it.

Ernst took a deep breath and nodded to Theresa.

The small black crown floated in Theresa's palm. Its angular appearance was plain and unremarkable. Compared to the crowns that Ernst had seen, which were adorned with jewels and emeralds, it was quite simple.

In the distant past, this was a gift from a flourishing civilization to its successors, containing the hope of civilization's revival. Later, it was regarded as a symbol of imperial power, guiding the Sarkaz race through ten thousand years of arduous journey.

Now, Ernst has stripped it of its symbolic meaning as "King". After the shell of the nine was removed from the six, its true function of the three was finally revealed, shining like gold that had been dusted off.

"Actually, Doctor."

“From a purely functional perspective, I believe that the preservation of civilization is the true essence of artificial amber.”

Originium is merely a replica made by melting natural amber. While it is technically sophisticated and possesses remarkable potential, it has, to some extent, deviated from the original purpose of amber.

Nothing can be truly preserved within the Originium, at least not yet.

The preservation of civilization is what truly represents the essence of human civilization—amber—created by the life's work of our ancestors.

Therefore, in a sense, they had already created the "amber" that belonged to them.

Ernst took the black crown from Theresa's hands.

He raised his hand and placed the small crown on his head.

There were no flowers or applause, no cheers or cannon salutes, because this was not a coronation ceremony to be celebrated, and Ernst would not gain any enviable power or enjoyment from it.

He is neither a demon king nor can he be considered an inheritor of human civilization. His birth might be traced back to an era before human civilization existed on its home planet, before the evolution from primitive humans to modern humans and the development of large-scale interstellar colonization technology. But ultimately, no one knows where he came from, because of his extremely unique characteristics. He must have had many names in countless civilizations of the past, but these names have all disappeared into the dustbin of history along with the annihilation of those civilizations. In this era, people call him Ernst.

The Doctor, Theresa, and the [Prophet] standing at a distance as a witness, all understood this clearly:

There is nothing more worthy of being given a sacred symbol at this moment.

This was only the moment when "Treasure" was forced to step forward after witnessing the once glorious human civilization burn to ashes after the arrival of the "Observer," leaving only a planet called "Terra" and a group of technologically advanced "barbarians."

But why, when it comes to you, does this crown suddenly transform into the shape of six olive branches? (Chapter 42)

Theresa looked at the crown with some surprise at how it had changed:

"So you can actually create your own model for the survival of civilization?"

"The material world manifestation of Project DWDB-221E is not anchored. The appearance of the black crown seems to be more like the theme chosen by the first person to come into contact with it. In our opinion, it is more of a morbid fascination. Treasure, if you don't like it, of course you can change it to other forms."

The "prophet" explained while also offering a compliment:

“The crown made of olive branches, which symbolize peace, would be quite nice.”

Ernst coughed lightly, his gaze shifting somewhat guiltily as he silently removed the crown from his head and changed the subject.

"Now, shall we go and meet our rebellious eldest sons?"

Chapter 1077 Loving Cats, Knots in the Heart, and the Rope

"Doctor, Lord Ernst, and Theresa, welcome back."

"Please come with me. I need to give you a full check-up to make sure your bodies haven't suffered any problems from the [deep dive]."

"Wait, wait, what are you doing? Lord Ernst! Amiya is still here!"

Ernst grabbed Kal'tsit by the neck and glanced at the Doctor and Theresa.

Theresa smiled wryly and walked behind Amiya, raising her hand to gently cover Amiya's eyes, while nodding her head at the Doctor.

The doctor also stepped forward and covered Amiya's ears.

Some things are unsuitable for children and would damage Ernst's image, so Amiya was not allowed to witness them.

"Do you know to finish what you're saying next time?!"

"Do you know that I was thrown into the Singularity as soon as I went in?!"

"You didn't even tell me how the Doctor and I were finding things inside; it was all thanks to Theresa's help!"

"You dare mention Amiya? Do you think Amiya is your lifeline? Look how well-behaved you used to be, and look at you now! Your parents are useless; they only gave birth to you but didn't raise you! If they won't teach you, I'll teach you a lesson!"

Although he couldn't perform the legendary grip strength test that involved lifting someone up by the neck, Ernst still treated Kal'tsit with great care.

There's no other reason than the vast difference in skill level!

This gap isn't a gap between her and others, but a gap between herself and herself!

Look how cute Kal'tsit was as a child, unlike now! Some people, although they have the beginnings of a human form, have lost all humanity!

Kal'tsit didn't dare to resist, and even seemed inclined to cooperate with Ernst. The reason isn't hard to understand: in her eyes, Ernst's stats are highly specific and have very low versatility. In special environments like [Lumberjack] or [Demon], he's a super-large operator, far superior to Lumberjack! But in ordinary environments, like the one now, then sorry, super-small cup →!

It doesn't hurt or itch at all!

Kal'tsit knew why Ernst was angry, and it was fine to let him bully her; it was better than him going to Priscilla to complain.

Anyway, Amiya is blocked, so she won't lose much face or suffer much loss.

A moment later, Kal'tsit finished tidying her slightly disheveled clothes and hair, sniffed, and straightened her expression again:

"Then, please come with me."

After Kal'tsit finished speaking, she turned around, ruffled the hair of the somewhat bewildered Amiya, gave her a determined smile, and said softly:

"Amiya, go back to the control center and wait for me. I'll be there in a bit."

"Doctor Kelsey?"

"I'm fine, Amiya, I'll be back soon."

Amiya pursed her lips:

“That’s not what I meant, Dr. Kal’tsit. They’re the ones who entered [The Survival of Civilization]. Why are you in trouble?”

"What I meant was, please do thorough checkups for everyone. Don't worry about me!"

Kal'tsit's smile froze for a moment.

She straightened up, nodded slightly, and turned to walk towards the medical department.

"Kelsey?"

Ernst followed behind, looking at her profile, and said...

"Defense broken?"

"No, how could that be, Lord Ernst? I don't believe I'm out of control in any way. I've always been quite confident in my emotional self-control, a skill honed over tens of thousands of years. How could it be affected by such a trivial matter? Haha, you're really overthinking it. I'm perfectly fine now. Let's head to the medical department first. Your physical condition urgently needs a comprehensive check-up; it can't be delayed. Really, there's no need to worry about me; I'm perfectly healthy."

Ernst grunted.

Denial, weak explanations, lengthy repetitions, changing the subject, and further denial.

Hmm, she landed a full combo, she really broke through Kal'tsit's defense?

"I met Precyth in the Singularity."

Ernst suddenly said.

Kal'tsit immediately let out a scream:

"what!?"

Ernst smiled and waved his hand: