People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Kelsey gritted her teeth.

Discrimination! This is more than just discrimination; it's outright discrimination!

She quickened her movements as she scooped water.

Meanwhile, in the city of Miliaruum.

The Mon3Tr shuttle that Ernst was traveling in had slowly landed. The Originium Beast let out a joyful roar, put Ernst down, and then gently rubbed against Ernst's arm.

It seems that this journey was also a magical experience for it. It did not feel the water pressure, undercurrents and other obstacles that Kal'tsit had warned it about. Instead, those sea creatures became the driving force for its stealth.

If there's anything that makes it uncomfortable, it's probably the ever-present gaze from all around.

The eyes of the swarm are everywhere, and the will of the swarm has permeated every corner of the city. Through the sensory system of each sea creature, the swarm deeply perceives everything around it.

Including this moment.

Ernst looked around at the buildings.

This is a building that resembles the ancient Roman Colosseum. The difference is that its magnificent columns are now covered with colorful corals, and its white walls are covered with deep blue sapphires. The seats that belong to the audience are no longer occupied by Agor people, but by countless sea creatures of various shapes and sizes.

No, perhaps they are also Agorians.

Ernst could see the remaining fragments of clothing on some of the Hai Si's bodies, as well as the weapons and equipment scattered around the field, which had been corroded by the tiny, microscopic Hai Si.

A fierce battle once took place here.

Not just here.

If the ruins clinging to the sea and the traces of the sea in the entire Miliarum were not some unique aesthetic arrangement of the Agorians, then their existence would inevitably proclaim a terrible fact.

Miliarum has fallen.

Although Ernst had a premonition when he entered the city of Miriam through the passage formed by the Sea Heirs, he still felt a sinking feeling when he actually witnessed the devastation inside the city.

If Miriam has already completely fallen, how can he contact the Agors? He can't very well go and search for that unknown territory himself, can he?

If the uncontrolled eruption of the Deep Blue Tree cannot be stopped, then the entire [Ark Project] will lack its most important foundation. Moreover, given the aggressiveness that Hai Si is currently displaying, they could very well rush onto land and recreate everything that happened in Miriam on the mainland.

That was something Ernst absolutely did not want to see.

If that's the case, he would rather accept [Originium].

With a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind, Ernst, who had been biting his lip tightly without realizing it, suddenly heard Mon3tr's alert roar beside him.

He frowned and looked in the direction of Mon3tr's roar, where the entrance to this "arena" was located. A strange figure was walking towards him in an almost floating and horizontal motion.

Ernst's gaze fell upon its brain.

Ernst could only describe its form in this way.

It no longer has any human form; it is like a ghost shrouded in a tattered cloak, or a teru teru bozu (a Japanese doll with a rainbow-colored gem on its head).

As it moved, the nucleus within its skull vibrated, as if a tangible manifestation of "thought." Its eyes—if those three spheres flashing with Ultraman-like fluorescence could truly be called eyes—also looked in Ernst's direction. Its speed suddenly increased slightly, as if it were eagerly rushing towards Ernst.

Mon3tr let out a threatening roar and stood in front of Enchist, a black energy ball shimmering with a twisted red light already forming in his mouth.

It stopped not far in front of Ernst.

Then, under Ernst's astonished gaze, it slowly bent down and bowed to Ernst in a posture that was almost folded in half.

"Welcome to the arena of wits."

“I am [Hai Si]. If you need my name, you can call me [Maritus].

“I have come at His command to welcome your return. The great flock welcomes you.”

From somewhere within his vocal organs, words that had been carefully uttered and prepared for a long time, were spoken slowly in the most solemn tone:

"father."

"Let us become one."

Chapter 1087 is truly full of filial piety and righteousness!

"Two hundred years ago, a fool entered his temple."

The ancient civilizations hollowed out the entire rock layer and built a labyrinthine complex, leaving traces of their alteration that reached the lower mantle. The excavations in Agor over the past thousands of years have only reached its periphery.

Two hundred years ago, Agorian scientist Maritus led his expedition team to once again reach the lowest layer of the mantle remnants, marking the first time the Agorians had reached that area.

They were overjoyed. The mantle ruins were the origin of the Agorian civilization, and they believed that its depths must hold more heritage, more secrets, and more answers.

But they were disappointed.

All that they hoped for did not exist; buried deep underground was only a tiny hope.

[Authorization successful. Welcome back, Luo Lu Isamara. Deep Blue Labs welcomes you.]

I haven't seen Mr. Lu today either. Is he very busy?

The colossal creature murmured softly, and the translation system accurately translated the beast's voice into the language commonly used by ancient civilizations, echoing throughout the spacious yet desolate laboratory.

The slender woman took off her helmet, revealing her neat, shoulder-length short hair, which was loose and messy due to lack of styling.

Upon hearing the giant beast's question, she pursed her lips, and a trickle of blood seeped out, whether from her lips being too dry or from unintentionally using too much force.

But when she turned her head and looked at the giant beast through the huge observation window, she only had a slightly helpless smile on her face.

"Phew—there's nothing I can do about it."

She exhaled, reached out, and touched the enormous object in front of her through the observation window.

His tentacles were attached to the transparent, sealed walls of the chamber. Even such a small piece of tentacles was enough to occupy a person's entire field of vision, but He was delighted by the touch of the tiny human in front of Him, so much so that His gently wriggling body moved even closer.

The woman gently gathered her loose hair to cover it, and her voice, light yet tinged with a hint of helplessness, rang out:

"He's very busy; he's traveling all over Terra now."

"Even for me, it's not easy to see him now."

The behemoth does not understand human emotions, or rather, the emotions it understands are beyond the scope of human comprehension.

Looking at the smiling woman, He slowly said:

I can take you to see her.

You have high hopes for me, wanting me to be your ark of life; I hope to carry your life and his.

The woman shook her head:

"You are my life."

"But his life, you can't bear it, I can't bear it, and perhaps none of us can bear it."

"Why?" the behemoth asked again.

Both he and she once said that asking questions is an instinct of life that possesses wisdom, and that only through continuous exploration can evolution be achieved.

Therefore, the Deep Blue Tree never stops asking questions.

Women are always happy to answer questions.

This time, however, for some reason, the woman who was always quick to answer questions and never hesitated to speak was unusually silent for a long time.

The smile that represented joy in human facial expressions vanished instantly, replaced by an emotion that the giant beast had never seen and could not comprehend.

Her eyes were lowered, her lips were tightly pressed together, and her bangs covered her bright eyes, leaving only her slightly trembling shoulders and an unknown emotion that was gradually spreading.

Did I ask something wrong?

"No."

The woman exhaled a long breath, her head shaking and her hair swaying, giving her a disheveled and broken appearance. She gave an answer that the behemoth could not comprehend:

“He is different from us.”

Why can't I become like him?

The giant beast asked earnestly, innocently, and sincerely.

But the woman had already turned her head away, and her voice became subdued:

"Because you will never be him."

Many images flashed through her mind.

forever scattered particles and a sea of ​​sand without waves

A cold, sunless wasteland and endless darkness.

Burning, collapsing stars and an infinitely expanding black hole

There was nothing familiar there; it was a completely alien place—without life, without meaning, without information.

This was the scene she had seen countless times before, the view of the star field swept by the [Observer].

His destruction of civilization is endless and multifaceted, employing both invisible and visible methods. The crises represented by those scenes have destroyed everything; they cannot be visualized, and no word in existing language is sufficient to describe them.

If there is anything in this scene that can be described as despair that can be called "hope," it is only "amber."

At their first meeting, she didn't develop a strong personal interest in him. Her feelings for him were like those of a native from her home planet gazing at a star high in their sky—reverence, curiosity, and fantasies, but without any particular emotional attachment.

Because the sun is the sun, for uncivilized civilizations, its existence is another form of "eternity".

She once thought that he would guide the research direction of the uncivilized natives, just as the sun guides them to work at sunrise and rest at sunset, day after day—as a hope, he would never disappear.

Just like the theory proposed by Precys, even in death, he is simply existing in a different form.

But when should we begin?

Perhaps it was when he saw him conversing with the prophet like an ordinary person.

Perhaps it was when we saw him display a wealth of humanity rather than divinity in his debate with Friston.

Perhaps it was seeing someone like Priscilla, who always seemed pessimistic, genuinely smile during their conversation.

In short, she doesn't know when it started, but she stopped simply regarding him as her future "research direction" or merely as a "hope".

He was also a living, breathing human being; hope was his defining characteristic, but not his entirety.

If a cruel creator, in the guise of a god, shaped beings like the "Observer" and used Him to destroy human civilization.

His nemesis must be someone like him who creates "hope".

So when Ed questioned Precys's theory of "amber" and, because of his hatred for the "Observer," he became hostile and accused him, she stood up and stopped Ed.

That was their first formal exchange.

He developed a strong interest in her project.

She also asked him why he was so fond of the [Deep Blue Tree].

He replied, "Because beyond those complex programming and calculations, pig farming, cough cough, animal husbandry is more in line with my DNA."

Farming and animal husbandry have always been ingrained in the DNA of the Chinese people!

At the time, she was quite surprised by this statement and even suggested studying his DNA. She was then criticized for being a pervert for a girl to say such things. However, considering that you are very good at modeling, have a good personality, and are good friends, I can give you a chance. If you work hard, you might be able to get me!

After she understood what that meant, she laughed for quite a while.

The gloom that seemed to hang over everyone's heads because of the impending doom appeared to have dissipated considerably.

From that moment on, she knew that no one could truly replace him.

True hope is not a distant concept; it is all around us, releasing hope every moment, making them feel as if they are not in a cold apocalypse.

however

As Wu recalled everything she had experienced at the observatory, the woman let out a long sigh.

She couldn't blame anyone.

Lu was a part of human civilization, and she knew very well that everything about the "treasure" was for them. She had no right to criticize his sacrifice; after all, he had the right to decide his own life, just as Precys had said in his last words—

As you all said, I don't need to live for anyone, but I can choose to die for anyone. Please, I'm sorry for causing you trouble during this time.

She also lacked the capacity to criticize Precyth.

If the progress of the Deep Blue Tree could have been faster, if the Ark of Life could have been built sooner, and if she had worked harder, Precys wouldn't have had to make that difficult decision.

She knew very well that Precyth and the prophet, like herself, had an intimate relationship with the "treasure."

If she were to accuse him of this, it would be far too cruel for Precys.

She can understand, but finds it hard to accept.

So in the end, she could only blame herself.