Great, we're doomed now!

The pursuit of longer lifespans and greater intelligence... it's ironic that only two or three decades have passed since the large-scale outbreak of genetic diseases, and most of those affected are still alive, yet they're already loosening regulations.

"Ok?"

Hearing this, Agnucca's gaze fell on her grandson, her eyes, weathered by decades of hardship, showing a hint of weariness, and she smiled relaxedly: "Do you find it ironic? I think it's quite normal."

"Grandpa?"

"Similar things have happened repeatedly in human history, so there's nothing strange about it. You need to learn to look at it calmly."

After the first large-scale outbreak of genetic diseases, we took the lead in formulating strict laws and regulations in various countries... It is normal for a small number of people to have opinions on this.

After all, this is a gold mine from which countless benefits can be extracted. People's pain and disgust can suppress it for a while, but it is impossible to suppress it forever.

For now, you don't need to worry. The mainstream voice in society still stands on the side of 'strict control,' and those people are just testing the waters.

Agnucca hesitated for a moment, then curled her lip.

If he were ten years younger, he would definitely have personally taken action to clean up some of the insects. Even if he couldn't completely resolve the conflict, he could have eased a lot of tension.

But he clearly can't do it now, so he can only place his hopes on future generations.

"By the way, what are the reactions from various countries regarding the 'warship quota (maximum number of warships that can be built)'?"

"On the surface, they naturally comply, but in secret... many forces are quietly encouraging the movement against the Tower of Babel."

Whoever masters more advanced genetic technology or retains the largest arsenal will gain the upper hand in future colonial competition!

However, the purpose of the Tower of Babel is to put the brakes on humans who are prone to getting carried away, so it often plays the role of "disappointment".

Although they are indeed acting for the future of humanity, this also makes their image...not so likable.

"However, at present, it is still under control, and no reports of emergency intervention have been received from the 'inner ring'."

"How's it going on Titan?" Agnukka changed the subject, seemingly trying to escape the tedious conversation.

"The Titan outpost has been operating stably for three years, and the ecosystem simulation and feasibility study of the colonization environment have been very successful."

The first batch of permanent volunteers have adapted to the low gravity there, and the proposal for the second phase of the colonization project has been submitted to the 'Tower of Babel' for review.

"If we cultivate it diligently over a period of fifty years, it might become a second Mars." The middle-aged man's tone carried a hint of anticipation for the future, but then he became cautious.

"However, Grandfather, recently a new trend has emerged among the people, originating from the already widespread 'Alaya-vijnana' system. Some radical groups are advocating the replacement of the 'fragile' flesh and blood body with machines, believing that this is the next step in human evolution."

Do we need to intervene early and guide public opinion?

Agunica didn't answer immediately. He leaned back slowly, his wheelchair creaking slightly. His gaze returned to the window, but his focus seemed to have moved beyond the Sydney Harbour night view, towards a more distant past.

The middle-aged man looked at his grandfather's wrinkled profile, which was etched with the marks of time and carried a weight that ordinary people could not imagine.

He asked softly, "Grandpa, are you tired?"

Agnica seemed not to hear his grandson's question, muttering to himself as if speaking to his grandson, or perhaps talking to himself: "It hasn't even been eighty years yet... It's a pity I don't have another eighty years."

He lowered his head, raised his hand, and a glimmer of gold, still shining brightly, appeared in his cloudy pupils. Agnica sighed. It was a long, heavy sigh, filled with endless感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deep feelings).

The Holy Grail Mark is proof of being chosen by that great being. It is both a blessing that can save lives and a token that strengthens the bond between people. The establishment of the "Inner Ring" owes much to its contribution.

Only the original Gundam pilots possess this mark, because the mark can be transferred one-to-one to people with blood ties. Therefore, the "Inner Ring" has always selected people from the original pilots and their families.

...But after two or three generations, the heirs will not treat the mark with the same reverence as their fathers.

They simply regard the mark as "ancestral property," and while they cherish it, it's mostly because it can save their lives in critical moments.

Only seventy or eighty years have passed, and most of the marks have only been passed down for a few generations, but one-fifth of the original families have already lost their marks.

Many cowardly heirs used it as a means to prolong their lives, and it was eventually consumed.

Like the one Agnica possesses, once used, it grants him vitality comparable to that of a young person for a short period... This is indeed a great temptation for a "non-first generation" inheritor.

Agunica worries that in about a hundred years, the "inner ring" might not even be able to gather twelve people for a meeting.

Unfortunately, although he has lived a very long life, he is still just a mortal unless he relies on genetic modification and prosthetics.

"Are you thinking of Lord Kuze?" the middle-aged man asked tentatively.

He knew that his grandfather often came here, and the only person who could make his grandfather show such an expression was the legendary legion leader.

Águnica nodded slightly, her gaze unfathomable: "I was just thinking... how should I greet you if we have the chance to meet again?"

"..." The grandson was stunned.

hahaha~

Agnica suddenly couldn't help but laugh.

Do you think I'm having a final burst of energy before death?

It's still early, I have a lot of work to do... This world will inevitably move forward, and even if I can't accompany it, at least I can watch it go.

Humans are not perfect, nor are the civilizations they create. This world is full of injustice and selfishness, and time will equally destroy everything.

Agunica understands this deeply. In his youth, he may have fantasized about utopia, but now he can observe the world with a more long-term and realistic perspective.

That great being deeply loved and trusted humanity, leaving the power of choice to them.

Therefore, although Agnukka knew that everything, including the Tower of Babel, would change, he was not anxious at all.

Because he believed that hope would always remain!

"I'm really... looking forward to tomorrow!"

He looked up and saw Bayeli's face.

"We can explore a wider universe and reach a more distant future—"

Right, sir?

...A year later, Agunika Kayel died at the age of 127.

As a key "pioneer" in the post-war era, he lived in a time of technological explosion, but he did not undergo the genetic surgery that would have granted him longevity, thus setting an example that suppressed research progress in this field.

His descendants, who inherited his Holy Grail symbol, locked his "diary" in a safe with a coded lock, preserving it as their most precious legacy.

And so, the story of that Gundam pilot came to an end.

-

【Ding! 】

【Stairway to Heaven: Unveiling the Secrets】

~Second foundation laying completed · A trustworthy friend

·

The phrases "the more the better," "strict discipline," and "strategic planning" have been forgotten.

The new entry 【God's Military Strategy】 has been recorded;

·

"Modification Expert & Machine Soul Joy & Thinking It Through" has been forgotten;

The new entry 【神机出阵】 has been recorded;

·

"The incompetent boss & the man who needs a mask" has been forgotten.

The new entry for "Offering my loyalty to you" has been recorded.

Chapter 195: Rest in peace, my friend (5K)

"At 3:20 PM, this is the Martian city of Noah's Ark."

At the young age of 16, Gudilla Lana Bernstein was elected as a 'peace ambassador' and formally proposed at the Solar System Union Conference to include Titan (Saturn's moon) in the 'Pilgrimage of Calamity' journey.

The "Pilgrimage to Calamity" is a tradition that has lasted for three hundred years and has been held more than sixty times. Its pilgrimage route has never changed, but our young peace ambassador bravely proposed...

—A 3D projection suspended in mid-air broadcasts major news that could cause an earthquake in the world political arena.

But this failed to stop passersby; all sorts of people flowed through the intersection like a river.

It was "driving over" rather than "walking".

The ground resembles a giant treadmill, divided into several tracks with varying speeds and fixed points. People automatically attach themselves to these points and move forward along the tracks. They typically activate small, portable devices or connect to the internet via their brains to enter a virtual entertainment world.

With the help of AI reminders, they only need to pay attention to changing buses at intersections.

If you observe people from the outside and try to categorize and analyze them, you are destined to only get a "chaotic" conclusion.

It's hard to find a unified collective characteristic among them. Everywhere you look, you can see androgynous beauties as handsome as elves, as well as sci-fi-style police officers wearing fully enclosed helmets with not an inch of skin exposed.

Some had clearly undergone prosthetic modifications, while others showed no abnormalities whatsoever, appearing no different from ordinary students in the 21st century.

Some of the "pets" taken out for walks have such peculiar appearances that they don't seem like species that could have evolved naturally.

In comparison, the sci-fi-style buildings and the supersonic trains traveling in the sky seem rather ordinary.

One man and two women left the "road." Their clothing was undoubtedly somewhat retro for this era, but they were not conspicuous in the crowd. Even though they all wore mechanical masks that covered half of their faces, no one paid any attention to them.

They sat on a roadside bench, made a simple operation, and a virtual light barrier rose up around them, turning them into a temporary enclosed space. Then they looked at each other, each with a different expression.

These three are naturally Ye Shou, Liu Li, and Lucy.

"The changes are significant, but considering the time span of three hundred years, it doesn't seem too exaggerated."

Lucy gently touched the back of her neck, the faint iridescent light in her eyes faded, and her previously indifferent expression suddenly became lively.

"I tried connecting, and the underlying network protocol is still compatible, although the transmission speed is a bit slow... The situation I investigated is rather complicated. Would you be interested in hearing about it?"

"Let me guess," Liuli said casually, "have humans started another civil war?"

She also participated in the construction of human political systems, but she did not regard it as a lifelong career, but merely as a tool to achieve her goals. Therefore, no matter how it eventually developed, Liuli was able to maintain a relatively calm mindset.

It's like taking a history class in school, only in a future version.

Ye Shou, on the other hand, listened attentively—

"No, the world is surprisingly peaceful right now, Ruri-chan~"

Lucy shook her head and put on a sly smile: "In the post-Curse Era, the overall peace of human civilization has lasted for about three centuries. Although various events and even armed conflicts have broken out during this period, the intensity has been controlled in the end, and the major powers have not gone to war."

Then, as you can see, three hundred years have passed, the wounds of the Calamity War have long been healed, technology has further developed, and the things we are familiar with have changed a lot, especially 'humanity' itself.

After more than ten generations of genetic adjustments, humanity is now an interstellar race capable of adapting to long-term space life.

"Prosthetic modification" and "genetic modification" are choices that everyone has to face, but they are not mutually exclusive. Most people choose a middle ground that is compatible with each other.