People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

There was no other way, so Ernst had to compromise for the time being.

Thus, Dulin No. 259—the Youth Edition—was born!

Safar found it difficult to describe his feelings.

To be honest, he was extremely unwilling to enter the body of such a miniature robot, manipulate such a child's toy, and appear before the gods and descendants of the First Men of Terra.

But he had no choice; he was powerless to resist!

He was just a fragment, without hands or feet, unable even to bite his tongue to commit suicide. He could only watch helplessly as Ernst and the others put him into the little robot, watching his own flames and consciousness uncontrollably fill the robot, watching him become his own body.

At this moment, he buried his head in his knees, feeling the gaze of the entire world upon him. The once-powerful Flame Demon had finally entered a state of self-isolation!

A lifetime of reputation, ruined in an instant!

Perhaps sensing Safar's embarrassment, Horhaya offered an explanation on his behalf:

"Due to Project Star-Picking, Mr. Safar's original body has experienced some abnormalities. He can only use this spare body to meet you all. Please forgive him."

After saying that, she lowered her head and comforted him.

“It’s alright, Mr. Safar, small ones are cute too.”

"Feathered Serpent, you!" Safar couldn't help but raise his head and growl angrily.

Unfortunately, when Milo was making the youth version, her primary goal was to create a souvenir, so she only made a smiley face.

Laughing and cursing.jpg

"You are truly knowledgeable; you recognized my race at a glance!" Horhaya said with a beaming smile.

"I'm not praising you!"

"Understood." Holhaya nodded. To be fair, Safar was indeed not at all intimidating in this state.

She's actually kind of cute.

Holhaya raised her head and coughed lightly, drawing the attention of the reporters below the stage back to her. They belatedly raised their cameras and started taking pictures.

Although it may seem a bit strange, this will be tomorrow's front page headlines!

Meanwhile, in the audience, besides the reporters snapping photos, some people frowned.

King Ivangelist XI, who had come to the scene in person, took a deep breath as he watched the small robot on the platform, which had begun to breathe fire from the can.

Only now could he be completely certain that Ernst had not lied.

This feeling can't be wrong.

Although it looks a bit comical, it must be a fire demon!

It's hard to imagine how he and the Colombians managed to do it, but at the very least, he probably does know Sakota's deepest secrets.

The feeling of having a sword hanging over one's head was unpleasant, and King Ivangelist XI wanted to emulate his ancestors and eliminate the threat altogether. But his opponent was no ignorant or fearless archaeologist. A prime minister of a nation was not so easily dealt with.

Besides, even if Ernst is dealt with, the Balrog is still there. Since he can revive once, who knows if he can revive more times?

The approach of dealing with the person who raised the problem is, unusually, completely unworkable.

Then we can only trust Ernst for now. At least they are cooperating now, and the Balrog is in his hands, so there's no need to worry about him exposing the secret for the time being.

I never imagined that one day he would talk about "trust" on the land of Terra. It's a truly strange feeling.

King Ivangelista XI sighed.

Life is like being raped; since you can't resist it, you can only enjoy it.

Let him just finish his term honestly. As long as he doesn't cause any major problems during his lifetime, everything will be fine.

Meanwhile, the Duke of Windermere, the Duke of Caesar, and several representatives from Letania and Casimir picked up on another layer of information revealed in Horhaia's words.

"Changing bodies?"

Was a body switched to another one because one of the bodies developed a problem?

Is this some new technology? What are its applicable scope? Can it be reproduced?

No, perhaps I should ask more directly.

Can an aging body be replaced?

Or, is it possible to achieve immortality through this method?

Chapter 347 Click to register for the World Summit and receive a gift worth millions.

There is a very interesting fable in Terra's history book.

It is said that there was once an ancient Sargon emperor who, after ascending the throne, had his ministers ask him:

What is our purpose in life?

The emperor replied, "To find a way to live longer."

The minister explained:

"You've misunderstood me, buddy. I'm talking about our ultimate goal in this life. After all, we're rich and powerful now, with immense influence. Shouldn't we use that to do something that makes our lives more meaningful, something that makes our existence worthwhile? In other words, what are we living for?"

The emperor replied again, "In order to find a way to last longer."

This fable is included in the "Terra Fables Collection." Whether such an emperor, Sargon (Shah), actually existed in history is unknown, but it does reveal a phenomenon that was very common in Terra.

When a person gains power and wealth, the first thing they think about is not what they can do with that power, or what changes they can bring to the country, the people, or the land, but how to hold onto it forever and ensure that it is not taken away by others.

No matter how much mortal lords claim to possess a divine mandate, death is ultimately an insurmountable obstacle for them. Whether they are the people of the gods or the first men, the Sarkaz or the Sarkaz, the only difference between them is the length of their lifespan; death treats them all equally.

Fame and fortune are nothing but a pile of weeds on a desolate grave. If you don't relinquish power, power will leave you.

Therefore, whether pursuing fame or fortune, power or lust, every path, when it comes to its end, will lead them to the same destination—the pursuit of immortality.

Many people would ridicule that pursuing immortality is a rather narrow-minded goal.

Is living really that good? Even if it means being as lowly as an insect, unable to even obtain a complete body, and only becoming Mordekaiser the Tin Man? Compared to those who sacrifice themselves to save the world, those who forge their own path when there is no way forward, what great significance does a mere "immortality" hold?

But they would say that living itself is meaning. Lifespan itself is a weapon.

If I can't beat you, I'll outlive you. As long as I live long enough, I'll eventually reach an era without you and establish my own great achievements.

This was destined to be incredibly compelling intelligence, perhaps even more intriguing to those present than the sky. Ernst's choice to subtly drop this bombshell at this moment was naturally based on his own considerations.

"Kal'tsit provided some data on Terra's outer space, including partially accurate star charts, images of the sky outside the isolation layer, and some undisturbed upper atmospheric data."

"But frankly, this information isn't that appealing."

Holhaia recalled Ernst's instructions and used magnetic stickers to attach one photo after another to the blackboard that Hinterlea pushed over from behind her.

This is all "first-hand information" that the [Star-Picking Project] finally obtained after countless twists and turns. Kal'tsit can guarantee that if the information she provided can be carefully studied, the Terrans' concept of the sky will be improved to a higher level.

This was the "safety net" she gave after careful consideration.

Exploration doesn't always yield gratifying results, but with Kal'tsit as a "safety net" character, the Terrans are never afraid that their repeated assaults on the skies will lack rewards.

However, just as Ernst had said, as Holhaya's gaze swept across the hall, cameras were indeed clicking away, and reporters were racking their brains to come up with press releases about this "first extraterrestrial exploration of Terra," which was more significant than practical. But outside of them, the attitudes of the national representatives were rather ambiguous.

Duke Windermere pondered for a moment; it was clear she had little interest in exploring extraterrestrial life. She only attended the press conference out of courtesy to Ernst, and also to prevent any potential rudeness.

Her gaze swept across the incomprehensible data. Compared to these "things scientists care about," she was more concerned with the practical application of airship technology and the "body replacement" that Horhaiya had just mentioned.

It would be a lie to say she didn't want immortality. But judging from the condition of the little man in the jar, such immortality probably comes at a price.

She was more concerned about what the cost would be.

In contrast to her was the Duke of Caesar.

Although smoking was prohibited in the venue, the Duke of Kester still brought in an old pipe, which Holhaya guessed he probably used to grind his teeth.

She didn't even glance at the data reports that Horhaiya had posted on the blackboard. Ever since the speculation about [rebirth] came out, she had been observing the reactions of those around her.

To Holhaia's surprise, she didn't seem particularly enthusiastic about the rebirth technology. Of course, it could also be due to her personality; she wouldn't dare to risk herself on such a technology without prior human trials.

Judging from her sinister gaze, she was probably already preparing to select her prey, urging them to become the "experimental subjects" or "scapegoats."

The team from Letania was most interested in the secret technique of [Rebirth].

The two Caprillis from the delegation had already begun a private discussion, ignoring Horhyah, who was still giving her presentation on stage. Horhyah was too far away to hear them clearly, nor did she intend to.

In any case, these people are all like Ding Zhen at first glance—discussing strange matters without a single thought.

She couldn't help but feel a little discouraged.

It's truly remarkable that a project with profound historical significance ended up being most famous and attracting the most attention due to its byproducts.

You guys are all so realistic! What about the stars and the sea in your dreams?

Horhaia prided herself on having quite a few ideals and ambitions. She hoped to restore the power of the Feathered Serpent people, a great revival for the race. She yearned to soar through the skies, stirring up storms—a spirit of freedom and unconventionality. While she didn't intend to break through the isolation barrier, she could somewhat understand this obsession.

Unfortunately, it's clear that most people on this land have been bound by gravity for far too long. So much so that everything they have—their conscience, ambition, and thirst for exploration—has sunk to the ground along with them. They're usually not dug out, and if they are, they're already moldy and blackened.

But forget it.

Holhaya shook her head slightly. Everyone in Terra is a philosopher, and occasionally making some sighs is a kind of pastime, but pastime is enough. As a living person, she also has to live in reality with her feet on the ground.

There are still things to do, so I can't rest yet.

She coughed lightly, cleared her throat, and drew the attention of everyone—those deep in thought, discussing, writing, and preparing to start their persuasive speeches—to her:

"Ladies and gentlemen, this 'Star-Picking Project' marks the first time humanity on Terra has launched an exploration of the world beyond the isolation layer. My Prime Minister Ernst once remarked on the significance of this operation—"

He said, "The moment you step out of the isolation zone is just one small step for Safar, but one giant leap for mankind."

"The credit for this breakthrough, from nothing to something, from zero to one, belongs to Kjerag, to Rhine Lab, and to everyone who has contributed to the Dome Research Station. We express our sincere gratitude to them. Your names will be engraved on the Tower of Babel for future explorers to admire."

"For the next hundred or thousand years, if any person comes to this world and takes the dome as their path to touch the heavens, they will have to tread the path you have built for them and be grateful for the work you have done for this cause. Thank you."

Holhaya stepped off the stage and bowed deeply to the audience.

She wasn't bowing to the dukes and delegates, but to everyone who would see this footage on camera and was committed to this cause.

Spaceflight is a cause for the entire nation; it concerns everyone. If it relies solely on the support of a few high-ranking officials and dignitaries, it is nothing more than a rather luxurious form of tourism.

Ernst hoped to distribute a sense of honor in this way, so that Terra would share in the glory and consciously participate in and maintain this cause and its achievements.

Straightening up again, Horhaya returned to the podium, then changed the subject, her expression turning serious:

"But we must also remember that not every exploration will yield fruitful results. Beyond the isolation layer lies an unknown world. Respect for the unknown is a virtue for the survival of civilization."

"Therefore, based on the most basic confidentiality and security needs, Sherag will not disclose the specific procedures and processes of the Star-Picking Project to the public. The file will be made available to approved countries and research institutions."

Review?

This is undoubtedly a sensitive word that easily pricks people's nerves. Especially for those high-ranking officials, censorship is a term they haven't heard in a long time.

Noticing the questioning looks from everyone, Horhaya knew that the time was almost right.

She took a slight step back, turned to the side, took out the remote control from her pocket, and aimed it at the projector and screen that were gradually descending in the conference room.

Thanks to Nastya, she spent every penny wisely; the technological sophistication of Sherag's press conference venue was incredible.

As the curtain descended, Horhaya pressed the remote control.

The projector was officially turned on, and the light passed over everyone's heads, projecting the content onto the large screen.

That's a logo.

The clustered olive branches set off an open circle, which carries the known plates of Terra. At the center of the figure are three arms that are connected end to end, firmly grasping each other's arms.

The olive branch symbolizes peace, and the Terra plate represents a global and international outlook. The three arms clasped together symbolize cooperation, unlike the two-handed handshake which signifies "transaction." This gesture leans towards "multilateral cooperation" based on mutual assistance and trust.

Peace, cooperation, internationalization.

This is the meaning of the logo.

Needless to say, this is also the logo of the "Summit of Nations" designed by Ernst and Ivangelista XI.

King Ivangelista XI finally stood up and slowly walked to the front of the stage.

As agreed, the next task Ernst assigned him was to take care of.

As a co-initiator of the World Summit, and given that the summit's venue and the location for the initiative were chosen to be in Sherag, Rutland had to do something.

We can't just stand by and do nothing.

To give Laterano a sense of participation, Ernst assigned the task of announcing the upcoming World Summit to Ivangelista XI at this press conference.