Beneath the Antarctic glaciers, within the colossal Great Spike vessel confirmed to have crashed perhaps several centuries ago, lay another world.
The tranquil state here had, to some degree, accomplished what the Self-Preservation Faction's Earth's Core organization had always sought to achieve. Of course, a question mark still hung over how long this little world could ultimately endure.
And Ne himself had certainly not built all this merely to escape the catastrophe of doomsday.
At the entrance of the small church built of blue glass, Liu Shiheng stood in a daze. He watched a stack of papers on the desk being turned and read slowly, yet no one stood before the desk.
Flowerpots on the flower stand floated up on their own, coming to rest at different positions as if mapped across a globe, then began revolving slowly as a unified whole.
"Currently, twenty-seven cities in all are under threat of concentrated assault, including two you might care about: Shenghai and Yuzhou in Huaxia."
The voice echoed leisurely through the air as Ne informed Young Master Shiheng of what was happening outside.
"Great Spikes are gathering in the skies above these cities, though they haven't launched a large-scale offensive just yet... You can imagine: when that Daie, in its very first battle upon landing, ran into Bochen and Christine simultaneously, plus a super kid and a squadron of source energy aircraft, it could hardly avoid misunderstanding and fearing human military might.
"Other places have actually become safer for the moment... except for those twenty-seven cities and their surrounding areas. The Great Spikes are casting out cannon fodder to probe and hunt for beings capable of posing a genuine threat to them... Once found, eliminate him, continuously dispatching reinforcements until they judge that he cannot be eliminated."
This meant that Azure's resistance everywhere would endure immense, unrelenting pressure until they were all dead, or until the Great Spikes determined they could not bear such losses within a given timeframe and willingly backed off... With worry in his eyes, Liu Shiheng said, "You should tell Azure this, Uncle Ne. Tell them quickly."
"No need. Azure will find the logic and patterns on their own. Perhaps they already have by now. I don't understand why you people always look down on Azure. As the most powerful organization in this world, how could it be made up of nothing but politicians and useless gluttons?" Ne said with a chuckle.
From Ne's tone, Azure would soon come up with countermeasures... That set Liu Shiheng's mind slightly at ease.
"Then, what if there's no human resistance where ordinary Great Spikes land? What will they do?" he suddenly wondered.
Ne: "Just as you saw during your time as an Azure soldier, they will attack everything—killing humans, pigs, dogs, tigers..."
"So countless people will die?"
"Of course. Once the probing ends and the Great Spikes determine they can complete their conquest, or once even more powerful entities arrive, the large-scale assault will officially begin. Naturally, far more people will die then—perhaps seventy, eighty, ninety percent of all humanity?" Ne paused there, hesitating briefly before asking, "Did I say it too lightly? Why do you seem so sorrowful?"
Liu Shiheng jerked his head up, only then realizing that his heart was aching and he was trembling slightly.
"Must things inevitably come to this?" Liu Shiheng asked.
"To my mind, of course. Inevitably," Ne answered candidly.
"So in your eyes, even this isn't enough? You said you wanted the Great Spikes to arrive en masse. Now they're here, and you're still unwilling to stand on humanity's side?"
"Unwilling, because it's still too early. I need them to push further, to reach a far more thorough stage. Only then can those seeds of newfound hope truly break through the soil, ultimately forging another Yanxiu era, or even a super human era."
Liu Shiheng: "..."
"What, Young Master Shiheng? Do you actually care for the majority in this world?" Ne suddenly asked.
"No, I don't. In fact, I've always looked down on them and found them annoying. What I mean is, I'm pretty sure I ought to dislike most people in this world," Liu Shiheng said, following his heart.
"Then why are you like this? I mean that sorrow you felt just now," Ne pressed.
"...I don't know either," Liu Shiheng said numbly.
"All right, let me try to comfort you a little." Ne's voice was gentle. Pondering for a moment, he said, "Does Young Master Shiheng know how many people would die in a single plague in human history, such as the Black Death?"
Liu Shiheng shook his head.
"There are records of more than half a population perishing, records of entire cities being wiped out—adding up to an immense number," Ne said. "Then how many die during a widespread natural disaster or climate shift in history? No, let me speak of those celebrated great uprisings and conquests, or the many dynastic transitions in Huaxia's history extolled by the annals—do you know how many deaths each of those entailed?"
"...No. I was never much for studying," Liu Shiheng shook his head.
"Well, let me tell you: fifty percent, sixty percent, seventy, eighty... ninety percent." Ne's voice gradually rose. "Human history has never permitted the so-called majority to say no. The dawn of every historical epoch has always been the choice of the strong and of nature.
"Up to this point, the march of human history has always been dripping with blood." Before Liu Shiheng could speak, Ne continued, "So this time is merely one more among them.
"This time, the price may well be total extinction, but at the same time, the future it brings will surpass anything prior historical courses could ever reach. Once humanity succeeds, we will thoroughly step into a brand-new era—of space, time... or to put it simply: life, technology, living, and the greatness of humanity itself. All of it will transform at a pace beyond your imagination."
Liu Shiheng: "To become like the Great Spike civilization?"
"No! Behind the Great Spikes' strength lies nothing more than a martial source energy civilization nearing its end." Ne's voice and demeanor were slipping out of control—the first time he had ever lost his composure like this in front of Liu Shiheng... Liu Shiheng could not see him, but he could imagine Ne lifting his gaze toward the vaulted ceiling, declaring, "Humanity's future will surely surpass them, for we still possess our very own civilization worthy of pride."
He finished speaking.
The fervor lingering in the air gradually settled. Ne looked toward Liu Shiheng... Liu Shiheng could not see him, but knew Ne was watching him. Clicking his tongue, he frowned and said:
"What grand, brilliant reasoning! My head can barely wrap around it, let alone argue with you. Maybe you're right? But I was thinking—since the consequences and the future are different this time, could this world, for once, let those who only understand simple truths—or who understand them yet refuse to hear reason—decide the course of history and the final outcome?"
Chapter 606