Chapter 627

Chapter 627 Extra: The Concept of the Sun

In the year 4256 AD, on Earth.

It had been about fifty years since the great calamity that swept across the Ejeak Sea. Thirty years ago, the remaining humans had moved Earth to the Ivalar star system.

During this journey of escape, battles never ceased, even after arriving at the Ivalar star system, chaos and phantoms still frequently invaded.

To protect against these threats, huge dragons constantly patrolled the outer regions of the Ivalar star system. They eradicated the chaotic phantoms from outer space. The leader of these dragons was the Primordial Sequence 10, the Destruction Dragon, Bahamut.

Another famous dragon was the Primordial Sequence 10, the Creation Dragon, Torch. Unfortunately, this creation dragon died along the way due to exhaustion while transferring Earth.

The remaining humans buried this dragon on Earth, and its remains gradually merged with the mountains and rivers, imbuing the mana or magic in that area with unique spirituality.

“Perhaps we once became too obsessed with the efficiency of machinery and electronics, neglecting many other things,” a golden-haired youth said, standing on a hillside, overlooking the scenery below.

Amidst the verdant wilderness, several households lived peacefully. Their attire and stone tools suggested they were still in a primitive state, much like early settled humans.

“I didn’t expect there to be such uncivilized people,” a girl with long silver hair said, lying on a wooden post and looking down at the distant figures.

“Have you found out their origins, brother?” This beautiful young lady turned around, her long silver hair sliding down her waist.

This young lady was particularly striking, with long silver hair flowing down her back, resembling smooth silk. Her silver-gray eyes were especially bright and captivating, exuding a strange charm.

“These people are likely a branch of our ancestors, or perhaps they are the true heirs,” the golden-haired youth shook his head and slowly explained.

“When the two worlds first interacted, significant changes occurred on Earth, leading to human civil wars and battles with alien beasts. You should know this, Leigu.”

“Of course, I am the Moon. There is almost nothing about history that I don’t know,” the girl said, stepping lightly over uneven ground and leaping towards the golden-haired youth.

Watching the silver hair flutter in the air, the golden-haired youth spread his arms to catch the playful girl, holding her before placing her on the ground.

“Alright, let me continue,” he took her hand, and they walked back together, talking as they went.

“Some people entered hibernation devices and slept on the Antarctic continent. After more than a thousand years, they gradually woke up and began to redevelop the world. Later, they established floating cities in the sky and divided into several factions until our predecessors, the Mechanical Parliament, unified the world.”

“Mm-hm, I know this,” Leigu seemed unable to stay still, running and jumping along the way, occasionally looking at wildflowers by the roadside or chasing butterflies among the grass, responding intermittently to the golden-haired youth.

“But not all humans followed this path,” the golden-haired youth continued walking.

“Many people did not enter safe underground hibernation but remained on the Earth’s surface where beasts roamed and hunger and cold prevailed.”

“Although only a few individuals survived, they ultimately managed to live on. Perhaps they hid in some underground caves or managed to survive the initial harsh times with the help of old technology.”

“Later, even without genetic modification, they gradually adapted to this world filled with mana.”

“Although they lost most of their knowledge and skills during this millennium of hardship, these remnants persisted until the dawn of the Age of Dusk.”

“We call them ‘Adapters,’ distinct from those of us who underwent genetic modification.”

“Oh, that’s quite good too,” Leigu released the butterfly in her palm and turned to walk back with the golden-haired youth.

“It’s indeed fortunate, but also somewhat tragic. After all, we were once the same,” the golden-haired youth said.

“Still, seeing them live such a primitive life is somewhat disheartening,” the golden-haired youth looked up at the sky.

“This is inevitable, or perhaps it stirs memories from the past when I saw the base records,” Leigu said, looking at a white chrysanthemum in her hand, its pale yellow stamens and small white petals spinning in her palm as she rubbed them.

At the end of the Age of Dusk, the Mechanical Parliament led all humans within its factions to abandon their flesh and mechanical bodies, entering the Ejeak Sea and becoming beings akin to spirits or energy. These beings were called Transcenders.

Now, the Ejeak Sea has been polluted, filled with chaos and phantoms, so these remaining humans have detached themselves from the Ejeak Sea, attempting to return to physical form.

Unfortunately, most of these experiments ended in failure. In the end, they simply abandoned the idea and used cryogenically preserved embryos to cultivate new generations. These two young people were born from such infants.

To make humans reborn with flesh and blood more perfect, surviving humans picked up the theories and technologies of the “Tree of Life” faction, studying ways to improve and perfect life.

Though few in number, with advanced equipment and technology from centuries ago, they created a superior race surpassing the earlier humanoid forms.

For personal preference or design, the genes within this race were nearly perfect, with well-proportioned physiques and muscles, and lifespans far exceeding ordinary beings.

They named this new race “Elves,” inspired by fantastical stories.

The two wandered through the mountainous terrain, arriving at the gathering place after a long time. Several young people were already waiting there.

Their appearances suggested they were around 16-19 years old, handsome men and beautiful women, all dressed in white clothes or dresses.

“Leigu and Michael are back; now everyone is here. Let’s go back,” one of the younger girls said, her fingers intertwined, and a thumb-sized pure white snake emerged from her sleeve, winding around her wrist, its tongue flickering slightly, adding a touch of cuteness.

“Xiaowa actually brought her pet out. Won’t Teacher scold her?” a dark-skinned boy reclined on a nearby rock.

“Ugh, can Brother Xing not tell Teacher?” the girl put the snake back in her sleeve, looking at the boy with a weak voice.

“Aah, I’m not that rigid or heartless,” the dark-skinned boy felt awkward, as if he had done something wrong.

“Haha, you only pay attention to Xiaowa,” a tall girl approached, teasing him.

After some playful banter, they boarded a small spacecraft and returned to the large floating city in the sky, where they usually lived.

As members of the Divine Winged Sun, they adhered to the organization’s agreements, rarely interfering with the development of terrestrial life, allowing them to evolve freely. It was hoped that these lives would take different paths from the past.

—

Ten years later, in the hall of the Divine Winged Sun.

Under a finely textured gray giant stone wall, a sun motif was vividly carved, with faint golden light flowing over it.

“Please welcome one of the Seven Virtues, the Sun Crown, Michael,” the host announced. Applause erupted as a man in silver robes walked forward, wearing a white robe with light gold eyes.

“To break the silence and restore peace to the world, my proposal is as follows.” Icons and text appeared on the virtual screen behind him.

“Extraordinary power is not the only choice; countless possibilities exist in this world. Excessive reliance on such power will narrow our perspectives and lead us down a radical path.”

“As everyone knows, dinosaurs once dominated Pangaea, ruling the skies, lands, and seas. They were strong and stable.”

“Yet, they did not stop evolving, exploring various evolutionary paths. Whether herbivores or carnivores, their bodies grew larger, competing fiercely.”

“If you do not grow, you fail in competition.”

“However, this behavior eventually sowed the seeds of destruction, making them overly dependent on abundant food and environments. They perished completely in a single calamity.”

“To summarize:

1. As competition becomes fiercer, individuals must pursue the most efficient solutions. Those who do not will fail and possibly die.

2. Once an optimal solution emerges, all individuals mimic it, intensifying competition. All individuals become similar in form and pattern.

3. When a species’ individuals all follow one form and pattern, their risk resistance decreases. If the environment changes and the pattern becomes unsuitable, the species faces extinction.”

“In the past, due to spatial limitations and learning costs, progress often halted at the second step.”

“This certainly caused failures in competition or prevented reaching the top, but forced individuals to find new paths, ultimately diversifying the species.”

“But the Mechanical Parliament’s goal is maximum efficiency, rapid replication, and uniformity. As disembodied Transcenders, they could easily change forms to replicate the best models.”

“While this made us powerful quickly, covering the galaxy’s fourth arm in just two hundred years, it also laid the groundwork for future disasters.”

“I once imagined humans taking new paths. But hope is slim, given the existence of extraordinary powers and the Ejeak Sea.”

“This is a tempting shortcut, luring all aware beings to repeat our mistakes.”

“Like the most beautiful poison.”

He paused, looking at the audience.

“Actually, dinosaurs did not fully perish. One branch, the Deinonychus, defied the trend of growing larger, adapting to low trees, growing feathers, and catching small animals, becoming the ancestors of birds.”

“However, the earliest and most capable flying group, Enantiornithes, did not survive the disaster. The surviving birds were those that could not fly initially but fished in water and foraged in grasslands.”

“They flew again millions of years later.”

“This is our mission with the Divine Winged Sun: to preserve diverse survival and evolution modes to adapt to an unpredictable world, rather than simply pursuing efficiency and abandoning everything else.”

“So we revived the techniques of the Tree of Life sect, allowing ideas from other factions into our learning curriculum.”

“Under such principles, the Ejeak Sea’s existence stifles diversity.”

“I do not believe extraordinary power is everything. Ultimately, it is a product of another dimension’s descent. Our world may not be inferior.”

“Our current knowledge and abilities fall far short of this world’s limits.”

“Advanced technology and magic are no different, and might even be superior. I believe that without extraordinary power, this galaxy will regain clarity and return to the correct path, a path of flourishing.”

“And we will embrace the blazing sun with our own wings.”

When the young Sun Crown finished speaking, the hall erupted in applause, and the grand plan on the screen emitted a gentle glow, lofty yet restrained.

(End of Chapter)