‘Hmm?’ Long Wu used his sharpened sense to detect things underground, in the distance as well as things in the air and he finally detected something underground. To be precise, it was directly under the destroyed nest which already became the generative Undead Element for the Transcendents in the area.
While they were absorbing the undead element not only to replenish their transcendent energy but also to increase their strength, Long Wu took his time to see if there was something in this place that warranted protection.
It was because he knew that the Elves who should have run away stayed their ground, even to the point of dying. It got him to think that perhaps there was something important to the Glings as well as to the Elves.
All he had discovered was something underground. Long Wu did not have the tools to dig but his transcendent energy was full so he had one way to deal with the situation.
‘Brute force it is!’ Long Wu clenched his hand into a fist as he struck the ground with his body enhanced by the undead element. The soil cracked and a crater was created with the center being the point where Long Wu’s fist connected.
All the Transcendents at the scene looked at Long Wu in surprise. The quake from the fist strike was strong enough to be felt by them despite being distracted absorbing the undead element.
Long Wu’s strike produced a small hole that reached where the item he detected was and he made it so that it would become easier to retrieve whatever it was. He made the hole fit for one person to go down.
Long Wu went down the hole, where he could only feel a nest fragment fall along with him. But when he reached the bottom, he finally saw the item that he had detected.
It was a dodecahedron object, with purple light coating its surface, giving it a dreamy look. Long Wu inspected the object as he spun it around in his hand. He detected a faint life force inside the object, but nothing else was known.
Then he leaped up, landing at the edge of the hole he had created. His hand was still holding the object.
“What are you doing?” Hecates asked. Since there was something that Long Wu wanted to do, he did not interrupt and let Long Wu do whatever he had done.
“This object…is probably the reason why there are quite a large number of Glings and Elves. It is something that they want to protect, so do you think this object is not important?” Long Wu replied.
“Anything they want to protect is definitely important.” Hecates realized the seriousness of the issue.
He added, “To all Transcendents here, look at this object that Long Wu has brought to us!”
Soon, the Transcendents came over after healing and enhancing their strength. They saw the dodecahedron with purple light on it. From their perspective, it looked like the miniature Violet Sun.
“I don’t know the purpose of this object just by sensing it. Anyone?”
“It has a faint life force inside it, though. Perhaps something to do with the nest?”
“It emitted purple light, and the Glings’ blood is purple. Definitely related to the Glings.”
Long Wu felt like the opinions of the Transcendents in the scene slightly helped in figuring out what the object was. But it was still not enough, it was not sufficient.
“Thank you for giving your time analyzing this object. I think we should return to the Rift to further discuss how to proceed forward. What do you think?” Long Wu first responded to everyone who participated before asking Hecates.
“We’ll do as you said. There is nothing we can do here. We will carry out a sweep around the perimeter to check things. Then we will return. Agree?” Hecates nodded before he announced to the group about their course of action.
“We agree!”
-
After destroying three other nests that did not have any Elf Group in them, the Transcendent Group returned to the base that the Cerulean Defense Force barely built.
It was a simple tent for the Lieutenant but he was the current leader available for direct discussion.
Long Wu and Hecates entered the tent where the Lieutenant was arranging for the defense of the perimeter. Seeing that the two Transcendents came at this time directly to him, the Lieutenant realized that there was something on the frontline.
“What is it that causes you to come directly to me?”
Hecates was the one who answered, as he was the leader of the Transcendent Group in this place.
“Well, we found this object underground the nest of the Glings.”
Long Wu grabbed the object from his bag, holding it in a manner that the Lieutenant could see the dodecahedron object with violet light flowing in it.
The Lieutenant’s eyes focused on the object but did not find anything important through observation alone, so he asked, “What is this object supposed to be?”
Long Wu was the one who answered this time since he had something on his mind.
“Something important to the Glings and the Elves. The Elves who were sent to the nest location defended to the death. So it got me thinking that there was something important there and as I expanded my sense, I discovered this object.”
The Lieutenant looked at Long Wu and realized that both of the Transcendents in front of him were important people from the looks of it. Not only that, they were also formidable even among fellow Transcendents.
Long Wu continued, “I hope that someone can study this object to further our understanding of our opponent. Our current intel on them might be enough for the first confrontation but it will not go well without understanding deeply their trump cards.”
At that word, the Lieutenant agreed.
“How about I send the object to the scientists of the Cerulean Defense Force to study?” the Lieutenant proposed.
Long Wu and Hecates frowned as if something was bothering them. But Hecates ultimately said, “At least remind them that this object is likely from the Glings. Exercise caution.”
Then Long Wu tried to give the dodecahedron to the Lieutenant. The Lieutenant received it with both hands and the two transcendents looked carefully at the Lieutenant, as if trying to see what change could happen to him.
The Lieutenant finally realized what the two were worried about. They probably worried about the slim possibility that only the transcendent could wield the object. The vein on his head became visible due to anger but he held it because their concern were not unfounded.
“The object does not react to me. It probably is fine to bring it to our side. Your contribution will not be forgotten nor neglected.” The Lieutenant then placed the object in a small box where the two transcendents could feel that their sense were being obscured by the material.
The Lieutenant then closed the box and the object was stored there, ready to be delivered to the other side of the Rift.
“Come on, it is fine.” The Lieutenant insisted that the object did not harm him but he could not deceive even himself.
“It is better to check your health as soon as possible. Who knows whether the harm comes after a while?” Hecates said.
The Lieutenant sighed before he nodded in agreement. The medical units were brought to his tent to check on the Lieutenant’s health condition.
Long Wu and Hecates, however, left the tent as soon as the medics came in.
“Thanks to your group, the nest could be eliminated so quickly. This territory will be more secure and we can begin our offensive soon.” Long Wu spoke with a hint of thankfulness in his voice.
“More like, it is thanks to you that the threat level can be reduced to a manageable level. I owe you one.” Hecates said while looking at Long Wu right in his eyes. He was smiling while saying that.
Long Wu blinked but then nodded. He had accepted the fact that he had to contribute to the Star Battle so any action he took was for the sake of the human race and the race they were with.
According to his knowledge, the dwarves and the Undead Race were once enemies to the human race in the past Star Battle. Long Wu had seen with his own eyes what kind of races the other two were but he found that the two races were living quite well, even for a defeated race.
He then thought about the human race who treated the two races with indifference but recently became more supportive. He thought that the humans would hate them for killing some of them but he realized that the humans of this generation had started to think in grand things.
The human race had created an assumption that the Star Battle was something that the higher being created for some purpose and they were currently trapped inside. That was why their attitude toward the defeated races was mostly sympathetic, but they had to act a bit indifferently to avoid being seen as a pushover.
Long Wu firmly believed in this train of thought and wanted to find the truth.
But he could not find even a trace of what he was supposed to find. The trace of some beings that should be visible could not be detected at all.
It could only mean that the difference in their strength was so overwhelming that Long Wu could not find anything to break the event at all.
“Have you ever thought about the dwarf race and the undead race?” Long Wu suddenly asked a question that Hecates found out of the blue.
“What about them?” Hecates asked back.
“They are defeated along with their gods so they are now subordinate to the human race. Even their people had to have some resentment against us, just as some of our people had against them. How did the human race reduce this so that we can be united?” Long Wu asked the question that had been stuck on his mind for a long time.
“Ah, that one. It is quite simple, actually. We give them equal opportunity just like human citizens. Then we inform them of the possibility of defeat in a Star Battle. What do you think will happen to those who have been given such treatment when they hear that humans may be defeated?” Hecates explained.
Long Wu tried to think about it. He could picture it in his mind. The dwarves and the undead who were given treatment like any other human citizen were told that the humans would lose and their status would be revoked following the defeat…that would not be tolerated by the two races.
“They will try their best so that their treatment will not be lowered. They don’t want to be slaves. Is this how the higher-ups of human civilization think?” Long Wu felt like he had missed something crucial.
As if reading Long Wu’s thought, Hecates explained.
“Well, the first thing Goto, Kudungga and Chi You wanted to do after winning the First Star Battle was to enslave the dwarves. They felt that as the winner, everything the loser had had to be given to the winner, including the dwarves.
“But then Kudungga retracted a step after thinking for some time. This caused Goto and Chi You to be concerned. They asked him what was wrong and Kudungga replied with one sentence that shocked both of them.
“Kudungga said, ‘The Father God does not want slaves.’”
Long Wu digested the words that Hecates uttered. He had to, since this was a history that he did not know about. He should have expected that the teacher from the Transcendent Academy located in the Thebes Independent Kingdom to have that particular record about their forefathers.
Hecates continued, “’He needs intellectual just like us, just like our people. They are free to love, they are free to hate and they are given the autonomy to do things within some limit. Shouldn’t we do the same to the defeated race?’
“When I heard it the first time, it got me thinking that the forefathers are really smart. They wanted a race with their potential to be used correctly. Slavery is not bad, but it is not the best either. Furthermore, how can we control the dwarves who have different circumstances from ours in the first place?
“The dwarves are sentient beings, unlike the Pterosaur and the Rex. They have intelligence, not losing to ours, so controlling them will only dull the sharp mind. Unlike instinct-driven beasts, sentient beings have their mind as their greatest strength.”
Long Wu finally realized the wisdom of this move. They could think, and so did the defeated races. By presenting them with long-term cooperation, they would come to realize that cooperating with the human race was more profitable and also liberating than cooperating with the other race.
‘So that is why the human race can make the other two races submit. Presenting the long-term profit makes them want to maintain it. Furthermore, they can see that the treatment the humans give is so much better.’ Long Wu finally knew the essence of this move by the forefathers and the human leaders.
“I see. I think I know why the humans have put forth the policy for the other races like that. Thanks.” Long Wu said after exiting his deep thought.
“No need for that. You have the right to know it since you are also working toward a better future, not only for yourself but also for the civilizations.” Hecates spoke of the matter as if it were something insignificant.
“But what about the humans? How did the forefathers pacify those who had hatred and resentment against them?” Long Wu asked. Since the forefathers could make the other two races unite, then this should be no problem for them either.
“That is not something that even the three forefathers could do about. It is a cycle of hatred and the easiest thing to sever it is to grant forgiveness. But would the people whose relatives and close ones were killed forgive the perpetrator? It is really hard to do.” Hecates let out a helpless sigh as he furrowed his brow.
Long Wu’s eyes widened as he understood that feeling.
“But not impossible, right?” Long Wu caught on to the wording and tried to confirm it.
“It is easier to forgive when someone proposes the theory of the afterlife. Especially when the deceased saw the world through those close to them. The humans finally learn how not to cling to the past and decide to prepare for the future to the best of their ability.” Hecates revealed the main reason.
“That afterlife model is affecting the human civilizations as a whole on this level…unbelievable.”
Long Wu sharply inhaled as the shock on his face was palpable. But he thought about one more concern that he had.
“But there are those who don’t believe in the afterlife model proposed. What about them?”
Hecates looked at Long Wu, sharp and penetrating, before he replied.
“Then there is nothing we can do about them. The Father God leaves the decision to trust him or not with us. So the forefathers also followed this train of thought, leaving the humans, dwarves and the undead to do their own things as long as it doesn’t hurt the progress of civilization. Right to believe is something that the majority of humans on the Cerulean Planet currently respect.”
Long Wu wanted to argue that the Qin Empire had just gone through reformation and some of its people were not used to having the liberty of belief. But he held his word since he knew that progress had been made.
“Well, let’s stop talking about this for now since there are important matters to attend to.” Long Wu said after settling his mind. He knew that talking too much on this issue would cause them to dig into the scars of the civilizations so he’d rather not have it.
“Fine with me.” Hecates then led the walk as the two returned to the Transcendent Group, where dozens of transcendent were gathered, discussing their next move.
The group had their own area since the area around the Rift had been used as a strategic place where logistics and troops of the Cerulean Defense Force gathered. The area was a bit outside the perimeter, opposite the Undead Race.
“We have something to tell you.” Hecates then made a mound so that he could be seen by the other transcendent. He also raised his voice so that he could be heard.
After seeing that all of the group were ready to hear what he had to say, Hecates continued.
“There will be major movements by our enemies after this. I hope that you all are prepared for what is about to come. Cooperate with the Cerulean Defense Force and also the Undead Race to repel anything the enemies might throw at us.
“Then there is another matter. It is about the object you saw earlier. That is an important object that will be sent to our side of the world to be studied. Don’t spread it around to anyone, not even to your own people. Do you all understand!?” Hecates shouted with all his might.
“Understood!”
“Good. Then, recuperate and strive to increase your strength. Continue on your own for now until there is a call from me or the Lieutenant.” Hecates said before he walked down from the created mound. Hecates flattened down the mound to be the same as the rest of the forest ground.
While the Transcendent Group recovered, recuperated and increased their strength, the Cerulean Defense Force was busy with completely establishing their base near the Rift on the enemies’ side.
So far they had sent five hundred men, a dozen armored vehicles as well as some mortar and artillery. The count would only increase as time passed.