Tatsumi looked into the distance and knew that on the Heavensend Continent, the matter of the five races was decided in an important meeting. Too bad that he was not part of it.
But his heart was with those who wanted the five races to coexist.
“This truly marks the end of the Third Star Battle. The three races have won, but the merger will take time since both sides have suffered casualties.” Tatsumi stood on the field in the Transcendent Academy while noticing the many clouds that covered the sky.
He stood alone and enjoyed every second of tranquility since it also caused his Nafs to reach tranquility. It was a precious state that even Kudungga, Goto, and the other advisors wanted to achieve.
He closed his eyes to feel that he had managed to calm his inner turmoil. Clearly, he had received quite a suggestive attack from Chi You and was somewhat affected.
“There is some truth in what you suggest. But it is not the reason we should trample others. We can lead but we need the suggestions from others to make sure that the errors we make will not develop into something far worse.” Tatsumi seemingly spoke to himself but he knew that this monologue was actually a dialogue between him with Chi You who was connected to him through something.
“If you blindly chase something, you would likely lose it. You need to prepare for when your strength reaches a certain level since it means that you will be involved in a different matter than what you used to do.” Tatsumi added.
‘I can’t even refute that.’ A voice came to him and relented.
“Strength should be used to benefit oneself and then others. That is the way to sustain the long-term benefit. It is not easy but if it becomes reality, you will realize how narrow-minded your previous self was. That is why I am doing all these things, to benefit myself and then the others.” Tatsumi said while referring to his previous action.
Chi You listened in and could not help but imagine the thing Tatsumi had said. The benefit went to him and then went to the others, the others then inevitably brought some benefit to himself and the cycle continued to eternity.
‘To be honest, I am tempted by the idea. But it is really difficult to execute.’ Chi You reasoned.
“True, but this is the best way to do it. The other thing, like what you suggested, will destroy the others, whether the environment or the self, which is not conducive to what I want to achieve.
“I will not hesitate to do it if it means getting what I envisioned,” Tatsumi said with determination.
He knew that convincing someone was hard and needed time, effort and results to show them where they erred. That was why he even bothered to reply to what Chi You had proposed and even offered a better result.
“The difficulty is proportionate to the result you will be getting so it is a high-risk, high-return endeavor. Please consider this when you want to do things your way.” Tatsumi gave his piece of thought before he went silent.
Chi You’s voice also went silent and then there was only silence and the wind stirred around the field.
He opened his eyes and knew that some time had passed while there was nothing to attend to for a few hours. He just stood and listened to what his thoughts had produced.
It was a mix of everything he had gained so far. The matter of increasing his strength, learning about techniques from various transcendent and scientists, the moral lessons he gained from Chi You and many more caused the clouds of ideas in his mind to gather and form his mindset.
Then he went silent, contemplating things and trying to get some inspiration that way. In the silence without interruption, it was the best thing for him to be had since he could focus on himself.
Time passed and one hour went by without him noticing. Tatsumi realized that he sat in the most comfortable position possible and then he slightly remembered that he felt pleasant after that.
“Sitting and contemplating about myself and my thoughts, that is what I need.” Tatsumi let out a sigh before he breathed in and felt the air was slightly filled with Ether.
Everywhere he went, there was always a faint Ether in the air and every single thing on the Cerulean Planet had a faint trace of Ether in it. He did not reject this as it was actually a natural thing to occur.
Furthermore, he had a general idea of the technique he had developed for some time. It was exclusively used to gather and circulate the Ether that he could catch and repurpose it to be his foundation.
“The concentration of the Ether has increased a bit. And the source is far in the distant continent. It is coming from there, brought along with the wind.” Tatsumi knew that whatever happened on the Heavensend Continent was affecting the planet on a large scale.
After spending some time contemplating himself, Tatsumi started to get into his regular training with the circulation of the Ether in his energy pathway.
‘This circulation technique is not given a name yet. The effect is similar to the top circulation technique for those with the Necromancer’s Trait who utilize the undead element.’
Circulation technique was a must when one wanted to utilize the transcendent energy they had in the body. It gave the user a detailed use of each pathway as well as the way to feel the presence of the transcendent energy and the way to circulate it in the pathway that the technique had prescribed.
The fact that Tatsumi had created one was a testament to his talent.
‘What should I call it?’ Tatsumi was in a bit of a dilemma since this was the first time his created circulation technique had grown to this stage.
Currently, he was on the fourth heavenstage of the Nothingness Realm using Ether as his transcendent energy. The progress was a bit slow since he wanted to consolidate his power and make it so solid that it would not be shaken by the lack of foundation.
‘The transcendent energy gives living beings longevity, just like a person who can shoulder a mountain, just like an immortal. The Ether has a color that is so similar to jade, so if I call my circulation technique Jade Immortal Circulation Technique, will it be good?’ Tatsumi thought and felt that it was a good name.
Thus, the Jade Immortal Circulation Technique was born in his mind. He often heard from the transcendent scientists that the circulation techniques were precious knowledge and he also treated his and theirs as such.
This showed that the foundation of the civilizations on the Cerulean Planet had reached a certain threshold and now Tatsumi felt that it was time to develop more of it. For him, though, it meant that he had to develop many skills and techniques for the transcendents in the present and in the future because it meant that he helped develop the Transcendent aspect of the civilizations.
After doing one full circulation which meant that the Ether in his body had gone through the entire body, even the smallest part and returned to the heart to be pumped throughout the entire body once again. This process also purified the Ether to be more effective in the case of attacking or defending.
Then he exhaled a lot of impurities through his nose and Tatsumi smelled something unpleasant. But he held back from commenting and thought about something important. His eyes showed longing and desire to meet a certain someone.
‘I wonder what kind of activity Sister Charlene is doing?’
-
“Ah! What is this feeling?” on the Hinon Federation territory inside a building, Charlene was stretching her body because it was good for her health.
She had accomplished something that could change the perspective of the people about the reality that they were in. Furthermore, there was a plan for the Federation to develop rocket weaponry as well as use it for reaching the heavens beyond the clouds.
She was currently having her rest time. She had a lot of work but she used her time efficiently.
She felt that someone was thinking about her despite having no concrete proof. She was sure that it came from someone close to her and she put a finger to the tip of her mouth.
“Come to think about it, what is that little boy doing at the Thebes Independence Kingdom? I assumed that he visited there on her recommendation.” Charlene spoke to herself to help her process her thoughts.
She knew that Mikazuki Ame was groomed to become the Archbishop of the Father God Congregation and likely observed Tatsumi since he was the Second Star Child. But she did not know what kind of relation he had with her. It was something hard to determine when Charlene was not directly observing.
‘I often wonder if he can handle her.’ She knew that Tatsumi was still a teenager in the end so she expected some problem but according to the reports she had received, Tatsumi had been doing well throughout the Star Battle.
But Charlene was worried about Ame and her family’s influence on Tatsumi. She knew that he would likely accept some sort of deal and she could even picture it.
That was what worried her the most. She hoped that Tatsumi could handle it on his own since it was more likely to be his decision.
When she was done stretching, she got out of the entertainment room fully in her usual clothes, white and pristine. When she opened the door, she was greeted by someone familiar.
“You are done with some light exercise, right?” Annie asked when she saw that Charlene had come out. She had been waiting for some time, since it was for security purposes.
“Yes.” Charlene even placed her pink hair behind her ear while examining Annie from head to toe.
“Wow, to think that you, of all people, are trying to increase your physical strength. The weight of those on your body should be quite a challenge.” Charlene said after seeing the thing that Annie wore.
“Arranging the report of the Bio Weapon for three days straight is going to make me do this. Add the current research schedule and you want to be fit for those circumstances. Furthermore, I like to craft something.” Annie said in one mouthful.
Currently, they had a lot on their schedule, but still made time for their own health. Overwork was increasing during the Star Battle and they managed to weave through sheer will alone. That was why, after sleeping to recover, Annie and Charlene adjusted their schedule to prioritize relaxation.
It could not be helped as the entire Science Institute also did something similar to prevent something avoidable.
“When will you remove those?” Charlene wondered and decided to ask Annie.
“When I can do things with them all the time. This makes my body more resilient.” Annie replied with a grin.
Then the two of them walked together to their workspace. There were also other scientists trying to validate some data they had gathered.
Here, the advancement of technology occurred since the blueprint for something monumental had been taken place. Charlene was in the center of it all as she finally was able to go to her desk.
Her desk was full of paper, from the calculations needed for the Hinon Science Institute to go with the project to the reports regarding the newest discoveries in the Star Battle.
They were in the rear and they were tasked to process the data sent from the frontline. This was a joint project between them and the Cerulean Defense Force so that they could get more information regarding their enemies.
“Alright, where is it?” Charlene sat down and grabbed the nearest paper and tried to remember where exactly it was. She had noticed that her desk was slightly messy and it was likely that the paper she wanted to read had changed position.
Then she swept through the towering papers and sifted through them. Then she realized that the paper she wanted was in between and pulled it with some difficulty.
She finally laid her eyes on the paper she wanted. On it, it was written…
The Calculation Needed to Leave the Pull of Gravity Using the Propulsion of a Rocket
Charlene was interested in the practical result as well as the theory. She knew that the future of the human race and the others lay beyond the sky she had seen, beyond the clouds that were hanging low and beyond the soil on which she stood.
Not only was the rocket a useful weapon, but it was also a good carrier for something that the civilization needed. But the needs of the military came first and foremost, so she used it to her advantage.
‘The space outside our planet is devoid of air; therefore, a certain kind of fuel is necessary to ignite and make the engine function. Then there are also the necessary calculations for taking off from the planet and then going into the geostationary orbit.’
There were many things to do and so far, there were three rockets that had been launched into space for practical purposes during the Star Battle. This was actually a step for their future, so the fund was quite a bit high, and the Science Institute did not waste it.
‘But the planet’s diameter is increasing according to the latest calculation, and it was even confirmed that in the past, the planet has undergone several expansions. That is why it took longer for us here.’ Charlene looked at the paper and knew that it was correct.
She sighed as she put the paper separate from the stack of papers on her desk. Then she grabbed a blank paper and did her part of calculating the item that the Hinon Science Institute wanted to send to space.
She knew that it involved another discovery called the computer. Ever since it had appeared, there were some who used it to help calculate things. The one who invented that was actually someone Charlene knew.
‘Now that I think about it, there have been explosions of discovery in the last ten years. I almost could not catch up due to the sheer numbers alone. From rocketry to even computer and electronic devices that can be used in outer space, yes, we want to know more about the Cerulean Planet through this development!’ Charlene’s red eyes darted around the desk as she thought about her recent activity, to her surprise at the huge amount of discovery.
She knew that the three gods were behind the development of the technology on the planet but now, she even felt her mind had become sharper; she could even get insight from the simple equation and applied it to her part of the project.
Now that the first successful rocket launch had been accomplished and the data had been gathered for analysis, they wanted to launch another, this time with the payload being what became the first satellite that would orbit the planet.
Its purpose was for communication purposes as it was what the Hinon Federation needed now.
She also felt that her body had become stronger so much so that she could endure another day without sleep. But she did not want to truly test that since it would be detrimental to her body.
‘These changes should be the result of the Star Battle. Is it already done?’ Charlene wondered in her mind about the result of the Star Battle. Although there was no news from the frontline yet but it was actually relayed a bit slow.
She believed that the three races had won but it was still being relayed.
Just then, the door to the workplace was opened quite loudly that all the people inside turned their heads toward the source of the disturbance.
“Hah, there’s news from the frontline!”
Since it was from the frontline, everyone was eager to listen.
“We’ve won! The Star Battle, we have won!” the voice of the one who came became pitched and excited.
The rest became a loud exclamation, and comments flooded in. Charlene could practically hear the people around her celebrating in their own kind. Some waved the paper they held while there were some who jumped happily.
Whatever the case, the hard-earned victory had to be celebrated since it was a big deal for the civilizations to win a Star Battle.
They did not even try to verify the news since they were subconsciously informed of the result. Though it was slow, but the effect would manifest when it was done regularly and the last piece that made it was the announcement.
Charlene then realized that they had won and it was actually quite a while after the fact, so currently they were in the settlement period post-Star Battle.
‘Here I am, trying to advance my civilization through technology. The world sure is moving with or without me so I need to cement my influence in this world.’ Charlene thought while settling for another paper.
She kept reading the paper before she placed it separately. It was because her duty was to monitor the reports about the research and experiments ongoing in the Hinon Science Institute. Even going as far as the site itself, she even sometimes had to go there.
The fact that she was not meant that it was not urgent yet. But she knew that the Federation had already built a space center and even had a successful rocket launch. The multi-stage rocket was actually her idea of utilizing the rocket to its maximum within her means.
And she had seen the plan on the paper to launch the payload but what concerned her was the date. It was set to be one week later and she was worried that the preparation was not thorough. After all, the data was barely enough for a successful launch and Charlene prioritized safety.