Dian watched as Tatsumi thought and the dozens of Nafs connected to him. He also did not fully understand why he decided to build the Afterlife Model.
He had a choice not to do it after all and he had built it with energy points.
“I think sometimes I don’t know myself. Sometimes I have some flashing knowledge about things I don’t fully remember. How am I supposed to answer people like him who questioned my action?” Dian put his hands to his head.
He was distressed since the question Tatsumi had was also the question the deceased had when they found out that they were in the Afterlife.
“I suppose I should have a meeting. But all of them are busy managing their respective fields.” Dian felt conflicted about scheduling a meeting.
Then he thought that it was necessary to make everyone have the same knowledge and vision for the future so he did it.
Soon after Dian let out a special way of calling the others, they appeared one by one in the Planet Master’s space.
“What did you call us for!?” The first one to protest was Chikara. She was watching as her Queen and the Glings were absorbing the Ether and the genes of the giant beast that they encountered when the call happened.
“I want to tell you all something.” Dian said without further words so the other three were aware that Dian seemed to be troubled.
Time passed in the Cerulean Planet and they could manage some time for important matters.
“What do you want to tell us?” as the oldest in this space, Leif asked first. Dian stood from his throne and walked to the four while having a confused look.
“I want to know the purpose of the Afterlife.” Dian said like it was a light matter. For the others though, it was a hard question.
Frie thought hard about it and still did not have an answer. Even Leif became a bit taken aback by the question.
“This question is not for the lower rank Planet Master; how could we possibly know about it?” Ghylea said after some consideration.
“Wrong!” Dian interjected quickly.
“We should know since some of you had created the Afterlife Model for your civilization. This question will ultimately change the way those people see reality. That is why I need your mind for finding the purpose of the Afterlife, at least for yourself.
“Have you ever thought about the reason why we can establish it in the first place?” Dian asked.
Frie answered, “I thought that giving them the Afterlife so that every person under me will not have to think that their existence will be erased upon death. That’s how I thought at the time of creating it.”
Dian knew that it was true that Frie had created the Afterlife Model and was now assimilated into the Library of Consciousness.
“Good. Anyone else?” Dian nodded at Frie. As expected from the one who could deduce things from observation, her answer caused Dian to think of the faint feeling he had when creating the Afterlife Model.
“I just want to say what I have observed so far.” Leif suddenly spoke.
“I thought that the Planet Master System allowed us to create it in order to further advance our civilization. But seeing the Library of Consciousness makes me reconsider that. It is not just for civilizations; the benefits even stretch as far as to anyone connected to it and to every person. It benefited them, too. It is not the case of civilization rising by sacrificing the mental development of the people in it, but it is actually a kind of ascension.” Leif said in a spirited manner.
Dian noted that in his mind. He thought about it and then filtered out what truly was his own opinion based on what Leif said. It increased his answer to the question.
“The Afterlife Model…” Ghylea was now speaking which was unexpected since his race was the Undead.
“It is the destination for the living being who has lived. For most people, death is the end of existence. Until the Afterlife Model exists and tries to make the Nafs immortal. I think that is also another form of immortality, just like the Undead with the undead element.”
Dian pinched himself and felt the pain sensation. That statement caused additional questions in Dian’s mind but he suppressed the urge to ask and gained some insight into what Ghylea had said.
“Okay, I get the gist of it.” Dian raised his hand as he got what he wanted. Chikara wanted to speak up but was stopped by that.
“Can you let me speak?” Chikara asked since she felt that Dian did not want her to say something or he felt that Chikara did not have anything worthy to learn. That made her slightly annoyed but she understood why.
Her sentient person in the race was the Queen alone. The others were moving on their programmed instinct. That was why, if the Afterlife Model existed, it would probably only be filled with the deceased Queen which was too barren.
“Fine. You can say your piece.” Dian sighed but he still valued someone who could view things differently from his own.
“It is a device for communication and characterization.” Chikara began by saying that and Dian got her perfectly.
It made sense since someone’s character was formed by their environment and the guidance of the closest people as well as the psyche aspect that connected to the Afterlife which the deceased tried to form the personality of the people they were influencing.
“That’s surprisingly good. I approve!” Dian gave her opinion a thumbs-up and a smile.
“Hehehe, that’s right! I have also been working hard on this for some time!” Chikara puffed up her chest and stood proudly.
Dian finally had an answer, succinct and suitable for his humans to know.
“I just wanted to know the answer to a question previously. But now, let this turn into a session of exchanging opinions. How about that?” Dian suggested which caused the eyes of the other four to glisten.
“Agreed!” the four of them said simultaneously.
“I am first!” Chikara interjected quickly since she had something she wanted to say to Dian as a fellow Planet Master.
“Alright, you get the first opportunity.” Dian just helplessly let her have her way since this could be considered a compensation for her loss.
“I notice that while my Transcendent Tree reached T2, why is it that you are only reaching T1 but cannot only fight toe-to-toe with me but also overwhelm my civilization?” Chikara gave her question.
Frie was also focused since it was true.
No, this is the strange part about his civilization. Frie thought while examining the system panel that showed the progress of the Transcendent Tree of the Human Race.
“Oh, that. I think I have a good opinion of that. Although, you can treat it like a grain of salt.” Dian said before he went into a long explanation.
“Transcendent Tree only records the progress of the Civilization in their progress of transcendence, not the power they had. That is why, while my progress in the Transcendent Tree is only at T1, it could stand against the T2 of the other races. But it is too early to say that my race can leap-realm fight against another transcendent who has reached T3 in their Transcendent Tree.”
“What!? How did you even know this?” Chikara exclaimed.
“Well, that is just my personal opinion and like I said, you can treat it with a grain of salt. You should not take this for granted. This is my observation so far and it can change depending on the evidence presented.” Dian patiently explained.
But he believed that it was the case since his transcendent at T1 could be equal in strength to the others at T2, and all he needed to do was compare it with others who would battle with him.
“That means the foundation of the transcendent for your race is so robust that it could challenge those higher.” Frie said before she remembered a race that could do similar things.
It is as if the human race has the same potential as the dragon race in transcendent might. But that is too absurd. Frie thought.
Dragon Race could be said to be invincible in the same ranks and could even challenge the higher ranks easily, sometimes even managing to slay them. Frie thought that it was so hard to accept the fact that there could be a race that could dominate just like a dragon.
Even though Dian had not encountered a dragon before, but he also had thoughts about the similarity between his race and the dragon race.
“Then I will gladly say that the Undead Race has developed so well that I am proud of them.” Ghylea said while preparing to show the others the evidence.
“Ah, about them. They gained some inspiration from the human transcendent and developed their own understanding of their own races and transcendent energy. Congratulations are in order.” Dian commented and could understand Ghylea’s feeling.
The Undead Race was not welcomed by most of the Planet Masters. That was why it was so rare to find one that utilized the undead element. Furthermore, its potential was locked to the T3 in Transcendent Tree and could not develop further.
In fact, Ghylea hoped that Dian and his race could pave the way for the Undead Race to rise higher. Seeing that the transcendent could have might equal the T2 as a T1 Transcendent was the budding of hope that Ghylea wanted to let grow into a towering tree.
“I have a feeling that the human transcendent who utilized the undead element could develop their transcendent path further. If that is the case, then the Planet Master System would reward us appropriately.” Leif added while smiling.
Dian went silent but he knew that pioneering the new development would be rewarded since it could be used as a guide for the other Undead Planet Masters to develop.
“But it is still a distant goal.” Dian said after thinking about the possibilities.
“Right! What if we combined the Gling’s swarm tactic with the Undead Race’s Dead Rising? Wouldn’t that make a good combo when facing the other Planet Master?” Chikara said.
Dian had already thought about those possibilities but he needed to remind everyone of something.
“That is what I have been thinking but for that to happen, you need the Gling to adapt to the undead element. If not, then they would not be able to cause that to happen.”
“Why?” Chikara asked.
“Because by utilizing the undead element, those units will be able to resurrect as much as their energy allows. If there is no counter to that, then it is possible to make the immortal Gling who could swarm the opponents.” Dian said.
This idea was already formed in Dian’s mind but he could not do this alone. Since Chikara wanted to do that, Dian might as well say what was needed for that to happen.
“I see. Can we do that now?” Chikara was so excited that she wanted to do it now.
“But you need my race cooperation.” Ghylea said. Chikara looked at him as if begging for his assistance.
“Please, I beg you! Do this with me!” Chikara exclaimed and approached Ghylea. Ghylea was not expecting that Chikara would truly beg him.
“Alright! Alright! I will send the leader of my race to cooperate with you and develop some units that can conquer the battlefield.” Ghylea said as a way to escape the predicament of Chikara kept talking to him.
Chikara happily nodded and shouted out loud that she was going to be able to dominate any battlefield.
To think that even the Gling can have synergy with the supposed undead element. Chikara thought after that and realized that the idea came from Dian and she was just excited to pull that off.
After that, then Leif presented something that they had seen before.
The scene shown in the system panel displayed the satellite that was now on the geostationary orbit, along with its solar panel and the antennae facing the Cerulean Planet.
“I present to you all the latest development of the civilization in technology, the satellite that allows communication on the surface of the planet.” Leif enlarged the display screen so that the others could see.
Dian looked at the Technology Tree and discovered that the satellite was actually in the early middle part of the T2 Technology Tree section. It meant that the human civilization had reached the middle of Rank 2 in technology, or T2.
“This is only the first of its kind. I believe that with more time, more satellites will be made and sent to the Cerulean Planet’s orbit. I believe that the race to space is finally happening.”
Leif’s words caused the rest to look seriously at the object that occupied the geostationary orbit and relayed the communication from the surface.
“I thank you for coordinating the inventors and the scientists who are involved in it.” Dian had to do this since the development of rocketry and the creation of the satellite was actually arduous and resource-consuming.
“No need for that. I decided to work for you so I might as well do something meaningful.” Leif replied with a hint of pride that burst out from his eyes.
“The next step would be to send the manned crew to the Cerulean Planet’s orbit. This is actually the next in line right after Rocketry and Satellite.” Dian smiled as he glanced at the system panel that showed the Technology Tree.
“I believe that with both Star Child driving the development of the Technology Tree and Transcendent Tree, we will be able to advance further and Dian becomes the Third Rank Planet Master.” Leif explained the general point that they all need to know.
Frie had a realization as she realized that the Star Child Dian had was more than one.
That is actually impressive. Most of the Planet Masters at this rank only managed to get one Star Child. Frie thought and that changed her impression of Dian.
“True. With the two of them, development will only move faster. Despite that, are you not interested in their own perspective of all this?” Dian said.
He often watched the two of his Star Child and knew that they had their own struggles and were overcoming the challenges in front of them.
“So that is what you are doing.” Frie said as a matter of fact. She realized that Dian often watched his Star Child but she was worried that Dian would grow attached to them.
“I need to remind you that you should not get too attached to them. It can be heartbreaking.” Frie reminded Dian.
“I am not. It is just that I can use their own mindset as a reference and their struggles as something to ponder about. We also need to thank our race for providing us with their help.” Dian said before he reminded everyone there that the races under them were working hard to develop themselves and the civilization as a whole.
“But what I see is different.” Frie said.
“Continue.” Dian wondered what Frie talked about and it intrigued him so he said this.
“You are trying to delve into the life of the Star Child and those around them. You wanted more than just the insight they have; you also want to understand why they exist in the first place. There was this sensation when you watched them that I cannot put into words but it looks like you're contemplating about all of your existence up to this point.”
Frie was serious and her expression was one of serious glare.
“Well, looks like you are really observant to glean that from me.” Dian sighed as he admitted it.
“Why? Shouldn’t it be clear why we exist? We exist because of the guidance of the Planet Master System.” Leif said and the other three agreed in their gazes and expressions.
But to Dian, it was not the case. He had been drifting in the void before even being in contact with the Planet Master System so he could not understand what they were saying.
Why did they say the guidance of the Planet Master System? What of me, then? Dian thought but did not proclaim it.
He felt more and more different than the usual Planet Master. Now, it became so glaring that Dian had to admit it.
I am not the same as the other. Perhaps, my existence itself serves a purpose. Dian straightened his thoughts and admitted something he had been struggling before.
But he did not know for what reason he had to exist and why the Planet Master System contacted and merge him into it.
Seeing Dian went silent as if in deep thought, the other assumed that it was actually correct of them to say that but Frie felt something was off and did not know how to say it to Dian.
She decided to explain the very elementary fact about Planet Master that was born naturally.
“We, the Planet Master, exist to serve the purpose of developing the planet under our jurisdiction. We are born through the involvement of the Planet Master System and then sent to the designated planet for us to manage.”
Dian was shocked to hear that. It was because he did not receive guidance from the Planet Master System. It looked to him that he was perceiving nothingness before he perceived a planet and the Planet Master System contacted him.
He remembered the first display panel that appeared in his dull existence.
[Welcome New Planet Master]
It was a welcome, as if he came from somewhere and just stumbled upon the range of the Planet Master System and the Planet Master System decided to include him in becoming a Planet Master.
Does that mean I am something from outside the Planet Master System range of influence?
Whether it was truly the case or not, Dian still could not determine that.