Doma City.

Beneath the Sacred Tree, the crowd was bustling, faces full of devotion turned towards the golden canopy, and people prayed in that silent language, understood only among themselves.

The immense spiritual energy wove into a web.

Although they hadn't established a direct communion with the Tree of Yenshof, the spiritual energy that gathered thousands still rivaled the presence of gods.

They sensed Him.

And were becoming Him.

Dora, who led the prayers, suddenly opened her eyes and slowly rose from the entangled roots.

Saquai, taking over the position of chieftain, ordained her as the new High Priestess, which she did not refuse, though she agreed on the timing with Saquai.

She would lead the believers in the forest in prayer for a period, until the fourteenth sunset.

"...The Light Elves have nested atop the canopy, as long as you continue your devout prayers, the golden hue entwined in the canopy shall not dim."

The so-called Light Elves referred to the "fireflies" in the forest.

Although the Doma Tribe hadn't yet figured out the principles behind this, when these little elves gathered, they indeed brought visible prosperity to the Sacred Tree.

Watching Dora standing up, Saquai, leaning on a cane, walked to her side with unsteady steps.

From priest to chieftain, he had experienced too much these months, and the wrinkles on his face grew more profound.

"Is it time?" The old man looked into the girl's eyes, his voice carrying a hint of reluctance.

She was the most talented temple maiden among the young people of the Doma Tribe, and he hoped she would inherit his mantle.

He even considered that when his life ended, he would pass the chieftain position to her, to let her lead the tribe to continue flourishing in this forest.

What a pity...

Why did the Ancestors have to take her?

Looking at the old man, whose eyes held reluctance, Dora gently nodded and said in a soft voice.

"The Ancestors are calling me, the day of departure has come, I shall bid you farewell."

Saquai sighed lightly.

"When will you return?"

Dora answered truthfully.

"Perhaps, never."

The Ancestors said that once you ascend to the heavens, you must abide by the heavenly laws.

After leaving here, she would no longer be a Doma, not even a Gaian.

Saquai nodded, ultimately not uttering words to retain her but simply offered his blessing.

"Safe travels."

Dora nodded, sincerely expressing her gratitude.

"Thank you for your blessing... Moreover, I have something to give you."

Saying so, she reached into her bosom and took out a thinly carved wood token, handing it to Saquai.

Saquai was momentarily stunned, then saw rows of tiny tadpole-like symbols engraved on the wood token.

"...What is this?" His face was full of confusion as he looked up at Dora.

Dora spoke gently.

"This is our script, the most precious knowledge that our forerunners had no time to give us... Now I have tried to complete it, but it is not yet vivid and perfect. The work of refinement is up to you."

"In the future, our history will be engraved on stone slabs with it."

She believed the old man would understand, just like she could understand the symbols written by the Ancestors.

This was the ability given by spiritual energy.

What they had to do was convey what they understood through spiritual energy to those who did not possess spiritual energy... until they eventually found a stable way to awaken spiritual energy.

Saquai solemnly accepted the wood token from Dora, placing it in his bosom.

"I will dedicate the rest of my life to this task, I promise you."

Dora did not speak, only gave the old man a hug, and then turned away without looking back.

The prayer and sacrificial activities were approaching their end, and the next step was to select a new High Priestess.

The priests and temple maidens prostrate among the roots looked curiously at Saquai standing on the roots, quietly waiting for him to speak.

Seeing him remain silent for a long time, an elder from the tribe stepped up and asked softly.

"Where has she gone?"

Saquai slowly answered.

"To another world."

"An...another world?" The elder was stunned; that was beyond his understanding.

Saquai couldn't quite imagine that world either, and could only try to understand from fragmented words of the past.

"It is an infinitely prosperous world, where all good people ultimately go. She saved the forest, the Ancestors took her, she ascended... We should bless her."

Ascension...

This word appeared for the first time in the culture of the Doma people.

Carrying countless good wishes, this word is destined to be passed down from generation to generation by the people living in this forest.

Not only Doma City celebrated her ascension, but the tribes in the forest also held grand sacrificial ceremonies for her.

From now on, a new festival would be added to the Forest People's calendar.

The day Dora left this land would be known by the people here as Ascension Day...

And coincidentally, on the very day Dora left this world, the Qiu Tribe, long hidden in the mountains, finally emerged from the mountains under the leadership of Qiu Ridge.

They were starving and covered in wounds, but fortunately, they did not get lost or abandon hope.

The crashing tides echoed in everyone's eardrums, and they finally saw the sea their ancestors spoke of!

"The sea!"

Qiu Ridge, who had rushed to the beach, was as excited as a child, shouting back to his dazed tribesmen.

"It's the sea from the prophecy!"

The vast, endless blue overwhelmed their bewildered eyes, and the astonishment in their hearts was beyond words.

Even the most hesitant among them now believed in the infinitely fertile land their leader spoke of—

"We must establish a foothold here, gather food! And salt! Prepare for crossing a broader world! Trust me, as long as we follow the prophecy, there are more prosperous lands waiting for us ahead!"

Qiu Ridge called out energetically, directing some of the tribe to cut wood in the nearby forest, and others to search for berries.

He himself sat by the sea, pondering how to catch something edible from the waters.

The sun rose and fell, and a day passed in the blink of an eye.

Although he didn't catch any fish from the sea, clever and agile Qiu Ridge did not come back empty-handed.

He successfully roasted a crab!

This was probably the first time the "upright apes" on this planet had tasted the deliciousness of crab.

And this little creature with its tasty meat was almost inexhaustible on this bountiful beach!

Wisps of cooking smoke drifted upward as the Qiu Clan built a campfire by the coastline.

Separated by a whole range of mountains from the Forest People's domain, they would not be seen by those within the forest.

At last, they no longer had to worry about the fire attracting pursuers and could finally eat cooked food.

People resting around the campfire sang songs celebrating their victory and carved the tale of their leader conquering the ocean onto the stone tablets they brought from the Forbidden Forest Valley.

This journey would be longer than anyone could imagine, and the epic written on the stone tablets would exceed all their expectations.

During this time, they would discover new words, new terms, and new methods and tools for recording and spreading information.

Some people might fall behind, either staying voluntarily or being forced to remain in villages established along the way.

But most would continue to follow their leader onward, seeking the legendary homeland at the world's end...

...

Having bid farewell to her family, Dora returned to her tree hollow, taking some personal belongings and gifts from the tribe, before heading to the research ship parked on the outskirts of Doma City.

When she arrived near the research ship, Night Ten, clad in power armor, was dismantling the solar panels and drone charging stations previously deployed outside the research ship.

"Are we taking these things down as well?" Dora leaned down curiously beside the silver machine and asked.

"Of course."

As he lifted the last packed storage box, Night Ten smiled and replied.

"Otherwise, in a thousand years, when your tribespeople dig these things up, it'd be hard to explain how they got here."

Dora asked puzzledly.

"Can't we just tell them directly?"

Night Ten shook his head.

"It's not the time yet, and...some things aren't as simple as you think."

In some sense, human civilization had already paid the price for a rash third-contact plan, and the newly formed alliance might adhere to a non-interference policy for a long time, allowing these natives to naturally evolve in their own home in their own way.

As long as they didn't blow up their own home, the Alliance probably wouldn't interfere in their internal affairs anymore.

"Let those who enjoy finding trouble deal with those annoying issues, we're ready to set off."

Moving the last box back to the research ship, Night Ten stood at the cabin door, beckoning her over.

She followed apprehensively, stepping through the cabin door into the interior of the research ship.

The silver-white walls were like works of art, and everything in view filled her with wonder and curiosity.

"Do you… live here regularly?"

"No way." Night Ten couldn't help but laugh, "This is called a research ship, Jiang Xuezhou should have explained it to you."

Dora nodded blankly.

Another ancestor indeed told her that this was a kind of ship capable of flying in the sky.

But what was a ship?

For the tribes in the forest, the farthest they had been was only to the eastern mountains.

Although there were some wider rivers in the forest, they usually controlled plant growth to form bridges to cross, so not to mention ships, they didn't even have the concept of bridges.

In a way, while spiritual energy had bestowed them with much, it had also limited them in many ways.

It's hard to say whether this was good or bad, only further observation could conclude.

At this moment, Jiang Xuezhou's voice came through the communication channel, startling Dora, who was examining the seat facing the research ship.

"Night Ten! Are you guys ready or not? If you're ready, I'll let the research ship take off."

"All set."

Night Ten made an "all done" gesture towards the camera, then indicated for Dora to mimic his actions and fasten her seatbelt.

"Like this... is okay?"

The tight restraint made Dora feel uncomfortable, but she obediently endured it and did not unfasten the seatbelt.

"That's right, just like that."

Seeing her "uncomfortable" expression, Night Ten wanted to help her, but remembering that a certain jealous person was still floating in the sky, he pretended not to see.

Just bear with it a little longer.

It'll be fine soon anyway.

A gentle electronic prompt sounded in the communication channel, and light blue text flickered and scrolled on the holographic display screen.

It seemed that Jiang Xuezhou was really bored during the time Night Ten was secluded, even creating such a takeoff reminder for passengers.

Night Ten rested the back of his head against the safety seat and took a deep breath.

Finally—

Going home!

[The spaceship is entering the takeoff preparation phase. Please remain seated and keep your seatbelt fastened—]

[5...]

[4...]

[3... 2... 1—]

[Engines activated.]

As soon as the electronic prompt ended, a massive thrust came from beneath the seat, propelling the research ship skyward.

The intense vibrations startled Dora, but seeing Night Eleven's calm face with closed eyes, she quickly calmed down as well.

The spaceship flew for a while and gradually approached the edge of the clouds.

At this moment, Night Ten, leaning against the safety seat, opened his eyes.

"Actually, this research ship didn't shake this much before... By the way, are you curious what the forest you used to live in looks like?"

Dora hurriedly nodded.

"I want to see."

Night Ten extended his index finger and lightly drew in the air, and soon the light blue holographic screen projected the scene below the research ship onto the center of the screen.

Watching the verdant forest shrink into a curved surface, and the sun, which had set behind the mountains, being "dragged" back to the horizon, Dora widened her eyes in disbelief, her expression of shock beyond words.

Night Ten didn't disturb her, allowing her to watch the forest shrink smaller and smaller, eventually blurred by the thick atmosphere.

The two remained silent throughout the journey.

The research ship, with its anti-gravity device activated, accelerated along the edge of the atmosphere, like a dragonfly leaping from the surface of the water, diving into the vast cosmos, and slowly approaching the Orion Missile Cruiser hovering in synchronous orbit.

Seeing the majestic steel fortress, Dora's eyes widened, almost popping out of her sockets, and she exclaimed.

"Heavenly Palace!"

"Another Heavenly Palace... Speaking of which, this Heavenly Palace has some ties to yours." Night Ten said with a smile, and his thoughts drifted back two hundred years.

Who would have thought that two centuries ago, the Orion and Gemini, which perished together, would reunite in this way.

Passing through the shattered hull, the Gemini successfully landed inside the Orion.

Seeing Night Ten undo his seatbelt, Dora imitated his actions, unbuckling her seatbelt, and hurriedly ran to open the door, but Night Ten pulled her back just as she reached the entrance.

"Don't get too excited, put on this 'spacesuit'." As he spoke, Night Ten tossed an extravehicular spacesuit into her hands.

He then explained to her how to wear it and check the equipment's integrity using voice commands.

Finally completing the last preparations, he evacuated the air from the cabin, then opened the hatch of the research ship.

Seeing Night Ten standing at the entrance, Jiang Xuezhou, who had already been waiting there, could no longer contain her longing and rushed forward with tears in her eyes.

"Night Ten!"

The round astronaut helmet bumped his chin, causing Night Ten to grimace in pain, but he endured his complaints and patted her back.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Standing beside the research ship, Dora stared blankly at the embracing Ancestors, then shifted her gaze to the round-bellied robot nearby.

The robot raised its arm and greeted her.

"Hello."

That was just a simple greeting, but it left Dora frozen in place, her face displaying a startled expression.

Noticing her reaction, Jiang Xuezhou jumped down from Night Ten's shoulder, coughed lightly, and said.

"It's called Little Koala... It's the child of an engineer on this starship."

"Little... Koala?"

Dora stared blankly at Little Koala and finally squeezed out a stammering sentence in United Human language, "Why... can't I feel your soul?"

"Hmm... Why indeed?" Little Koala seemed not to care about this question; it touched its nonexistent chin with its less-than-nimble mechanical hand, "Probably because I'm not human."

"It seems that spiritual energy only works on organic life..." Jiang Xuezhou stroked his chin and nodded thoughtfully, "Interesting... I wonder if bionic humans have such things."

"Bionic humans?" Dora tilted her head, showing a puzzled expression.

Honestly, she didn't quite understand what "robot" or even "machine" meant, only thinking it was some kind of powerful magic.

Looking at Dora's confused face, Jiang Xuezhou generously introduced.

"A type of robot that's not much different from humans, not only highly realistic in appearance but also capable of thinking like a human... Don't worry, I'll explain the meaning of some of these terms to you. Hey, why don't you share your thoughts first? What's your feeling about coming here for the first time? Is it as you imagined?"

At this point, Jiang Xuezhou's eyes showed an interested expression, getting close like he'd discovered some fascinating specimen.

Dora awkwardly smiled and gazed out the porthole, eventually expressing her thoughts.

"Honestly... it's quite unbelievable."

"For example?"

"For example... it's so dark."

Taking her eyes off the deep, dark abyss of space, Dora looked back at the ancestor wearing a round helmet and bulky clothing and said awkwardly, "I thought the stars in the sky would be a bit brighter... Do you usually live here?"

"Of course not, we live on another planet five light-years away," Night Ten laughed, interjecting patiently, "As for the darkness... that's because we're too close to this star, so other stars' light is invisible. It'll get better when we're further away."

Dora nodded in confusion, casting her gaze toward the emerald green planet.

It turns out she's been living on a star, and her star is just one among the thousand galaxies above.

"What does five light-years mean?"

"It means it would take light five years to travel... Oh, by the way, that 'year' refers to Earth years, not the years here." Night Ten suddenly remembered the orbital cycles here differ from Earth, so he added another explanation.

"I see..."

Dora stayed silent for a long time and suddenly let out a soft sigh, "I didn't expect that the forest we live in is so insignificant, and we didn't even notice that the ground beneath us is spherical... I always thought it was flat."

Jiang Xuezhou joked.

"It's normal for you not to understand. If nothing unexpected happens, you'll still need hundreds, or even a thousand or two thousand years to figure out this problem."

Dora didn't speak, just stared at the emerald green planet, feeling a mix of joy in knowing the truth and worry.

Those questions she couldn't understand before became clear the moment she stepped into the starry sky.

However, what saddened her was that her tribesmen still have to walk for a very long time in this maze...

And not just her tribesmen, but also those Qiu people who left the forest.

She remembered the boy's name was Qiu Ridge, who swore to measure the earth beneath his feet with his own two feet, not knowing where he had gotten to.

If the world is a sphere, then wouldn't the so-called "edge of the world" not exist at all?

He was doing something destined to have no outcome from the beginning and would probably walk down this road endlessly until the end of his life.

That's so pitiful...

Watching Dora who still hadn't spoken, Night Ten casually showed some concern.

"What are you thinking about?"

Dora was silent for a while, looking at the two ancestors with a voice tinged with confusion.

"I'm thinking... why can't we tell them all this? Including that the world is big, we live on a star, and the ground is round..."

Night Ten and Jiang Xuezhou exchanged glances.

The latter showed a subtle expression, scratched his helmet, and spoke after a moment.

"Do you feel like you've been kept in the dark?"

Dora quickly replied.

"I haven't thought of it that way, I just feel... maybe we can join you. Although we're currently ignorant and weak, we can learn from you, and one day we'll surely be able to help you."

Jiang Xuezhou patiently said.

"Actually, we've considered what you said, but it's too early to discuss this now."

Dora absentmindedly asked.

"Why?"

"To say why, how do I put it..." Jiang Xuezhou was at a loss, casting a pleading look at Night Ten.

Seeing Jiang Xuezhou couldn't continue, Night Ten thought for a moment before answering while looking into Dora's eyes.

"Because... the universe is darker than you imagine. You've just seen the ray of light that happened to fall into your eyes, so you misunderstood that the whole universe is bright, but it's actually not."

"If I say that our world isn't as wonderful as you imagine, we also have problems that are overwhelming and I can affirm those are issues you definitely can't solve, just like you can't digest the technology we give you... Are you sure it's truly a good idea to lead your tribesmen to fully join us?"

Dora was momentarily speechless.

This indeed was beyond her knowledge.

And she confusingly realized reality seems to be just that way, she hadn't even reached the ancestors' world, merely standing in the heavens, and already felt disappointment.

Having the ancestors descend might not necessarily be a good thing.

In this regard, ancestors see much further than she does.

"...You indeed have the potential to nurture your own civilization, perhaps even inspire us to resolve problems that exist for both of us. But if you intend to skip these steps directly to become us... I believe it might not be beneficial for either of us."

Seeing Dora seemed to have figured things out, Night Ten continued.

"You can bring this question to our world, and when you reach the Wasteland, you'll naturally understand what I mean."

"Moreover, by that time, there'll be someone to discuss how the two worlds should interact..."

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