The majestic steel structure thrusts into the sky, standing on both sides of the wide, plain-like concrete platform, like a double-edged steel spear piercing the sky from the depths of the sea!

It is a man-made valley, and it's right in the middle of the tumultuous Southern sea area!

It's no wonder Dora stood dumbfounded, eyes wide open, and even Night Ten, who had just emerged from the cabin door, was deeply shocked, his mouth agape.

He seemed to be in the middle of a gigantic "8" shaped tower.

Looking up was an endless sheer cliff, with only the highest point left as a distant corner of the sky covered by a fist!

This is the Alliance's space elevator!

Though it's not ninety thousand kilometers long, it was enough to awe his gaze.

"Damn..." Night Ten couldn't help muttering to himself.

Holy cow.

He had only been away for a little over three months, and the Alliance had already become this awesome?!

Jiang Xuezhou was equally stunned, rubbing her eyes to look again.

"...Is this made of ceramic steel?"

Finally recognizing the material of the steel structure, she took a deep breath, but got a mouthful of sea breeze, coughing several times before calming down.

Night Ten reached out and patted her back, asking with concern.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine..." Calming her chaotic breathing, Jiang Xuezhou muttered as she looked up, "You guys have gone too far, did you build a starship on the sea?"

Or perhaps two vertically standing aircraft carriers.

But in any case, for her, who had only seen similar structures in the relics of the Human Alliance Era, it was shocking enough.

Night Ten understood her shock at this moment, after all, he wasn't much different.

Although someone had spoiled the situation about the elevator on the official forum before, textual descriptions and cold photos were obviously not as spectacular as seeing it in person.

"...Although this is the first time I've seen this thing, I heard it had been under construction for a long time and was only recently completed."

Moreover—

This wasn't just the Alliance's achievement.

From the inception of the space elevator project, this engineering feat was a collaborative effort involving various units and organizations of the Alliance, corporations, and the South Sea Union. Especially Ideal Group, which contributed significantly, completing nearly 37% of the production capacity.

However, correspondingly, the rewards they gained from this project were also immense.

It is said that, as of yesterday's close, Ideal Group's stock had accumulated a 50% increase over the past 120 trading days, once again becoming the most valuable company in Ideal City!

Since Ideal City's completion a century and a half ago, such a thing was the first occurrence.

The Ideal Group, once reduced to a property company, re-ignited the imagination of Ideal City residents about the future with the completion of the space elevator and the injection of quality asset shares, making itself great once more!

In fact, it has transformed from a company of Ideal City into a company of human civilization.

By the time everyone vaguely realized this, it had already become a fact.

A similar situation also occurred with the Endpoint Group of Ideal City.

As a representative of Ideal City's "most conservative forces," the Endpoint Group had always opposed the company's business expansion beyond borders, to maintain its market share and council seats.

After all, there was no demand for the internet on the Wasteland, and the chaotic environment was unsuitable for the deployment of Endpoint Cloud, where a million Cr server could be blasted to bits with just a rocket launcher.

However, with the end of the Wasteland Era, this most conservative corporate subsidiary became the most progressive force, actively pushing global integration like the old era's internet companies.

Currently, the Alliance's postal, logistics, industrial, and financial industries have gradually introduced Endpoint Cloud's services.

I believe it won't take long before civilian networks will be opened up, along with the widening of undersea cable channels and the completion of basic infrastructure.

By then, residents of Ideal City can even connect back home to the internet while lying on the beach of Potato Harbor, or even team up with netizens buried under Corral City for online gaming.

After a gap of two and a half centuries, human survivors on the eastern part of the Central Continent will once again embrace the internet era!

It is believed that this will spur another wave of prosperity, perhaps turning the Five Giants of Ideal City into six, seven, or eight.

However, that all will be a story for later…

…

Not long after the group left the lift cabin, a group of people quickly approached from the distance.

Leading the group were Han Mingyue, a researcher from the Union Academy of Social Sciences, and Sun Zewen, a researcher from the Alliance Biological Research Institute.

The former's identity needed no further introduction; frequently appearing in newspapers and often issuing tasks to players, he was somewhat famous among players.

As for the latter, new players might find him unfamiliar, but veteran players who joined the alpha version of the game would recognize him.

This person was a resident of Shelter No. 401 and an expert in Mind Interference Device and Resonance Field Theory.

The so-called Resonance Field Theory is indeed the Morphogenesis Field Theory.

Due to the recent formal establishment of Morphogenesis Field Theory in the Alliance Research Institute, he, being a pre-war era researcher in this field, became a contemporary authority immediately.

That immortal-like appearance with white hair and beard indeed had the demeanor of a grand master.

However, Night Ten remembered when he first met him, the old man did not look so debonair and professorial but was being coerced by the Looter to make pills at gunpoint.

While Night Ten was reminiscing about the days when he first opened the game and raided dungeons with his dear comrades, the old man had already excitedly approached him, reaching out to grasp his hand.

His enthusiastic gesture startled Night Ten, making him almost suspect the old man's inclinations.

Seeming to realize his abrupt behavior, the old man smiled awkwardly and quickly retracted his hand, apologizing.

"Sorry... I got a bit excited, um...may I ask if you truly possess spiritual energy?"

"Yes..." Night Ten nodded cautiously.

Professor Sun Zewen rubbed his hands excitedly, as if not knowing how to express his feelings at this moment.

Presumably so.

After all, it was a domain unsolved even during the Prosperity Epoch, the first time humans came into contact with dimensions beyond the three-dimensional world.

Suddenly, Night Ten felt like a qigong master with a hint of mysticism.

Though he wasn't truly a mystic, he indeed communicated with It.

Even if, technically, it was just a resonance left in the universe by It.

"It's truly unbelievable... If you're not lying, your experience may explain the dimensions beyond that we've never understood...Oh, wait, I'm not saying you're pretending, I saw that news."

Gazing at the hurriedly explaining Professor Sun Zewen, Night Ten shrugged slightly.

"It doesn't matter, actually, even on the Gaia planet, there are staunch materialists who doubt the existence of the Tree of Yenshof, as not everyone can see such things."

Dora said that the Qiu Tribe had no spiritual energy users, but Night Ten did not agree.

For primitive civilizations with extremely exclusive religious cultures, unless their own cultures embedded spiritual elements, accepting spiritual energy users would be extremely difficult.

Perhaps there were spiritual energy users in the Qiu Tribe.

But their worship of the Ancestors and the Sky, combined with their hostility towards the Tree of Yenshof, might have led to a social rejection of these awakened spiritual-ability outliers.

After all, their technological level hadn't advanced to the point of unlocking a "Mind Interference Device," let alone facilitating a dialogue with It through pure technological means and hearing Its ridicule.

This would lead to individuals, even if they awakened spiritual abilities, weakening their psychic perception due to subjective rejection, ultimately purifying themselves.

This was something Night Ten had experienced personally.

When he was a "stupid materialist," he couldn't sense the existence of spiritual energy at all, at most having a stronger sixth sense than others.

And when he tried to understand those previously rejected things and became a "smart materialist" or a "cunning pragmatist," spiritual energy miraculously appeared again.

This is what makes spiritual energy intriguing.

The existence and strength of this psychic ability itself are determined by the mind.

Professor Sun Zewen stared intently at Night Ten, his eager expression like admiring a piece of art, likely making the latter uncomfortable.

However, his gaze soon shifted to Dora, his expression becoming increasingly fervent.

"Do humans on the Gaia planet... all have spiritual energy?!"

Night Ten shook his head and said.

"Not everyone, even among the tribes in the forest, only some can."

"Even just a portion is incredible enough!" Professor Sun Zewen marveled, looking at him eagerly, "Please make sure to take me along next time you go to South Gate Two!"

Observing those eager eyes, Night Ten subtly stepped back, showing a regretful expression and said.

"I probably won't be going again."

Professor Sun Zewen stared at him blankly, instinctively blurting out.

"Why?!"

Night Ten pondered for a moment and said.

"How should I put it? The relics on that planet have already been fully excavated, and the Tree of Yenshof has shared everything it knows about the Ancestors with us... I don't really want to disturb the people living on that planet anymore; I've already caused them enough trouble."

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"However, I will propose to the Managers to establish an observation station there, passively observing their civilization's progress without interference. Perhaps you could consider helping me push this initiative forward."

Professor Sun Zewen looked at him in bewilderment, half puzzled, half astonished.

Eventually, he nodded his head with a complicated expression.

"This might be the best option..."

He thought about whether direct intervention might be more efficient, but quickly recalled the United Human.

Maintaining a sense of reverence for the universe is actually quite nice.

As a remnant of the Human Alliance Era, he is more deeply touched by the fall of the old splendor than any of the young people here.

"Alright, nothing to be regretted... I think even if we don't seek historical lessons from the Human Alliance Era, the lessons left by the past two worlds are enough for us."

Han Mingyue laughed heartily and patted Professor Sun on the shoulder, then turned to the young girl named Jiang Xuezhou and said in a relaxed tone.

"I have also found the best prosthetic doctor for you—the CEO of Huge Rock Military Industry, Mr. Yibers. He will be responsible for your prosthetic surgery, replacing it with bionic skin jointly designed by the Academy and Ideal Group."

Before Jiang Xuezhou could speak, Night Ten became anxious and interrupted Dr. Han Mingyue.

"Yibers?! Let that madman do the surgery?"

Han Mingyue laughed and said.

"He is indeed somewhat mentally unstable, but his skill is probably the best on this planet... even the Company's people say so."

This statement is actually valid.

However, Night Ten was still a bit uneasy.

Jiang Xuezhou held Night Ten's hand and whispered.

"Don't worry about me, I am an expert in prosthetics myself, and I'll take care of myself..."

Seeing Jiang Xuezhou say this, Night Ten did not say anything more.

Looking at the young couple being affectionate, Han Mingyue said jokingly.

"Alright, alright, it's just a matter of a few days, the surgery will be done soon... Your mentor's research ship is already waiting on the tarmac, you better get going."

Jiang Xuezhou nodded and was about to leave, but Night Ten, standing beside her, paused.

"Aren't you coming with me?"

Jiang Xuezhou looked at him sheepishly.

"What are you talking about? Do you want me to wander around with this... peculiar appearance? I dislike it even if you don't. Anyway, I won't be following you... take Dora and little Koala around, I'll be waiting at the City of Dawn."

While in the sky, she had discussed with her mentor that she would first go to Giant Stone City to get treated.

As she mentioned this, she seemed to remember something and added a warning.

"And yes... don't use someone's admiration for the Ancestors to do weird things! That's unethical!"

Dora tilted her head.

Perhaps Jiang Xuezhou was too vague in her expression, her spiritual energy didn't grasp the meaning of the sentence.

However, although she didn't understand, the others nearby did.

Han Mingyue reacted the most, laughing out loud, while Professor Sun Zewen coughed awkwardly, pretending not to understand.

Although he was also a resident of the refuge, he recently became an academic rising star and a leader in the "spiritual energy" field, carrying a small burden of being an idol.

As for Night Ten, he was already choking on his own saliva.

Weird things, indeed...

What a baseless accusation; at least wait until he has the tools to commit the crime before blaming him!

But then again, maybe he should think of installing one after returning to the City of Dawn?

As Night Ten seriously contemplated this, Dora, who hadn't spoken, meekly said.

"Am I causing you trouble?"

"How could it be?" Han Mingyue walked up to her with a smile, "Let me introduce myself, I am a researcher at the Alliance Social Science Research Institute, appointed by the Alliance Managers to serve as your guide for this visit to Earth... speaking of which, do you know what the Social Sciences Institute is?"

Dora blinked.

"Your eyes tell me it's an organization researching us."

Han Mingyue showed a glint of surprise in his eyes and teasingly replied.

"It seems Night Ten isn't joking, 'spiritual energy' really does exist. But please don't worry, our research isn't malicious; it's based on peace to deepen our understanding of each other... we hope to understand you."

Dora gently nodded.

"I can sense that."

Han Mingyue's eyes showed even more surprise, and the interest within his pupils intensified.

"Unbelievable... I'm increasingly curious about the matters on Gaia planet."

A society where spiritual energy practitioners are prevalent, and mutual trust among people requires minimal effort...

This starkly contrasts her previous research topics, perhaps offering unexpected inspiration.

Dora smiled shyly and said happily.

"We can chat along the way."

As the group shared their interests, a Tiger Whale Transport Aircraft landed at the airport of the City of Dawn.

Under the escort of a squad of soldiers dressed in exoskeletons, a black box was loaded onto a transport truck and driven to the Alliance Scientific Expedition Team's warehouse affiliated with the research institute.

At this moment, the Alliance's chief scientist and Managers stood inside the inconspicuous warehouse.

The black box was unloaded from the truck, and two Guards in power armor stepped forward to open the box, revealing an oddly shaped reactor device.

Looking at the rough, even shabby mechanical structure and metal dials, Chu Guang's expression grew peculiar.

"...Is this the so-called Perforator?"

The so-called "Ancestors" civilization, the "Holy relic" left in this world through the hands of juniors.

Honestly, this thing looks more like a broken reactor at best, and the patchy rust makes one wonder whether it can even function.

If he hadn't observed the entire matter unfold on the Forum, he might even suspect Night Ten was joking with him.

The researchers present whispered to each other, exchanging glances filled with surprise and doubt.

It was clear that not only Chu Guang felt uncertain about this device, even Yin Fang standing beside carried a subtle expression.

"...Let's try it first, anyway."

Saying this, Yin Fang waved to a researcher standing by, signaling to them to step forward and insert a matching model fuel canister into the cylindrical metal container.

This fuel canister was a second-hand empty canister recovered from the Orion Missile Cruiser.

This was Night Ten's suggestion.

According to him, only a fuel canister that was once filled, exhausted all fuel, and never opened afterward could be recharged by the Perforator.

It sounds somewhat mystical.

And mystically unreasonable.

However, adhering to the principle of controlling variables, Yin Fang took the odd suggestion and followed standard procedures in the first experiment.

Once everything was prepared, the researcher looked back at Yin Fang for confirmation, receiving the "begin experiment" command before pressing the button.

Simultaneously, an incredible scene occurred—the dazzling white light suddenly radiated from the center of the reactor, and in an instant, penetrated the solid container, even rendering the latter transparent!

In response to the sudden occurrence, Lu Bei instinctively moved in front of Chu Guang, while X-16 beside them stepped forward cautiously, intensely watching the brilliant white light.

Fortunately, the terrifying energy didn't last long; it quickly collapsed and finally shrank into a point, enclosed by the fuel canister attached to the reactor.

As everything returned to calm, the researcher operating the experiment equipment stepped forward, disconnected the power, removed the canister inserted into the container, and inspected it.

At this moment, the most astonishing scene unfolded—

After a series of checks by the group, the fuel canister that was originally depleted now appeared to be filled with helium-3!

As if the empty canister was a fake...

"This is, this is too incredible..."

Yin Fang's face was full of surprise, his eyes fixed on the fuel canister.

Chu Guang's reaction was relatively calm, but after a moment he couldn't help but marvel.

"This kid got me..."

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