"You will regret this."
"You will become the executioner of humanity's extinction."
Just as the 'Holy Flame Arbiter's' grand cannon array incinerated the four islands of Japan, the lights on the upper level of the secret military base where Emrys was located flickered violently. Amidst an extremely harsh electrical crackle, blood-red subtitles appeared.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
"Playing God?"
Gazing at the strange phenomena in the room, Emrys sneered and fixed his gaze on a certain spot.
"Come out."
The seemingly exasperated 'zero' suddenly appeared before Emrys like a ghost. The words on her, as if smeared with fresh blood, were even flowing, as if to display the rage of the Trisolarian fleet behind her.
"Because you rejected our demands."
"From now on, every sixty Earth seconds, we will destroy a city with a population of one million."
Blood-red text slid across zero's surface.
Then came the cold countdown, 60.00.00.
This meant that from now on, every sixty seconds, a city would be destroyed!
"At the same time,"
"We will also announce your actions to the entire world."
"We are very curious,"
"Will humanity hate you, or will they hate us?"
Wade's pupils suddenly constricted.
What a insidious tactic. He could almost foresee the scene of Emrys being reviled, cursed, and hated by all of humanity.
Isn't that how humans are?
They wouldn't ponder who caused this situation, nor would they consider the deeper meaning behind it; they would only vent their full anger and resentment on Emrys.
The reason was simple.
Because compared to rational individuals, most ordinary people wouldn't contemplate these deeper meanings, just like their cowardly and timid natures. That's why Wade was so certain.
"Impatient?"
However, Emrys, the 'culprit,' still watched calmly, seemingly unhurried, even having time to brew himself a cup of coffee.
"Too bad, you can't taste it." He lightly blew on the hot liquid, seemingly completely unconcerned about the lives of over a million people about to be destroyed.
"I don't know much about luxury goods, but even so, I can tell that these coffee beans are of excellent quality. The aroma and oils are very rich. It even made me fall in love with the process of grinding coffee beans and brewing coffee myself. If there's an opportunity in the future, I wouldn't mind treating you to a cup."
As he spoke, he slowly took a sip.
"Are you bluffing?"
"Time is almost up."
"Your performance is interesting."
The sole remaining zero orbited Emrys, transmitting every subtle expression on his face, from all angles and without blind spots, back to the Trisolarian fleet.
"You remind me of Evans."
"Perhaps we shouldn't have given up on him so soon."
"Your current behavior, is it like a psychological game played by humans?"
"Is it that you don't care about the lives of these millions of people, or do you possess some technology we don't know about, like your warship?"
"Guess?"
Emrys' lips curved slightly, a half-smile on his face.
zero fell silent.
The zero sent to invade the 'Holy Flame Arbiter' suddenly lost contact and even completely disappeared—such a result made the Commander of the Trisolarian fleet, including all scientists, feel fear of the unknown for the first time in their lives.
That was definitely not… "Science"!
At least, in the eyes of the Trisolarian scientists, that warship was filled with disharmonious, bizarre, and unknown things.
Mechanical lifeforms, a warship suspected of possessing a 'soul,' bizarre binary language, an engine system that was completely unanalyzable, numerous religious facilities, and other chaotic elements, were forcibly fused together as if by the great hand of 'God.'
"The civilization behind you is very strange."
"Despite having a super engine that even we cannot analyze, the warship is riddled with low-level, erroneous contradictions everywhere."
"To use the 'analogy' humans are fond of:"
"Your warship is like a group of primitives driving an aircraft carrier. This is unscientific."
"How rare."
Emrys couldn't help but smile.
"Very good, this means you're starting to understand humans a little, aren't you?"
"We don't care."
In zero's cold, hard words, there was indifference.
"Even if your warship contains scientific technology that we cannot analyze, it cannot withstand the attack of the Trisolarian fleet."
"We have hundreds of warships."
"And you, only one."
"You are destined to fail."
"Just as you are now, unable to save these people."
The countdown was still ticking.
Each tick tugged at Wade's heart, which was almost leaping out of his throat. Several times he almost spoke to remind Emrys, but in the end, the words were swallowed back.
Just as zero said.
Perhaps this was a psychological gamble?
If he spoke, it would mean Emrys was at a disadvantage, and if the Trisolarians seized on this 'weakness,' similar threats would replay countless times!
Therefore, he absolutely could not speak.
The more he cared, the less he could show any concern, even if a city of a million people was destroyed because of this, they still couldn't show it!
Emrys was unaware and unconcerned about Wade's internal torment. He calmly put down his coffee cup, looked up at the countdown, and asked, "How about a bet?"
"What?"
zero asked.
"Let's bet…"
Emrys smiled.
"That no city will be destroyed today, how about it?"
"Good."
zero remained very confident.
The Trisolarians admitted that their plan to invade the mysterious warship had failed, but—they had extremely high confidence in zero!
Moreover, with the help of ETO, zero had already successfully gained control of the nuclear arsenals of most countries worldwide and could deploy them at any time.
Of course, not all, but it was enough!
The cold countdown rapidly decreased.
Until it reached zero.
The blood-red numbers reached zero, like a red-hot steel needle, deeply piercing Wade's cerebral cortex, making him gasp!
It's coming!
At this moment, whether it was zero, or Emrys, including Wade, the entire room seemed to fall into a deathly silence.
Everyone was waiting for the result.
But the difference was that Wade was nervous, zero was unknown, and Emrys was calm.
"It's a pity."
"You lost the bet."
"We learned the psychological game humans are good at from the books Evans sent."
"Because of you, a city will be destroyed."
zero was taunting.
"Is that so?"
Emrys leaned back in his chair, staring at her with interest.
"How about you take another look?"
The 'zero' floating in mid-air suddenly disappeared for a few seconds, seemingly retrieving something, but very quickly—she reappeared, with a shocked tone.
"What did you do?!"
"Why did we lose control a second after entering the launch sequence?!"
From zero's shocked tone, and even for the first time, the inclusion of punctuation marks in her conversation with a human to express her emotions, it was enough to prove that the Trisolarian fleet behind zero was truly panicking.
He actually did it—
Compared to zero's shock and panic, Wade's pupils suddenly dilated, and he was completely stunned, then filled with ecstasy. He suppressed the surging emotions and looked at the always calm Emrys.
He had already prepared himself to take the blame for Emrys if the Trisolarians actually did it!
After all, Emrys still needed this identity as a cover and couldn't lose popular support too quickly!
But he never expected Emrys to resolve the Trisolarian nuclear threat so easily. Wade grew even more convinced that only he could save weak humanity!
"Want to know?"
Tap, tap.
Two light taps.
"Come out."
Emrys chuckled.
"Let it meet you."
Suddenly, the screen in the room lit up. In the red light, numbers composed of zero and one converged into the image of a human face.
"Your Excellency, Supreme Councillor, according to your command, I have successfully taken over the global nuclear weapons database and changed the highest-level password within 0.0001 seconds."
The 'human face' on the screen actually emitted a low voice, like a human.
"Who is it?"
"No, it's not alive?"
zero was extremely shocked upon 'seeing' this human face, to a degree no less than when another zero encountered the enraged 'Machine Spirit' while invading the 'Holy Flame Arbiter'.
Because its scientific technology was far superior to humans, it could clearly detect that this 'thing' hidden in the network did not belong to 'life' in the conventional sense!
"You can call me Artificial Intelligence Quantum Computer 550W."
The human face on the screen actually made a 'turning head' motion, staring at the 'zero' in mid-air, its voice low and cold, as if lifelessly saying.
"This is the 'codename' given to me by the Creator, of course—if you wish, you can also call me by my other 'name'—Moss, literally translated as 'Little Moss'!"
"Introduce yourself."
Emrys slowly rose, smiling at zero.
"It is an extremely rare, truly intelligent lifeform, born from the convergence of countless variable factors."
If purely on the network level, Moss could almost be said to be invincible!
Not to mention, Emrys had also endowed it with a portion of the 'Void Dragon's' authority, as well as a specialized container crafted for it by Sentinel Prime.
Artificial intelligence?
No, the current Moss, having undergone several iterations, was no longer the initial mere Artificial Intelligence Quantum Computer, but a true 'Super Intelligent Lifeform'!
And its most special aspect was not stealing the nuclear weapons database keys of the entire world, but that as long as it was given the corresponding computing power and resources, Moss could invade 'the future' and 'the past' from 'the present'!
"Sorry, you failed."
Emrys looked up, his eyes reflecting the silent zero, and calmly said.
"Of course, I believe you won't give up on the plan to colonize Earth—it doesn't matter if you think I'm bluffing or intentionally playing psychological warfare, I'll be waiting for your fleet to descend on Earth."
zero remained silent.
It had to be admitted that, so far, the power Emrys wielded seemed to have far exceeded their initial psychological expectations.
Could such a war really continue?
The Commander of the Trisolarian fleet actually hesitated. Looking at Emrys' brown pupils in the images transmitted by zero, a sudden panic arose in his heart.
"Oh, I forgot to mention something."
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Emrys grinned at zero.
"Don't try to escape, alright? Although humans can't detect your fleet's position, I can. Once I discover you attempting to deviate from your course, don't blame me for revealing your fleet's coordinates to advanced civilizations deep in the universe~"
With that, he cut off the image.
"This—madman!"
The Trisolarian fleet Commander was dumbfounded.
"What exactly does he want to do?!" At this moment, he even disregarded the composure and calmness a Commander should possess, staring in shock and anger at the zero projector whose image had been cut off, his breathing gradually becoming rapid!
Threatening them not to deviate from their course, otherwise, he would prematurely announce the Trisolarian fleet's coordinates?!
It was utterly outrageous!
Were the Trisolarian fleet going to attack humans, or were humans going to attack the Trisolarians?!
The Trisolarian fleet Commander had never seen such a deranged person, one who dared to disregard the lives of millions of his own species, and even yearned for war—a human!
Was he really human?!
Sitting in his chair, the Trisolarian fleet Commander suddenly wondered if they had truly made a mistake?
Could this plan really allow the Trisolarians to find a safe living environment? Or would it drag them into the abyss?
Facts proved.
Ten thousand truths are not as effective as a single roar of a grand cannon.
When the heads of state of various countries in the world witnessed the four islands of Japan being ignited by the 'Holy Flame Arbiter's' grand cannon array.
The bustling city streets instantly turned into ruins.
The flesh and blood of millions of Japan people melted in the high temperatures, completely merging with the soil, smeared across every inch of scorched Earth.
This day made the Japan people recall the pain of decades past.
And the ruthlessness of the Fourth Wallfacer Emrys Walsh further made countries around the world realize his determination.
They also realized the clearly defined 'bottom line' that the Fourth Wallfacer had drawn for them!
That was to absolutely, absolutely, absolutely, never betray humanity!
Otherwise, they would suffer the same fate as Japan!
The warship anchored in low Earth orbit was the 'Sword of Damocles' hanging over every nation's head.
The heads of the three Western nations, including the President of Milijian, immediately held secret and urgent talks, the content of which naturally concerned the 'Fourth Wallfacer'.
But unfortunately.
No matter how many times they discussed it, the result was always the same—submission!
The lesson humanity could learn from history was that they could never learn from history, but this time, the 'Sword of Damocles' overhead forced humanity to learn this lesson!
Emrys had already proven through his actions that he truly dared to do so, and truly did not care whether he had the courage and determination to eliminate more than half of humanity to maintain human civilization!
Japan was a very good warning!
The 'Holy Flame Adjudicator' moored in near-Earth orbit, like a 'Sword of Damocles' hanging over all humanity, constantly warned all Worlds that certain forces with ulterior motives should not attempt to challenge the boundaries drawn by the Fourth Wallfacer.
Japan was a very good example of this.
The Emperor conspired to betray humanity, and the island nation's people were swept up in militarism, so their fate was naturally tragic.
More than half of the twenty administrative districts were reduced to ruins in the carpet bombing of macro-cannons, and millions of people were buried in a sea of fire, completely merging with that island.
And this was still considering certain special reasons; the bombardment position of the 'Holy Flame Adjudicator' was the result of careful calculation. Otherwise—with the capabilities of those 'Cybertronian' Tech-Priests, there were ninety-nine ways to make the four Japanese islands completely disappear from this world, ninety-nine ways!
Things like triggering super earthquakes in special zones, causing Mount Fuji to erupt, triggering tsunamis, and continental plate shifts were simply too numerous to count.
After witnessing Emrys' true strength, the U.S., the British Imperium, and Gaul, who had been the most aggressive and staunchly opposed, were the first to publicly condemn Japan's betrayal of humanity. At the same time, they used extremely severe language to declare their unwavering determination to be irreconcilably opposed to ETO and the Trisolaran civilization.
They even, probably fearing that Emrys would deliberately make an issue of it, swiftly arrested and executed a large number of suspected ETO members from all social strata within their countries.
This sweeping 'investigation' was not limited to their three countries but quickly swept across the entire world like a storm!
Emrys gained the absolute upper hand in his confrontation with Sophon, causing many countries to follow suit and change their stance.
The strength of the ETO organization was greatly damaged in this battle.
Apart from the capture of their leader, 'Qin Shi Huang,' essentially all personnel who had infiltrated and lurked in various countries and strata around the world either disappeared without a trace or were arrested and executed. At least for a short period, there was no further news of them.
Emrys couldn't help but laugh out loud upon hearing this news.
See?
He said it: when people face a threat to their lives, they can do anything except solve math problems, can't they?
Previously, when he was just an ordinary Wallfacer, he had also called on various countries to investigate lurking ETO members, but the results were not satisfactory.
Each country had its own agenda, and many people were waiting to see what would happen.
This was very consistent with human psychology; it wasn't as many imagined, where an alien invasion would unite all humanity against a common enemy.
But now, hehe, if they didn't conduct self-inspections, and waited for Emrys to investigate, the consequences would not be a simple arrest and execution.
The third day after the Japan incident ended.
Under the 'voluntary' vote of various countries around the world, the Imperium was officially renamed 'Holy Terra.'
More than two hundred countries worldwide 'voluntarily' dissolved their original national political systems and were divided into several intercontinental federal parliaments. Above these intercontinental federal parliaments was the highest authority—the High Lords of Terra!
The five countries of world, Russia, the U.S., the British Imperium, and Gaul occupied five of these seats.
The remaining seven seats belonged to the new institutional organizations established by Emrys.
The 'Mechanicus,' the 'Ecclesiarchy,' the 'Terra Administratum,' the 'Terra Adeptus Arbites,' the 'Inquisition,' the 'Astartes,' and the 'Imperial Navy.'
Considering that the Astropathic Choir and the Officio Assassinorum were not needed for the time being, Emrys didn't mind.
In certain complex situations, each faction's representative had one vote, inheriting the structure of the Imperium, with each institution supervising and checking the others to ensure that no single entity became dominant and that the Ecclesiarchy Rebellion would not happen again.
It is worth mentioning.
Above the 'Twelve High Lords of Terra,' Emrys also used a title that had disappeared from Terra long ago—the 'Lord Regent.'
At the same time, considering Emrys' unique status, he also, unprecedentedly, bestowed upon himself another title—the Sun Lord!
That is, simultaneously possessing the greatest executive power and the authority to command the Solar System fleet, which could be described as supreme!
Now, allow me to formally introduce you.
Standing before you is the Rogue Trader, the Savior of Baal, the Supreme Commander of Port Wander, the Imperial Duke,
The Living Saint blessed by the Professor, the Honorary Mentor of the Dark Angel Chapter, the Watcher Knight of Caliban, the grandmaster of the Sons of the Forest, the Lord Regent, and the Sun Lord—Merlin Emrys!
Soon, the first meeting after the dissolution of the original political systems of various world countries and their incorporation into the Holy Terra Alliance was officially held in world.
Representatives from other countries had no voting rights at all; they could only sit in the venue, feeling aggrieved, and gaze enviously at the twelve chairs around the round table on the high platform, which symbolized the supreme power of all humanity.
As for speaking out in opposition?
Hehe, no one dared to do that.
Previously, in the Imperium, they could still shout a few words about human rights, but now—a few small countries in Africa were expelled from the Alliance the very next day just for shouting one sentence.
This was no longer the era of human rights—
The representatives from various countries below whispered among themselves, finally waiting for the five representatives of humanity to take their seats.
The U.S. looked around at the familiar faces and felt a slight sense of relief.
At least they were still people he knew, which was good.
Seeing that there were still seven empty seats, his mind suddenly became active. He exchanged glances with the representatives from the British Imperium and Gaul, pondering how to bring these new institutions under their control.
After all, from the scale of this council, controlling more positions meant—they could gain more power and dominance in the future!
Similarly, the British Imperium and Gaul thought the same; who didn't want to be the world's boss?
But soon, their expressions turned sour.
The representative of the "Mechanicus" who took his seat next was a non-human life form, a pure mechanical body, with four mechanical prostheses added, draped in an embroidered red robe, slowly moving to his seat. His blood-red eyes scanned everyone present, emitting a low, cold laugh.
"Greetings, I am the 'Cybertronian' Tech-Priest, and also the Mechanicus Forge General here."
The representative of the "Ecclesiarchy" was draped in a robe inscribed with ornate scriptures, like a devout elder, with a face full of compassion.
The representative of the "Imperial Navy" was a brawny man, two meters tall, whom they had never seen before, but with a firm and stern face, also with multiple mechanical prostheses implanted and modified. He wore a crisp black military uniform, and the Holy Terra symbol of the "Double-headed Aquila" was on his cap badge!
"Mars-class cruiser, Captain Valentine Krast of the Holy Flame Adjudicator, extends his highest respect—Lord Emrys."
The representative of the Astartes was none other than the super-soldier who led the airborne assault on Japan, brutally suppressing the entire country in a matter of hours!
Each friction of his green armor emitted a chilling sound, and his height of over two meters brought immense pressure.
He scanned the room and then slightly bowed his head to the figure above him.
"Af Krast, Chapter Master of the Sons of the Forest, extends his highest respect to you, grandmaster Emrys."
FUCK!
The U.S. representative cursed inwardly.
Four seats had already been filled by Emrys' own people, so could they—
But unfortunately, Emrys, from his elevated position, had already anticipated their thoughts and spoke directly.
"Now, in the name of the 'Lord Regent,' I command—Wade Thomas to serve as the representative of the 'Inquisition.'"
Wade Thomas, as a ruthless individual with absolute calmness and rationality, and an excellent talent recognized by Emrys, was also promoted to be the first 'Inquisition' representative of 'Trisolaran Holy Terra.'
His primary responsibility was to monitor, warn, and eliminate all rebels who attempted to subvert Holy Terra and defy the supremacy of humanity.
With Wade there, it was believed that no one would dare to violate the rules set by the Inquisition—unless they were tired of living.
Wade, whose name was called, slowly walked to the front of the stage.
"Yes, Lord Regent."
His lips curled into a sneer, and his gaze fell on the grim faces of the U.S., British Imperium, and Gaul representatives, as if in a challenge.
"Lord Regent—this seems inappropriate, doesn't it?" The U.S. gritted his teeth, his face turning green with anger. Before coming, he had already prepared and paid a great price to get the British Imperium and Gaul to support him in fiercely contending for these positions. Now, before even seeing a shadow of success, it was all for naught. How could he not be angry?
"Democracy, is it?"
Emrys, from his high position, cast a sarcastic look.
"Good, then as you wish."
The next moment, the Ecclesiarchy, Imperial Navy, Mechanicus, Astartes, world, and Russia all voted in favor.
"Any other opinions?"
Emrys glanced at the ashen-faced U.S. and asked gently.
"Although I have absolute power, I didn't use it. This is all according to 'democracy.'"
"No, none—"
At this point, the U.S. had realized that their 'seats' were completely a joke in front of the 'Lord Regent' who held the supreme executive power!
"Very good, next is—the 'Administratum.'"
Emrys nodded and continued.
"Its subordinate Ministry of Interior and Ministry of military Affairs will be responsible to world."
Give a peach for a plum.
He was never ambiguous when it came to treating his 'own people.'
"Yes, Lord Regent."
The gothic representative felt pleased. Compared to the three Western countries, who merely occupied seats, they controlled internal affairs and military power, almost achieving sole dominance!
They had already received news about these two departments from Emrys and naturally knew their value.
The faces of the U.S., British Imperium, and Gaul representatives were extremely grim, but they dared not refute and could only silently swallow this bitter pill.
"As for the Adeptus Arbites? That will be jointly managed by Manuel Rey Diaz and Shi Qiang."
Emrys issued the third appointment.
Manuel Rey Diaz, with his firm resolve, was no weaker than Wade and had experience in governing a country, making him most suitable for the position of Minister of Justice. With Shi Qiang supervising, it would prevent excessive power from causing conflicts.
He made what he considered a reasonable arrangement.
"Then, what about us?"
The U.S. representative seemed unwilling, asking with a pale face.
"Lord Regent, what are we—responsible for?"
"You are responsible for managing your respective administrative districts."
Emrys lowered his gaze, looking at them, and said in an indifferent voice.
Offended him, and still wanted a piece of the pie?
Dream on!
Emrys sneered in his heart.
Whether they liked this outcome or not—if they dared to show it, Emrys wouldn't mind reducing the number of administrative districts even further!
As if seeing the coldness in his eyes, the U.S. representative hastily lowered his head, cold sweat trickling down.
"Yes, yes—Lord Regent."
"The fourth motion."
Emrys didn't bother with him and said indifferently.
"Humanity has entered a new era. With the 'Holy Terra' year as the new epoch, we officially enter a state of total war."
This was also to counter the Trisolaran civilization!
All representatives agreed, after all, the original intention of establishing the Holy Terra Alliance was because the threat of the Trisolaran fleet was drawing ever closer, and humanity had to unite to avoid extinction!
"And then, regarding Japan—"
Emrys tapped his index finger, his eyes containing a deep chill.
"Given their burden of sin, all Japanese people shall be categorized as sinners, compelled to join the 'Penitent Crusades,' until their sins are atoned for, only then can they re-embrace Holy Terra."
"Hmm—I have no objection." The Russian representative seemed somewhat puzzled and asked, "But Lord Regent, you just said 'compelled to join the Penitent Crusades,' and it didn't specify an age limit for males, did it?"
"Eighteen years old and above, under sixty?"
The Gaul representative said.
Seeing everyone's gaze, Emrys grinned.
"My not mentioning an age means that regardless of their gender, male or female,
old or young, all will be conscripted into the 'Penitent Crusades,' understood?"
The faces of representatives from around the world turned pale.
How ruthless!
This was to exterminate Japan!
Regardless of men, women, old, or young, even in the most tragic world War II in human history, there had been no such inhumane regulation, but now—there was!
Furthermore, until their sins were 'atoned' for, they would not be able to regain their freedom, but—who knew when those sins would ever be atoned for?
Feeling Emrys' ruthlessness, the various countries swallowed their saliva in unison, suppressing their restless little thoughts.
Never offend the 'Lord Regent'!
Otherwise, the price would be the entire nation being categorized as 'sinners'!
It was needless to say that the death rate of this Penitent Crusades would be ridiculously high!
"Gulp."
The U.S. representative swallowed hard and said in horror.
"But, if we do this, won't it—cause them to riot?"
"Riot?"
The Tech-Priest on the left, draped in an embroidered red robe, suddenly sneered, his voice, full of the smell of rust, sounded emotionless.
"Don't worry, under our modifications, they will not riot; they will only use their lives—to atone for their actions, until death!"
"Why so much trouble?"
Af Krast sneered.
"Riot once, suppress once. Kill them a few more times—and they naturally won't dare."
This was very Dark Angel.
However, the representatives of various countries were terrified to hear this!
What kind of people were these!
Millions of lives, how could they talk about them as if they were just a few hundred ants?!
Cold, lonely, dark.
He didn't know how much time had passed; his consciousness seemed to be sinking, sinking forever.
Between sleep and wakefulness.
He seemed to hear someone calling him.
It was a girl's voice.
So familiar, he thought to himself. Why did he feel it was familiar? It was as if he had heard this voice somewhere before, but he couldn't recall where.
A hazy, feminine face, gently and affectionately gazing at him, lips slightly parted as if calling out something, but he couldn't hear clearly.
He felt so tired.
Finally, this eerie dream, which had lasted for an unknown duration, showed a 'fissure'.
"Awakening procedure complete."
"He's awake."
"He's awake! He's awake!"
"Good heavens, is this the legendary 'Wallfacer'?"
"He's really awake!"
A cacophony of sounds, like a flood, directly poured into his long-unused brain, making him groan, a sound that seemed a mix of displeasure and pain.
"Quiet!"
A hoarse, mechanical voice reprimanded.
The surroundings quickly fell silent.
Several bright white lights shone directly down, making him feel a bit dazzling. He closed his eyes, waited quietly for a few seconds, and after adjusting slightly, slowly reopened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was an artistic and retro dome, resembling ancient European style. In the center of the massive arch, there was a vividly colored oil painting.
With his artistic background, he carefully observed the mural etched on the dome.
A blond man sat high on a throne, with different men standing on his left and right. These men all possessed inhuman height and exquisitely handsome faces, almost the epitome of perfection. The overall layout looked somewhat like the famous 'Last Supper' created by Da Vinci in religious art.
Yes, it was indeed the Last Supper!
The mural was extremely lifelike, seemingly incorporating Eastern painting techniques. He could even discern the... subtle thoughts held by some of these people.
There was jealousy, anger, calmness, doubt—
The seemingly peaceful mural was actually fraught with undercurrents, and the blond man in the center had sadness, indifference, and pain hidden in his eyes, just like Jesus in 'The Last Supper,' already knowing the story's ending.
"Hello, Doctor Luo Ji."
Suddenly, a fair, long-fingered hand reached out and waved in front of his eyes. Accompanied by a sweet voice, he shifted his gaze and saw a girl in a white Nurse uniform with a single ponytail standing beside him, curiously observing him.
The girl had delicate features, possessing the unique gentle temperament of Southern females, and her eyes shimmered with intelligence and purity.
But, more importantly, he knew this girl!
How could this be?!
Luo Ji's pupils contracted slightly. Having just woken up, his memory was still extremely chaotic, but he vaguely remembered that the 'girl' in his dream, though her specific appearance was unclear, greatly resembled this Nurse in front of him!
Seeing him still staring blankly, the girl couldn't help but furrow her brows slightly and asked with concern, "Doctor Luo Ji, are you alright?"
"Why am I here—"
Luo Ji clutched his head, feeling a headache.
"Do you remember what happened?" The girl's voice was very soft, like an invisible little hand gently plucking at his heartstrings.
Luo Ji was a little lost in thought; this girl was too similar!
"Doctor Luo Ji?"
The girl helplessly called him awake.
"I."
Luo Ji snapped back to reality, giving an awkward smile.
"I'm sorry, I—I'm a bit confused."
"That's a normal reaction. You can try to recall what happened before," the girl said.
"Before"
Luo Ji fell into a reverie, chaotic memory fragments flashing through his mind. He suddenly widened his eyes.
"I, I was shot. I—I remember lying on the ground, seeing Kang walking towards me—"
Shot!
That's right, he was shot!
The moment he became a Wallfacer, he was shot in the chest as soon as he walked out of the Imperium building. The bullet passed through his chest, and then he was in a state of serious injury and coma until he woke up!
"Ah!"
Luo Ji screamed, lowered his head in horror, and tore open his white hospital gown to check the gunshot wound on his chest.
It was gone!
The skin on his chest was perfectly intact, with no trace of the bullet wound.
"Doctor Luo Ji, please calm down."
The girl seemed to notice his panic and stepped forward, softly comforting him, "You're fine now. Please trust our technology."
"Oh... yes, yes, I'm fine."
With the girl's strenuous comfort, Luo Ji finally calmed down from his panic. He breathed heavily, his gaze gradually steadying, and he touched the spot on his chest where he had been shot, letting out a long sigh of lingering fear.
"I thought I was dead. I didn't expect technology to be so advanced now. That's great—"
"Memory is fine."
The girl made a note on her data pad and then asked, "Next, given that you've just woken up from 'hibernation,' I will introduce you to the current era, so you don't find it difficult to integrate, Doctor Luo Ji."
"Wait, hibernation?!"
Luo Ji was stunned.
"Yes, hibernation."
The girl nodded and said, "It can also be called 'hibernation technology.' It was originally developed to allow Wallfacers to cross eras to fight the Trisolaran civilization. By artificially lowering body temperature and slowing down metabolism, the human body enters a long-term dormant state, a technology to be awakened at a specific point in the future. Given your condition at that time, the technology of that era could not treat you, so the choice was made to put you into 'cryo-sleep,' awaiting a breakthrough in future medical technology for treatment and awakening."
Hearing this, Luo Ji finally understood why he had always felt a sense of incongruity since waking up. So, this was the reason...
He widened his eyes, swallowed, and said incredulously, "Then—how long, exactly, did I hibernate?"
"You hibernated for 197 years, Doctor Luo Ji."
The girl used the gentlest voice to deliver the most cruel words.
"It is currently the 'Sacred Terra Era.' One hundred and ninety-seven years have passed since the 'Crisis Era' when you fell into a coma."
"197 years."
At this moment, Luo Ji was bewildered.
Waking up to find two centuries had passed, he seemed to have been completely left behind by the times.
"Oh, right, given your previous 'identity,' there's something I need to tell you." Seeing him in a daze, the girl waved her hand and softly said, "Doctor Luo Ji, you are no longer a 'Wallfacer.'"
Luo Ji felt no regret about this news; he was only happy. Although he almost died, at least he had managed to shirk the responsibility of being a 'Wallfacer,' so this could be considered good news.
"I understand."
He pinched his brow, trying to process the news that he had slept for two centuries, but then he suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, what about the Trisolaran civilization? What happened to them? Also—what do you mean by the Sacred Terra Era?"
"Mr. Luo Ji, you don't need to rush. Take your time."
The girl smiled and said softly, "I am your personal rehabilitation specialist. Before you fully understand the knowledge, laws, and society of this era, I will be responsible for helping you to better understand them. Before that, you should go change your clothes."
"Yes—there's no rush right now."
Luo Ji lowered his head, looking at his white hospital gown and the hibernation pod that resembled a 'coffin,' and couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.
"I'm no longer a Wallfacer. My old savings probably won't be of any use anymore, right?"
"Please don't worry about that."
The girl seemed to have anticipated this, smiling, "Given your identity, the Deputy Executive officer of the Administrative Council specifically instructed us to take good care of you. When he returns from Mars, he will personally come to see you."
"Administrative Council—Deputy Executive officer?"
Luo Ji blinked, looking bewildered.
"That would be Mr. Kang." The girl gave a mischievous smile.
"He said you're his friend."
"Kang, Big Kang?"
Luo Ji suddenly understood, then smiled.
"I didn't expect Big Kang to get a promotion too."
"Mr. Luo Ji, please try to exert yourself slowly."
The girl helped him out of the hibernation system.
"Because you've just woken up, you still need some time to adapt to your body."
"Tha-thank you—"
The girl's hair brushed past Luo Ji's nose, and a unique fragrance wafted over, making him feel refreshed. Looking at the girl's face, and recalling the 'girl' in his dream, he instinctively asked, "What—what's your name?"
"Zhuang Yan."
The girl turned back with a bright and radiant smile.
"My name is Zhuang Yan, Doctor Luo Ji."
"Zhuang Yan, Zhuang Yan—"
Luo Ji muttered the name softly, lost in thought.
It was as if a beam of light had shone into his gloom-shrouded heart, tearing through layers of dark clouds, bringing a bright and warm feeling, intoxicating and enchanting.
"Luo Ji, Doctor Luo Ji—"
Zhuang Yan felt a little unnerved by his gaze, especially the almost fiery intensity in his direct eyes, which made the girl a bit uncomfortable.
"Cough, cough, I'm sorry." Luo Ji immediately snapped back, cleared his throat twice, and then said seriously, "My apologies, I've just never seen a girl as special as you, so I stared a bit longer."
"Special?"
Zhuang Yan was taken aback, pointing at herself.
"What—what's special about me?"
"Your aura."
Luo Ji smiled.
"You have a very unique aura about you. Perhaps to others it's nothing, but to me, it's like a muse."
Zhuang Yan had never experienced anything like this. Her fair cheeks immediately turned red. She shyly gave Luo Ji a glance, then hugged her data pad and Luo Ji away.
"Haha—"
Watching Zhuang Yan's shy retreat, Luo Ji couldn't help but laugh aloud. Originally, he was filled with helplessness and fear towards this unfamiliar era, but now he seemed to have a little anticipation.
Luo Ji got up, took a shower, then changed into the clothes prepared for him. Looking at his slightly disheveled face in the mirror, he shaved his beard, confirmed he was still as handsome as before, and then walked out.
Zhuang Yan was waiting for him outside.
"Doctor Luo Ji, please follow me."
Because of what had just happened, Zhuang Yan was a bit shy and dared not look him directly in the face.
"You don't need to call me Dr."
Luo Ji scratched his head and grinned.
"My doctorate isn't much, and besides, it's two hundred years later. My knowledge in this era doesn't warrant the title of Doctor You can just call me by my name."
"Alright, alright, Luo Ji—"
Zhuang Yan thought for a moment and agreed.
Soon, led by Zhuang Yan, Luo Ji finally left the hibernation cryo-base where he had slept.
"I—what the!"
However, the outside world had completely transformed into a sight Luo Ji didn't recognize at all.
Giant spires rose from the ground, like a steel jungle. Steel pipes and transport conduits were densely interwoven, crisscrossing like spiderwebs between the spires, connecting them. Their current location was in the upper region of a spire.
"What is this?!" He stared blankly at the young woman, wondering what had happened during his two centuries of sleep to cause such earth-shattering changes in humanity?!
"As you can see, this is the Asia-Pacific Alliance hive city."
At this, Zhuang Yan proudly straightened her back.
"Today's human society is no longer dominated by individual nations as it was in your time. Everyone has united to form the 'Sacred Terra Alliance,' and this is the hive city of the Asia-Pacific region, and also the current capital of Sacred Terra."
"Sa-Sacred Terra?"
Luo Ji's mouth hung open.
"What exactly happened?"
"In the face of the Trisolaran civilization's crisis, human nations were in chaos and disarray, and there were even 'criminals' attempting to subvert humanity. However—at this critical juncture, it was humanity's savior, the current 'Seal-Bearer' Lord, who swiftly reintegrated the human race, which was on the verge of collapse, and unified them, establishing a brand new administrative body, which is 'Sacred Terra.'"
It was evident that Zhuang Yan's face was full of pride as she spoke these words.
"Humanity must be united, and precisely because of this, we can achieve the development we have today!"
"Is, is that so—"
Luo Ji, however, instinctively frowned.
"What about the Trisolarans? Have they been dealt with?"
"No, but soon."
Zhuang Yan looked up, pointing at the still clear giant orbital ring in the night sky.
"The Trisolaran fleet hasn't arrived yet, but we believe with the Seal-Bearer, humanity will surely achieve victory!"
"Then what are these?"
Luo Ji pointed to the towering statues in the distance. They were identical to the figures he had seen in the mural.
"These are the Emperors, humanity's guardians!"
Zhuang Yan said with reverence in her eyes.
"The God-Emperors protect humanity; they are humanity's guardians, Mr. Luo Ji."
"Guardians?!"
Luo Ji's eye twitched.
"Look, that's the State Religion, dedicated to the 'Emperor'." Zhuang Yan introduced him to the products of the new era one by one.
"This is the Mechanicus, and over there is the Inquisition—"
The more he listened, the more confused Luo Ji became.
How did he feel that after waking up, humanity had gone insane to a degree he no longer recognized?!