Chapter 198: The Dead Broke Sarkaz
Speaking of the Sarkaz's reputation, Theresa could only smile helplessly; she didn't have any solutions either.
"A reputation is built up bit by bit," Xia Yu continued. "The world has never lacked profit-seekers. The only reason a market as large as Kazdel hasn't been developed is entirely because, in everyone else's eyes, you are poor!"
"Isn't that the truth?" Hearing this, Theresa was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly. "Kazdel is indeed poor."
Even she, the Demon King, was about to die of poverty.
"If we're talking about agriculture, we don't even have enough food to feed ourselves, let alone export it. And don't even mention industry... Just building Kazdel has exhausted all the efforts of the Sarkaz."
She helplessly spread her hands. "Exporting minerals... Rim Billiton is right next door, Yan sits on one of the three major mining veins, and the mineral development costs in the Ursus Icefield are so low... Kazdel has absolutely no competitiveness."
"So that's why mercenaries became your largest export industry?" Xia Yu retorted upon hearing this. "Tsk, this is really..."
"Forget it. Since you have absolutely nothing, you'll just have to make do with what you have." She patted the Doctor's shoulder. "Kal'tsit, do you see this? He is the only way out for the Sarkaz."
"With all the knowledge in his head, just casually coming up with some invention and building a production line would be enough to feed you for a long time."
"But... the Doctor..." Kal'tsit hesitated, swallowing her words.
"What, are you afraid of troubling him?" Xia Yu looked at her sideways and said, "It's fine, just treat her as your own child. It's the kid's first time starting a business with a friend, shouldn't you as a parent offer some support?"
The latter sentence was directed at the Doctor.
And Kal'tsit's face turned completely green upon hearing this.
What parent?! She was tens of thousands of years old for crying out loud, what did she mean by a child starting a business?!
She wanted to retort, but Theresa, sitting opposite her, pressed her hands together and shot her a pleading look.
Left with no choice, Kal'tsit could only look at the Doctor, only to see that he actually looked quite tempted by the idea.
"I say, Doctor, you're not thinking of disowning this child, are you?" Seeing this, Xia Yu struck while the iron was hot, teasing the Doctor. "You and Priestess don't have any descendants. As your creation, well, she can barely be considered a daughter, right?"
"I know she might not really accept this phrasing, but it doesn't matter. As long as you acknowledge it and raise Kal'tsit like a daughter, when Priestess wakes up, how could she possibly refuse to acknowledge this daughter?"
Would Priestess acknowledge her?
It could only be said that if the Doctor acknowledged her, then Priestess would definitely follow suit.
Of course, just acknowledging her wouldn't stop Priestess from ruthlessly dealing with Kal'tsit if she felt she was hindering the Originium Project.
"Just casually throw together an invention that can suppress Oripathy, treat it as an investment in your child's startup," Xia Yu egged him on. "You're not so stingy that you wouldn't even be willing to take out these things, are you?"
"Regarding this, I also want to implore the Doctor."
Hearing this, Theresa said sincerely, "Oripathy, Catastrophes... these disasters that leave us helpless have brought so much suffering to this vast land, and Terra's technology is almost entirely built upon Originium."
"The scramble for energy resources, discrimination against the Infected, wars, and racial divides are further tearing this land apart... We have tried, but to little avail... because we know nothing about Originium. We know nothing about this vast land."
"What exactly happened to the sky and the ocean? Where do the ancient ruins come from? And how... were we born? We hope you can find an answer for us."
"It's not a question of whether I want to or not," the Doctor sighed upon hearing this. "It's that the current Originium... is very strange."
"Regarding Originium, unfortunately, the current me cannot provide an answer. At least, not the whole answer. When I awoke, I tried to read the logs regarding the progress of Originium, but strangely, I found nothing."
"And the glimpse of Terra you showed me earlier has left me with even more confusion."
The Doctor scratched his head. "The development of Originium today... does not completely align with my expectations. I need some time."
"Just like I told you when I left Babel, I need to explore the current state of this vast land for myself and understand exactly what kind of impact Originium has had on culture, life, and the environment."
"This might take a few years, or even longer... What's more, after expending a tremendous amount of effort, you might receive a despairing answer."
"I once made a promise to someone. Now it seems that perhaps all that is left for me, or left for her, is... regret. Therefore, I will not make promises lightly. Kal'tsit, please forgive me..."
"It's alright, Doctor," hearing this, Kal'tsit felt somewhat disappointed for some reason. "We can..."
"No, I didn't mean to refuse," the Doctor hurriedly said after seeing her misunderstood expression. "I'm not saying I can't help you, but when it comes to Originium, we need to be more cautious."
"With its development over the past tens of thousands of years, it has morphed into something I don't understand. Even now, I still can't comprehend what exactly happened to Originium and why it turned out like this."
"But you don't need to worry about other research directions," the Doctor said with full confidence. "I will come up with a plan as soon as possible."
"I suggest you look into the direction of Catastrophes," Xia Yu spoke up at this point. "Kazdel needs a flagship product to generate foreign exchange, and there is no problem in this world more headache-inducing than Catastrophes."
"How to prevent Originium particles from joining Catastrophes as a catalyst and amplifying the original scale of the disaster by ten or a hundred times—this is absolutely a direction worth researching."
"So, does this count as a test?" The Doctor looked up at Xia Yu with great interest. "A test of my abilities?"
"You can think of it that way," Xia Yu smiled and nodded. "After all, our group is full of hidden talents. Not just anyone is qualified to join."
If anyone else had said this, the Doctor would definitely have been dismissive. But who asked her to hold clues to a stellar computer capable of interfering with physical laws?
He would just put up with her for now!
"Alright, let's talk about something practical," Xia Yu said. "What do you plan to do with the food I have?"
"According to what you said before, Miss Bailu, you don't know exactly how much food there is either, right?" Kal'tsit sighed. "That is the hardest part."
"Anyway, there's quite a lot. Oh right, I can't give it all to you," Xia Yu said. "Sister Tarnished still has a group of Infected in the Ursus Snowfield. I have to leave some for them."
"This Sister Tarnished you speak of is that powerhouse who transformed into a Giant Dragon and routed the fleet?" Hearing this, Kal'tsit asked curiously. "I heard earlier that someone in the Snowfield had cured Oripathy, so I even made a trip over there."
"It's just a pity that after I arrived, I only found Buldrokas'tee and couldn't meet that knight."
"Sister Tarnished is the Elden Lord," Xia Yu began to spout nonsense upon hearing this. "She comes from a very peculiar planet. On that planet, all rules are borne by a creation named the Elden Ring. The strong who rule The Lands Between can engrave the Golden Order they practice into the Elden Ring, thereby changing the entire world."
"Hmm, let me give you a concrete example. After Goddess Marika shattered the Elden Ring that bore the Golden Order, because the Order of Death was sealed, and the Return to the Erdtree process that replaced the Order of Death was obstructed by the Prince of Death, all the People of Gold lost their deaths."
"May I ask what losing death means?" Theresa raised her hand to ask, like a curious child.
"Immortality," Xia Yu sighed. "Sounds pretty wonderful, right?"
"Since you're putting it like that, there must be a catch to this immortality, right?" the Doctor asked with great interest.
To be able to extract a concept like death... The universe was so vast, it was truly full of wonders.
"Imagine you are one of the People of Gold living in the Royal Capital, Leyndell," Xia Yu said solemnly. "One day, everyone becomes immortal. What do you think would happen?"
"Order would collapse," the Doctor said with certainty.
"Right. Immortality isn't a good thing," Xia Yu sighed. "In The Lands Between, there is a kind of flesh amalgam, which is entirely a puddle of flesh, blood, and bone fragments mixed with stones, branches, and various other debris."
"Their original bodies were all living human beings. Because they were torn apart and devoured by wild beasts, yet couldn't die, even if they were reduced to a puddle of meat paste, their souls remained trapped within. It is an eternal prison."
"And Sister Tarnished, she is the hero who reforged the Elden Ring, the Elden Lord who wields the Order of the Night," Xia Yu stated. "Of course, as the Elden Lord, she doesn't manage anything at all. She's just a super enforcer, and is currently traveling the universe with us."
"So that's how it is..." Hearing this, Kal'tsit was completely speechless. "I knew it! After living for so many years, how could I have never heard of some Golden Order!"
Turns out they were aliens.
"It can't be helped. When you're out and about, you have to give yourself an identity," Xia Yu spread her hands. "This is also a departmental regulation. We can't just go around loudly broadcasting our origins on any civilization that hasn't stepped off their home planet and disrupt the local civilization."
"So we usually disguise ourselves as locals."
"If it weren't for your special circumstances," Xia Yu glanced at the Doctor, "the one who came here wouldn't be Bailu, the Vidyadhara High Elder of the Xianzhou Luofu, but Bailu, the proxy of the Feranmut."
"Then we are truly honored," Kal'tsit looked at Xia Yu upon hearing this. "It's just that, Miss Bailu's technology that can cure Oripathy..."
"Oh, that's not my Arts," Xia Yu said earnestly. "That is Sister Tarnished's Golden Order Incantations. Actually, the original Incantations weren't this miraculous either. It's because Sister Tarnished, as the Elden Lord, can use the miraculous power of the Elden Ring that she was able to pull it off."
"Small-scale treatment is fine, but if you want to promote it on a wider scale, I advise you to give up on that idea. The Elden Ring is a top-tier treasure even in the Federation; it can't be popularized."
"Understandable," hearing this, the Doctor nodded in agreement. A treasure capable of extracting a concept like death and then affecting an entire planet was something unheard of even in the golden age of Human Civilization.
If they truly had this technology, they wouldn't have suffered such a crushing defeat against the Observer.
"Speaking of interfering with physical laws, this Elden Ring isn't half bad either." He stared fixedly at Xia Yu. "Since there are no leads on the stellar computer yet, how about..."
"You can't borrow it," Xia Yu flatly refused. "It's not that the Federation hasn't thought about researching the Elden Ring, but its properties are only effective in The Lands Between. After leaving that planet, although it still has miraculous effects, it loses its function of affecting physical laws."
"It's not impossible if you want to study it. The main body of the Elden Ring is currently still in The Lands Between; it's impossible to actually bring out such a treasure," she said, painting a rosy picture for the Doctor. "Once you pass the test on your end and things stabilize, it's not impossible for you to apply for it."
'Hilarious, just obediently go research the Scepter system for me. Things like the Elden Ring can't be popularized anyway; an engineering creation like the Scepter system is what a proper scientist should be researching.'
"We..."
The Doctor wanted to say something else, but the door to the conference room was slammed open with a loud snap.
"Your Highness," Ascalon said with a serious expression. "You need to see this."
"To the Regent of Kazdel, Commander of the Military Commission, His Highness Theresis: A traveling scholar has presented his findings to the Duke's estate, and only then did we learn that a new Mobile City is rising in the distant desert."
"The ancient hearth fires burn endlessly, the city walls grow taller by the day, and once-scattered mercenaries have gathered under the same banner. You have displayed extraordinary strength and prestige, enough to make Duke Cavendish pause in admiration."
"You single-handedly changed our perception of the Sarkaz tribes. Perhaps we should no longer be confined to past prejudices; sincere, open communication would be more beneficial to us both."
"Duke Cavendish cordially invites you to his territory for a discussion. The brave warriors under your command will also find a place to employ their skills in this ancient Empire."
.....
"The Victorians..." Hearing this, Theresa sighed. "Pressing closer with every step."
"I really can't figure it out. Why are the Victorians in such a hurry to force the Sarkaz to join the chaos in Londinium? Their previous invitations were not polite in their wording."
Kal'tsit also frowned. "The current Military Commission... they won't pass up this opportunity. Londinium, the heart of Victoria, the wealth there..."
"Uh, if it's the Victorians... I might know why they're in such a rush," Xia Yu smiled somewhat awkwardly upon hearing this.
"Uh, why?" Theresa was taken aback.
"Because of the incident in the Snowfield," Xia Yu said helplessly. "It seems the appearance of the Giant Dragon has stung the sensitive hearts of certain people, and it has also made many others begin to stir."
"Draco? Draco?" Kal'tsit immediately reacted upon hearing this. "But hasn't the Draco long since lost power? The only surviving Draco I know of is the one in the Snowfield."
"What if I told you that the current Guardian of Tara, Grand Duke of Victoria, and the Empire's death knell, Duke Wellington, has two Dracos on his hands?"
Xia Yu smiled. "This Wellington, he is quite ambitious."
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T/N: If you spot mistranslation, do tell me.
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