January 15th, 7:00 AM.
The new rule was about to be released in two hours, yet Guan Tong and Uenoshi were currently browsing through so confidential docunts.
These docunts were backups of information seized from the Yuzawa Family and sent over by the Counterasures Office.
A portion of the content was related to the "Yamata no Orochi bloodline." It was clear that after Yuzawa Jun obtained his bloodline ability, he conducted nurous investigations to better master it.
As the ruling family of Sakura Prayer Country, the Yuzawa Family had access to more historical secrets, unlike ordinary people who only knew so legends and stories.
After reviewing the materials, the two discovered the key point lay in Uenoshi's discovery.
Once the Yuzawa Family discovered her and learned that her bloodline ability was nad "Yoroi," they imdiately used this information to match it with the data they had already collected.
It was like having several historical docunts on hand, completely unsure which one recorded the true history, or if all of them were simply fabricated.
Uenoshi's appearance made it feasible to reconstruct the history of Yoroi and the great serpent—her bloodline na was "Yoroi," yet her bloodline ability was related to the great serpent. Only one set of recorded materials matched this situation.
The Yuzawa Family thus identified this set of materials as genuine.
"...According to legend, the hero Yoroi who defeated the great serpent was actually not human," Guan Tong read aloud. "He was also a great serpent, but one that was friendly to humans."
"He fought against Yamata no Orochi to protect humans and ultimately defeated it, driving the latter back into the sea. Grateful for his kindness, humans used the na of the local fishing village, 'Yoroi,' to address him, hoping he would forever remain the village's guardian deity..."
Reading this, Guan Tong and Uenoshi exchanged a glance.
"If Yoroi was also a great serpent, then your situation has an explanation."
"Mm. People were unwilling to believe that the one who defeated the great serpent was another great serpent, so the legend changed to 'Yoroi was a human warrior.'"
"After learning about this, Yuzawa Jun chose to keep you by his side. Even without everything that happened later, he probably would have killed you soday..." Guan Tong thought for a mont and then shook his head.
"No, his plan was likely to transform you into a Serpent Servant soldier once the genetic experints were completely mature. Whether it was commanding you in battle or activating the 'Myriad Serpents Domain' to absorb your power into his own body, he would have gained trendous benefits."
Uenoshi nodded; she had guessed as much.
If not for wanting to obtain her power, Yuzawa Jun wouldn't have kept her under house arrest back then; killing her outright would have been the simplest approach.
"But he didn't expect the tables to turn," Guan Tong said with a smile. "In the end, you participated in killing him, as if the ancient legend was replaying—'Yoroi' defeated 'Yamata no Orochi.'"
Uenoshi touched the newly grown scales on her chin. "So, by participating in his execution, I absorbed part of his power?"
"Possibly. Although this sounds unconventional for power advancent, our understanding of Mind Power is still too limited. It likely has many strange thods of enhancent; we don't need to be completely bound by past experiences."
"Mm."
After reviewing the materials and concluding their discussion, it was almost 9 o'clock.
At this mont, both of them quieted down, silently waiting for the new rule to be released.
[The Fifteenth Doomsday Rule has been released]
[Doomsday Rule Fifteen: Third Contact]
[Rule Content: Three hours after the rule is released, a special extraterrestrial intelligent entity will be deployed on Tianshui Star. This rule is a special rule with no success reward or failure penalty. Duration is fifteen days. After fifteen days, the extraterrestrial intelligent entity will be retrieved.]
[Success Reward: None]
[Failure Penalty: None]
[Note: In the universe, humanity is not alone]
...
After the new rule was released, the entire world erupted in excitent.
The re fact that this rule had no failure penalty made countless people cheer with joy. Finally, they could "lie flat" and pass a rule without any pressure for the first ti.
The even more unprecedented first was the Fire Thief explicitly ntioning an "extraterrestrial intelligent entity" in the rule. The emphasis wasn't on "extraterrestrial" but on "intelligent."
In fact, in previous rules, humans had already encountered various extraterrestrial life forms.
From the "Matriarch Converter" that could transform human corpses into the living dead in the [Night of the Living Dead] rule, to the "Sound Hunters" that hunted sound-making humans in the [Silent Hour] rule, to the giant monsters guarding Kimos Star fragnts during the [Fog Nightmare Beasts] rule, and even the alien spores that appeared in the previous [Extraterrestrial Parasitism] rule... these undoubtedly all ca from beyond Tianshui Star and were not native products.
However, this ti was different.
Judging from the Fire Thief's description in the rule details and the note... this extraterrestrial intelligent entity deployed on Tianshui Star was highly likely capable of communicating with humans!
The ability to communicate was the key point.
The nurous extraterrestrial creatures in previous rules almost exclusively displayed hostility toward humans and were fundantally incapable of communication.
Only those few giant beasts guarding the fog gates and Kimos Star fragnts seed to harbor so feelings beyond hostility toward humans, but they were also equally incapable of communication.
This ti, if it was an intelligent entity capable of communication, its significance to humanity would be imasurable.
Within minutes of the Fire Thief releasing the rule, the Human Consortium's remote eting was hastily convened.
The attending committee mbers had already received instructions from their national decision-making layers.
"Everyone."
As the committee chairman, Gao Liangwei reiterated the regulations and obligations of the Human Consortium.
"According to the Human Consortium's regulations on equal cooperation. Regarding the extraterrestrial intelligent entity to be deployed in this rule, each mber state has the right to designate personnel to form the Human Consortium's representative team to make contact with this entity."
"Furthermore, any communication or interaction with this extraterrestrial intelligent entity must take place in an open environnt. Regardless of which country's territory the Fire Thief deploys it in, that country has no right to monopolize communication with the entity."
"Agree."
"Agree!"
The Human Consortium's remaining fewer than ten mber states all supported Gao Liangwei's decision.
Especially the smaller nations, they were very worried that major powers like Beixing, Suroma, and Xisiya would use their national strength to forcibly control and monopolize contact rights with the extraterrestrial intelligent entity.
If that happened, they would be powerless.
Yet contact with this extraterrestrial intelligent entity was extrely important; no sovereign state wanted to miss out.
What if this extraterrestrial intelligent entity ca from a highly developed and advanced civilization?
What if it possessed scientific theories beyond human imagination?
For humanity, even a single advanced mathematical formula could cause technological levels to leap forward.
This was by no ans re fantasy. Even if this extraterrestrial intelligent entity was not outstanding on its ho planet, if its ho civilization was highly developed, then any random individual could deliver a crushing blow to humanity.
It was like taking a modern person with only a junior high school education and dropping them into an ancient society that used knotted cords for record-keeping. The knowledge they possessed would be more than enough for them to beco a high priest in that society.
Therefore, regarding this not-yet-deployed extraterrestrial intelligent entity, every nation had a strong desire for contact.
Gao Liangwei's statent now was to ensure fairness as much as possible.
To prevent greed from causing internal human conflicts first.
"I think you shouldn't celebrate too soon."
Seeing the pleased expressions on the faces of several committee mbers from smaller nations, Mary poured a bucket of cold water on them.
"We cannot guarantee now that this alien intelligent entity will be friendly toward us humans. What if it is hostile? Have you forgotten this is also brought by one of the forty-nine Doomsday Rules?"
"This..."
Everyone's hearts sank.
Indeed, while this rule seed special with no success reward or failure penalty, no matter how special, it was still one of the "Doomsday Rules."
"That's correct," the new committee mber from Xisiya spoke up.
The previous bald committee mber had been replaced after Yelanka beca the Administrator. The newly appointed mber was a middle-aged man with a relatively calm deanor, nad Torafuto.
"We cannot assu this intelligent entity cos from a highly developed civilization, nor can we assu it is here to help humanity. The reason is simple: this entity is brought by the Fire Thief. What reason would the Fire Thief have for doing this?"
Torafuto's words made sense.
If it wanted to help humanity, the Fire Thief's own power would be sufficient; why go to the extra trouble?
And judging from the Fire Thief's past actions, there was no indication it wanted to help humanity. On the contrary, the humans on this planet were nearly driven to extinction by its ddling.
Mary nodded slightly, with a faint, ambiguous smile. "Rather than preparing welcoming flowers, I think we should be preparing hunting rifles instead."
"We need to prepare both flowers and hunting rifles," Gao Liangwei said. "However, regardless of the situation with this extraterrestrial intelligent entity, what we need to decide in this eting is only the right to fair contact."
Torafuto said, "Chairman Gao, given the currently unclear circumstances of this rule, I propose temporarily suspending the Joint Force operation against the Seli Divine Nation. Let's decide after confirming the situation with the extraterrestrial intelligent entity."
"Agree." Gao Liangwei was of the sa mind.
No nation would let its guard down just because the Fire Thief was deploying only an "individual."
Who knew if there were super races or super individuals in the universe capable of destroying an entire planet alone?
In the past, humans would have thought such individuals were fabrications and didn't exist in reality. But as Ascendants grew stronger, "super individuals" seed to be becoming a reality.
After speaking, Gao Liangwei glanced at the ti. "There are two hours and ten minutes left before the Fire Thief makes the deploynt. We can start preparing in advance."
After the Human Consortium eting concluded, various nations began actively preparing.
Since it was unknown where the Fire Thief would deploy the extraterrestrial intelligent entity or what form the deploynt would take, satellite monitoring personnel in each country needed to remain fully focused.
In addition, led by the three major powers—Beixing, Suroma, and Xisiya—so rapid deploynt ard forces were also being urgently mobilized.
Just as Mary said, if this extraterrestrial intelligent entity harbored hostility toward humans, then what humanity should use to receive it would not be flowers, but hunting rifles.
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