“So people collect wealth, so enjoy power, while others have peculiar hobbies or seek other forms of fulfillnt. In the end, most of those who seek assignnts outside their ho are pursuing so kind of spiritual satisfaction. When material needs no longer trouble us, in the long years of life, we must always pursue sothing to avoid losing ourselves,” Elder Hus said with a grave tone.
“Then, Elder Hus, what are you seeking by taking on this assignnt? Wealth, power, or sothing else?” Elder Cecil asked, seemingly casually.
“Haha, that’s quite a personal question…”
“If it’s too sensitive, then forget it.”
“Now that you’ve said that, if I don’t answer, it might seem like I have so peculiar hobby,” Elder Hus said, shaking his head as he looked at Elder Cecil’s smiling face.
He continued, “Actually, it’s nothing too secretive. As I ntioned earlier, everyone who seeks an assignnt outside has their own needs, and I am no exception. I have lived for thousands of years, though most of that ti was spent in hibernation pods. Still, I have been awake for several hundred years. This age is nearing the limit of my original species’ lifespan.”
“In all these years, I have already enjoyed wealth, power, and everything else one could desire. Logically, I should have no regrets. But as intelligent beings, we are naturally fearful of the unknown. And death, for us, is the ultimate unknown.”
Elder Hus’ voice grew lower. “Therefore, as my ti approaches, all I desire is to live a few more days. But the limits of lifespan are not so easily broken. Over the years, countless races have explored ways to extend life, but their thods all have flaws, so more severe than others, and these flaws are difficult to overco.”
“Flawed thods of life extension often lead to serious consequences. The most typical example is the forr Ji Race, but it is precisely because of them that we exist today. While the outco has been favorable for us, it doesn’t erase the drawbacks of current life-extension thods.”
“Originally, I had no hope and planned to enter a hibernation pod in my final monts, clinging to a few more years of life. But as they say, when one door closes, another opens. At that ti, I received a piece of intelligence. In a remote region, a small race that hadn’t even officially joined the Confederation had developed a life-extension serum with no side effects.”
“My first thought was disbelief. How could a small race with only one star system, half of which was occupied by others, achieve sothing that even the most powerful civilizations in the confederation, including our own Ji Race, had failed to accomplish?”
“But with nothing better to do, I took a closer look. To my surprise, the serum did seem to have so rit. However, I still didn’t believe that a small, backwater race could produce anything truly groundbreaking. So, I only paid a little attention to it in my spare ti.”
“There’s a reason so many people covet the position of a Ji Race Elder. With just a bit of attention, a flood of data and experintal results ca back to . Through this information, I discovered that the small race hadn’t actually surpassed our understanding. Their so-called life-extension serum was rely an extract from a special plant. It was the plant itself that was extraordinary.”
“This discovery, however, imdiately heightened my interest. Compared to so unknown backwater race, the wonders of nature are far more trustworthy. The universe contains everything, and it’s possible that sowhere, a plant with no side effects for life extension had been born. And now, we had found it.”
“At this point, you should understand why I sought this assignnt.”
Elder Cecil nodded, indicating she understood. The reason was fitting, and she had her own sources. Elder Hus’ explanation matched his behavior.
However, so more detailed information could only be accurately provided by the person involved.
“So, Elder Hus, did you find what you needed there?”
“Of course,” Elder Hus said, his aged face creasing into a few more wrinkles. It seed that talking about this topic lifted his spirits. “That life-extension plant is truly miraculous. It extends life by increasing the number of tis a cell can divide. Although its applicability is still limited, its future is bright.”
Elder Cecil nodded in understanding. Sotis, a single discovery can open up a path that was previously blocked. Just as intelligent beings in ancient tis could only rely on simple tools like stones and branches, the discovery of tals led to the developnt of slting, manufacturing, and more.
This life-extension plant is like a foundation. Although it is currently as raw as ore exposed on a planet’s surface, with further research, it could beco the basis for sothing monuntal.
“I see you understand its value,” Elder Hus continued, seeing Elder Cecil’s nod. “This discovery has made many people envious, but I won’t leave. I will guard this place and ensure that no political gas hinder the research progress.”
“How is the research progressing now?”
“Quite well, but recently I made another discovery.”
“Oh? What discovery? Can you share it, Elder Hus?”
“Of course, though I don’t consider it good news. The life-extension plant from the Riken Race actually originates from the Swarm. This makes wonder whether it is a natural product or sothing created by the Swarm.”
At the ntion of a certain keyword, Elder Cecil’s eyes lit up, and she straightened slightly. “Oh? The Swarm? I don’t recall any powerful race in the confederation with that na.”
“Indeed, they are just a small, remote race. They recently fought a petty war with the Riken Race, a battle of amateurs,” Elder Hus said, shaking his head as if recalling sothing amusing.
“But if their strength is so limited, why would you suspect that the life-extension plant is the product of such a civilization?” Elder Cecil asked curiously.
“Elder Cecil, you may not know this, but the Swarm, while not strong overall, is incredibly mysterious. Can you imagine a civilization that, in just over a hundred years, developed to the point of waging a war across star systems? And not only that, they won, occupying half of their enemy’s territory.”
“How is that possible? Did so other race intervene? Was it so kind of experint? Such actions are prohibited,” Elder Cecil exclaid.
“If only it were that simple. The Swarm seed to co out of nowhere. We didn’t even have ti to plant ships for them.”
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