Passing through the vast, frigid silence of space, the already ancient spacecraft shuddered relentlessly as it advanced through the resistance of the atmosphere, the red glow of heat draped over its front end, trailing a long tail.
The shallow red teor piercing the sky was spotted by nurous inhabitants of the planet, and eventually, the spacecraft landed precisely in a lake, dispersing the high-temperature residue from its surface.
White water vapor billowed, carrying with it emotions of nervousness, anticipation, worry—a mix of complex feelings—as the crewmbers stepped out of the spacecraft, surveying this verdant and novel world.
After a brief check and confirmation, they carefully removed their breathing masks, experiencing the primitive and pure atmosphere, a sensation hitherto unknown flooding their hearts.
The air was rich in water vapor, with the faint fragrance of grass and trees, and the slight sll of microbial decay—a diverse and fresh sensation that was completely incomparable to the monotone circulating air inside the spacecraft.
"rely breathing the air can bring such imnse happiness; I think I will never leave this place," one of the crew mbers declared.
And following their descent, the inhabitants of the planet gradually gathered.
Though their languages and scripts differed slightly, it was evident that they all once shared a common lineage; after so simple sorting out, both sides began to communicate slowly.
Trust is not sothing that can be established in a short ti, but both sides seed highly interested in each other's history, and through gradual communication, they finally understood each other's origins.
"The earliest ancestors to land on this planet were a fleet that set off from Earth in the year 609 of the Fourth Epoch, during which the organizers, to avoid competition with others, deliberately chose a very remote route and destination."
Walking on a path through the woods, a blond Elf explained this to their guests.
"But how did they arrive here after that?" the crew mbers asked curiously.
"Due to an unfortunate accident, the fleet veered off course during their voyage and entered a vast vacuum region, far from their intended stellar system, and the spaceship's resources were limited."
"Out of necessity for survival, the fleet had to change their intended route, steering towards the closest stellar system."
"After journeying through the lengthy vacuum of space, only one remaining spaceship crash-landed on this planet, and we had no choice but to start settling down to survive."
"Thousands of years ago, this planet was not so beautiful and was enveloped in poisonous gases."
"Luckily, the World Tree seeds that our ancestors brought with them were not damaged during space travel, but were fully preserved."
"Two World Tree saplings were planted, and generation after generation cared for them until they grew larger; as the canopy expanded, so too did our habitable territory, until finally, the planet's toxins were purified."
As they walked on, they gradually erged from the dense forest, and the vista on the other side of the hill slowly ca into view, with two towering trees piercing the misty sky, majestic beyond compare, their huge figures as if they supported the world.
"That is the World Tree, our origin and hope," said the Elf, standing on the hill and pointing towards the towering trees in the distance.
——————
Ti passed, and a year had gone by since the spacecraft landed on this planet. The understanding between the two groups deepened, and eventually, the crew mbers agreed to teach the forgotten technology to the local inhabitants at their request.
The once-lost art of Superspace Flight Technique was once again acquired by the planet's inhabitants, and they regained the ability to return to the Milky Way.
"Although it may not be pleasant to say, I still want to inform you that the outside world is not as wonderful as the old mories you cherish," the man in white said to a local Priest of the Sacred Tree during a walk by the lake.
"What exactly happened? We've asked you before, but you all seem reluctant to talk about past history."
"Because it's too heavy and oppressive," the man in white stopped, gazing at the blossoms across the lake.
"Your mories of the outside mostly linger on the beautiful Fourth Epoch, the glorious era when the four Primordials were present because of the one who presided over the stars, the human civilization was united and cohesive, having just erged from the ruins of the past, and embarking on a new era of interstellar navigation, the entire society was vibrant with life."
"However, even the four Primordials have their days of weariness; one by one, they fell into slumber, and human exploration gradually reached the boundaries of the Milky Way."
"Just like in history, which was always repeating itself, all light ultimately dims."
"With the pursuit of interests, a plethora of convoluted and chaotic ideas filled the networks, people were frantic and numb, no corner could avoid the testing and baptism of the tis, and no tranquility or innocence remained untarnished."
"Differences began to erge from the unity of old; new Species born from new technologies kept erging, the human civilization, this great tree, bore fruit that branched out in drastically different directions, and harmony beca more challenging."
"The divide between rich and poor, technology monopolized, enslaving lower forms of life, creating entirely obedient new Species, lifeforms utterly submissive without any resistance; all sorts of unimaginable events began to occur."
"If the collective will of life could form a Crown akin to that of deities, does it imply that by creating enough, and wholly obedient intelligent life, one could also beco divine?" the man in white's voice grew somber.
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