Boss Zhang held his daughter and cried for half the day before a group of soldiers surrounded them. Someone specifically checked their information, earnestly explaining something to the father and daughter.
Afterwards, Boss Zhang came back, wiping his tears.
"Hmm?"
Lu Bu'er was startled, "Why is that?"
He Sai asked curiously, "Old Zhang, how come your daughter was taken away?"
Boss Zhang scratched his head, unsure how to explain.
"The Federation is very strict about protecting orphans. You can only apply for kinship after completing identity verification and a paternity test. That little girl is no ordinary person now; she is a reserve soldier."
Qingmu glanced at Boss Zhang and said indifferently, "Five hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye. Some people turn their fortunes around, while others fall into hell. Her daughter is lucky, chosen to be trained as a reserve for the military. Her presence here is only because she was on a learning visit. When she's older, she might become a high-level talent and join the military forces."
Right, everyone else came to realize that without identity verification and a paternity test, no one can be sure of their relationship, even if there are records in the information database. Matters concerning minors still have to be handled with extra care.
"Military, soldiers?"
Everyone was confused.
Qingmu, a little impatient now—it was his job, after all—patiently explained, "If you have evolutionary talents, you'll join the military sooner or later. In the New Era, anyone with such talents must serve to protect the peace and stability of the human world. What kind of life you can lead after retiring largely depends on your contributions during your service."
He paused, "I, too, served in the military and became a Judge after retiring. This is because my talents were limited, preventing me from seeing greater vistas. Those true powerhouses fight against powerful Desolate Gods to protect the humans' Pure Land, witnessing the most spectacular scenes in the world and enjoying privileges that transcend the mundane."
The accompanying Judges chuckled, "Although Evolvers are a dime a dozen now, with every household having a few, the wealthy don't mind adopting a few talented children and supporting their cultivation. All in all, they're very valuable."
For this group of Cocoon Breakers, these Judges were already quite powerful.
But these were still the less talented ones.
Especially Lu Bu'er, who started to harbor some aspirations.
This place might just be able to cure his illness.
Boss Zhang didn't bring his daughter back mainly because his own situation was not stable. It seemed better to let his daughter stay with the military as a reserve; she had a promising future ahead of her.
Although he was happy that his daughter had a good future, the idea of a young girl training in the military and later fighting against Specter Fiends was just too dangerous. As a father, he felt somewhat uneasy and wanted to do something, anything he could to help.
"So that's how it is."
Officer An also understood now.
In today's world, the most valuable were the Evolvers.
Under the Law Enforcers' control, citizens who had flocked to find their kin quickly dispersed. The vacant terminal echoed with the cold mechanical sounds, drones hovered in all directions, and cameras singled out every individual: "Cocoon Breakers of batch 583274, you are authorized to proceed."
As the Law Enforcers left, the doors of the terminal burst open, and the bright, blinding sunlight rushed at them. The New World crashed into their vision in the harshest way possible.
At this moment, Lu Bu'er felt a bewildering sense of being in a completely different world.
It wasn't just him; all his companions were staggered.
The travelers boarded taxis or buses and hurriedly left, leaving the Cocoon Breakers standing in place, dumbfounded, as if lost in this entirely new world.
Commuters walked briskly along the roadside, cars zoomed past the zebra crossings, trains roared under the viaducts, transparent walkways crisscrossed in the air, helicopters occasionally swept by, and the glass curtain walls of skyscrapers reflected the sunlight but not a trace of the past.
Ancient Divine Tree sculptures could be seen everywhere, and the old clock tower seemed to have endured a hundred years of vicissitude.
In front of them lay a road paved with cobblestones, leading to a pyramid-shaped triadic building, its surface as bright as gold, flowing with mysterious, intricate patterns.
On this road stood heavily armed soldiers, while Priests and Nuns stood in the center of the avenue, smiling, "Welcome to Linhai City, Cocoon Breakers."
Lu Bu'er said suspiciously, "What is this? A welcoming ceremony?"
The others were just as puzzled.
"This is to take you to the Awakening Temple. Every Cocoon Breaker will take a test by the Sacred Entity to check your evolutionary status. If you're not yet suitable for evolution, they'll reintegrate you into society based on your skills and abilities. Of course, you can refuse the guidance of the gods; it's all up to your own free will."
Qingmu, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, said indifferently, "Get ready."
·
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Throughout the journey, Qingmu filled them in on the changes of this era. It didn't sound all that different from five hundred years before, still maintaining the past international order, but the world of Evolvers was maintained by a governing body known as the Supreme Federation.
This was a global super-federation that monitored Evolvers.
After all, with Evolvers wielding extraordinary power, if such capabilities were not restrained, they could cause tremendous destruction to the world.
Orola Technology, the initiator of the evolutionary path, had somehow transformed into a religion known as the Akasha Holy Church. The reason for this change was that they worshiped the Tree of Life that had altered the world. They could harness the force of the Divine Tree to bless the people.