Above The Sky
Chapter 1117: 157 World Tree City (5800)_3

Chapter 1117: Chapter 157 World Tree City (5800)_3

However, maintaining this in space is quite simple—just with a certain amount of computational power, an AI can easily maintain the operational stability of the artificial star and the surrounding energy collection devices. The central trunk city area can also obtain certain artificial gravity through space rotation, and gain the cheap energy of the artificial star.

Even…

“Is it a bit like a ‘Generation Ship’?”

A thought flashed through Ian’s mind.

The so-called generation ship is an extremely large spaceship with a permanent ecosystem inside. It has the power source and sturdy structure to sustain navigation for thousands of years, which can support a civilization and an entire race to propagate for dozens or hundreds of generations.

For civilizations that cannot achieve light-speed and superluminal travel, generation ships are essential tools for interstellar migration. When they reach their destination, the passengers and crew inside the ship would have replaced several generations, and a generation ship itself can be considered a small world.

Evidently, World Tree City… fits this criterion.

An artificial star as an energy source can last for at least hundreds of thousands of years, and as long as it passes by a properly-sized gaseous giant star, it can refuel, while the living areas wrapped in the Spirit Energy Field are very safe, and can disperse to escape if necessary… The more Ian looked, the more he thought that this thing might just be a spaceship that crashed head-on into Terra, just inserted at the right angle, so it looks like a tree!

“Ian?”

Yisen Gard also came to the outside of the skyship, and he followed the boy’s gaze towards the distant World Tree City, smiling knowingly: “How is it? Quite magnificent, isn’t it? It’s simply no less impressive than the Imperial Capital… But if we talk about grandeur and solidity, the Imperial Capital doesn’t lose to any Solid City.”

Yisen Gard’s words carried a strong sense of nationalism common in this world, that things from our country are not inferior to those of other countries—he was indeed not wrong; speaking of the ridiculous, the Planetary Shield Emitter and Gaia Parkland core, or even a fallen extraterrestrial spaceship, are indeed of that level. But having seen one ridiculous thing doesn’t mean you can adapt to another.

“I’m just feeling emotional.”

So Ian frankly expressed his thoughts: “Terra is such a bizarre place that it always brings surprises, even shocks—that World Tree City is such a super-sized creation, it’s really unimaginable without seeing it with your own eyes.”

“Is that so?”

Anfa and Sio also came over, and this aborigine elf glanced at the hometown in front of them with some perplexity, feeling a bit puzzled: “Isn’t this quite normal? World Tree City should be like this.”

“Maybe it’s because you were born in South Ridge. There are many such big cities on Terra, no need to be too surprised.”

Ian turned his head and saw Yisen Gard and Sio also wore expressions of ‘it’s just natural,’ leading this small-town boy from South Ridge to sigh helplessly: “You people… never mind. That’s how locals think.”

Under Ian’s silent gaze, the Silver Gate skyship was gradually approaching World Tree City.

This arboreal city of elves has hundreds or thousands of entrances, most of which are located mid-air, so people use skyships or other airborne transport tools to enter.

It was already evening, and the sun was gradually setting.

In the light radiating from World Tree City itself, everything seemed somewhat dim.

Without getting closer, Ian and others could see dozens of skyships with their lights on, swaying like giant whales in the sky, hovering up and down around World Tree City.

All these skyships had bright lights, and the bodies were painted with various advertising signs. Some clearly more advanced skyships could even project huge 3D advertisement projections, as if the projection creations were revolving around the outer side of the trunk, while dazzling neon lights flowed out from the urban area inside the trunk.

In the skybridge frames built on the outer side of the World Tree, bustling crowds traveled back and forth, walking between different layers, bathing in the lights of these ads, which they were long accustomed to.

The Silver Gate skyship was gradually approaching the top layer of the ‘trunk area’ of World Tree City, where most of the governmental districts of Canaan Moore were built.

Ian had originally planned to go back to pack his luggage, ready to disembark the skyship with Yisen Gard and Anfa, but as the Silver Gate skyship gradually approached, the Canaan Moore elves walking on the top layer area and the surrounding skybridge suddenly cheered.

“Wow! It’s the Silver Gate skyship!”

“Such luck, to encounter it this late!”

“Awesome, now I have enough for the expenses for the next half month!”

Suddenly, many elves took out a small crystal plate from their belongings and scanned the Silver Gate skyship.

[—Thank you for supporting the Yinmen Household. Yafada Silvergate is sincerely at your service—]

[—1500 Ouna, credited—]

“…What?”

Though he didn’t have a crystal plate, Ian had a Silver Chip, and he directly captured the electronic signals flowing through the air, then widened his eyes slightly: “This is…”

“This is just a promotional strategy by the Ten Royal Blood Families.”

The green-haired elf girl silently approached Ian’s side, standing at the edge of the skyship, coldly watching the cheering elves: “As long as you see and photograph a skyship with the symbol of the Blood of the Ten Kings, and then like it in your personal crystal plate to show support, every eyewitness will receive a significant monetary reward.”

“I recall, once it’s like a thousand five Ouna? Probably about twelve to fifteen Talle, which is typically a few months’ wages for an ordinary worker. So every time a skyship of the Blood of the Ten Kings appears, it would inspire cheers and praise from people. A very simple strategy for garnering public support.”

“…Throwing money.”

Ian was silent for a while, noticing the genuine joy in those elves photographing the Silver Gate skyship, wondering how much of that joy could be transferred to the Blood of the Ten Kings. Maybe not a lot, but surely some—after all, just appearing brings the symbol of wealth, and as long as the Ten Royal Blood Families don’t do something outrageous, in this world with Sublimators, no elf would try to challenge their rule.

Simple. Crude. Effective. For Sublimators, as long as it’s effective, everything else is trivial.

“Oh oh! It’s the eldest lady of the Ashlight Family!”

Not far away, elves who were relatively close saw Ian and Anfa beside him. Recognizing Anfa’s appearance, they gasped in awe: “My goodness, such luck today?! To actually meet such a distinguished person!”

“How fortunate, is Ten Thousand Spirits blessing us?”

“Huai, upon us…”

Amidst the praises, many elves began to photograph Anfa, and the elf girl exposed to the public gaze showed not a hint of annoyance, instead flashing a business-like smile, raising her hand, and waving to all the elf crowds capturing her and liking her.

“Wow—Miss is waving to me!”

“Lady Anfa, we adore you!”

The cheers of the elves even formed a wave in mid-air.

[—Thank you for supporting the Ashlight Family. Anfa Rianide Ashlight is sincerely at your service—]

[—1000 Ouna, credited—]

Clearly—aside from representing family skyships and other facilities, those who directly see the person will naturally also receive rewards.

The wealth far exceeding what people need for daily life is controlled by the Blood of the Ten Kings, who have no need for assets that usually concern ordinary people, thus simply allocating part of it to convert public admiration and support for them and their family members individually.

Think about it… If a family’s presence just brings wealth to every spectator, can they still escape the public’s eye? Can they be unknown to the public?

And if such a person becomes a ruler, when people see them for the first time, do they think of joy and gains, or of the distant, fearsome ‘master’?

—The points needing fear are only necessary for the ‘Sublimators.’

—The Blood of the Ten Kings does not need the elves’ awe, but their admiration, longing, and respect.

“Welcome to Canaan Moore.”

As the skyship gradually entered a dedicated skyship entrance, disappearing amidst the cheers of many elves, Anfa lowered her gaze and softly said to the silent Ian: “Welcome to World Tree City.”

“This is the most prosperous and enthusiastic city on the whole Terra.”

“Bar none.”