Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 391 - 351: Old Acquaintance

Chapter 391: Chapter 351: Old Acquaintance

For Mond, was this the second time?

Xu Yang’s mind stirred with curiosity, but he did not show it on his face, maintaining a calm tone.

"So, what was the first technological civilization you saw like?" he asked.

"Prosperous, advanced," Mond sighed with regret, "Almost all the Ancient Mystics had seen that era, very much like the present day, developing production, using machines instead of handicraft, using science to explore the world. It’s hard not to feel that every civilization follows a similar path of development, hinting that you will make the same mistakes, rapidly advancing, encountering bottlenecks, then destruction."

"If we navigate to other stars, to pioneer deep space, we should be able to solve many problems," Xu Yang said, "The vast universe can provide infinite resources for development."

"Civilized races indeed have their own temperaments," Mond said with irony, "You have no fear, willing to sail towards madness and death, confront the abyss and fear head on. The Old Ones were terrified of the starry sky, so much so that they hid deep within the Giant Towers."

"Old Ones? Hiding deep within the Giant Towers... What’s the point of that?"

"The Old Ones wanted to isolate themselves from the starry sky so that witches would no longer appear among their race."

"They detested witches that much?"

"It’s less about detestation, and more about fear," Mond explained, "The bodies of the Old Ones were tougher and naturally stronger, so they weren’t as keen on human augmentation technology as you are, nor had they developed control chips, which means they couldn’t restrict the actions of witches or suppress their growth. Usually, they could only watch as the witches of their time became Empresses, wielding power, ruling over the entire Old Ones’ civilization. That’s why they entered the Giant Towers in droves, cutting themselves off from the starry sky. Everything has its price, doesn’t it? After the last witch of the Old Ones died, they eradicated the witches successfully, but their once-flourishing civilization also fell apart, leaving the world to us, until later, you gradually established a new civilization."

"I see..."

"The only mission of intelligent beings is to replicate their own genes," Mond said, "The Old Ones abandoned this mission and thus perished. You still have to obey your primal nature, to compete against the witches through procreation."

"Are there any traces of the Old Ones’ civilization left in this world?" Xu Yang pursued.

"Go find a Giant Tower," Mond was reluctant to elaborate, "... The so-called Secret Script is actually the language used by the Old Ones."

Xisheng Shrine. Xu Yang thought of the Giant Tower closest to him. But the landmark building, so prominent, was currently under lockdown by the Xisheng offspring.

"... It’s fascinating," Xu Yang had to admit, "I really want to meet the Old Ones and understand the causes of the rise and fall of civilizations. Thank you for your guidance."

"If only Farosa had been as reasonable as you are half of the time, she wouldn’t have been hunted down, forced to flee thousands of miles away," Mond turned, "The surviving Old Ones are living on their last legs, but they still possess their civilization’s endless power and ancient wisdom. There are things you can learn from them."

Mond led Xu Yang out of the palace, strolling on the city streets of the Moon Dragon Race, which were fundamentally a part of Xu Yang’s dream world—hence the citizens were all illusions.

"The resources on the moon are very limited," Mond said, "So they can only sustain a similarly limited existence, focusing on themselves. My most rebellious daughter couldn’t accept this kind of life, longing for the technological life, so she left the moon early on."

"After all, it’s the moon, unsuitable for living. Eventually, one must return to the Ground," Xu Yang speculated, "To be trapped on the moon forever would inevitably lead to conflicts."

"It’s a complex dilemma," Mond said, "Most of my descendants’ intelligence is hardly any better than that of primal animals. If they returned to surface society, they’d definitely fail to compete, ending up in museums, leather shops, and butcheries. Keeping them on the moon is a kind of protection. Sometimes I grow tired too; you see, I’m so busy taking care of them that I have no time to study the science of your Humans."

"Everyone has their own responsibilities to fulfill."

"Looking at you reminds me of my younger days," Mond scrutinized Xu Yang, "A rebel with a sense of responsibility and morality. It also means that sooner or later, we will become enemies."

"We still have a basis for cooperation."

"Yes, we have a basis for cooperation now, so we will certainly work together, but how can there be eternal and unchanging alliances in this world?" Mond spoke indifferently, "Time flies, and the current me is just an aging Elder Dragon, holding on to the past, doomed to stand on the opposite side of you. When interests diverge, sooner or later we will clash in arms, maybe on the moon, maybe on the Ground. When that time comes, remember to give it your all, because I will not show any mercy either."

Xu Yang nodded lightly. Talking with Mond was a unique experience.

They continued their walk, and when they looked up, they saw the "true form" of Mond, an epic giant dragon that covered the moon’s surface. From this perspective, they could only see Mond’s belly, covered in white scales, reflecting the sunlight and providing energy to the city like daylight.

Xu Yang wanted to continue speaking with Mond, but suddenly Mond’s belly split open. Its mountainous body crumbled inch by inch, with large cracks forming from the center until it fell apart like a punctured bubble. In its place was a childish face that spanned the whole sky.

"Quack—"

The elongated sound echoed in the dream, piercing every corner of the long dream. With this cry, Mond’s form also shook violently, ready to shatter at any moment.

"...When Farosa finishes her Ascension," Mond said before fading away, "bring her to me, and we will continue the negotiation in Moonlight Garden, formally establishing a truly powerful Transcendent Alliance..."

And then, the entire dream dissipated without a trace.

Xu Yang awoke to see Little Fool sitting at the edge of the bed, holding her empty milk bottle.

He rubbed his eyes, got up to prepare her formula, and Little Fool, who liked to follow Xu Yang, easily climbed onto his shoulder, grabbed the filled milk bottle, and enjoyed her food.

When he wasn’t in Shijin Mansion, Little Fool would sit obediently in one fixed spot, gazing at the scenery of Anjiu City, often able to sit for an entire day, not speaking to anyone, even if Yamano Sanae moved her. She would crawl back to her original spot on her own and refrain from eating or drinking. Only when Xu Yang returned would she begin to eat and drink something.

Little Fool might be the only one not afraid of Farosa the Witch, on the contrary, she regarded Farosa with an attitude of indifference, disdain, and even pity. Other witches longed intensely for the lost Farosa, but only Little Fool didn’t care.

"Quack bah." Little Fool, having had her fill, stuffed the empty milk bottle into her little backpack and then swept her indifferent, detached gaze around the room.

Xu Yang sat back against the headboard, browsing through the latest company operational reports.

The orders for Nestor-Tanaka Company were increasing by the day, with impressive profits. Last month, a total of 140 Type B Synthetic Humans were sold, with a turnover exceeding 70 million.

This month’s sales were at the same high level; so far, 200 Type B Synthetic Humans had been sold, with a vast amount of funds accumulating. He planned to reinvest them in reproduction to further expand the production scale.

Now, Nestor Industrial Park had already driven economic prosperity in the surrounding area.

Where there were factories, there were matching operational facilities, with other businesses, both large and small, settling in, turning the industrial park into a thriving place. It stood out significantly in the depressed economic environment, so much so that it caught the attention of reporters, with Kakuya Media calling it a paradigm of technological world change.

Thus, by next spring, the production capacity should reach over 500 Type B Synthetic Humans per month, manufacturing around 17 daily, providing more combat power. For every Synthetic Human on the battlefield, one less ordinary person risks their life on the front lines.

Xu Yang checked the report. Currently, the only limit to production capacity was Black Fire Innovation’s hunting ships.

They roamed the waters around the Northern Archipelago, working like wolf packs to hunt down transport ships. Although they had not yet waged war against Black Fire Innovation, their presence had diminished the confidence of shipping companies, leading them to reduce transport scales, effectively creating a certain extent of a blockade.

Only by weakening Black Fire Innovation’s influence could the Northern Archipelago truly achieve economic recovery. Being islands, the local food and energy supply depended on imports.

Fortunately, after several months of operation, Nestor Cooperative Company had come online, currently piloting in Asagi Township and expanding its agricultural branch, striving to prevent famine.

Under current technological conditions and production states, "farmers" had become a historical term. In their place, specialized agricultural workers used precise, advanced agricultural machinery, pooled resources to purchase agricultural robots, and like industry, agriculture realized an automated process. At the same time, based on a cooperative system, a certain degree of labor self-organization was established.

Nestor Cooperative Company brought together a large group of laborers with various knowledge and skills, achieving many things. The hardest part was the initial step; the pioneers of the first two weeks displayed remarkable courage in establishing the initial homestead in a harsh environment without internet and poor infrastructure. Now that the scale has expanded, living conditions have greatly improved.

This is the triumph of humans.

Another major player is "Golden Branch."