Legend of the Cyber Heroes
Chapter 912 - 157: Old and Dead

Chapter 912: Chapter 157: Old and Dead

Ola Freeman’s secluded place is not wealthy either. Xiang Shan only added some equipment, but resources to create new vehicles cannot be gathered in the short term.

The vehicle that Xiang Shan had destroyed cannot be replenished quickly.

Xiang Shan had to stuff Panic back into that independent escape pod and then into the mouth of the large whale.

This time traveling with Xiang Shan was a large whale named "Hopetman."

Hopetman is a gray whale. If there are no surprises, she should also be the last gray whale in the world. In two hundred years, she and her mother, grandmother, this family, have relied on cloning technology for three generations. She was born from the womb of another female humpback whale. Her mother had also given birth to cloned humpback whales. When one of them suddenly experienced a decline in health, other whales would extend their aid with this kind of flesh fin.

This is how the relics of the great catastrophe have survived generation after generation.

Hopetman’s body has also passed its peak, starting to decline. In another ten years or so, Freeman will find a way to clone her next generation—or herself.

If her body swiftly deteriorates over the next decade and becomes unsuitable for reproduction, Freeman will also arrange for other young whales to complete this task.

Hopetman also carries several young killer whales. The number of killer whales and several species of dolphins increased relatively more, surviving individuals were more numerous two hundred years ago.

Also departing from the secluded place were dolphin Kledec and Sissy. These two dolphins are the best dolphin leaders in the settlement.

Kledec can proficiently arrange various tasks and respond to situations. Over the past ten years, Kledec has shown excellence. Freeman even described his efficiency in completing tasks as superior to many humans.

Sissy is Kledec’s best partner.

Hmm, but Xiang Shan also heard another version of the story. It is said that Sissy once wailed and cried in dolphin fashion, demanding that Kledec take her along. Sissy is Panic’s best friend among the dolphins. The loyal dolphin truly liked that human child.

In addition to the aforementioned members, Xiang Shan also added a new partner.

The martial artist who always refused to reveal his name.

The hero originally belonging to the White Fleet Prosthetics Followers.

Xiang Shan looked with interest at the guy using the fish-shaped prosthetic body, swiftly swimming in the ocean currents, and said: "Brother, are you planning to come out again and practice chivalry?"

The person was silent for a moment and then said: "Honestly, I haven’t decided yet."

"Hmm?"

"In the beginning, I stayed, thinking I was tired from fighting and wanted to rest temporarily. But I have rested for a hundred years... After a hundred years of peaceful living, I seem to have gotten used to it here."

Xiang Shan nodded: "This is a good place... At least in our eyes as humans."

The whales must suppress their voices all their lives, carefully mixing their songs with the background noise of the ocean and the crust to avoid being detected by the outside world. Due to different perceptions, humans are unaware of this. If Freeman didn’t remind him, Xiang Shan would also involuntarily forget that this is a group of sufferers living in quiet fear amused by adversity—humans just instinctively find the place very harmonious.

The martial artist sighed: "I admit that I really like it here. But I think I stay here not just because I like it... When I first stayed, I felt mentally exhausted, but also that I owed the dolphins a huge debt, so there was the thought of repaying the favor. Then I thought I truly fell in love with this place."

Here, the martial artist fell silent. Xiang Shan did not probe further. In the quiet ocean, only the sound of whale movement remained.

Still, that martial artist could not help but sigh: "But I recently started to feel that it’s purely... I’m done for. I’m old."

"It’s probably not referring to natural lifespan." Xiang Shan looked at the martial artist and said.

The martial artist shook his head: "Of course not. I’ve used the Restoring Enzyme many times. From a cellular level, my brain is still quite young. But... my mind, or my soul, may have already grown old."

"I was born in the era of the Fourth Martial God. For the sake of chivalry, I fought for sixty years. In sixty years, I kept honing myself and being involved in battles. Many people from the old era say they worked hard for a lifetime for something, fought for a lifetime. However, excluding childhood and time in school, it’s uncertain if they truly pressed for one thing for sixty years. The lifespan of Homo sapiens is too short... No, our lifespan is too long."

Xiang Shan nodded.

—— Every time you reincarnate is a reset of mindset! So you fundamentally don’t understand us who’ve lived till now! We who’ve already failed many times!

Kanhara Kotoba’s words flashed through his consciousness once more.

This is probably not because of aging, but because of "defeat."

Aging cannot take the passion away from the human heart. Xiang Shan heard that in past Japan, there was a painter renowned globally. He was the most famous artist of that era, his works even influencing numerous celebrities in Europe. He claimed to have "truly been born at fifty." Even at the last moments of his life, this painter lamented, "If you let me live another ten years... or even five years, I would surely become a real painter."

Xiang Shan always felt that what takes away that kind of vigor from humans is not aging but the feeling of defeat. And "my life is only this long, my victory conditions will decline at a certain point, this is an insurmountable barrier," is the biggest failure humans have to face.

If the lifespan limitation of humans is correctly lifted, humans will naturally adapt to it.

Maybe he was thinking too simply.

Even though humans have mastered technology to roam the skies and depths, the human mind is still akin to hunter-gatherers on the African land ten thousand years ago.

Perhaps the despair and defeat brought by "death" can be alleviated, physiological aging can be reversed, but the human mind has still not been completely changed.

The underlying configuration of humans only requires a life of thirty to forty years to complete the task of reproduction. The structure of humans’ bodies, minds, all configurations exist for this purpose.

But human technology allows humans to live to three or four hundred years.

Xiang Shan said: "I hope you find the answers you’re looking for, unknown friend."