...What in the world was going on?
Ron stared at the text on the light screen, feeling for a moment like his brain had short-circuited.
He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, wondering if he had misread something.
But the words on the screen remained unchanged, spelling out the current reality in black and white...
The text on the light screen faded, and a new image materialized.
Ron examined the scene closely, rubbing his eyes once more. He had a nagging feeling he had seen this before.
He wasn't mistaken. A rebellion had broken out in the Underworld. Countless fighters with red ribbons tied around their arms had flooded into Belobog's Overworld, igniting the flames of war in Alexandra Square of the Administrative District. It was virtually identical to the previous rebellion led by Bronya.
How could this be happening? I was only at the Herta Space Station for less than a month. How can I be greeted with such explosive news the moment I return?
Ron watched the screen, his head swimming in confusion. In the image, countless fighters with red armbands brandished crude weapons forged in the mines. They charged ferociously into Alexandra Square, confronting the Silvermane Guards who were already in full formation, standing in wait.
Cocolia stood before the Silvermane Guards, a majestic and imposing figure. She held the Lance of Preservation high, calmly issuing commands.
Countless Titan mechs suddenly burst forth from all corners of the city, swarming the battlefield like harvesters. They effortlessly swept through the crowds, sending the hot-headed Underworld fighters falling like stalks of wheat under the mechs' assault...
The image on the screen faded away, replaced by new lines of text:
[The war ended far faster than you could have imagined.]
[In truth, it couldn't even be called a "war"—the completely asymmetrical power levels turned the clash into a near-laughable affair. The Underworld fighters couldn't hold on for even a second against the Titans' offensive.]
[Their already disorganized formation was effortlessly shattered by the Titan mechs. The surging tide of soldiers devolved into a routed swarm of bees, buzzing about Alexandra Square like headless chickens.]
[The performance of these Titans was also somewhat comical. They were supposedly fighting a war against the Underworld army, but in reality, it looked more like emergency disaster relief—]
[The collapsing formation created a terrifying human stampede. Fear drove the Underworld fighters to run blindly, making it easy for people to be trampled into a silent, pulpy mess, or for them to crash into the wave of the crowd and be crushed into bloody paste.]
[But these giant Titan mechs became their final line of protection...]
[The mechs weaved through the chaotic crowd, precisely using their anti-gravity modules to lift one endangered Underworld fighter after another. They would then gently set them down, allowing the waiting Silvermane Guards to easily capture them and slap on heavy-duty steel handcuffs...]
Reading the text on the screen, Ron was left somewhat speechless.
He remained silent for a long while, feeling a bit helpless.
"If you don't have the skills, don't take on the job... The Overworld today isn't a city that can be taken by an assault like this. Didn't they look at what happened to Bronya before starting a war?"
Ron muttered to himself instinctively, but he wasn't overly surprised by the situation. He didn't find this rebellion too strange.
After all... if even Bronya could rebel against Cocolia, what couldn't happen on Jarilo-VI?
The resentment between the Underworld and the Overworld was already deep-seated. Although Cocolia had become much more rational in this simulation, it had only been a few months since she escaped the Stellaron's influence. Just managing the Overworld was a difficult task; she had neither the opportunity nor the time to reorganize the Underworld.
Therefore, the conflict between the two districts had not been resolved by Cocolia's change. In fact, due to her efforts, the lives of the Overworld citizens were improving, which only widened the gap with the miners of the Underworld.
It was only natural that the miners' resentment towards the Overworld residents would intensify.
Furthermore, based on her behavior in previous simulations, while Natasha was clearly prudent, Seele had always held a considerable disdain for Cocolia.
She was highly aggressive towards Cocolia. The possibility of her uniting Wildfire and launching a rebellion with their support wasn't small at all.
Ron didn't dwell on the matter. He tapped the light screen before him, watching as the text faded and new lines appeared:
[The farcical drama did not last long.]
[The Underworld's population of miners was never large to begin with, and the army they formed was even smaller. They could only manage that single charge.]
[You watched as the Titan mechs skillfully used their anti-gravity modules to move all the enemy combatants, dropping them into the hands of the Silvermane Guards who were waiting to take prisoners. All the fighters were escorted into Qlipoth Fort to await judgment on their future.]
[After the Titans had cleaned up the battlefield, a crestfallen Seele finally appeared among the remnants of her army, kneeling on the ground in despair.]
[This defeat had clearly struck her hard, but she didn't know that an even greater blow to her pride was yet to come.]
[Cocolia calmly walked up to her, sized her up for a few moments, and then effortlessly grabbed the back of her collar. As if lifting a small, struggling kitten baring its claws, she hoisted Seele up and dragged her towards the interior of Qlipoth Fort...]
[You have to admire Cocolia's competence. This was the second rebellion in a short period, yet she still crushed the rebels' offensive with ease, effortlessly quelling the Underworld's uprising.]
[Perhaps with Cocolia around, you don't need to worry about the various trivial matters within Belobog. She can easily resolve these scattered troubles... but that is not your concern right now.]
[You quickly entered Qlipoth Fort and found Cocolia as she was handling these miscellaneous affairs.]
[She was delighted by your return and immediately put down her work, temporarily pushing the arrangements for the prisoners of war to the back of her mind. She didn't even pay much attention to Seele, the main culprit of the rebellion, simply tossing her into the Supreme Guardian's residence to be placed under house arrest with Bronya, enjoying the same treatment as the next Supreme Guardian.]
[She asked you about everything you encountered on the Herta Space Station, inquiring in great detail about what you gained and experienced, clearly very interested in your time there.]
[There was naturally no need to hide these minor details. You only concealed your encounter with the History Fictionologist in the Simulated Universe and the change in Herta's attitude towards you, telling Cocolia everything else without omission.]
[Furthermore, you informed Cocolia that you would be staying in orbit around Jarilo-VI for an extended period, beginning research on the Stellaron aboard your large research vessel.]
[She wholeheartedly approved of your choice, even wanting to urge you to begin your research on the Stellaron immediately.]
[She believes that there is nothing in Belobog that requires your attention at the moment. In fact, as long as she is here, no trouble that could threaten Belobog's foundation will arise. There is no need for you to stay in Belobog for too long.]
Reading the text on the screen, Ron didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"I literally just got back, why is Cocolia already trying to chase me away..."
He quipped casually but still tapped the screen, allowing the simulation to proceed.
Ron had no interest in staying in Belobog city either. It was indeed better to spend that time back on the research ship studying the Stellaron...
The text on the light screen faded away, and new lines appeared:
[At Cocolia's urging, you bid her farewell. You hastily returned to the snowy plains outside Belobog, piloted the small escape craft, and lifted off from the ice and snow. Breaking free of Jarilo-VI's gravity, you arrived in the planet's orbit.]
[You controlled your small escape craft to dock with the large research vessel, returning aboard with ease.]
[As soon as you were on board, your crew members immediately approached, informing you that they had already made preparations and set up a sealed laboratory for your research on the Stellaron.]
The text on the screen faded, and a new option box slowly materialized:
[After your crew set up the research site for the Stellaron to satisfy your thirst for knowledge, you felt a slight hesitation before entering the lab.]
[You were not hesitating about whether you should conduct the research, but rather how you should go about it.]
[Herta's gift to you is immensely generous, and you have a vague inkling of the consequences that using it might bring...]
[Will you bear those consequences to devise a plan for the Stellaron's use with the utmost speed and perfection? Or will you try to rely on your own strength with only a small portion of the gift, in an attempt to avoid that fated price?]
[You fall into deep thought, needing to make a choice—]
[1. Fully utilize Herta's Gift.
Since Herta has already given you this gift, there is no reason not to use it.
The so-called threat that makes even Aeons uneasy has not yet appeared before you, but the social conflicts in Belobog and the remnants of the Antimatter Legion you will face in the future are very real... Only by solving the problems at hand will you have a chance to face the dangers of the future.
You decide to fully activate Herta's gift of knowledge. You will receive the full bonus from the "Herta's Gift (Red)" Trait and rapidly research knowledge related to the Stellaron.]
[2. Do not utilize Herta's Gift.
You have long understood the true nature of Herta's gift... Nous, The Erudition, secretly authorized this gift while hiding in the shadows, hoping to obtain the answer It desires from you—
But this is not without a price.
You know this price is one Belobog can hardly afford... An event that would cause even Aeons to panic must not occur on Jarilo-VI, not even as a possibility.
You decide to forgo using Herta's gift of knowledge. Until you choose to activate it, your "Herta's Gift (Red)" Trait will be significantly weakened, and you will lose the Miracle Event trigger bonus.]
[3. Utilize a small portion of Herta's Gift.
One should not be too extreme in any matter; the middle path is the true principle...
You are aware of the crisis Herta's gift might bring, and you are also aware of the troubles Belobog currently faces. Therefore, you decide to choose a middle ground in using this gift—
You will use Herta's gift of knowledge, but only limited to the conclusions she herself drew from studying the Stellaron within her space station...
A future crisis is still a crisis. You do not wish to solve Belobog's immediate problems only to be overtaken by a future disaster, watching helplessly as Jarilo-VI slides into the abyss of destruction.
You decide to activate a small portion of Herta's gift of knowledge. You will lose the massive bonus from the "Herta's Gift (Red)" Trait, and the Miracle Event trigger bonus will be greatly reduced.]
Looking at the options on the light screen, Ron couldn't help but hesitate.
He wavered between options two and three for a long time before finally sighing and choosing the third.
The reason was quite simple. Just as the option descriptions stated, Ron absolutely did not want to face the potential future trouble that could alarm even an Aeon, but he also couldn't afford for his research to be too slow, causing Jarilo-VI to completely lose its chance for revival...
Option three, the one that walked the middle path, was the best choice.
Ron thought to himself, watching as the options on the screen faded and new text emerged:
[You choose to utilize a small portion of the gift Herta gave you, beginning your research on the Stellaron with this knowledge.]
[The research process is not smooth. The unique nature of the Stellaron makes it difficult to even know where to begin, despite having Herta's gift. It is extremely frustrating...]
[Time passes in a flash. Just when you think you will need to devote more energy to the Stellaron, perhaps even consider using more of Herta's gift of knowledge—]
[Herta suddenly appears on the research vessel and knocks on the door of your laboratory.]