Chapter 35: Heading Towards the Peak [Requesting monthly tickets, recommendation votes, and bookmarks]

34. Reaching the Peak

The soldiers supported the coffins containing the remains of the martyrs, passing them one by one onto the conveyor belt for cremation. They would ultimately be buried on the land of the Dawn Planet.

That was their new home, the home of the Fourth Civilization, which they had protected with their lives.

Returning to the earth was the lifelong wish of all, and it would become the most sublime ritual of the Fourth Civilization.

Watching this scene unfold, Tang Xiao felt a knot of fire tightening in his chest, an urge that demanded release. Although, at this moment, he was only expected to maintain a posture of silent mourning, he felt he owed an explanation to these fallen martyrs, and to all the living.

"...Fate brought us onto this mothership and gathered us together. Fate brought us to this unknown universe to face countless challenges. And it was fate that brought vicious pirates to our doorstep just as we were beginning our journey."

"We can complain about everything, but please remember: fate has never allowed us to give up."

Tang Xiao glanced at everyone around him and continued, "If someone were to ask me if I believe in fate, I would tell them that I both believe and do not believe."

"I believe that everything in the unseen realm is arranged, and I believe there is an invisible hand behind the scenes constantly manipulating all living beings. But I do not believe—I do not believe that anyone, or any existence, can decide our future! Raise your hands, and all things in the world are within your control; take a step forward, and the road to the future lies beneath your feet!"

"If someone tells me I am destined to fall, I will tell them that I will walk more steadily than anyone else! If my feet fail me, I will use my hands; if my hands are not enough, I will grasp the hands of millions upon millions of people!! But we will absolutely never fall! We will never submit to so-called fate!"

"Our Fourth Civilization has endured too much! The ravages of three cataclysms cost us everything! We lost the Milky Way, we lost Earth, we lost our homes! But now, we have arrived here! In this new universe!"

"We shall no longer fail!"

"We shall fight without end!"

"We shall rise again!"

"Because we are the Fourth Civilization!"

Having finished, Tang Xiao stepped down from the high platform, personally lifting a jar of ashes, and shouted loudly, "A salute to the forty-two martyrs, and to the millions of martyrs of the future!"

"Salute the martyrs!" everyone shouted in unison. They stood at attention and saluted, their eyes glistening with tears.

The soldiers on both sides pulled their bolts and pulled their triggers; the assault rifles let out a series of crisp shots, sending off all the martyrs.

Looking into those fervent eyes, Tang Xiao took a deep breath, a faint flicker of electricity seemingly dancing in his palm.

...

On the Dawn Planet, upon a sun-facing hillside, the grass was lush and the sunlight was bright. A gentle breeze brushed past, making the grass rustle softly, bringing the scent of nature to the forefront.

Tang Xiao stood at the top of the hill, silent as he looked at the forty-two additional graves. In front of each grave stood a tombstone shaped like a four-armed galaxy, engraved with the names and life stories of the martyrs.

As he sank deeper into his position as the Administrator, Tang Xiao felt himself gradually immersing into this world, accepting his role. Especially when facing these forty-two sacrifices, Tang Xiao found that he could no longer view everything from the perspective of a bystander.

He was grieving, he was passionate, he was frustrated, and he was excited—all for the sake of the living beings in this world.

Yes, he was now one of them.

Looking up at the sky, the massive gas giant Endo hung in the air, occupying most of his field of vision. Tang Xiao murmured to himself, "You brought me to this universe; what exactly do you want me to do? Since you won't say, then I shall just go and do it... do what I want to do..."

Tang Xiao's gaze grew intense as he lowered his eyes toward a thriving town ahead.

Dawn City, a city in the making.

The city no longer resembled the shantytown it once was. Four or five-story buildings were gradually appearing, and massive wind turbines stood nearby, their slender blades rotating slowly with the wind.

Below the distant mountains, the mining sites were completed, and steel mills and processing plants had begun operations, with white water vapor rising from tall chimneys. Trucks laden with goods shuttled between the mines, factories, and the city.

Near the lake, four large-scale hydroponic farms with diameters exceeding 50 meters had been constructed. Hemispherical glass domes completely sealed the interiors, simulating Earth's climatic environment to grow various types of Earth crops.

Over a dozen fishing boats were busy on the lake, casting nets to harvest the nearly inexhaustible fish resources. This lake was connected to the Dawn Planet's underground water network; one could say that all the fish on the entire planet could be caught here.

On the other side of the city lay open-air farms and livestock bases, where diligent agricultural workers operated advanced machinery.

There was also a giant waste collector built within a secluded canyon. All the sewage and waste produced by the city and factories, as well as a large amount of excrement, were concentrated there for processing. Naturally, that area was a place where no stranger would dare to tread.

Regardless, given the unique terrain of the Dawn Planet, the existence of the giant waste collector indeed served the function of protecting the environment and centralizing sewage treatment.

Of course, one had to get used to having a mountain of shit—or rather, a mountain shaped like shit—near one's home.

The population of Dawn City had exceeded 5,000, and various facilities had begun to take shape. Fire departments, security bureaus, water and power departments, administrative offices, and more were all operational.

There were even two schools established in the city. However, since the vast majority of the current population consisted of adults of working age, and the primary method of learning for the adopted frozen embryos was through information input, both schools were technical vocational colleges.

One school taught various professional subjects for residents looking to expand their skill sets, while the other specialized in teaching Galactic Standard Language. There were plans to open primary schools for children, but those plans had been sidelined while construction was needed everywhere.

However, the city's development had now entered a bottleneck period. The modular buildings carried by the mothership had been exhausted; to build new structures, they would have to use local materials and build from scratch. This included cement, rebar, factory equipment, and parts, all of which required the establishment of manufacturing plants.

Tang Xiao walked down the hillside and entered Dawn City. The place was orderly, and every resident was immersed in their feverish work. Although there were endless tasks every day, everyone was genuinely happy to see Dawn City growing day by day under his hands.

This was their home.

"Hello, Administrator."

"Salute to you!"

"Administrator, these are pumpkins just harvested from our farm, would you like to try some?"

Seeing Tang Xiao enter the city, the residents greeted him one after another, though it did not interrupt their work. They would briefly pause, bow to Tang Xiao, and then immediately return to their tasks.

Tang Xiao smiled and greeted everyone. In his heart, he made a silent decision—

That's right. If you are going to let me transmigrate, then right now, I am going to march toward the peak of the Milky Way!