MTLNOVEL Chapter 486: Midnight
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
N4 crossed her arms, looking at him suspiciously:
"You need to understand, if you go there now, at the Iota Rank (9) level, Lord Entropy will immediately burst forth to confront you, and you won't be able to descend to Azure Star."
"Moreover, I must remind you, once Lord Entropy erupts and awakens, it will immediately exhibit power far beyond that of an ordinary Kappa (10). That's not something like the Eye of the Galaxy, and there is no Dark Star Domain around Azure Star. It's absolutely impossible for you to replicate your previous actions against that mecha pilot—to seal or trap Lord Entropy."
"I've researched a lot of information, and even for those at the Kappa Rank, confronting Lord Entropy only leads to one outcome—complete obliteration."
She cited numerous cases extensively, stating that even when dozens of Kappa Rank individuals banded together to kill, they were unable to vanquish Lord Entropy, even struggling to exile him.
"This is not something you should face. Listen to me, you've gathered so much equipment and manpower. It shouldn't be wasted on Azure Star. Now dive into the Submergence Starry Abyss, break through to Kappa (10), and then return. You could—"
"...You're saying by then there won't be an Azure Star left?"
N4 held her forehead:
"You have no obligation to keep guarding that planet. Be rational, old man, just like before. When it's time to give up, give up. Holding onto Azure Star doesn't benefit you at all. It'll only delay your progress. Besides, you're fundamentally no match for Lord Entropy."
"[I have a way to counter Lord Entropy]? Very well, and then what? I know your thoughts, in advancing further on the Pathway, even if you're one rank below Kappa, at least you can reduce the gap—but it's useless. No matter how far you advance on the Pathway, a rank is a rank."
"[Don't question whether I should, question if I can]? You should understand, your life has long ceased to belong to you—do I need to be more direct? You still have over ten million children and a Longevity Breed partner waiting for you. Are you going to let them lose their father and partner?"
"[I have an Immortal Body]—there you go again. Indeed, you're the reincarnation of Leoz, but Leoz was an unremarkable being. You once told Xides you could oppose Gaia because you carried the creator's mandate. But now? Your mandate is just a tiny bit of legacy from your past life. Such a minuscule heritage isn't something to flaunt."
"...Are you serious?"
N4 was silent for a moment, then began massive calculations and nodded:
"Yes, theoretically, it's feasible, but if you do this, the price you'll have to pay when diving into the Submergence Starry Abyss will be greater. By then, how will you return?"
"Is that so?"
"Then I must admire your ability to make such a decision, Lord Li Aozi."
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The President's Office of the Sky Ring Republic wasn't transformed from the royal palace foundation of the Old Kingdom era. After re-establishing the Republic, the Ring King and his retainers accepted reform, becoming ordinary Republic citizens, and the palace was converted into a museum for tourists to visit.
The new government center is named Phantom Palace, a highly intelligent administrative center. The top five floors house the Republic Council, the first three floors the House of Representatives, and the middle two floors are the institution known as Sky Ring National Security, abbreviated to SSG, restructured from its predecessor, SIA.
In order to break away from the past of the Sky Ring Country, the Sky Ring constitution pledged to relinquish the right to wage war on other countries. The previous private armies and security companies were comprehensively suppressed and eliminated.
In terms of national power, only the 500,000 Red Army, with a 3 million police force nationwide and a gendarmery of just 9,000 personnel, is retained, making it the weakest among the Four Nations.
However, it was precisely due to the determination to follow a peaceful path that brought many opportunities for development to the nascent Republic. Foreign capital poured into this nation of six hundred million people, bringing an abundance of orders and job opportunities. The Red Clan Party also seized the opportunity to launch a lifelong education system, extending educational time, and establishing numerous cooperative schools to help citizens avoid unemployment during the transformation period.
Sky Ring's transformation has undoubtedly been very successful. After choosing peace, the council proposed many measures to boost national income and friendly diplomatic policies, continuously optimizing infrastructure, allowing Sky Ring to embark on a path of gentle economic development.
The highly liberal attitude of Phantom Palace welcomed goodwill from many small and medium-sized countries and the Outer World. People flocked to Phantom Palace, and even with the government facilities simplifying procedures repeatedly, they couldn't stop the fervor of foreign capital.
Forty years passed, and the per capita GDP of Republic citizens almost doubled compared to the Old Kingdom period, while prices went up by just twenty percent. Massive investments in education and infrastructure successfully provided the nation with highly skilled personnel, allowing the People of Sky Ring to live in peace and happiness.
Yet, the prosperity of Phantom Palace seems like just a mirage.
At this moment, the grand events of international visits to Phantom Palace have long vanished. The grassroots administrative halls are no longer open, with tens of thousands of people stuck outside the streets, filled with panic.
They roughly divided into two groups, wielding shields and smoke bombs. If not for military and police maintaining order, the two sides would almost come to blows.
One side shouted "We want peace, not war!", "Stay rational", while the other screamed angrily, "A weak stance only leads to a weak nation," "Expand the military immediately," "Drive the Red Arrow bastards out!"
Shaa—
Closing the blinds, Prime Minister Gretto Yegg no longer watched the confrontation of protesters downstairs. Returning to his seat, he held his forehead with one hand, remained silent, and was full of worry.
"We must take some action, Comrade Prime Minister."
House Speaker Lai Chenshun said anxiously:
"The Empire's army is at our doorstep, ready to breach the treaty at any moment. Whether we choose war or surrender, we must prepare quickly, or it will be too late."
"I've already contacted the Empire's foreign minister, hoping he will call His Majesty Rudolf. The world is in peril, and at such a time, humanity should unite to face the crisis. We in Sky Ring do not wish for war, and the people of both nations should feel the same. We hope to prevent war in any possible way."
Gretto said solemnly:
"Foreign Minister Park Youtian previously mentioned that he knows Karlz von Deshuen is not a man of arrogance. If we relinquish Aidahua's sovereignty, we might avoid war."
"But if we do that, we'll forever lose the northern 12 provinces, as much as 6 million square kilometers of land!"
Sky Ring Minister of Justice Jiro Sato said in pain:
"That's 9 million people's water sources, minerals, and 188 frontier cities. If we really do this, the hawkish parties in the country will go completely insane, even starting a revolution."
"This is the Empire's intent: either civil war or going to war with the Red Arrow Empire. Either way, Emperor Rudolf doesn't want us to maintain a peaceful state."
Phantom Palace's spokesperson Li Benfang finished speaking just as he received a message, and immediately said to Gretto:
"Comrade Prime Minister, President Narrow Space Mirror has already mobilized the 1st Mobile Unit of the Red Army, and they're on their way, arriving soon."
"Are they mobilizing the Red Army into the capital at this time?"
"The militant mobs could threaten national security, and deploying the military for maintaining order or protecting the capital is the best choice."
"But doing so would provoke the Empire, making them think we're ignoring their threats."
"We can't just wait for death."