Chapter 1215

NO. 119: A horde of beasts, like countless stars……staring (3k)

The academic evolution of the Holy Terra Federation is highly dynamic.

For example, Xin Tiaoqi has long been enrolled in the online course "Monster Studies," and in recent years there have been rumors that this niche specialty has gradually gained weight, even with clear, though modest, improvements in professional rankings, but the actual results……

are not ideal.

After all, monster attacks are infrequent, and monster farming requires navigating layers of bureaucratic review, with sales channels being narrow and restrictive; compared to practical life research, it makes more sense as a biological weapon.

But even as a biological weapon, monsters, and even ultra-beasts, are somewhat unqualified as commodities.

The issue is not cost—after all, if you can sway a normally thinking Aopo person, once you create an ultra-beast manufacturing machine, the production cost of ultra-beasts drops immediately, making it quite viable for interstellar trade.

But don't even think about selling them in the Star Alliance jurisdiction of this universe.

Because the Federation's most cost-effective biological weapons are still various Earth residents.

Mercenary hiring channels have been battle-tested for millennia into a mature system, whether legal or illegal, offering immense diversity and scale—something ultra-beasts can't even begin to rival.

And if you want to use them yourself, indulging in Aopo nostalgia……let's not even consider the still-undisclosed whispers of the Ultramen; just the various Earth residents and extradimensional beings alone are enough to leave cosmic yokels thirsting for more, not to mention the Ultraman Embassy orbiting near the Gate of Heaven City, where aside from a few clerical guards, there's a group of eager young Ultramen flexing their fists.

Recently, there's been news of Sai Luo and Jie De appearing, which has indeed shaken the stock market trends of monster-related industries, leaving Clara over there frequently shaking her head and sharply criticizing industry quacks.

Academic evolution prospects are tied to market trends—a starkly practical truth of the Federation, which I'll also explain to you today. jpg

And now that you understand this foundation, let us solemnly introduce the mental specialty chosen by Miss Dazhenhan.

Psionics is the original mental health specialty, dating back thousands of years as a field of mysticism, later subsumed under the domain of psionic energy.

But since two thousand years ago, due to the unprecedented development and openness of psionic energy, what was merely a budding scientific field with little room for growth—frequently visited by time travelers—was forcibly elevated and popularized, beginning a gradual progression onto a developmental path.

Thereafter, the psionics-exclusive position within mental science began to waver.

Researchers without supernatural abilities approached mental science from a scientific perspective, pursuing the heights of psionic energy as latecomers, which should have remained unattainable, yet proved that scientific superiority lies not only in overly accessible, low-barrier technologies, but also in the materialist mindset of scientists that delivers academic impact.

The psionic understanding of mind can equally serve as a stepping stone for scientific research; countless scientists have stood on the shoulders of mystics, catching up to a millennium of accumulation in a century, while simultaneously, their mindset profoundly influenced the development of the psionic industry.

Innumerable psionic practitioners who knew the "what" but not the "why" began conducting research like scientists, extracting family secret arts and sect manuals for reverse analysis, sparking a surge of astonishing research activity.

Even the birth of the Heart of Terra is inseparable from the tail end of that glorious, radiant era.

The psychic pollution caused by the starship crash further provided fresh momentum for research on both sides.

But this digresses.

The mental specialty, refined from psionics into a minor discipline, evolved into a major field encompassing both psionic and scientific tracks, only truly realized as an academic transformation over thirty years ago.

Though a hundred schools contend, it is far from harmonious—utterly barbaric growth, two academic fields mutually attacking, achieving only a superficial fusion.

Hmm, superficial.

In fact, even under a single system, each mental department still competes, holds differing opinions, just like the arts-sciences divide widespread in Dongyan education.

But just as the arts-sciences conflict is mostly confined to student years, once one truly enters the workforce, they hardly care anymore—at most, they fantasize about what they'd be like had they switched majors, and the work environment is a crucial factor.

After entering the workforce, people usually cluster with peers in the same field; allied professions often become unrelated, life paths diverge like stars and commerce—even if working at the same company, they mostly only meet once a year at the annual gathering.

Never interacting again in life is precisely the excellent remedy for eliminating all prejudice and hostility.

Therefore, facing Dr. Terresia, dual-major in Psionic Spiritual Perception and Computer Engineering, I had already learned from colleagues after the meeting that PRTS was not merely a company system, but also the doctor's longtime assistant, and could even be said to be the former administrator of the Black Crown, bearing the name Prucess—Aomo Lindun—had thus emerged from the same bewildered state as Ms. Holohaiya at the meeting.

Yes, Ms. Holohaiya, whom Aomo last saw during the Qixi Festival at the Gate of Heaven City, where she, together with Ms. Lin, Ms. Xi, and Ms. Ubika, constructed that semi-real, semi-false Qixi checkpoint.

The surplus fish in the office made Aomo feel it was likely real; he occasionally misses the shout of the "Heavenly Book Scholar," and lately has been pondering new thoughts, wondering whether the brother named "Ji" of that Ling and Shu pair is related to the "Zhi."

But this has nothing to do with that winged, tailed feathered serpent lady.

That lady is merely a historian, folklorist, mercenary, and textual consultant—her identities are many, and she enjoys adopting the consultant role, sounding almost like Aomo's peer, but according to the demon who heard her before the meeting exchanging mild reproach with the doctor and Dr. Kael-shi, this feathered serpent lady is not part of the project team, and the transferred team naturally lacks her.

That makes sense.

Though she is knowledgeable in history, folklore, and textual studies—likely holding a doctorate—this project team, designated for the Grilizaka card simulation, has no room for her expertise in that area.

But she likely has her own information sources and social networks.

She acted first, arriving early at this demon realm base to meet everyone, and took her seat in the meeting.

Without saying more, at least she secured Terresia's consent; after the meeting, she departed alongside the man with unnaturally golden hair, Manfred.

This treatment makes her a VIP, more or less.

Of course, the one detained by Terresia after the meeting—perhaps not in a position to fairly evaluate her.

"Are you curious about her?" asked the pink-white-haired figure walking ahead.

Clearly, when we first met, there were no greetings; everyone simply sat down according to the name tags on the long conference table, then immediately dispersed after the meeting, forming small groups of three or five to chat about the follow-up.

Aomo also hurried to find Miss Miulseces for gossip, and indeed got the scoop—so as not to end up like a confused Salisakaz or Ferdia, living like a lost Liboli, and he prepared to follow them out, preferably hitching a free ride.

But he was stopped by Terresia, who raised her hand while whispering something to the doctor.

Quite hesitant.

Quite awkward.

Like the feeling when school ends and you're about to run off with friends, only to be singled out by the homeroom teacher.

Even beside the homeroom stood a doctor and a discipline supervisor (referring to p-face Terresis), but back then it was merely awkward, since Aomo Lindun is who he is—the discipline supervisor knows him well, and the elderly doctor hired by the school holds him in high regard, so this combination doesn't frighten him.

But when he walked over, that doctor and discipline supervisor instead each said their farewells and stepped ahead first.

Then he grew nervous.

He wasn't a class officer; being called by the homeroom teacher usually meant only a grade hiccup—like suppressing scores so badly the teacher couldn't stand it, thinking you should still speak up to fit the rocket class.

So just bring it up—don't say it out loud, and don't suddenly drop other classmates' names to hint at something.

"I think she's more curious about me."

Compared to that classmate's identical bewildered expression at the meeting's end, Aomo's deeper impression now is that at dismissal, though she followed Mr. Manfred's call and stepped forward, her gaze unintentionally or intentionally swept toward him.

Really strange—clearly, last time they met, she seemed utterly uninterested in him.

"She's very interested in this project because she's pursuing the bearing of her ancestors."

"The bearing of her ancestors?" Aomo paused slightly, looking at her back where her twin horns rose like antennas, one high, one low.

Her twin horns, consistent with Terresia's features, resemble his own demonic horn formation, but neither spiral nor symmetrical.

He still preferred symmetrical designs.

As for the other party's words...

Although Ms. Holle Haiya was not within the scope of his information gathering (that is, using acquaintances as the standard), when he was surfing the forum, seeing the word "ancestors" appear amounted to only two situations.

One was the Sakaz, and the other was all races besides the Sakaz; when they mentioned ancestors, they usually referred to a kind of former nobility.

"She is the so-called divine people?"

"Yes," she also stopped, turned her head, "The feathered serpent was once recorded as an exceptionally powerful kind in our records."

"She has taken an interest in monster cards, huh." He realized.

"I think it's not just her; the headquarters over there should also have many staff who will pay attention to you for this reason, after all, in the earliest era, many people's ancestors were still those towering, majestic figures; besides that, there should also be some more unique existences, and they will also look at you with unique eyes."

"You mean like Brother Zhong Yue?"

The more unique existences are nothing more than innate giant beasts.

It must be said, although this talk has a subtle hint of provocation, it indeed can serve as a reason for the somewhat excessive amiability of certain ages.

Inevitably, he recalled that flash of blue silhouette, yet he laughed helplessly.

If he had heard this talk when first meeting, it would not have been amiss as advice, but placed in the present, it is nothing much; he can only sigh extra that it is no wonder he is a diplomatic specialist, for this angle is indeed sharp and meticulous.

Facing his frankness, she also nodded calmly: "I once heard Trexiss speak of that feeling, grasping the power of giant beasts, experiencing the view from high places; if one can become accustomed to it, then undoubtedly one possesses the same view."

The two 'views' left Aomo somewhat helpless: "Usurped power cannot be considered kin, after all, perhaps among them there will be someone uneasy about this."

"But Mr. Zhong Yue has already accepted you, hasn't he? I think besides him, there should also be other existences."

"It sounds like you have already performed an act of mind-reading."

"Sorry, I don't mean to do this, and I also want to apologize bluntly to both of you, but when facing you, I have always been somewhat nervous..." It seems even she finds it hard to speak, she finally stammered, "Just now too, I subconsciously went around in a circle, sorry, I am still... not used to it."

Saying this, she slightly lifted her leg, as if wanting to retreat half a step, but held herself back, standing still without moving.

"... Nervous?" Aomo was momentarily surprised, not knowing where this comment came from.

"You seem to be unconsciously drawing in emotions, and the moment I sensed this phenomenon, I saw your heart."

"Oh..." Now it was Aomo's turn to feel embarrassed.

He roughly understood why the other party was nervous, and he coughed awkwardly twice.

"I will try to control it."