--To gaze up at the blue sky.
--To Gaze at the stars.
--To touch the clouds.
--To reach out and catch the wind.
One yearning after another churned, one wish after another cried out.
Different people, different wishes, different desires and bewilderments.
With sorrow, with rage, with hope, with resolve.
Every emotion resonated with Ian. At this moment, he felt them all as if they were his own. Those indescribably complex longings were so much like his.
Imprisoned upon this land, surrounded by souls bound by gravity—nations that clearly possessed mighty technology, yet had no desire whatsoever to take a single step forward, instead launching wars against other countries... Every one of them filled him with both sorrow and fury.
But...
'He' could no longer see.
His head of golden hair had faded to dull gray. The strong man with sky-blue eyes had become a frail old man, yet he still could not open the door leading outside. Redwood Base was like a Cage, locking him within this comfortable yet gradually decaying underground space.
Yes, this place was peaceful and comfortable.
Yes, he held a lofty position here.
Yes, he possessed immense authority and the reverence of the people.
Yes, he had already reached the pinnacle of life—he could do anything.
Except the thing he wanted to do.
And besides...
He was about to die.
[After I die, can't you at least send my corpse beyond the ruins?]
[Great Elder... Your body itself is our most precious legacy. What if some mutated creature from outside devours your body and obtains the bloodline key? Setting everything else aside, your Brain Attachment must certainly be recovered.]
A corpse itself was property. That was only natural. The bodies of Redwood People had to undergo special treatment before burial, because the various nanovaccines, specialized