Sharing

"Some people collect wealth, some enjoy power, some have special hobbies, or something else. In short, most people sent abroad seek some kind of spiritual fulfillment. When material things no longer bother us, we always need to pursue something over the long years so that we don't get lost," Humins said earnestly.

"So, Humins, what are you after for seeking an overseas assignment? Wealth, power, or something else?" Cecil asked casually.

"Haha, this is a very private question..."

"If it's hard to say, then forget it."

"Now that you mention it, it makes it seem like I have some kind of special fetish if I don't say anything." Looking at Cecil's smiling face, Humins shook his head and continued:

"Actually, there's nothing I can't say. As I just said, everyone seeking overseas assignments has their own needs, and I'm no exception. I've lived for thousands of years, although I've spent most of that time in Stasis Pod, but I've also been awake for hundreds of years. At this age, I'm approaching the limit of my original race."

"Over the years, I've enjoyed all the wealth and power I could. Logically, I have no regrets. But as intelligent beings, we have an innate fear of the unknown. And death, for us, is an unknown existence."

Humins' voice lowered considerably. "Therefore, as my time draws to a close, all I desire is to live a few more days. But how easily can the upper limit of lifespan be broken? So many races, for so many years, have never stopped exploring the limits of lifespan. But their methods all have more or less flaws, and are difficult to overcome."

"Flawed methods of prolonging life usually have very serious consequences. The most typical example is the Epoch Clan in the past, but it is precisely because of this that we exist today. Although this result is not bad for us, it cannot cover up the drawbacks of existing methods of prolonging life."

"Originally, I hadn't held out much hope, only planning to enter Stasis Pod at the last moment and prolong my life for a few more years. But as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Just then, I received intelligence. In a remote region, a small race that hasn't officially joined the Star Sea Alliance has actually developed a Life-Extending Serum with no side effects."

"My first thought was disbelief. It encompasses tens of thousands of star systems, more than two hundred powerful civilizations and races, including our most powerful Epoch Clan. Countless elites couldn't handle it, yet a small race with only one star system, most of which was occupied by others, could actually accomplish it?"

"But since I had nothing better to do, I took a look at it a few times. I didn't expect this Life-Extending Serum to actually be of some quality. However, I still don't believe that a small, rural clan could produce anything of value. So, I only spent a little bit of my spare time paying attention to this Life-Extending Serum."

"There's a reason why so many people want to be the elder of the Epoch Clan. I only paid a little attention, and then a lot of data and experimental information came back to me. Through these things, I discovered that the small rural clan was indeed not beyond my comprehension. The reason they were able to create such Life-Extending Serum was entirely due to a special plant. That so-called Life-Extending Serum was just an extract of this plant."

"This discovery, however, instantly heightened my interest. Compared to those unheard-of rural groups, the wonders of nature are far more trustworthy. The universe contains everything; perhaps somewhere it has given birth to Life-Extending Plant without side effects, and now, we have found it."

"Now you should understand why I fought for this overseas assignment."

Cecil nodded in understanding. The reason was quite reasonable, and she had her own channels. Humins said and his performance matched up.

However, only the parties involved can provide more detailed information accurately.

"So, Humins, is there anything you need there?"

"Of course." Humins managed a few wrinkles on his aged face, seemingly pleased by the topic. "That Life-Extending Plant is truly amazing; it extends lifespan by increasing the number of cell divisions in organisms. Although its applicability isn't yet strong, its future is bright."

Cecil nodded, indicating that he understood. Sometimes a discovery can clear a blocked path. Just like intelligent beings in ancient times could only rely on readily available materials such as stones and branches to make objects. But after the discovery of metal, various smelting, manufacturing, and so on took root and flourished on this basis.

This Life-Extending Plant is like a foundation, though it's currently like exposed ore on a planet's surface, leaving one clueless about where to begin. But as research progresses, skyscrapers will eventually be built upon it.

"I suppose you understand its value," Humins continued, seeing Cecil nod. "This discovery has made many people envious, but I won't leave. I will protect this place and won't let any power struggles hinder the research progress."

"So what's the current progress of the research?"

"Not bad, but I've recently made a new discovery."

"Oh, what discovery? Can you share it, Humins?"

"Of course, but this discovery doesn't seem like a good thing to me. That Life-Extending Plant of the Riken Race actually comes from the Zerg. I can't figure out whether it's a product of nature or a product of the Zerg."

Seemingly having heard a key word, Cecil's eyes lit up instantly, and he straightened his back slightly. "Oh? Zerg? A powerful race within the Alliance, they shouldn't have that name."

"Yes, it's just a remote little tribe. They just finished a weak war with that Riken Race." Humins shook his head, as if he had thought of something funny.

"Then their strength doesn't seem very high. How can you doubt that the Life-Extending Plant is a product of a civilization at this level?" Cecil asked curiously.

"Cecil, you may not know this, but although the Zerg are not strong overall, they are extremely mysterious. Can you imagine a civilized race that has only existed for a little over a hundred years developing to the point where it can fight an interstellar war? Moreover, it won and occupied half of the territory of the opposing forces."

"How is this possible? Could it be that some race has interfered? Are they conducting some kind of experiment? Such behavior is forbidden," Cecil exclaimed.

"If only that were true. That Zerg appeared out of nowhere; we didn't even have time to bury their spaceships."