Sushang was equally bewildered; had this piece of paper simply appeared out of thin air?
"Subsidies in the tens, hundreds, thousands, millions, tens of millions... Huh?! Is this a scam?" Scott was shocked and immediately began to doubt the authenticity of the notice.
But when he took out his phone, he was stunned to see an astronomical sum of money.
No way, he just made those harsh remarks and now he's getting his comeuppance? That's too fast!
Who understands? He used to represent Interastral Peace Corporation and set traps for others, but now he's been Church to set traps!
Hidden in the crowd, Fulisina's lips curled into a slight smile. It was just a minor [ Eternity ] illusion; did they really think her [ Emanator ] status was just for show?
If Blake could bring Jarilo-VI back to springtime, she has the same ability.
She looked at the faintly glowing [ Aether Cartridge ] in her hand, never expecting that the toy Ye Yan had given her ten years ago would still be useful. It seemed to be some kind of [ Aether Editing ] technology from the Punklorde?
The sudden reversal left the onlookers dumbfounded. Sushang, unaware of the truth, saw the familiar silver-haired elf in the crowd, and her heart suddenly opened up. Her insecure expression instantly turned into confidence.
The Church of Eternity is right!
Zhongshan's disguise has been exposed; it turns out she's actually a Tavern patron. I'll have to be more wary of strangers from now on.
Hmm... it's not impossible that the Masked Fools might actually be an acquaintance.
With Zhongshan gone, she could only go back to Ye Yan and Screwllum; she might as well just flip the table and quit.
"They chased her away? What a pity... Miss Zhongshan hasn't even had the milk tea I made for her, getting up early and working late into the night."
Ye Yan feigned regret, thinking that he should have Zhongshan bring the milk tea to the [ Tavern ] so that the group of people could experience the charm of art.
Screwllum volunteered, thus successfully usurping the position and taking over Zhongshan's job of answering Xing's questions. Its plan had been accomplished.
"If mechanical creatures existed in such a place, they would most likely suffer from technological decline. Such inorganic creatures could indeed be considered [fierce and endangered]," Screwllum said.
"I must commend Ms. Xing for her excellent idea, but there's a small problem... this thing isn't a plant!"
The definition of "plant" is very flexible, believe me!
"Hmm... I understand your point. We can make a big deal out of the definition of 'plant'! No problem, mechanical organisms are definitely no problem."
"Since you've proposed this plan, I'll implement it for you. Please wait a moment."
A breeze brushed against Xing's cheek, carrying a slightly cool touch. When she came to her senses, the Screwllum in front of her had already disappeared.
Xing's fingertips unconsciously reached out to the spot where the wind had just swept by, as if to confirm whether the wind was real, or to try to grasp the lingering phantom of the Intellitron.
All she could touch was her own slightly cool skin and an empty space. She froze in place, her fingertips hovering in mid-air.
Why is it that she, the only [ Eternity ] Walker, doesn't know the art of teleportation? Xing couldn't help but wonder, is she truly a qualified [ Eternity ] Walker?
After waiting for a few minutes, Screwllum reappeared, carrying a bunch of discarded mechanical guards.
Look at that familiar appearance... Screwllum trip to the Jarilo-VI in those few seconds?!
"Excuse my rudeness, Ms. Xing. Before taking these questions away, I must ask one: why are you interested in the technology of the backward Snow Country?" Screwllum placed the damaged Automaton Soldier on the ground and quickly repaired them.
"Treat dilapidated machines as endangered lives, release them into a distant world, and accumulate so-called 'merit'."
"Logic: Even if Chair Blake, the planet's winter snow, melts away, the various outdated machines will still be a problem to solve."
Question: Are machines considered life? Or, to put it another way, is life a kind of machine?
"These are all definitions that vary from person to person. Releasing animals back into the wild... if it's to protect certain animals from harm, I can understand."
As an inorganic life form, even with his superb disguise skills, Screwllum cannot empathize with humans.
"But is it really important to the Aeon Aeon to try and please Him through such actions, and accumulate merit?"
"Or is there really a pair of eyes watching over everyone's moral behavior from above? When a human harms a life, a point-deduction system is used to punish them, and when a human saves someone's life, a point-addition system is used to reward them?"
Conclusion: Feeling that one's actions are important is merely a form of arrogance unique to human beings.
Screwllum suddenly changed his tone. "Alright... the complaints of a mere Church deacon can hardly change the mind of the [ Release Gang ]. Madam, how do you intend to incorporate the characteristics of [plants] into this?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Xing grabbed a handful of soil and spread it evenly on the machine, not forgetting to stick a small green seedling on top.
Screwllum:...
It was a path it had never imagined. Human beings are truly wondrous creatures. Perhaps it likes to impersonate humans, partly for safety and partly to explore the mystery of [ Eternity ].
The entrance trial for the Scalegorge Waterscape will be held here.
"Star, do you see Beina not far away? Use [Persuasion] on her!"
"Hey, aren't you a member of the [ Heaven-Defying Faction ]? How come you're now a mentor... Where's that guy named [ Zhongshan ]?"
"It's with great regret that Ms. Zhongshan has temporarily left us due to some personal reasons... The three of you are serving as trial examiners, so the role of mentor has naturally been handed over to me."
Screwllum explained without batting an eye, quickly convincing Donia, who then turned her attention to the [objects of their release].
"No... I thought you'd found a suitable animal to release! Mechanical creatures are everywhere, and the sky is full of mechanical birds on the Xianzhou. How can they be considered endangered species?"
"Besides, the [Initiation Trial] task is for you to find a way to solve our food chain problem... How could this mechanical creature possibly solve our problem?"
Xing explained, "You don't know this... these weak, pitiful, helpless inorganic babies all come from a planet that's on the verge of Destruction."
"They can no longer produce... such adorable robot babies there!" Ye Yan said in agreement.
"Oh, that sounds heartbreaking. So... this is one of the last mechanical life forms left behind by a declining civilization?"
"By releasing them, by freeing them from their desperate situation and inevitable death, Miss Beina, you will accumulate a great deal of merit."
With the assistance of Screwllum and the cooperation of Ye Yan, coupled with Xing's extraordinary talent, they quickly persuaded all three of the "Three Benevolent Men" of the Release Gang!
The six people stood on the beach, watching the Automaton Soldier depart, thus completing this successful release of the animals—a truly meritorious act...