ATIGIBTC Chapter 127.1

Shi Canghai, after negotiating with the government personnel of Mirage during this period, finally realized that his way of thinking had never been grounded in reality.

In his eyes, He Fang was a city lord with a kind heart, but he could by no means be considered someone with foresight or long-term planning. Many of He Fang’s ideas, in Shi Canghai’s view, were overly naive and thus excessively straightforward. It was only because He Fang had always been surrounded by a group of prodigies within Mirage who continuously fulfilled his wishes that he was able to succeed in everything he wanted to do.

Only now did Shi Canghai understand: it was precisely because of He Fang that Mirage came to exist in the true sense. He Fang could not really be called a city lord. He was a creator. These two roles were fundamentally different.

To use a house as a metaphor, the creator is the owner of the house, while the city lord is merely the administrator.

The creator, the one who performed miracles upon the lifeless Nightmare Beast Forest, possessed the ability to directly create land. He could not only prevent the invasion of Nightmare Beast seeds, but also directly control the Nightmare Beast Forest.

And Mirage was a city truly established atop the Nightmare Beast Forest. Everyone in Mirage possessed such formidable physical constitutions. Perhaps, this was the origin of the birth of a new kind of humanity.

What’s more, it wasn’t the people of Mirage who made He Fang the city lord. In the very beginning, there was only City Lord He Fang.

City Lord He Fang single-handedly built this city, one that powerful individuals dared not covet. Even the true deity, the Divine Lord, was a creation of City Lord He Fang. Now, those fearsome and mighty mechas turned out to all be the work of the city lord himself. Even the research institute’s astonishingly realistic imitation robots were made based on the Rainbow Squad.

After this exchange, Shi Canghai felt as if his worldview had been shattered and reassembled, forcing him to rethink everything he had previously believed.

If it were only a matter of combat strength, it might still be manageable. But the truly terrifying thing was the city lord’s “descent of divine miracles”.

So, the lands that have undergone the “Divine Miracle” all become incomparably formidable. Compared to the lands in Hope City, which yield one or two harvests a year, the lands of Mirage produce a harvest nearly every day. Moreover, the soil does not lose its fertility even after having been drained of nutrients repeatedly. The mountains, rivers, and streams touched by “Divine Miracle” will never wither or dry up, and the treasures hidden deep within the mountain ranges seem endless and inexhaustible.

This—this is a true god. The so-called Divine Lord was merely a smokescreen fabricated by City Lord He Fang to arouse suspicion among those nearby.

The people of Mirage said it was He Fang who granted them new souls, bestowed upon them unique abilities, and allowed them all to live freely and without reason in this world.

And then, something happened. Something Shi Canghai could never have imagined. Something that appeared right before his very eyes: a Nightmare Beast Seed Energy Block.

This was a new type of energy developed by the research institute in Mirage. It was an energy source crafted using the characteristics of Nightmare Beast Seeds. These were things that had always filled people with dread, yet in Mirage’s hands, they were treated like mere toys, easily manipulated and controlled. The moment Shi Canghai realized that the heavy terminal device he carried with him was actually powered by a Nightmare Beast Seed, goosebumps instantly exploded all over his body.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to say,” said a government official from Mirage at the time, standing right in front of him, “but know this—we are not the same as you, and the Creator will never be the same as you.”

From that moment on, Shi Canghai truly understood that the mystery surrounding He Fang was likely even deeper than they had ever imagined. He was powerful. So powerful that he was utterly unmatched.

“If the Creator desires the entire world, then we have the means to give him the entire world. But we are failures. Without the guidance of the Creator, we cannot create a world that is absolutely perfect. We need the Creator to show us the way.”

At the time, Shi Canghai remembered asking: “Why can’t you do it yourselves?”

Yet, after learning so many of these so-called “secrets”, this was the one question for which he never received an answer.

“Then I’ll leave it to you now. Go and assist the Creator in establishing a world without conflict.” At that time, when he saw that slender and tall woman from Mirage looking at him, her gaze clearly carried a sense of expectation. Yet, she would not participate in the world created by the Creator. She would not let her own thoughts influence the sincere and diligent Creator in shaping their world.

This was a form of wholehearted reverence. An overpowering devotion that ordinary people could never achieve. But it was also different from what ordinary people could offer. It was a kind of admiration bound in chains.

Shi Canghai didn’t understand it. But he also knew that with his own way of thinking, it was impossible to comprehend. So what he needed to do well, in truth, was simply his own part.

To Mirage, to City Lord He Fang, this was what mattered the most.

“Right now, what Hope City is most criticized for,” Shi Canghai said, “is being backed by Mirage, too free, and excessively powerful.”
He stared at the City Lord standing before him. Someone who looked no different from an ordinary person. Yet, Shi Canghai’s gaze was more reverent than ever before. “We are no longer restrained by anything. So we act without fear or hesitation. But, City Lord, a city with no constraints, no weaknesses, if it were you, how would you feel when facing such a city?”

He Fang paused in thought for a moment. There was no denying that if such a threat suddenly emerged out of nowhere, it would be difficult not to worry. What if the other party suddenly made a move and snatched away everything he had worked so hard to gain?

He had poured effort into this game, certainly not so that the game could end up playing him.

“I’d probably find a way to learn everything I could about them, right?” Isn’t that what they say—Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles?

“And what if they never gave you the slightest chance to investigate?” Shi Canghai tried to use the simplest example to help him understand Hope City’s situation elsewhere. “These people act with utter disregard. They do whatever they want. Without any warning, they divided off a portion of movable land that originally belonged to others. Do you think ordinary people can tolerate that kind of jolt?”

He Fang scratched his cheek, suddenly feeling a bit guilty.

“Indeed, City Lord, for someone like you, perhaps you don’t need to think about things in such a complicated way. But there’s one thing you must understand. What you want is a world that grows freely and healthily, not a world of absolute submission, right?” said Shi Canghai.

He Fang hesitated, then gave a small nod.

Shi Canghai glanced at He Fang. As expected, he saw clarity in the other’s eyes. This City Lord had truly never known what he was doing all along. He simply followed his heart and did whatever felt right.

“If we were to go with my original idea,” Shi Canghai continued, “instead of letting the major cities directly tear up the peace treaties, why not have Mirage take the lead and establish a new peace treaty? One where every city has detailed, well-developed clauses in place. Let Mirage transform from a city outside the system into one that is within the system. One that can be controlled.”

He Fang nodded, showing he understood. Indeed, without the constraints of a contract, it would only stir up even more dread and suspicion toward Mirage. And if he put himself in their shoes, he would probably feel the same way.

“But… that doesn’t necessarily have to be the only way.” Suddenly, Shi Canghai shifted his tone. “City Lord, your city is different. You possess incomparable abilities. You have more than you think you do.”

“Huh?” He Fang blinked. “What do you mean?”

“In this world, people basically can’t live without four things: food, clothing, housing, and transportation. But Mirage has already brought those four aspects to their peak. For ordinary people, that might just be the most desirable thing imaginable.”

Shi Canghai had personally visited the fields of Mirage and tested the so-called one-day-maturity crops. From that moment on, he had clearly understood the difference. “So the ones we should truly be influencing aren’t those so-called high-level powers, but the common folk at the bottom.”

“Huh?” By this point, He Fang was completely lost in Shi Canghai’s train of thought.

“Have you ever thought about this: in a society where people have nothing, suddenly giving everyone the opportunity to settle down and put down roots, could that actually be making things even harder for those who were already struggling at the bottom? For the sake of development, these people who have no value beyond physical labor, how much extra burden are they going to bear, burdens you’ve never even considered?”

He Fang was stunned.

Shi Canghai didn’t hesitate to pierce through He Fang’s naïveté: “In the past, all people needed to do was maintain the mobile city. But now, they have to expand the land. City Lord, under your influence, rapid development may follow, but that directly increases the labor demands on everyone. This is oppression that cannot be denied!”

He Fang choked up. “No way… Surely, many City Lords still care deeply about their citizens? They wouldn’t go overboard with the pressure, would they?”

“City Lord, a ruler who truly cares for the people would never impose such oppression on them. But those who would do it will always do it.” Shi Canghai raised his gaze and suddenly said, “But the ones who truly make up the majority… are the people. How many high-level officials are there, really?”

“But don’t people nowadays lack knowledge? Isn’t that why it’s so hard for them to form independent thoughts?” Otherwise, why would they say that City Lords deliberately prevent mobile cities from learning, and instead keep them ignorant?

“It’s because they are ignorant that they’re easier to stir. The desire for a better life will never change.” Shi Canghai half-squinted his eyes. “As long as we guide the masses well, there’s a very real possibility of pressuring the City Lords of the major cities into action.”

He Fang thought for a moment, then nodded. “I see now. If the goal is to guide the people, I think what’s been done so far has been pretty effective. For example, the Terminal, or… the Divine Lord.”

Following Shi Canghai’s suggestion, this time, He Fang no longer rejected the endless stream of visiting requests from other mobile cities. He even allowed the government to take the initiative in reaching out to them. Just like He Fang had always said. If you want to understand them, then let them understand. If they want to see something, then let them see exactly that.

And for all the mobile cities that have delivered their visiting cards, He Fang requires them to propose the establishment of a new peace treaty. The drafting period of this treaty is extremely long. During this time, He Fang demands that their own terminals be fully permitted for use in all mobile cities, so that the cultural invasion can continue.

This time, in the peace treaty, He Fang demands that everyone must have the qualifications to participate. And according to Shi Canghai’s idea, the treaty must clearly and plainly state that Mirage can offer assistance to the major cities during the “difficult beginning”. For example, agricultural machinery, mineral resources, or the labor force.

He Fang wants to assume the posture of a “big brother”, making it impossible for anyone to refuse.

“Mobile cities that fear Mirage won’t refuse, but among them, there will certainly be those who are unwilling. Those are the targets Mirage must deal with using force.” When Shi Canghai said this, his expression darkened as well. “What’s interesting is, most of the mobile cities that refuse, the more severely they exploit their cities, the easier it becomes to break them apart one by one.”

When He Fang saw Shi Canghai’s expression, he shivered as well, feeling that the other’s expression really did look quite terrifying.

“For these, just use a dull knife to slowly grind the flesh, and over time, they’ll naturally give in. In this world, what most people pursue is simply ‘to survive’. As long as there’s a chance to stay alive, no matter who it is, they’ll cling to it with everything they’ve got. Especially after a negotiable peace treaty appears.”

According to Shi Canghai, these peace treaties must be divided into time periods, renewed once every ten years.

After all, since everyone can now settle once more on the surface, the glorious past will restart in the present. In such a vast world, the concept of “nations” will gradually form once again.

And this is entirely not something He Fang needs to concern himself with. Occupying the very center of the world, all He Fang needs to do is watch from the sidelines. The entire post-apocalyptic world has merely returned to the time before the existence of the Nightmare Beast Seeds. There are conflicts, there is war, but also continuous development.

He Fang’s objective had never been to rule the world, but to liberate it. And to liberate the world, he needed enough money to develop the Nightmare Beast Forest, to allow the population of this apocalyptic world to return to its former peak.

He Fang also hoped to restore the lands of the apocalypse to normal without shedding a single drop of blood.

He also wanted to protect his own city. He wished for his city, even in a rapidly developing future, to still remain a land of peace.

He Fang looked at the map. It was clear that Shi Canghai had already laid out a plan for future development, and the main city’s NPCs could be used to control the development of events, allowing everything to proceed as much as possible right before their eyes.

But there was just one exception…

“What is this area?” At that moment, He Fang noticed that when Shi Canghai was showing them the map, there had always been a patch that remained blank.

Shi Canghai let out a sigh. “This place is very special. The city entrenched here is not quite the same as a typical mobile city. And because of its nature, I’m unable to offer you any better advice, City Lord.”

From Shi Canghai’s eyes, He Fang saw worry.

The Summit of the World. This was the city entrenched in that area.

Yes, entrenched. This place was the most difficult to handle in the entire apocalypse.

The Summit of the World was a conglomeration of an ultra-large mobile city and an alliance city. They did not move of their own accord, because the land they were on was fixed.

In a world where mobile cities were constantly fleeing and darting about, the Summit of the World was completely out of place. In fact, many people knew next to nothing about the true situation of the Summit of the World.

He Fang received information about the Summit of the World from Guo Miaofeng. His brows gradually furrowed.

Shi Canghai’s suggestion was that they should now begin injecting culture and faith into the other mobile cities, gradually letting the power of Mirage seep into the hearts of every person.

It could be done. While it would take a considerable amount of time, none of this had any effect on the Summit of the World.

Because the Summit of the World was situated atop a vast icefield. This was not a natural icefield, but an artificial one.

Under extremely cold weather, very few creatures could survive. Plants and animals were even more rare. The Summit of the World had placed this artificially induced extreme cold climate in the southeast direction. There shouldn’t have been such a large-scale icefield in that region to begin with, so there were no plants suitable for growing in it.

As time passed and years accumulated, the cold of the Summit of the World gradually changed the local landscape, from initially being just freezing cold, to becoming a true polar region, and eventually transforming completely into a natural icefield.

Nightmare Beast seeds were incapable of parasitizing the icefield. That place bore no traces of life. This gave the Summit of the World absolute protection. Inside the Summit of the World, because there was no need to move, the city’s development progressed extremely quickly.

The technology of mobile cities, the positioning systems of mobile cities, and even mech manufacturing, many of these all originated from the Summit of the World, making it feared by all.

He Fang set down Guo Miaofeng’s report. The cost of the Summit of the World was extremely, extremely high. It had once been the crowning achievement of the world’s number one superpower. Because of its absolutely accidental nature, it could not be replicated. Back when other mobile cities barely had time to flee in all directions, the Summit of the World had already been silently developing. At its core, it was essentially the kind of city that He Fang aspired to create.

And among all the mobile cities, the only one that had not sent a formal letter of respect to He Fang was the Summit of the World.

But up to now, the Summit of the World didn’t seem to pose any threat to the surrounding cities, nor did it interfere with He Fang’s side, like two wells that don’t draw water from each other. Originally, He Fang thought that if there was no need for hostility, then there was no need to clash. But Shi Canghai didn’t agree with He Fang’s view.

The reason was simple: although the Summit of the World stood out like a crane among chickens, it was definitely not detached from the world. There was no way it would turn a blind eye to the surrounding lands being entirely taken over by Mirage. What He Fang was doing now was, in essence, challenging the authority of the Summit of the World.

“But if even the Library knows very little about it, then it’s hard for us to get enough information from anywhere else,” He Fang said with some frustration. In the end, he decided to send a stepping stone to the Summit of the World to see whether communication was possible.

“Then should I go?” Guo Miaofeng looked at He Fang’s troubled face, scratched his head, and asked.

“You?” He Fang was stunned. “Can’t we just send an invitation using a locator? Didn’t the mobile cities all do that before?”

Guo Miaofeng shook his head and said honestly, “That won’t really work. Everyone I’ve asked said Summit of the World rarely communicates directly. Usually, there’s a path that leads straight up there.”

“A self-sufficient city?” He Fang imagined a paradise hidden in an icy wilderness.

“I don’t know. But if it’s just delivering a message, then I should be pretty suitable. I’m strong and sturdy, I know quite a bit about animals and plants, and I have a lot of wilderness survival experience. As long as I bring enough supplies, even an extremely cold place shouldn’t be a problem. Besides, it’s just delivering a letter. Nothing should go wrong, right?” Guo Miaofeng said it as if it was only natural.

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