The winding and meandering stream winds through the endless valleys, weaving into a continuous river on the vast plains.

On the sunny side of the valley, there are sporadically dotted caves and not-so-vast terraced fields.

Due to the tall vegetation blocking the view, the terraces carved into the mountainside are almost hard to see.

This is the domain of the valley people.

The Forest People call them "Sinners."

However, this is clearly not their own name.

They call themselves "Qiu."

This syllable has no special meaning, it is merely inherited from their ancestors and has been used ever since.

Although the Qiu living in this valley do not band together under a single tree as clans do in the forest, they possess a unity that rivals them.

All the clans, big and small, call themselves the "Qiu."

They not only share the same culture and traditions but also use the same pictographic script to record and even use the same set of decrees and codes of conduct, electing elders from their clans to form the "Elder Council" for arbitration of affairs big and small.

As a matter of fact, they have already conceived the concept of a "nation" and have evolved an organized society.

In this regard, the tribes in the forest remain a disparate collection.

Although the advantage of the Qiu people over the Forest People is not yet obvious, in the long run, the rise of the former and the decline of the latter is almost inevitable.

Of course, this is only under normal circumstances.

Considering Gaia, this powerful disturbance factor, the future of the two groups is uncertain.

The reason why the Forest People call the Qiu living in the valley "Sinners," aside from that distant history, has one most direct cause.

That is, the latter completely lacks the "ability to communicate with nature."

Although not every Forest Person can awaken this ability, this bloodline power has never ceased in the Forest People's tribes.

Conversely, it seems that the "Qiu" are abandoned by the gods, only able to live in cold stone and subsist on dry vegetative seeds and sour and astringent wild fruits.

Of course, this is also the perspective of the Forest People.

At least from the Qiu's own view, the grain after cooking is not considered difficult to eat, and the wild berries and mushrooms have a distinct flavor.

Conversely, those "defectors" living in the forest are the truly pitiable ones, living primitively as they do, like monkeys.

Upon a rugged hill, a boy riding a Lizard gazes out toward the south of the valley.

Deep within the dense forest, a canopy of flourishing treetops emits a golden-yellow glow.

That is the signal for the "defectors" to gather, seemingly issued from Doma City.

Watching the fireflies dance in the twilight, the Lizard beneath restlessly paces back and forth on the rock until the boy riding it tightens the reins around its neck.

"Hiss—"

The Lizard snorts a misty breath from its nostrils, shakes its neck from side to side, and finally settles down.

In contrast, a hint of ominousness rises on the brow of the boy upon it.

He recalls the elders of his tribe saying that whenever the Defectors send out a positive signal, something bad happens.

The message must be reported to the Elder Council immediately!

The boy thought so in his heart, pulling the reins ready to leave.

Yet, at that moment, a faint blue light suddenly appeared under a nearby low tree, followed by a stammering voice.

"Hey there, wait a moment."

Upon hearing the movement so close, the boy was startled, almost instinctively taking down the Bow and Arrow slung over his shoulder, notching an arrow, and drawing the string.

"Who?!"

The faint blue light seemed to emanate from within the leaves, a figure resembling an iron can stood at the center of the glow.

As soon as he saw that iron can-like figure, he froze in place, standing there dumbfounded.

Immediately afterward, a gentle voice drifted from the light.

"I am... your... Ancestor."

Before the voice finished speaking, the boy had already stowed away his Bow and Arrow, dismounted from the Lizard, and knelt on the ground without daring to take a breath.

"Greetings, Ancestor!"

The figure standing in the soft blue glow nodded in approval and continued speaking in a calm tone.

"Stand up and speak."

The boy stood up shakily, lowering his head, not daring to look directly at the figure standing in the light.

His mind was in turmoil.

On one side, he was shocked that the legendary Ancestor had indeed returned, and descended before him; on the other, he was fearful of his previous disrespectful behavior.

However, the Ancestor seemingly did not blame him, instead, forgivingly allowing him to stand.

"What's your name?"

The young man answered truthfully.

"I don't have a name, I'm a soldier of the Lead clan."

The Ancestor continued to ask.

"What's the Lead clan?"

The young man hurriedly explained.

"It's a branch of the 'Qiu People'. Although the folks in the valley are divided into different clans, we all still use the surname you bestowed upon us."

The Iron Man standing in the light was silent for a while, then continued to speak.

"I think I understand, you're a soldier of the Lead clan of the Qiu People in the valley... is that right?"

The young man nodded repeatedly.

"That's right."

The Iron Man standing in the pale blue light nodded, looking at the young man who was so nervous he held his breath, and continued.

"To facilitate communication... from today onwards, you'll be called 'Qiu Ridge'."

Upon hearing the decree of the Ancestor, the young man was momentarily stunned, his face then lit up with a wildly joyful expression, and he excitedly prostrated himself on the ground again, babbling grateful thanks.

The Iron Man standing in the light quietly waited until he had vented his joy and excitement, then slowly spoke again.

"...Don't be eager to rejoice. The reason I descended upon this land is because I sensed the breath of disaster."

The air instantly fell silent.

The young man, who was jubilantly waving his arms and legs a moment ago, immediately changed his expression, showing a look of encountering a formidable enemy.

Almost instinctively, he thought of the abnormal phenomena he had seen in the forest earlier.

He couldn't help but swallow, and asked cautiously.

"Disaster... are you referring to the defectors in the forest?"

The Ancestor spoke in a gentle tone.

"Perhaps, but maybe it's not just their problem, part of it might be because of us as well."

Fear surfaced in Qiu Ridge's eyes.

"Are you... going to destroy us?"

He had absolute faith in the Ancestor's words.

And for this very reason, he couldn't understand why the revered Ancestor would do such a thing.

Seeing the young man's fearful expression, the Ancestor standing in the pale blue light continued in a calm voice.

"I never thought that, my children... otherwise, I wouldn't be standing here trying to correct the mistakes that have happened."

"In the foreseeable future, I've seen the burning flames engulf the forest, seen countless people perish in the black smoke... among them are both you and the children of the forest."

"But apart from this, I've seen another future, where you all head towards shared prosperity, end the grievances of hundreds of years, and begin a new era... do you believe me?"

Qiu Ridge respectfully bowed his head and said.

"...Willing to heed the Ancestor's teachings."

A voice of approval floated out from the pale blue light, and then the light gradually faded.

"Very good, it seems I've chosen the right person... come over here, my child."

Qiu Ridge raised his head blankly, only to see that the towering Iron Man had vanished, leaving only a faint beam of light standing in place, as if guiding him.

"On the branch in front of you is a silver metallic disc."

"Wear it with you at all times, and I will tell you what to do next..."

...

As a certain green-skinned youth mustered all his strength to climb the tree, a researcher floating in synchronous orbit was leisurely stretching in front of the terminal screen.

"Done!"

Half an hour ago, when her drone was hovering in the sky, it spotted the little green man standing on a high ground in the valley, guessing that this guy was probably one of the "Sinners" living in the valley, so she came up with a plan and sent a quadrotor drone with holographic projection capabilities from the research ship.

These Primitive Men had never seen such awesome technology, and sure enough, they were completely fooled, believing every bit of her fabrication on the spot.

Just like that, she gained an Indigenous People insider at the cost of only one drone.

Next, she just needed to show a few more "miracles" through that child, and she could get the reactor's fuel tank in no time, without even needing Night Ten to get involved.

Thinking of Night Ten, Jiang Xuezhou felt a wave of anger.

This guy was fine most of the time, but sometimes as stubborn as a bull.

Just because she didn't agree with his plan to instigate the Indigenous People to start a war and fish in troubled waters, he accused her of not caring about his safety, and slapped her with labels like being overly sympathetic and not being considerate of him.

Truly, her conscience was eaten by a dog!

Didn't that guy say negotiating with "Valley People" was his own wild imagination?

Now there's no need for him to take risks; he sorted things out by himself, hasn't he lost for words?

Of course, although she said it in anger, she mentally admitted that Night Ten had put in a lot of effort.

At least, she managed to fool the young Indigenous People using the language that was put together with the materials collected by Night Ten.

Fortunately, the language used by the Forest People and the Valley People hadn't yet diverged, and even their culture about "Ancestors" was practically identical.

Looking at the compiled information on the terminal's screen while sipping coffee, Jiang Xuezhou murmured in thought.

"Qiu people... Is there anyone with the surname 'Qiu' aboard the Missile Cruiser of Gemini?"

"But come to think of it, it's really odd... both groups came from the sky; could they all be descendants of the crew of the Missile Cruiser of Gemini?"

One group awakened special abilities, the other group did not.

Those who awakened special abilities clashed with those who hadn't, or perhaps out of fear for Gaia or something indescribable, the non-awakened used their numbers to push the former into the forest.

This could explain why the Forest People call Qiu people "Sinners", while Qiu people call Forest People "defectors".

From the perspective of the Missile Cruiser Gemini—or the United Space Army, the Forest People who sided with Gaia are indeed betraying.

But the question arises.

If both groups are descendants of Gemini, where did the original colonizers go?

Although the United Space Army conducted a thorough bombing campaign against the colonial rebels, even survivors lived aboard the Gemini; it's hard to imagine nobody survived on the surface.

Just as Jiang Xuezhou was puzzled, a little Koala squatted nearby, carrying freshly heated canned food and rice, and approached.

"Your meal is ready."

"Ah, thank you." Jiang Xuezhou accepted her stream of thoughts, responded, and reached out to take the food tray.

It's undeniable, the United's dehydration and freeze-drying technology is quite impressive.

It's hard to imagine that these food items, two centuries past their expiry date, can still emit a tempting aroma after cooking.

Feeling ravenous, Jiang Xuezhou immediately began devouring her meal.

"You're welcome, my pleasure to serve you." The little Koala nodded at the camera and said in a gentle tone, "But speaking of which, Master, aren't you planning to communicate with Night Ten?"

"...I'll talk to him later."

With her mouth filled with food, Jiang Xuezhou mumbled vaguely, seemingly reluctant to answer the question.

Honestly, though furious, she had long stopped blaming that guy in her heart.

Thinking carefully, she wasn't entirely faultless either.

At least, she should empathically consider that he's in a highly tense environment; or in other words, standing atop a monster's head. He can't possibly and has no way to remain detached like herself a few thousand kilometers away on the ground, just observing.

He wanted to promptly secure reactor fuel and return, considering the Indigenous People of this planet weren't a priority for him; she shouldn't accuse him of lacking humanity just because he didn't act as she wished.

After all, he isn't her tool, much less her child to be manipulated at her will…

They clearly could resolve problems through communication.

Seeing Jiang Xuezhou's brows faintly furrowed with regret, the nearby little Koala spoke gently.

"People often treat those close harshly, believing the other won't leave regardless... yet seldom remember how fleeting life is."

"My previous master never got the chance to give me a nice name. By the time I opened my eyes again, he had become skeletal remains. Though my words might be a bit redundant, I hope you don't leave regrets before becoming like him."

Jiang Xuezhou said softly.

"I understand... I'll speak nicely to him."

Is this meant to be comforting?

But thinking it through, it seems quite true; she didn't feel any irritation from these peculiar words.

Perhaps, as little Koala stated, she is indeed too harsh on Night Ten.

She hasn't always been like this in the past…

Thinking of this, Jiang Xuezhou suddenly felt worried again, fearing he might dislike her like this.

Indeed, she should find a chance to talk to him.

Speaking of which, it's mealtime; wonder if he's eaten.

With these thoughts, Jiang Xuezhou tapped her index finger on the holographic screen, connecting to the power armor's activity recorder.

And at the same moment, a graceful figure appeared on the screen.

It was a pitch-black space, the Fireflies surrounding that graceful figure were the only light source.

Actually, this shouldn't be a big deal.

She isn't the kind to flip out just because the other person glanced at other women twice.

However, the issue lies in the fact that the camera of the activity recorder seemed stabilized, fixed on those two bulging fruits.

Sensing an impending storm, the little Koala by the side shook and discreetly left the bridge.

Almost simultaneously, a creaking sound emanated from the screen of the terminal.

"This fellow…"

Glancing down at her chest, Jiang Xuezhou gritted her teeth till they creaked.

The fists that had barely softened were clenched again!

...

At the waist of the Doma City Sacred Tree, nestled among intertwining branches, is a pure wooden palace.

The chieftain of Doma City—or in other words, the king of the entire tribe, is seated at the hall's steps.

His name is Tunnan.

In the widely spoken language of this forest, the name engraved at the base of the Sacred Tree signifies both leader and "Warrior of Boundless Power".

Typically, both meanings are synonymous.

The so-called "power" essentially refers to the ability to communicate with the Sacred Tree.

And on this land granted by the Sacred Tree, only the most valorous warrior can please the Sacred Tree and receive its favor.

As for what the Sacred Tree is, that's a long story.

Even the oldest sage in Doma City would take a couple of days and nights to explain it fully.

A man clad in wooden armor entered the hall, knelt down, and said in a muffled voice.

"The Ancestors have awakened."

He is a Warrior within the tribe and one of Tunnan's most trusted guards.

Tunnan looked down at the man prostrate on the steps, and spoke calmly.

"What is his command?"

The guard replied respectfully with a bowed head.

"He instructed the temple maids that no one should enter his resting place without his permission."

Tunnan's expression remained unchanged, and he continued expressionlessly.

"Anything else?"

The guard continued.

"He left someone behind."

Tunnan asked.

"Who?"

The guard replied.

"Dora."

Tunnan glanced aside, the elder standing nearby leaned down and whispered briefly about the maid receiving the Ancestors' favor.

After listening to the elder's words, Tunnan nodded steadily and then looked toward the guard.

"Have any other tribes received our signal?"

The guard clasped his hands and replied.

"A dozen nearby tribes have responded, their Messengers are gathering towards us."

Upon hearing the servant's report, not only did Tunnan's face show joy, but Saquai and the assembled Priests also smiled brightly.

"Bless the Doma Tribe!"

A rough hand slapped the vine-entwined armrest, the burly figure of Tunnan stood up from the throne, full of spirit, striding ahead and standing at the edge of the steps, surveying the gathering of Priests and Nobles within the hall.

This is an unprecedented opportunity.

They would reclaim the entire Forbidden Forest Valley from the "Sinners"!

"This time even the Ancestors stand with us."

"It's time to end centuries of grievances!"

...

Meanwhile, on the other side, walking past the temple murals at the Sacred Tree's root, Night Ten couldn't help but sneeze.

Hearing the sneeze, Dora, walking at the forefront with Fireflies hovering around, turned around, looked at him with concern, and asked softly.

"Are you okay?"

"It's nothing... continue with the story about the Sacred Tree."

Night Ten mumbled.

Wonder if it's an illusion.

He constantly felt like someone was thinking about him...

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