Chapter 432: The Protoss’ Shock
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
There was a very important reason that the humans on Earth and the Federal Parliament were willing to accept the Protoss, forking over property and capital and allowing them to land their s.h.i.+ps and settle on Earth.
Earth was, in fact, the native homeland of the Protoss.
The language spoken by the Protoss was more than 50% similar to Chinese, including their accent. The script used by the Protoss was an improved system traceable back to the oracle bone inscriptions. It was a type of ideogram and had many similarities with Chinese characters.
Hence, the Protoss’ culture was derived from an original common origin. They could not be considered aliens.
Taking into account this important factor, more than 30% of people had a welcoming att.i.tude regarding the return of the Protoss and did not discriminate against them in their hearts.
Due to the Protoss’ special abilities, and the yearnings of those many people on Earth who wors.h.i.+p power, the newcomers’ arrival caused a faintly expectant feeling to arise in some individuals. They hoped to gain more powerful skills.
The people of Earth were also curious about the various resources of the Heavenly Realm.
Because of the support from this particular portion of the public, the Federal Parliament was able to complete the task of smoothly welcoming the Protoss.
…
Five days later.
In the central area of Desert Free City No.19.
On the 99th floor of the landmark City Hall building was a room decorated in silver hues.
In this room was the Heavenly Ruler, who was dressed in loose lounge robes. He had barely taken a step out in the past two days.
Using the smart terminal worn on his wrist and with the guidance of the “elf” projected by it, he had resettled more than eight million Protoss immigrants. Without even taking one step out of the house, he had completed all the tasks of resettlement.
If he was worried about a certain Protoss, he could simply say his or her name, and he would get a read on their location within three seconds. Then, he could observe the other party’s movements, or initiate a video chat to ask about their situation. And, if he was hungry, he could order a sumptuous takeout meal. If he was tired, there were many venues that could help the body and mind to relax.
In addition, considering that he was alone and his family was not with him, he might have some physiological needs. Hence, the elf specially introduced a unique capsule-shaped device with a pink coating on the outer sh.e.l.l. When one wore the accompanying headset, it produced different feedback according to the scene. The realism of the scenes and the feedback was over 80%.
“Master, this device is called Bewitching Charms: 6th Generation. Its ranking in sales is number one for the male otaku group. Once a girlfriend or wife has discovered it, the probability of a breakup rises to more than 35%. It is a magical artifact of happiness. Moreover, there are 18 beautiful women included as a free gift. Because you are a Protoss, you will receive an extra 68 beautiful women, making a total of 86… Master, do you want to go in and experience it?” The elf on his hand strongly recommended it.
“No. I have a lot of things to do.”
The Heavenly Ruler waved his hand in rejection. His expression was stern—he had no interest.
However, after two days, he found that he could not contact a number of middle-level managers. In other cases, he heard certain strange sounds after being put through.
What shocked him even more was the state of one young subordinate. His face was deathly white, and his eyes were devoid of life. His steps were light, as if he was floating above the ground. He looked like he was about to collapse. He said that it did not matter to him, even if he was about to die from this serious illness.
“What’s happening to you? What have you been doing these days? Are you caught up in some plot against you by those humans of Earth?” the Heavenly Ruler questioned.
“No, no.” The young man shook his head and looked a little rattled. “I didn’t do anything!”
“Out with it!” the Heavenly Ruler shouted, glaring at him.
The young man couldn’t stand the pressure. He could only confess: “Recently, I’ve been spending too much time playing with Bewitching Charms: 6th Generation. The beauties inside are just, umm… It has damaged part of my essence.”
Bewitching Charms: 6th Generation?
The Heavenly Ruler received clarification of the situation but still found it somewhat unbelievable. It was just a machine; how could it produce such terrible effects?
“I have to look at it and see where its evil lies.”
With a strong sense of curiosity, he put on the headset and entered Bewitching Charms: 6th Generation.
Immediately, he saw that the interface was filled with beauties, and he felt a sinister energy entering his body. His qi and blood heated up. He had never been one of those who were particularly interested in the female body; now, however, he could feel his heartbeat speeding up, and his body temperature had increased by a few degrees, at the very least.
Office ladies, nurses’ costumes, maid costumes, school uniforms, stockings… It had an unprecedented visual impact. The effect was almost devastating.
“It’s undoubtedly an evil thing!”
The Heavenly Ruler took off the headset as soon as possible. He sat down and frantically worked on exercises to stabilize his heart and mind. Only then was he able to suppress the burning evil.
But there were only a few who had such great willpower.
After investigation, The Heavenly Ruler was shocked to find that, among the millions of Protoss immigrants, there were more than a million at least who spent over three hours in Bewitching Charms: 6th Generation every single day, desperately venting their energy.
As for the few who were addicted and using it day and night, to the point that they would soon die—Smack! He smashed their Bewitching Charms with one punch and smacked their faces while angrily scolding them.
At the same time, he also found a federal liaison officer and protested, “The artifact that you have prepared, called Bewitching Charms: 6th Generation, is intentionally a tool to murder and conspire against me and the other Protoss. It hides your evil nature!”
“How is that possible? The device cannot kill anyone,” the liaison officer explained. “The Bewitching Charm series has sold a total of 3 billion units, and only a hundred or so accidents have resulted. If it is really used too frequently, it will promptly issue a warning… Besides, the Protoss have just arrived from a faraway place. With their abundance of energy, they might need a little consolation.”
When the Protoss first arrived, human beings were most worried about their personal safety. The second thing that they were worried about was the chast.i.ty of their wives and daughters. The Protoss were completely ignorant of the law in this world. The fas.h.i.+onable women of Earth had extraordinary charm. The Protoss males were led by their lower bodies. It was hard to predict what would happen once the two sides came into contact.
The Bewitching Charms series that dominated the market had even reduced the crime rate among users of the artifact in some respects.
The Federation had very thoughtfully provided one copy of Bewitching Charms for each Protoss male, as well as giving them 86 beautiful in-game women for free. However, The Heavenly Ruler’s request for them to withdraw the artifact was met with a polite rejection. If he really disliked it, he could throw it away. And besides, there were Bewitching Charms internet cafes, too.
…
Western District, Desert Free City No. 19.
A neighborhood consisting of high-end apartment complexes for women.
Li Huoqing was individually allocated an apartment with an area of 60 square meters. It had one bedroom and one living room, with a kitchen, a bathroom, and a balcony.
Taking into account her age, she was also allocated a nanny robot with multiple functions to take care of her well-being.
For the past few days, she had been examining this new environment with curious eyes. Not only did her curiosity fail to make her numb, but she became even more interested in everything.
For example, the four-wheeled car that flew back and forth on the street, long train carriages resembling a centipede on a viaduct, maglev tracks suspended in the air in the center of the city, and the subway, public transport, and more… It gave one a sense that everything was in good order; it was busy without being chaotic.
There was also a tall and gorgeous building that did not conform to natural aesthetics but nevertheless had a unique beauty. Even the furniture at home and the variety of household appliances aroused great interest in her. She asked many dumb questions to the elf of the smart terminal system on her wrist.
Of course, she spent the most time looking at the laser projection TV. She watched all sorts of programs that had been specially prepared for the Protoss. Even if an advertis.e.m.e.nt was playing, she watched it with gusto. She looked at everything in front of her greedily.
But, after a few days, she had had enough of the visual feast.
Li Huoqing had fallen crazily in love with a new activity.
She would drag a few friends of similar age along with her to go shopping and spend money in the mall strips.
She walked into a colorful and vibrant women’s clothing store and tried on fas.h.i.+onable and beautiful outfits.
She put on all sorts of intricate jewelry in the jewelry stores.
She went into the beauty salon to get her hair done.
She tasted the cuisines of the world in different restaurants.
Sometimes she did not feel tired, even after shopping all day. She was having so much fun that it almost made her crazy.
In recent days, she had even forgotten the restraint that women should have.
She would often shout, “This world is… so awesome! I like this place so much.
“There’s delicious food, fun activities, beautiful scenery—this place has everything! I’ve felt so happy every day!
“Although the natural spiritual energy here is very light, it’s still more interesting than the Heavenly Realm!”
Li Huoqing had been binging a web drama series for a few days, and she would always unknowingly end up watching the show until midnight. Only when she was surrounded by silence did she feel a little sorrow in her heart.
“My father and mother were both swallowed by the primal chaos, and my brother and sister are also dead. In the end, there is only me. I am alone.
“I thought that I would feel very lonely and sad when I came to this strange place. So why do I only feel sad on occasion?
“Especially in recent days, I have been so happy that there’s no time left to feel sad. I have almost forgotten all the bad things.”
Moreover, she had obtained a greater understanding of this place by asking the elves in the inquiry terminal questions. The more she knew about this world, the more she liked it.
Everyone was basically an ordinary person. There are very few “friars” or extraordinary people. Everyone was similar.
Of course, there were wars. But after entering the civilized era, Earth had only experienced two big wars, and the subsequent two hundred years had been very peaceful as a whole. When they were confronted with disputes and conflicts, most were resolved using peaceful methods.
Everyone was equal, and the strong could not bully the weak. The law would ensure the basic interests of everyone.
It was stable—very safe and stable. With security robots on patrol, one could spend a whole day strolling and shopping outside without witnessing a single scuffle.
In addition, the culture there was developed.
Between the TV series, songs, movies, variety shows, and interesting TV programs, it seemed like there was no way that she could ever finish watching everything. She could practically wipe out all the action of her life simply by watching all this entertainment.
Moreover, all types of entertainment activities were in abundance here.
You could almost fill up your brain with those activities, to the point that is was impossible to think of anything else.
Leaving aside the more exciting forms of entertainment, it was said that there were three billion virtual games created across the Earth targeted at the male otaku audience, and that these games were destroying the workforce of one country after another.
In addition, there were plenty of material goods. Together with a few friends, she had been shopping, playing, and eating like crazy of ate. Her average daily consumption was only two or three thousand, as the living expenses given by the Federation to each Protoss was 100,000 credits every month.
And the Federation would continue to provide this allowance for five years! This was meant to last until they had fully adapted to life on Earth. Then, they could start thinking about the future.
In other words, she could live a carefree and happy life for the next five years.
“The people here are really kind, generous, smart, and multi-talented. They have given us so many wonderful things.
“Dear good people, I, Li Huoqing, may not have a high level of mastery over my spiritual practice, but I will definitely repay you in the future,” Li Huoqing mumbled.
She really liked the land and the people here.
…
A month later.
The Heavenly Ruler, the person in charge of the first group of Protoss immigrants, could no longer sit still.
It was over.
If they were to go on like this, the Protoss race would really be finished.
He organized an emergency meeting and called together more than a dozen of the most powerful managers to discuss the current grim situation.
“Everyone, if things are to go on like this, our Protoss race will be done for. Those human beings harbor no good intentions. They are even discussing how to use conspiracy to deal with us!” The Heavenly Ruler said.
He wore a severe frown, as he was sensitive to the urgency of the situation.
“Your Heavenly Majesty, I, too, think that the people of Earth are very insidious,” one manager said. “They are obviously weak, and can easily be killed just by lifting a finger. But what they create is simply dazzling.”
“No matter which one, any of the tools they have invented can reduce us to a state of junk. We don’t have to think about anything or do anything. Clothes, food, shelter, and transportation are all taken care of by simply calling out for things to be done. I suspect that, if this continues, we will not even bother to hone our spiritual skills.”
“Those cunning people are trying to make us lazy, and then they’ll weaken our strength.”
“Yes. I can’t fall for their tricks anymore. Many Protoss have not ventured outside of their rooms for half a month. They are slowly becoming pieces of junk trapped in their homes. Yes—they have become what the Earth people call ‘hardcore homebodies.’ ”
“Yes, it’s terrible. They have to go out of their house and be more diligent. They have to find something to do!”
“Find something to do… Anything that can be done has already been done by the robots. What else can we do?”
“Yeah, with the robots, we don’t have to do anything. And it’s just not that we don’t work hard to cultivate and hone our spiritual skills—the concentration of natural spiritual energies here is too thin. It has an effect, even after practice. It is better to rest.”
“Majesty… I think that this is unlikely to be a conspiracy by the people of Earth. They are giving us land and money, as well as houses, games, delicious food, and fun things. Everything. It’s probably not a plot or a sign of malice. If there really is a conspiracy, then we’ll return everything except for the land. We’ll become self-reliant and diligent. It’s better than using this as an excuse to make trouble for them.”
One of the men did say some fair words: If giving them delicious food, fun items, and entertaining stuff to watch was a conspiracy or a trap, then, he said, “Please give us more of these traps!” Even if there were ulterior motives behind these gestures, it would be hard to refuse them.
“This…”
The Heavenly Ruler was speechless. Sending everything back and rejecting those gestures of goodwill—could this even be done?
Thereafter, the meeting came to an inconclusive end.
…
On the other side.
At the Federal meeting of the highest-ranking internal division.
Bursts of laughter could be heard; those at the meeting were rather proud of themselves.
“The Protoss will soon be trapped by us.”
“Haha! We have been placing countless wonderful TV shows, movies, and fun games in front of them for over a month. There must be few who can hold out on sinking into that entertainment!”
“The games are still the most insane part. About a million Protoss have entered into virtual reality games. They have become the sort of players who constantly fight monsters to up their level. Based on their active performance in those games, I would guess that they will soon be suffering from severe internet addiction.”
“In the end, the most powerful force is not physical strength, but culture. We can very directly brainwash the enemy’s minds, on a spiritual and psychological level, to become one of us. After they developed a sense of ident.i.ty with us, they will not be able to go back.”
“A culture based on physical strength cannot last long. In this world, the so-called “Protoss,” the race of the G.o.ds, will eventually be a.s.similated into our society. This is inevitable.”
“In the end, we have maintained our culture and gained their strengths in addition to it. Haha! We will be the strongest civilization.”
The representatives smiled, and their faces were full of confidence.
But… there was one thing that they did not expect.