It’s like a spring—the harder you press it down, the more violently it rebounds when released.
Human emotions work the same way.
Under the crushing weight of a survival crisis, after learning that the Federation military—funded by their heavy taxes—could not bring them peace, despair and a sense of helplessness drove people to turn to the divine for salvation.
That surging emotion needed an outlet, a release valve.
Li Qing returned home with her daughter, still shaken. “Thank goodness Marshal Chu is such a kind man.”
Her husband, unshaven and with deep bags under his eyes, looked like he’d aged twenty years. Gone was the spirited man he used to be.
He only gave a brief “Mm” in response to his wife and daughter’s gratitude toward the Marshal.
Li Qing’s heart ached as she watched her husband’s hunched back. “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t gotten involved with Lin Xiaohe, if I hadn’t forced you to clear her luggage, our family wouldn’t have suffered like this.”
She kept wiping her tears, drowning in regret.
They used to live a simple, peaceful life on a small satellite near Tigre. Nothing exciting, but stable and happy.
Then Lin Xiaohe came into their lives, and that peace was gone forever. Their family had been through hell.
Online, public opinion about Lin Xiaohe was sharply divided. Some saw her as a traitor to humanity, a puppet of the Zerg. Others worshipped her, believing she had pioneered a new path for human evolution, guiding humanity toward the right direction.
Li Qing never voiced any opinion on the StarNet about her.
Her feelings toward Lin Xiaohe were complicated—she didn’t want to slander her, nor did she want to worship her.
“It’s not your fault. Honey… maybe we should leave the satellite?” Her husband gripped her hand tightly, his voice trembling, eyes downcast.
Li Qing shook her head. “Where would we go? Nowhere is safer than here. And we have our child with us. Even if we found a safe place, what work would we do?”
Her husband’s lashes quivered, every muscle tensed. Every cell in his body screamed: Danger! Danger!
But he didn’t dare speak.
It felt like standing inside the mouth of a giant beast, ready to be swallowed at any moment.
He could die—but their child was so young, having only ever been to Tigre. Their child had to live!
Suppressing his fear, he took several deep breaths and tried to keep his voice light. “Your parents must miss the kid. Since there’s nothing urgent now, why don’t you take the child to visit them?”
Li Qing hesitated. It had been a while since she’d been home. “Alright. I’ll wrap up a few things here and head back in a few days.”
Her husband let out a long sigh of relief, his anxious heart easing a little.
They still lived in their old house, but most of their neighbors had moved away one by one.
Li Qing opened the StarNet, downloaded a photo of Chu Huaizhi, ran it through her smart device for 3D modeling, and printed out a small statue of him with a 3D printer.
“Come here, sweetie. Let’s bow to Marshal Chu together and thank him for saving our family. Let’s pray that he blesses us to stay together forever.”
The little girl obediently came over, copied her mother’s movements, knelt on the floor, and bowed sincerely. “Please bless our family to always stay together.”
Her husband opened his mouth as if to say something, but then remembered his wife and child would be leaving the satellite in a few days, so he kept quiet.
Li Qing waved him over. “Honey, come here! Let’s bow together.”
Her husband sighed helplessly.
Who sets up a statue for a living person?
“Come on!” Li Qing urged.
Not wanting to argue, he walked over. The three of them bowed once more.
On the projection screen, official Federation news was playing.
[Reporter’s update: A chain collision of spaceships occurred at the Mitter Spaceport. So far, the death toll has exceeded 100,000.]
[Reporter’s update: A sudden tsunami struck Haren Star, flooding over a hundred cities. Deaths have surpassed 960,000, with over a million people reported missing. An investigation team has been dispatched to determine why there was no warning for this tsunami.]
Li Qing stood up, clicking her tongue. “Things are getting more chaotic everywhere. We’re lucky to be here.”
The little girl nodded naively. “Yeah! We’re lucky to be here.”
Her husband smiled at the mother and daughter. Suddenly, his eyes went wide, his features contorting with terror.
In the next instant, he lunged forward and pulled them both into his arms.
Kailen Reynolds stood on the top floor of the Parliamentary Building, overlooking the entire capital city.
Today was a pivotal day—a day that would go down in history.
The divine was about to descend upon the Federation.
The council members who were in the know had all gathered on the rooftop, eager to witness the moment with their own eyes.
The new Tigre Defense Forces stood fully armed, on high alert.
Their orders: be ready to fight at any moment!
“Kailen Reynolds, you’re playing with fire. Gods cannot save humanity—they will only drag us into the abyss of destruction.”
Kailen swirled her glass, gazing up at the sky.
Dusk faded, and three satellites rose into view.
“Humanity is already in the abyss. How much worse could it get? The gods are treasures left to us by the previous human civilization. Like the Dead Hand System, they are vital weapons to defend against external threats.”
“Kailen Reynolds, you’ll regret this. If gods were truly all-powerful, the previous human civilization wouldn’t have fallen.”
Kailen lowered her eyes and silently refuted in her heart: So what? Right now, all she wanted was for her son to live.
If it meant bringing him back, she would trade with the devil himself—let alone summon a god.
Time ticked by, second by second. Everyone waited with bated breath for news from [Nuwa] that the divine had descended.
Soon, they wouldn’t have to wait any longer—because they witnessed the revival of the divine with their own eyes!
The outer shell of Satellite Three collapsed entirely, revealing a dark, obsidian-like wooden core beneath.
Countless metallic, thorny vines surged like giant serpents, weaving into a vast web that enveloped the entire Tigre star system!
At the center of the tangled main vine, patterns of wood and flowing light coalesced into three massive faces formed of starlight and brambles: a man, a woman, and a child. Their eyes gleamed with cold starlight, radiating an inhuman benevolence and mercy as they gazed quietly upon the bountiful starfield before them.
At that very moment, [Nuwa]’s mechanical voice echoed through every Federation citizen’s smart device that could receive StarNet signals.
[The great god Anidam has descended!]
In that instant, the entire Federation fell silent.
Not long after, the Empire’s Traditionalists, who had been retreating on all fronts, also initiated their own Divine Descent Ceremony.
Imperial citizens all received an announcement from the royal family.
[The great god Jörmungandr has descended!]
Meanwhile, Lin Xiaohe—who had been peacefully tending her farm on Kyushu Star and spending time with her family—seemed to sense something. She looked up, gazing into the starry depths of space…
The gods began to count: 1, 2, 3…
Huh?
One was missing.
