Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

His words lowered the temperature inside the cockpit to below zero.

Even today, thousands of years later, Theresa and Princess Summer felt chilled to the bone when they heard it.

Captain Gao Zhunlong was dazed for half a minute. Then his fury burst out uncontrollably like magma bursting out of a cracked earth.

Pointing at the nose of First Officer Quirke, he bellowed, “Quirke, this is betrayal!”

“We once had faith. Now that we’ve abandoned it, we are no longer traitors. But we have never chosen any faith on our own. We are just stray dogs that are being hunted by the tides. What kind of betrayal is that?

First mate Quake said with a smile.

He threw caution to the wind and did not care about anything.

Taking a deep breath, Captain Gao Zhunlong realized that it was unnecessary to talk about beliefs and ideologies with a man such as First Officer Quake. He said calmly, “You cannot rebuild an advanced civilization on this planet with only 1% of your crew members who are still conscious.

“Why does it have to be an advanced civilization? Can it defeat the flood?”

First mate Quake said indifferently, “Captain, don’t you understand? The advanced civilization has nothing to do with the individual happiness index of the civilization.

“Thousands of years ago, our ancestors were the dominators of the universe. How advanced, prosperous, and magnificent they were!

“Then, wouldn’t the primitive people have been happier? There would have been all kinds of wars until they were swept away by the tides!

“Admit it. Happiness comes from comparison, not civilization. In my opinion, we don’t need so much redundant technology to abandon everything and return to the dream-like life of the Middle Ages. There are kings, nobles, knights, and all-powerful mages… And we are the high and mighty kings, the knights with swords, and the all-powerful mages. Isn’t such a life good?

“If only 1% of us choose such a life that does not require too much technology or energy consumption, the prosperous world in front of us should be enough to support us for ten thousand years, a hundred thousand years, or even a million years, right?

“It sounds like you’ve prepared a theme park for yourself,” Captain Gao Zunlong said coldly.

“What’s wrong with a theme park?

The first mate smiled bitterly. “Our ancestors, us, and our children have lived for thousands, no, tens of thousands of years. Isn’t it sad that they don’t know what a theme park is?”

“The problem with theme parks is that they are fake.

Captain Gao Zhunlong said, “While you and all the cowards are hiding on this planet, playing the childish games of kings, knights, and sorcerers, the tide is swallowing the fleeing fleets of the Primeval Civilization one after another, strengthening itself and drawing closer to this place… Can you cowards still play the game after you realize that?”

“Yes, that is a problem.

The first mate said, “Then, we can erase the memory piece and burn everything about the tide in our brain. We can also seal all the information about the tide, the Primeval Civilization, and the starship.

“In such a way, even though our generation will see the most hideous appearance of the Flood Tide in the deepest part of the nightmare, the next generation and the next generation, our children and grandchildren, will be far away from the fear of the Flood Tide, the refugees, and the vast, unpredictable universe around us forever. They will be the happiest generation or a hundred generations in the history of the Primeval Civilization. It will be the best gift that I can give to my children and grandchildren as the last first mate of Jade.

“Your so-called ‘best gift’ is to turn yourself and the proud offspring of the Primeval Lord of Heaven into a bunch of turtles hiding in the illusion of magic?

Captain Gao Zhunlong asked, “Then, what about the flood?”

“When the tide comes, you die.”

First mate Quake replied calmly, “Everybody has to die eventually. The world after death is the same. But after you enjoy everything, you will die comfortably. You will still spend another thousand years of darkness in desperation, resentment, and misery before you die in the most painful way. The difference is too great.

“It seems that you are determined to bring my starship and crew into a ridiculous dream.” Captain Gao Zunlong’s voice was calmer and calmer, but the brightness around him was more and more dazzling.

“My choice is a dream. Isn’t your choice another dream?

First Officer Quake turned a blind eye to the burning flames around Captain Gao Zhunlong and sighed. “Collect the resources here and continue the unpredictable journey. I hope that we can run into ten, a hundred, a thousand, or even a million such worlds and rebuild a magnificent army to fight against the tide. I don’t know how to comment on your choice other than ‘dreaming’.

“Enough!”

Captain Gao Zhunlong waved his hands. His voice was as cold as the shell of a starship that had been soaked in a vacuum. “Quick, I’ve heard enough of your nonsense that can shake the morale of the people. Now, as the captain, I am going to revoke your post and arrest you for treason. Come on. Take the spineless guy down!”

Nobody moved.

All the members of the bridge crew were like cold, rigid statues, watching the quarrel between the captain and the first mate in silence.

“You…”

Captain Gao Zhunlong stared at his loyal subordinates in shock.

“Come on. Arrest the traitor!”

Captain Gao Zunlong roared.

Still, nobody responded to his command.

“Don’t you see, my captain? Our ‘nation’ was torn apart by the flood thousands of years ago. How can a stray dog without a ‘nation’ talk about ‘treason’?”

First mate Quake said, “We have nowhere to run. There are only two dreams in front of us. It is a dream to go with me, and it is a nightmare to go with you. Everybody knows what to choose!”

“You…”

The flames around Captain Gao Zhunlong suddenly shrank and turned sharp, like a furious hedgehog.

“We are ready to abandon Jade forever.

First mate Quake explained, “Since the blue planet was the origin of the Primeval Civilization, the proud captains of the warships had a glorious tradition. When a warship sank, they would not run away alone even if they had the chance. Instead, they stayed and sank into the deep ocean with the warship.

“Captain, please.”