Chapter 21 Apprentice of the Future

　　“Later… Later, human survivors defeated the evil forces at a heavy cost. But by then, the apocalyptic virus had spread all over Earth and kept evolving—vaccines developed would become useless against the mutated virus in just ten to fifteen days… That was until Dr. David created a powerful antidote: it was a bane to the virus, yet also a ‘virus among viruses’ itself! This antidote would spread across the entire planet too. Apart from devouring several types of apocalyptic viruses, it was also fatally harmful to the brains of living humans. It would take a hundred years of Earth’s self-purification to dilute the antidote to a concentration safe for humans to survive in.”

　　“Huh? So, this is the real reason we’re not allowed to go back to our home planet within a hundred years?” The teenager, who had been listening carefully, finally figured out why there was a rule banning humans from returning to Earth for a century! He couldn’t help but speak up, cutting off the elder’s words…

　　The elder, though interrupted, wasn’t angry at all. Instead, there was quite a lot of approval in his eyes—glad that the boy’s mind was gradually becoming more quick-witted, even his stutter was gone…

　　He smiled and went on: “Yes. This potent purifier was made to cleanse the apocalyptic virus and the human genes infected by it. At the same time, it would also erode infected human genes, making it an invisible killer to humans as well…

　　To get rid of the apocalyptic virus, humanity had no choice but to move into space… After we went to space, my father, under the guidance of the Heavenly Choice, founded the Earth Alliance. He made a law that designated Earth as a forbidden zone for humans, and this ban would last for a hundred years! All human activities and machine surveys [on Earth] are illegal! We sealed off Earth and forbade humans from setting foot on it for a century, hoping that Earth could restore its vitality over those hundred years...

　　In the following 95 years, we humans in space kept expanding Dragon Head Fortress—adding a Loong’s body and tail to the "Loong head"... With the help of Star Core technology, human civilization directly entered the era of interstellar migration... During those decades, everyone was busy expanding into space, and attention to Earth faded a lot...

　　But as Star Core technology hit a bottleneck, humanity’s space migration plan also stalled around the solar system. Only unmanned probes can conduct surveys around the Milky Way..."

　　"Star Core... technology... also... has... a bottleneck?" Gu Moxun asked in confusion, his stutter much improved...

　　"Yes! That’s also the fundamental reason why Guides require DNA matching. The knowledge in the Star Core isn’t accessible to just anyone! It requires a DNA sequence match to resonate with the consciousness in one’s brain, thereby accessing the Star Core. Matching one’s DNA sequence to the Star Core is no easy task! Even a tiny error in the infinitely long DNA sequence molecule won’t work!

　　Moreover, the Star Core has three layers in total—each layer requires a different length of sequence match to unlock. The further you go, the longer the fully matched sequence needs to be! For Layer 1 technology, a match level of 1-5 is enough; Layer 2 technology should require level 5 or above... As for Layer 3, with my current matching level, I still can’t reach it—I can only sense that Layer 3 exists..." Wei Zhengdao told him everything truthfully, holding nothing back from his disciple...

　　Gu Moxun stared in stunned silence; his young face filled with shock and amazement!

　　The elder was already so powerful, yet he still couldn’t fully unlock the contents of the Star Core. What earth-shattering secrets could the Star Core possibly hold? It was simply beyond imagination!

　　Gu Moxun couldn’t help but ask: “Master, what… level… is your… matching degree?”

　　“I have a Level 5 matching degree. Even after years of effort, I’ve only just caught a glimpse of Layer 2 technology! But even just the tip of the iceberg of Star Core’s Layer 2 technology allowed me to create curvature jump technology and the Fifth-Generation Individual Battle Mecha!” Wei Zhengdao held nothing back from his disciple, telling him the secrets of the Star Core directly!

　　Upon hearing this, the teenager was utterly stunned! He never imagined the Star Core would be so magical! Then what exactly was the Star Core? Could it really be the core of a planet? Filled with curiosity, he asked again: “Then what… does the Star Core… look like?”

　　The elder had grown used to the teenager’s stutter by now. He glared at the boy and said: “That’s not part of today’s lesson! You don’t need to be curious about these things right now. When you have the strength to protect the Star Core, this old man will naturally tell you all its secrets! Knowing them now will only bring you trouble!”

　　Wei Zhengdao reminded the teenager earnestly. Upon hearing this, the boy nodded solemnly!

　　“What you need to do today is understand history, learn from the past to judge the present! Only then can you accurately grasp the direction of the future! And cherish the goodness of the present!

　　All right! Let’s get back to the point! We’ve almost exhausted the resources in the solar system over these years, and humanity’s current technology can’t take us beyond the solar system—so we can only set our sights on Earth, which is rich in resources… In five years, it will be the 100-year deadline set by the Chosen One, and Earth has naturally become a target coveted by all forces. In this day and age, the suffering of humans during the Apocalypse, the bloody battles fought by our ancestors, and the last wishes of the Destined One have all gradually been forgotten… Everyone is single-mindedly thinking about seizing a piece of land, becoming a ruler, or getting a share of the spoils once we return to Earth…

　　This extreme mindset is truly dangerous and terrifying; it could plunge humanity into an irreversible disaster at any moment. Unfortunately, I’m already in my twilight years, so I can only place my hopes on you. Do you understand?” Wei Zhengdao spoke to Gu Moxun with great foresight. No one would have guessed that this white-haired elder cared so deeply about Earth and the future of humanity…

　　Gu Moxun fell silent for a moment, feeling the weight on his shoulders grow heavier. But then he thought: the Chosen One he admired had faced far greater hardships back then, hadn’t he? The pressure the Destined One bore must have been a thousand or a hundred times his own. Since he had vowed to become a man like the Destined One, how could he be afraid of this little burden!

　　After sorting out his thoughts, the teenager said calmly: “Don’t worry, Master. I will never let these things happen!” His words were firm and resolute—without the slightest stutter.

　　“Good! You truly live up to my choice! Nowadays, many young people have forgotten history and the pain we once endured. When people forget how they got hurt, they easily get hurt again!” This is also why the Chivalry Hero Pavilion stores a large number of human historical biographies and some old relics from Earth. Each of these items has its own story behind it, and these stories can help Guides remember the lessons of history and avoid repeating the same mistakes…

　　It also preserves many diaries written by Apocalypse survivors and video recordings—including records and notes left by the Destined One, Chu Mufan.” Wei Zhengdao nodded in satisfaction as he spoke; he was truly pleased with Gu Moxun’s performance…

　　Upon hearing that there were notes from his idol, the teenager almost jumped up from his cushion. He looked at Wei Zhengdao in disbelief and asked: “Really? Master, do we really have the Heavenly Choice’s notes here? Were they written by his own hand?” His admiration for his idol made his stutter disappear again.