Chapter 34: Toward the Pinnacle

34. Ascending to the Peak

The soldiers supported the coffins containing the remains of the martyrs, placing them one by one onto the conveyor belt for cremation. They would eventually be laid to rest in the soil of Planet Dawn.

That was their new home, the home of the Fourth Civilization that they had protected with their lives.

Returning to the earth was the lifelong wish of all, and it would become the most sacred ritual of the Fourth Civilization.

Watching this scene, Tang Xiao felt a fire burning in his chest, a pressure that demanded release. Although at this moment he only needed to maintain a posture of silent mourning, he felt he owed a statement to these fallen martyrs and to all the living.

“...Fate brought us onto this mothership and gathered us together. Fate brought us to this unknown universe and forced us to face numerous challenges. It was also fate that allowed vicious pirates to come knocking the moment we were just starting out.”

“We could complain about every single thing, but please remember: fate has never made us give up.”

Tang Xiao looked at everyone around him and continued, “If anyone asks me if I believe in fate, I will tell them that I both do and do not.”

“I believe that everything in the unseen world has its own arrangements, and I believe there is an invisible hand behind the scenes always manipulating the masses. But I do not believe—I do not believe that anyone or anything has the power to dictate our future! Raise your hands, and all things in the world are within your grasp; take a step forward, and the path to the future lies beneath your feet!”

“If someone tells me I am destined to stumble, I will tell them that I will walk more steadily than anyone else! If my feet fail, I will use my hands; if my hands are not enough, I will grasp the hands of millions of people!! But we will never fall! We will never bow to so-called fate!”

“Our Fourth Civilization has endured too much! The ravages of three catastrophes cost us everything! We lost the galaxy, we lost Earth, we lost our home! But today, we have come here! To this new universe!”

“We shall fail no more!”

“We shall fight without end!”

“We shall rise again!”

“Because we are the Fourth Civilization!”

After speaking, Tang Xiao stepped down from the platform, personally lifted an urn of ashes, and said loudly, “A tribute to the 42 martyrs, and to the millions of martyrs yet to come!”

“A tribute to the martyrs!” everyone shouted in unison. They stood at attention and saluted, their eyes glistening with tears.

Soldiers on both sides pulled their bolts and squeezed their triggers; the assault rifles fired a crisp volley, sending off all the martyrs.

Tang Xiao looked at those fanatical eyes and took a deep breath, a flicker of lightning seemingly dancing in his palm.

...

On Planet Dawn, on a sun-drenched hillside, the grass was lush and the sun was bright. A gentle breeze brushed by, causing the grass to sway with a rustling sound, bringing with it the refreshing scent of nature.

Tang Xiao stood at the top of the hill, looking at the 42 new graves, silent and wordless. In front of each grave stood a tombstone shaped like a four-armed galaxy, engraved with the martyr's name and life story.

As he sank deeper into his role as the Administrator, Tang Xiao felt himself gradually merging with this world, accepting his part. Especially when facing these 42 sacrifices, Tang Xiao realized he could no longer view all of this as a bystander.

He was grieving, he was impassioned, he was frustrated, he was excited—everything he felt was for the sake of the masses in this world.

Yes, he was one of them now.

Looking up at the sky, the massive gas giant Endor hung in the air, occupying most of his view. Tang Xiao murmured to himself, “You brought me to this universe; what exactly do you want me to do?”

But he did not wait for an answer that might never come. He shifted his gaze downward, focusing on the thriving town ahead.

Dawn City, this growing city.

The city no longer looked like the shanty town it once was. Four- or five-story buildings were gradually appearing, and several giant wind turbines stood in the surrounding area, their slender blades rotating slowly in the breeze.

Below the distant mountains, the mining field had been completed, and the steel mills and processing plants were in operation, with purified white water vapor rising from tall chimneys. Trucks fully loaded with goods shuttled between the mines, factories, and the city.

Near the lake, four large hydroponic farms, each over 50 meters in diameter, had been built. Hemispherical glass domes completely sealed the interiors, simulating Earth’s climate to grow various terrestrial crops.

Over a dozen fishing boats were busy on the lake, casting nets to harvest the nearly inexhaustible fish resources. This lake was connected to the groundwater network of Planet Dawn, meaning almost every type of fish on the planet could be caught here.

Open-air farms and livestock bases were on the other side of the city, where diligent agricultural workers operated advanced machinery.

There was also a giant waste-collection facility built in a hidden canyon, where all sewage and waste from the city and factories—including, of course, large amounts of excrement—were processed. Naturally, that area was strictly off-limits.

Regardless, in the unique topography of Planet Dawn, the existence of the giant waste collector did indeed play a role in keeping environmental pollution under control.

Of course, you had to dispose of that waste before the contraption exploded—perhaps by sending it into outer space or into the sun.

The population of Dawn City had exceeded 5,000, and facilities for all aspects of life were gradually being established: fire departments, security bureaus, water and power departments, administrative offices, and so on were already in operation.

There were even two schools opened in the city. However, because the vast majority of the city's inhabitants were adults of working age, and the adopted frozen embryos primarily learned through information input, both schools were vocational and technical in nature.

One school taught professional knowledge for residents needing to broaden their skill sets, while the other was dedicated to teaching Galactic Standard. There were plans for a children’s school, but with construction needed everywhere, those plans had been pushed back.

The city’s development had reached a bottleneck, as the modular buildings brought by the mothership had been exhausted. New buildings now required local materials and self-construction. This meant factories for cement, steel, equipment, and parts had to be established.

Tang Xiao walked down the hillside and into Dawn City. It was orderly, with every resident immersed in bustling work. Although there were endless tasks every day, seeing Dawn City grow day by day in their own hands made everyone genuinely happy.

This was their home.

“Hello, Administrator.”

“A salute to you!”

“Administrator, this is a pumpkin just grown on our farm. Would you like to taste it?”

Seeing Tang Xiao enter the city, the residents greeted him, but they did not let it affect their work. They would pause briefly, bow to him, and immediately return to their duties.

Tang Xiao greeted everyone with a smile, secretly resolving in his heart:

I will protect these people. I will lead them to the pinnacle of the galaxy!