Ian shook his head slightly, pulling his thoughts back.
Ian knew there was no point in thinking about this kind of question any further.
Even if his Spirit Energy and Heart Light Body were essentially what Hua’an referred to as the ’Fifth Spirit Ability’ predicted by the Fairy Dream Institute, it was irrelevant to his current endeavors.
However, Ian had decided that the next ti he t Hua’an, he would discuss this matter with her to see her perspective.
After all, the faction that has done the most research on Spirit Energy in this world is not the City of Knowledge nor the Yanjiang Countries, but the Fae!
"Is it really possible?"
At this mont, upon hearing Ian’s words, Loran was silent for a while before timidly saying, "Then, sir, I want to see my grandma..."
"Alright."
Gathering his thoughts, Ian nodded, and turning to Adalbert and Scott, who had also leaned closer, he said, "Let’s head to the observation area first—let everyone go back, today is a day off, a celebration in the square."
"Are there enough food and drinks?" he asked Scott, to which the Iron Folk manager smiled and said, "We prepared long ago."
Ian smiled and nodded; this was sothing that reassured him.
The people of Xiahui City celebrated and cheered on the day of the Prophet’s return, while the Prophet and his followers, with a little boy in tow, arrived at a secret laboratory located in the outskirts beneath the West City District of Xiahui City.
The automatic stairs descended slowly.
"How is his grandma doing now?"
On the elevator, Ian made no attempt to hide anything. Even with Loran by his side, he straightforwardly asked, "The artificial souls of those elders should have been incubated by now, if they could have been cured, it would have happened a month ago."
"Not too well."
Adalbert honestly replied, glancing at Loran, who had his head down, and continued, "His grandma was one of the more critical cases, her lifespan was coming to an end, her Vitality was depleted, dentia, and she suffered brain hypoxia due to a high fever... Fortunately, she received so initial treatnt, otherwise, we couldn’t have saved her."
"So she was saved then."
Ian nodded, "Is she still in critical condition?"
"Her vital signs have stabilized." The white-haired researcher recalled the data and said, "But the transcription progress of the artificial soul onto the brain’s mory is very slow, now we can only use agents to maintain the vital signs and slowly grind the process."
"But..."
After hesitating for a mont, Adalbert looked at Loran and said directly, "According to the progress, even if she’s restored, she wouldn’t have more than a few months left. She’s too old, that’s beyond saving."
"That’s the reality."
The elevator stopped, and Ian walked forward without pause, the group following behind him, while Loran’s complex emotions were still brewing. They arrived at a brightly lit, plain white research hall.
The inner hallway of the research hall to the right led to the wards of many test subjects, so resembling the cultivation pods in the South Sea Great Labyrinth, so were solitary compartnts where patients lay in beds, with various dicinal pipes inserted into them.
As Ian and the others moved towards the inside, a dic was pushing a young-looking woman towards the interior of the ward.
"Huh?"
This puzzled Ian, "Weren’t we not accepting young people? How did she get in?"
"Sigh."
Upon seeing this, Scott spoke, sighing before explaining to Ian, "This is Seli from Zhuìhuā Town. She was ntally challenged from a young age, suffering from severe autism, almost unable to care for herself. Her father died in a magical beast attack, and her mother raised her alone till she was almost twenty."
"Now, her mother has aged, unable to work, and during a famine was infected by fungi, becoming bedridden. Desperately, she wanted to commit suicide with her daughter, believing that without her care, her daughter would be helpless."
"But ultimately, she couldn’t bring herself to harm her daughter... When our people found Seli, she was eating dirt."
Ian was silent for a mont, and Adalbert sighed as well, but only the Green Tide, quite oblivious to the sentint, asked, "What about her mother?"
"Your reading comprehension is seriously lacking."
Ian sighed deeply and shook his head, saying, "So, her situation is very special?"
"Congenital diseases are very rare among the Terra People; we suspect she has a brain deformity," said Adalbert, "This is an extrely rare case. We want to test whether a person with congenital brain disabilities, after obtaining a soul, can recall past mories of their relatives and understand emotions like ’love’ and ’devotion’ through education."
"Hmm." Ian nodded, "The most important thing is to confirm whether the Artificial Soul can completely improve intelligence. In my territory, we don’t need the intellectually challenged; at the very least, they should be proficient in reading comprehension."
"Boss!" Green Tide called out pitifully, even though everyone knew he was trying to break the somber mood, it didn’t stop them from teasing him.
"Always deflecting," Adalbert muttered softly, "Can’t you just honestly admit you feel sorry seeing such tragedies..."
"A comprehensive support system must also be established," Ian, as if not hearing, instructed Scott, "Lately, we’ve absorbed a lot of Western Border refugees into the territory. There are bound to be disabled people among them. We don’t need to give them any special treatnt, but prepare appropriate work and a non-discriminatory environnt for them."
"Physical disabilities can be cured in Terra, but psychological ones cannot be healed even with a soul."
Loran watched the young woman until she too was taken into the ward.
Listening to the words of Ian and the other territory managers, the boy was thoughtful.
Loran’s grandma was in one of the solitary compartnts.
Looking through the window into the room, the elderly woman had seven different dicinal tubes inserted into her, her expression tranquil, still in sleep, but her eyes moved rapidly, indicating active thoughts.
"Seems it’s still being transcribed."
In just one glance, Ian could ascertain Loran’s grandma’s condition, "Lady Finia’s condition is relatively good... but indeed, her Vitality has nearly depleted."
Slightly raising his hand, Loran’s small body floated in midair, allowing him to see his grandma better. Ian said calmly, "Child, as you can see, your grandma is still alive and in relatively good condition, and in about one or two months she will awaken and recall you."
"But even so, she will likely pass away before March next year, and I must tell you this fact."
"... Sir, I understand clearly."
Gazing dumbfounded at his peacefully breathing grandma in the ward, the black-haired boy smiled, "You’ve let see my grandma and what you all are researching."
"I don’t understand."
He said honestly, "So I want to learn."
"Sir, may I learn?"
"Very good, that’s the answer I wanted to hear."
Ian’s lips curled into a smile, he patted Loran on the head, then said to Scott, "Add him to the study group. I’ve checked, his talent is quite good, don’t let it go to waste."
"Also, look around in the territory, among the Mountain People, to see if there are other children and families with similar experiences. Help them in the na of the Supre Spirit Sect."
The boy looked up at the Prophet standing before him.
He stood in the laboratory, guiding the way, watching over everyone.
So might think him cold and unfeeling, seeing everyone rely as research tools, but Loran understood this was how a God should be.
He didn’t need to love anyone individually; what he needed was to change the world and change this land.
Just as Ian, rely by bringing food and dicine back to South Ridge, saved countless disaster victims... Just as Ian, simply by deciding the direction of his experints, saved all the disabled, the ntally challenged, and the elderly alike.
This was... a Deity.
His Deity.
The ’direction’ he aspired towards.
Loran stayed in the laboratory, wanting to look at his grandma a bit longer.
He was a very clever child who, after Awakening his Spirit Energy, imdiately pledged allegiance to Ian—this was both his devotion and faith, but also an intelligent move. He was fully aware that his actions would undoubtedly enhance Ian’s reputation and esteem among the territory’s populace and would allow him to rapidly gain access to Ian’s attention.
In this child, Ian saw himself... although he responded to the situation differently; he ’read’ the child’s actions and thoughts, and noticed the divisions within the Supre Spirit Sect.
"The Mountain People who worship the Dragon God, and the Imperial People who worship ... Scott, you are in charge of this matter. Explain to what exactly happened in these past two months, and why the divisions within the Supre Spirit Sect have occurred?"
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