Eagle's estate-like space city. Now, Marvance has been meticulously manicured into something truly beautiful; its fields bloom with flowers of every hue, and butterflies of myriad shapes dance among the blossoms, creating a perfect tableau.

The virtual blue sky is in no way inferior to the real one, complemented by ever-shifting white clouds drifting on the gentle breeze. The shimmering surface of the lake occasionally ripples, mirroring the heavens above. Several flocks of waterfowl inhabit the water, striking graceful poses now and then, letting out a few clear, crisp calls before beating their wings and taking to the air.

A fairy-tale castle sits beside the lake, and on the far side of the castle stretches a patch of emerald woodland, home to harmless creatures like rabbits and squirrels.

The castle’s exterior walls are pristine white, adorned everywhere with reliefs and sculptures, with four towering spires rising around its perimeter. Directly in front of the castle lies a vast lawn, in the center of which rests a fountain fed by the lake’s water. A grand path paved with bluestone stretches from the distance right up to the castle gates.

“The environment here is truly exceptional, Commander Yang Ying.”

Ambassador Jiayouna, the celebrated singer, was a guest at the estate city, accompanied by four attendants: two military officers and two handmaidens. The officers stood guard at the doorway, while the maidens sat near her side.

This was a reception hall, spacious and decorated with craftsmanship that spoke of master artisans. It exuded luxury without any hint of vulgarity; most furnishings were antiques, and even those that were not originated from long-established, superb handcraft workshops.

Yang Ying chuckled, “This entire city was conceived by the collaboration between the Singer faction and the United Earth Industries Group. Ambassador, you deserve half the credit.” He was seated at that moment on an antique sofa, directly opposite Ambassador Jiayouna.

“I dare not claim that. The other half is entirely due to the Earth designers.” Jiayouna returned a slight smile. Her visit this time was certainly not just to praise the castle; it concerned Hadok’s sudden ascension and immediate demise. She had received an official response from the Singer faction, and certain matters required her to confirm details with Yang Ying. However, before delving into serious topics, she wished to use casual conversation to ease the atmosphere, recalling the massive, surging transformation recently unfolding throughout the inhabited worlds.

Jiayouna remarked, “The scope of this recent upheaval is truly breathtaking. Though we Singer people find it inconvenient to interfere directly, we have watched it all unfold. The efficiency is astonishing. The old order was shattered and demolished with precise strikes in an instant. Entire powerful families, whose standing in human society was formidable only recently, were uprooted overnight, and a new order was established with miraculous speed. Your contingent must have played a significant role, not only firing the first shot by bombing the headquarters of the Earth military under the old regime, but I also heard that in many places, citizens attempting to cause trouble were swiftly suppressed by the mercenaries of the Tellan Mercenary Corps.”

“That is indeed the case.”

Yang Ying stated that following the upheaval, the United Earth Government became paralyzed. Jin Siler organized a transitional government, integrating the meticulously planned New Order into it as a template for the future government.

Yet, a temporary government, by its nature, could not account for every facet, prompting many ill-intentioned individuals to hatch schemes, hoping to profit from the ensuing chaos.

At that time, the provisional government hired the Tellan Mercenary Corps to dispatch two million mercenaries to the most volatile regions to maintain order.

It must be noted that the Tellan Mercenary Corps’ equipment had seen several generations of upgrades. Even the basic mechanized infantry, their power armor superior by more than tenfold compared to the first generation. As for the newer infantry types, the Reapers and Marauders, they showed a clear trend toward full mechanization. Even the regular military forces paled in comparison; one squad might not be able to defeat a single Tellan soldier, let alone the opportunistic riffraff from civilian backgrounds.

Often, just a few hundred infantrymen, supported by the combined firepower of one or two echelon tanks, and guided by the observation of a Watcher, were enough to control an entire city.

Experience proved that humans are not creatures easily swayed by mutual understanding; thus, violence proved more effective than discourse. The armies advanced, hoisted the corpses of several ringleaders as a demonstration, and every riot was immediately quelled.

As the fleet from the front lines returned, Alexander defected to the reformist faction. Everything was then settled. Supported by overwhelming force, power transitioned smoothly to the new upper echelon society, a feat accomplished with extreme efficiency.

After discussing their views on the transformation, Jiayouna gradually let her smile fade, her expression growing solemn. “So many momentous events have occurred in the Solar System recently: first, the advent of spatial jump technology, then Hadok’s advancement to the Fourth Level followed by his rapid demise, then the extinction of the Ancient Legion, and finally, the sweeping changes in the human world. All of this is tied to the Tellan Mercenary Corps.”

Yang Ying nodded, appearing entirely unperturbed. These were all his grand achievements, yet he felt no need to boast.

“None of us believe that the native powers of the Solar System could have accomplished the feats mentioned above. Of those matters, only the human world’s transformation was within the capabilities of Earthlings. The others vastly exceeded what Earthlings could manage,” Jiayouna stated seriously.

“What is the Ambassador trying to suggest?” Yang Ying inquired with a smile, “…Aren’t we Tellans Earthlings? Oh, right, such matters are unavoidable. Even Master Xixun harbored doubts, oh no, Master Kongli seemed quite certain about this.”

Jiayouna nodded, then paused, her expression tinged with hesitation. After a moment, she cautiously probed, “Actually, it’s more than just that. I need to ask: are you True Humans?”

Yang Ying keenly noted the phrasing of her question—not “Are you genuinely human?” but “Are you True Humans?” Yang Ying did not believe Jiayouna had made a grammatical error; a Master-level expert would never make such a mistake. It seemed the term True Human held a special significance that made Ambassador Jiayouna, a representative of the Singer faction, apprehensive. Yang Ying could detect that faint thread of fear woven into Jiayouna’s ethereal voice.

Yang Ying mused inwardly, It seems this ‘True Human’ status is something extraordinary. I should startle her a bit and see what happens.

With that thought, Yang Ying gently nodded his head.

At this, even the two Singer officers at the door and the two Singer handmaidens behind Jiayouna underwent visible, drastic changes in expression.

Jiayouna hurriedly rose and executed the most formal of bows: “Forgive my discourtesy, forgive my discourtesy. So you are a True Human Excellency. No wonder you possess technology far surpassing the Solar System and could so easily eliminate the Fourth Level Hadok.”

The two handmaidens and two officers performed the same gesture, their faces etched with awe.

“No need for such ceremony; please, sit down,” Yang Ying instructed the Singer delegation. Internally, he pondered, Perhaps I overplayed my hand. But what exactly is this ‘True Human’ existence? Should I retract my acknowledgment? Hmm, better clarify things first.

Jiayouna sat back down, her demeanor now significantly more deferential.

Seeing this, Yang Ying inquired, “Ambassador, may I ask, in the eyes of your people, what kind of existence are the True Humans?”

Jiayouna deliberated for a moment, seemingly choosing her words carefully to avoid giving offense. After a brief pause, she spoke, “Your Excellency, in the eyes of us Singer people, True Humans are a mysterious and powerful existence. Mysterious, because you are the first True Human to appear in the Orion Arm in twenty thousand years! Powerful, because you were once the overlords of the Milky Way Galaxy, your steps traversing its expanse, establishing the incomparably glorious Atlantean Empire. However, two millennia ago, due to a mysterious great catastrophe, you abandoned your territories in the Orion Arm and the Perseus Arm, retreating to the Sagittarius Arm and the Triangulum Arm.”

The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy, its hundred billion stars mostly distributed across the four arms mentioned by Jiayouna: the Orion Arm, the Perseus Arm, the Sagittarius Arm, and the Triangulum Arm. Earth is situated in the inner region of the Orion Arm, and the spheres of influence of the Singer faction and Kustar also lie within the Orion Arm.

Yang Ying’s heart stirred upon hearing Jiayouna’s account. Atlantis? That name sounded so familiar. Wasn’t the legendary lost ancient continent also called that?

Jiayouna continued, “Though to this day, the territory of the Atlantean Empire is reduced to only the Sagittarius Arm and the Triangulum Arm, it still commands half of the galaxy. Furthermore, your descendants—such as Earthlings and many other human sub-races—still inhabit the Orion and Perseus Arms. Human civilizations, each having developed uniquely, can be found on many planets, yet they have all lost contact with the Empire, becoming rootless wanderers.”

The deeper Yang Ying listened, the greater his astonishment grew. Such earth-shattering secrets had never circulated among the Earth's upper echelons. There was an Atlantean Empire in the Milky Way, controlling half the galaxy, and they were the ancestors of Earthlings!

“Since humans are descendants of the True Humans,” Yang Ying asked, “why do you treat Earthlings with less reverence than you show True Humans?”

Jiayouna’s face tightened, and she asked, “Is Your Excellency angered by this?”

“No,” Yang Ying waved his hand with a smile. “I am merely inquiring.”

Seeing that Yang Ying showed no signs of anger, Jiayouna breathed a sigh of relief and replied, “It is simply because descendants are still descendants. For some unknown reason, when the great catastrophe occurred twenty thousand years ago, there was a civilizational rupture. None of the Atlantean technology was passed down. Every human sub-race we Singer people have encountered, including Earthlings, is the same. News from other advanced non-human civilizations confirms this as well. All human sub-races have forgotten their past glory, forgotten the honor of their ancestors, and have developed their own unique civilizations. Even if legends of Atlantis exist within their cultures, they are treated merely as myths, given no real weight. They are no longer Atlantis.”

Jiayouna concluded, “Moreover, since all human sub-races started from scratch, twenty thousand years is too short a time; no human sub-race has yet mastered spatial jump technology. Among all human sub-races in the Orion Arm, Earthlings possess the most advanced rate of development. Therefore, the major advanced civilizations in our Orion Arm established a rule: not to regard the human sub-races as True Humans, nor to reveal the truth to them.”