Chapter 48: The Weight of Choices

"But, Aiden!"

"You've overlooked a crucial fact!"

Aiden looked slightly puzzled and asked, "Boss, could you explain what I've overlooked?"

Ethan nodded, a serious expression on his face. "You need to understand, Holy Keisha is the queen of gods, and the Angel civilization is currently the highest in the universe. If we rely entirely on the Angels, do you think Holy Keisha would care about Nova?"

"Or, say we manage to hold out until the Angels arrive. The demonic signals are suppressed by the Angels, preventing them from finding Nova. Then, with the Angels' help, the demons are defeated. What do you think Nova will look like after the war?"

Aiden thought for a moment and answered, "Forced to join the Order of Justice?"

"Exactly!" Ethan nodded and turned to look out the window. "Aiden, you've seen my memories. You should understand one fact: I am not the Galactic Force! Nova is not Blue Star, and we don't have the Super God Academy."

Ethan paused, then spoke in an even more serious tone. "Firstly, I am not the Galactic Force, so Keisha won't care about my stance. The Galactic Force is the Angels' ideal of a perfect male for thousands of years, embodying their hopes and dreams, not to mention possessing their so-called anti-void capabilities."

"A being destined to become the main god of the Milky Way, referred to as the highest known god of the future! With such an ideal figure possessing immense power, the Angels would undoubtedly try their best to draw him to their side. The Galactic Force's genes alone hold a status equal to Holy Keisha's, which is why she cares about his attitude."

"And Blue Star doesn't just have the Galactic Force; it also has Sun Wukong! No matter the world, Sun Wukong is never simple! Most importantly, the Super God Academy is on Blue Star. Don't be misled by preconceived notions. Even if the Super God Academy is in decline, it is still a remnant of the Shenhe civilization. Whether Taikong, the founder, still oversees it or not, the legacy of Shenhe remains!"

"The remnants of the Shenhe civilization established a vast stellar tree: the Heart of Shenhe! They haven't disappeared but merely hidden in the shadows, represented by the Super God Academy. This is the most frightening scenario, where they could even pull out a celestial computer like the Big Clock at any time. Do you think Holy Keisha would ignore the Super God Academy's stance? Or the stance of the Shenhe remnants? Blue Star is their chosen battlefield for the Galactic Force's growth. The Shenhe will not allow Keisha or the Angels to act recklessly!"

Ethan shook his head in exasperation. "And Nova? As a Nova leader, what right do you have to negotiate with Holy Keisha? Blue Star has what Nova does not. Who am I? A leader of Nova? That's useless! Even if our population has the physique of first-generation super soldiers, what good is it? If Holy Keisha wants to kill us, she can deliver a divine judgement from space, and we wouldn't even know it was coming! Unless we relocate to other low-gravity planets to gain some leverage."

"Nova is rich in resources. Not to mention black gold, even the synthesis minerals of dark silver and syngium have vast, unexplored reserves. Do you think the Angels wouldn't be tempted? Moreover, Aiden, both you and I surpass their understanding and could be classified as sub-beings or void beings."

"Do you think such a civilization, with each person being a super soldier and rich in resources but only at a pre-nuclear or early space age technology level, will be ignored by Holy Keisha? In her Order of Justice, we would be defined as unstable factors. Once developed, we could disrupt the known universe's order!"

"After the Angels help us defeat the demons, the inevitable result will be forced integration into the Order of Justice, restricting our technological development and exploiting our resources. In the end, Keisha would patronizingly say, 'Under the protection of justice, explore the happiness of life!' Can you accept such an outcome?"

Ethan's face was unprecedentedly severe. "I, Ethan, will not accept it! And I believe Nova won't accept it either!"

Although Aiden was a photonic quantum intelligent being, he clearly didn't grasp the complexities of the situation. He was somewhat shocked and hurriedly asked, "Then, Boss! How can we avoid this outcome?"

Ethan shook his head. "I don't know the exact answer either. I don't know if my decisions are right. Initially, when I learned that our enemies were demons and the Angels would come to Nova, I was at a loss. Until the meeting where the Angel Yan came to my room, some things happened, and a crazy idea hit me!"

"It's said that Angels would do anything for their loved ones. So, if Angel Yan falls in love with me, what would Nova's fate be? Initially, I thought that if I succeeded, even if Nova was integrated into the Order of Justice, with Yan's help, even if I died, Nova wouldn't be too harshly oppressed. Most importantly, Yan is destined to become the queen of Angels, though it's two thousand years later!"

"When that time comes, the Order of Justice will change, and it will be Nova's chance! And I succeeded; I made her fall in love with me! So, if I die, Nova will be under your leadership. As long as Yan remembers me, Nova will have hope until Holy Keisha falls, and Yan becomes queen!"

"But! After the four refuge zones were detonated, with nine million Novans sacrificing themselves, I realized it was all meaningless! Because we are too weak! If we had higher technology and greater strength, would the demons dare to come? Could the Angels ignore us? But it's too late! And I still need to consider the future of Nova's survivors!"

"Imagine if our nine million sacrifices only resulted in integration into the Order of Justice. Not only I but everyone else wouldn't accept it! Because we need revenge! We cannot be oppressed by the Angels! We need to keep developing ourselves relentlessly!"

"And to achieve all this, the only way I can think of is to prove we are worthy of saying no to the Angels! That's why I asked Angel Yan to grant you access to Blade Seven, allowing you to locate each demon and eliminate them with our own strength! I told Yan that the demons must be destroyed by Nova for this reason. And to steal Blade Seven's data to ensure Nova's rapid development in the future!"

"The key to all this is Angel Yan! And most importantly, Morgana! Morgana must be dealt with by Nova, in front of Holy Keisha! Proving with my death that Nova will never submit to anyone! Either Holy Keisha wipes out Nova, or she abandons the idea of integrating us into her Order of Justice!"

"Back then, my thoughts were laughable, thinking a nuclear bomb could kill her! Morgana's divine body certainly can't withstand the core temperatures of a supernova, but that doesn't mean she lacks other defenses, including Karl!"

"But I believe my choice was correct. Even if I'm gone, you, Aiden, will lead Nova! You have all my memories and can surely surpass the universe's constraints, leading Nova on an unprecedented path! A path neither Angels nor Shenhe have ever imagined!"

Ethan's hopeful gaze fell on Aiden, placing all his hopes in him. Then, he shifted his tone.

"This was my plan! But I didn't die! When I opened my eyes and saw Angel Yan's tearful face, I realized that toying with emotions inevitably leads to being ensnared by them. I felt guilty and didn't know how to face her. Avoidance was my only choice!"

"Moreover, Nova's matters aren't over. Holy Keisha is still there, and Nova sacrificed so much. I must secure the greatest benefits for Nova! After I woke, my mind was clearer than ever, and my body seemed to have more than doubled in strength!"

At this point, Aiden interjected, "Boss, this is the gift from those who sacrificed themselves."

Ethan nodded. "Yes, when you detailed the situation, I realized it wasn't a dream. I was saved by them! But you need to research the exact cause of their ability to exist in a quantum ghost form."

"Understood, Boss. I have some ideas and will report to you once I organize them."

"Good! Let's continue. Though my body has strengthened, the situation is still dire! Holy Keisha is right in front of us, especially after she attempted to kill me!"