Then there's no need to continue the collaboration.

After understanding the unspoken implication in Leon's words, Fredri paused for a moment before hesitantly explaining:

"I didn't intend to hide anything from you, it's just... the life span that the Sanctuary can maintain is truly limited, and there are simply too many people in the current world. We were worried..."

Worried we'd harm you for the sake of life span, right?

"Then let's put this matter aside for now."

Understanding her concern was normal, Leon nodded to show his understanding and then rapidly fired off questions:

"I want to know, what is the Sanctuary? What's the deal with the Holy Bull? Also, in the traces that Director Amendo found on Old Soil, there are at least nine million old soil inhabitants. Where are the rest of your people?

Furthermore, your brother and grandfather have physical qualities that match or exceed those of a first-class Cleaner, yet why do they seem like ordinary people without exhibiting any special abilities?"

So many questions...

After blinking with some helplessness, realizing that Leon wouldn't relent without understanding the situation, Fredri picked one question to answer:

"The Sanctuary is our branch's Sanctuary... Our ancestors could communicate directly through Spirit, but there are always differences between people, so over time, we've been divided into fourteen branches based on the Seven Virtues and Seven Sins, each with its own Sanctuary.

After an attack from the Four Pillar Gods, the ancestral leaders of the other thirteen tribes chose to abandon their Sanctuaries and flee with the Star Dome Compass under the lead of Pride. Our branch followed Hope's guidance, taking the Sanctuary and actively relocating into the depths of Old Soil to avoid disaster, eventually finding this dimension.

As for the Holy Bull... it was originally just a normal yellow cow, but because it carried the core of the Sanctuary during our escape, it was heavily infused over decades and now seems to coexist with the Sanctuary, thus it has been considered the Holy Bull."

Fourteen branches... Sanctuary Holy Bull...

Comparing it with the information he knew, Leon temporarily believed Fredri's explanation and continued to ask:

"So what's truly 'holy' about the Sanctuary? What happened to the Sanctuaries of the other thirteen branches? And what about the rest of your people? Are they all living outside the Sanctuary?"

"Regarding the Sanctuary... all the other Sanctuaries have been destroyed, and each of the branch Sanctuaries had its effects, which you can consider akin to an abnormal object effective over an entire tribe, with a strength similar to the truths of the Pillar Gods.

For example, the Sanctuary of Pride has the power of Domination, while the Sanctuary of Gluttony can provide endless food. Our Sanctuary of Hope can forcefully retain a part of hope when destruction comes."

A part of hope is retained?

Leon frowned upon hearing this.

"Could you be more specific? What exactly is the hope that's retained?"

"Specifically... it means that no matter what catastrophe occurs, things will never be completely hopeless; there will always be a few who survive, and no matter how overwhelming the situation may seem, something will always be preserved."

Fredri thought for a moment and then explained:

"For instance, the life span on Grandfather and us is actually preserved by the Sanctuary's power.

When the Four Pillar Gods seized the 'treasure,' our Sanctuary retained a portion of it, so as long as we remain within the Sanctuary and do not leave, we can continue to have a complete life span.

However, the Sanctuary only retained a limited amount of life span and cannot create more, so the number of people it can support is very limited. Moreover, once someone leaves, they cannot re-enter, and even consuming food or water from outside the Sanctuary causes life span loss, so..."

"So, most people eventually left?"

Leon couldn't help but frown upon hearing this and said:

"So you're saying the old soil inhabitants are so... resolute? Even if it means giving up a five-hundred-year life span, they'd still go out?"

"Yes."

Fredri responded with a light hum and then nodded slightly:

"The number of slots the Sanctuary can provide for life span is limited, so each time a child is born, most of their parents choose to leave willingly, hoping to leave that life span to their child.

But when their children grow up, they often have the same idea, wanting to leave their life span for their own kids, so they usually leave before their children come of age. Even tribesmen without children follow in their parents' footsteps, leaving the Sanctuary.

So over time, with the exception of those needed for medicine, pharmacy, cooking, hunting, and rituals, which require time to master and whose departure would inconvenience others, most of the tribesmen have left the Sanctuary.

Although occasionally children born outside come in to take a look, on one hand, the things from outside affect their life span, and Grandfather doesn't want people from outside coming in frequently. On the other hand, their families aren't here, so they usually leave soon afterwards and never return."

"..."

So the life span preserved by the Sanctuary didn't ultimately serve its intended purpose, resulting in a communal nursery and a few exceptionally long-lived cooks and doctors?

Having reluctantly understood how the old soil inhabitants used the Sanctuary, Leon fell silent, recalling Director Amendo's evaluation of the old soil inhabitants as having "more good than evil."