I Don't Agree to the Terms-Chapter 1089 - 572: The Ark Far from Home (Part 2)

"There really is a difference between one World Tree and another..." Gu Shanhai quipped.

In his previous life, he was also a World Tree, but his leaves didn't have this function. In fact, if his body touched the Dual-star Celestial Body in his past life, it would inevitably lead to death as the only outcome. Yet, a leaf of another's not only stands its ground but also shelters an entire race.

"However, the Elf Clan got to this point not just because of the World Tree's leaves but also because of their own efforts. If they didn't strive for themselves, no amount of help could turn them from mud into something solid."

Every surviving member of the Elf Clan was no ordinary elf; they were all engineers and combat elites at the start.

They needed to venture out to various worlds to gather resources to support the development of their society. The World Tree's leaf wasn't a complete world; it was just a world seed, not even considered an embryo, let alone a prototype. Otherwise, the Demon Dragon wouldn't have been able to pluck it.

Therefore, they couldn't complete a natural cycle, and resources were limited.

For survival, they naturally had to look elsewhere. While traveling to various worlds, all sorts of unforeseen incidents could occur, so they not only had to master combat to deal with unexpected situations but also needed to know how to repair, build, and even find a way back if their space detachment device broke down.

The World Tree from Gu Shanhai's previous life naturally wasn't exaggerated to the point where each leaf was a world. Those leaves were just small spaces; the better ones were half-planes, and the inferior ones were hardly more than storage rings.

To boast about nurturing numerous game worlds with one's own roots and stems sounds nice, but in reality, it was just a business district. Success owed much to the assistance and resource bias from the "First Age." If relying solely on his past life's strength, forget about creating multiple root-and-stem business districts; he couldn't even stand up to a single world.

Of course, he didn't have to worry about defeat in his past life. Back then, he had backing. As a formal player with quantifiable data and strength, he undoubtedly topped the sales charts. If a world gave him trouble, he could directly report to the "First Age," seeking its intervention.

The "First Age" was indeed very indulgent and protective of players, especially those who topped sales charts.

After all, being a sales champion still meant the big bosses took the lion's share of the profits.

If you want the horse to run but don't feed it, how could development be so swift?

Because ample benefits were given, players would work desperately, thereby providing significant benefits to the "First Age." A portion of this benefit was then returned to the players, forming a virtuous cycle.

Being a capitalist means knowing the proper way to exploit: it's about providing meat with the wolfish culture, not feeding it crap while demanding ferocity.

If you feed crap without pay, why would employees be loyal to you? It's unlikely they would comply just because you say so. More likely, they'd slack off, muddle through, becoming a detrimental element rather than a loyal dog.

"The Elf Clan reached this level of unity not just because of an excellent leader but because their small size makes management easier."

"If you add a billion to a thousand in population units, these peaceful scenarios are unlikely to persist, giving rise to intrigues and infighting."

Gu Shanhai could see it, aware that it was fortunate the Elven population wasn't large. Coupled with the pressures of survival and equitable resource distribution, it kept chaos at bay.

At the very least, everyone wanted to live rather than randomly frame or assassinate for power or wealth.

So far, no elf has surpassed the current leader's excellence.

"But how do I sneak into the Elf Clan...?"

The small population, combined with prolonged interactions, made any new elf conspicuous, rendering Gu Shanhai's disguise ineffective.

Saying he was unregistered was even more unrealistic. Given the Elf Clan's birthrate, any new elf's birth would have the entire Clan visiting frequently; the concept of an unregistered elf didn't exist.

"The best way would be to replace one, but that's easier said than done."

Replacing an elf wasn't the real problem; it was that he didn't want to work.

Replacing higher-ups would mean not leaving the World Tree's leaf to gather materials and technology across worlds, essentially just staying put.

The idea sounds good, but the reality is those high-ranking elves are constantly buried in work, with various tasks piling up on them.

Despite the low population, the Elf Clan boasts high productivity and societal advancement, resulting in an overwhelming number of matters to handle.

If Gu Shanhai replaced an Elf Clan higher-up, he wouldn't have leisure.

On the contrary, by taking the place of a non-higher-ranking elf, he could manage his time freely as long as he had no tasks.

The problem is, tasks aren't easy. Besides world-traveling for material and tech gathering, there's Ghost Hunter fighting, Destructive Frost cleansing, and more. Although not as intense as the higher-ups' work, it's still far from doing nothing.

In the entire Elf Clan, there isn't a single idle person, nor any elf with an extraordinary status.

Everyone is striving to survive.

Without the Elf Clan's maintenance, the World Tree's leaf couldn't have lasted till now.

Though it might not be destroyed by the Dual-star Celestial Body, various damages would emerge, requiring time to repair.

These damages to the World Tree's leaf itself might only be equivalent to superficial wounds, insignificant.

But for the Elf Clan, they'd be crises leading to their destruction, necessitating constant maintenance for survival, so naturally, they wouldn't relax.

No one talks about lax maintenance; they constantly tread on the edge of death, so how could they relax about matters of life and death?

Especially as most elves have survived since the dawn of their world's destruction, the apocalyptic scenes are unforgettable for a lifetime.

The new generation of elves also travels across worlds, witnessing apocalyptic scenes and frequently encountering dangers. Without seasoned elves as guides, they probably wouldn't return.

"Let's see, it's best to find an elf who's just completed a task and is starting a vacation."

"Otherwise, if I just replace someone who's immediately deployed, that would be a big loss for me."

Gu Shanhai searched but couldn't find a suitable candidate. While vacationing elves existed, they were either working overtime or intensely training and studying.

Soon, Gu Shanhai's head spun from watching them. Was it really necessary to be so intensive... Oh, it really was necessary. Because here, 'intensive' wasn't the right term. If you don't work hard here, you might die next time you're outside, or if your academic standards aren't up to par, you might fail to handle the Destructive Frost, causing a rift in the Homeward Ark.

For the sake of their lives, not working hard is death, which is different from being intensive.

"I can only find someone that seems a bit normal." Gu Shanhai quickly selected a hapless elf, one who was studying and researching, with most of his focus in that area.

His ventures into other worlds were primarily for scientific exploration and technology collection.

If the Elf Clan weren't short on personnel, such a talent would surely have bodyguards, even on scientific expeditions.

Still, this elf shouldn't be underestimated; his combat prowess was also remarkable. After all, he emerged from a sea of corpses, and without some skill, he'd have perished long ago.

As for dedicating himself to research, no one provided him resources; resources were tight even after everyone shared their earnings. Even the higher-ups received the same share, relying on unity.

Unless he transferred to a higher position; however, safety would come at the cost of time.

"It's you then, at least your character is somewhat similar to mine." Gu Shanhai could only choose him as a replacement.