"Unilateral."

Lindong said, "Every seat in the Origin Society has its necessity. It is precisely their existence that allows me to leave here with peace of mind; they will manage this place meticulously."

This has nothing to do with personal grudges. She doesn’t even blame the second seat for breaking into her lab. Given the second seat’s long-standing views on her, it was almost inevitable. Therefore, the data she left in the database were selected portions that she allowed the second seat to find.

That was like a bait, guiding the second seat to complete his mission.

"Rowena just briefed you on the life composition of the peripheral world, the core world, and the ten special zones, but she hasn’t had the chance to reveal to you the group of ’Immortals’ beyond those."

"The first to the tenth seat of the Origin Society?"

"The second seat represents the interests of the family. In fact, the vast majority of scholars in the High-tier Academy have intricate connections with families. Although most of them are accustomed to a privileged life, a few smart ones emerge from time to time. From their first day on this path, they possess resources unattainable to others. Someone like Rowena, with no background, is rare, representing the limit to which residents of the core world can reach."

For those residing in the core world, joining the Society, becoming a bottom-level researcher, going to the ten special zones, and working under a high-tier scholar, is already considered the most outstanding achievement.

"Even Rowena secured her position as the third seat with the support of her family because her main research direction happens to be in the field of biotechnology, which family members are more concerned about — they need Rowena to help extend their lifespans."

Lindong shrugged, "Although the Lord of the Holy City has defined the life limit for family members as 160 years, after reaching 80, they need sufficient biotechnological advancements to keep their bodies active. Otherwise, as their organs fail and bodily functions decline, life beyond that would only be garbage time."

She affirmed her friend’s research results, "Rowena has ensured that those people’s later years need not be spent bedridden, with tubes inserted all over their bodies. Until they’re 160 years old, they can at least enjoy their last dinner with a clear mind."

"And you? Are you from a certain family too?"

Lindong had never mentioned her family to him, and those previous words clearly excluded her from the core world group.

"Do you want to know?"

Lindong didn’t immediately answer but stared directly at Ethan, "It’s a secret, but I can make an exception for you."

Over time, no one in the Holy City knows her identity. Even the Immortals of the Origin Society only know that when they got promoted to the High-tier Academy, she was already there.

Her name has long been buried by history, leaving only that unshakable title — the first seat.

"I was just thinking since I’m already here, if I have to meet the parents, I should prepare in advance."

Ethan responded seriously.

All narratives must be crafted, and inevitably his identity would come up. He was born within the node space and met Lindong as a ’pen pal.’

Clearly, an identity like a ’man-eating monster’ wouldn’t win him any favors with the in-laws.

"Don’t worry, they’re long gone."

Lindong chuckled. This was the first time she’d spoken about herself to anyone else, things even her friend Rowena knew nothing about. "If you’re insistent... however, to discuss this topic, one must start with the formation of families. The information you found in the God of Truth’s database is true. When the Kania civilization fell, the last survivors left that galaxy on a spaceship. The leader of that spaceship became the precursor to one of the families in the Holy City."

"Immigrants from different civilizations formed the Holy City."

Ethan realized.

Lindong nodded, "To protect their interests, power struggles have been ongoing since the day the Holy City was built. The parliament is a product of this environment. The founders of the Holy City wanted to ensure every surviving civilization could voice their demands... and families are the product shaped by the history of the Holy City, being the victors of power struggles, defending their privileges for thousands of years."

By now, Ethan had faintly guessed Lindong’s identity.

Even for him, it was quite a shock.

"But my interest doesn’t lie in this. I haven’t built a family, nor have I tried to leave my bloodline to take root in this land, so naturally, there is no family — however, from the day this civilization was born, I was here."

"You created the Origin Society."

Ethan blurted out.

"You could say that, but it was just a product of specific historical development."

Clearly, what she ’created’ goes far beyond that. In fact, if one were to list all her ’creations’ over thousands of years, it might take a whole day to sit down and reorganize the history of the Holy City.

Lindong suddenly remarked, "However, the Origin Society is indeed the institution that best represents me."

The first seat, symbolizing endless thirst for knowledge.

To satisfy this expansive curiosity, she would communicate with the ’demon’ of the node space.

"Rowena’s research is actually your result."

Ethan sorted out the timeline. Although Rowena was also an Immortal, she clearly wasn’t from the same era as Lindong, who was already an Immortal from the moment she was born.

"She’s very clever." Lindong didn’t deny it, "She only received a small hint, the subsequent research is entirely her personal achievement."

She hadn’t intended to promote ’Immortality’ as a biological science and technology. More accurately, she didn’t care how long others in the Holy City lived. She even avoided contact with those family representatives unless necessary, as it would only waste her time.

"My dear."

Lindong suddenly spoke, using a tone of affection she had never used with anyone, "Do you know? Our encounter was much earlier than you think — before my starship reached the Holy City, it was forced to jump into an unknown space while being hunted by mutants."

A world of darkness where even the concepts of time and space became incredibly vague.

It was filled with negative emotions. Most people on the starship were driven insane, screaming and attacking each other with blades until no sound could be heard on the deck.

Her parents hid her in a closet before the lunatics broke into the upper deck.

She saw through that gap the muzzle’s flash, heard bullets piercing flesh.

Yet at that moment, what engulfed her wasn’t fear but a certain inexplicable calm.

"I believe I saw you then."

Lindong lifted the corners of her mouth with a narrative full of romance, "But in reality, it was just the hallucination of a child under extreme mental stress."

Sooner or later she’d return there to find out what really happened on that ship.

This once became her drive to survive.

"The ’City of Truth’ experiment..."

Ethan paused.

The starship carrying the hope of its asylum residents, ultimately lost in the depths of a black hole, was almost a reenactment of Lindong’s past. The crew, too, went mad in the darkness and almost all died in mutual massacre.

Yet it was precisely that experiment that made them ’pen pals.’

"That was my journey for answers, and now, I’ve found them."