I became a god by treasure hunting after arriving 500 years early

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Digdit looked up at the cluster of dark clouds above, churning and billowing, and ultimately revealing two dead, hollow eye sockets.

An intense killing intent enveloped from the sky, making it feel like the temperature dropped several degrees instantaneously.

Tiny snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

Would one be a coward for life, or be adored by millions?

What’s needed isn’t just ability and courage.

It also requires the determination to become a devil.

To control an anomaly.

This is a gamble, where success means ascending to the heavens, and failure entails eternal damnation.

How many human souls are needed?

Are the numbers of death row inmates sufficient?

Even if every criminal in prison were to be executed, it still wouldn’t be enough.

Indeed, it’s nowhere near enough! It might be several orders of magnitude off.

So, what should be done?

The total population of humanity is 1.5 billion. Is that enough?

Digdit chuckled softly, gazing at the [Demon] in the sky from afar.

...

...

The 11th branch of humanity.

The lifeless East Gold City, a sense of unrest echoed throughout.

The news that "Extraordinary Spark is dead" spread uncontrollably among the populace at an unstoppable pace.

Even residents in the most remote areas had heard about it.

Hope is indeed the most precious thing in the world. To lose hope is to lose everything. Your next read is at empire

Fortunately, a prominent trait of East Asian countries is that their people are very enduring. They have endured for decades, and it seems not impossible to keep enduring...

Human lifespans aren’t even a hundred years, but the Safe Zone could last three hundred. So what if floods wreak havoc after death? They’re unwilling even to have children, let’s just go extinct naturally.

However, today, a major turning point has arisen!

Radio, television, the internet were all abuzz, incessantly broadcasting significant news: "The Super Fortress Project"!

They were going to build a super fortress!

The white-haired Emperor said on television, "I’ve held this position for almost 28 years. During this time, I’ve shared both joys and sorrows with the people."

"I am over 70 years old now and feel various physical constraints. Reflecting on the years, I want to talk about what role I should assume and how I should conduct myself in the future."

"Now that we’re facing this catastrophe, we should also think about how to survive in the future."

"We... must embark on the path of military-industrial revival... We must manufacture advanced weapons... to survive in the disaster."

"I shall name it... the Super Fortress!!"

Subsequently, all major media outlets lavished praise on the Super Fortress Project with terms like "Empire’s Destructive Dragon" and "Empire’s Fierce Tiger," along with various middle school syndrome terms, aiming to ignite the will to strive among the citizens.

East Gold City did possess some natural wonders, such as their national treasure "Yasaka Jade Hook," which, upon entering Pangu Continent, transformed into a supernatural item.

Upon identification, it was confirmed as an Extraordinary Item named "Oureca Hicks," reaching the Rare Level!

Its function was "to levitate surrounding metal substances after energy is injected into it." Nôv(el)B\\jnn

And the function of the Pandora Crystal Stone was "to levitate stone."

The functions were similar, but the Rare Levels differed, with "Oureca Hicks" requiring less energy.

East Gold City intended to use this final trump card to build a metal fortress capable of soaring through the skies!

"As long as we have enough military strength, we can protect ourselves."

"We can hunt for Extraordinary Sparks from the outside!"

Public opinion was boiling at this moment.

Of course, most of it was sarcastic.

"Once the Safe Zone is opened, we get killed on the battlefield, and all they have to do is bow and apologize."

"They just want to deceive us into working. I just want to rot quietly at home, don’t even think about the next generation."

"Our industrial strength ranks in the top three, doesn’t it? Is it so pessimistic? Don’t you want to cultivate the Extraordinary Spark?"

"Migrants from other cities will swarm in, won’t they!"

...

Actually, for the leadership of East Gold City, building the super fortress was not primarily for combat.

It was instead a political bargaining chip.

Modern warfare already employs drone swarms, so what use is a sluggish flying metal fortress but a target in the sky?

But if this "fortress" was used for transporting goods, it would indeed be excellent—potentially moving 100,000 people in a single trip!

This was undoubtedly an important political bargaining chip and an exemplary model for constructing Sky City.

Yet, after the metal fortress’s completion, where exactly would they flee?

Reluctant to live at another’s mercy, they would lose all their power and status.

But refusing such refuge, when the hearts of the people were scattered, and everyone, from professors to engineers, wanted to flee, was not a simple task to unite them once more.

This problem was daunting.

Or perhaps, by wielding military power, they could conquer a few weaker cities?

Could an external war divert the internal conflicts and build confidence?

It seemed... not an impossible possibility.

War is a magic solution. When domestic strife reaches a certain level, war can silence all dissenters.

"To simply defeat the Anomaly isn’t enough. Because there’s no benefit in defeating the Anomaly. Only plundering from others brings enormous benefits that can reassemble civilization."

Ambition was swelling wildly in some hearts.

They eyed the weakest of the human cities... where there were minerals, and people with Divine Skills, yet no industry, no military...

"Do you deserve to have so much?"

...

...

As it happened, the 12th branch of humanity, Xini City, was also planning to build a "Super Floating Platform."

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