Chapter 763: Humans

'Did humans always have Zephyx Synchronizers?'

Nick shook his head. 'No, most likely not.'

'An organ that converts Prephyx into Zephyx can only naturally occur in an environment filled with Prephyx.'

'Additionally, isn't it suspicious that humans can't use their internal Zephyx as an external energy source? Why do we need Specters for their Zephyx? Why can't we just use our own?'

'Even more, the Enlightened Ones were so advanced that they even had level nine Extractors, and they had to have Zephyx Synchronizers to achieve that.'

'I'm not sure how long the era of the Recovering Ones was, but I don't think it was long enough to develop such a complex organ as a Zephyx Synchronizer.'

'Also, there is evidence that the Recovering Ones also had a rudimentary version of Extractors.'

'Did humans just instantly sprout a new organ that could perfectly integrate into such a new and extreme environment?'

'Definitely not.'

'I can only think of one explanation.'

'The aliens.'

'When the aliens destroyed humankind, they probably left a good chunk of them alive. Otherwise, there wouldn't be any humans here anymore.'

'And if they could just create humans out of thin air, why would they go to the trouble to go to war with the humans on Earth just to convert them into something useful?'

'If they wanted, they could just populate any remotely livable planet with some kind of lifeform that thrives in these extreme conditions with a Zephyx Synchronizer.'

'They need a host for their Zephyx Synchronizer, and humans were probably good hosts.'

'Genetics is not very advanced, but a Zephyx Synchronizer develops even before we are born, which means that it is part of our genetics.'

'With their advanced technology, the aliens probably changed the genome of the humans they left alive, giving them the ability to generate their own Zephyx with Prephyx.'

'But not without interacting with a Specter.'

'After all, the aliens want to harvest the Zephyx.'

'If we could just generate our own Zephyx, like the Specters, we would have a closed system.'

'In such a closed system, it's very difficult to take a cut from the top.'

'But if humans interact with a Specter, the Zephyx gets split.'

'Part of it enters the human so that they can advance.'

'Part of it remains in the Specter so that it can advance.'

'And a big part of it enters the surroundings.'

'Outside a Containment Unit, a majority of the Zephyx would just disperse into the surroundings, and most likely, the aliens are harvesting that part.'

'Alternatively, it could also be that the Zephyx breaks down into even more Prephyx, filling the environment. After all, when Specters die, the density of Prephyx in the atmosphere increases, which makes even more Specters.'

'Humans are reliant on Prephyx to survive. Normal humans might be able to survive without it, but Extractors definitely can't.'

'Ghosty said that Star Energy is not poisonous to humans, but humans also can't intrinsically interact with it.'

'Was that how it's always been, or did the aliens get rid of that part?'

'If I were the aliens, what would I do?'

Nick thought for a while.

'Well, Star Energy is not a big deal. After all, generating it without an actual star is extremely difficult, and you need vast quantities of it to make it useful.'

'However, humans are living in a world that is opposite of how I imagine a world is.'

'Life on other planets is surrounded by Star Energy, and everyone is searching desperately for the scarce Zephyx.'

'Meanwhile, humans are surrounded by Prephyx and essentially Zephyx while having no access to Star Energy.'

'If I were the aliens…'

'I would make Pure Energy toxic to humans.'

'But that contradicts the Adversary's words. It said that Pure Energy is extremely useful for humans.'

Nick's eyes narrowed.

'However, it was talking about the Enlightened Ones. The Enlightened Ones knew more about the world than any of us. They might have even known about the aliens.'

'They constantly used Star Energy and Pure Energy, and they made use of it.'

'That leaves three possibilities.'

'One, Pure Energy is not toxic, and I'm wrong.'

'Two, Pure Energy was not toxic to the Enlightened Ones but has been made toxic now as another suppression factor.'

'Three, Pure Energy was toxic, but the Enlightened Ones found a way to deal with that.'

'I think the third option is the most likely.'

'If the aliens can change our genome, why can't we do the same?'

'Maybe there was some kind of medical operation that could create an organ that could interact with Star Energy and Pure Energy?'

'The Adversary did say that only the most powerful humans could manipulate Star Energy with their mind.'

'In that case, couldn't they also find a way to manipulate Pure Energy without dying from it?'

'Making the humans reliant on Prephyx makes them reliant on keeping the environment as it is.'

'If humans can just use Star Energy and Pure Energy, there would be no incentive to stay under the suppression of the Specters.'

'Additionally, even if we break out, we will just die to lack of Prephyx.'

'The Enlightened Ones knew more than any of us, which means they most likely also knew of this problem, and they managed to solve it.'

'I think creating an organ that interacts with Star Energy and Pure Energy is a good solution.'

'But that requires a vast knowledge of biology, which we don't have yet.'

'I think the team would benefit from a couple of biologists.'

'This might be far in the future, but if we manage to change human biology to how it used to be without getting rid of our newfound advantage of Zephyx Synchronizers, we can become even more powerful.'

'And if we actually succeed in that, I can also switch my center of power.'

'Humans nowadays will essentially cease to exist and will be replaced by a new kind.'

'And if I manage to advance my disguise ability to a high enough level…'

'I can join them.'

'I could become human again.'

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