"This meeting is to convey the final decision reached after my discussions with the highest levels of leadership,"

the Leader said slowly.

The room fell utterly silent as everyone listened intently.

"We have decided to take this opportunity to announce the existence of the Celestial Demons to the public—to the entire world,"

the Leader stated.

The decision brought a ripple of surprise through the attendees, yet it also felt somewhat expected.

After all, within the Nebula Alliance, the depth of cooperation between the Starry Sky Country and the Celestial Organization was far greater than outsiders could imagine.

There were even rumors that the enigmatic Leader himself was, in fact, a Celestial Demon.

Of course, no one knew the truth.

"What kind of stance will we be taking toward the Celestial Demons?"

someone asked.

"The leadership has already decided. We will deepen our cooperation with the Celestial Demons, drive the transformation of our nation and our species, and help humanity ascend to a new stage."

"Oh, and one more thing. Starting today, we need to adjust the term ’Celestial Demon.’ From now on, all documents and public communications will refer to them as ’Celestial Beings.’"

the Leader said with a smile.

’Changing "Celestial Demon" to "Celestial Being"...’

Hearing the Leader’s words, everyone understood the implication immediately.

A simple change in name was enough to reveal the attitude of the Leader and the Starry Sky Country’s highest echelons.

Initially, although everyone was well aware of the leadership’s cooperation with the Celestial Demons, both the Starry Sky Country and the Nebula Alliance had always maintained a publicly hostile stance toward them.

But now, publicly renaming them from "Celestial Demons" to "Celestial Beings" signified that the Starry Sky Country was shifting its allegiance completely to their side—and doing so openly.

This would undoubtedly cause a massive uproar around the world.

It would also drastically escalate the conflicts that had been simmering beneath the surface.

Chaos, and even war, could erupt from this one small change in terminology.

One small tug could unravel everything.

"There is no need for surprise, everyone. In a way, you are already a part of the Celestial Beings. You are Neo-Humans, distinct from the old humanity."

"Countless experiments and experiences have shown us that the Celestial Beings are a species superior to humans in every aspect—power, adaptability, survivability, and even lifespan."

"Neo-Humans are the future of humanity. The only reason the Celestial Beings are willing to cooperate with us is because we are the most powerful nation in the world, wielding the greatest influence over the human population. But we are not their only option. Therefore, we must seize this opportunity."

"With immense power and long life, we, the Neo-Humans, will lead the Starry Sky Country to end the old Human Society. We will unite the entire planet in an unprecedented way, and we will be recorded in history as the creators and rulers of a new era,"

the Leader said with a smile.

The attendees fell silent at his words, but no one voiced any opposition.

This was because everyone in the room was a beneficiary of the system.

It is an eternal truth that rulers are destined to be a minority, while the majority can only endure oppression and exploitation.

"Our stance was, in fact, determined long ago."

"My only concern is the Primordial Ancestors behind these Celestial Beings, the ones who still remain under Seal. Based on the data we’ve analyzed, they seem to be beings we cannot possibly defeat."

Someone spoke up amidst the silence.

"We are not fully joining the Celestial Beings; we are cooperating with them. Since those so-called Primordial Ancestors could be sealed away all those years ago, it proves they are not invincible. They have flaws and vulnerabilities."

"What we need to do is develop our power to a level sufficient to suppress them before they completely break free from their Seals."

"Everyone, humanity’s short lifespan, along with the bottlenecks and stagnation in our technological development, have forced us to make a change. Besides, I believe that not all among them are eager to see those high-and-mighty Primordial Ancestors awaken so easily."

"This is a crisis, but it is also a challenge. However, we are in unanimous agreement that the benefits far outweigh the risks. You have all seen the simulation data for an Ancestral Level being. That is not something humanity can currently fight or destroy. Even our most advanced technological creations are incapable of eliminating them."

"If we don’t choose the Celestial Beings and instead stand firmly against them, what will become of us when those Primordial Ancestors break free? At least now, we have the flexibility to advance or retreat. Our interests are guaranteed no matter what, because even if the Primordial Ancestors are freed, they will still need us as the foundation to rule this world,"

the Leader said.

"You make a valid point, sir. But to side with the Celestial Beings, we must have a suitable justification. Otherwise, it will be difficult to win over the public. The common people are always filled with fear when it comes to the unknown. They won’t understand the grand ideals you and the highest levels of leadership hold,"

General Norton interjected.

"That’s simple."

"Publicly, we’ll frame it as the government successfully cooperating with the ’Ancient Creatures’ known as the Celestial Beings to create ’Neo-Humans,’ achieving a technological leap in human life."

"Let the public know that the Celestial Beings are not our enemies. In a way, they are our friends, capable of coexisting peacefully with us in one great nation. Because of this, humanity will enter a new era where individual power is no longer overlooked. The Super Warriors that once only existed in comics and movies will become a real part of people’s lives."

"And they will become the guardians of this great nation, leading our country and our people toward strength, forever protecting the freedom, equality, and peace of this land,"

the Leader said.

"But creating a new class in the name of ’Neo-Humans’ will inevitably trigger underlying domestic conflicts, provoke massive resistance, and could even endanger national security,"

someone worriedly pointed out.

"The class problem has existed since the founding of the Starry Sky Country. Haven’t we always handled it well? Perhaps you have all forgotten what kind of nation this is and what we have always been doing. Today, we are merely rebranding that reality with a new concept."

"We, who control the power, wealth, and resources, have always been the ’Neo-Humans.’ It’s just that now, the title is finally being made official."

"There’s an interesting story. Once, a hundred people lived on a piece of land. One of them discovered a massive gold mine and became a billionaire. The other ninety-nine became his workers. They earned a negligible wage but toiled every day, mining the gold and continuously generating enormous profits for the one who was already a billionaire."

"But these ninety-nine people are not fools. Sooner or later, they will realize: why should this one person monopolize the resources of the gold mine and enjoy everything while they can only labor arduously for a meager wage and live undignified lives? They will understand that they are being exploited and are suffering from extreme injustice. When this sentiment festers, it will lead to rebellion, and the billionaire could lose his life. But the billionaire is no fool either. The fragile emotions of an ignorant public are the easiest to control."

"Every year, the billionaire selects the five most loyal and diligent workers from the ninety-nine and promises them a bonus of one million. In reality, the work these individuals do each day isn’t much more than the other ninety-four, but their lifestyle and compensation are a hundred thousand times greater."

"Thus, the envy and jealousy toward the billionaire are redirected to the few who received the bonus. This opening creates ’hope’ for everyone. Compared to flipping the table in a mutually destructive fight, more people will choose to follow the rules, to break their backs and work desperately, hoping to become one of those five. In the end, they might even sing the billionaire’s praises, groveling at his feet and commending his fairness and benevolence. And that small bit of profit that trickled from the billionaire’s fingers—profit that should have belonged to all of them—becomes a rare ’blessing.’"

"And so, the billionaire’s position is secured, and all the conflict is redirected. A small benefit, a sliver of hope, a single opening—that’s all it takes to change the world, to manipulate the human heart. This is something our nation, and indeed our world, has been doing for hundreds, even thousands of years. Now, we are simply doing it all over again,"

the Leader said with a smile.

"Now, it’s time to grant them a new ’blessing.’"

"Prepare a public press conference. Let the story of that ’commoner Super Warrior’ we’ve had ready become the object of everyone’s ambition."

"In this nation of hundreds of millions, the lower and middle classes make up two-thirds of the population. Among them, even if only ten people a year get the chance to achieve symbiosis with a Celestial Demon and become a Neo-Human, they won’t resist. On the contrary, they’ll wave their banners and cheer."