Chapter 385: New Frontiers, Marching Progress, Marriage
Learning about the alliance broadened his horizons greatly and introduced him to many races out there. All had their own cultures and histories; all had their purpose in the grand scheme of things.
The Demon Race were labeled as Space Pirates by the Divine Council. Of course, they weren't the only ones.
According to what Cedric knew so far, there were at least 25 alien races that had been tagged as Space Pirates by the alliance; each one was being hunted down by the members and had bounties on their heads.
Humanity just dealt with the Demon Race. And while things went relatively smoothly, it doesn't mean that it's easy. Sure, they won in the end, but there were thousands of sacrifices made for this victory.
Prime Earth was nowhere near ready to deal with another space pirate fleet. Besides, the Demon Race were actually at the bottom of the space pirate list. They're not the weakest, per se, but they're also not that strong according to the alliance's standards. That's why not many members of the alliance hunted them down.
Cedric had to create some precautionary measures to keep his home safe. It's a little challenging to control Grand Solar Laws in this vast area, especially since he's doing it all by himself. Fortunately, he's able to do it anyway without making too many mistakes.
Humans need time to lay low and progress on their own. Cedric already paved the road for them; all they need to do is discover the trail he left behind, and they could handle the rest. But before they reach a certain stage in terms of strength and foundations, Cedric would act as a glorified bodyguard of his home again if that's what's needed to be done.
**
Fast forwarding time to ten years later...
Comparing the state of Prime Earth a decade ago to its present state would almost be unfair due to how many changes happened since.
Time passed by a little too fast for everybody ever since their world has been liberated from the influence and terror of the Demon Race. They're a thing of the past now; only records of them exist still.
Humans didn't spend this much time idling, though. No, the reason why time flew by in their perspective was because they were too busy with many things, like colonizing a new world, for example...
Cedric granted them passage to the worlds he chose via the Sacred Celestial Tree. Visiting these worlds allowed them to discover richer resources. Some were familiar, others were entirely new.
At first, they harvested as many as they could to improve the lifestyle of people on Prime Earth, but as time went on, they began planning on building new civilizations on these new planets, turning them habitable for humans to use, therefore expanding their territory.
Even Cedric couldn't have expected just how much eagerness, passion, and excitement this caused to the army and other related people. There were tons of people who literally volunteered to go to these new worlds. Some even offered to pay extra to make themselves a priority.
Since the beginning of the operation, breakthrough after breakthrough has been achieved. New tech was emerging like freshly made candies on the Lifestyle Guild. Those who received these new and abundant resources almost locked themselves up in their labs, refusing to leave or rest in fear that they would forget things.
This all happened at the same time that Prime Earth thrived. Everything that Cedric left that was meant to elevate the state of this world had begun sprouting, especially since Acala fully recovered from her injuries.
The energy density in the surroundings began to thicken, and its quality increased. Children who were born in this era began showing early signs of excellence due to the nourishing atmosphere around them.
Essence souls of all qualities became currency. They could still be used as means of breaking through or for recovery, but with how dense the energy was in the world and with its quality, it's better for everybody to choose that over Essence Souls.
The excellent atmosphere in Prime Earth blessed this new generation. It elevated their innate talent greatly; it raised their intellect and made them more innately stronger.
Moreover, with each year that passed, the number of people who failed to awaken as Superhumans was dropping sharply. In another decade or two, it will almost be impossible to see anybody who's not a Superhuman.
Meanwhile, humanity's progress in colonizing other planets still remains slow, but that's understandable.
So far, only a city or two has been built on other planets. These cities were scarcely populated since the atmosphere out there was still relatively unsafe for humans. Of course, they've been working on it ever since, and they're making great progress, especially with the new tech emerging from the lifestyle guild.
Cedric's assurance that there would be no space pirates threatening them allowed his people to truly flourish and prosper. Though he remained uninvolved in how things went on other planets, he still knew what his people were doing. He had to make sure that they wouldn't accidentally blow up the planet, after all.
It's amazing that humans have come this far on their own. Cedric just gave them the tools and access to a new world, and their creativity followed. Each day they spent making plans and developing these new worlds was fulfilling, making them incredibly satisfied.
As for those skeptics who thought that infighting would begin without the threat of demons uniting their people to one cause, there had been silence during this past decade of peace.
None of their fears happened; everything proceeded as usual, as if hardly anything changed. It's astonishing and comforting at the same time; at least this way, struggles and any possible corruption within the army won't fester into unbelievable proportions.
Of course, nobody could expect the army, or humans in general, to be perfect. There will always be a few who harbor selfish motives, ideas, and plots. They could pose problems, yes. But they could also be useful as well.
After all, someone who's plotting something will certainly be active. So, at the very least, they won't be lazy.
Out of all this, though, the biggest and probably the most important event that happened to Cedric's life was his marriage.
Getting married at the age of 50 sounds too late for common people. But neither Cedric nor his women were normal.
Cedric himself could live up to a hundred thousand years if he's being careful, and as his life evolution progressed, the longer his lifespan got. His wives were also the same.
To them, getting married at this age is even considered as early. After all, none of them looked like they're past their prime. They still have their vibrant youth, and that won't change anytime soon.
Cedric's wedding was a private matter; only their closest friends could attend, and it was kept a secret from the public. This was his and his wives' wish since they didn't want to attract too much attention. Besides, this ceremony was for them, not for the public.
His marriage with Chrissy, Erica, and Isabella was attended by Acala herself, who acted as the priestess of their union.
Cedric never felt so happy and fulfilled as a person as he kissed each one of them after they stated their vows. The wedding was followed by a simple and short-afternoon party. The guests gave them congratulatory gifts and they also received something in return.
Of course, what followed this was a long and sweet honeymoon. They practically basked in each other's presence, warmth, and love throughout its entirety, and this time, Cedric didn't hold back his desires.
All of his wives wished for a child. Who was he to refuse that when clearly he wants some as well?
Cedric stood at the top of this world—no, this entire solar system. In here, nobody could threaten him. He also made arrangements to ensure that the home was protected from any threats. And finally, the time and place were just about right according to their wishes.
The demons were a thing of the past now. The solar system where Prime Earth was had been completely cleansed from corruption. There were no threats endangering or posing risks to their future children either.
With all of this in place, he could freely pursue the career of being a parent, especially since his wives wanted to start their family as well.
So far, none of them have gotten pregnant. A bit surprising considering that it has been two years since their wedding and Cedric has been a diligent bee, watering the flowers thoroughly every day for extra assurance.
But this was the downside of being too powerful, he supposes. It's not that he or his wives were impotent; it's because their combined lifeforce was so potent that it's difficult to impregnate them through natural means.
And even when his wives become pregnant, their pregnancy will surely be out of the norm as well. That's why he wasn't feeling anxious about getting them pregnant.
Besides, time was on their side anyway. A little bit of delay wouldn't hurt.