Chapter 418 - 417: Life without Death
The moment he said it, the atmosphere shifted.
Before Sol could even respond, Reena sprang up from her seat, eyes wide. "You did what?!"
Sol simply nodded. "It’s true. It wasn’t cheap, and it took a few months, but we did it."
"That’s not the point!" Reena snapped, clearly agitated by his casual tone. She was about to raise her voice further, but then remembered where she was and forcibly calmed herself.
Still, her tone remained tense. "It doesn’t matter how much it cost or how long it took. Resurrection is taboo. No one is allowed to go against the natural cycle of life!"
"Taboo?" Sol tilted his head. That was the first he’d heard of such a thing. If it were truly a serious offense, surely Zaman would have warned him.
The Chieftain, seeing his confusion, clarified. "She means taboo for the elves. The Yggtree is known for having a strong stance on preserving the natural order of life, and Sylmasera follows its teachings. But that only applies to the Great Forest. Most nations are actively investing in discovering the secrets of resurrection and immortality, though none have succeeded."
The nations at the forefront of this endeavor had made little meaningful progress. It was nearly impossible; the more they researched, theorized, and tested, the more consistent the failures. Even those with some success were riddled with catastrophic downsides or insane restrictions. The most advanced attempts came from the Holy Kingdom of Delvania’s Everlasting Spirit Institute, whose Spirit Vessel Project resulted in the loss of the subjects’ corporeal bodies and memories, and the Sapphire Scales Alliance’s Unlife Research Program, which was shut down after realizing that, no matter what was done, Liches always turned into heartless monsters filled with an unnatural hatred for the living.
Sol asked, "The Frostaxe Clan as well?"
"No." Kuruck replied, shaking his head. "We actually agree with the elves and the Yggtree on this matter, though for a different reason. Because what is the point of life if death is meaningless? Everything we do in life has weight because we know death is inevitable. If we remove that, then what drives us to grow, to improve, to live with purpose?"