Ch.366Precursor Hospital Road (1)

“Precursor” is a word that means pioneer.

When it was first established, it was probably named with the intention of becoming a pioneer in medical research, and that naming truly fulfilled the founders’ intentions by reviving humanity’s first brain-dead patient.

Now, Precursor Hospital holds a literally pioneering position in the treatment of the brain and nervous system. Considering that millions of doctors travel to Precursor Hospital each year to receive training, one can imagine its prestige.

It could be compared to Isabella Hospital, but while Isabella has the image of an unmanned hospital where drones are the main workforce, Precursor strongly maintains the image of a traditional hospital with doctors in white coats and stethoscopes around their necks.

The significant difference is that while Isabella will bury you if you die, accepting it as inevitable, Precursor will revive you if you die and then charge you double the hospital fees.

Since Isabella focuses on “infinite compassion” while Precursor emphasizes “overwhelming medical science” as their main principles, a direct comparison might be unfair. Nevertheless, as they both represent hospitals of continental significance, debates about Isabella vs. Precursor frequently arise among gossip-loving enthusiasts.

“Speaking of reviving the dead…”

For Viktor, who had recently destroyed several genetic treatment centers promising eternal life, this was inevitably intriguing. When the brain dies, the person is dead, but if the body can be revived, even fragments of the soul could be gathered to live once more as “oneself.”

They say that if memories, behavioral patterns, speech habits, walking style, and personality traits have been diligently backed up, soul examinations show a 70-90% recovery rate. Without any backup or follow-up measures, the person essentially becomes someone else with the same body, but even this is a blessing for the deceased’s family. Apparently, they form families as if raising an adopted child or remarrying.

“Do they want to live that badly… this human species.”

Viktor muttered and let out a wry laugh.

Even though he too had once been governed by the instinct to survive, now that he had become immortal, he spoke as if he were completely detached, like a frog forgetting its tadpole days.

The reason he was indifferent to death in the first place was because he had decided to live the process leading to death without regrets. Ordinary people always lived lives full of regret, thinking, “What if I had done this? What if I had done that?”

Viktor recalled his mortal days.

He rested when it was time to rest, worked when it was time to work, had sex when he wanted to, and played when he wanted to play.

Looking back, he had lived a life closer to that of a machine than a human. Only then did Viktor realize that there had never been a “period without purpose” in his life.

When he was young, survival itself was his purpose. As he matured, becoming an adventurer was his dream, and after becoming an adventurer, he immediately set out on a pilgrimage.

Since each purpose was so macroscopic, rather than “achieving” goals, purposes kept being added.

Survival was a goal impossible to achieve until death, and becoming an adventurer and setting out on adventures didn’t end upon reaching the neighboring village—it continued. Moreover, since he was still trudging through his pilgrimage, in a way, the current Viktor had still not escaped from the goals and purposes of his human days.

“Is this what they call childlike innocence?”

“Meeeeow.”

Viktor murmured softly while stretching the cheeks of the moon cat nestled in his arms.

*

Year 1204 of the Extinction Era, March 38th.

The Sky Warden temporarily halted to test once more the improved water cannon that the dwarf brothers had been modifying.

It still maintained the appearance of two pipes attached together, but various aspects had been improved. Particularly, the rear part where the shell enters now had several small holes, similar to components of a recoilless rifle.

Overall, its shape had become closer to a “handheld cannon” than a water-type mortar. Since mortars weren’t the only weapons capable of indirect fire, this might be a more fitting form.

-Experimental unit descent initiated. Shuttle 23, report.-

-This is Shuttle 23. All experimental unit personnel aboard. Supplies confirmed. No issues. Proceeding to descend to the designated point.-

Soon, the experimental unit began descending aboard Shuttle 23. After various preparations, a soldier in protective gear carefully picked up the water cannon, loaded it, aimed at the target, and fired.

Swoosh… BOOM!

“Direct hit.”

“Excellent!”

When the observation officer reported the water cannon’s impact, Berkman and Hawkman clenched their fists in triumph.

The water cannon was gradually taking shape, and its accuracy and recoil had been somewhat controlled by partially adopting recoilless rifle technology.

However, the inability to shoulder-mount it, making aimed fire impossible, and the inability to attach recoil control tools like tripods due to its firing method remained significant weaknesses of the water cannon.

Nevertheless, given its characteristic of being able to fire mortar shells both directly and indirectly, this water cannon would certainly play a significant role on the battlefield.

After all, there was always a high demand for hand-held heavy weapons.

Moreover, since it was made with primitive technology, anywhere capable of producing small-caliber mortars could replicate the water cannon.

Considering that one of the most important aspects of a weapon is its producibility, even if its power or convenience isn’t optimal, a “weapon that can always respond when needed” can be an excellent weapon from the soldiers’ perspective—enough to bring tears to their eyes.

Even the Nariakiran Imperial Army, whose technology was at its peak and soaring high, was still extensively using 81mm mortars in regular infantry companies. Such multipurpose weapons would certainly appeal to modern soldiers.

“Dwarves. Are you that pleased?”

“Of course! We are a race of creators. We can’t stand the itch if we’re not creating something.”

“Even dwarves aren’t born craftsmen. Just as humans learn to speak, we too must learn about material properties, how to hammer, and when to temper.”

The dwarves said this while watching the soldiers below measuring the barrel’s fractures.

“And what dwarves are most obsessed with is creating new things that don’t exist in the world. Bringing into existence things that weren’t there before, engraving our creations onto the world. It’s like a baby emerging from its mother’s womb, gasping for breath and bursting into tears.”

“I see…”

To be honest, Kylus didn’t quite understand Berkman’s metaphor. Though he too enjoyed scholarly talk, as a god who had become divine through human contradictions, he preferred making scholarly statements himself rather than hearing them from others.

However, the idea of creating something that didn’t exist in the world left a deep impression on Viktor. Using one’s knowledge and wisdom to create something new… this is the dream of all inventors in this world, not just dwarves.

One example would be the Wright brothers—fathers of the airplane and pioneers who showed humanity that humans could fly.

In the immeasurably distant past, the first airplane built by the Wright brothers flew for just about 10 seconds.

It’s an unbelievable story.

In the present day, with high-tech fighter jets that break the sound barrier and open tank hatches hibernating in underground hangars, it’s like understanding but not quite accepting the truth that even the elderly were once babies.

Yet, just as a baby stops crying, drinks milk, and grows, humanity created planes that broke the sound barrier less than 100 years after the first flight. Orville Wright, the younger of the Wright brothers, witnessed humanity breaking the sound barrier with his own eyes three months before his death.

And now, considering the significance of airplanes in human society and seeing how the names of those who created flight are eternally recorded in history, creating something that didn’t exist before means becoming a permanent pioneer and visionary in any field.

-Experimental unit returning. Dwarf brothers, please come to the lower deck for post-evaluation.-

“Well! We should go now. See you later!”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

Whether this water cannon will become the legacy of the dwarf brothers remains to be seen.