Chapter 33: Starting from Zaun
Tears welled up in Seraphine's eyes.
In fact, she still didn't quite understand.
But she was shocked and moved by these soulful melodies played loudly .
The blood of the Zaun students is boiling.
Even Victor, who was the most rational and calm, was trembling slightly with excitement.
In fact, after thinking about it last night, he has come up with an answer that is similar to the ultimate goal that Levi mentioned.
But what troubled him was that the ideal was so beautiful that he himself didn't know how to realize it.
Human power is too weak.
Compared to building a utopia through human efforts, Victor even felt that the method of "mechanical ascension" seemed more feasible.
At least his professional knowledge is relevant, and he has some grasp of the matter of mechanical ascension.
As for building that ultimate ideal, Victor had no confidence at all. He couldn't do it.
But now, Levi told him:
"So what if I can't do it?"
"If you can't do it, then don't do it?"
"No!" Victor's thoughts came to him instantly: "We don't need to do it, we just need to move forward! If we can get one step closer to our ideal, it will be a victory!"
They take a step forward, and their successors take another step forward, one step after another. Even if the ultimate ideal is not realized, they are getting closer to the ultimate goal!
This world will eventually become a better place because of their efforts!
Thinking of this, the students' thoughts finally became unified and they were no longer at a loss about their ideals.
Although at this moment, they have already vaguely realized from Li Wei's words that even if they just approach that ideal, there will be sacrifices. It will require the sacrifice of a generation, or even several generations.
But they still pursue this ideal passionately at this time:
"Then Mr. Levi, what should we do now?"
After determining the ultimate goal and unifying students' thoughts, it is finally time to talk about specific action plans.
How should we take the first step forward?
What are their short-term goals?
Levi must come up with a practical plan instead of just making passionate speeches like before.
And Levi did not disappoint everyone.
He unknowingly became a mentor to these talented students, pointing them in the right direction:
"Our short-term goal is—"
“Achieve Zaun’s independence, build the first Janna-ism city-state in Zaun’s history, and achieve victory in the struggle for Zaun!”
This answer is powerful, but it has provoked different reactions.
Most students agreed strongly, believing that the most important thing they should do now is to rescue their suffering Zaun compatriots.
However, there are a few enthusiastic students who think that Levi's theory of victory in one city is a bit too conservative:
"Teacher Li Wei." They unconsciously called Li Wei "teacher", even though he was just a worker. "Shouldn't the world peace you mentioned be realized throughout the world?"
"Why do you emphasize the victory in Zaun and ignore the worldwide struggle?"
Because if you take too big a step, you might easily get hurt.
As a newborn, it was good enough to survive.
Infant mortality is normal. It may take several deaths before a child is born that survives and grows up.
Li Wei appreciated the enthusiasm of these students, but he also told them very rationally:
"We are not writing novels when we engage in struggle. We must seek truth from facts and analyze specific issues specifically."
"Think about it, everyone. Given the current objective conditions in Runeterra, is there really enough soil for a world war to start right away?"
Compared to Earth, the current ... can be said to be very magical.
Piltover and Zaun began the industrial revolution as early as 300 years ago, lighting up the technology trees of steam and electricity, and now they have even entered the third industrial revolution triggered by Hextech and alchemy technology.
And what about other places besides the Twin Cities?
Not to mention accepting the ideas of the Industrial Revolution, realizing large-scale machine production, and the emergence of a mature working class...
In most regions and countries, the idea of "Renaissance" has not even been mentioned!
Demacia is still playing the game of knights and nobles, while Shurima is full of warlords and chiefs.
Ionia is almost a large martial arts world, with various sects occupying hilltops and farming at home to be self-sufficient.
Freljord is even more outrageous. The ice and snow there are not suitable for the development of human civilization at all, and it is still in the primitive slave tribal era.
Noxus was a little better, with a relatively specialized military-industrial base. But it was still a classical military empire of slavery. A large number of serfs were still bound to the manors and fields of the military nobles and had not been liberated at all.
But by this time, 300 years had passed since the Industrial Revolution in the twin cities.
It’s almost Cyberpunk 2077 here in the Twin Cities, but why are other countries still playing Crusader Kings?
“Why did this happen?”
Of course it’s because this world was originally made up by Earthlings, so it’s good enough that they didn’t make up a Wakanda where people use alien technology to fight in groups… ahem…
In short, if we analyze carefully:
"It's because the power of Runeterra's merchant class is actually far less powerful than we see."
"They have only achieved abnormal development in Zaun and Piltover, and have not successfully extended their tentacles to every corner of the world."
On Earth, the advent of the Industrial Revolution sounded the death knell of the era of monarchy, and machines roared and crushed all the old things that stood in their way.
If you don't want to change, the foreigners' powerful ships and guns will come to help you change.
But the situation in Runeterra is completely different:
Strong ships and powerful guns? Tanks and machine guns?
Is it awesome?
Learn about Demacia's Justice , Noxus' Guillotine, and Ionia's Vigour and Immortality...
Imagine that the Piltover merchants have just sailed their armed merchant ships to a foreign coast and are preparing to give those "natives" seed oil dishes to cook -
Then the "natives" came wearing rune armor, wielding enchanted swords, riding dragon lizards, dragon birds, and Juvask boars, and rushing up like a tidal wave with colorful fireballs, water bombs, rocks, and tornadoes in their hands.
Bah! What Industrial Revolution?
Are the archery, horse riding, and magic skills passed down by our ancestors as powerful as those incantations?
I just want to close the country and farm at home. Do you have the guts to attack me with cannons?
"So, in other countries and regions outside the Twin Cities, the old production relations have not been broken at all. The power we currently possess is still far from being comparable to those warriors and mages who ruled the old world."
"As a highly developed commercial economy, Piltover's rulers have successfully transferred their internal conflicts to overseas economic colonies such as Zaun and Shurima by leveraging their technological and financial hegemony."
"So the only city in the world that has the soil for struggle to develop is Zaun!"
"Thanks to the abnormal economic development of the two cities, Zaun is now the largest heavy industrial city in Runeterra and the world's factory with the most concentrated labor force. The population here has continued to grow over the past 300 years and now has as many as 2 million people!"
Yes, even though Zaun is a hell, the population here is always growing.
Because Piltover across the way is a paradise.
Every year, foreigners from all over the world come to Piltover to pursue their dreams, but most of them will be eliminated by Piltover - either driven here by law enforcement officers, or end up in Zaun.
As the big factory and slum of Piltover, Zaun receives a lot of bankrupt immigrants from Piltover every year.
As Piltover's business grew, more and more factories were opened in Zaun.
Naturally, more and more people come here.
And almost all of them are workers, naturally allied workers.
"As long as we can unite these 2 million Zaun people, it will be enough to ensure our victory!"
Janna's heyday was thousands of years ago, before the Shuriman Empire began to ban her faith and heritage.
How many people were there in the world at that time?
How many of them are followers of Janna?
In other words, the number of believers in Janna’s heyday was only a few million.
The population of a modern industrial metropolis is equivalent to that of a large country in ancient times.
Therefore, with the two million people in Zaun now, there is hope of pushing Janna's strength back to its peak.
"By then, Zaun will have the protection of a demigod, and will not be at a disadvantage even when facing a powerful country like Noxus!"
"We'll have a way to survive, and then—"
“Explore the road ahead!”
