Third were the young and growing scions of the ancient clans. While their contributions to the Confederation were too trivial to count, their powerful relatives were different.
On this particular day, a youthful woman in her late teens sat in a park while studying the archival battle footage of one of the most famous and renowned mechs of the Terran Confederation!
The slim and blonde woman garbed in an exquisitely tasteful yet anachronistic brown adventurer's coat sighed.
"None of my teachers and professors have the knowledge I need."
The woman happened to be a recent graduate from Newcastle University, one of Old Earth's many ancient educational institutions that had managed to survive up to this date.
In the backdrop, numerous younger students garbed in their interpretation of ancient human Earth wear hurriedly ran or floated through the campus of the university in order to catch their next classes or appointments.
The woman studying the footage of the legendary Ouroboros no longer had to attend any of them because she already had a coveted degree in mech design in her pocket.
"I thought that I could find the secret of designing a mech like the Ouroboros after five years of living and studying on Old Earth. I was wrong."
Her expression turned glum. Though her ancient clan was on the rise, it had only been able to give her a temporary student quota for five years.
Regardless of whether she obtained her university degree or not, the authorities in charge of the planet would mercilessly boot her out of the planet if she stayed just a second too long!
She enjoyed her precious time in the city of Newcastle and made a lot of friends and connections among the talented and wealthy scions that had been her classmates.
Yet she never managed to get close to the only goal she truly cared about.
"I promised grandpa that I would reproduce his greatest work and design a second Ouroboros! If I cannot accomplish this on Old Earth, then I will find my chance at another place!"
This was the conviction of Alexa Streon, the granddaughter of General Axelar Streon!
As Alexa switched off the physical projection and stood up in order to prepare for her departure from Old Earth, the air suddenly froze.
Every student, every professor, every guard and every staff member at the campus felt as if the air around them had become charged.
Other Terrans living on the other parts of the planet also experienced the phenomenon.
Then, they started to feel the rise of something great!
Many of the shocked and bewildered Terrans looked down as they felt as if an enormous earthquake was about to beset the entire planet.
Their eyes dilated as they felt incredibly small as humanity's home planet seemingly grew unstable!
This was extremely weird as none of the sophisticated sensors that watched out for incidents like these ever detected anything weird!
Old Earth was completely stable as intended, yet every single resident of the sacred planet could not help but feel as if the planet beneath them was shaking like an overloading engine!
"What is this…"
"Did the Rubarthans set off a superbomb?!"
"Wait! It's not an earthquake! Our planet… is coming alive!"
"What?! Have you been smoking too much of that stinky grass lately?!"
Only a few people made the ridiculous claim that Old Earth was coming alive. Others instantly shot down their theories as they did their best to find a rational explanation for what was happening.
Alexa Streon was different, though.
As one of the few Terrans that not only obtained the privilege to reside on Old Earth for a time but also had the honor of visiting, touching and interacting her grandfather's impressive ace mech many times in her youth, she felt that the grand presence buried deep below her feet shared at least few semblances to the Ouroboros!
"What is this?!"
It was as if Old Earth had awoken for the very first time!
As the planet seemed to rouse to life, the Terran residents became so enthralled that they didn't know what to make of this odd phenomenon.
Though the strange feeling emanating from the planet hadn't been that strong or well-defined, millions of pilgrims and fanatics dropped to their knees and prostrated in what they believed to be the mother of humanity arousing herself from her dormancy!
Yet before they could experience any more of this, the rising presence buried deep below the surface suddenly weakened until the Terrans could feel nothing more.
In the end, every still or prostrating Terran felt awkward as the sacred planet turned completely normal in a matter of seconds.
"What… happened?"
"I don't know, but we need to find an explanation for this phenomenon!"
Despite the brief duration of this global event, its ripple effects gradually spread far and wide, affecting not only the Terran Confederation, but also the rest of human civilization!