nucmednet Chapter 1759 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [104] "Sisyphus pushed the stone."
Chapter 1759 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [104] "Sisyphus pushed the stone."
Chapter 1759 Final Chapter - Crossing the Shore [104] - "Sisyphus pushed the stone."
Sometimes, this sea of starlight seemed to reach the edge of darkness: I fully imagined that beyond it lay boundless darkness. Yet, in just a moment, looking up again, I was still surrounded by starlight.
— Ji Xianlin
……
The domain of the Supreme Lord.
Sunlight streamed into the coffee shop, where a green-clad figure sat in a chair, watching Su Ming'an walk in through the door.
"Ding-dong—"
The wind chimes swayed as Su Ming'an sat down. In front of him was a cup of fragrant coffee with a few sugar cubes.
"Then, let's begin," the Supreme Lord said calmly. "Information regarding the Lord of Dreams."
Su Ming'an sat down.
He knew that what lay ahead was entirely unknown.
“We are now inside a ‘cat box’,” the Supreme Lord said, “a ‘cat box’ created by the Lord of Dreams.”
"Just as I suspected." Su Ming'an had suspected before that they might be inside a larger box. "What is His purpose? To make all things in the world into puppets like the Radiant Mother Goddess, or to sink everyone into a dream like the Seventh Seat, or to extract benefits and become the overlord of the universe?"
The Supreme Lord said, "This concerns the nature of the universe."
……
In the organs of the universe, the world's games are the heart, and the ultimate master of all things is the stomach and intestines.
—And beyond that, there exists a “brain”.
The direction and civilization that the brain focuses on will be presented in the spiritual dimension, becoming a record of dramatic memories that appears in the vision of other civilizations, presenting a two-dimensional, two-dimensional foil form.
The universe exists in a hierarchical structure, and spacetime is not linear. Some civilizations capable of observing these records begin to superimpose their states when they begin to observe. For the observing civilization, the recorded civilization appears as a two-dimensional plane; simply moving the gaze allows for time jumps, and re-observation results in a fresh perception. For example, if life form A is observing the early stage of civilization Z, life form B is observing the middle stage of civilization Z, and life form C is observing the late stage of civilization Z, then for civilization Z, there are simultaneously three superimposed states: early, middle, and late.
However, the people being observed are unaware of this superposition, and the time they perceive remains linear.
To escape this superposition state, the only option is to deceive the cosmic organ—the brain.
……
"You mean that in the vast universe, the spacetime flow rate is different in different regions, and the dimensions are also different?" Su Ming'an lowered his eyes in thought.
"Yes, your human nine-dimensional universe theory is one such theory," said the Supreme Lord. "Civilizations that the cosmic organ, the brain, focuses on will be observed by other civilizations, called 'observer civilizations.' The observed civilizations will exhibit superposition states, repeatedly resetting as they are observed by the observer civilizations."
The Supreme Being gave a simple and easy-to-understand example: "Just like when you watch anime, you are like the observer of civilization, and the civilization in the anime is the observed civilization. When you drag the progress bar, the progress of the observed civilization will change, and their progress depends on which episode you are watching. When you rewatch the anime, the observed civilization will also start from the beginning."
"If multiple people watch this anime at the same time and at different paces, the observed civilization will appear in an overlapping state. From the perspective of some observer civilizations, the observed civilization has progressed to the early primitive period, while from the perspective of some observer civilizations, the observed civilization has progressed to the later modern period."
The Supreme Lord's theory reminded Su Ming'an of the black hole theory his high school teacher had mentioned.
If someone falls into a black hole, time will flow like two completely different rivers for people inside and outside the black hole.
Those outside the black hole would see the person falling in slow down more and more, like a video being sped up by 0.5x, 0.1x... until finally coming to an almost complete stop at the edge of the black hole, frozen into a blurry silhouette, never actually falling in before their eyes, which is equivalent to "immortality".
But for someone inside the black hole, time seems to be running normally. He would cross the boundary without hindrance, only to be torn apart by the gravitational difference at the center of the black hole in an extremely short time, and die quickly.
To outsiders, he always appears stuck at the doorway; to himself, he has already fallen in. This is the time curvature caused by gravity, as described in Einstein's theory of relativity.
The theory now presented by the Supreme Being has similarities, although time curvature varies depending on the region and coordinates of the civilization.
"So the difference between the observer civilization and the observed civilization lies only in their location, not in their level of civilization?" Su Ming'an asked.
"Yes."
"Then Zhai Xing... is it considered an observer civilization, or an observed civilization?" Su Ming'an asked, his voice dry and cold.
It felt to him like sitting in front of Asa Aktor in a ruined world, listening to theories about dimensions, but back then those theories were within the scale of civilization, while now they were elevated to the entire universe.
He was like a philosopher who raised a torch, left his homeland, left his cave, and explored the forest outside.
If Akto the White Cat were to come again, he probably wouldn't say things like "Zhai Xing's college students are only at this level"... even though Su Ming'an is no longer strictly speaking a college student.
"You've got one premise wrong." The green figure extended a blurry hand, raised the coffee cup, took a sip—it was unclear which sip it used to make the coffee disappear—and then set the cup down.
"The observer civilization and the observed civilization can completely overlap."
Su Ming'an looked up.
"There is no distinction between superior and inferior; it simply depends on which civilizations the cosmic organ 'brain' is observing," said the Supreme Being. "Today you may be an observer civilization, fortunate enough to be located near the 'brain,' able to see the civilizations the 'brain' is observing. Tomorrow you may be a civilization being observed by the 'brain,' observed by another group of civilizations that happen to be near the 'brain.' It's all uncertain."
“Dynamic, fluid,” Su Ming’an quickly concluded. These were not difficult to understand, but he soon raised a new question:
"You just said that the observed civilizations would exist in a superimposed state. For example, if Yamada Machiichi and I were watching anime at the same time, I would see the beginning of the story, while he would see the final battle. So, for the observed civilization, would there be two timelines simultaneously: the 'beginning' and the 'final battle'? If it weren't just Yamada Machiichi and me, but tens of thousands of people watching 'anime' at the same time, would there be tens of thousands of timelines simultaneously for the observed civilization?"
“It’s like the time distortion of a black hole.” The Supreme Lord shook his head. “For those outside the black hole, time is frozen; they are the observers. But for those inside the black hole, time is linear; they are the observed civilization.”
"Therefore, even from the perspective of the observing civilization, time is like a progress bar. But from the perspective of the observed civilization, time is always linear," Su Ming'an said.
"Yes." The Supreme Lord suddenly laughed, displaying a human-like joy, as if finding it amusing.
"From your perspective, isn't time always linear?"
The coffee shop was silent for a few seconds.
It was so quiet you could hear Su Ming'an's heart pounding.
At that moment, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he suddenly understood... the truth behind the so-called "cosmic cycle".
As the vast expanse of wallpaper gradually peeled away, the smooth surface beneath the wall was revealed.
"Zhai Xing has been an observed civilization until now."
Su Ming'an blinked, but not out of fear, not out of dread of the unknown, but out of excitement, like a child finally finding the best-shaped block in a building block set.
"The 'cosmic cycle' we perceive is the effect of time distortion caused by the observation of civilizations. The universe has indeed experienced cycles, but these are not things we can know about, nor can any civilization see or remember them."
Steam rose from the air.
The wind rustles like silver bells, and sycamore leaves flutter down outside the window.
"Zhai Xing is too young. There are too many civilizations in the universe. Zhai Xing hasn't been lucky enough to become an observer civilization for a period of time. So you are indeed the observed civilization, including Rovasa. Many civilizations haven't been so lucky," said the Supreme Lord.
“The observer civilization is not necessarily lucky.” Su Ming’an shook his head slightly. “It’s just that we can see, it’s just the radiation effect caused by the ‘brain’, which we can’t interfere with or change. Rather than saying whether it’s lucky or unlucky, there is no difference in quality, it’s just an ‘organ reaction’ of the cosmic ‘cat’.”
The universe is so vast.
Just as a slight shift in the Earth's crust can trigger a massive earthquake affecting hundreds of thousands of people, the universe's brain, through a few random "physiological reactions," gives rise to these observers and the observed. Humans, with just a sip of water, experience a frenzied surge of activity throughout their bodies' organs and cells.
This has nothing to do with any interests, power, desires, or emotions... it's just a normal "physiological reaction" of the universe. The civilizations involved, whether observers or those being observed, are neither superior nor inferior.
Su Ming'an had always known that the universe was vast and boundless. Even if one became a higher dimension, a so-called "universe overlord," it was just a joke. For many civilizations and life forms, a higher dimension might indeed be considered a universe overlord, but for the universe itself, it didn't care and remained forever silent.
Su Ming'an clasped his hands together, steer the conversation to the most crucial point—
"Then, Hermes, the Lord of Dreams, what exactly is His Blackwater Dream...?"
"Have you ever owned a cat?" Torsolius suddenly asked.
"Uh... I've raised them before," Su Ming'an said. Black Flame and White Ball should count, I guess... although he'd never actually fed them.
“If your cat wants to claim a territory, but you don’t want it to,” Torsolius said.
“Circle that area around, or…” Su Ming’an suddenly understood.
A sycamore leaf gently brushed against his eyelids, the leaf fluttering in the air, and the green figure before him slowly spoke:
……
"—Or, let the cat know that it has claimed that spot."
……
Su Ming'an had always had a feeling.
Their current understanding of the universe seems like an endlessly looping game. Their understanding of civilization and time has also become superficial.
He has learned that the Poincaré return of the universe is an absolute return, and no life can retain consciousness or leave a trace.
The cycle they perceive is like... a veil of "falsehood" covering all that is real.
Does the so-called "cosmic cycle" really exist?
Does such a chilling and unrealistic figure as "hundreds of billions of cycles" really exist?
Is the nested structure of "cosmic cycle - world game 400 million cycles - death rollback - Rovasa's Great Reset" really correct?
The players gradually stopped viewing life as life and death as an ending, their minds filled with the thought, "If I fail, I can always try again." Seeing Su Ming'an continue forward, they thought, "That's enough. Let's just go home. Don't chase anything anymore. Even if it's a trap, we can always start over..."
……
"Brother," Mo Yan said, looking at him, "Life should only happen once."
……
Yes.
Life should indeed only happen once.
"The Lord of Dreams created a 'cat box' to isolate the brain," Su Ming'an said slowly, having fully understood the situation.
"At first, what we saw as the 'cosmic cycle' was the effect of time distortion caused by the observing civilization. When they reopened the 'book' and rewatched the 'anime,' it seemed to them that the progress bar, the 'page number,' or the 'episode number' had been adjusted. But in our eyes, it was 'time flowing linearly to the end, the cosmic cycle occurred, and we entered the next cosmic reincarnation.'"
"Later, as the Lord of Dreams created the 'Cat Box,' whenever He sensed the arrival of a certain point in time, He would immediately reset the Cat Box, starting everything anew. This became what we later called the 'cosmic cycle.'"
……
"You're right, this is indeed a grand scheme orchestrated by the Lord of Dreams. If left unchecked, the average rate of your destruction will increase with each instance, and the day when everything is reduced to nothingness will arrive sooner and sooner..." Alan said.
……
"To turn everyone into His puppets, to vanish into nothingness at the moment the 'story' ends... what is the purpose? What is the meaning of this 'blankness'? Destruction? Collective annihilation?" Su Ming'an asked, perplexed.
……
“The Lord of Dreams is not driven by desire, nor does He want to toy with us, nor does He enjoy our struggles as a high and mighty demon king,” Su Ming’an said slowly. “His cat box not only covers us, but also many civilizations in a considerable area. This place is equivalent to His experimental field. He is imitating the behavior of the ‘brain’, making the ‘brain’ think that this place has already been observed, thereby isolating the ‘brain’.”
Just as a sufficient number of patients are needed for a sufficient number of hospitals, the master of a dream is the one who pre-exists the concept; as long as the "fake cat" exists, the "real cat" assumes there's no need to occupy it again.
Thus, the Lord of Dreams created the "Blackwater Dream," which is similar to but different from the concept of the "brain." He gathered a group of civilized people, called the "Awake Ones," and told them how to observe, precisely to imitate the operating mechanism of the "brain" and prevent the real "brain" from coming over.
However, attempting to imitate cosmic organs with higher-dimensional power is somewhat presumptuous. The appearance of Bai Chun and others proves this point; life has desires and selfishness, and compared to the brain, which has never had the instinct to operate with emotions, this group of conscious beings who imitate the brain have committed many sins.
If Su Ming'an hadn't discovered the Lord of Dreams and confronted Him, many civilizations would never have known of His existence and would still have been deceived into believing that the reset within this "cat box," personally manipulated by the Lord of Dreams, was the true cosmic cycle.
"Water that is too clear has no fish, and water that is too discerning has no followers." The Supreme Lord commented, "If you don't put catfish in the tank, those outside won't care about the little fish inside. He seems to harm, but He is actually protecting. He seems to be playing with freedom, but He is actually protecting freedom. This is a kind of—[limited freedom]."
Su Ming'an lowered his eyes in deep thought.
After a moment, he spoke:
"I don't agree."
“Limited freedom is still essentially a cage. Sherlude’s freedom was the product of his self-reflection. Now that we have seen the cage, we can no longer deceive ourselves. This is self-reflection.”
"Compared to the brain, I think the Lord of Dreams is more like a dragon slayer becoming a dragon. This kind of control is no different from a small dragon protecting its egg under the watchful eye of a great dragon. After all, for the true brain, both the observer and the observed are equal. Everyone has the right to observe, and everyone may be observed. There is no human desire or emotion; it is merely a cosmic organ functioning normally."
"But with the Lord of Dreams intervening, the beings of those Blackwater Dreams have clearly interfered with our lives to a great extent. He keeps resetting this 'cat box,' causing a cosmic cycle to occur every time we think we've reached the end, turning many people into puppets."
Su Ming'an put down his cup and looked at the green figure opposite him:
You say that water that is too clear has no fish, and water that is too discerning has no followers. But I want to ask—
"Do fish really want to live forever in the shadow of the catfish that was put in the tank, just to avoid being influenced by people outside the tank?"
The Supreme Lord was stunned.
"You just said that on a cosmic scale, there is no difference in quality between the observer civilization and the observed civilization, only the luck or misfortune of their positions. But I would like to add something."
The black-haired youth's gaze was calm and profound:
"No matter where you are, whether you are being observed or observing others, as long as you have the courage to choose 'truth,' it's all the same. The observer is willing to accept this truth, and the observed also creates the future with their own hands. Even if the positions of the two sides are reversed one day, the truth will not be changed."
"It's ok."
He said softly,
"They're all the same."
The wind chimes jingled, and for a moment, all was quiet.
The Supreme Lord remained seated in his original position, his blurred face revealing no expression, but he seemed to greatly admire Su Ming'an's ideas.
A casual remark reached Su Ming'an's ears:
"No wonder... you were able to get this far."
……
"The Seventh Seat's ability is to turn the 'moment' into 'eternity,' and to let 'falsehood' cover 'reality,'" said the Tenth Seat. "The Radiant Mother Goddess has been conducting extensive trials in preparation for the Seventh Seat's assistance—their joint dream of covering the world eternally. Her experiments have been fully gestating and are waiting to become reality, covering the entire Rovasa and even spreading throughout the universe."
……
In retrospect, this seemingly refers to the actions of the Seventh Seat and the Radiant Mother Goddess, but in reality, it refers to the actions of the Lord of Dreams.
For the former, the "cat box" covered Rovasa. For the latter, the "cat box" covered countless civilizations throughout this entire region.
The exact size of the Dream Lord's "Cat Box" as it has evolved to this day is unknown. However, judging from the races and appearances of the conscious beings in the Blackwater Dream, it is clearly vast.
……
"Isn't the cycle of reincarnation supposed to cover everything? I'm just a lower form of life, reborn, my soul should be reborn too, so why is the damage to my soul irreversible?" Su Ming'an said.
"Hmm... I can't understand it either. Maybe no matter how many times it repeats, some things remain constant. You can only ask the Lord of Dreams about this. After all, He is someone who can preserve things," Xiao Ai said. "Perhaps some things remain constant even in reincarnation. Only if you preserve that thing will your chances of winning be the highest."
……
The answer to this question has already been found.
Because no life form can perceive the true return of the cosmic Poincaré, what they perceive as the "cosmic cycle" is actually the Lord of Dreams constantly resetting the cat box.
Therefore, the Lord of Dreams can remember many memories, after all, He is the one who orchestrated all of this.
Therefore, the loss of the soul is irreversible, because they have never truly transcended the cosmic cycle; they are merely reborn again and again within the box.
……
"The 110181st time, the ideal scenario has occurred—a perfect success! Su Ming'an wished to save Zhai Xing, and there were no conflicting wishes. Everyone returned home safely. This might be a happy ending...right?"
"But 'He' opened the book, and the story began anew."
"I've started to doubt whether true happy endings even exist in this world. Because no matter what, in the end, we always start over."
……
The Lord of Dreams opened the cat box.
The story begins anew.
……
At this point, Bai Chun noticed something strange—A "them" and F "the players of Blackwater Dream" are essentially the same kind of people, so why are they being distinguished? Logically, if the two options overlap, they shouldn't appear simultaneously.
……
"The players of Blackwater Dreamland" are beings gathered by the Lord of Dreams. However, the concept of "them" has always been confused, and the two are not the same.
"They" refers to the observer civilization, that is, a part of the fortunate civilization within the radiation of the wandering brain, and it will change at any time as the brain wanders.
Therefore, compared to the civilization that truly exists outside the cat box, the players of Blackwater Dreamland can still be discovered, harmed, and observed—in a sense, they themselves are also objects of observation. Objects observed by Su Ming'an and the others.
The observer is also the observed.
……
Deconstructing everything in the universe into cards is a fascinating yet chilling experience... Manipulating people's hearts, altering the collective unconscious, implanting psychological suggestions, manipulating familiar friends, subverting the world, reversing cause and effect, confusing concepts...
As Su Ming'an looked at the cards, he suddenly realized something. Could this be the mindset of the "Lord of Dreams"... the "Lord of Games"? For some reason, He viewed the universe as a game that must be won.
……
“So, His ultimate purpose in creating this cat box was to study the mechanisms of the ‘brain,’ and then—” Su Ming’an looked up.
“And then,” said the Supreme Lord.
"[Building a fully self-controlled and coordinated system—an artificial cosmic organ, an artificial brain.]"
"Thus, by using an artificial brain to confuse the real brain, the observer and the observed cease to exist. The superposition state, spacetime distortion, and turbulent extinction that may occur during observation... all cease to exist."
"For example, if your Zhai Star continues to be observed by other civilizations, its coordinates and status may be exposed, which may attract even deeper covetousness from the Dark Forest."
"The true brain is like setting fires everywhere in the forest of the universe. Although it is unintentional, it indirectly causes a lot of destruction. Once some civilizations discover other civilizations, they will inevitably plunder and destroy them."
"This forest was originally dark and deep, where all civilizations coexisted relatively peacefully. Even if invasions did occur, they were only the result of each civilization reaching a certain stage of development. However, this random, sweeping spotlight has exposed many still-developing civilizations to the light and fire, uprooting them before they could even sprout. For example, your Zhai Star... If the World Game hadn't descended upon your Zhai Star, thousands upon thousands of years later... you might not exist anymore. You have already been discovered by too many civilizations."
Su Ming'an stopped drinking his coffee: "So, my previous guess that the Blackwater Dream was a cosmic organ was pretty much right, except that it was man-made."
“Yes,” said the Supreme Lord. “The moment the Lord of Dreams successfully creates the cosmic organ, all the awakened beings of the Blackwater Dream will be transformed into cells and nutrients, losing their selves. The awakened beings enjoy the right to observe at will, but in the end, they will also pay the price, just like the eight protagonists manipulated by Pudding. Gain and loss are equal.”
“That’s why we can never break the cycle, because the real cycle never happens; we just keep going back into His box... thinking we’ve reached the end time and time again,” Su Ming’an said.
He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart.
……
"What if—I absolutely must end the BE3030 loop?!"
……
He closed his eyes, then opened them a moment later.
It felt like something was thrashing about inside me, a complex feeling.
……
"And you have only one obligation to fulfill—" Inside the Ferris wheel, a pure sense of ease blossomed in Noel's eyes.
"It is about embracing higher dimensions."
"Humanity is on the verge of destruction, and our future is bleak. Even if we escape this game, endless cycles await us."
"We—" Noel smiled, her eyes gleaming with a clear light.
"—Possessing an incomparably vast [new world]."
[—Two hundred and six memory lenses: "Embrace the higher dimensions, beacon of humanity"]
……
"Ever since the great crisis that struck the human world, I've had a vague feeling that the universe we inhabit has its own rules," Noel's voice rang out.
"Therefore, we can also use a beach as an analogy; we are currently located near this beach."
"Therefore, the essence of the universe is [reincarnation]."
[—The 557th Memory Mirror: "May we eventually find a new world"]
……
[The savior, trapped in an endless cycle of reincarnation, is constantly killed by the very people she is meant to save. Her memories become so fragmented that she forgets her purpose, and she nearly misses her final chance at success due to despair.]
[If I were a lot like Siber.]
[...Has he forgotten something now as well?]
[The 552nd Memory Lens - "TE - The Day the Flowers Bloom (Part 2)"]
……
Everything has a traceable pattern.
Yet, nothing could be detected.
Even after the fifth instance, Noel had already mentioned the relevant concept. It was subtle, even if Noel himself might not have understood it at the time.
When exactly did this guy start having fragmented memories?
Aland recalled fragmented memories at the very beginning of the game, writing "A Brief Analysis of How Players Can Save Themselves" before even entering the first instance, thus becoming a world-renowned prophet. As a more deeply involved and lucid individual, did Noel only recall all her memories later, perhaps even during the later stages of Rovasa's story?
If they remain inside the cat carrier.
Is it possible, before the world game begins...?
Is this guy, who knows so much, really just an ordinary awakened individual from the Blackwater Dream? Or is it...?
"Now that you know all this—Su Ming'an, will you stand on the side of the Lord of Dreams?" the Supreme Lord suddenly said.
The wind quieted down.
The silver bells at the door also stopped ringing.
The sycamore leaves seemed to freeze in time, the branches stopped swaying, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still.
Su Ming'an slowly raised his head.
"You and He are not enemies; your goals are aligned," said the Supreme Lord. "If His artificial brain is successfully created, there will be no more flickering firelight in the dark forest, and civilization will never again encounter an invincible enemy."
"He should welcome you to join Him. Your death and rewind time are enough to allow you to see the future together and work as equals. Once His brain is complete, He will no longer need to maintain this cat box. He can use the artificial brain to construct several illusory endings and let the real brain observe them. From then on, there will no longer be a civilization of observers and a civilization of observed."
“My death rollback is also a kind of cosmic organ, right?” Su Ming’an suddenly said.
"Yes, that should be it," the Supreme Lord affirmed. "So your death rollback can override the cat box, and even cover the Lord of Dreams."
"The most interesting thing is that the World Game, this cosmic organ, is exactly covered by His cat box, so even though they are both cosmic organs, your death rollback can cover the World Game. But when the cat box breaks and the World Game leaves the cat box, the death rollback can no longer cover the World Game."
This reminded Su Ming'an of a line from his high school history textbook: "My vassal's vassal is not my vassal," but the situation was reversed here.
Death rollback is equal to the world game, but death rollback is higher than the cat box, and the cat box covers the world game, so death rollback can temporarily cover the world game.
Why was he chosen for the death rollback?
What kind of cosmic organ does it represent?
Even the Supreme Lord doesn't have an answer to this question. He is merely a follower of the dream world and knows the Lord of Dreams better than anyone else.
"Make a decision." The Supreme Lord looked at the young man sitting opposite him.
"—It is a determination to continue challenging Him, to break His cat box, to destroy the artificial brain organ He is cultivating—Blackwater Dream, and to confront the world outside the cat box."
"—Or should we join Him, and together maintain this constantly resetting cat box, until the artificial brain is truly born, obscuring the observation of the real brain, and moving towards the future?"
In any case, they will all be heading towards a blank future.
It all depends on when the Dream Lord's fake brain is completed. Until then, the Cat Box will forever remain in a cycle of resetting, and all civilizations will forever be observed and interfered with by the Blackwater Dream.
At that moment, a purple figure and a silver-white bird suddenly appeared behind the Supreme Lord.
"...So you're negotiating here." The purple figure spoke, its voice androgynous.
Although His form was invisible, His "gaze" seemed to fall on Su Ming'an for a moment.
“Heumis.” Su Ming’an stared at Him.
As the manipulator of the cat box, he is indeed incredibly powerful, even able to enter the domain of the Supreme Lord.
"There's no need to be my enemy." The Lord of Dreams seemed quite concerned about Su Ming'an's stance, after all, Su Ming'an could now influence Him. "The creation of the artificial brain is more than halfway complete. All you civilizations need to do is wait for a few more cycles before it is born. At that time, I will destroy the cat box, forcing you to face what lies beyond it. Then, my artificial brain will construct several fixed outcomes for the true brain to observe. The true brain has no thoughts, only instincts. As long as there is something to observe, it will no longer cast its flames into the cosmic forest, and all civilizations will gain safety and true freedom."
"At that time, you and I will be the true 'saviors of the universe'."
"Even if you decide to be my enemy now, and even if you defeat me, destroy my Blackwater Dream, and break my cat box, you will only be facing the outside of the cat box immediately, and nothing will have changed."
"Join me, and I'll be willing to look you in the eye, since you already possess power equal to ours."
As Su Ming'an listened to the invitation from the Lord of Dreams, he suddenly thought of the story of "The Lamplighter" that he had created at the Source Point.
All paths are real, and the lamplighter finally understood that the golden road was never a ready-made path waiting to be discovered.
Raise the lantern and point it towards your feet.
Light flowed from beneath his feet—originating from the resonance of all the lantern bearers’ reincarnations, like molten gold, spreading in all directions…giving all the existing paths a warm golden edge.
Every path, whether it led to happiness, destruction, loneliness, dreams, domination, sacrifice, betrayal, nothingness, godhood, or observation—was originally part of the Golden Road.
It turns out that he didn't want to choose the only correct path, but rather to make all the paths that have been walked, are being walked, and will be walked meaningful and solid simply because they have been walked.
—To become 'real'.
"[If people are afraid of the darkness of the forest, then light a fire, burn the forest, and force them to look directly at the sky...] Noel's point is valid, but I don't agree. Some people truly cannot survive outside the forest; they need a certain degree of tolerance and leeway." Su Ming'an said slowly, looking at Heumis.
"But if you put them in an aquarium and make them go back and forth again and again, thinking that [since these times will be reset and overwritten anyway, as long as the final result is good, the sacrifices and suffering that occur in between can be ignored]... such thoughts, Heumis, I cannot accept them either."
Even a life destined to be covered up is still a life.
"Your cat carrier has made us go through so many trials. But in reality, life should only happen once."
“Although your idea is to create the final fake brain, asking me to join you and continue to let this cycle happen again and again, after each time we think we are about to reach a happy ending, everything instantly turns into blankness…” Su Ming’an closed his eyes.
The meaning of humanity is compressed into a period of time after the world game ends.
After Su Ming'an achieved a perfect completion... after Su Ming'an redeemed Zhai Xing... after Su Ming'an and Noel perished together... after Su Ming'an inherited the World Game... it seemed as if a story should come to a perfect end, and everything afterward was no longer important. So everything turned into a blank, ushering in a false ending. Humanity would no longer move towards a more distant future and would be reset again.
At this moment, it was as if countless "film reels" were flying in the air, writing the "names" of various endings.
【The Sacred Flame Reversing its Course】, 【Pride and Prejudice】, 【Dying from the Ocean】, 【Goodnight, My Friend】, 【The Day the Flowers Bloom】, 【The Wanderer's Farewell】...
People have exhausted countless tears and years, and each time in the end only a short "film" remains as proof. All other traces are washed away by the waves, leaving only dust and regret that no one remembers.
It was the Lord of Dreams who defined the names of these endings.
It is the Lord of Dreams who decides when everything will start anew.
The awakened beings of the Blackwater Dream interfered with everything inside the cat box time and time again, until finally they turned into nourishment.
“Heumis,” Su Ming’an spoke, slowly rising to his feet, his hands bracing on the table, meeting the gaze of the standing man, his dark eyes sharp. “Why not try other methods?”
He negotiated with two supreme figures of civilization, never yielding in his words and maintaining an equal stance.
“You may speak,” said the Lord of Dreams.
“Supreme Lord, if I am not mistaken, your true authority should be… ‘simulation’,” Su Ming’an said.
Previously, the Supreme Lord was jokingly referred to as a "chaser" or "update follower," and His authority was called "chaser," but His true authority is called "simulation." The Supreme Lord loves to read books in order to study the time-space records of different civilizations and to strengthen His authority.
Su Ming'an raised his hand, as if a book of the universe was being opened in his palm:
"I have mastered the power to control the Book of the Universe and the method to create IF lines. Supreme Lord, please use your authority to transform all of this into a book that keeps turning."
"Since we want to block the brain's observation, instead of covering it up with a fixed ending of the dream master's false brain, we should cover it up with 'endless chaos'."
"The example of the discipleship game has shown that the concept of the false over the real is feasible."
“Once, one of our civilizations, Asa Akto, found the answer through countless cycles. Now, I will use endless cycles to create a vast amount of information to overwhelm that camera, making it present an unpredictable scene like countless kaleidoscopes.”
"Therefore, when future generations look at me, they will only know the countless endings, but not the predetermined final one. As long as a kaleidoscope-like image is presented to the true brain, who cares whether the people behind the kaleidoscope have free will or whether it is real?"
“I am not trying to choose the only correct golden path, but to make all the paths that have been walked, are being walked, and will be walked meaningful and become real because they have been walked.”
After he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.
The silver-white warbler glanced over, its eyes sparkling.
The difference between Su Ming'an and the Lord of Dreams is that the Lord of Dreams tries to create a fixed ending to fool the real brain; it's static. Su Ming'an, on the other hand, directly creates a kaleidoscope of information for the brain.
The Lord of Dreams wants to create the most "perfect" golden ending, to complete the perfect "Book of the Universe," to solidify everything, to stop everything from deviating, and to put everything in the most perfect state, so as to stop the true brain.
Su Ming'an, on the other hand, wanted to provide the brain with countless dynamic endings. He wanted every "path" people walked to be a subject of observation, a kaleidoscope of possibilities that could not be predetermined. Everything continued to flow, everything held infinite possibilities and a brand new future.
How can the way to protect a river be to cut off all its flowing water, block all its tributaries, and leave only the widest channel?
Su Ming'an's idea was to keep it clear and clean, and to let it flow continuously, flowing to any faraway place with convenient transportation.
The real way to cut off the "farmer's" observation is not to relinquish the full freedom of choice, but to create your own story, to become your own "farmer," and to weave endless stories for yourself.
—It's not about choosing the only correct golden path. Rather, it's about ensuring that all paths we've walked, are walking, and will walk gain meaning and become "real" simply because they've been walked.
"The idea is good, but the most fatal part hasn't changed—you use the authority of the Supreme Lord to simulate and manipulate the Book of the Universe. What's the difference between you and my cat box in essence?" The Lord of Dreams said calmly. "Both are infinite loop simulations, both treat people as puppets inside a cat box. It's just that I want to get a single perfect result, while you want to get a kaleidoscope of infinite results."
“Of course they’re different.” Su Ming’an said the question he had been pondering since his confrontation with Noel:
"If life believes that every cycle of retaining self-awareness is real, then within these simulated timeframes, I will simulate them alone while remaining conscious."
"The others are like people who have been in an unconscious dream, completely without self-awareness. Their souls will be stored away by me, and they will only wake up to face a free tomorrow when I have achieved my final goal, when their brains will start functioning again and their souls will start breathing again."
"It's like being in a simulator where I'm the only one who's awake."
"Even if there is interference, influence, or spying... it will only be directed at me."
"I ferry all beings across the river with my soul, giving them rest and protecting the purity of each of them. After I have crossed this river countless times and reached the other side, I will set them off on the boat."
"I will reincarnate for this countless times, soberly recording everyone in a cycle where I am the only one."
"Furthermore," Su Ming'an looked out the window at the sky, as if he were seeing a beautiful, azure planet.
"--If it is someone like Lü Shu, Aini, Lin Yin, Wilson, Ashcoll, Liu Jiahe, Flora, Qiuqiu, Anthony, etc... even the most ordinary person. If there are volunteers other than me who are willing to stay awake and continue the cycle, instead of falling asleep within my ferry, I will respect their wishes and let them continue the simulation with me."
"As for the unwilling masses, in their perception, time was only interrupted for a moment. The next instant, the simulation that had lasted for billions of times had already ended. What awaits them is a tomorrow where there is no more observation or control."
"I have always believed that after a vote, the minority should obey the majority. The correct approach should be to let those who cast the majority vote experience what the majority supports, and let those who cast the minority vote experience what the minority supports."
"Everyone decides their own path. Whether they stay awake or unconsciously sleep and wait for tomorrow. Instead of a dictator forcing them to keep going in circles, to keep being observed and manipulated. Forcing them to suffer until the last cycle."
The black-haired youth's gaze was intense, and the sunlight from the window fell on him, outlining his bright pupils as if in silent pity.
He was enveloped in a faint halo of light. The noisy world seemed to fall silent in this corner, leaving only the flowing light, the brightness of which could not compare to his eyes brimming with ideals.
"Those who are unwilling to wake up, those who want to wake up to tomorrow... I will fill their 'extra capacity' and bear their burden."
“Even if no one is willing to stay awake, and I am the only one going through this cycle, I will persist until the very last moment, until I can help them all cross to the other side and awaken them.”
"People are like mountains or dust; mountains have their grandeur, and dust has its color."
"I will respect everyone's opinion and proceed with the digging of this river."
“I made everyone choose to save themselves, and they will know that this is not a game that repeats endlessly, not a game without end. Every path is real.”
"One day, they will realize that we have been pursuing the perfect golden path (TE) all along, but today we are pursuing a future that cannot be defined."
After Su Ming'an finished speaking, the light dust danced in the air.
Like the first ray of dawn breaking through the eaves of a mountain temple after the first snowfall.
He seemed to be walking in the light.
The warbler lowered its eyelids, a thoughtful look flashing in its eyes. The Supreme Lord paused sipping its coffee and looked solemnly at Su Ming'an. The Lord of Dreams stood silently for a moment, then looked over.
"Are you sure you want to abandon all the 'perfect golden path' that is already established, already clear, and already gradually discovered by you, in order to choose a completely blank path?"
"The Lord of Dreams said softly."
The perfect golden path is actually just around the corner—join the Lord of Dreams, wait for the fake brain to be born, smash the cat box, and everyone will move towards true freedom.
However, before reaching the finish line, Su Ming'an resolutely walked towards the blank space.
The emptiness gradually gained color with his footsteps, as he urged people to take control of their own paths, their own choices, their own clarity, and their own future.
Do not seek a fixed, unique, or higher-dimensional chosen golden path.
—A kaleidoscopic blank future that they must personally experience.
Moreover, we do not yield to the majority's will. We do not disregard the interests of the minority for the sake of the majority's ideas.
Those geniuses and wise men who are willing to awaken, like Phoenix, then let us awaken together. Those ordinary people who are unwilling to awaken, like Chiharu, then let us sleep soundly and wait for tomorrow.
He balanced the desires of both the Phoenix and Qianqin groups.
He gave them leeway and tolerance.
"In that case, you may give it a try," the Lord of Dreams said calmly. "But I will not stop building the brain, nor will I be able to stop this cat box."
The two idealists clashed here, and Su Ming'an said:
“Your cat carrier covers us, and it also covers our ‘simulation,’ which is essentially a smaller box inside your cat carrier.”
“When the ‘simulation’ authority is used, time outside is almost frozen, just like when Akto simulated thousands or tens of thousands of times, not much time passed outside. Therefore, in this final day of the World Game’s impending end, I was able to complete my simulation.”
"The world game will only just begin to settle when I finish."
“When that moment comes, I will challenge you with all my achievements—and we’ll see who wins and who loses in the end. If I lose, you will continue to reset your cat box. With my soul nearly exhausted, I will never be able to stand before you again, and we will both become your puppets. If I win… I will personally smash your cat box, and I will use my simulation achievements to deceive that brain.”
Even if they share the same goal and both sides have a chance of achieving the desired outcome, neither side will choose to back down.
Which method is ultimately used depends solely on who wins and who loses the final showdown between Su Ming'an and the Lord of Dreams.
Moreover, Su Ming'an absolutely did not believe that the Lord of Dreams was merely trying to deceive the true mind; He must have another purpose. The Blackwater Dreamland was His source of power, and Having dominated so many civilizations for so long, He would never easily relinquish power to the common people. If He were truly a purely benevolent being, He would not have stood idly by while some within the Blackwater Dreamland acted so recklessly.
The souls of Su Ming'an and the others are already very weak. If the cat box continues to be reset, they will all disappear completely before the artificial brain is successfully created, and they will never be able to open their eyes again.
Even today, the Dream Lord's experiment has caused trillions of lives to disappear and be annihilated.
This will be the final battle. Su Ming'an lost. They will never again stand before the Lord of Dreams. Everyone will become puppets, their souls completely annihilated after countless resets. The civilization called Zhai Xing will cease to exist. But Su Ming'an won…
That will be a completely new future.
"I'll be waiting for you," the Lord of Dreams said calmly. His true form cannot leave the Blackwater Dream Realm, and Su Ming'an, in order to break the cat box, will inevitably come to find him.
He waited there.
Awaiting... their final battle.
Rivers may flow, but glory will endure for generations.
Let Him see, when the rivers flow and turn... will there still be a future day?
……
Heumis once believed that neither truth nor falsehood needed to have meaning in life.
So what if it's being manipulated? So what if it's being observed? It's all destined to be covered up. In the end, after the fake brain is born, the cat box will break down on its own.
Everything should be within a fixed framework, and everything should be in good order.
He sensed Su Ming'an's rebellious nature and potential. In order to stop Su Ming'an from moving forward, He ordered the Awakened Ones to collectively observe Su Ming'an's civilization, which resulted in the joint story "Welcome Back to the World Game".
However, Su Ming'an always believed that even if the covered time was a cycle that rotated to create a fake brain, it could not be meaningless.
He gave people the power to decide whether they were lucid or not, and after completing the simulation and ensuring that the problem of the real brain could be solved, he told them to break the cat box.
This is the difference between the two of them.
One who dwells in the sky and looks down upon all living beings.
One who has already understood the universe yet cherishes the green grass.
This will be their final story before the observation ends.
……