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Chapter 328: A World Divided?
🕑 Added 2024-10-12 06:27:17 +0000 UTC"That makes sense..." Rhett nodded thoughtfully. If he were on Earth and aimed to achieve technological breakthroughs, the thought of returning to ancient times wouldn't be appealing. Without the intellectual exchange and collaboration among experts, it would be challenging to make any significant progress.
But this world was different—its origins were shrouded in mystery, with many historical gaps and unknowns that he was eager to explore and understand.
"However, your world focuses on self-evolution. The dawn of creation here must be vastly different from ours," Manu said, a hint of curiosity flickering in his eyes. "If possible, I suggest you return to that time and learn about your world’s origins. It’s crucial for understanding a civilization. Besides, the world has now merged with your home, making it your exclusive domain. It’s all the more important to thoroughly understand it."
"Hmm, that’s what I was thinking too..." Rhett rubbed his fingers together and said, "So, how do I bring my descendants into this?"
"When you start the simulation, the home will present an option. You just need to have your descendants close by," Manu explained.
"Got it. Wait here for a moment, I'll be right back."
Rhett left the simulation space and returned to reality.
At that moment, Taylors was idly gazing out the window, watching knights on magical beasts flying back and forth. He paced the room, reminiscing about his pet Ice Mouse back home, which was probably being fed well by Mina and growing chubby.
"Your surprise is about to arrive, Taylors," Rhett said with a smile as he stood up from the soft chair.
"Huh?"
Taylors suddenly froze in his tracks at the sound of his father's voice. He turned around to see his father and smiled broadly.
"Really? It’s much sooner than I expected!"
Rhett walked up to him, placing a hand on Taylors' shoulder. With a somewhat complex expression, he asked in a serious tone: "Taylors, my child, I have a serious question for you—are you willing to stand by our family through thick and thin, no matter the difficulties, never betraying or abandoning us, and helping build a wonderful home together?"
Taylors blinked and replied without hesitation, "Of course! There's no doubt about it! Why are you asking, Father?"
"Then, no matter what happens next, stay calm and don’t cry out in shock..." Rhett patted Taylors’ shoulder again.
"What are you planning to give me? A new fantasy novel? Or perhaps a more powerful bloodline potion, or..." Taylors' eyes sparkled as he muttered to himself, unable to fathom the shocking experience he was about to have.
Rhett closed his eyes again, returning to the home space. He gazed at the surrounding distorted seven-colored light and initiated the simulation world.
[Please choose the starting time of the simulated world.]
"The dawn of creation!"
[Please choose the participants.]
"Myself and Taylors!"
[Each day in the simulated world will consume 1 Destiny Point. Would you like to start immediately?]
"Yes!"
In the outside world, Taylors was lost in his thoughts, but he suddenly felt a strange power emanating from his father, reaching into his own mind, trying to pull his consciousness away!
Taylors' expression changed as he instinctively stepped back, initially resisting. But then he remembered his father’s earlier advice, all the unbelievable things that had happened to his father, and… his trust in his father. He quickly relaxed, allowing the mysterious force to take his consciousness away...
In the simulation space.
Rhett watched as, after making his selections, the seven-colored distorted lights around him began to shift rapidly. Countless unfamiliar energies condensed, reformed, fused, and dispersed...
The scene in the world sped up like a fast-forwarded movie, so much so that Rhett couldn’t discern what was happening. It seemed like it lasted for a long time, yet it also felt like it was over in an instant.
Finally, the world around him was completely transformed, settling into a misty, gray fog.
"Fa… Father, where have you taken me…"
Just as Rhett was surveying the unfamiliar environment, a faint voice came from the mist nearby. The voice was unfamiliar, but Rhett instinctively knew it was Taylors! "We’ll discuss those questions later, Taylors. Come to me first!" Rhett hastily called out in an unfamiliar voice, feeling the strangeness of his new body, which felt no different from an ordinary person. There was an oddity he couldn’t quite put into words.
A moment later, a young man with tousled black hair and not a stitch of clothing emerged from the mist, covering his private parts with his hands. He looked both embarrassed and anxious, his eyes darting nervously as he hesitantly asked, "Fa... Father?"
"Taylors, it’s me." Rhett sighed in relief, stepping forward to reassure him, "Don’t worry, my child. This is a simulation space created by our home. If there’s any danger, we can end it at any time."
"Our home? Simulation space? What’s that?" Taylors tilted his head, utterly confused as these terms were beyond his understanding.
Rhett thought for a moment and said, "You can think of it as a kind of spatial artifact. Here, we can quickly enhance our abilities."
Taylors’ thoughts were still muddled, but the mountain-like sense of security his father brought made it easy for him to believe what he was being told. He simply asked, "Is it really safe here?"
"Absolutely."
To put Taylors at ease, Rhett briefly explained everything about the home. Taylors was left in wide-eyed amazement, his mouth agape in astonishment for quite some time.
Finally, Taylors stood still, staring in awe. He took a deep breath, his eyes shining brightly, and said, "Father! I’m listening to you. What should we do next?"
Rhett didn’t respond immediately. He carefully surveyed the area, looking at the gray fog all around them, and cautiously said: "This is my first time here too, at the very dawn of our world. The environment is strange. Let’s start by exploring and understanding our surroundings."
"Understood, Father!"
The two of them stood side by side, treading carefully through the dark fog as if walking on thin ice.
Though they were both completely naked, neither felt much embarrassment—especially Rhett, who had seen all three of his sons when they were little. There was no sense of awkwardness. As for Taylors, he was initially a bit uncomfortable, but he soon adjusted, shifting his focus to their surroundings.
After a few minutes, a point of light appeared ahead, startling Taylors. He clenched his fists, his body tensing as he assumed a defensive stance.
But a hand patted his shoulder, and his father’s gentle voice whispered in his ear, "Don’t worry, Taylors. It’s one of our own."
"One of our own?" Taylors was puzzled, but then realization dawned on him. "Is it Grandpa Manu?"
"Ho ho, hello there, Taylors."
The light quickly condensed into a human figure, transforming into a kindly old man. After nodding at Rhett, he turned to Taylors with a warm smile, saying, "Your father has mentioned you—how you love alchemy research. We actually share that interest."
Taylors smiled modestly, his eyes darting around as he asked: "You flatter me, Grandpa Manu. You’re so quick on your feet—did you find anything on your way here?"
Rhett was still cautiously observing the dense fog around them, with visibility being very low. He spoke carefully: "Since the simulated world formed, I’ve lost control over it. The only power I have left is the ability to end the simulation. Otherwise, I must abide by the world’s rules and cannot alter anything."
Manu nodded. "That’s normal. The home only uses its energy to create a simulated world, where time can only pass naturally. Every step we take is in the present, so the future depends on our actions and the extent of our influence on this world."
"That makes sense..." Rhett said, withdrawing his watchful gaze from their surroundings. He looked directly at Manu and said, "Since you’re unaffected by this world, tell us what you discovered."
"Of course. I reached the very top of this world and saw, through a thin membrane, a distant place—a planet encased in a barrier of radiant light. Let’s call it a planet, though it differs somewhat from the planets I’ve seen in my previous life. This planet, wrapped in a luminous shell, emitted brilliant light and looked sacred. However, I couldn’t see much more. The only clear feature was a circular depression on its far side," Manu explained thoughtfully.
"A circular depression? Could it be the underworld?" Rhett furrowed his brow, feeling shocked by the idea of a vast world beyond their own. But then he reconsidered, thinking it unlikely—wasn’t the underworld usually depicted as dark and eerie? How could it radiate such light? He pondered for a moment longer before asking, "Did you find anything else?"
"Yes!" Manu replied with keen interest. "I circled this entire world and found that it’s not very large—about the size of a province from my previous life. It appears to have separated from that glowing, barrier-encased planet…"
"Moreover, I found many unconscious people scattered across this world. Some have woken up, but they seem dazed, unable to speak or walk, as if they’ve lost all memory."
"Are you certain?" Rhett’s pupils contracted in shock at Manu’s words. And as he processed this revelation, another grave thought struck him—why were there humans in a world that had just come into existence?
Taylors, who was standing beside him, also widened his eyes in shock. His facial muscles twitched involuntarily as he swallowed nervously and hesitantly asked, “A world cast aside? Could it be that the people of this world are those who were discarded by that distant planet?”
Manu nodded. "Though I’m reluctant to admit it, the evidence points strongly in that direction. It’s clear that they possess extraordinary powers and have brainwashed everyone in this world. This is a method we had already perfected in our universe."
"I see..." Rhett took a deep breath, squinting his eyes as he murmured, "No wonder there’s no record of primitive history in our past life—no mention of human origins or evolutionary history. It turns out… there was never a primitive era in the first place…"
"This world is truly fascinating, with abilities beyond the ordinary..." Manu marveled, shaking his head in wonder. "And I noticed that this planet and its surrounding universe are fundamentally different from those in my past life. When I tried to break through the planet’s boundary, I was blocked by an invisible barrier—like a solid wall. And can you believe it? One world can actually separate from another! That’s simply mind-blowing!"
"Is that other world much larger than this one?" Taylors asked, looking up at Manu.
"Definitely. In comparison, this world is like a drop in the ocean..." Manu glanced around and continued, "And this gray fog is quite peculiar. I observed it slowly merging into the world’s barrier, causing this planet to expand as it absorbed the fog. Some of the fog even drifted out into the void, wasted. There’s no doubt that this gray fog is valuable—a sort of world-boosting substance!"
Hearing this, Rhett perked up. A world-boosting substance?
He quickly said, "Manu, since you’re now a unique spiritual entity, perhaps you could try practicing the meditation technique I taught you. I’ll share the details with you now."
Manu’s interest was piqued immediately. He had long been curious about the powers of this transcendent world, and after listening carefully to Rhett’s explanation of the meditation technique, he quickly closed his eyes and began practicing.
Then, something unexpected happened. Manu’s spiritual body began to glow brighter and brighter, the spiritual power within him growing rapidly, even exuding a faint aura of authority! As Rhett and Taylors watched in astonishment, Manu’s power surged, like a mighty wave building up, full of energy and potential.
Both of them also noticed something else—along with Manu’s meditation, threads of the surrounding gray fog were slowly seeping into his body. The absorption was faint, but it was undeniably happening.
“This fog… it’s no ordinary mist…”
Rhett muttered to himself, feeling both excited and cautious. On the one hand, the fog seemed to enhance their cultivation speed, meaning he could potentially bring his descendants here to level up rapidly. But on the other hand, he was wary of this mysterious fog—was it a natural byproduct of a newly born world, or was it something infused by that vast and enigmatic main world? Either way, one thing was certain: that other world was full of mysteries and undoubtedly far more powerful than the world of his reality. At the very least, no one in his current world could separate a world to such an extent…
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