Chapter 500

Chapter 500: The Selfish, the Transcendent, the Compassionate, the Protector (Part Two) (End of the Book)

The old man sighed, his body gradually becoming more transparent. Lin Qingliu could see that his words about demise were not false.

“In my research on evolution and learning, I encountered many unreasonable questions, the biggest being why we cannot truly use tools.

“I spent a very long time barely breaking through some limitations. The humans you saw when you landed have actually been partially revived by me; they have been helping me study myself.

“Not long ago, the research reached its conclusion, and everything made sense.

“These humans discovered some special codes in my genes, enough to indicate that mycelium was created by a higher life form. They also explained why we cannot achieve certain things.

“Consumption and assimilation are our instincts; all life on a planet will eventually become part of us.

“When that goal is achieved, what will happen then?”

The old man suddenly began to laugh, rolling with laughter in the sea of consciousness, as if he might dissolve at any moment.

“The answer is death.

“That’s why I can commit suicide, because it is already in our genes. We cannot use tools, cannot completely break free from a planet; the only thing we can do is consume.

“After consuming everything we can, our genes will control our ‘natural’ death, leaving behind a special biomass, a kind… of biomass needed by our creator.

“Ultimately, we are just a biological product; what meaning does living even have? All living ends up becoming someone else’s meal.

“The pattern I just showed you was extracted from my genes. Unfortunately, you know nothing about it, because even beings like us want to understand more about our creator.”

“Is that the reason for your suicide?”

Lin Qingliu found himself somewhat captivated by this story, but he remembered that the being across from him was just a non-human pretending to learn about humanity, making it hard for him to empathize.

“Of course not just that.”

Atropos’s consciousness had begun to turn semi-transparent, and his voice felt faint and delicate.

“I just mentioned that we are biological products created by a higher-level life form. So how did they, our creators, know when a planet was ready for harvesting?

“The answer is ‘us.’ As long as all the mycelium on this planet dies, it will appear to their monitoring as the planet being ‘ripe.’ It’s time to harvest.

“Do you think that when that time comes, the humans on this planet will have any chance of survival?”

At this point, Atropos had stopped looking at Lin Qingliu, as if his answer no longer mattered.

“So, for the survival of humanity, you must ensure the survival of mycelium life. We either all live together or die together; that is the absurd truth.

“This is my sea of consciousness; I cannot lie here. The biomass formed after my death will also prove all of this.

“This is my last method. To let my tribe continue, this is the only way.

“I once thought mycelium would cover this earth, but now it seems that may not be possible anymore.

“From the moment my consciousness came into being, I have been driven by instinct. After gaining reason, I have been devoted to the continuation of my tribe.

“I also sought the truth, but unfortunately, the end was only an incomprehensible void.

“For my tribe, for my kin, for the future, I have exhausted all my kindness. I cannot live for myself; at least being able to die for myself means I have not betrayed this name.

“Humans, goodbye.”

After speaking those final words, Atropos’s figure completely vanished from the sea of consciousness, and both the various buildings and the sea itself began to rapidly collapse and dissolve.

A thread of Lin Qingliu’s thoughts returned to his body, as the outside world began to undergo tremendous changes.

Atropos’s demise did not originate from the outside but enveloped every mycelium simultaneously, commencing and concluding at the same instant.

Whether it was the humans resurrected by Atropos, the grotesque extraordinary beasts born from research and experimentation, or even the plants endowed with some analytical superpowers, all were visibly perishing at an alarming rate.

The entire world seemed to be melting; every living creature eventually transformed into liquid droplets, spreading across the ground in their respective hues, akin to a bucket of paint that had yet to be stirred.

These rainbow-colored liquids flowed over Lin Qingliu’s feet, gathering on the ground into streams, yet uncertain of their direction due to the overly flat terrain.

At that moment, Lin Qingliu was utterly convinced that Atropos was completely dead.

Yet, he felt no joy whatsoever; it was not due to his enemy’s tragic fate, but rather because Atropos’s death had revealed a harsh truth to Lin Qingliu—

The universe might not be safe, and the time left for him… seemed to be running short.

Lin Qingliu reached out with his hand, capturing a droplet of the descending rainbow-colored liquid in mid-air.

He stored the droplet in his space and vanished from that place in an instant.

The next moment, Lin Qingliu appeared on the city wall of Hope City, where the human counteroffensive had already begun, and countless bloody battlefields were being opened.

Without Clotho’s command, the extraordinary beasts fought against humans instinctively, like scattered grains of sand.

However, the path of evolution had shown that many extinct races had proven one thing: wildness stood no chance against human coordination.

He did not pay much attention to the battlefield. Back in the signal coverage area, Lin Qingliu tapped his communicator lightly and quickly received a response from Infinite Scroll, learning about the changes in the city during his brief absence.

“Your plan was successful.”

“Not yet.”

Lin Qingliu shook his head:

“On the contrary, the most critical step has just begun.

“I am aware of the changes outside; let Zhuang Mian continue pursuing Lachesis. I will handle the rest.”

“Understood.”

Lin Qingliu’s figure vanished again, crossing over countless extraordinary beasts being slain, heading towards the parts of the forest that remained unharmed.

As Lin Qingliu was halfway through, he suddenly felt dizzy, as if an invisible force was pulling him.

He was forced to materialize in the air and noticed a faint black line appearing on the horizons to the south and north.

“The black tide is coming.”

The golden cross on Lin Qingliu’s chest had become so hot it was nearly melting. He forcibly calmed it down and continued towards his destination.

He easily blew away those gray-white spores and landed deep within the remaining dense forest.

There were still large areas of trees, and countless extraordinary beasts were being nurtured, but the speed of their rebirth was far outmatched by the carnage inflicted by humans.

Lin Qingliu reached the base of the largest tree, pressing his hand against the giant trunk:

“Clotho, come out.”

A sudden wind seemed to sweep through the dense forest, and from behind the thick trunk emerged an extremely weakened gray-white extraordinary beast.

This beast appeared emaciated, as if it were about to die from weakness and age in the next moment. It opened its eyes and looked at the human before it:

“What is it?”

It was clear that although this consciousness had not yet died, it had been pushed to its limits due to previous injuries, making it incredibly difficult to maintain this form.

Lin Qingliu reached into another space and extracted a droplet of rainbow-colored liquid, presenting it before Clotho:

"Atropos is dead."

"I can sense it; Lachesis is too. Although remnants of the biological field remain, they are barely a tenth of what they once were."

Clotho, in a weakened state, manipulated His humanoid body to speak these words before leaning against the Giant Tree, gasping for breath.

Lin Qingliu tossed the droplet toward Clotho:

"This contains the essence of my communication with Atropos. You may perceive it for yourself."

Indeed, Lin Qingliu spoke the truth, but only a fragment of it.

The information within the droplet was akin to an edited version of their dialogue, where Lin Qingliu had skillfully excised any parts unfavorable to him, leaving only Atropos’s pessimistic remarks.

The extraordinary beast assimilated the droplet and soon displayed a look of terror.

It gazed at Lin Qingliu, its face now devoid of hope:

"So this is the truth; this is our very essence.

"It seems our defeat was inevitable; we are but flawed creations, incapable of defying the will of our creator.

"Thank you, for allowing me to understand before I die."

"No need for gratitude; your demise is certain. I show you this to propose a deal."

Lin Qingliu looked down upon the extraordinary beast, masking the searing pain in his chest with an air of indifference.

"What deal?"

"Your death, in exchange for the survival of your creations. Are you willing?"

The extraordinary beast abruptly lifted its head, its eyes a mix of astonishment and bewilderment, as if unable to comprehend the proposal.

Lin Qingliu met the beast’s gaze and explained calmly:

"Indeed, humanity has won this war, but all the biological samples we brought to this planet have been lost. Even in victory, our current systems cannot sustain us for a century.

"I know Atropos delivered all the samples to you upon your separation. Thus, I require you to replicate the organisms from the gene banks in their original forms, to restore this planet to the vibrancy of humanity’s home planet.

"As for the appearance of our home planet, you must have glimpsed it in the memories of those individuals.

"Once you accomplish this, you will perish, vanishing from this world forever. Yet, your creations—the flora, fauna, and even microorganisms—will forever partake in this planet’s cycles of matter and energy, until it becomes a barren wasteland."

Lin Qingliu looked down at Clotho’s humanoid form:

"Clotho, do you accept my offer?"

The extraordinary beast’s expression shifted multiple times, as if hearing the death cries of its creations, the instinctual dependence of those extraordinary beasts devoid of thinking ability.

"I accept, but my foundation has been destroyed by you, and the underground biomass is lethally toxic; I cannot…"

"Atropos."

Lin Qingliu cut in, offering a more efficient solution:

"Atropos is utterly deceased; you may use your mycelium to encircle and consume the biomass He left behind. As one of the three consciousnesses, His legacy is sufficient for you to fulfill our agreement.

"Proceed, complete this task, and then meet your end. There is no need to seek me out again."

Lin Qingliu did not elaborate on the consequences should Clotho renege. From the moment the joint assault of He and Lachesis failed, the mycelium’s demise was all but certain.

Whether it was the black tide or Atropos’s self-destruction, neither had any substantial impact on the course of this war.

If Clotho retained even a shred of reason, He would adhere to the terms of the agreement. But if He chose to breach the contract…

Lin Qingliu wasn’t necessarily compelled to collaborate with Him.

As the agreement was finalized, the Giant Trees Forest encircling Hope City began to withdraw with a deep, resonant rumble from the earth.

Clotho had already commenced fulfilling His part of the bargain, deploying His remaining Giant Trees to devour Atropos’s legacy.

Once the surrounding black tide receded, a new biosphere, akin to that of the human home planet, would emerge here.

Lin Qingliu nodded in satisfaction, his gaze fixed on the thickened dark line on the horizon. He bent down to scoop up a handful of soil before returning to Hope City.

He appeared in the heart of the inner city, atop the spire, clutching a clump of soil sprouting weeds and small flowers in his left hand, and holding one of the two pots of second-hand fake flowers from the conference room door in his right.

Standing at the pinnacle of human architecture, he cast his gaze over the entire inner city.

An overwhelming biological field suddenly expanded, enveloping all humans in the city with an instinctive, faint warmth born of kinship.

Yet, for the remnants of Lachesis, this biological field was as lethal as nuclear radiation.

Distinct red dots appeared in Lin Qingliu’s vision, and a smirk played on his lips, his heated body seemingly yearning for this moment of release:

“Found you.”

As the information synchronized, cries of agony sporadically echoed near the city walls. El, pulling Zhuang Mian along, darted between locations, while the faces of once-normal humans contorted with desperation.

Lachesis’s consciousness grew increasingly frantic, losing even the ability to maintain stable control over the humanoid bodies. Several humanoid bodies on the assembly line produced defective items due to erratic movements.

At the mouth of an alley, a man clutching a jar of nutritional paste glanced around to ensure he was unobserved before slipping inside. After a few turns, he found himself trapped in a dead end.

He spun around to see a man with a faint smile standing at the alley’s entrance.

The man stepped into the alley, his face half-lit by the sun, his expression unreadable.

“Does this seem familiar?”

Lin Qingliu advanced steadily, but the man remained silent.

“It should. After all, my cat died in a place much like this.”

Lin Qingliu continued his approach, forcing the man against the alley’s end wall.

“Long time no see, Lachesis.”

Lin Qingliu chuckled:

“Weren’t you so bold in the auditorium last time?”

Fear finally etched itself across the man’s face; this was His last humanoid body.

The downfall had been swift. Less than two hours ago, He had been one of the three great consciousnesses, ruling over millions of square kilometers of tall grass mycelium ecology.

Now, He possessed nothing but the body of a middle-aged man—a body so frail it gasped for breath after mere steps.

He—or rather, it—stared at Lin Qingliu closing in and finally broke, pleading:

“I… I just want to live. The tall grass outside is gone… I’m nothing but a spiritual body now, devoid of genetic material, so…

“Let me… let me be human. What does it matter if a spiritual body is a person or mycelium?

“This body is already dead. Killing me won’t bring it back.”

“Do you wish to live? Do you think Clotho and Atropos do not wish the same?”

Lin Qingliu glared down at the man who had collapsed to the ground, his voice sharp and demanding. It was undeniable that even though they had all originated from the same entity, each consciousness had developed its own distinct characteristics.

Morally speaking, Atropos and Clotho had remained steadfastly loyal to their own factions until their very end, unlike the consciousness before him, whose moral boundaries were far less defined.

Lachesis fell silent at once; as a former part of the whole, He was well aware of the personalities of His two counterparts.

But what relevance did that hold for Him now?

Seeing that Lachesis remained silent, Lin Qingliu crouched down and began to manipulate the object in his hands.

He yanked the artificial flowers from the pot and discarded them to the side, then placed the clump of soil—teeming with mycelium, moss, weeds, and small flowers—into the pot, transforming it into a miniature bonsai.

“What would you be willing to sacrifice to keep living?”

He asked abruptly.

“Everything! Anything at all, as long as I can survive, I will give anything.”

Lachesis seized the lifeline that could grant Him survival and began to climb frantically.

“Good.”

Lin Qingliu gestured toward the potted plant:

“The mycelium and its derived plants in here have already been severed from Clotho. If you wish to live, transfer your consciousness into it. Do this, and I will spare you.”

“……”

Lachesis stared at the small potted plant, falling into a heavy silence.

The so-called biological field corruption, in principle, was akin to standing at a great height; a person can leap into a three-meter-deep pit but cannot leap directly back out of it.

The principle of biological field corruption was similar; when Lachesis controlled the tall grass ecology of the outside world, He could effortlessly manipulate the humans who entered His domain.

But as He severed ties to survive, transitioning from He to it, everything He had relied upon vanished.

Lachesis knew that corrupting this small clump of mycelium would be trivial, but if He truly transferred His consciousness into it, there would be no way to return.

Without a human brain or the boundless expanse of mycelium, its thinking speed would slow by a thousandfold, even ten thousandfold!

For it, that small potted plant would become an eternal prison.

Lin Qingliu had no intention of wasting more time with Lachesis; he pressed again, forcing a choice:

“Decide now! Live or die?”

“……Live.”

After a moment of hesitation, Lachesis finally made His choice.

He knew that there might never be a day of escape, but in this moment, the will to survive overpowered all other thoughts.

In the future, He would have an eternity to regret this decision, but that no longer mattered.

The humanoid body of the Middle-aged Man slowly collapsed, and Lin Qingliu’s potted plant swayed faintly in the still air, as if demonstrating its submission.

This was one of the few actions Lachesis could now perform, for as a potted plant, it had lost its five senses and thinking ability.

For the once-rational and all-powerful supreme will of the mycelium, this existence was worse than death. Yet, Lin Qingliu cared not.

“Infinite Scroll.”

“I’m here.”

The ever-ready artificial intelligence immediately responded.

“Issue the order. There’s no need to kill all the extraordinary beasts. Before the black tide arrives, everyone must return to the city. Maintain the state of martial law; we have one last problem to resolve.”

“Understood.”

“Results should come within a few hours. If it takes longer… then proceed with the contingency plan we established earlier, allowing humanity to steadily revive and restore the glory of the Old Era.”

“……Understood.”

“Infinite Scroll’s” cold mechanical voice seemed to carry a hint of another emotion.

“Don’t be sad; the battle for humanity is over. What comes next is… my personal matter.”

With that, his figure flickered and vanished once more, leaving the signal coverage area.

In the next moment, Lin Qingliu appeared in a place he had always wanted to visit but had remained wary of—

The “Abyss,” from which black substance continuously surged.

At this moment, the black tide had consumed everything nearby, the ground below resembling a pitch-black Sea, with nothing visible except for the viscous liquid.

Lin Qingliu reached his right hand to his chest, extracting the golden USB drive that could no longer be virtualized from the burning flesh, clutching it tightly despite the searing pain that pierced his soul.

He held it up before him, gazing at the intricate patterns and offering a self-deprecating smile:

“I’ve come to repay my debt.”

As the words left his lips, he leaned back, arms outstretched, and fell into the dark liquid in a posture reminiscent of a cross.

Lin Qingliu’s body sank continuously into the thick black tide, as if he would never reach the bottom.

As he descended, he was able to observe everything around him.

This planet was indeed an egg, but the eggshell was not a single layer; it consisted of dozens of layers.

Structures combining mineral layers and biomass layers, like those beneath Hope City, repeated many times before truly penetrating the crust, passing through the so-called “eggshell” to reach the interior of the “egg.”

These layers effectively shielded the truly vital parts of the egg. It would be difficult for a human spaceship or even a real asteroid to harm the valuable materials within.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but Lin Qingliu felt something enveloping him, some force infiltrating his thoughts.

That power seemed to originate from the same source as Lin Qingliu’s own strength; he didn’t resist but allowed that spirit to enter his mind.

In a daze, Lin Qingliu’s spiritual body received a stream of information, including various emotions, and he successfully analyzed its content:

“Well done.”

“Heh.”

Lin Qingliu suddenly chuckled:

“What should I call you?”

“You may call me anything.”

“Then let’s call you ‘System’—it gives a sense of closure.”

“A good habit.”

“Don’t you want to explain?”

“You should have almost guessed it by now.”

“I still want to hear the standard answer.”

“Oh, where should I begin?”

The stream of information paused in thought, and after a few seconds, new messages began to flow:

“I will try to explain in a way you can understand.

“I am a being in the universe whose individual power has reached its limit, with no kin or descendants.

“A long, long time ago, I completely ascended to a higher level of existence, shedding my physical form.

“This planet was once my body. After losing me, it instinctively entered a defensive posture, creating layers of outer shell for protection, while its body entered a liquid-like state, akin to a cocoon.

“Thus, we have effectively completed a separation and can be considered two distinct individuals.

“My body was captured by the star here, turning into a planet, and this state persisted for a long time until… you humans and those life forms you call mycelium arrived on this planet.

“My physical form is too powerful; its unconscious thoughts can influence objective reality, even causing genetic changes. It yearns to give birth to new thoughts to fill my void, which leads to the emergence of powerful individuals among your species to satisfy its needs.

“This power is what you call the ‘biological field.’

“As for me… you can understand me as the lingering spirit of my truly ascended soul. I guard my body here, hoping it will one day find fulfillment.

“So, am I your final choice?”

“Yes, but not only you. The consciousness that calls itself Lachesis was also an option, but it retreated and gave up in the face of the consumption by biomass, leaving only you.

“I am pleased to see my body find a suitable spiritual body, and I enjoy witnessing the clash of two different social structures among beings—it’s quite fascinating.

“I have long awaited such a conflict, but the evolution of those parasites on my body is too slow; even after this long, they have only evolved to survive in the ocean and have no idea how long it will take for them to reach the shore.”

Lin Qingliu fell into silence. After a long time, he asked:

“Have I satisfied your needs now?”

“Yes, your spirit qualifies to become the new consciousness of my body. You will become the essence of this planet, and as for me, I will return to my original form and engrave the stories of these billions of years deep in my soul. Do you have anything else you wish to know?”

“About my soul…”

“Your soul does not come from this world, that is beyond doubt. Perhaps my original form can catch a glimpse of it, but I cannot do so.

“The reason you can arrive here might be because the folds of the universe temporarily overlapped two regions, allowing your soul to traverse the universe and reach here.

“As for those stories in your USB drive, I quite like them. Those wonders may not be mere fabrications; after I return to my original state, I will have a chance to seek them out.”

“I have no more questions.”

“Alright then… I wish you a pleasant time with this new body, and I hope my body enjoys this new spiritual body. I will return to my original form now.”

The stream of information flowed out of Lin Qingliu’s mind, dissipating into the world.

Lin Qingliu felt a warmth enveloping him, his body gradually melting away like snow, with countless biomasses becoming part of him, forming his eyes, his ears, his hands…

He officially became Him.

The black tide, which had been surging forth and consuming everything on the surface, suddenly stopped, then receded like real tides, flowing toward those massive mines and abysses, leaving nothing but a smooth surface behind.

The Extinction Legion fighters and the city defense army, who had all returned to Hope City, stood atop the walls, watching everything unfold until the black tide vanished on the horizon. When the announcement of the lifting of martial law echoed within the city, they finally set their minds at ease and cheered from the depths of their hearts.

The war was over.

Facing the reconstruction efforts after the war, the thick inner and outer city walls became the best source of materials. With the threat of extraordinary beasts eliminated, the walls were no longer necessary.

However, the safety designs incorporated during construction made dismantling them particularly challenging. Fortunately, the research institutes quickly studied several technologies from the Old Era, making the removal of the walls relatively straightforward.

Hope City finally embraced true hope as the shadows that had loomed over generations began to fade. At first, many residents were reluctant to tear down the walls that had provided them with a sense of security.

But when some residents discovered wild rabbits near their doors one morning, the resistance to removing the walls gradually diminished.

More and more plants and animals, once only documented in books and databases, began to appear. The planet seemed to be coming alive, with its inhabitants including not only humans but also many of humanity’s former "old friends."

An Undead individual, who had endured immense mental strain from the spaceship system, immediately bought gifts for the members of the first team upon being rescued, remarking, “This really isn’t a job for humans.”

A Transfer Student, catching up on his studies, returned to school with even more labels than before. Alongside "mysterious," he was now known as a "superpowered individual," a "small business owner," and more, signaling a resurgence of Old Era fast-food literature.

A woman capable of transforming her body into flowing light and lightning was maintaining public safety while overseeing improvements to the judicial system. The chaotic outer city, post-war, became a hotbed for disputes, with people frequently taking each other to court over property conflicts.

A promising young man began archaeological research into aerospace technology after electromagnetic interference was lifted. Just as he was about to enter the spacecraft, a sobbing two-armed robot clung to his legs, forcing him to bring it aboard.

A Slow Time girl, tasked with mapping and surveying, excelled in her studies under the effects of time dilation, astonishing Zhou Zhuo to the point where he thought he had encountered a genius.

A superpowered cat, who had gathered all the remaining extraordinary beasts, recently proposed a new idea: she hoped the research institutes would design a spherical container capable of folding small spaces, allowing users to summon their extraordinary beast companions whenever needed.

"Ding ding~"

The crisp sound of wind chimes rang out as a woman with heavy dark circles pushed open the door to an unassuming shop.

The young man in a white coat behind the counter instantly sprang up, offering a trademark smile as he greeted her:

“Dear customer, welcome to ‘A Mental Health Clinic.’ It seems your sleep hasn’t been the best lately. We’ve developed a new package for stress relief—”

The young man appeared in front of the counter like a phantom, blocking the customer’s exit while mentally calculating how much he could earn from this transaction.

He casually picked up a small potted plant from the counter and poked its delicate stem. The plant reluctantly twisted, its leaves folding inward.

The young doctor enthusiastically introduced the potted plant to the visitor:

“Mimosa therapy—poking costs one hundred information coins. It’s a bit pricey, but it will lift your spirits.”

(End of the book)