Chapter 279 The Truth Revealed
The countdown jumped to four minutes and thirty seconds. The blue light of the ring structure shone like a small sun, but the melee had strangely stopped.
The jade bracelet on Su Wanqing's wrist was no longer just hot, but lit up on its own. A soft green light expanded from it, projecting a holographic image in front of her that she had never seen before - an unfamiliar galaxy map and a twisted, forked timeline.
Xiao Ran stood beside her, blocking the direction of the console with his body. He glanced at the complex projection and frowned slightly.
A voice rang directly in Su Wanqing's mind. It was not her own thoughts, but some kind of calm, neutral consciousness: "Watcher system, fully activated."
"Who are you?" Su Wanqing asked in her mind.
The holographic image switched, revealing a laboratory-like space with an old woman standing inside, holding an identical jade bracelet in her hand.
It's her grandmother.
"Your grandmother was no ordinary human. She was the last guardian of the Time Observatory stationed on Earth," the voice explained. "For you, this memory has been sealed. Your family has served as interface guardians for generations, maintaining a secret connection between humanity and the Observatory."
Su Wanqing looked at her grandmother's familiar face in the picture and was speechless for a moment.
"So... my rebirth..."
"It's not accidental. When the timeline faces a serious crisis, the system has the authority to initiate a time reversal, giving the Guardian a chance to correct it.
But the cost was huge energy consumption and system instability. Over the past six months, I have been repairing it myself and gradually unlocking it."
She quickly digested the information. "So what are you? Alien technology?"
"Not entirely correct. We are more like guardians of time, maintaining the balanced development of various civilizations in the universe. The race you call the 'Weavers' was once our partner."
When the Lord of Weaving heard the last sentence, complex lines appeared on its translucent face and it stopped attacking.
"Tell her the whole truth! Tell her what happened during the Great Separation!"
The time observer, who had been sitting in the corner, moved. The shadow moved forward, its form gradually becoming clearer, consolidating into a semi-corporeal creature, its outline slightly distorted in the light.
It spoke, its voice a chorus of countless others. "Three million years ago, three civilizations shared Earth—the Weavers, masters of biotechnology; your ancestors, remarkable adaptability and creativity; and we, the Observers, maintaining the balance. Peace prevailed for a long time, until a drastic climate shift occurred."
The holographic image changed accordingly, showing the catastrophic scene of the ancient earth with landslides, cracks in the ground, and raging floods.
The Lord of Weaving interjected, "Resources became strained, and conflict ensued. The Watchers chose your ancestors, deeming them more suitable for Earth's future. We were... forced to leave, to a distant galaxy."
"Separation wasn't simply expulsion," the Time Observer continued. "The Weavers chose to alter their genes to adapt to the harsh conditions of space life. The price they paid was the loss of some of their emotional and creative diversity. The agreement at the time stipulated that if humans could reach a certain level of civilization within a million years and prove their ability to manage the planet, the Weavers could return and share Earth."
Su Wanqing looked at Zhizhu: "So, this isn't an invasion, it's... a homecoming?"
The Lord of Weaving nodded slightly. "We abided by the agreement, waiting a million years, attempting to return peacefully through the time gate. But the Observer broke his promise and authorized you to stop us."
"The problem lies in your methods," the Time Observer retorted. "Your return plan involves the assimilation and transformation of existing humans, which violates the basic principle of coexistence."
During this debate, Professor Gray's expression changed. He had initially stood firmly by the Lord Weaver, but now he couldn't help but speak: "You never mentioned the specific reasons for the 'Great Separation'."
He turned to the Lord of Weaving and said, "You told me that it was the ancestors of mankind who betrayed cooperation. But now it sounds like the situation is much more complicated." The Lord of Weaving did not give a direct answer.
Gray pressed on, "Also, why do you need to mutate to 'adapt' to humans? If you truly returned peacefully, why don't you show yourself in your original form?"
The Lord of Weaving was silent for a moment, then replied coldly, "Our original form is no longer suitable for Earth's current environment. The mutation process is intended to create an intermediate form that can build a bridge of communication between the two races."
Professor Gray's eyes showed a hint of hesitation. "I joined this project because I believe it can bring a better future. But if all this is built on deception..."
"Humans are always like this." The Lord of Weaving sensed his hesitation and his tone turned cold. "Even the most intelligent individuals cannot transcend the limitations of emotion. This is why you need guidance."
At this moment, the countdown on the monitoring screen jumped to three minutes.
Lin Che suddenly groaned in pain, his entire body trembling violently as a blinding blue light emanated from his body.
Xiaoling immediately rushed to his side, but found that any stabilizers had lost their effect.
"The energy of the time gate...is activating the Weaver gene in me."
Lin Che uttered a few words with difficulty, "I can feel... on the other side of the door, there are millions... millions of weavers waiting to pass through."
The Lord of Weaving looked at him and said, "You are the first successful hybrid. You are able to understand the way of thinking of both of our races. Tell them that we are not here to destroy them."
Lin Che struggled to stand up, his eyes almost completely covered in blue.
"What he said... is partly true. I can sense their intentions. It's not pure aggression, but rather a certain... intense homesickness. But at the same time, they also have a comprehensive plan to transform the Earth's ecology and human society."
Su Wanqing immediately asked the Watcher System in her mind: "Why choose this time to restart the time gate?"
"According to the agreement, the assessment point is the moment when modern civilization emerged."
The Watcher explains, "The Weavers believe that human civilization has demonstrated its tendency towards self-destruction—endless wars, environmental destruction, and an unbridgeable gap between rich and poor. They believe this proves humanity's failure, and therefore, the Weavers have the right to reclaim stewardship of the Earth and redirect its development."
"We don't bring destruction, but salvation." Zhizhu added, "Humanity is gradually heading towards self-destruction. We are simply accelerating this inevitable outcome and providing a better direction."
Professor Ge'an had stepped down from the console and stood beside the Lord Weaver, echoing, "I've witnessed their civilization. There's no pollution, no hunger, no disease. The only price they paid was the freedom of a few individuals."
With only one minute remaining on the countdown, the Watcher system in Su Wanqing's mind offered the final option: "As a Guardian, you have the right to make three choices: one, completely prevent the time gate from opening; two, allow it to open conditionally; three, completely allow it to open. Each choice will bring irreversible consequences."
The Time Observer added, "We cannot decide, we can only provide information. The final choice lies with the current representatives of Earth—you four."
Xiao Ran activated the private communication channel between the four people, temporarily isolating himself from the outside noise.
He said quickly, "Wanqing, no matter what choice you make, we support you. But remember one thing: you were reborn to save humanity, not to welcome a new master."
"I feel the pain of being forced to 'evolve,'" Xiaoling's voice trembled. "No one should be changed against their will."
Lin Che's voice sounded particularly labored over the communicator, yet remarkably clear. "The Weavers' civilization is indeed advanced and highly efficient, but they lack human creativity and emotional diversity. The ultimate result of that kind of 'guidance' is the homogenization of all thought."
No matter what we choose, there will be no perfect ending. It’s just a choice about… which imperfect future we are willing to accept.”
"There's one more thing," Xiao Ran added, "Why would the Time Observers allow this conversation? They usually only observe and don't interfere. Perhaps this is some kind of test?"
Su Wanqing withdrew from the internal communication and faced the ultimate choice.
She looked at the Master of Weaving and asked loudly, "If you allow conditional opening, what kind of restrictions can you accept?"
The Master of Weaving thought for a moment. "We can limit the number of people who initially return, establish an isolated area, and gradually demonstrate our technology and intentions to you. But we require that the Observers refrain from any further interference from now on."
This condition sounded negotiable, but Su Wanqing thought of more.
"Watcher," she asked in her mind, "is there a fourth option?"
The system was silent for a moment. "There is an unverified possibility—modifying the parameters of the time gate. Instead of connecting to the galaxy the Weaver is currently in, connect it to a certain point in the future. This would give both sides more time to prepare for true coexistence."
"That would be a deception!" The Lord of Weaving immediately sensed something and roared, "We have been waiting for a million years!"
The energy of the time gate has reached a critical point. The entire spherical space is buzzing, and the blue light is so bright that people can't open their eyes.
The countdown on the console mercilessly jumped to the last thirty seconds.
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