Chapter 397 Curator
There was dead silence in the laboratory.
Everyone was shocked speechless by the greeting that came across the void.
After a long silence, Luo Yan slowly spoke.
They no longer needed the help of magic circles for translation, but could communicate directly with the mysterious old man using pure mental power.
"How long have we been apart?"
He was certain that the friend before him was not the Pope he had enlightened. Although their spiritual ripples were highly similar, there were still subtle differences.
That old yet kind voice once again echoed in everyone's mind.
"If we count the years by the rotation of the sun and moon, we have already reached fifty centuries."
Fifty centuries...
Five thousand years?
Even Luo Yan, who had seen many storms, felt a moment of trance when he heard these words.
In his and the scholars' opinion, only two months had passed, but on the other side of the virtual realm, five thousand years had passed.
He stared at the old Solipsi man in the virtual world and spoke with a hint of melancholy in his tone.
"That's been a long time."
"yes."
The Solipsi man also responded to the sigh of "Ancient God Colin" in a nostalgic tone.
Luo Yan looked at the face covered by tentacles behind the virtual world and continued to ask.
"May I have your name?"
A long and soft sound emerged in his mind, like the long cry of a whale in the deep sea.
"My name is unpronounceable in your language, but... you can call me 'Curator'."
Curator... Luo Yan pondered the word in his mind, trying to decipher its deeper meaning, but he had no clue.
In previous studies, they had not retrieved relevant information, and the word seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and troubled him.
"It seems that a lot has happened to you during the time we were apart."
"Yes."
In front of those caring eyes, playing tricks seemed to have lost its meaning, especially everything that came into view gave Luo Yan reason to believe that the positions of both parties had been reversed.
After a long period of baptism, the Solipsi people standing behind the virtual world have become "mature adults", while the researchers of Xuebang are standing on the side of babies.
At least, the elder took the initiative to show goodwill.
Luo Yan chose to return the favor and no longer regarded himself as an omniscient god. Instead, he took the initiative to take off the coat of "ancient god".
"Can you tell me what happened?"
"certainly."
There were ripples of relief and joy from behind the virtual world. It was obvious that the Solipsi who called himself the curator was very satisfied with his honesty.
"Fifty centuries have changed many things, both the universe as we know it and the world we live in."
"I really want to tell you all of this, but we have been apart for too long, and have drifted further and further apart in the long river of time, so much so that most of my people have forgotten the way we came and where we are going."
After a pause, he confided with ripples of joy.
"But fortunately, we met again."
Then he made a shocking invitation to the "god" who had enlightened their civilization.
"I would like to invite you to visit our world."
That invitation was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing a huge uproar in the silent laboratory.
After a brief moment of bewilderment and shock, a hint of panic appeared on the faces of all the researchers.
Miller was the first to come to his senses.
He looked at his mentor, who seemed lost in thought, with a pale face, and desperately shouted, "No! Mentor, this is too dangerous! You must not be fooled by the voice behind the virtual world, this is definitely a trap!"
The other teaching assistants echoed this with uneasy expressions, all expressing their concerns.
"Yes, mentor! The other side of the virtual world is completely unknown to us!"
“Once your spirit enters it, it is like putting yourself on the chopping block to be slaughtered!”
Their concerns are not unreasonable, but Luo Yan also has his own considerations.
He was weighing the risks and benefits, analyzing whether it was worth the risk.
This is an idealistic civilization that is suspected to be even more advanced than Tafu's hometown.
Considering the help I've given them, their gratitude should be greater than their complaints...
At the same time, in Luo Yan's mind, a long voice was calling out anxiously.
"Master Demon King, please stay calm! We can't guarantee that they have no ill intentions. They can't directly affect you through the virtual realm, but if you go there in person, the situation will be completely different!"
At this time, an older assistant teacher mentioned a name known to everyone present in a trembling voice.
"Have you forgotten the tragedy of Professor Keynes? Just last year, he risked projecting his soul into the void, and has been sleeping in the life-sustaining magic circle ever since, like a soulless shell!"
The laboratory was filled with a cacophony of voices, and almost everyone was advising His Highness Colin to calm down and not be fooled by the whispers in the void.
On the other side of the virtual world, the Solipsi who called himself the "curator" seemed to be able to "hear" their communication clearly.
But he did not interrupt, nor did he interfere with their choice, but watched it all calmly and serenely. He was like a wise man who had reconciled with time, patiently waiting for his confused father to make the final decision.
In fact, the answer is obvious.
If it were the ancient god Colin, he would definitely respond to the expectations of his children.
Otherwise they would never meet again across time and space.
Faced with everyone's anxious dissuasion, Luo Yan raised his hand and signaled everyone to be quiet.
"Don't worry, everyone," he said, soothing the frightened faces with a calm and gentle voice. He then smiled and said, "I have always valued my life and would never do anything dangerous without any assurance of safety."
After saying that, he no longer paid attention to the commotion behind him, and refocused his mental energy on the virtual realm passage, asking questions to the mysterious curator.
"I'm interested, but how do I get there?"
If it was too dangerous, he would of course refuse.
Perhaps seeing through his concerns, the curator's kind and gentle spiritual fluctuations were clearly transmitted to everyone's mind.
"It's easy. We've already prepared a 'soul mirror' for you. You only need to establish resonance with it, and then a strand of your consciousness will be placed in the body we've prepared for you, without having to take any risks yourself. It's absolutely safe for you."
Soul Mirror?!
Isn't this the "shell" that players use to log into the game? !
Luo Yan's heart was instantly filled with shock and chaos.
For a moment, I didn't know whether I should be shocked by the "coincidence" of the God of Machinery, Lint Isaac, across the void, or marvel at the fact that the Solipsi people had reached such a sophisticated level in their research on the soul realm.
"Incredible..." Youyou exclaimed in Luo Yan's heart, "Master Demon King, they actually also mastered this technology!"
"Hmm..." Luo Yan nodded slightly and said silently in his heart, "Besides, they are undoubtedly ahead of us."
But this way, his concerns were dispelled.
His players have died countless times, but they have never suffered any physical or mental trauma in reality.
At most, some people become night owls because of a reversal of day and night, or some people accidentally become fascinated with raising spiders or lizards.
That's all fine.
As long as you don't try to use flying in real life, it's not a big problem.
Unlike Luo Yan's solemnity, Miller and other assistant teachers looked at each other in confusion, completely unable to understand what "soul mirror" was.
In their knowledge system, the soul is a unique existence, a realm that is difficult for magic to interfere with. And the unthinkable thing of creating a mirror image of the soul is completely beyond their cognition!
Knowing that he was absolutely safe, Luo Yan no longer hesitated.
He felt the sincere and expectant spiritual fluctuations behind the virtual world, and gave an affirmative answer with a firm will.
"Okay, I'll do it."
Hearing Luo Yan's affirmative answer, a ripple of joy appeared in the curator's calm spiritual sea.
“Praise my Lord, thank you for your care.”
"We... await your arrival."
However, after hearing what His Highness Colin said, the researchers in the laboratory were in an uproar.
"No! Your Highness, please think carefully again!"
Miller rushed forward again, his eyes filled with anxiety and pleading, "Professor Keynes' tragedy happened last year. We can't afford another loss like this!"
"Yes, Professor!" another young researcher advised with tears in his eyes, "Exploring the unknown is our destiny, but not in this way! Please don't take any risks!"
Looking at the faces filled with genuine emotion and worry, Luo Yan felt a warm feeling in his heart. He knew that these people were truly thinking about him.
They didn't spend a long time together, but they really regarded themselves as their mentors, rather than a boss temporarily appointed by the upper management.
Luo Yan looked at them and spoke to everyone who was looking at him in a gentle but firm tone.
"Any experiment has risks. However, if we stop in the face of the waves, the next thousand years will be no different from yesterday."
"I believe that a true explorer will face challenges head-on and will never be afraid of the vast waves."
"Of course, Professor Keynes' tragedy will not be repeated. I can assure you of this. Of course, if I unfortunately break my promise, please do not use me as a warning, but as an example for moving forward."
Miller's eyes were red.
In Xuebang, the teaching assistants have always been the guinea pigs for the tutors. Has there ever been a precedent where a tutor would personally walk in front in order to protect his subordinates?
He and the other teaching assistants choked with sobs, but could no longer utter a word of dissuasion and could only silently make way.
Luo Yan was very satisfied with the expressions on their faces. He then walked to the magic circle in the center of the laboratory, sat down cross-legged, and slowly closed his eyes.
"Miller, keep an eye on this place for me."
"Yes! Your Highness!" Miller clenched the wand in his hand and said with a solemn oath, "I swear to protect your body with my life!"
Luo Yan smiled.
"There's no need to be so exaggerated. I just took a nap. At most, I had a dream. It's not like I can't feel this side at all."
He knows the player's status very well and can wake up by setting an alarm in reality.
And even if something happens, Youyou can wake him up.
The moment he finished speaking, Luo Yan's consciousness sank into a boundless sea of stars.
That is his sea of consciousness!
At this moment, a flickering light appeared in the sea of consciousness.
The light spot was emitting ripples with a similar spiritual frequency to his, like a buoy floating on the vast ocean, guiding him closer.
Luo Yan leaned over.
At the same time, his mental tentacles, like invisible threads, penetrated the barrier of the virtual world and established a connection with the newly born "soul mirror" on the other end.
After a slight dizziness, he regained consciousness.
He "opened" his eyes and looked at his new body with surprise.
It was a colorful butterfly.
The scene of the world appeared in his compound eyes with a kaleidoscope-like magnificence. He only had to flap his wings gently, and all the gorgeous scenery would come close to him.
Honestly, this feeling is pretty amazing.
It's more interesting than being a human.
Just as Luo Yan was experiencing this feeling with great interest, a wrinkled gray-white tentacle reached out and carefully lifted up the butterfly that was possessed by the soul of the "ancient god".
"My Lord, you are here."
"Well, your world is great. To be honest... it's much more beautiful than when we parted."
"Thank you for your care."
Luo Yan smiled faintly and responded to the praise from the Solipsi who claimed to be a curator with gentle mental ripples.
"Thank you for the compliment. You guys did it all on your own. I just gave you a little push at the right time."
After a pause, he continued.
"Anything else? Is this all there is to your world?"
If that were all, he wouldn't be too surprised.
"Of course not. This is just one of the entrances to our world... Please follow me."
As he spoke, the curator gently guided the butterfly, which carried the divine consciousness, onto his shoulder.
The curator then led him across the fields and into a castle.
In the gallery of the castle, there is a strange oil painting, which depicts not a poetic landscape, but the gallery itself.
Luo Yan didn't see clearly what he did, nor did he even hear the sound of the spell. They passed through the painting that was less than one meter wide as if they had stepped through a door.
The surrounding scenery dissipated like ripples on the water, and in its place was a completely different world.
This is an extremely magnificent giant gallery. The oil painting in the castle only shows the tip of the iceberg, and Xuebang’s library is as insignificant as dust on an elephant in front of it.
Gorgeous paintings are displayed on both sides of the curved corridor.
What surprised Luo Yan even more was that the paintings engraved in the frames did not seem to be paintings, but fragments of a real yet broken world!
There are never-ending storms, inverted mountains and cliffs, as well as prosperous cities and desolate ancient ruins!
This place is like an all-encompassing art exhibition, and also like a scroll that encompasses an endless world!
Soon, Luo Yan saw an oil painting behind him depicting a pastoral landscape and a stone tablet, and in the distance there were windmills and a castle.
That was exactly where he had come from before!
"Welcome to the 'Resonance Gallery,'" the curator's voice echoed in his consciousness. "This is our only remaining home in this universe."
The only remaining home?
Luo Yan savored the weight of these words in his heart, and at the same time, he vibrated his wings slightly, sending out a question from the depths of his soul through mental fluctuations.
"So what was that farmland just now...?"
The curator cast his gaze into the distance, following the winding corridor that seemed to have no end, and spoke in a tone full of nostalgia.
"That is of course our home and our starting point, and also... it is one of the paintings we specially preserved for you."
The curator, carrying the ancient god transformed into a butterfly on his shoulder, walked through the silent and magnificent Reverberation Gallery.
Soon, he stopped in front of a huge scroll and continued speaking in a narrative tone.
"After your departure, my Lord, our world entered its first era. We call it the Age of Faith and Reason."
Luo Yan's eyes were focused on the scroll in front of him.
It is a composition that presents a clear contrast between light and dark.
The left side of the scroll is bathed in warm light, depicting the priests of the "Holy Light Society" as secular rulers, who display the miracles of "God-given" power in front of the people, granting the land a good harvest and curing incurable diseases, thereby maintaining the belief in the name of "Colin" and the stability of the entire theocratic society.
The right side of the scroll is shrouded in deep shadows.
Scholars of the Shadow Society, secretly founded by the first Pope, explore the nature of the void in hidden underground laboratories.
They abandoned prayers and rituals, and used logic and evidence to rigorously analyze "source power" as a purely natural phenomenon, trying to gain insight into the essence of this great power.
and--
They evolved a new theory and named it "arcane" to distinguish it from "source power".
After recounting this history, the curator extended an invitation with ripples of expectation to the butterfly carrying the divine will on its shoulders.
"Would you like to go in and take a look? Every scroll here is accessible. We have carefully selected and preserved them, and they are the most representative slices of time and space."
"No need." Luo Yan responded through the butterfly's mental fluctuations, "Based on our history, I can probably guess what happened... Let's move on to the next one."
He had seen similar memories in Virtual Realm No. 178, and he wanted to know why the Solipsi people named this "Echo Gallery" the Last World.
And what incredible knowledge and secrets did they discover on the road of exploring the void.
This is a rare opportunity.
Maybe, he can learn something that the void cannot convey at ordinary times.
A wave of relief passed through the curator's consciousness, and he felt sincerely happy for the extraordinary wisdom of "my Lord".
"As you wish."
He said no more and continued to lead Luo Yan towards the painting deep in the gallery that once again changed the fate of their civilization.
That was the second scroll the Solepsis presented to their ancient gods.
Standing in front of this magnificent painting, the curator felt a touch of childish pride and joy in his spirit.
"My Lord, please look! This is the second era we have entered in our exploration since you left us. Its arrival is marked by a breakthrough in 'subspace weaving technology'!"
If nuclear fusion and warp drive are the standards for material civilization to enter a new era, then for spiritual civilization, the holy grail that can be compared with them is probably the "subspace" closest to the void.
Luo Yan looked at the scroll.
The main body of the picture is a huge fortress that is so magnificent that it cannot be described in words. It is quietly suspended in the bizarre and distorted space.
Countless energy pipes visible to the naked eye extend from the fortress like giant snakes, one end connected to the real universe, and the other end deep into the core of the fortress, as if they are breathing.
It's like a heart.
This is the first "small world" successfully created by the Solipsis that can exist stably in the main universe.
So that's it, this is true subspace technology...
Luo Yan listened and made comparisons in his mind.
He recalled the rough way the Dragon God had "cut" the Janna continent from the main material plane. It was more like a child breaking a toy with brute force rather than sophisticated technology.
It was obvious that the Solipsis had gone beyond simple 'cutting' and had mastered the technology of 'weaving' time and space. This was much more brilliant than the idea that Tafu had come up with in her previous life!
“This is an era of boundless prosperity.”
"If you were to ask which painting best reflects our positive and enterprising spirit, I would definitely recommend this scroll to you!"
"In this great era, the power of the Holy Light Society reached its peak. We established a great civilization with unprecedented cohesion. Furthermore, we did not give up on exploring the unknown world. After generations of hard work, we finally achieved the most critical technological breakthrough—"
"We discovered 'ether.'"
Without waiting for the ancient god to ask, the curator told the story in detail.
As Luo Yan had previously guessed, there was indeed a basic substance in the universe where they and the Solipsis lived that could respond to spiritual will.
Their form not only depends on the observer's "observation behavior", but also on the observer's mental fluctuations at the moment of collapse, and their macroscopic manifestation is in line with the observer's "expectations"!
The Solipsis conducted further research on this basis, just as civilizations on the material side deeply analyze the atomic nucleus.
They defined this type of substance that permeates the universe through rigorous axioms, stripped it of its theological color, and renamed it with a more precise word - "ether"!
More importantly, based on their deep understanding of "Ether", they created a new technology - "subspace weaving technology".
This technology makes the Solipsian civilization no longer just a user of dogma, but a "weaver" of reality!
Using this technology, they created an instrument that can actively observe the virtual world, and for the first time, they looked outside their own "frame"!
Although the curator did not say it explicitly, Luo Yan had already guessed it.
By this point, the Solipsis also began to study the void.
Moreover, the method used is more reliable than Xuebang!
"I want to know," Luo Yan asked with his mental ripples, "including the previous scroll and the one in front of me... are the people living in them real? Or... are they some kind of recorded phantoms? Or NPCs?"
The curator said happily.
"Of course they are real, they are all Solipsi."
Luo Yan asked in confusion.
"They chose to seal themselves in the scroll?"
"Rather than 'seal', I prefer to use the word 'stay'."
The curator's spirit wavered with a hint of gentle correction, and he continued in a leisurely tone.
"Throughout our long exploration, we gradually comprehended the essence of life. We stopped striving for the ideals of others and began to focus on our own lives."
"Every adult Solepsian can choose which era they wish to remain in. I have created separate scrolls for each scene in each era... However, our numbers are dwindling. Perhaps in a few centuries, only the original world will remain, with traces of the Solepsians."
That sounds pretty good.
Luo Yan fell into thought.
Although he had a lot of questions he wanted to ask, the only one he finally asked was a question that he himself felt was a bit childish.
"Don't you get tired of doing the same thing all the time? Like... working in the fields?"
“Working for survival will naturally make you feel tired. But we no longer need to work for survival.” The curator smiled, with a hint of indifference in his spirit, as if he had seen through the world.
"We're just looking for something to do during the final moments of this journey. Or... you could think of it as a kind of ritual essential for spiritualists."
"So that's how it is." Luo Yan understood.
While chatting, they came to the next painting.
The picture is no longer the grand scene as before, but focuses on a quiet and empty church.
A plain and cold coffin was placed in the center of the church. There were no mourners around. Only the beam of light cast from the high windows outlined the silent contours in the floating dust.
There is a line of small characters at the bottom of the scroll that reads the title of this painting:
"The gods are dead."
The curator read out the title of the painting.
His emotions no longer contained the pride and arrogance of the past, but had become more complex, with a deep nostalgia for that era and a subtle sadness.
Luo Yan savored this sentence carefully, trying to read the deeper meaning behind it.
In fact, that is obvious.
Once they see the small room behind the virtual world, even the most devout believers will probably lose their filter for God.
They will find that the gods in the void are actually no different from themselves.
They did not create each other, but they created and made each other successful.
The curator gazed at the painting and spoke softly in a tone of deep nostalgia.
"Our civilization is moving from youth to middle age. What you are about to witness is our third era."
“It was an era of infinite light, but it also laid the groundwork for the beginning of darkness.”
(End of this chapter)
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