Chapter 398 The Butterfly of All Things
“It was an era of infinite light, but it also laid the groundwork for the beginning of darkness.”
The curator said this with a sorrowful spirit, then his eyes fell on the butterfly on his shoulder and he narrated the subsequent history in a storytelling tone.
After mastering the "subspace weaving technology", the Solipsian "Shadow Association" finally created an instrument that can actively observe the virtual world.
For the first time, they looked outside the "frame", trying to peek into the source of the miracle and look for "Colin", the god they had believed in for thousands of years.
"I can imagine the excitement in our hearts at that time. We had found our 'Creator.' He... or you, was not far away from us, even closer than the stars. He was not in the Pillars of Creation tens of thousands of light years away, but right above our heads."
The curator's mental fluctuations suddenly became complicated.
"However, when we pointed our instruments at the source of the miracle, what we saw was not the solemn and sacred kingdom of God, but a dimly lit room. We saw creatures that did not resemble Solipsius, operating around a huge, glowing lens."
"At that moment, the truth came down on us like thunder."
He slowly turned to Luo Yan, and the slowly flowing spiritual message contained a deep sigh.
"The Kingdom of God does not exist, my lord. What exists... is only a dimly lit room and a group of observers, like you, who cast their gazes from the other side of the void..."
The butterfly that landed on his shoulder gently fluttered its wings, as if nodding in acknowledgment of everything.
"You are right, but your Pope should have known this long ago."
"Yes."
The curator nodded slowly and continued speaking with gentle mental ripples.
"He knew it a long time ago. Even... every Pope knew it. But they still chose to weave a white lie for us, still in our infancy, to prevent our spirits from getting lost in the boundless starry sky. This day will eventually come, even if we desperately hope it will come slowly."
His narrative returns to the presentation of history.
"'Colin'... Please allow me to call you that for now. We now realize that you are not an omnipotent creator, but merely an observer from another time and space. You might even earn a modest salary and live in a modest house."
"The beliefs and foundations of our entire civilization are merely records of an experiment conducted by a higher civilization. Our myths, which have persisted for thousands of years, have been completely deconstructed in the face of irrefutable observations."
“In this process, we have completed the disenchantment of the gods.”
"Congratulations, this means you are becoming me... or even surpassing me." Luo Yan gave the praise frankly, like a father facing a child who has surpassed him.
Although this meant that he lost control over Virtual Realm No. 440 and could no longer play tricks behind the scenes, he did not think it was a bad thing.
Chives are indeed delicious, but a soulmate is even harder to find, let alone a soulmate across the sea of stars.
In particular, the characteristics of the virtual world determine that no one can stably exploit the resources behind it, and it is actually a waste to treat the civilization behind it as leeks to be harvested.
Why not give them a ride?
Anyway, they will eventually be able to complete this destined journey with their own strength, so you might as well take this opportunity to make some good connections.
Maybe he could gain some interesting insights from it.
Of course.
The above is just from his own perspective.
If you stand in the perspective of a Xuebang magician, what they are doing is actually the most beneficial choice for themselves.
After all, "Ghost Charcoal" can really improve the soul level!
This thing has little appeal to a noble like Ophelia who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but it has a fatal attraction to most of his apprentices.
At least for now.
The curator smiled, and his complicated emotions turned into joy.
"Thanks."
"Although I know you will say that, I still want to hear it with my own ears."
Luo Yan happily nodded at the tip of the wing, and then asked another question in his mind.
"But I want to know why you say this is the prelude to darkness."
The curator's tentacles pointed to the next scroll, and he moved his body, embraced by countless tentacles, forward along the red carpet.
“That brings us to the next painting.”
It was a picture of a glorious era full of creativity and confidence.
The picture probably shows a laboratory, a huge structure that is countless times more magnificent than the Tower of the Great Sage standing in the starry sky.
Through the breathtaking wonder, he could also see the details beneath the grandeur.
Countless Solipsis are manipulating etheric energy and weaving incredible subspace structures, and each individual's face is filled with pride in controlling their own destiny.
Different from Mr. Merck's misunderstanding of the refrigerator and advertisement in the virtual world No. 178——
The Solipsi people of Virtual Realm No. 440 truly achieved this in the third millennium, allowing every individual in the civilization to have the right to explore the virtual realm.
They explore.
They study.
Then they shape the world behind the void according to their spiritual frequency, spread the gospel defined by themselves, and seek like-minded people in the vast sea of stars.
"...After the truth was revealed, the old theocracy peacefully collapsed. We erected a massive monument in your honor as an acknowledgment of the past."
“Because our civilization had already reached a considerable height at that time, our society did not experience violent upheavals, but rather naturally transitioned to the next golden age over a long period of time.”
"The pride of the Solipsians, rooted in our blood, made it impossible for us to accept the fate of being used as experimental subjects. We abandoned our fantasies about external gods, embraced our inner strength, and extended our tentacles to the distant sea of stars."
He continued to recount that memory, and the former "Shadow Association" naturally became the new leader of civilization.
Of course, they did not achieve all this in the name of shadow, but instead wove a new name for themselves - "Ether Architects".
From then on, the historical goal of the Solipsians was no longer to please the gods, but to surpass the gods and become a creator more perfect than "God".
The curator's mental fluctuations became extremely excited at this moment.
"We refused to be specimens in glass vessels, nor did we need to please false gods anymore. From that moment on, we crowned ourselves—"
“We are our own creators.”
The passionate musical score opened the next chapter, and soon it was the fifth painting.
It was a painting depicting the tearing and chaos of the universe, like a concrete wailing.
In the image, countless stars were twisted into dying spirals, brilliant nebulae were torn into tattered shreds, and a once prosperous world was reduced to dust like a scrap of paper in the violent turbulence blowing from the warp...
The curator's mental fluctuations were filled with grief.
"That happened in the fourth millennium."
"After revealing the truth about 'God', our civilization did not find a new direction. Instead, it fell into nothingness due to the collapse of faith."
"Simply playing the role of creator can no longer fill the emptiness in our hearts. We decided to use our world to complete an unprecedented painting, proving that we truly exist in this universe, not just a piece of duckweed floating in the void."
"A project even more ambitious than the Void Observation Megastructure has begun. Our 'Ether Constructors' call it the 'Ether Space' project."
Luo Yan didn't say anything.
He probably guessed what these Solipsis were going to do, and was completely shocked by their ambition and madness.
The curator's narration was just as he had guessed. Entering the fourth millennium, the Solipsians began to use their mature subspace technology and used the entire universe as their palette.
Like mad artists, they "cut" what they consider the most beautiful scenery from countless galaxies. Among them are the coronas of stars, the splendor of nebulae, and even the event horizons of black holes—views far beyond what is currently on display in this gallery.
Then they use these "beautiful scenes" that do not belong to them to piece together a new world that belongs entirely to them.
Looking at the "Ancient God" who was shocked and speechless, the curator continued with gentle spiritual ripples.
"Of course... We will recreate a planet in the universe that is far more fertile than their previous world for those civilizations that have lost their home."
“…Demolition?”
"You could say that. Although we are well aware that our compensation is insignificant compared to the future they have lost, just as all great works require sacrifice, we are ready to give our all for this... I believe you will understand me."
Luo Yan was silent for a moment.
"I'm not sure... What happened next? Did you succeed?"
"Success or failure is hard to define our final work, but... we stopped just as we were about to complete the last piece of the puzzle."
The curator recounted this past calmly, but Luo Yan could hear a hint of sadness flowing in the ripples of his spirit.
“We underestimate our own abilities and overestimate the limits of the universe. It’s like a fragile soap bubble. While we’re still a cell, it can contain everything about us, but when we transform from a chrysalis into a butterfly, it will eventually burst.”
Without waiting for the "Ancient God" to ask, he continued with gentle mental ripples.
"This plundering and splicing, with no respect for the laws of the universe, ultimately led to a devastating backlash. When we removed the last trace of color, space itself collapsed irreversibly, just like a black hole... yet its power far surpassed that of a black hole."
"More than four-fifths of the Solipsians instantly vanished in the unstoppable warp turbulence, and our civilization was nearly destroyed... We call this disaster the 'Great Collapse' event."
"And the painting before you is a record of a moment of despair by a Solipsian artist. An ethereal architect sealed it within a frame woven from Warp technology, and it was ultimately housed in this gallery."
There is not much sadness in the curator's mental fluctuations, but rather some nostalgia, as if he is narrating an ordinary past event.
"So... your civilization has been destroyed?" There was a hint of regret in Luo Yan's mental fluctuations.
“Not yet.” The curator brought the butterfly carrying the soul of the ancient god to the next and final work.
It was a tragic painting, and the composition was once again divided into light and dark parts.
The fortress, plunged into darkness, silently watched the departing starship, which was heading towards a huge rift leading to the unknown.
That was a crack leading to the void. They couldn't be sure what was behind it, but perhaps they could find a glimmer of hope by passing through it.
Or, it's not bad to stay there.
The curator's mental fluctuations became more complex, and the tentacles all over his body floated gently like waves.
"...After the 'Great Collapse', the surviving Solipsis split into two factions. One faction, led by a leader named 'Novel', decided to abandon our shattered homeland and flee to the outside of the void in search of new fertile lands."
When hearing the name "Novel", Luo Yan's mental fluctuations showed a hint of surprise.
"Novel?" He looked at the curator in surprise and blurted out, "I've seen him! But... was that before we met?"
When he met Novel, he didn't even have the guise of the Imperial Prince, and his understanding of Xuebang was only a few words from an apprentice.
The curator smiled gently, his mental fluctuations becoming profound and calm, as if he was not surprised by the confusion of the former "creator".
"This is not surprising, my dear Lord. If you exist long enough, you will find that time does not actually exist."
Without waiting for the dear "ancient god" to digest these words, the elderly curator continued with a casual ripple.
"It doesn't belong to any dimension, nor is it a tangible entity. It doesn't originate from any physical laws or axioms, but rather comes entirely from 'our' perception of the material world."
"Looking down at our universe from the perspective of the void, the birth and heat death of the universe occur simultaneously, including the meeting and separation of two civilizations, and the birth and death of a person."
"The fact that you can see him proves that he has succeeded. He has escaped into the void and has become omnipresent, yet nowhere to be found."
"But you don't have to blame yourself. Even without you, 'he' would still be born - as long as there are people in this world who long for 'him'."
Luo Yan did not feel any remorse at all, he was just a little confused.
According to the curator’s theory…
Wouldn't that make him Norvel's father?
certainly--
This guy may have many fathers, and he wouldn't be the only one.
Perhaps because he felt that Novell was not worthy of being mentioned in the history of the Solipsians, the curator did not elaborate on this point, but instead described another part of the painting in front of Luo Yan -
Those Solipsis who remained.
"...We have influenced countless worlds, but only the world we exist in truly belongs to us. There are many young civilizations in this universe, they have wonderful cultures and memories, and we don't want those children to pay for our mistakes."
"So we decided to do something for the home we once lived in during our limited lifespan..."
Following the "Great Crash", an operation called "The Great Restitution" began.
The last of the Solipsi people began to use their remaining technology to stitch together the broken universe, returning the spaces they had cut out from various galaxies to their original coordinates one by one.
After paying a huge sacrifice, the collapse of the universe was miraculously paused, although the wounds that had been created were permanent.
All young civilizations can see that ugly scar in the starry sky - it is a star field without stars.
However, although the universe was reborn, the civilization of the Solipsians came to an end.
Their civilization was built entirely on the plunder of space. When everything was returned, nothing was left of their world, only a trace of warmth remained.
In the last moments of civilization, the Solipsi, known as "curators," gathered the remaining debris and memories of civilization and built this "Echo Gallery" independent of the main world.
Feeling the ancient god's shocking spiritual ripples, the curator cast his gaze on the magnificent spectacle composed of countless space fragments in front of him, and spoke with gentle ripples.
“…This is the origin of the gallery before you.”
"It's not about showing off art or miracles, it's just to prove that we've been here before and ultimately chose to save rather than destroy everything."
Time flows quietly between the two souls.
After a long time, Luo Yan sighed from the depths of his soul.
"Incredible... you've accomplished all this in fifty centuries."
A wave of relief passed through the curator's consciousness.
"I'm honored to receive your words. Perhaps you've noticed that you're like a father to us. Although we've aged before you, we'll be together at the end of time."
"Thank you for listening to our story to the end... Even if we turn to dust and disappear in the near future, there will still be people who remember us in another distant universe."
As he said this, the curator's tentacles stretched forward, and a silver necklace appeared on his tentacles.
The core of the necklace is crystal clear, and its shape resembles a colorful butterfly, so beautiful that one can't help but wonder if it doesn't belong to this world.
"...This is a creature we observed in your world. We love it. Its lifespan is short, but within its limited lifespan, it is so beautiful that we can't take our eyes away."
"We constructed its body from ether as a vessel to hold you. Now that our reunion has concluded, I would like you to accept it... Although it is not a very valuable gift, it may provide some insignificant convenience for your future journey."
Just by looking at it, Luo Yan could feel the extraordinaryness of this necklace.
After all, it was created by an advanced civilization. The magicians of the Bangyuan School of Law were obviously nothing compared to the Ether Constructors.
After flying around the necklace, Luo Yan asked curiously.
"What good is it?"
The curator replied with a gentle ripple.
"It's called the 'Butterfly of All Things'. You only need to inject a trace of mental energy into it to summon one or more butterfly clones constructed from ether. You can swap positions with any ether butterfly at any time without having to worry about the backlash of the warp."
"I guess you've mastered the portal technology, but it must not have been a very pleasant experience for you to travel with."
This guy actually guessed it right.
The experience is not just bad, it can even be described as terrible, and the stronger the person is, the stronger the backlash will be.
Hearing the curator's words, Luo Yan almost held his breath instantly, and after a long time he responded by suppressing his excited mental ripples.
"Even if... traveling to another planet?"
The curator smiled and nodded.
"As long as we're in the same universe, it doesn't matter how far away we are."
What this means is that the other world outside the void cannot be reached.
But it doesn't matter.
Luo Yan didn't have that need originally.
He was quite satisfied with the universe he was in. Traveling through it again would be nothing more than repeating what he had done before.
“How am I supposed to get it out?”
In response to the Ancient God's intriguing question, the curator smiled and said, "That's easy. The moment you touch it, it's already on you. Actually... you have something similar in your sea of consciousness, right? I seem to sense its presence. It seems to be something behind the virtual realm as well."
Something similar?
Are you referring to the "stone tablet" that marks the godhead?
Luo Yan only knew that it was a relic left by Lint Isaac, but he had never heard Principal Ivan mention any connection between it and the void.
However, if you must say, it can be connected to the void.
After all, Lint Isaac did not belong to the Aos Continent, but was a traveler like himself. Their souls did not belong to this world, but were outsiders.
"Thank you... uh, should I give you a little gift in return? But we don't know yet how to send objects to the back of the virtual realm, or you can take it yourselves?" Luo Yan, who accepted the gift, suddenly felt a little embarrassed. The value of this gift to him even surpassed the demigod-level artifact. He had never received such a heavy gift before.
The curator just smiled when he heard this.
"No need. You've already given us so much, and this gift itself is our return of your kindness. Thank you for giving us positive guidance when we needed help the most. Otherwise... we would definitely never meet again."
Luo Yan didn't think he had done anything so great. He actually played the role of an irresponsible father, just like his own father.
However, the Solipsians had already completed their reconciliation with the Creator, so there was no need for him to be meaninglessly humble.
That was redundant for both of them.
Happy times are always short-lived.
Although there are still billions of paintings worth viewing here, the time left for the Solipsi and Os people is running out.
After presenting the gift to the ancient god, the curator, with the butterfly resting on his shoulder, walked through the long corridor that displayed the rise and fall of civilizations, and returned to the starting point of their journey - the scroll depicting pastoral and boulders.
He stepped into the painting again with the respected ancient god and returned to the peaceful field.
That was the starting point of their meeting.
Standing under the windmill not far from the stone tablet, the curator said his final farewell with light ripples.
"We have no doubt that this is the most beautiful encounter in the universe."
"But please remember not to wander in the void for too long."
"Also, be careful of that guy named Nowell."
"You'll meet him again."
The time to say goodbye has come.
The virtual passage connecting the two worlds will not collapse in the future, but this world no longer has any secrets to explore, and there is nothing worth digging into.
This is just a painting that records the past years.
Luo Yan promised the curator that he would honestly record everything he saw in the virtual world for future generations to admire.
As for the pendant, since it was a gift given to him by the Solipsis, there was naturally no reason to leave it to Xuebang, not to mention that he couldn't give it to him.
At the moment when he realized he was about to leave, Luo Yan suddenly remembered something and said to the curator, "Wait a minute... I forgot to tell you, my name is Luo Yan."
"That's my real name."
There's no one else here anyway.
The two communicated directly using mental waves, and he was not worried that anyone would hear it.
The moment he heard this frank confession, the curator smiled knowingly and responded nonchalantly.
"We already knew that."
Those were the last words he left in Luo Yan's consciousness.
Just as his mental ripples faded away, Luo Yan's consciousness returned to reality.
He suddenly opened his eyes, and the concerned faces of everyone in the Corinta laboratory came into view, including Youyou, who appeared beside him and was looking at him anxiously.
"Master Demon, are you alright?"
Luo Yan did not answer, but just looked at the researchers who were looking at him with concern.
"How long have I slept?"
The researchers present looked at each other in bewilderment.
Finally, it was Miller who spoke first.
He said in a low voice.
"About thirty minutes..."
Thirty minutes...
That wasn't too long.
Luo Yan thought he had been in the virtual world for a whole day, but he didn't expect that the time he spent there was actually accelerated.
He looked at the virtual passage not far away, and the world behind the lens had indeed returned to its original state, a completely peaceful and tranquil pastoral scenery.
The curator who looked like the Pope disappeared, and instead the actors working in the fields returned to their original positions.
Just as the curator said, they always have to find some sense of ritual for the rest of their time. Perhaps for them, showing their diligence to the ancient gods in their memories is also a kind of satisfaction.
After all, it was the "harvest" that the ancient gods originally gave them.
"Your Highness...what did you see?" Miller asked cautiously.
Not only Miller, but all the magicians present were waiting for his answer, looking at him with expectant eyes.
Even including Yoyo.
"That's a long story. Let me sort it out first and then tell you. Give me some time."
Luo Yan sighed softly, gave an ambiguous answer, and then his eyes fell on the palm of his hand.
He could clearly feel the power imprinted in his sea of consciousness that was about to burst out.
However, what surprised him the most was not the crystal clear "virtual wonder", but another thing -
He seemed to have made another breakthrough.
(End of this chapter)
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