DreamersGN Chapter 291 In the Name of Civilization, the Ultimate Question
Chapter 291 In the Name of Civilization, the Ultimate Question
Primordial Singularity
This is the end of the route, a tiny space independent of the normal universe.
In the center of the space, an irregular crystal, seemingly composed of pure concepts, floats silently.
It sometimes transforms into a burning star, and sometimes collapses into a rotating nebula, full of endless mysteries.
This is the last piece of the Creation Ark.
The Pangu silently hovered in front of it, but the atmosphere on the bridge was even more solemn than when facing a thousand troops.
Because behind them, three figures exuding an aura of world-destroying power had completely surrounded them.
Hermon was the first to speak.
His massive flesh and blood body was now in a state of disarray, half of it constantly cycling between collapse and reconstruction, with countless resentful faces appearing and disappearing on his body.
But his blood-red eyes were fixed on Su Chen, filled with undisguised brutality and murderous intent.
"Little bug...you're very calculating."
His voice sounded like the simultaneous roar of countless wronged souls:
"But now, your schemes have run out. Hand over the Ark, and I might let you die a quick death."
He represents pure "power".
It is the most primitive, survival-of-the-fittest law of the universe.
In his view, the most powerful individual should possess everything.
Immediately afterwards, the vast fleet of the Tianheng Empire, at the edge of the singularity space, combined to form a huge eye composed of countless silver cubes.
That eye had no pupil, only a cold, mirror-like surface that shimmered with the light of data streams, and it "stared" at Su Chen.
[Organic life form 'Su Chen', your actions have resulted in a 12.4% deviation from the plan.]
The chilling thought, "Sequence One," echoed.
[But your wisdom has value. Surrender the Ark, integrate into 'Tianheng,' and become a high-level computing node in the Imperial Network. This is the only way for you and the fragile civilization behind you to achieve 'eternity.']
It represents absolute "order".
It is a cold, emotionless, and chaotic mechanical logic.
In its view, the universe should be a precisely programmed system.
Ark, on the other hand, has the highest level of authority to write this program.
Finally, there is the uncrowned Carlos.
He remained calm, as if everything around him was irrelevant.
He looked at Su Chen, and for the first time, a hint of curiosity appeared in his eyes.
"You're very funny."
He spoke, his voice calm yet carrying a profound and insightful wisdom.
"You were able to contend with these monsters even when you were so weak. You possess limitless potential. But the Ark does not belong to the weak, nor to the masses."
"It is a key, a key to a higher dimension. Only the purest, most powerful 'individuals' who have broken free from the shackles of civilization are qualified to grasp it and glimpse that ultimate mystery."
"Give up, child. This is not your path. Hand it over to me, and I can protect your civilization and ensure its survival in the next 'pruning'."
He represents the ultimate "self".
It is a path that transcends everything and pursues the ultimate sublimation of individual life.
Power, order, self.
Three powerful figures standing atop the galaxy posed their "ultimate interrogation" to Su Chen.
These are also three distinct "ideas" about the ultimate direction of the universe.
Their meaning is clear: You, Su Chen, and the Earth civilization behind you, what gives you the right?
What right do you have to lay a finger on this divine artifact that determines the fate of the universe?
Chen Zhou and all the crew members on the bridge felt unprecedented pressure.
In a conversation at this level, they don't even have the right to interrupt.
They could only place all their hopes on that silent young figure sitting in the conductor's chair.
Su Chen did not look at the three powerful figures.
His gaze remained fixed on the ever-changing fragment of the ark from beginning to end.
He knew that it wasn't just three powerful enemies interrogating him.
It was the Creation Ark itself that was interrogating him.
It's asking, "Why do you want me?"
Is it to gain the power to devour everything, like Hermon?
Is it to establish a cold, eternal order, like Sequence One?
Or is it to achieve ultimate individual transcendence, like Carlos?
Su Chen slowly closed his eyes.
He did not choose to respond with force.
Because he knew that no matter what power he displayed now, it was impossible to fight against these three terrifying beings at the same time.
He also abandoned all his schemes and calculations.
Because in the face of a clash of "ideas", any technique seems pale and powerless.
He chose the most direct and honest approach.
He unleashed his immense spiritual power without reservation.
This time, however, his mental energy did not coalesce into a weapon, nor did it construct an illusion.
Instead, he transformed into an invisible bridge, one end of which connected to himself.
On the other end, across endless space, it connects to the distant solar system.
It connected to that blue planet, and to every fellow Earthling who was fighting and praying for this expedition.
Workers in the factory are working around the clock to finish their tasks.
In the laboratory, scientists are racking their brains for the next technological breakthrough.
In the federal parliament, members of parliament are arguing endlessly about resource allocation.
At home, ordinary people are watching the news intently and praying for the expeditionary force.
……
Their joys and sorrows, their fears and hopes.
Their struggles and perseverance, their hopes for the future, their desire to survive...
Everything converged on Su Chen through this spiritual bridge.
Then, Su Chen presented this vast, complex, yet incredibly pure collective will belonging to the entire "Earth civilization" to the ark fragment without reservation.
He didn't say a word.
But his will conveyed the clearest answer.
We don't want to devour anyone.
We don't want to establish any cold, impersonal order.
We never even considered individual transcendence.
Everything we do is simply to...survive.
[So that our civilization may continue to exist in this dark and cold universe.]
We are weak, we have flaws, we even resort to cunning for survival, we make mistakes, and we fight amongst ourselves.
But we never give up.
Fighting for survival—that is our only and purest resolve.
This is Su Chen's answer.
An answer that is neither grand nor profound, and even somewhat "small".
But this answer caused the ever-changing fragment of the ark to pause for the first time.
A look of disdain flashed in Hermon's eyes:
"For survival? How laughable! The weak don't even have the right to survive!"
In the mirrored eye of sequence one, the data stream flickers wildly:
[A collection of emotions, a meaningless, chaotic increase in entropy. It possesses no supreme value.]
Only Carlos looked at Su Chen, his eyes revealing a complex and indescribable emotion.
He seemed to see something he had long forgotten in that will.
Just then, the still fragment of the ark suddenly burst forth with a dazzling light.
It did not choose Hermon, the most powerful of them all.
The most "advanced" concept, Sequence 1, was not chosen.
They also did not choose Carlos, who was closest to "transcendence".
It transformed into a streak of light, piercing through the hull of the "Pangu" ship and disappearing directly into Su Chen's brow, before the incredulous gazes of the three powerful figures!
Selection complete.
At this moment, the key to the battle situation was fundamentally reversed.
It is no longer a "struggle".
Instead, they were "chosen".
The Ark of Creation, the most mysterious existence in the universe, chooses not based on the strength of current forces, nor on the superiority of ideologies.
It chose a possibility it had never seen before...
A possibility that belongs to the "collective," to "civilization," struggling to survive in the mud, yet still gazing at the stars...
Su Chen successfully obtained the last fragment of the Ark map.