Welcome to Rewind World Game-Chapter 1639: Final - · Guardian Shore Line · "OE · Perished by the Ocean (23)
"Regarding that civilization barrier, I have thought of a method, which is also the only solution—Genesis."
"In fifty years, humanity has been unable to find a new planet, while the high dimensions are watching eagerly, so the civilization barrier must be broken. That civilization barrier allows individuals to enter as guests, but when an entire civilization attempts to flood in, it instantly exceeds the threshold and triggers collapse."
"Then what if we don’t adopt a physical form, but rather conceive ’concepts’, ’stories’, and possibilities?" The camera captures Su Ming’an’s gaze sweeping across the room, his voice calm,
"At present, I hereby resolve to initiate an unprecedented ’Genesis’ plan, a large-scale selection of ’Creators’ with imagination, conceptual abilities, and narrative talent. Such as screenwriters, poets, game designers... all those who are skilled in building worlds and souls."
"The Union Government will immediately incorporate ’Genesis’ into the education system, establish special funds and honors. The World Hub will establish a ’Creation Series’, where high-level members will enjoy the same resources and status as scientists."
"We will select one hundred thousand Creators of outstanding talent, each of whom will receive a ’Creation Pen’ provided by me—a miraculous power forged from the authority of faith, life, reincarnation. World rules, mountains and rivers, cultural history, and even every vivid character flowing from their pens... will be infused into the tip of the pen! Infused into that planet."
Su Ming’an’s voice gradually rose, with a fervent zeal and hope that stirred people’s hearts:
"These one hundred thousand Creators will write one hundred thousand different ’IF Line’ Earths for us!"
"Perhaps it’s the path of Western Fantasy where knights and kings sing epics; perhaps it’s the Victorian Fog City where steampunk and wizards dance together; or perhaps it’s the Dream Era where one transforms into the Magic Girl of Light... countless possibilities, countless directions."
"The public can choose to enter any favored ’IF Line World’ constructed by the Creators to live in. There, you may experience a completely different life, or perhaps fulfill an unrealized dream in real life. This will be a grand migration toward countless futures, a Genesis Exodus."
"And our ultimate goal is to achieve the final ’Unity’ of the most prosperous, stable, and potential IF Lines, distilling the essence and discarding the dross, merging the binary stars into the most perfect ’Republic’."
"We will use countless pens to jointly write a New Epoch."
All over the world, at the moment of watching this broadcast, fell into brief silence.
The priest seemed to see the possibility of writing a holy kingdom; the e-sports player imagined a world of national competition; the little girl held her eyes filled with longing for the Magic Girl...
"World Master," a scientist asked, "how can we ensure the stability of the worlds written by Creators? And how can we coordinate the ultimate unity of the hundred thousand worlds? This... this is simply..."
Who could have thought that in 2048, twenty-three years after the end of the World Game, such a big news would explode.
Just how long had this World Master been thinking, planning before deciding on this plan?
A young physicist couldn’t help but raise his hand, his voice trembling: "World Master, please pardon my bluntness... but, how can a world constructed through text truly break through physical barriers and help us enter that planet? This... this sounds more like a metaphor on philosophical or literary levels. What exactly is the ’conversion’ mechanism here..."
"By the oath of the World Tree." Su Ming’an’s tone was firm and decisive, "The mechanism is complex and involves high-dimensional information, detailed scheme will be immediately issued. Execute."
Lü Shu’s hollow eyes gazed towards Su Ming’an, his lips slightly moving. Su Rin let out a very soft cold snort, crossed his arms and turned aside.
Mei Yani quickly recorded, she once caught a fleeting calmness in Su Ming’an’s eyes, which was certainly not the gaze of someone who proposed a path to life, but more like... a researcher watching an experiment proceed according to plan.
...
As soon as the order was given, the entire civilization machine began to operate with unprecedented efficiency.
The term ’Genesis’, instantly swept across every corner of the globe.
The plan advanced at an astonishing pace.
’Genesis’ became the roaring tide of the era.
A hundred thousand Creators will be selected, they are excited, proud, viewing themselves as firefighters for civilization, desperately memorizing various ’settings’, painstakingly building worlds, firmly believing their pen can pave the future.
Su Ming’an walked in the Tower of Creation, looked at those young faces burning with the flame of mission, his expression undecided amid the flashing brilliance.
...
February 24, 2048
Gesang Jiacuo stood under the White Tower, feeling like a Husky strayed into a wolf pack.
——World Hub ’Civilization Recording Department’ folklore observer. His work.
"Hel...Hello! I am the new recorder, Gesang Jiacuo! Please advise!" He mustered up the courage, bowed in greeting, attracting a few sideways glances.
A lady adjusted her glasses, quickly sizing him up: "Oh, new colleague huh. Welcome. Report to the personnel department on the thirty-second floor, the elevator is over there."
"Eh! Sure, sure! Thank you!" Gesang Jiacuo quickly expressed his thanks.
Passed the age of thirty, he is still like grass on the prairie, untouched by any mundane slickness. He finally fulfilled his childhood wish—
...
["We are particularly interested in players, although I did not catch the World Game, I want to document their deeds, especially that World Master, from a shepherd’s perspective... this is what I will do when I grow up!" Xiao Gesang said excitedly: "When I grow up a little more, I will go to the city to learn words... It’s said that this World Master is only ten years older than me..."]
...
At lunch, everyone discussed cutting-edge theories, he could not join in, just listened quietly. Someone curiously asked about life on the plateau, he then spoke of shepherding, horse racing, butter tea, prompting a burst of friendly laughter.
His main work involves visiting ordinary people affected by the ’Genesis Plan’, recording urban legends and emotional changes.
...
[New Epoch Chronology·Genesis Era]
World Master Su Ming’an proposed the scheme – "Genesis Plan."
...
[Genesis Era Year One: 2048]
The first attempt to merge ’Earth’ and ’Yizhu Star’ failed. World Master Su made the "Genesis Speech" at the World Hub, initiating the civilization-level plan - "Genesis." The Union Government issued the ’Creation Declaration’, established the ’Creation Strategic Committee’.
...
[Genesis Era Year Two: 2049]
To cope with the long-term plan spanning several generations, the Union Government established a "Civilization Gene Bank" to preserve current civilizational knowledge, biological genes, and cultural samples. The old academic system was restructured, subjects related to ’Genesis’ such as literature, art, philosophy, sociology, history became key subjects. Children’s early education included a large amount of imagination stimulation and logical construction courses.
...
Gesang Jiacuo walked towards the Mortal World with a notebook in hand.
He saw a mother on the street pushing a disabled little girl, softly coaxing the child: "Baby, look, that world with flying ponies is so beautiful... Mommy will definitely take you there to live, where there will be no more sickness, you can run and laugh all the time..."
Gesang quickly noted down: [New Epoch Year One, Summer, Eastern District of the Residential Area, young mother Ms. Li is filled with yearning for the fantasy IF line, viewing it as the hope for her child’s healthy growth.]
...
At the market, small vendors seized the business opportunity. "IF Line Setting Introduction Guide," "Teach You How to Build a World in Three Days," "One Hundred Classic Narratives for Creators"... were selling like hotcakes. Gesang recorded:
[Commercial activities are thriving, derivative cultural products are emerging, reflecting the public’s high level of attention and enthusiasm for participation in the plan.]
...
In the small pub of the Residential Area, Gesang heard another voice.
"Nonsense! It’s complete nonsense! Really going to entrust our destiny to a group of storytellers? Can those colorful worlds fill our stomachs? Can they block the high-dimensional artillery fire?" An old engineer’s words caused some people around him to agree.
A man in old-fashioned military uniform suddenly spoke: "The World Master’s decision must have his reasoning. But we, these old bones, probably won’t live to see that ’The Republic.’"
Gesang listened silently, the pen scratching on paper: [There are still some people, especially the older generation with backgrounds in technology and military, who doubt the feasibility of the plan.]
...
Gesang also witnessed the selection of the first batch of Creation Candidates, with the World Master setting a deadline of "one generation" to select 100,000 people within thirty years.
In the huge examination hall, thousands of candidates wore neural sensing devices on their heads, and the screen in front rapidly constructed images and text, each person was extremely focused.
He saw a young person trembling with excitement for deducing a brilliant social model, and another candidate falling into despair due to a logical collapse. Outside the exam hall, countless parents and media were eagerly awaiting, and the atmosphere was even more intense than the college entrance exams of the past.
This year’s global applicants exceeded ten million. Below the screen, the published admission list was as densely packed as the enrollment system of the most prestigious universities of the past.
Gesang looked at the row of resting candidates in the distance, their faces flushed with tired excitement, discussing eagerly. Those were probably the ones who received an ’S-level’ evaluation.
Gesang quietly opened his notebook, but the pen tip didn’t fall for a long time. He originally wanted to record cold numbers like exam subjects, duration, and admission rates.
But in the end, what he wrote down was:
[On June 28, 2049, Genesis Era, at the examination hall.]
[I saw thousands of pairs of young eyes, they were battling each other.]
[Their battlefield was the brain. Their weapon was imagination.]
[The torrent of the times made a turn here, and the old motto of ’Studying mathematics, physics, and chemistry well will take you everywhere’ was replaced by a new creed—’Build a world, and that will be your ticket to the New Epoch.’]
[Some people were overjoyed, some were sorrowful. Outside the tower, their fate would be rewritten by this exam. Inside the tower, they would learn to write others’ destinies.]
[I don’t know if this is the only path, but it’s already the grandest expedition on which an entire civilization has poured a generation’s wisdom and blood. And I am merely a fortunate Shepherd witnessing and recording it.] 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
...
No matter where, what people talked about the most was that World Master—Su Ming’an.
In the mouths of most people, he was a deity bringing hope, the embodiment of wisdom and strength, a Lighthouse guiding civilization. Gesang heard countless words of praise, gratitude, and trust towards him.
But Gesang also caught some subtle voices. Occasionally there would be extremely brief news clips, like the World Master inspecting the progress of the Tower of Creation’s construction or attending some high-level meeting. Gesang would observe the person on the screen very closely.
—He had actually recognized that person long ago.
That person’s appearance hadn’t changed, except that the white hair turned into colorful hair.
However, he didn’t try to get close, just watched like an ordinary person.
He found that the expression of the World Master was always calm, even indifferent. In those eyes, he couldn’t see the enthusiasm or anticipation like the public, nor the solemnity common to leaders, as if hiding a deep and unfathomable ocean. When everyone cheered for every progress of the plan, when the camera occasionally swept over him, his mouth never seemed to truly lift.
This involuntarily reminded Gesang of many years ago, that white-haired youth under the plateau cliff, with broken eyes and covered in blood. The two figures sometimes overlapped in his mind, bringing about an indescribable sense of dissonance and... unease.
He remembered the World Master once said to him: "I am just an ordinary person."
He also remembered when the World Master announced the plan, that decisive, undeniable "Execute it."
Gesang shook his head, putting aside the distracting thoughts. The World Master must have thought deeply, bearing unimaginable pressure. How could he presumptuously speculate? He was merely a recorder.
So, in his records concerning the World Master, he ultimately only wrote down objective observations:
...
[His Excellency World Master Su Ming’an remains calm in public, decisive in his decisions, and the public holds him in high trust and anticipation.]
...
Years passed quickly.
Gesang Jiacuo meticulously recorded everything. He met a middle-aged man always unkempt, called Xiao Xiao, who was his predecessor. It is said that he previously worked at the Central White Tower, but after the tower collapsed, Xiao Xiao became dispirited and was transferred to the Civilization Department.
Gesang Jiacuo often saw this man in his forties drinking until he was a wreck, holding a photograph and crying in the office. Colleagues said this guy was quite decadent, but since he hadn’t committed any major transgressions, they couldn’t fire him, so they just let the man go mad.
Only Gesang Jiacuo felt sorry for him, often going to the man’s office to talk about the grassland’s scenery and his mother’s butter tea.
At such times, the drunken man would quieten, muttering "if only I could go with her, it would be beautiful there," then suddenly he’d bow his head, clutching his head and shouting "I shouldn’t have worked overtime that day, I shouldn’t have taken her, it was all my fault." Gradually, the man showed Gesang Jiacuo some photos of a girl about twenty, youthful and beautiful, starkly contrasting the unkempt man before him. Yet Gesang Jiacuo felt that if the girl hadn’t died, they would have been happy.
A bond formed through trials in the World Game, the man would defy the boss for the girl, and the girl would die for the man, but... unfortunately.
The man spoke of the World Game’s past, making Gesang finally realize that the World Master once had a lively and joking period, yet this less solemn history no longer existed in textbooks. In the minds of the new generation, the only image of the World Master was that holy, noble, dignified figure as divine as a statue on the screen.
It was then that Gesang faintly recalled that when the World Master saved this world... he was only nineteen, much younger than himself then...
People ought to imagine Su Ming’an as happy.
