Chapter 98: This is - The Creator God

Duan Wenxuan couldn’t spare any thought for the three hundred people from “The Tramps” world. Instead, he opened the door and immediately returned to his real-life room, collapsing into a deep sleep. With the massive slime organism enveloping the entire neighborhood, Duan Wenxuan’s residence became the safest place.

He slept for twelve straight hours before waking up. As soon as he did, Duan Wenxuan glanced at the back of his hand. The symbol remained a square but still lacked the bottom horizontal line, resembling a gateway shape. On the frame of this ‘gate’, the intricate patterns had become significantly more complex compared to before.

Rubbing his forehead, Duan Wenxuan was highly satisfied with the spontaneously acquired ‘door symbol’. Having obtained half of the gate symbol, he now understood most of its information.

Contrary to being mysteriously born out of Xuanlan Star’s enigmatic resurgence, the origin of the ‘door symbol’ actually involved it being divided into six fragments long ago and scattered across Xuanlan Star. One such fragment had been passed down through generations within Duan Wenxuan’s ancestral lineage, possibly for two or three thousand years, randomly inherited by descendants along bloodline lines.

To clarify further, this fragment would attach itself to either sperm or egg cells, passing on to the next generation during reproduction. This could be considered the fragment’s self-preservation mechanism, ensuring its maximum chance of survival.

Its activation required a specific type of energy, and coincidentally, Xuanlan Star underwent changes during Duan Wenxuan’s time, providing the necessary energy for it to awaken.

As for what exactly the door symbol was, even Duan Wenxuan did not know its original name from the civilization where it originated. However, he felt it could aptly be called a ‘Civilization Seed’.

The universe is vast and boundless; currently, even exploring their own galaxy remains beyond the reach of Xuanlan Star, let alone discovering civilizations beyond the solar system.

This Civilization Seed hailed from a culture known as ‘Puka’. Of course, the term ‘Puka’ might be misleading, as Duan Wenxuan had no understanding of their language or script. The information transmitted through the Civilization Seed contained a brief audible sound, phonetically similar to Xuanlan Star’s pronunciation of ‘Puka’. Without further context, Duan Wenxuan simply accepted it as such.

The Puka Civilization was one focused on individual development. Due to this pursuit, their population remained relatively small, and there wasn’t much information available about them. Duan Wenxuan only knew that within the Puka Civilization, a powerful individual had achieved the ability to traverse freely between different dimensions, even creating or extinguishing weak civilizations across these realms. The underlying principles were beyond his understanding, but he likened it to being akin to a Creator deity.

However, nothing in the universe lasts forever, not even the universe itself.

Ultimately, this individual civilization perished, although the door symbol’s records did not specify what befell its creator. After his demise, he had crafted the Civilization Seed and cast it into a three-dimensional space, which eventually landed on Xuanlan Star.

An individual-based civilization differs from collective ones; it tends to be more self-centered, with progress driven by the steps of a single entity, often relying heavily on luck. Consequently, the Civilization Seed split into six parts as a test for whoever obtained them.

For Duan Wenxuan, however, these historical details held little significance. Now that the door symbol was in his possession, how to utilize it became solely his concern.

In a way, Xuanlan Star’s current situation mirrors the origin template of individual civilization development, aligning closely with the patterns dictated by the gate symbol. So, was the fall of the door symbol onto Xuanlan Star merely coincidence or part of some underlying pattern?

Shaking off such thoughts, Duan Wenxuan dismissed them as unanswerable.

The most pressing matter now was Yue Fei, the unfortunate soul still struggling in the monster-infested world, who possessed two more door symbols on him.

Knock knock.

As Duan Wenxuan pondered, knocking sounds came from outside his door.

Without even opening it, he had a peculiar sensation - breaths, footsteps… It was Zong Cheng. This feeling wasn’t solely due to heightened senses but rather because, as the door symbols gradually converged, their true power began manifesting.

What exactly constitutes everything in this universe? Matter? But then, what forms the essence of matter itself, some kind of energy?

Duan Wenxuan couldn’t be sure; he hadn’t yet reached that level of understanding.

However, upon receiving the door symbol, he vaguely sensed the material composition of Zong Cheng. In a metaphysical description, Zong Cheng’s existence embodied a vibrant ‘rule’ unique to individuals. Duan Wenxuan could somewhat perceive this distinctive rule.

He had a premonition that once he fully mastered the door symbol, he might even be able to manipulate ‘rules’ and effortlessly erase Zong Cheng completely. It would be akin to wiping away a pencil line on a blank sheet of paper, as if he never existed in this world at all.

Much like a Creator deity.

Similar to the powerful being who initially created the gate symbol, although they were far superior to him, capable of traversing various dimensions and effortlessly creating entire civilizations from nothingness.

Yet, such strength is not absolute. After all, even someone as formidable as the owner of the door symbol ultimately met their demise. It’s rumored that beyond this level, one could break through the cosmic barriers… The vast expanse of galaxies forms an unimaginable universe, but what lies beyond it?

The next stage involves shattering these cosmic barriers, enabling unrestricted travel across multiple universes. Beyond that point, it may no longer be appropriate to refer to it as mere civilization. Some hypothesize that eventually, one becomes a universe themselves, nurturing all existence within, then gradually consuming other universes… However, let’s not delve too deeply into those stages; even for the powerful beings of Puka Civilization, breaking through cosmic barriers remains far out of reach.

“Come in.”

As Zong Cheng spoke, the door automatically opened. This was achieved by Duan Wenxuan harnessing the surrounding profound spiritual energy. Like invisible hands gathering the energy, he effortlessly swung open the door. Previously, to deceive Zhao Mingcai and others, Duan Wenxuan had fabricated this concept on the spot. However, since it lacked an official name, let’s assume this is indeed what it should be called.

The ability to clearly sense and easily manipulate the profound spiritual energy in the air was undoubtedly due to the influence of the gate symbol.

When the door opened spontaneously, a hint of surprise flickered across Zong Cheng’s face. Nevertheless, as Duan Wenxuan became increasingly enigmatic, Zong Cheng grew accustomed to such occurrences. Yet, upon seeing Duan Wenxuan again, Zong Cheng momentarily froze, sensing a significant transformation in him.

Zong Cheng had always been perceptive and astute, compounded by his close relationship with Duan Wenxuan, akin to brothers since childhood. He could instantly detect these changes.

Previously, Duan Wenxuan had appeared less dispirited and gloomy than during his reclusive days. His prolonged role-playing across multiple worlds imbued him with an added aura of authority and mystique.

However, now Zong Cheng perceived Duan Wenxuan as quite ordinary, lacking any distinct presence. Yet despite this, he couldn’t help but feel drawn to notice Duan Wenxuan whenever they met.

“You…” Zong Cheng hesitated, wanting to ask what happened to Duan Wenxuan over these past few days. But before he could voice the question, he realized it might not be appropriate. Duan Wenxuan’s status had changed; he was on his own path now. If Duan Wenxuan wished to share, he would do so himself; otherwise, pressing for details could only put him in an awkward position.

”…How did your license holder assessment go? Oh right, my parents and Xiao Yan are here too, though you haven’t seen them recently. As you know, social obligations can’t be avoided—they’ve been eager to invite you for dinner,” Zong Cheng shifted the conversation topic.

“It went well; we’ll have the results in a few more days.” Duan Wenxuan smiled and then added, “When is the dinner planned? I have some other commitments later tonight, so how about tonight?”

Zong Cheng readily agreed.

At this point on Xuanlan Star, considering its level of technological and agricultural development, reaching a state of scarcity for food and clothing was highly unlikely. However, people naturally harbored concerns, leading many to desperately stockpile provisions and strive to be as frugal as possible with their meals.

Nevertheless, tonight’s dinner, with Duan Wenxuan present, turned out exceptionally lavish, featuring a wide array of seasonal vegetables, various meats including chicken, duck, fish, and seafood—all generously served. Even before the spiritual tide, such a feast would have been quite costly.

Duan Wenxuan maintained a constant smile, appearing courteous, but inwardly he felt detached from the lively atmosphere. He noticed that everyone kept glancing at him sidelong, their eyes reflecting both deference and fear.

Zong Cheng seemed more engaged, though he sat close to his girlfriend Cao Yan. Zong Cheng wasn’t overly affectionate, but occasionally when Cao Yan placed dishes onto his plate, he would turn and smile warmly, exuding a sweet sentiment.

Duan Wenxuan suddenly experienced an indescribable feeling, as if gradually disconnecting from the entire world. The significance of these social gatherings and interpersonal interactions seemed to diminish more and more for him.

Ultimately, the dinner concluded on a pleasant note.

In the fantastical Middle Ages of Westphalia,

after finishing dinner in the real world, Duan Wenxuan directly arrived here.

When Duan Wenxuan suddenly emerged from the Night Church’s Westphalian branch, Nelson greeted him as casually as Mr. Steele, his local steward, would have done.

“How are those elected ones doing?”

Windsor and Qiao Si accompanied Nelson, both having been instructed by Duan Wenxuan to remain here and handle matters related to the Night Church. During this period, they had been guiding the activities of individuals from Xuanlan Star in Westphalia.

However, without Duan Wenxuan asking, Windsor wasted no time in venting like a fired cannon, “Sir, they’ve truly been quite troublesome. These past few days, they’ve been running amok - some trying to ally with nobles, others attempting to join the Night Church, and even claiming we’re NPCs!

Thankfully, you brought over Bern, Yake, and those energetic youngsters. They’ve been tirelessly suppressing these elected ones; otherwise, chaos would have erupted in Westphalia.”

Duan Wenxuan rubbed his temples, feeling exasperated, as these modern individuals indeed acted like wild horses running rampant. “How many have failed?”

Windsor didn’t have much detailed information on this matter, so it was Nelson, responsible for logistics, who provided the report. Many had gone overboard with their reckless actions and consequently failed.

So far, forty-three people had died, all due to their ignorance and fearlessness, getting themselves involved in monster incidents. Without Windsor’s team intervening, the death toll would have been even higher. Additionally, fifteen others sustained severe injuries and remained bedridden. Six more got into conflicts within the city, assaulting Westphalians and were subsequently imprisoned.

“Understood. Today, I’ll send away those injured and those detained; they have failed.” However, before doing so, Duan Wenxuan decided to meet with each of them personally and also extract Yue Fei from the situation.