Chapter 280

Chapter 280: Chapter 277: "Hope That Day Never Comes

The fervor of the World Forum had temporarily nothing to do with Su Ming’an. He always turned on the do not disturb mode when he wasn’t looking at the forum.

At this moment, an ice-white door was opening before him.

After every World Replica ended, his Ruler’s Skill allowed him to choose a world he had previously experienced, in which he could shuttle during his rest period.

As he stepped into the city surrounded by white mechanics, he saw a figure standing atop the corridor bridge, supporting mechanical limbs.

Her ocean-blue eyes calmly gazed at him, her hands spread open as if offering him a greeting gift.

"Welcome back, my traveler."

She spoke softly.

Tiny white mechanical beings ant-like, made their way from the end of the corridor bridge, their interfaces sprouting a pair of rotor wings, and reached his side, unanimously greeting him.

Before him, a snow-white glossy path was laid out, stopping inch by inch when it reached that figure.

"Nuoliya."

Su Ming’an called out, walking closer to her.

He observed the Daylight Floating City.

After their departure, not much time seemed to have passed here; time had not left deep marks in this technological floating city. The buildings remained as before, soaking in a decadent and highly saturated brilliance.

However, different from before, this place now clearly had more vitality.

People of all sorts moved through the outer city’s streets and alleys. From the high corridor bridge, he could see their faces smile under the light.

This was much better than before when the gates were closed shut, and the streets were empty.

...So, had this city truly achieved "redemption"?

Su Mingan stepped onto the corridor bridge and suddenly noticed a towering building near the area where the outer city met the inner city.

Amongst a riot of colors, that building, made entirely of pure white, stood out sharply like a piece of jade standing amongst them.

Upon closer inspection, he then regretted it.

...Who knows why. Nuoliya... she had erected a gigantic statue of him... in that place.

"Traveler from beyond, that is what you deserve," Nuoliya said softly, "As the hero who saved this city, you should be respected by everyone. Everything about me now is constituted by your actions back then. I will not strip you of your merits just because you left."

"No, although but... this is also..."

Su Mingan found it hard to describe the feeling of seeing a statue that looked exactly like himself.

"By the way." Nuoliya spoke, "Please do not call me Nuoliya. I am... Third Generation, you can call me Three."

Su Ming’an’s heart skipped a beat.

"Three." He understood, "It’s the third generation already, huh..."

Humans cannot be purely rational beings; even when transformed into bionic persons, they still possess human thoughts and emotions.

They would smile, cry, and naturally, they would also get tired, worn out.

The extinction of the soul is unavoidable, even if the body continues eternally.

As the ruler of White City, Nuoliya once promised that if she ever acted selfishly and couldn’t continue to serve as a fair and impartial ruler of White City, she would wait for the next generation of people to kill her and embrace the unchanging reincarnation.

And now, she succeeded.

The third generation had replaced her, and the current Third Generation Nuoliya was still a just and impartial ruler of White City.

"Now my blood and flesh are all made up of mechanical veins and parts," San said. "I do not understand the emotions a first-generation creator feels producing a successor, but my subsequent actions are already completely engraved in my chip, unchangeable and inevitable. In the future, I will inevitably follow the same path as her—as soon as the day comes when I begin to act selfishly."

As she spoke, she suddenly laughed, "But oddly enough, I still do not know what that feels like. I thought that after sculpting your statue and observing the form of a pure flesh-and-blood creature, I would gradually understand... but now, I still cannot escape this bizarre loop."

"I hope that day never comes," Su Ming’an said.

The day he acts selfishly will be San’s doom.

"I hope that day never comes," San nodded.

"So, outer world traveler, your purpose for returning is..." she said.

"I want to ask," Su Ming’an pondered for a moment before seriously beginning,

"Is there... anything like a potion or a technology that adjusts people’s mental states?"

He had tried before, and nothing from this world could be taken out, not even with the ruler’s permission.

Unless it was a specific, learnable technology.

He wanted to find a similar technology.

San glanced at him.

Her eyes hinted at something indescribable.

"If such a thing existed, we wouldn’t need to replace ’Nuoliya’ generation after generation," she sighed softly. "Potions are ultimately external, only we ourselves can truly control us."

Su Ming’an’s brows knitted tightly.

"...However,"

Soon, San’s next statement eased his expression.

"I do have a few Type II sedatives here with good effects, although they physically block chaos and fear, they should help humans quite effectively," she said.

"Is it a sedative... It’s a pity, I can’t take anything out," Su Ming’an said. "This manufacturing technology... can I learn it?"

"No, the rank is too high, with your current level... you probably can’t learn it yet," San responded. "Wait until your authorization is further increased, then come back to learn."

Su Ming’an got it instantly.

In gaming terms, it meant his level was too low to unlock the corresponding skill tree.

Or his current ruler rank was too low... After all, at Second Rank, he probably could not meet the learning requirements, just like there are ranks among pharmacists from Second Rank to Third Rank.

However, upon realizing that this thing was not unlearnable, he breathed a sigh of relief.

If it could be produced in large quantities, then besides using it for himself, it might also be promoted more widely...

"Then..." Su Ming’an thought of another need for his visit here, "Can I learn the technology to manufacture Fixed Point Explosives?"

He had selected White City among the ruler skills, naturally wanting to acquire the scientific technology of this place.

The kind of Mechanical Explosive that Yu Ruohuo had given him in the Fourth World, which was spectacular without distinguishing between friend and foe and highly effective, had truly shocked him. With such devices, even low-ranked players with little combat power could become high-level suicide bombers.

In some specific missions, explosives capable of quickly destroying buildings were like godly props.

But the quantity was too few; if it could be mass-produced and utilized, it would be a god-tier skill.

Under his gaze, San nodded.

"Currently... it’s possible,"

She said, smiling, "Please follow me, learning about Mechanical Explosive will take some time, during which my subordinate, Neser, will guide you throughout..."

As they walked across the long corridor bridge, Su Ming’an couldn’t help but look at the statue again.

After switching to Shadow State, he successfully saw the small line of text next to the statue.

Su Ming’an, "..."

This place might be lacking some chrysanthemums for memorial purposes.

"Welcome, hero of White City, I am honored to be your temporary teacher."

After entering the Inner City and meeting Sneer, who was clad in a pure white uniform, a panel popped up in front of Su Ming’an.

[You are about to start learning Ruler’s Special Skill: (Mechanical Explosive Manufacturing Technique)

Note: The acquisition of this skill is outside the normal game mechanics and is not included in the player’s active skill slots.

Note: You have opened a special skill slot, Ruler (current slots: 1/1, advancing through Ruler status can further increase the number of skill slots, acquiring additional skills.)]

[Mechanical Explosives Manufacturing Technique

Instructor: Sneer (Second in command of White City)

Description: After learning this technique, the player will master the manufacturing skills of (Mechanical Explosives).

Learning Duration: Five days

Learning Conditions: White City Laboratory facilities, White City Ruler’s permission, sufficient resource supply, Second Rank Ruler.

Note: This technique can only be mastered by the Ruler personally and cannot be taught to others.]

"Sneer is very strict, even if you are the hero of White City, he won’t lower his standards during the teaching process," San said with a smile. "You can still back out now, it looks like you’re not in great spirits, don’t overexert yourself."

"It’s okay," Su Ming’an said.

...This was a technology from another world, a field that humanity had never touched before.

Unlike any ’skill’ before, it was referred to as ’technology’. It wasn’t just spoon-fed teaching methods or click-to-use skill slots; it truly required one to comprehend and learn on their own.

New knowledge, new technology, content from a New World.

A treasure on a technological level, another domain.

Humans always have a longing for the unknown, and faced with a piece of new technology he had never seen before, he naturally found it extremely intriguing.

"Well...I did warn you, hero of White City." Hearing his firm response, San’s tone was somewhat elevated.

Su Ming’an suddenly had a bad premonition.

As he followed Sneer into the icy white laboratory and saw dozens of bottles filled with colorful, reactive liquids and a wall-sized elemental composition chart...

He felt his premonition was confirmed.

"Liangzi, go get the brush from the backyard!"

In the bustling pet shop, the old man lazily fanned himself with a palm fan, leaning back in a reclining chair.

As business suddenly boomed and he was too busy to spare a moment, Liangzi yelled irritably, "I’m busy, Dad, get it yourself, you’re not that old, why do I still have to look after you..."

She hadn’t finished speaking when a young girl, her eyes filled with anticipation, surged forward.

"—Miss cashier, which pet did Lv Shu just buy?" A girl with sparkling eyes pulled at her, incessantly asking in the crowded shop.

"He didn’t come! He didn’t come!" Liangzi immediately shook her head frantically.

"I just saw him clearly, the great god Lv Shu just came out of this store, walking all the way from the street over there, even carrying a big black plastic bag!"

Someone nearby immediately responded, "Exactly, I saw it too! So obvious, just walking over. But a black plastic bag...could it be a cage or something he bought? It can’t be that someone would use a plastic bag to carry a pet."

"Miss cashier, Miss cashier, do you know the great god Lv Shu? Will he come again? Where did he just sit? Can I take a photo and check in?" Another girl squeezed forward immediately.

Liangzi was stuck among a group of girls, neither able to cry nor laugh.

She had initially wanted to enjoy some desserts in the evening, but was forced to abandon the idea and deal with these crazy fans instead.

...Damn it.

Lv Shu, this guy, what’s the time now? It’s not like when the world game just started, doesn’t he bring any disguise when going out!?

There he goes, casually walking away with the dog, while she can’t escape, almost becoming a popular check-in spot. There were still many people squatting at the door, and it seemed these people were planning to wait there until Lv Shu came again.

"Tsk tsk tsk, the youngsters these days..."

The old man, smoking a pipe and spitting crudely as he smoked, lamented, "I never thought the times would change like this, even a kid from the Lv family, looking like that, has so many girls who like him... I was so handsome when I was young, how come only your mom fell for me..."

"Dad, stop adding fuel to the fire! — And how he looks, isn’t he quite handsome? As if I haven’t seen your photos when you were young!"

Liangzi was busily spinning around, somewhat frantic and frustrated.

On one hand, she had to deal with those crazily asking about where Lv Shu went, and on the other, she had to serve the people who actually wanted to buy pets. Looking around the not-so-large store filled with players taking screenshots and recording, all of them young and pretty girls.

...Are people blind to this extent now?

What’s so great about that block of wood, he doesn’t care about you girls at all!

"Hey, can I touch that one..."

"Miss cashier, how do you know the great god Lv Shu? Were you friends before? What was he like before? Was he also like this, not talkative?"

"I’m being crushed, I’m being crushed, don’t squeeze everyone..."

"The ones taking photos in front, hurry up, queue up, everyone is waiting! Don’t dawdle."

In the midst of this anxious and frustrating hustle, Liangzi suddenly heard a "Ding Dong!" next to her ear.

This sound, she was all too familiar with.

She usually loved surfing the internet, following hundreds of players on the world forum, including top-tier powerhouses, live stream entertainers, occupational life experts, and management personnel from top organizations.

Therefore, her daily routine was constantly filled with the sound of "Ding Dongs," as she would open the forum to check for any new entertainment.

But today, the frequency of these "Ding Dong" sounds seemed unusually high.

"Ding Dong" "Ding Dong" "Ding Dong"...

It was like a machine gun, making her feel as if her ears were ringing with clangs and dings, with a bunch of alert sounds rising simultaneously.

While busy, she also noticed that quite a number of players were also raising their hands, seemingly operating some interface.

"Ah!" A girl with twin tails suddenly exclaimed, "Noel made a post!"