Chapter 360: "Alright, Let's Go." |
Logically speaking, the Hell Bracelet currently in his hands, which made up the Hell Set, was actually in a "Future State."
It should be classified as a Cosmic Taboo Item.
In the future.
When he once again acquired the "Hell Bracelet" that rightfully belonged to him in that established timeline, would it trigger an explosion, just like what happened to the Father of Xiao Pangzi, or would it form a second "Hell Set"?
If it was the latter, it would shatter the absolute uniqueness of the Hell Set.
It was highly likely to be the former.
That meant...
In the future, he should try his best to avoid coming into contact with the "Hell Bracelet" again. The moment he encountered the Hell Bracelet again would be the moment his current set lost its effectiveness.
"Haa..."
But right at this moment—
Xiao Ai's voice suddenly rang out inside the train.
"Captain."
"There is an unexpected situation. I just detected that the 'Hell Bracelet' does not have any traces of temporal corrosion. In other words, the Hell Bracelet is not a Cosmic Taboo Item, nor has it ever been eroded by a Time Fissure."
"Hm?"
Chen Mang furrowed his brows. He paused for a long moment before asking, "Are you saying that the Hell Bracelet hasn't suffered any erosion from a Time Fissure?"
"That is correct."
"Impossible. It is practically certain that this Hell Bracelet appeared entirely along with The Palace. It couldn't have been placed inside later. The Palace was transported from the future through a Time Fissure, so how could the Hell Bracelet have avoided it?"
"That secure vault, Sector 100, does not possess the capability to withstand temporal erosion."
"I am not clear on that, but the data I obtained definitely confirms this."
"..."
Chen Mang remained silent. If that were the case, he felt he might have underestimated what the word "uniqueness" truly represented.
Unique.
It was not just unique across the entire universe.
It was entirely unique across the past, present, and future of the entire universe.
No matter the timeline.
Whether in the past, the present, or even the future, there could only be one Hell Bracelet and one Hell Set. This was absolute uniqueness.
Things were gradually becoming more complex.
He was waiting.
Waiting for the effects of this set to manifest.
Finally—
Twenty-four hours slowly ticked by.
A panel slowly surfaced on the screen of the train's control console.
-
"Universe's Unique Set, Hell Set."
"The first three pieces will only be produced in the First Universe, the next three pieces will only be produced in the Second Universe, and the final piece, the Hell Bracelet, will only be produced in the future."
"This special item can never be obtained in the present or the past."
"Only by traveling to the future can this special item be acquired."
-
The panel contained only these four sentences.
It did not display any effects.
Chen Mang furrowed his brows slightly. He didn't quite understand how one was supposed to travel to the future. If someone truly traveled to the future, wouldn't that future timeline effectively become their present?
He was not given much time to ponder.
The sentences on the panel faded away, replaced by four new ones.
-
"The universe possesses countless timelines."
"The past timeline is unalterable. Even if one were to travel back through Chrono-Retrogression to destroy a certain civilization, the rules of the universe would correct and restrict the impact to an extremely small scope, preventing any changes to the present."
"The present timeline is ever-changing. You can do whatever you desire. The future will undergo massive changes based on any random decision you make right now, and the rules of the universe cannot interfere."
"The future timeline is infinitely variable. Neither god-tier civilizations nor the rules of the universe can interfere with it."
-
"It reads like an instructional manual,"
Chen Mang muttered softly as he gazed at the text on the screen. He couldn't yet see what the actual effects of the Hell Set were; it felt more like he had triggered some massive new storyline.
Immediately after.
Several more lines of text slowly surfaced on the screen. This time, there were more than four.
-
"There is only one true timeline in the universe, and that is the present timeline."
"The countless future timelines are mere deductions born from the universe itself, and they are not definitive. If your future self runs back to tell you that you will die tomorrow, it is not absolute."
"That future version of you is merely from one of the countless possible future timelines."
"Any action you take in the present moment will change the future."
"Perhaps you will die the day after tomorrow, or perhaps you will die in the very next second."
"Information from the future is not accurate."
"Furthermore... please maintain a degree of vigilance, even against your future self."
"When individuals in a future timeline discover that they are in the future rather than the true timeline, they will try everything in their power to return to the 'present timeline' and kill their 'present timeline' self, thereby truly claiming their own life."
"Therefore—"
"Many individuals from future timelines will attempt to return to the present timeline through various smuggling methods."
"To prevent this kind of smuggling from taking effect,"
"The rules of the universe not only interfere but also established the existence of 'Cosmic Taboo Items'. If someone successfully smuggles themselves back, an explosion will be triggered to ensure the safety of their original self."
"The Hell Bracelet emerged as the times required."
"The 'Hell Set' created by the Creator had only one purpose: to facilitate better control over the entire universe. However, the final special item was snatched away by a future Creator and sealed within a future timeline, making it exceedingly difficult to obtain."
"The entire universe is composed of the past, present, and future. Only by possessing all three simultaneously can one stand at a high enough vantage point to truly own the entire universe."
-
"..."
Chen Mang stood silently in place, his expression blank. He was a bit confused by all this exposition. Things were getting increasingly complicated. So this Hell Set was crafted by someone called the "Creator"?
Creator?
A god?
Finally, as these words gradually faded away, new lines of text appeared.
-
"Hell Set Effects"
"1. Guarantees that the past timeline of your civilization and yourself remains eternally solid and cannot be destroyed by any means."
"2. Guarantees that the present timeline of your civilization and yourself remains eternally solid and cannot be influenced by any means."
"3. Guarantees that the future timeline of your civilization and yourself remains eternally solid and cannot be eroded by any means."
"4. It is also a key."
-
Just four simple effects.
Now, Chen Mang understood perfectly.
"Haa..."
He let out a light breath, revealing a satisfied smile that stretched into a wide grin.
Very nice.
This solved his most pressing issue of late. Now, he wouldn't have to worry about someone running to his past timeline to strike at him. If they had the guts, they could face him head-on instead of playing dirty tricks.
Very nice indeed.
He still didn't quite grasp the other three effects yet, nor did he have an immediate use for them.
Regardless, they were definitely good things.
Having them was better than not having them.
Immediately after, a new panel gradually surfaced on the train's control console screen once more.
-
"The Creator was not the one who created the entire universe, but rather the most powerful entity to have ever existed within it, the one with the highest chance of escaping the universe. However... just as victory was at hand, they were attacked by their Future State, causing them to fail at the final hurdle."
"The Hell Bracelet was also snatched away and sealed in a future timeline."
"At the moment of their demise, to prevent their 'Future State' from assembling the entire Hell Set and using it not to escape the universe, but rather to seal it completely,"
"they split the universe into the First Universe and the Second Universe."
"They then distributed the six remaining special items in their possession across these two universes, which are extremely difficult to travel between, ensuring that the Future State Creator could never obtain the complete set."
"The 'Hell Set'."
"Its greatest effects are only twofold: to leave the universe, or to seal the universe."
"The only key to leaving this universe is the Hell Set, but the world outside is completely unknown. The alternative effect is to completely seal this universe. Regardless of what lies beyond, nothing will ever disturb the inside, guaranteeing absolute peace within. However, it is akin to being a frog at the bottom of a sealed well."
"The Future State and Present State of the Creator disagreed on this matter, which sparked a massive war."
"There is a story called the flea in the cup."
"A flea's jumping height is absolutely astonishing, capable of leaping dozens of centimeters, equivalent to a hundred times its own height. However, if it is sealed in a ten-centimeter cup with a lid placed on top..."
"During the subsequent period,"
"the flea will attempt to leave the cup using various forces and angles. After multiple fruitless attempts, bruising and bloodying its head in the process, the flea will restrict its jumping height to ten centimeters."
"Even if the lid is removed at that point, the flea will only jump that high, and its descendants will default to this height as well."
"This is self-castration."
"A long, long time ago, there was indeed a massive crisis on the periphery of the universe. Civilizations had attempted to leave, but all were obliterated without exception. For a long time after that, various civilizations began to castrate themselves. Slowly, rumors even spread that it was impossible to exceed the speed of light within the universe."
"No one was willing to leave the universe anymore." "Yet once upon a time, speeds dozens of times faster than light could be seen."
"Even the Future State Creator fully believed in this, convinced that they shouldn't leave the universe because of the great peril outside."
"But—"
"In reality, the lid outside the universe has already been removed."
"The Observers are watching us castrate ourselves as if viewing a joke, even recording the data."
"What we should do at this time is charge out."
"Let those Observers suffer a headache looking at a room full of fleas, rather than sealing ourselves and permanently locking ourselves in the cup forever."
"You have inherited my set."
"I hope you can inherit my philosophy."
"Charge out."
"Let those potentially existing Observers know that removing the lid from a cup full of fleas comes with the absolute risk of infesting the entire room with fleas. Seeking the Truth even at the Cost of Death."
-
"..."
Chen Mang stared at these words on the screen, his expression slightly complicated. After remaining silent for a long time, he lowered his head to look at the birthmark on the back of his hand. The storyline triggered by this Hell Set clearly revolved around the deepest secrets of this universe.
Let alone the princess of the Zerg Civilization.
These were matters that not even the leaders of many god-tier civilizations knew about.
He had originally thought that this would mention his 0-Level Authority.
Unexpectedly, it wasn't mentioned at all.
Was it possible that even the Creator didn't know about the 0-Level Authority?
Then where exactly did his 0-Level Authority come from? Why did it feel as though he possessed an even higher authority than the Creator...
The next moment—
The various special items making up the "Hell Set" inside the train car began to turn into phantom images and merge into his body. He didn't feel as if he was wearing any special gear, yet he could vaguely sense that he was adorned with something.
It felt as if he was clad in a full suit.
Vague, yet undeniably present.
From now on, he finally wouldn't have to worry about what would happen if his "Hell Hat" was knocked off when he went out. Now, his hat could never be blown away.
However, he couldn't lean on anything in his hand anymore either, as the cane had also merged into his body. It seemed he would have to find a new walking stick to lean on, otherwise, he would feel quite unaccustomed to it.
"Let's go home!"
Right before departing.
Chen Mang deactivated the Radar Jammer of the Stellaris Train, proactively leaking the presence and information of the train. In just a few short minutes, dozens of Wormholes suddenly appeared in the vicinity of The Palace.
A massive number of standardized armed trains surged out from the Wormholes.
The originally peaceful atmosphere suddenly turned incredibly murderous.
From the "Doppelganger Radar," it could be clearly seen that the entire Naomi Civilization was frantically massing its military.
"Their reaction time and efficiency certainly aren't slow,"
Chen Mang praised with a hint of admiration. Based on this performance, unless they were completely crushed and annihilated by a higher-level civilization, they shouldn't have any problems fighting a civilization of the same tier.
Very quickly—
An unknown transmission connected to the train.
When he accepted the call, the screen displayed an enormous office filled with middle-aged men in uniforms. Leading them was an elderly man with graying temples, who spoke in a slightly hoarse, deep voice.
"May I ask what position Your Excellency holds within the Level-5 Human Civilization?"
"The same as yours."
Immediately after, the elderly man's expression noticeably grew a bit more respectful. He spoke again in a deep voice, "May I ask if our esteemed guest has come this time with matters to discuss?"
Since the other party had proactively revealed themselves, it indicated that they harbored goodwill.
Until the specific reasons were made clear, they would try their best not to open fire.
No civilization was willing to actively invite a war with a peer civilization, especially... The leader of the Naomi Civilization glanced at the component data of the Stellaris Train on his tablet, his mouth twitching madly... especially against a monster like this.
Once a war started.
They wouldn't even be able to breach its defenses.
It would be a near one-sided slaughter.
And this...
...was merely a single train.
A civilization couldn't possibly possess only one train, meaning this Human Civilization surely had many more trains of this caliber. Though it was unclear how a Level-5 civilization could possess such immense power, the current situation was not the time to ponder these things. It was best to clarify their intentions as much as possible first.
"Mm."
Chen Mang nodded slightly. He made a few minor modifications to the suicide note left by the Father of Xiao Pangzi and sent it over, speaking softly, "I have a friend in your civilization. He was a merchant. Before he died, he entrusted me with the task of protecting your civilization."
"In one hundred and thirty-seven years, your civilization will face a life-or-death crisis."
"Of course, this timeframe is not absolute. There may be variations."
"I will leave a Refrigerator for you."
"If you encounter a crisis and find yourselves unable to cope, you can contact me through the Refrigerator. I will come to provide support and help you weather the storm."
The leader of the Naomi Civilization stared at the suicide note from the Father of Xiao Pangzi, slightly stunned. He then glanced at the several aides beside him. After exchanging looks, he turned back to Chen Mang on the screen. "It is his honor to have a friend like you."
"And your promise is an honor for our Naomi Civilization as well."
"Is there anything else we can provide in other aspects?"
"No."
Chen Mang shook his head. Suddenly, he remembered something else. "There is one more thing. My civilization's territory is located on the other side of the Dark Abyss. Several beams from an Akhenaten Light Energy Main Cannon have crossed the entire Dark Abyss and are about to strike my 'civilization territory.'"
"I would like to know, were they fired by your civilization?"
"Ah..."
The leader of the Naomi Civilization froze for a moment before replying hesitantly, "Well, firing into it is inevitable. No civilization would decline shooting into the Dark Abyss, and standard military exercises are always conducted within the Dark Abyss."
"So..."
"It's possible that we fired them."
"Moreover, a few of those shots were fired through Chrono-Retrogression, so their destructive power might be somewhat significant."
"Minor issue."
Chen Mang waved his hand dismissively. "Don't fire blindly in the future. When I discovered them, I returned the favor with a few shots of my own. However, I didn't use Chrono-Retrogression to fire them, so it will still take tens of millions of years for them to reach your Naomi Civilization. There's no need to panic just yet."
"Since there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave."
"Oh, I forgot to mention."
"One last thing. This Palace is mine. I accidentally dropped it here last time, and it was through this Palace that I managed to make friends with someone from your Naomi Civilization. I will be taking The Palace away with me. Fortunately, you guys only researched it and didn't damage my Palace."
"Alright, let's go."
The next moment—
The transmission was cut.
The Stellaris Train vanished from the Naomi Civilization's radar once again, and along with it vanished "The Palace."
With this!
The trip to the Naomi Civilization could be considered concluded.
Although there had been quite a few unexpected incidents, the overall outcome was favorable.
The "Stellaris Train" had already instantly arrived in the Dead End Star System through the Refrigerator.
Traveling there had required a Wormhole.
But returning certainly did not.
Sitting inside the train car, Chen Mang reviewed the entire journey in his mind.
While all the chaotic stuff regarding the Hell Set, the future, and the past temporarily exceeded what he was currently capable of interacting with—going a bit over his head—the overall situation was good. For instance...
The tangible gains.
Like the wealth of resources left behind by the Father of Xiao Pangzi.
That absurdly immense cache of resources was more than enough to propel the Stellaris Train to an entirely new height once again.
He really wanted to see exactly what kind of crisis the Dead End Star System was going to face that could put him at risk of being annihilated.
Given that his past timeline was eternally solidified, if he couldn't win a fight, couldn't he just run?
If he wanted to run, who could possibly make him stay?
Even spatial lockdowns would be useless.
He never relied on Wormholes to make his escapes anyway.
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