The copy has 0 error tolerance, and the last words on the ground are all wrong for me.

Chapter 506 A World Destined for Destruction

Wu Chang followed Shi Ning to Shi Ning's laboratory in the Administration Bureau. As he entered the laboratory, he brushed past Gao Xuezhong, who was in a hurry.

As he passed by, he sensed an energy reaction from Gao Xuezhong's body. Gao Xuezhong must have joined the Administration Bureau and become a player of the Abyss Game.

Including He Wei, who works in the Internet Harm Screening Department, all four of them in the dormitory have become involved with the Administration Bureau.

Shi Ning's office was a separate room at the far end of the laboratory. When they arrived, the office door was open and looked unremarkable.

Once the two entered, Shi Ning closed the door, and the interior space became its own private world.

Through his Lord-level mysticism, Wu Chang was able to perceive that Shi Ning had used a method he could not yet understand to separate the space here using mysticism.

However, he could not see any traces of mystical runes around him, nor could he sense any ritual nodes. If his intuition were not strong enough, he probably wouldn't even be able to realize that he had entered a mystical ritual.

This method of arranging mysticism was somewhat beyond his comprehension. His job change was, after all, based on mysticism, and he couldn't be so easily fooled.

So he used his mind to communicate with the ravens, seeking help from outside the arena.

The raven told him that the method Shi Ning used involved the energy of the third layer of the abyss, which she could not explain in detail in her current state.

However, she clearly understood the principles and methods of setting up mystical rituals. The furniture, decorations, office supplies, specimens, and other items in Shi Ning's office were all extraordinary.

Their placement was carefully designed to completely close the energy cycle within the room, creating a balance that is slightly different from the real world.

These extraordinary items have low energy content, and their placement is precise and ingenious, making it difficult for people to feel that they have entered another world simply from an energy perspective.

In short, Shi Ning demonstrated the power that only players at the third level of the Abyss could unleash, using only extraordinary items from the Desolate Realm without using mystical runes or high-level extraordinary items.

This incredibly skillful technique is enough to demonstrate Shi Ning's expertise in mysticism.

Wu Chang's gaze toward Shi Ning became playful. An ordinary player from the Desolate Realm couldn't possibly have researched this level of mysticism on his own.

Closing the office door, Shi Ning skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point, asking:
"Your Excellency Peace, who exactly are you?"

And the calm path of flat color:
"I am Peace, an ordinary player in the Wasteland."

Shi Ning shook his head slightly and said:
"Ordinary players cannot obtain the highest level of management privileges in the Wasteland in just 100 days."

Wu Chang shrugged and said:
"Perhaps I was just lucky. Professor Shi, you should know that if I really had a problem, the Abyss Game administrator would have come knocking on my door when I detonated the Faith Virus."

Shi Ning's suspicions were not shaken by Wu Chang's words. He flipped his hand and took out a white crystal ball.

"There are many ways to fool the Abyss Game Administrator, and perhaps the method you used is more sophisticated than others."

As Shi Ning spoke, the crystal ball flashed with brilliant light, which shone on Wu Chang.

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Wu Chang immediately went on high alert. He had just shattered the Heavenly Gate, and his Conflict Knight transformation was on cooldown. His Peacekeeper energy was depleted, and his Hero's Proof was also used up.

Furthermore, since he cannot trigger the Breakthrough Master in reality, he is at his weakest point right now.

Facing Shi Ning, whose strengths and weaknesses he couldn't discern, made him feel uncertain. His body tensed instantly, ready to summon Eileen to kill Shi Ning should the white light cause him any harm.

When his skin came into contact with the white light, it did not cause him any harm or control. He only vaguely felt a fleeting gaze, and nothing else happened.

He looked at Shi Ning and asked, "What does this mean?"

Shi Ning said, "It's just a special method to connect to the abyss; you can think of it as a more direct and efficient way of reporting."

"It will not harm you. If your existence violates the rules of the wasteland itself, it will be able to see through the methods you use and take you back to where you belong."

Wu Chang clicked his tongue. Shi Ning had such methods, yet he used them on him after the world instance. Wasn't this blatantly discarding him after he had served his purpose?

According to Raven, the white light that Shi Ning just emitted was enough to attract the special attention of the Abyss Game Administrator.

However, the administrators paid close attention to him, and he was even placed on the list of people to be closely watched when he first joined the Abyss game, so the gazes he felt were fleeting.

When the administrator saw that it was an old acquaintance, he probably didn't even bother to take another look and immediately turned and left.

He looked at Shi Ning and said:
"So what's the result now?"

Shi Ning shook his head slightly and said in a tone of amazement:
"Heroes emerge in times of chaos. Perhaps the world sensed an impending crisis, which is why it created a monster like you."

Wu Chang frowned slightly. Shi Ning's words sounded like a compliment, but the wording sounded like an insult.

He was too lazy to argue with Shi Ning, so he took the initiative in the conversation and asked:

"I have already answered Professor Shi's question. Now it is your turn to answer mine."

"The question I want to ask is the same one you just asked me."

"who are you."

Neither this masterful display of mysticism nor the special reporting technique used just now are methods that the Desolate Realm could possess.

As the saying goes, "Judging others by one's own standards," Shi Ning guessed that he had used special means to evade the Abyss Game administrator's inspection. The reason he could make this guess was probably because Shi Ning himself had done the same thing.

He had expected Shi Ning to offer some excuses or change the subject, but Shi Ning's answer was exceptionally straightforward.

“I am Shi Ning, but I am not the Shi Ning you know.”

"You should have already guessed my origins. I am a player from the third layer of the Abyss, from the Void Realm."

Wu Chang fell silent. Shi Ning's straightforward answer left him unsure of what to say next.

He had accumulated too many questions about the Abyss Level 3 and Shi Ning himself, especially after witnessing the methods of the Abyss Level 3 in the world instance, he was even more curious about the Void Realm.

After a moment, he asked:

"What do you mean you're Shi Ning? You're not the Shi Ning we know."

Shi Ning asked:

Have you ever heard of Schrödinger's cat?

Wu Chang nodded and said:
"I've heard of it."

Most people first encountered quantum mechanics through the cat abuser Schrödinger.

In short, Schrödinger built a loving cat house. This box cannot be observed, and there is a device inside the box that has a 50% probability of killing the cat inside.

So, before the observer opens the cat's nest, the cat inside may be alive or dead, existing in a superposition state. Only when the observer makes the final observation will this superposition state change to one of the two states: alive or dead.

Schrödinger's cat usually leads to the conclusion that the state of the quantum world is uncertain when it is not observed.

To solve this problem, many theories have emerged, such as the well-known parallel universes, which is one of the answers.

Shi Ning continued:

"Just like Schrödinger's cat, the moment the world is observed, it will branch out into two."

"The me who is talking to you now is in the virtual world, but the body you see belongs to me eighteen years ago, when I did not choose to join the Abyss Game."

Wu Chang frowned; he seemed to understand, yet also seemed not to.

Shi Ning explained:
"Eighteen years ago, I was fifteen years old. I had just completed a research project, obtained my doctoral degree, and stayed on to teach at the university."

"The research topic was about the Abyss Game. My research on the Abyss Game attracted the attention of the Administration Bureau. At that time, the higher-ups of the Administration Bureau approached me, told me about the existence of the Abyss Game, and asked me if I wanted to join the Abyss Game."

“I don’t like fighting, but I’m very curious about the extraordinary world in the Abyss. After some hesitation, I created a device to decide whether I would join the Abyss Game.”

"The device had two options, 50% yes and 50% no. The final result was yes, and I joined the Abyss Game and became a player."

"The me you see now is a clone of myself that I created using my abilities, based on the different choices I made at the time, but which did not choose to enter the Abyss Game. I can interfere with the real world by temporarily taking over this clone."

Wu Chang suddenly realized:
"In other words, the Faith Virus and the Divine Script Decipherer that helped us infiltrate the Light Society's stronghold were both made by your own body."

That makes sense now. When Wanghai City was affected by the Erosion Dungeon, he, Jianxing, and Shi Ning had completed the strategy for the Erosion Dungeon together, and he had seen Shi Ning take action.

At that time, Shi Ning's methods were only considered conventional. To deal with a minor Holy Son of the Tranquil Church, he had to rely on Sword Star as the main attacker. His strength was inferior to that of an ordinary max-level player, and he showed no signs of having divine runes.

He subsequently entered and exited the Administration Bureau under a peaceful identity and had several encounters with Shi Ning, but he did not notice anything special about him.

He had previously wondered how Shi Ning could hide his talents so well, pretending to be a novice so seamlessly that even his inspiration couldn't be detected.

It now seems that Shi Ning wasn't hiding his abilities; he was genuinely weak. His actual strength was truly pathetic, but he possessed a powerful physical body that allowed him to temporarily take over this body from the Desolate Realm and unleash powers that didn't belong there.

Seeing Shi Ning nod in agreement, Wu Chang asked:

"As a player from the Void Realm, you've gone to such great lengths to interfere with the Desolate Realm and the Realm of Reason. Surely this wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment decision."

Shi Ning said:

"I created the Faith Bomb to help you fight against the Evolutionists and the Illuminati, all for one purpose."

Wu Chang asked curiously:
"What is your purpose?"

Shi Ning said with a serious expression:
"Trying to save this world that is destined to be destroyed."

Wu Chang felt a sharp pain in his mind. Shi Ning's words seemed to have triggered certain keywords, making his inspiration react and wanting him to see something.

However, that thing was not something that could be seen now, so it was forcibly blocked by his will.

He took several deep breaths to calm himself down.

He hesitated, afraid that Shi Ning would say something explosive that would cause him to lose control of his inspiration and send him to his death. So he asked Raven if he should continue listening.

Only after receiving confirmation from the raven that there was no problem did he feel relieved and say:

"Tell me more about it."

Shi Ning said:

"This is a long story."

Wu Chang waved his hand and said, "The world instance has just ended, we have plenty of time."

Shi Ning pondered for a moment and said:
"In the early days of Abyss, the game was in a relatively peaceful state and was not heavily corrupted by the Abyss. The dungeons were easier and the rewards were higher back then. As a researcher, I received protection and a lot of resources from the Administration Bureau, which made it easy for me to come to the Void Realm."

Wu Chang was speechless for a moment after hearing this, thinking to himself that Shi Ning was only saying this to him. If any other player heard this, they would probably punch Shi Ning a couple of times.

It's important to understand that even now, players of the Abyss game, including those from the Light Society built by Huanxi and others, struggle to find a way to enter the Void Realm, often ending up trapped in the Realm of Reason.

However, Shi Ning glossed over the process of entering the Void Realm, and it's unclear whether the early Abyss dungeons were truly easy and rewarding, or whether the initial players who entered the Abyss game were all monsters.

Shi Ning continued:

"Players who joined the Abyss game at the same time as me, the fastest only took two years and the slowest took no more than five years to advance to the Void Realm."

"But the Void Realm and the Desolate Realm are completely different. From a low-level god to a mid-level god, and from a mid-level god to a high-level god, each step takes a huge amount of time. In addition to conquering dungeons, we also have to devote a lot of energy to preaching in various planes and acquiring believers and faith power."

"Moreover, the Void Realm seems to have no upper limit. We have seen many powerful evil gods, and they are all trapped in the Void Realm, unable to find a way to enter the fourth layer of the Abyss."

"Our progress has stalled, but the pollution of the abyss continues to worsen. If this continues, all that awaits us is a slow death."

“Each of us is looking for a way out, and these methods are sowing many seeds in the abyss. Some are good, some are bad, and they will have different effects on the abyss.”

"Ten years ago, I learned of a prophecy that told me that Earth was destined to be destroyed this year."

Wu Chang's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.

Just as he feared, the information Shi Ning revealed was indeed explosive. But perhaps because he was mentally prepared, although Shi Ning gave a specific prophecy, his inspiration did not stir again.

He breathed a sigh of relief and asked:

"Does the prophecy tell you that danger comes from reality and the desolate realm?"

Shi Ning's expression turned to one of reminiscence as he said:

"The prophecy did not mention where the crisis would come from, but before I received the prophecy, the players in the virtual world had just caused two major events."

"One of them is a group of people who blocked the passage from the Realm of Principle to the Realm of Void. They claimed that it was to reduce the erosion from the Abyss of the Realm of Principle, but this claim is simply untenable upon closer examination."

"Secondly, under the influence of certain individuals, the higher-ups of the four major organizations in the Desolate Realm and the Realm of Reason have begun to lean towards the evolutionist faction. With their indulgence, the evolutionist faction in the Realm of Reason and the Desolate Realm has developed rapidly."

"Based on the time I received the prophecy, I believe the changes should come from the Realm of Reason and the Realm of Desolation. The moment I decided whether to enter the Abyss Game was my anchor point in the real world, and based on that moment, I split off into who I am now."

"I have been observing reality and the wasteland through this self, waiting for the possible dangers to appear."

Wu Chang asked:

"If that's the case, why don't you deal with the Evolutionists and the Light Society yourself, instead of just watching from the sidelines?"

Shi Ning looked helpless and said:
"Just like I guessed when I said that, I brought my true consciousness into reality through some kind of cheating method, which allowed me to deceive the Abyss Game Administrator."

"I can only take over this body occasionally. In most cases, this body acts according to its own will. Its focus is entirely on research, which results in it not having much combat power."

"Even if I control this body, I can only temporarily hold off a low-level god by relying on divine runes."

At this point, Shi Ning sighed:

"When the three lower gods created by the Light Society stormed into the Extraordinary Prison on Abyss Island, I thought the prophecy could not be changed, and that I alone could not stop fate."

"I never expected that you would save this world. Whether inside or outside the world instance, you are the biggest variable."

"Moreover, you are different from me. You did not come from the depths of the abyss. The future of this world may change because of you."

Wu Chang frowned slightly; Shi Ning's tone sounded like he was entrusting his son to someone.

"And what about you? Continue to stand aside and watch the show?"

A relaxed smile suddenly appeared on Shi Ning's usually serious face as he said:
"Just now, I used a special item to attract the special attention of the Abyss Game Administrator. His gaze swept over you and me, but he didn't punish me. Do you know why?"

Before Wu Changcai could guess, he took the initiative to give the answer.

"Because the energy I'm attached to this body has been completely exhausted, even if he doesn't care about me, I will disconnect from this clone."

Wu Chang almost lost his composure. No wonder Shi Ning, as the real cheater, dared to provoke the game administrator and expose himself.

Shi Ning walked behind his desk, opened the safe, took out a notebook, and handed it to Wu Chang.

He said:
"After this conversation, this clone will completely sever its connection with me and become an independent life. It will not remember what happened during this time."

"To me, he is just a disobedient clone, but he is still another version of me."

"If he encounters danger, or if he needs anything, I hope you can help him this once."

"I have only descended into reality as a part of my consciousness. As a reward for helping me and this world, I can only give you this occult notebook."

"It contains my insights into mysticism. If you can master it all, you can at least reach the level of a mid-level god in mysticism. The seal between the Realm of Reason and the Realm of Illusion is not truly unbreakable. As long as you understand this notebook, that barrier will not be able to stop you."

Seeing that Shi Ning's eyes were drowsy and he seemed to be about to fall asleep, Wu quickly said:
"Wait, don't disconnect yet. I have a few questions about the Void Realm. Answer them before you go to sleep!"

Shi Ning forced himself to shake off his drowsiness, strained to open his eyes, and said:
"You said."

Wu Chang asked:

"Are world dungeons a testing ground for players in the virtual world? What is the purpose of setting up world dungeons? What is the use of the things created inside?"

Shi Ning said:

"Any more?"

Wu Chang thought for a moment and then asked a few more questions, such as what the situation was like in the Void Realm, and what kind of ecological environment the evil gods lived in.

After listening, Shi Ning nodded, then closed his eyes and said:

"I've got it. If you can come to the Void Realm, I'll tell you the answer."

Looking at Shi Ning, who had closed his eyes and fallen into a deep sleep, Wu Chang stood there, stunned, and didn't turn around for a moment.

A few seconds later, he pointed at Shi Ning and shouted:

"You old bastard!"

(End of this chapter)