Wasteland Development Diary.

Chapter 701 The Cause of Extinction
"Can the cave dwellers absorb string light?"

Zhou Yi's expression also turned serious: "Is this a coincidence or..."

"It's not a coincidence."

The Cave Clan said, "After returning to Jupiter, the Cave People recorded the state of the string light. Each time the string light flashed, the Cave People exposed to the natural world would move uncontrollably toward the bottom of Jupiter. However, the Cave People inside the Usurper, the Evil Brain, and the Black Thorn were less disturbed."

"We've already tested it there. Jupiter's life forms are also affected by string light and become irritable. In severe cases, they may even completely lose their memory and cognition, acting only on instinct. This is more serious than Nig described, and it should be a result of the increased frequency and intensity of string light."

Zhou Yi asked, "What's at the bottom of Jupiter?"

"According to the longitudinal team's investigation, there are a large number of cave-dwelling corpses in the high-density geological layer beneath Jupiter's circular flow... The evil brain has recorded this information. Please take a look."

A message came from the Dong clan.

After Zhou Yi opened it, he immediately entered a dark world filled with scattered stars.

The stars form a broad, band-like Milky Way, flowing and intertwining with each other.

What's particularly special is that these points of light are all a slightly eerie purple.

The voice of the Dong family came to his ears: "Chairman Zhou, each of those light spots is a [working layer] formed by the corpses of the Dong people."

"To create a working layer, a large number of similar corpses need to be connected. There are trillions of working layers in Jupiter's geological layers."

"More than half of these work layers are still operational."

Zhou Yi was taken aback: "There are cave dwellers inside?"

"No. The cave people of the past are extinct."

"They've all become working layers," said Dong in a detached tone. "Working layers are highly expandable and can be connected in large numbers to further improve manufacturing efficiency... These working layers are spread throughout the deep subsurface of Jupiter."

"Through a small team of cavemen risking their lives to infiltrate and read the data, we discovered that those working layers were completely enveloping the planet."

"They eventually became deeply connected with the rotation mechanism—that is, the celestial tool fixed on Jupiter, and were powered by the rotation of the celestial beings."

"These workbenches consume cave dwellers to create a special tool called the String Launcher. The String Launcher forms a network through the workbenches, which can not only amplify and strengthen the string light, but also call upon the information in the string light to activate Jupiter."

Under the magnified markings of the Dong family, Zhou Yi saw those string-firing instruments.

They looked like jet-like ray beams (of course, the beams were made of caveman corpses), emitting a dim light.

The Dong clan said, "Upon receiving the command from the string light, the entire clan ceased all previous actions the instant the command was received. All the Dong people became consumables and raw materials, used to produce a large number of string-generating instruments... This is the reason for the extinction of the ancient Dong people."

Zhou Yi's heart skipped a beat: "The Cave People...are they also vassals of the String Civilization?"

"Unfortunately, that is indeed the case."

There was a hint of melancholy in Dong's voice: "Mr. Zhou, we only now know the reason in this era. There are no relevant records at all in those working levels."

"The cave dwellers of the past always believed that they were independent life forms and intelligent civilizations, but they never knew that their birth on this strange Jupiter was not a masterpiece of nature, but was controlled by an invisible thread."

"We thought we were spontaneously exploring the world and developing ourselves, but the truth is, we are biological tools locked on Jupiter, ready to respond to the commands of the string civilization that created us. The fate of the Caveman race is nothing more than a carefully designed outcome."

Zhou Yi sorted out his thoughts.

After he first figured out Jupiter's location, he vaguely guessed that the Cave People and the String Civilization must have some kind of relationship.

Don't say anything else.

As one of the two major vassals of the String Civilization, the Modifiers, a crucial part of their physiological structure, one of their basic units, is the memory brain built from the corpses of the Cave People.

For the terraforms to expand their population, the ancestral land of the cave people, the "Intelligence Core," is indispensable, and it can only be produced on Jupiter and Io.

However, the authority over Jupiter was firmly controlled by the String Civilization.

The modifiers and the cave dwellers cannot communicate or cooperate because they have no overlap in their life realms.

The modifiers wanted the cavemen's corpses, while the cavemen used the celestial parts from Jupiter as a rotating machine to polish tools such as solid cloud tincture and corridor palace.

In each other's eyes, they are merely tools and materials.

The terraformers were further isolated and forbidden from setting foot on Jupiter.

It is clear that the string civilization designed this entire system.

Zhou Yi said, "So, the reason why the cave people reacted strongly to the string light and were guided into the strata of Jupiter to consume themselves to create the string-generating device is also because of this?"

"Yes."

Dong Shi was somewhat dejected: "Although it's hard to accept the truth, that's just how it is. The Dong people are not some remarkable, great micro-civilization; they are merely microscopic puppets manipulated by the String Civilization..."

Zhou Yi remained silent.

After a while.

He said, "Why wasn't Jupiter activated?"

Zhou Yi asked, "Since the entire design is so perfect and precise, logically speaking, by giving you instructions, we should have used the string launcher to activate this giant structure of Jupiter. But that's not the case."

"This proves that the String Civilization is not omnipotent. On the other hand, if it truly possessed the ability to calculate everything perfectly, it would have been able to foresee the rebellion of the Modifiers and would not have even provoked the Time Elder."

"Hey, hey...you're right."

Dong paused for a moment: "We also find it strange that Jupiter hasn't been activated. Normally it should be possible... because there are a lot of working layers, they are all over the surface of Jupiter, this is the result of the evil brain scan. We can sense the string light's reaction."

"However, more than one-fifth of these working layers are in a damaged state and cannot function."

Zhou Yi added, "Given the technological level of the cave dwellers, such a high damage rate doesn't seem like natural wear and tear."

"You're right."

"The working layer... has suffered from forced shutdown and external damage."

"How did that form?"

"...Judging from the technique and structure, it was made by the cave people."

Dong speculated: "There may have been internal strife at the time, or some of the Dong people were unable to accurately complete the instructions, which resulted in the destruction of the workbench."

Zhou Yi smiled.

He pulled up a chair next to him, sat down, took the iced fruit tea handed to him by his assistant Yuanxiao, and took a sip.

"Generally speaking, there are two ways to resist."

"The first option is non-cooperation."

"The second type is violent resistance." "The Celestials, as the creators, belong to the latter. Although the Seeders did not participate in sealing off the String Civilization, remaining aloof is also an attitude, which belongs to the first type."

"On Jupiter's subsurface, 20% of the working layers are destroyed and rendered inoperable; this is the second form of resistance."

Dong asked in surprise, "Are you saying that the Dong people are not fighting amongst themselves, but that a portion of them are rebelling against Xian Guang's orders?"

"good."

Zhou Yi nodded, looking at the flowing light patterns in the corridor: "Any civilization that develops to a certain level cannot tolerate being controlled for a long time, whether it is invisible colonization or brutal enslavement."

He spread his hands: "This is not my opinion, but the conclusion of those who have witnessed the destruction of many civilizations throughout history. Of course, the same is true for us humans, and the past has been proving this point time and again."

"The Cave People created a great civilization. You sprouted and awakened from the Circular Stream of Jupiter, crafted all kinds of tools, built unique wonders, and constantly tried to break through the constraints of the planet."

"Even though the ancient cave dwellers eventually perished, the technology and artifacts you left behind were treasured by the later Mud Tree People."

Zhou Yi said solemnly, "Your records enabled them to master the method of using clay tablets, and your exploration and promotion of the space tunnels have shown the clay tree people the way out of Jupiter."

"To inherit and master your civilization's skills is the greatest recognition and respect we can show you."

"Such a civilization cannot accept being fooled and kept in captivity."

"Mr. Jay, what you said is all correct, but..."

Dong sighed: "How could the Dong people possibly defy the orders of the String Civilization? We found no record of this, only the damaged working layer and those empty corpses."

"The evidence is the description and record of Shi Weng on the clay tablet."

Zhou Yi looked at Lang Gong: "The ancient cave people are searching for Shi Weng. Because they realized that they need to go through a higher dimension to break through the prison set up by the string civilization in three-dimensional space."

"The legend of the Doomsday Beast passed down through generations of Mud Tree People comes from the records of the Cave People. However, on the contrary, what the Cave People meant was that only by finding the Time Elder could there be hope of breaking the deadlock. The absorption and fusion of the planet was just a description of the Time Elder's form."

"But in the eyes of the Mud Tree People, this became a terrifying catastrophe that would destroy the world."

Zhou Yi said, "It's just that the instructions conveyed by Xian Guang came too suddenly, leaving the cave people with little time to prepare, and most of them were brought under control."

"Only a small number of cave dwellers, hidden in various containers or building shelters, have not had their memories erased and retain a certain sense of self. This includes you who are sleeping in the shelters."

“Those cave dwellers witnessed all of this. Although they weren’t sure why it was happening, they knew exactly what the manipulators behind it all wanted to achieve. The String Civilization wanted to use the cave dwellers’ corpses to pave the way for the string launchers orbiting Jupiter, so they did everything they could to destroy them and prevent Jupiter from being remotely activated.”

"This was the resistance of the cave dwellers at that time."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Dong was greatly surprised: "Mr. Zhou, you know about this too? It's as if you witnessed the whole process..."

Zhou Yi chuckled: "I just asked Golden Tree to help me check."

The Golden Tree was forcibly catalyzed to be born just as the Cave People were destroyed by the String Light and used to activate Jupiter.

It confirmed all of this.

Zhou Yi's silence just now was because he was checking the details with it.

"That's right."

Dong immediately perked up: "It seems we are also fighters, just like life on Earth! We fought, and although we didn't win, we prevented the String Civilization from using Jupiter!"

"Correct."

Zhou Yi nodded.

The string civilization's plan failed to consider an extremely low-probability event: that the cavemen it used as biological tools did not live in a daze like the usurpers, merely existing for the sake of survival.

They took a different path and developed a highly intelligent civilization.

The difference that changed history might simply be that of a single cave dweller or a group of cave people who accidentally discovered the corpse of one of their own kind—a magical tool, much like humanity's first discovery of fire.

Then everything changed.

“Mr. Jay, we are very sensitive to string light and will almost completely absorb its energy and information. Although we have already merged and exchanged with other microscopic organisms, we are still affected.”

Dong Shi worried: "If this continues, we may still be controlled by Xuan Guang."

Zhou Yi laughed and said, "Haven't we found a solution now? As long as we build structures that can isolate or block the string light, we can effectively avoid its effects."

The greatest fear of the string light in the past came from the unknown power of it.

However, on Jupiter, the Mud Tree People have already summarized and experimented that as long as protective facilities are built using Disc Trees, Light Soot, and Light Amber, most string light can be completely blocked, making its influence extremely limited.

The main influence of the string light was on the cave dwellers.

Both the Mud Tree People and the Light-Navigation People of Jupiter at that time had Cave People genes in their bodies, so they were affected.

As long as we continue to exchange and alter genes with Earth's microorganisms and build protective equipment, we can prevent string light from taking effect.

“Yes, yes, yes! You’re right. My judgment was influenced by the String Civilization… Blackthorn and the Evil Brain were only slightly affected. Especially after Blackthorn enveloped them, the interference was negligible.”

Dong Shi also came to his senses.

Zhou Yi said, "Your keen sensitivity to string light allows you to pinpoint its trajectory, which is actually a good thing. You previously mentioned that string light propagates through one-dimensional space?"

"Yes, Jay Chou."

Dong replied, "The string light travels into Jupiter through a one-dimensional spatial hole, and only unfolds after entering this space. It is an energy body carrying information, capable of issuing commands to the cave dwellers after being consumed."

"Instructions are issued via string light."

"The information inside also includes the part about activating Jupiter and the part about using Celestial Being parts..."

Zhou Yi raised his hand and said, "Wait a minute. You mean, it contains a description of how to use Jupiter?"

"Have."

Dong said, "If it's just about simply manipulating Jupiter, it is indeed possible, because the Dong people are the key to manipulating Jupiter. We are the switch and the operator, and the string light just sends the commands."

What operations can you perform?

"Currently, we can rotate and activate 4080 'star anchors' on Jupiter, which are essentially rotation machines created by celestial beings. They can concentrate energy to drive the entire core of the planet."

"The simplest operation is to produce a large number of solid cloud materials. In the past, the cave people used the outer layer of star anchors to process solid cloud materials, but now they can produce them directly."

Zhou Yi was overjoyed upon hearing this.

We can start mass production of energy blocks now!

Now the building life forms can complete the upgrades in batches!
(End of this chapter)