Wizard: I have ten trillion nanomachines

"Could it be that all of this was orchestrated by those three outsiders?"

Within the spacetime bubble, Luo Kunlun's consciousness experienced such fluctuations.

"But it's strange, given their behavior... what is the purpose of all this?"

Even with Luo Kunlun's current level of understanding, he still couldn't figure it out.

In divine memory, what were the motives of the three outsiders who destroyed the primordial universe?

Plundering resources?

But everything in the primordial universe was meaningless to them, so what did they want?

Territorial expansion?

The primordial universe was an "incompatible system of existence" to them. To occupy it was like humans trying to occupy a flame; they would either be burned or extinguish the fire.

Eliminate the threat?

Although the individuals in the primordial universe were powerful, they were completely unable to reach outsiders, so what threat could they possibly pose?

Luo Kunlun's consciousness searched the ocean of knowledge, trying to find a logical chain.

But ultimately, an even more terrifying conjecture emerged:

"Perhaps, their motivation is the absence of motivation."

Just like when someone accidentally steps on an ant while walking, do they need a reason?

No need.

The world of ants, the order of the ant colony, the struggles and tribulations of the ants—all become meaningless when that foot lands.

That kick wasn't for food, it wasn't for territory, it wasn't for any reason that ants could understand.

I just happened to be passing by.

That's it.

If that's really the case—

The destruction of the primordial universe was merely a "chance encounter".

Just passing by.

An "unintentional interference".

So the Mother River, the Astral Plane, the Source Matter, Divinity... all of these are merely "aftershocks".

It is just a structure formed by chance over a long period of time from the dust that splashed up after the primordial universe broke apart.

There is no purpose.

Pointless.

It just happened.

This idea sent a chill down Luo Kunlun's spine.

But he quickly suppressed those emotions.

Now is not the time to delve into philosophy.

He turned his attention back to divine memory itself.

The memories within divinity originate from the most powerful individuals in the primordial universe.

This individual existed in the primordial universe for an immeasurable amount of time and had complete knowledge of all information about the primordial universe.

Therefore, this memory within divinity can be considered a "history book" that records the entire primordial universe.

Even with Luo Kunlun's current capacity, it would be difficult to digest it all at once; it could only store it and absorb it slowly.

As memories are gradually deciphered, the "true face" of the primordial universe begins to emerge—

This reality was even more...suffocating than Luo Kunlun had imagined.

It appears that the primordial universe was free, the sum of all possibilities.

But the truth is that the laws of the original universe have long been modified to the point of being unrecognizable.

The original universe (if there truly is an "original") was perhaps truly free.

Laws evolve naturally, possibilities unfold freely, and individuals grow freely.

But with the emergence of powerful individuals, everything changed.

Those beings who first touched upon the essence of things began to modify reality according to their own will.

The first revision may only be a minor adjustment.

To make energy flow more smoothly in a certain area, to make a certain substance easier to synthesize, and to make a certain process more efficient.

But once it happens the first time, it will happen a second, a third, and countless more times.

The reasons for the revisions are varied.

An entity felt that "the speed of light is too slow," so it increased the speed of light tenfold.

A certain concept god felt that "the concept of death is too monotonous," so he changed the definition of death, making it "another form of existence."

An information being felt that "information transmission is delayed," so it modified the laws of information dissemination, allowing information to be transmitted instantly to any place.

Each modification takes the primordial universe further away from its "natural state".

What's even more frightening is that the modifications can affect each other.

A modified the speed of light, causing the energy system designed by B to collapse.

In order to repair its system, B modified the law of conservation of energy.

C's energy system relies on the conservation of energy, thus forcing it to modify the laws governing the formation of matter.

The laws governing the formation of matter in D were affected, thus altering the structure of spacetime...

chain reaction.

Endless.

When the modifications accumulate to a certain critical point, the original universe's legal system has become a vast, complex, contradictory, and fragile "Frankenstein's monster."

No one remembers what the original laws looked like.

Even the oldest individuals only have memories of "modified laws".

Because reality has been repeatedly modified, the "truth" of the original universe has been shrouded in layers of mystery.

What individuals can observe is only the surface.

The truth is hidden behind countless layers of fog.

What's even more frightening is that these fogs themselves are also changing.

In this environment, "perceiving reality" becomes almost impossible.

You never know if what you see is what someone wants you to see.

You never know if what you think is the truth is a lie on another level.

You never know if your "cognition" itself is a result programmed by some entity.

Therefore, in the primordial universe, freedom was a luxury.

Because reality is highly modified and truth is shrouded in mystery, the course of most events is actually predetermined.

A simple example.

An individual wants to explore an unknown area.

Its "decision" seems free:

It can choose to go or not to go.

It can choose to go now or later.

It can choose to go alone or with companions.

If it chooses to go, it will trigger a "trap" set by an ancient being and be transformed into an avatar of that being.

If it chooses not to go, it will miss a hidden "opportunity" and remain stuck at the current level forever.

If it chooses to go now, it will encounter a powerful entity on patrol and be forcibly conscripted as a servant.

If it chooses to go there later, that area will be transformed into a danger zone by another entity, and anyone who enters will die.

If it chooses to go alone, it will fall into a "script" written by some life and live its life according to the script.

If it chooses to go in groups, the companions are actually disguised versions of an individual.

No matter what choice it makes, the ending has already been predetermined by countless layers of purpose, traps, scripts, and conspiracies.

It thought it was making a choice.

In reality, it simply chooses one of countless pre-set paths to follow.

Those seemingly "accidental" opportunities, seemingly "lucky" breakthroughs, and seemingly "hard-earned" results may all be preordained by some higher being.

In the primordial universe, nothing was truly random.

Everything was designed.

The only difference lies in who designed it, how meticulously it was designed, and what the purpose of the design was.

Therefore, the path to advancement was completely cut off.

In a normal worldview, individuals can break through the following factors.

Talent, innate ability.

Effort and hard work are essential.

Opportunity, a stroke of luck.

Inheritance, the teachings of our predecessors.

Understanding, a breakthrough in oneself.

However, in the primordial universe, most of these pathways were either ineffective or distorted.

talent?

The essence of talent is "the degree of fit between an individual and a certain system".

However, in the primordial universe, reality was modified countless times, and the standards for compatibility were also modified countless times.

You never know what the real standard is.

You never know if your talent is "real".

You never know if the talent you're so proud of today will be erased by someone tomorrow.

effort?

The essence of hard work is to "accumulate experience and improve abilities through time investment".

But time itself can be altered, and more importantly, the direction of our efforts may have been wrong from the very beginning.

You spent a century researching and finally achieved something.

Then something altered reality, rendering all your hard work futile.

Effort may only result in stagnation or even regression.

opportunity?

The essence of opportunity is "favorable conditions that appear by chance".

But in the primordial universe, there is no true chance.

Every "opportunity" encountered may be a trap set by some higher being.

Or it could be a fixed plot in a script, or part of a conspiracy.

Even if it is truly a "favorable condition," it may be fleeting.

inherited?

The essence of inheritance is the "transmission of knowledge and experience".

However, knowledge and experience may themselves be wrong.

What your predecessors taught you was knowledge based on the old reality.

The teachings of seniors may contain their own biases.

Even the senior himself might just be an avatar of some being, teaching you for a certain purpose.

Even more frightening is that the concept of "inheritance" itself can be modified, or even eliminated.

Understanding?

The essence of enlightenment is "a sudden understanding of the truth".

But in the primordial universe, truth was shrouded in mist, and what you comprehend may only be the surface, or even just something that others want you to "comprehend".

Therefore, the fate of ordinary individuals, who constitute the largest number of life forms in the primordial universe, is to be born and die in the mortal world, in an endless cycle.

A certain civilization existed for three billion years in a corner of the primordial universe.

Over the course of three billion years, the rules have been modified twelve times, with each update causing the civilization's technological system to collapse and requiring a complete overhaul.

The truth has been buried again, and civilization's understanding of the world has been forcibly reset to zero.

The rise and fall of an entire civilization is even written into a script and performed according to that script.

Ultimately, even the core concepts of civilization were redefined.

For three billion years, they have never truly broken through.

They are forever trapped in the cycle of reincarnation.

No matter how hard you try, you'll never see the end.

Everything was designed; they played a tragic role in the cycle.

Everything is being "watched" by the higher being.

Once you're being watched, your destiny no longer belongs to you.

This usually happens when an individual demonstrates a certain "value".

Talent fulfills the needs of a certain being.

The characteristics make it suitable as material for a certain experiment.

The fate line can fill a gap in a certain script.

Once arranged, birth is predetermined, growth is planned, opportunities are created, crises are arranged, and the ending is destined.

You may gain power, achievements, and everything.

But he knew that all of this was given to him by others.

I am just an actor, living out my life in someone else's script.

And when the script ends, its value disappears.

Just like humans marking a forest or a mineral deposit.

It is still in use now, so it has been retained.

They will be "harvested" when needed.

The meaning of existence is simply to wait for the moment of being harvested.

This is the most fundamental despair of the primordial universe: no matter what you do, nothing can be changed.

You're exceptionally gifted? That might just be a fabricated illusion.

You strive so hard? You might just be going around in circles.

You seize the opportunity? It might just be bait in a trap.

You think you've grasped the truth? It might just be something someone else wants you to grasp.

...

Even if you manage to overcome numerous obstacles and reach a higher level, you may find that the view from above is perhaps more terrifying than that from below.

Those in positions of power also live in an eternal game of power struggles.

Their struggles affected countless levels and destroyed countless individuals.

They might not even care about winning or losing, because to them it's just a game.

A game played on the entire primordial universe.

If we lose, at worst we'll just fall into a temporary period of silence.

Ordinary individuals are either chess pieces on the chessboard or dust on the chessboard.

There is no third way.

.....................................

The despair in his divine memories, like a cold tide, overwhelmed Luo Kunlun's consciousness.

He saw the true nature of the primordial universe, which was not a free paradise, but a prison bound by layers of shackles.

A despairing place used as a playground, experimental field, and resource field by countless superior beings.

An abyss from which an ordinary individual can hardly escape.

"No wonder... the primordial universe stagnated after reaching its extreme."

When the path to advancement is cut off, when everything is predetermined, when effort becomes meaningless.

The internal evolution had long since reached a stalemate.

Those higher beings, after countless modifications, games, and cycles, have reached the limits of the "original universe".

To go further, one must break through the primordial universe itself.

But they didn't know how to break through.

Or rather, they tried, but failed.

Thus, the primordial universe entered a "saturated state after reaching its limit".

All possibilities have been explored.

All the laws have been modified.

All the scripts have been written.

I'm tired of all games.

Then the outsiders arrived.

It was like a stagnant pool that had been filled with three stones.

The stone doesn't care what the microorganisms in the stagnant water think.

The stone simply fell.

Then, the ripples spread, the stagnant water was stirred up, and finally it broke apart.

The immortal beings of higher order were denied by outsiders, much like a deus ex machina.

"So, perhaps the destruction of the primordial universe was a kind of... liberation?"

The thought flashed through Luo Kunlun's mind.

For ordinary individuals, the eternal cycle of despair may be more terrifying than death.

But soon, he shook his head.

"No, death is death, destruction is destruction; there's no need to glorify it."

"Despair is not a reason for destruction."

Afterwards, Luo Kunlun sealed away the divine memories and stopped absorbing them further.

If these memories linger for too long, they may pollute his mind.

He needs to stay alert.