Chapter 323: Restarting the Era

"These are... Rule Correctors?"

Luo En asked with difficulty, his voice fragmented under the mental pressure.

"They have many names—Observers, Equilibrium Maintainers, Cosmic Janitors..."

The voice of the King of Illusions became strained, as if the transmission of this information had been specially encrypted:

"But the most accurate term is 'Anomaly Catchers'."

"They exist for only one purpose:"

"To maintain the basic stability of the universe and clear away any anomalous factors that might threaten established rules."

In the gaps of the mental pressure, Luo En quickly analyzed this information.

The existence of Anomaly Catchers meant that this universe had some kind of invisible regulatory mechanism.

Any development that deviated too far from the norm could attract their attention.

"In the long ages of the past, individual civilizations have attracted their attention for violating certain rules."

"The result... those civilizations were completely erased from the timeline, as if they had never existed."

Luo En felt a deep chill.

"And you, as an outsider, are in themselves a heterogeneous feature that disturbs order in their eyes."

The King of Illusions' tone carried a heavy warning:

"Your soul does not fully belong to this universe; this trait naturally places you within their monitoring range."

The words of the King of Illusions were like a lightning strike, causing Luo En's consciousness to fluctuate violently:

Outsider... He had long anticipated the Wizard King's insight, but being called out so bluntly still left him horrified.

Moreover, if these "Anomaly Catchers" truly existed, his current situation was extremely dangerous.

On the other hand, complex emotions surged in Luo En's heart.

Although he had long felt that even after completing soul fusion, he still had a subtle barrier with this world.

But hearing such direct confirmation still shocked him.

"Do not dwell too much on your origins."

The King of Illusions seemed to perceive his inner fluctuations:

"In this universe, what matters is not where you come from, but where you are going."

"'The Creator's Blessing' actually provides you with a certain degree of cover."

"Since you are a being blessed by the embodiment of cosmic rules, your anomaly will not appear so... glaring."

"At least at the current stage, they will not focus their attention on you. You must focus on the opportunities before you, utilize your unique advantages, and gradually accumulate true power."

This information made Luo En breathe a sigh of relief, but he immediately realized this was only temporary protection.

As his strength grew, one day he would eventually break the threshold of this cover.

The King of Illusions immediately followed up with his own advice:

"You can try to continue advancing your research plan, but you must be extra careful."

"Start with small-scale experiments; do not rush to establish large-scale creation projects."

"When necessary, I will provide you with relevant ancient knowledge through secret channels, but I cannot give any overt help."

Luo En understood the implication.

Any overly obvious act of support could attract higher-level attention.

"Besides these warnings, let us talk about the topic you are truly interested in."

The King of Illusions changed the subject, his tone becoming relatively relaxed:

"Regarding... the advancement of ancient alchemists."

This was precisely one of the things Luo En cared about most at the moment.

As a four-star profession, the ancient alchemist not only represented a massive increase in power, but was also a key stepping stone to higher levels.

If he could successfully change professions, the effect of his "Creator's Blessing" should also be further enhanced.

Under the guidance of the King of Illusions, the surrounding scenery began to change.

Those eerie floating islands gradually gathered, eventually forming a relatively stable space.

This place looked like a giant library, but the shelves were not filled with books, but with various strange items.

Some were sparkling crystal balls, some were metal sculptures constantly changing shape, and others looked like living memories trapped in containers.

"To achieve the status of an ancient alchemist, four necessary conditions must be met simultaneously."

The King of Illusions controlled a scroll exuding an ancient aura to float automatically:

"First, the three core skills—Potions, Alchemy, and Enchanting—must all reach the expert level in their respective fields. With your current level, this condition will soon be met."

"Second, you must create an alchemical creature with autonomous consciousness."

"Note, this is not simple golem making, but the creation of true artificial life."

"This creature must possess independent thinking ability, emotional reactions, and even a certain potential for self-evolution."

Luo En thought of his "Ink".

That autophagic slime monster had indeed shown a certain level of intelligence, but it was likely still a considerable distance from "autonomous consciousness."

"Third, you must master at least one ancient skill that has been lost in this era."

"These skills are usually recorded in those forbidden classics or hidden in certain special ancient ruins."

The third condition made Luo En frown slightly: "Ancient skills that have been lost?"

"Soul Forging, Causal Exchange, Shadow of Time..."

The voice of the King of Illusions echoed in the depths of his consciousness, every word like a sharp fragment cutting the edge of his mental defenses:

"The masters of these skills have long since vanished into the river of time. Modern wizards mostly know only their names, not their methods. And you..."

Soul Forging, Causal Exchange, Shadow of Time... They sounded inexplicably yearning, and Luo En silently memorized them all.

"Greed is a virtue for researchers, but it is also a curse. Mastering just one can benefit you immensely; don't dream of too much, you cannot bear it."

The King of Illusions seemed to read his thoughts, his voice carrying more warnings:

"The last condition is the most difficult for you right now—gaining the recognition of an ancient alchemist."

"There are no true ancient alchemists left in this era; you can only search for those consciousness fragments remaining in the river of time through historical projection."

"But be careful, some fragments often carry intense resentment and distortion. Many who attempt this are completely eroded during the contact process, becoming insane puppets."

Luo En quickly analyzed the possible ways to gain recognition in his mind.

He had indeed been exposed to historical projection technology, and Mentor Suo Lun's guidance had given him the basic ability.

The key was how to establish contact with those ancient consciousnesses without being contaminated.

This reminded him of Erica's projection in the silver pocket watch; that kind of cross-temporal conversation did indeed have a precedent.

"After completing these basic conditions, you still need to choose a specialization path."

The pages began to split into three parts, each showing different terrifying scenes:

"Ancient alchemists choose different development directions based on their talents and preferences. Each path has its own unique requirements and tests."

"For more details, you can consult the literature yourself. Time is limited, so I won't elaborate further here... Oh, right."

The surrounding scenery suddenly changed drastically.

Those eerie floating islands began to sway violently, like ships in a storm.

The air itself became viscous, and with every breath, one could feel some living thing wriggling deep in the throat.

"I understand that you seem very interested in the concept of Lans's consciousness archiving."

The King of Illusions suddenly changed the subject, his tone oppressive:

"Tell me, what is your purpose in achieving this technology? Is it merely academic research, or is there a deeper plan?"

Luo En forced himself to remain calm, although the mental pressure was almost crushing his consciousness.

He realized this was a test.

Not just a test of his courage, but a test of his true motives.

"My current experimental concept is to combine consciousness archiving technology with mobile simulation combat devices."

He expressed his thoughts slowly and clearly, every word carefully considered:

"The ultimate goal is to create a virtual environment for multi-person consciousness interaction."

"There, wizards can conduct various experiments, exchange knowledge, and even simulate the development process of an entire civilization."

After saying these words, Luo En felt a strange sense of relief.

Even at the last academic review meeting, he had still held back.

This concept had been brewing in his mind for a long time, but he had never expressed it so completely to anyone.

As his voice fell, the surrounding chaos suddenly stopped.

Those swaying islands stabilized again, and the whispering sounds gradually dissipated.

The air returned to normal flow, but Luo En could feel a deeper level of scrutiny taking place.

"Virtual world..."

The voice of the King of Illusions carried a complex emotion, a mixture of surprise, excitement, and deep worry:

"Do you know what you are saying? You want to challenge the authority of reality itself."

He paused for a long time, so long that Luo En almost thought he had left.

When the voice sounded again, it carried a near-mournful color:

"There once existed a civilization that mastered similar technology. They were called the 'Dream-Weaving Civilization', and they could create virtual worlds indistinguishable from reality."

The surrounding scenery began to change, revealing a magnificent and eerie picture:

Huge bio-mechanical structures floated in the void, each the size of a city.

The surfaces of these structures were covered with countless fine neural networks, flashing with electric light representing thought activity.

"Initially, the virtual world was just their auxiliary tool. Researchers conducted dangerous experiments in it, and explorers simulated the exploration of unknown environments."

In the picture, countless tiny points of light flowed through the neural networks, representing tens of millions of consciousnesses active in the virtual environment.

"But gradually, they discovered that the virtual world could be shaped to be more perfect than reality."

"No pain, no death, no restrictions. Why endure the various constraints of the physical world?" The picture changed eerily.

Those areas representing the real world began to dim, while the virtual world parts became brighter and brighter.

The flow of light points also changed.

More and more consciousnesses poured into the virtual area, while the real area gradually became empty.

"In the end, the entire civilization chose collective migration. The consciousnesses of trillions of individuals left their bodies simultaneously and entered the virtual paradise they had created themselves."

Luo En saw the final picture:

Those massive bio-mechanical structures floated quietly in the void, the neural networks on their surfaces flashing with fanatical light.

But beneath them, cities on countless planets were slowly decaying, with bodies that had lost their lives scattered on the streets.

"The maintenance of the virtual paradise required the energy support of the real world. When everyone was immersed in a false perfection, who would maintain those support systems?"

The King of Illusions seemed to be mourning for this civilization:

"The system collapsed after running for a few thousand years. Energy depletion, server overload, maintenance programs failing... The virtual paradise evaporated in an instant, and trillions of consciousnesses dissipated simultaneously."

"Actually, the foundation of this civilization meant it should not have perished so quickly."

The voice of the King of Illusions dropped to a level that was almost inaudible:

"But this complete departure from reality attracted the attention of the Anomaly Catchers. They did not intervene directly; they simply accelerated the system's decay process."

The picture showed some almost imperceptible details:

Those key systems supporting the virtual world experienced subtle "faults" at certain critical moments.

These faults seemed random, but when linked together, they formed a fatal chain reaction.

"Anomaly Catchers rarely act directly," the King of Illusions explained:

"They prefer to let those civilizations that have gone off track head toward self-destruction through subtle intervention. This makes it look like a natural result of development, leaving no traces of intervention."

At the end of the picture, those massive structures dimmed one by one.

There was another silent graveyard in the universe.

"I will keep this warning in mind."

Luo En's voice remained steady, but he had already begun to re-evaluate the risks of his concept:

"Any technology has the potential to be abused; the key is how to design appropriate limiting mechanisms."

He quickly analyzed the reasons for the failure of the Dream-Weaving Civilization in his mind.

The technology itself was not the problem; the problem was how it was used.

If sufficient safety mechanisms could be established, perhaps history could be prevented from repeating itself.

And he had to be extra careful not to let his research appear too... aggressive.

"My original intention was to create an auxiliary tool, not a substitute."

"The virtual environment should serve the research and development of the real world, not become a means of escaping reality."

"Your character of staying calm at all times is indeed quite rare."

The King of Illusions' tone returned to being peaceful:

"Most people, after hearing this warning, either get scared and abandon the entire concept, or stubbornly believe they won't repeat the same mistakes. But you are thinking about how to prevent the tragedy from repeating."

"The key lies in establishing multiple safety mechanisms,"

Luo En continued to analyze:

"Time limits, reality verification, forced return programs..."

"Every consciousness entering the virtual environment must return to the real world periodically to ensure they have not lost the ability to perceive physical existence."

"Moreover, the permissions for the virtual environment should be strictly graded. Core functions can only be controlled by specially trained operators, and ordinary users can only operate in restricted safety areas."

This systematic thinking made the King of Phantasms let out a soft chuckle:

"Very good, it seems you are indeed qualified to come into contact with those dangerous pieces of knowledge."

"Lans's original research notes did indeed record more basic theories of 'Consciousness Weaving', and I have corresponding records here as well."

"But I must warn you, this knowledge will be transmitted to you in... a special way."

"They cannot be obtained through normal channels, because any obvious connection could attract unnecessary attention."

Luo En immediately understood the implication.

Even an existence at the Wizard King level needed to remain cautious in the face of certain higher-level threats.

"Those materials will appear before you disguised in other forms,"

The King of Illusions continued:

"Remember, you must appear as if you discovered this knowledge through your own research."

"I understand."

Luo En nodded to show understanding, while thinking in his mind about how to reasonably "discover" this knowledge:

"The illusion of independent research can protect me. If overly advanced knowledge has no reasonable source, it will instead arouse suspicion."

As the conversation reached this point, the King of Illusions' tone suddenly became exceptionally solemn.

Luo En felt the surrounding pressure rise again.

That pressure from a higher-dimensional existence was as heavy as a mountain range, making every one of his breaths difficult.

"Because you are currently in the midst of it, I must tell you some truths about the current situation."

His voice sounded as if it came from the deepest part of the abyss, every syllable carrying a suffocating weight:

"Cassandra's actions have received secret support from certain ancient existences within the Truth Court."

"This is a deep-level game regarding the development direction of wizard civilization."

Luo En forced himself to remain rational, although his spirit was almost on the verge of collapse under this pressure.

The importance of this news forced him to concentrate all his attention on analysis.

If the Conquest Faction truly had support at the Wizard King level, then the scale and impact of this conflict were far beyond his imagination.

"Specifically, they are actually happy to see this highly expansive status quo."

"Whether a timeline can expand possibilities is more meaningful to the Great Ones than whether it can stably persist."

He paused for a moment, his voice becoming heavier:

"For existences at our level, the rise and fall of a civilization on a single timeline is not an unbearable loss."

"If the current development trajectory is proven to have no future, restarting the process of a certain era is also a necessary move."

This sentence was like a lightning strike, making Luo En feel unprecedented fear.

Restarting an era... What did this mean?

Everything now, all efforts, all emotions, all existence... were just a game that could end at any time?

In the eyes of these ancient existences, the trillions of lives of wizard civilization were nothing more than chess pieces on a board?

"I understand your surprise."

The King of Illusions seemed to perceive his emotional fluctuations:

"But this is the cruelty of reality. On a higher scale, the life and death of a single civilization is just a brief ripple. What truly matters is ensuring that some form of wisdom can continue."

"But you are special."

His emotions became high-spirited again, but the deep meaning contained within made Luo En feel even more uneasy:

"Your soul has a certain trait that transcends constraints."

"Even if history is restarted, some of your core memories and characteristics may be preserved. This makes you a... valuable variable."

Outsider... The other party mentioned this word again.

"Do not dwell too much on the question of origins."

The King of Illusions' voice interrupted his thoughts:

"What is important is how to utilize this trait. You need to accumulate enough power and influence as quickly as possible to be able to sway the development direction of civilization at critical moments."

"Besides this, you must also pay attention to cultivating some true abilities that can survive a 'restart'."

"Deep knowledge mastery, strong soul structure, connection with higher-dimensional existences... these can all become your amulets."

The dream began to show signs of instability.

The basic elements that made up this consciousness space began to become transparent, and the whole world was slowly melting.

Luo En could feel a huge pulling force trying to pull his consciousness back to the real world.

Clearly, this cross-dimensional exchange was about to end.

"Finally, some advice from a predecessor."

The King of Illusions' voice became more distant, but exceptionally clear:

"No matter what difficulties you face, do not give up your thirst for knowledge."

"Only absolute wisdom can find a way out in eternal chaos;"

"Only unshakable power can create hope in inevitable despair."

"In this dangerous universe, true power does not lie in controlling others, but in controlling one's own destiny."

"Only when you jump off the chessboard can you truly become a chess player."

With the end of this sentence, the entire dream world began to collapse rapidly.

Luo En opened his eyes abruptly, finding himself still lying in that airtight sleep pod.

The rune stickers around him were still flickering with a faint protective light, and the smell of disinfectant filled the air.

Everything looked normal, as if the experience just now was just an ordinary dream.

But he knew, that was definitely not a dream.

The information revealed by the King of Illusions completely changed his perception of the current situation.

The struggle between the Conquest Faction and the Traditional Faction was just a surface phenomenon of a larger game.

At a higher level, the Great Ones were deciding the fate of the entire civilization.

And he, a soul from outside the realm, had been drawn into this sandbox game that could decide the survival of trillions of lives.

Yes... listening to the King of Illusions, the era restart of wizard civilization was like a sandbox that could be repeatedly knocked down and rebuilt to them.

Luo En sat up slowly, pressing his temples lightly.

Although the exchange just now took place at the consciousness level, the pressure from the higher-dimensional existence still left traces in the depths of his spirit.

The dawn of morning began to spill into the room through the observation window of the sleep pod, and a new day was about to begin.

But for Luo En, this was not just a continuation of time, but the beginning of a brand new stage.

He had clearer goals, more feasible plans, and... a deeper sense of crisis.

(End of chapter)