Infinite Terror: Infinite Reversal

Chapter 538 Conflict... and Beast Fighting
“The starry sky in this world is real,” Mu Xiang said, sitting opposite Zheng Zha.

Zheng Zha scratched his head: "Although we don't have to fight today... what does that have to do with what we need to do right now?"

"I've said what I wanted to say, what should I say?" Mu Xiang rolled his eyes, then looked at Luo Gan and said, "Don't be nervous, you can walk around a bit and get some exercise."

Luo Gandao hummed in agreement for a while, got up and took a few perfunctory steps, then plopped back down on his seat.

Mu Xiang and Zheng Zha exchanged a glance, both somewhat helpless: "You're still nervous?"

Luo Gandao said with a wry smile, "I've only been training for less than two months, and Alexei is already putting me on the field. How can I not be nervous?"

"Damn, you've only had less than two months of training, and you're already a Mechanical Dragon and ready to fight? And you're already nervous?" Zheng Zha slammed his hand on the table, almost losing his composure. "Don't you think it's the opponent who should be nervous?"

Luo Gandao whispered, "Didn't you also become Mechanical Dragons in less than two months?"

Zheng Zha couldn't help but cover his face: "Who are we, and who are you... You were injected with the T-virus serum, but you still haven't officially unlocked your genetic lock. Your learning speed is purely due to yourself! We forcibly mastered it through our realm and physical functions. How can that be the same?"

Mu Xiang pushed up his glasses: "Don't be nervous. You can think of it this way... Anyway, you're not an ally, so there's no loss if you really lose."

Luo Gandao paused for a moment, then shook his head with a smile: "No, if I lose, wouldn't I be letting you down?" His words were half serious and half joking, and it was hard to tell how much of it was true or false.

"So you already know the answer in your heart, don't you?" Mu Xiang smiled. "Just follow your own thoughts. With your level, you shouldn't let this kind of tension affect your performance."

[In fact... you're more excited than nervous.]

Luo Gandao nodded, then sat down and waited for the staff to call him to check in.

Mu Xiang tapped the table, drawing Zheng Zha's attention back: "Let's continue with the previous topic... It seems you don't know what this means."

Zheng Zha coughed and said, "I was just saying it offhand. Go ahead and talk, I'm listening."

Zhao Yingkong closed the book in her hand and turned her gaze to Mu Xiang.

"Under normal circumstances, what is the most important thing for a plane?" Mu Xiang stared at Zheng Zha. "You've been to the Abyss with me, so you should be able to answer that."

Zheng Zha swallowed the word "human" that was about to be eaten, then revealed a confident expression: "Civilization!"

Mu Xiang snapped his fingers: "Correct! Civilizational progress is the driving force behind dimensional advancement. Now, let me ask you another question. You've played quite a few games, so you probably understand what I mean... How are game graphics presented?"

Zheng Zha paused for a moment: "No... uh, real-time rendering, right?"

“That’s right, this real-time rendering is for the player, you understand?” Mu Xiang nodded. “So, what’s outside your viewpoint, does it actually exist?”

Zheng Zha pondered for a moment: "Although we are a reincarnation team... in reality, it doesn't exist in the literal sense. Only when I shift my perspective will the things there appear." "Right, that makes it easier to understand the relationship between civilization and planes." Mu Xiang shrugged. "Normally, the size of a plane depends on the level of that civilization. Any civilization that wants to develop and prosper must go through the processes of formation, consolidation, and expansion, and this cycle continues. Thus, civilizations leave their homeland, explore new continents, explore extraterrestrial space, and even break out of the solar system."

Zheng Zha frowned; he had already sensed something was amiss…

"Is this related to the size of the plane? Does the level of a civilization's understanding and technology cause the plane to expand? So, the progress of civilization is the driving force for the advancement of planes, is that what it actually means?"

Zhao Yingkong also stared at Mu Xiang, seemingly waiting for his answer.

Mu Xiang nodded: "That's right. If the only civilization in a plane is confined to Earth itself, then that plane might only be as big as the solar system... or even smaller."

Zheng Zha was stunned for a moment, then slammed his hand on the table: "Then... does that mean the starry sky outside the solar system is all an illusion?"

“Yes, those are just projections.” Mu Xiang pushed up his glasses.

“Projection… But in our 21st century, no, the 20th century, didn’t we launch spacecraft to venture beyond the solar system? It’s not surprising that the starry sky of this world isn’t a projection,” Zheng Zha said.

Mu Xiang shook his head: "No... Just because those spacecraft went to outer space doesn't mean that human technology can take human civilization to farther places. Don't you think that whether the stars outside are real or not doesn't affect the spacecraft?"

"Uh, it really does seem like... like the void beyond the game's boundaries? Going any further in is completely meaningless." Zheng Zha frowned again, finally resignedly unlocking his genetic lock. "Then what's the principle behind this dimensional expansion?"

“When a civilization reaches a sufficient level, it will integrate this plane into a larger universe plane. This is plane advancement.” Mu Xiang shrugged. “Every plane advancement will cause the old principles of civilization to shatter and the new principles of civilization to form. However, the principles of civilization itself are without thought or consciousness and do not care about these things at all... Only plane advancement is a real benefit.”

Zheng Zha nodded: "I remember you mentioned these things when you returned to 'The Terrifying Black Hole'... At that time, Nordens said that those creatures came from outer space. You didn't believe it because you were certain that the world was an Earth world, not a larger universe, right?"

“That’s right… Of course, some worlds are inherently much larger than a solar system.” Mu Xiang smiled. “But, considering the anomalies in this world and the hints from the main god, it’s best to treat the ‘Mechanical Dragon’ world as a gradually growing plane.”

“Wait a minute,” Zheng Zha’s heart skipped a beat. “You mean, you’re treating this world as a gradually growing plane, and the world outside the solar system is also real… Doesn’t that mean that the people of this 26th-century plane should have already gone outside the solar system? But we haven’t found any trace of that.”

Mu Xiang pushed up his glasses, a cold glint in his eyes: "That's why I said, our actions on Earth are predicated on us being monitored... Since the humans of this world have already gone beyond the solar system and entered a larger cosmic plane, why are they only staying on Earth now?"

"After confirming there were no anomalies outside Earth last night, I left the solar system... It turns out that the stars outside the solar system really exist in this world. If I wanted, I could even absorb stars from outside."

"All of this goes against the current state of Earth, doesn't it... Take a large universe like Starship Troopers, for example. Humanity leaves Earth from the core of the original plane and goes to conquer outer space, where they encounter other civilizations like the Zerg. This is what a large universe should be like: different civilizations fighting on a new stage to determine the new ruler."

"The current situation can only be explained by one thing... that the clash of civilizations has come to an end."

"Humans on Earth... are domesticated fighting beasts!"

(End of this chapter)