Did the world end today?

Chapter 380 The Religious World
"Puzzle World??"

After Jiang Xingye finished speaking, Lin Xu froze on the spot.

This wasn't the first time he'd heard this word.

Whether it was Yu Shiliang, Qin Shizhong, or Ivan, they all mentioned this world.

But from beginning to end, he still couldn't figure out what form this world took, or what it had to do with dimensional ascension.

And now, it seems that this mystery is finally about to be solved.

"Yes."

Jiang Xingye replied:

"It was a world like a jigsaw puzzle."

"The entire world is divided into different experimental zones by a series of limiters."

"Within each experimental zone, people used different methods to verify different possibilities of dimensional ascension."

"This is an enhanced version of the brute-force solution."

"The people of that world were unable to grasp information about other worlds by adapting to higher dimensions, so they actively fragmented their own world, dividing it into different control groups."

"And that is their ultimate goal."

"Verify the reverse mapping pattern."

Before Jiang Xingye could finish speaking, Lin Xu interrupted him.

Upon hearing his answer, Jiang Xingye's face instantly showed a look of surprise.

"You already know?"

The last time they met, they had just discussed the goal of exploring the "boundaries," but the next time they met, Lin Xu had already given the answer before she had even offered any clues.
Logically speaking, every different world should be his source of information.

But now, it seems he has gradually begun to move faster than the world he inhabits.

Seeing Jiang Xingye's expression, Lin Xu nodded slightly.

“We have unraveled the secrets of that ‘border ghost’—or rather, glimpsed its true nature to some extent.”

"It is most likely a special state composed of topological defects; it should not even be a living, conscious individual."

"But what exactly it is, we don't know yet."

"Most likely, that's just some kind of intermediate code?"

"Very close."

Jiang Xingye let out a heavy sigh.

"In the eyes of the civilization that created the puzzle world, it was once a god."

"god?"

Lin Xu was stunned for a moment.

"How could something like this be a god?"

"Perhaps calling him God wouldn't be accurate either."

Jiang Xingye shrugged.

"It's probably something similar to 'Cthulhu'."

"Specific content"

"Come, let's see how this world has developed."

As he spoke, Jiang Xingye gently waved his arm.

The next moment, the landscape of the puzzle world's development began to unfold before Lin Xu.
In ancient times, newly born Homo sapiens awoke in caves.

The light and heat from the flames temporarily melted the snow at the cave entrance, and a priest wearing a feathered crown emerged from the cave, drawing a complex incantation on the muddy ground.

His eyes were filled with awe, even fear.

His hands trembled uncontrollably as he drew the final stroke of the talisman.

The priest uttered some incoherent, unintelligible sounds.

He was praying for blessings from the gods of the "border," praying for the ice and snow to melt and for spring to return to the earth.

He didn't know what the outcome of his prayer would be. In the memories passed down through generations, praying to the gods occasionally received a response, but most of the time, it brought terrible consequences. No priest would attempt such a risky ritual unless absolutely necessary.

But now he has no other choice.

The persistent low temperatures and snow have brought the entire tribe to the brink of collapse. If the harsh winter doesn't end soon, everyone in the tribe will be buried in the snow.

The last syllable of the prayer has been sung, and the final stroke of the incantation has been completed.

The "border spirits" did not react.

This even relieved the priest.

Perhaps, no reaction is the best reaction.

He returned to the cave with a hint of regret, and met the disappointed gazes of the tribespeople with nothing but a silent shake of his head.

After all, not every priestly act will be effective.

People seem to have gotten used to this outcome.
-
However, this time, things seem a little different.

Just when everyone was ready to accept their fate, the situation suddenly changed.

The thick, leaden clouds in the sky were instantly dispersed—no, perhaps it's not accurate to say they were dispersed.

They just vanished into thin air.

The sun was blazing hot in the clear sky.

The snow on the ground began to melt at an unprecedented rate, and the meltwater gathered into rivers that washed over the muddy ground, carrying mud and stones as they rolled down.

This near-miraculous scene drew gasps of amazement from everyone in the cave. Surrounded by admirers, the priest stepped forward.

But at this moment, his face looked extremely pale.

He could vaguely sense that his prayers had been answered.

But it wasn't exactly the response I wanted.

Something bad is about to happen.

And the consequences it brings may even be more serious than the cold itself.
-
On this very day, the "Age of Purgatory" began in this world.
The decades-long heatwave nearly destroyed all of human civilization until another priest re-established contact with the "Boundary Gods" through some unknown means, finally bringing an end to the disaster.

At this point, people finally reached a unified understanding.

The “boundary” does exist, and within the boundary, there exists a deity with whom one can communicate and even respond to prayers.

However, his feedback is chaotic and random, and while "fulfilling wishes," it often brings completely unpredictable consequences.

Based on this characteristic, all those in positions of authority who "understand the gods" established a common rule.

That is, unless it is a critical period of life and death, no one is allowed to communicate with the border without authorization.

This rule has gained the approval of the vast majority of people, but to maintain the rule, a more robust constraint mechanism must be established.

Religion emerged and began to develop rapidly.

But unlike the religions that Lin Xu was familiar with, even though "classical science" was constantly developing, the authority of religion itself was never questioned.

Because the "boundary" itself often displays its miracles in its own unique way.

Time quickly moved on to 1500 years later. During this period of 1,500 years, due to the ideological control brought about by religion, human society developed extremely slowly.

Lin Xu even thought at one point that this civilization had come to an end.

It is difficult for it to break free from the shackles of religion and move forward.
-
Until 1550.

A high-ranking clergyman named "Calvin" first put forward an idea.

他 说:

"The gods may not reside on the borders."

"The gods reside in heaven, and as the oracle says, there is a blurred boundary between heaven and earth."

"It is this boundary that hinders our communication with the divine and distorts the divine response to the prayers of believers."

This viewpoint was instantly recognized by almost everyone, including church leaders.

Because it not only did not break the divinity of the gods, nor did it shake the old foundation of rule, but it also perfected the divinity of the gods in another special way.

At this point, all the doubts about the gods have been answered, and those "false theists" can no longer contend with true theists.

The civilization of this world has embarked on the study of the essence of boundaries in a bizarre and distorted way.
(End of this chapter)