Elegy from Another World

This time, it didn't disappear as quickly as before. Its scorpion-shaped brain remained still, as if waiting for me to digest this explosive information. I forced myself to detach from the shock of the virtual world and re-examine its words. A more specific and cruel question surfaced in my mind.

"Besides me," I looked to the other side, my voice a little hoarse, "Dr. Jie Zhou... has he deployed other 'tools' like me in this world?"

"Yes." The other's thoughts remained completely calm. "Including you, there are a total of sixteen observation units, codenamed 'Jasmine' 1 to 16."

Sixteen… My heart sank. “How…are they now?”

[Most have lost their functionality.] The statement, once again cold and detached, read like a lab report: [Number 3 was imprisoned as a plaything by a lord; Number 7 was imprisoned and burned by a mob in the initial village (despite repeated resurrections); Number 11 fell into an underground labyrinth and was devoured by monsters… Due to their immortality bound to the 'Jasmine' container, most of them, through repeated torture, death, and rebirth, have suffered complete mental breakdown and lost their ability to effectively collect data.]

A chill ran down my spine. Imagining the other fifteen "me"s, starting from the same point, yet falling into different hells, enduring endless suffering… I couldn't help but ask: "Knowing their plight, Dr. Jiezhou… or you, why didn't you go and save them?"

"Because it's worthless." Fang's answer was concise and cruel: "A collapsed consciousness cannot provide effective observational data. The investment of resources needs to be calculated for return."

"How cruel..." I muttered subconsciously, feeling a wave of nausea.

"That's what they wanted too," Fang suddenly added.

"What did you say?" I looked up abruptly.

[Do you remember the contract you heard when you 'died'?] His gaze seemed to pierce through me once more. ['Do you want immortality? Do you want to go to another world?']

I froze, long-buried memories flooding back like a tidal wave. At the bedside, that voice, seemingly from the depths of my soul… “So… that voice… it was you… or Dr. Jie Zhou?”

Yes. This is yet another confirmation. You answered "yes" and promised to give "everything." That's the price. They did the same, voluntarily signing this contract that traded "everything" for a slim hope. This was their choice, and the trajectory of their destiny.

I fell silent. Yes, who could have imagined that exchanging "everything" wouldn't lead to a smooth path to eternity and fantasy, but instead to becoming a expendable resource in a cold experiment, struggling in a virtual purgatory? That resentment and determination before death ultimately led to such an ironic end. Because of Tia, because of Utopia, because of a series of unfortunate encounters, I've managed to stay conscious and even made it to this day, but what about the other "Jasmines"? Have their "everything" already been worn away in endless cycles of reincarnation?

At this point, Zoemeem, Kavey, and Edsys also roughly understood the gravity of the situation. A new, real question confronted them: should the "truth" of this world be revealed to the four thousand inhabitants of Utopia?

A few of us in the know held a brief vote. Ultimately, considering the potential panic, despair, and even the complete collapse of our belief system that the truth might bring, we unanimously decided—to keep it a secret for now. This meant that, in order to prevent them from discovering the secrets hidden in our hearts through our symbiotic network, we had to proactively sever our deep spiritual connection with them, at least until we could fully control our thoughts. A new barrier, based on information control, quietly emerged.

About an hour later, the previously silent Zhuofang spoke again: "The time has come."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Go out and take a look." After saying that, its figure disappeared again as if it had merged into the air.

Filled with doubt, I boarded a helicopter and left Utopia, flying towards the outside world. When I flew over the area that had been destroyed by the "Guardians," I was shocked by what I saw—the cities and villages that had been reduced to nothingness had now been restored to their original state! The buildings were intact, and the streets were crisscrossed, as if the previous destruction was just a nightmare.

I lowered the helicopter to a higher altitude, trying to get a better look. Soon, I noticed something unusual: at some key locations, clusters of… random code were floating. But their color was no longer the scarlet red representing slaughter; instead, it was a soft, almost transparent sky blue. Even more surprisingly, around these blue random codes, several figures were gathered, dressed in various styles of equipment, looking like… players?

I approached cautiously. The people on the ground noticed the helicopter, and one of them, who seemed to be the leader, looked up and waved in a friendly manner. I landed, and as soon as I stepped out of the cabin, the man approached me with a kind smile: "Need any help, Awakened One?"

"Awakened Ones?" I caught this unfamiliar term. "Who are you?"

“We are player representatives,” he explained, “volunteers who have come to help self-aware programmed individuals like you, the ‘Awakeners.’ We are willing to provide food, shelter, and other necessary support.” As he spoke, he snapped his fingers, and a beautifully packaged box of food appeared out of thin air in his hand.

Seeing this scene that defied the laws of physics, the last shred of hope in my heart vanished. Ah, it really was all just a game after all.

Soon after, the refugees from Utopia and members of the caravan led by Yisen cautiously emerged. The player representatives didn't reveal the truth about the world, but instead reassured everyone with a more palatable explanation: "We are messengers sent by God to rescue those in distress."

That's for the best. For these ordinary people who have just experienced the destruction of their homes, a hopeful "miracle" can offer them more comfort and the courage to live on than a cruel "truth."

However, looking at this "repaired" world before me, at the enthusiastic "player representatives," and at my companions gradually regaining their vitality, my heart was filled with indescribable, complex feelings. The foundation of all of this was illusory. Everything I cherished could be modified or erased at any moment by a string of code.

A few days later, I finally couldn't hold back any longer and found a seemingly composed player representative to ask the question that had been lingering in my mind ever since I learned the truth:

"Is it possible for us... the 'Awakened Ones'... to leave this 'world' and go to... other worlds?"