Elegy from Another World

"What other worlds?" The player representative didn't seem to understand my question.

I organized my thoughts, trying to use terms they could understand: "It's... beyond this 'game world' we're in. Like... the wider internet? The ocean of data? Is it possible to get there?"

"Oh! You mean accessing the lower-level network protocol layer, or even exploring other independent server clusters or virtual spaces?" The player representative suddenly realized and nodded. "Of course! Although there are certain risks for 'Awakeners,' such as data loss or encountering firewalls, it is technically entirely feasible."

He seemed very enthusiastic: "Do you need to connect equipment? We can provide technical support to help you establish a stable 'exit'."

"Thank you, we need it." I nodded solemnly.

The player representatives were incredibly efficient. Just a few days later, a strangely shaped, complex device made of unidentified metals and crystal components was transported to the entrance of Utopia. It resembled an enormous, circular portal frame inlaid with countless luminous tubes, its central area shimmering with a faint stream of data light.

We carried the heavy device into the research area inside the base. Only Edsis, Xiao Pei, and I remained to participate in the research (Selebreth was assisting as a subsystem). Tia? The player representatives, using their "administrator privileges," miraculously "resurrected" her parents—or rather, read the backup data and reconstructed two NPCs with complete memories. At this moment, Tia and her sister Tina were enjoying the peace and warmth of their rekindled family in their perfectly restored farmhouse. I didn't want to disturb her; this tranquility was too important to her.

We began to focus our efforts on studying the device that Xiao Pei had named the "Net Beacon." After repeated adjustments and energy injections, the stream of light at the center of the device gradually stabilized and expanded, eventually being emitted and forming a stable "gate" in front of us, emitting a faint blue light.

On the other side of the door, there was not a specific scene as one might imagine, but an endless expanse of darkness. But this darkness was not nothingness; suspended within it were countless spheres of varying sizes, emitting a soft white light. These white spheres were like stars in the universe, but they did not exist in isolation. They were connected to each other by countless delicate and bright white threads, forming a vast and intricate network that seemed to stretch to the horizon.

"A zero-gravity environment, similar to a vacuum in space, has been detected, but some kind of medium supporting information transmission exists," Xiao Pei reported, relaying the data from the unmanned reconnaissance aircraft. We released several small reconnaissance aircraft into the room. They floated lightly in the darkness, flying towards the nearest white sphere.

When the reconnaissance aircraft made contact with and merged into the white sphere, the transmitted images were exhilarating—it was a completely new world! The images presented a strange spectacle: the sky was pale purple, dotted with crystal-like clouds; the earth was covered by some kind of luminescent vegetation, forming winding rivers of light; and some never-before-seen, translucent jellyfish-like creatures swam in the air. Although the environment was vastly different, the reconnaissance aircraft confirmed the existence of stable physical laws and explorable space.

"It seems to be feasible indeed!" Edseys's voice was filled with excitement. "These white spheres may be the 'nodes' leading to different virtual worlds, and those threads are the 'data pathways' connecting them."

"So, the next goal is clear," I took a deep breath, "to permanently install this 'Network Beacon' on Utopia! We need to make the entire base capable of traversing the 'Network'!"

However, the project proved far more difficult than anticipated. What was once a densely populated utopia was now reduced to just the two of us, Edsys and me, possessing highly autonomous actions and thoughts. Xiaopei was the management program, and Salebreit was the subsystem, so almost all the arduous installation, debugging, and energy connection work fell to the four of us. The energy supply for the pleasure converter also became a problem; previously relying on the contributions of numerous residents, now it depended primarily on me… This process is truly indescribable to outsiders.

It took us a full month to successfully integrate the "Network Beacon" into the main structure of Utopia and ensure its stable operation. During that month, I looked out the window—the once dangerous and unknown wilderness, now, thanks to the "repair" and "maintenance" of the player representatives, had become as "safe" and "harmonious" as a meticulously maintained theme park. The real "Utopia" seemed to no longer exist in this pre-planned world.

"The name Utopia may be a thing of the past," I said softly. This place is no longer a refuge from despair, but more like a comfortable cage.

"According to the database, there is an ancient language in this world," Xiaobei suggested. "The word 'Dre' means 'sanctuary' or 'ark.' I think this name is very suitable for us now."

The Dree... the Shelter. I nodded: "Okay, let's call it the Dree then."

Everything was ready. A massive "Network Beacon" stood in the Drei's "Communications" hall, its eerie blue light illuminating the empty metal walls. I stood before the beacon, with Edseysis behind me, our consciousnesses connected to Little Paradox and Salbreth.

I turned around, looked at my only remaining companions who had supported me all the way to this point (even though two of them were not in human form), and asked them my final question:

"The door can be opened, but at the end of the road may lie a new world, or it may lie unknown dangers. So everyone..."

My gaze swept over them.

"Would you like to come with me?"