I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

[There was only one spot available for uploading this time, what a pity]

If we had discovered these things sooner, would Dad and Mom still be alive...?

I can't wait to try uploading it. To relinquish the physical body and attain eternity—what a wonderful thing that is!

[Old Zhang actually used his connections to get his son uploaded ahead of time! What kind of nonsense is this?!]

Tomorrow I will undergo a transformation, hoping to be reborn and go to a new world.

Looking at these words and thinking about what they were actually going to do, Shuangxin felt a chill run down her spine, as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

"There's another copy here; it must have been made after that incident."

Lu Ban flipped to another report, which showed that three months had passed since the humans of this world turned into the insect swarm.

The report was incomplete, riddled with typos, and incoherent, clearly written in a very rushed manner.

[...A major problem has arisen. Because the humans who uploaded their consciousness gained near-eternal life, some of these new humans have developed a special kind of consciousness, which was unforeseen beforehand.]

They believe that if all of humanity were to transform into a new kind of human, the sheer number of such beings would create an infinite demand for environmental and cosmic resources, potentially leading to a severe shortage of resources for the new human population.

It must be said that, while our assessment of metamorphosis is not wrong from a scientific theoretical perspective, from a humanistic point of view, we have overlooked an important fact: humanity is not yet ready to face the boundless universe, nor is it ready to face immortality.

Although some of the new humans have already traveled to new universes via bridges, a resource crisis still looms over humanity, and related conflicts have intensified over the past month.

Finally, in the early hours of this morning, a group of people who had transformed into new humans reached a consensus with a group of old humans, and they found a solution to the resource shortage problem.

The answer is simple: let the new humans devour the old humans.

Since the consciousness of the devoured merges with that of the devourer, this method of having new humans devour old humans and merge their consciousnesses, without increasing the number of new humans, can maximize resource conservation. Furthermore, a smaller number of new humans will make it easier for them to make decisions during future expeditions.

The plan is divided into three phases.

First, identify the last group of humans to undergo transformation, and then gather the remaining old humans together for subsequent actions.

[The second step, a year-long process of devouring, will proceed simultaneously in every corner of this disaster-ravaged planet. This is the destruction of the old era, and the rebirth of the new. In addition, for safety reasons, those suffering from crystallization disease will not be included in this process, considering the potential mental pollution it may cause. These individuals will remain in their respective shelters to await the end of this planet.]

Of course, some new humans believe that patients with Crystallization Disease are also human and have the same right to undergo transformation. Therefore, these new humans believe that Crystallization Disease patients should also be devoured, and their unplanned actions have never ceased.

Finally, after the absorption is complete, the new humans will cross the bridge to a new world and find a new home. This will be humanity's attempt to leave its cradle and venture into the stars, and it will be the largest expedition in human history.

[A celebration of humanity's ability to find a way to be reborn in such a short time]

Starting tomorrow, this operation, codenamed the Great Purge, will begin. Tens of thousands of people will wait in World Square to receive the first wave of indoctrination.

I will also join in this cause, wishing for the eternal existence of humanity and the continued flame of civilization.

"..."

Upon seeing this, Shuangxin's eyes lost all their light.

She had imagined several possible endings, such as humans turning into a swarm of insects and losing control, leading to chaos in the world, and humans putting up a stubborn resistance, which ultimately resulted in this outcome.

But she never imagined that humans would willingly be devoured by the swarm of insects.

Even the insect swarms left on the ground probably didn't aim to kill these patients with crystallization disease, but rather to merge their consciousness and take them to distant stars.

Those rampaging swarms of insects, those monsters that devour humans, are all there to save the remaining humans.

Shuangxin felt her brain buzzing. Her past understanding collapsed at this moment. All her efforts had been in vain. In fact, she was the one going against the tide.

Without her research and without the resistance of the city-states, perhaps humanity, perhaps everyone, could have achieved happiness.

She felt her vision go black, her legs went weak, and she collapsed to her knees.

Lu Ban put down the report and remained silent.

From a human perspective, patients with crystallization disease are certainly his kind.

But without a doubt, in this wasteland world, the insect swarm is the true "human."

Of course, Lu Ban's goal remained unchanged: to obtain the Heart of the Swarm.

Therefore, he still needs to find those swarms of insects.

He continued searching through the reports, and soon Lu Ban found the structural diagram of this industrial park.

On this, Lu Ban noticed a very obvious landmark.

The building is called the Incubator.

Chapter 499 First Consciousness Upload, Beginning

Lu Ban wasn't sure what the incubation room was used for, but a strong premonition told him that he would definitely find something there.

He glanced at Shuangxin, who, who had been calm and composed, now had unfocused eyes and seemed at a loss for what to do.

"Go and inform the singers about this situation first. I'll go check out the incubation room."

Lu Ban said.

"...It's no use anymore, let's just leave it at that."

Shuangxin ignored Lu Ban.

"It's all in vain now. Humans can't defeat the swarm. We can only wait here for them to eat us up and turn us into part of the swarm. Maybe it's because we, the crippled ones, are holding them back that humans haven't completely left this place yet. What home, what cradle, it's all a lie."

Her mindset had changed, and although she didn't want to admit it, Shuangxin was very conflicted.

On the one hand, common sense, based on her years of experience, tells her that she is human and that she should fight for everyone suffering from crystallization disease.

On the other hand, what Shuangxin saw before her told her that they were the scum of humanity, the burden of humanity, and humans who had not yet evolved and would eventually be eliminated.

Driven by human instinct, she refused to call the swarm of insects true humans, yet everything indicated that they were the true human race, and she was nothing more than a worthless wretch clinging to life.

Originally, it was already extremely difficult for patients with crystallization disease to resist those swarms of insects, and they were no match for them in terms of combat power. Now, even the last bit of faith that sustained them—the righteous cause of saving humanity—has disappeared.

They are the evil ones, they are the ones who should be expelled, they are the ones who need to be eliminated.

Under such an impact, those who were previously resolute are more likely to lose their rationality.

Simply put, Frostheart has given up.

They can't win a fight, they can't run away, and they're on the side where they're in the wrong.

Why bother fighting? Just set things up.

Perhaps due to a mental breakdown, or perhaps due to the pollution brought about by these past histories, Shuangxin's rationality has been stimulated and may have even decreased significantly.

As a result, mania, despair, and depression are common symptoms.

Seeing this, Lu Ban knew that he couldn't persuade this guy with just words.

Without hesitation, he materialized a silver pen [Last Words] in his right hand and came to Frostheart's side.

"what are you up to?"

Shuangxin was confused. She couldn't see the pen in Lu Ban's hand, but she could see Lu Ban's hand gently placed on her forehead.

Then I wrote two words.

【calm】.

Shuangxin immediately felt the mania and anxiety surrounding her disappear.

Although she still didn't know what to do, at least she didn't have time to overthink things now.

"Go back and find the singers, I'm going to the incubation room, understand? If you understand, blink."

Lu Ban stroked Shuang Xin's head, bent down like he was talking to a kindergarten student, and asked at eye level.

Shuangxin nodded.

"It seems you didn't understand."

Lu Ban prepared to write again.

"I see!"

Shuangxin shook off Lu Ban's hand and stood up.

She rubbed her eyes, feeling completely drained, as if she had just run more than ten kilometers in the desert, and was close to collapsing.

"Can you walk?"

Lu Ban glanced at her still trembling legs.

"no problem."

Shuangxin tried her best to calm herself down and took two deep breaths.

He then took a step and walked step by step towards the outside of the ruins.

Seeing this, Lu Ban did not stop and headed towards the incubation room, while also taking stock of the current situation.

There are currently three factions in the wasteland.

One is the swarm of insects, which are the new humans transformed from the old humans. These swarms are enormous and may have already launched a great expedition to interstellar or even alien realms. Those left on this planet are moving to devour the humans suffering from crystallization disease.

One is a group of humans suffering from crystallization disease. They have been barely surviving since those disasters, their civilization has degenerated, and they are in grave danger of facing the shortage of desert resources and the invasion of insect swarms.

Finally, there are the robots, who inherit the ideas of the old era and have been watching over humanity in the desert.

This was the first time Lu Ban had encountered such a situation.

He didn't know how humanity should define whether the species that dominates this world should be considered the main body of civilization.

Lu Ban's principle is simple: he values ​​cultural identity. If people can mutually recognize each other's culture, values, goals, ideals, and pursuits, then they are partners.

If an eight-legged species in a world supports each other, treats people kindly, is positive and optimistic, and treats the world and other creatures with kindness, then Lu Ban wouldn't mind becoming friends with them.

But if a species in a world that looks similar to a human sees Lu Ban and wants to have babies with him, and even tries to eat Lu Ban in various ways, then sorry, that's not human.

Clearly, the swarm of insects that once tried to devour him was not an ally to Lu Ban.

The main structure of the incubation chamber is located underground.

The above-ground portion has been almost completely destroyed; the damage here is far more severe than in other places, as if it had been swept away by a flood or storm.

Lu Ban walked down the stairs and saw a mess downstairs, as if it had been chewed by a dog.

Fortunately, the incubation room is still intact.

It was a spacious, circular room with gray-white walls and floors.

The ground in the middle was full of potholes, as if it had been hit by something.