"Because they recognize that Paradise's extre worldview is flawed, the Escape World won't tread the sa path. They will pursue developnt and reform, making their worldview relatively normal."
"As for the worlds below, they should also be part of this history of developnt, and the Seventh World is the culmination of that history."
The conductor said the Seventh World was once a perfect world; this history of developnt had been a success.
But under Earth's curse, the Seventh World changed, even eting a destructive end.
"These are just my speculations," Gu Mian said, lowering the handbook. "The connections between these worlds are too obvious; I couldn't help but speculate."
Fatty, sweeping up glass shards with a broom, asked, "If all these worlds are connected as part of a history of developnt, then is it possible that these seven worlds are the sa world, just at different points in ti? A single world that developed from the Second World to the Old World, then Paradise, then underwent a turning point, and eventually developed into the Seventh World. Could these seven different tis have beco seven distinct worlds?"
Gu Mian shook his head. "That's unlikely. Ti is irreversible. If they were different tis of the sa world, the Seventh World's collapse wouldn't affect the other worlds. Since the Seventh World is at the end of this tiline, it can't affect earlier tis."
To ensure Fatty understood, Gu Mian thoughtfully added an example, "For instance, if Xiao Hong ate you tomorrow, the 'you' of right now wouldn't be affected by that event."
Such an easy-to-understand and imrsive example, Fatty thought, silently inching away from Xiao Hong.
"Although these worlds are connected, they are not the sa world at different tis," Gu Mian speculated. "They might have a derivative relationship."
As he spoke, he turned to Chu Changge. "As soone from a Low-Dinsional World, do you have any insights into these worlds?"
Chu Changge shook his head slightly. "I don't know much about these worlds; I barely know my own."
That was understandable, given he spent most of his ti in a laboratory and rarely went outside.
"Although I have no clues about these worlds, I do recognize soone from the conductor's manual," Chu Changge suddenly said.
Fatty was imdiately intrigued. He clutched his broom, his face alight with curiosity.
"I encountered the Evil God in the previous instance," Chu Changge said, pushing up his glasses.
Fatty recalled the manual's contents. "Is that the high-level NPC the conductor ntioned, the one darting all over the place?"
Gu Mian's focus was different. "In the Judge instance?"
He had only heard the Evil God's na from Lu Yi; he never expected Chu Changge to have actually t him.
Chu Changge nodded. "Yes."
"Well, damn," Fatty exclaid, waving his broom slightly. "I didn't expect you, Brother Chu, to know this person... Wait, why didn't you tell us? Doctor, you didn't know either, did you?"
Gu Mian raised his hand. "I didn't know."
Chu Changge was always like a closed book; he wouldn't reveal anything unless asked directly.
Chu Changge, however, appeared unperturbed as he continued, "He is the top NPC of Paradise and knows everything about that world."
Yes, that's what Xingyun had told too, Gu Mian recalled.
The Evil God was a key figure in the Fourth World, Paradise, and knew many secrets. He most likely knew what was happening with those people similar to Gu Mian.
As a top NPC, he might also know how to delay Earth's curse.
"He's looking for you," Chu Changge said, looking at Gu Mian, "but I don't know why."
Fatty pondered. "Doctor, you really are a special existence. Even a top-tier NPC from the Low-Dinsional World is looking for you. I'm really curious about your true identity."
Gu Mian, however, had another question. "How did you et him?"
"I saw him once when I was in the Second World," Chu Changge began slowly. "It was said he was looking for soone."
"This Evil God is always looking for soone," Fatty grumbled. "If it's not this person, it's that one. Seems like he has a lot of free ti."
So the Evil God had been drifting between worlds even back then, Gu Mian mused.
Chu Changge continued, "Actually, you've all t him."
Gu Mian looked at Chu Changge. We have?
"Xu Xingcheng," Chu Changge said a na. "Xu Xingcheng is his alter ego."
Gu Mian, of course, rembered him. Xu Xingcheng had first appeared in the haunted school instance and then again in the Close Your Eyes instance.
He'd initially thought the instances were just reusing character assets, but it seed that wasn't the case at all.
It was worth noting that this NPC, Xu Xingcheng, had been so cowardly in the Close Your Eyes instance that he didn't fit the 'Evil God' moniker in the slightest.
Fatty had died early in that instance, but he searched his limited mories and asked, "I rember that guy. He was even more cowardly than I am! Could he really be the Evil God?"
"It's an alter ego," Chu Changge corrected. "For so reason, that alter ego didn't have the Evil God's mories at the ti."
So, Xu Xingcheng was basically an amnesiac Evil God back then? Gu Mian wondered.
Gu Mian pondered. Amnesia is when a person's true nature is revealed. I never expected the Evil God's true nature to be so... cowardly.
Then again, he was the one who invented the leaf brooch, so it figures.
"His alter ego might appear in various instances in the future," Chu Changge said, pausing. "You'd better be prepared."
Well, this saves the trouble of looking for him, Gu Mian thought, quite pleased with this "ho delivery" service.
Fatty tried to banish the image of the cowardly Xu Xingcheng from his mind. "Then, Brother Chu, what's the Evil God's personality like after he regains his mory? Is he ruthless? Does he kill people often?"
Chu Changge was silent for a mont. "No, the alter ego is weak. About as weak as you."
This ti, it was Fatty who fell silent.
"Xingyun told that every world has a core figure. The core figure of the Fourth World is the Evil God," Gu Mian said, looking at Chu Changge. "Besides the Fourth World, she also told the core figure of the First World is nad No. 1."
Chu Changge pondered for a mont before speaking. "I have no mory of this person, but I suspect the Evil God's visit to the Second World might be related to him."
In addition to the Evil God and No. 1, the conductor's manual also ntioned another NPC, nad 'The Divergent'.
He was from the Third World, the Old World.
Gu Mian didn't know if this person, The Divergent, was the core figure of the Old World. However, based on the conductor's description, even if he wasn't the core figure, he was still an important NPC.
Unfortunately, the Old World had been closed since the tamorphosis instance and had not yet reopened.
Gu Mian retrieved the world chart he'd made and wrote "No. 1" next to the Second World and "Evil God" next to Paradise.
Then, he wrote "The Divergent" next to the Old World and added a question mark.
With that, a simple chart was complete.
Gu Mian held the chart. "Our next goal is to identify the key figures of the other worlds and find them to discuss how to stop Earth's curse from spreading..."
He calculated that if the Low-Dinsional World were completely destroyed, he'd need to dig at least six graves. And if he generously included Mr. Green, that would be seven. Compared to digging graves, preventing the destruction of the Low-Dinsional World was definitely easier.
Fatty dumped the swept shards into the trash can. "Doctor, you're so diligent. Even Earth would weep with gratitude if it knew."
"But, Doctor, with your luck," Fatty said, squatting by the trash can and looking thoughtful, "it'll probably be hard for you to just stumble upon key figures from the Low-Dinsional World. I feel like your luck has gotten even worse since you ca out of the Seventh World. It couldn't have been siphoned off by that Miss Xingyun, could it?"
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