Chapter 11: A World In Ruins
[The Galactic Order will conduct a spiritual transmission for intelligent being 87242-82231-25241-2241. Searching...]
[Origin Law 99 approves this transmission...]
[Searching the life status of the intelligent being... meets transmission requirements]
[The origin body of intelligent being 87242-82231-25241-2241 reverts to its original state]
[Spiritual transmission in progress...]
Just as Liu Xiao's spirit entered an ethereal state, his physical body vanished into thin air in front of Li Tianjia. Li Tianjia noticed that an oval-shaped stone appeared where Liu Xiao had been standing moments before.
This stone looked almost identical to the one Liu Xiao had found in the dark red lizardman's belt.
Li Tianjia picked up the stone, examined it carefully for a while, then cautiously placed it into a pouch.
...
On Earth, in a coffee shop in Hangzhou, China.
Liu Xiao, reclining on a sofa, slowly opened his eyes...
Before him was a familiar scene, the air filled with the fresh scent of lemons. He didn't get up immediately but instead took in his surroundings.
Inside the coffee shop, which spanned over a hundred square meters, more than ten people lay sprawled on the floor, while other booths were occupied by customers slumped in various positions. He checked his phone and found numerous unread messages, mostly from service providers—apparently, government-issued emergency alerts—and a few from his grandmother's landline.
The phone showed that it was already the second day since the transmission.
It seemed that time in the Origin Point and Earth was roughly synchronized. Liu Xiao felt somewhat relieved. "I was worried that the time difference between the two spaces might be too great, and that returning might mean coming back to an Earth years later," he thought.
Everything was eerily quiet.
There was no music in the coffee shop, no vehicles passing by on the streets outside, and not a single pedestrian in sight. The silence was almost unsettling.
Liu Xiao steadied his emotions, adjusting to the stark contrast between the two worlds. He also needed to get used to the dissonance of his vision and body returning to normal levels.
After a long while, he felt he had adapted. He took out his phone and dialed his grandmother's landline. After a long series of rings, the call connected.
"Xiaoxiao, is that you?" came his grandmother's hoarse but overjoyed voice.
"Yes, Grandma. Are you okay? Are Mom and Dad with you? How are they?"
"Xiaoxiao, you're safe. That's wonderful..." His grandmother's voice choked with tears. She was a strong woman, having moved to Wucheng during her youth as part of a resettlement program. Originally from Beijing's Bordered Yellow Banner, she had married, raised children, and settled in this small city she had never even heard of before. Decades had passed, and in all his memories, Liu Xiao had never seen his grandmother cry.
"Grandma, I'm fine. Really fine. Don't worry. Are Mom and Dad still not awake?"
"That's right. Your parents, your uncle and aunt—they're all here with me, but they're still asleep, unconscious. Their bodies are ice-cold. I went outside to look, and in the neighborhood, aside from the elderly and children, everyone else is the same—just sleeping. I called you so many times, but you never answered. It's good that you're okay. It's good..."
"Don't worry at all. I'm perfectly fine. Earlier, I was just like Mom and Dad, but now I've woken up. Those who are asleep are fine—their bodies are cold to keep them safe. So, Grandma, you don't need to worry. Just let Mom, Dad, Uncle, and Aunt sleep. They'll wake up before long. Please don't be sad. They're all perfectly fine. Take care of yourself, and don't grieve."
Liu Xiao's heart ached for his grandmother. Most of his childhood had been spent in her care.
"Good, good. Hearing you say that makes me feel much better. Xiaoxiao, you're all alone out there—take care of yourself."
Gradually, Liu Xiao could sense his grandmother's emotions stabilizing. Still, having her children lying unconscious beside her must have been a tremendous blow to the elderly woman.
After chatting a bit longer, his grandmother finally emerged from her despair. She was a sensible woman, and in the face of hardship, she chose to confront it bravely.
Hanging up the phone, Liu Xiao gathered his belongings, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and stood up.
He walked over to a middle-aged man lying sprawled on the floor in the center of the coffee shop.
He reached out to check the man's breathing—it was slow but steady. The man was alive.
But when his fingers brushed the man's skin, Liu Xiao felt a chill.
He touched the man's cheek and arm, confirming that his body was in a state of hypothermia. Checking the pulse, he found a heartbeat—but it was extremely slow.
It seemed the Galactic Order had used some method to keep the bodies in a low-temperature state, preserving their physiological functions. No wonder he had felt so cold earlier.
This realization eased his mind somewhat. At the very least, these soulless—or spiritless—bodies were safe, even without nourishment for an extended period.
He flicked the light switch, confirming that the coffee shop had no power.
Stepping out of the coffee shop, he found himself facing a narrow two-lane road.
But when he looked around, what he saw left him stunned.
Several people lay haphazardly on the sidewalks on either side. Further ahead, at a crossroads, black smoke billowed into the air. Within the smoke, three cars were crumpled together in a wreck. Scattered around the accident were broken parts and charred remnants of flames.
Clearly, the collision had happened long ago—the three vehicles were little more than charred skeletons. Liu Xiao could vaguely make out the carbonized remains of human bodies inside the wreckage.
It wasn't hard to imagine that the drivers of these cars had been in the middle of driving when the transmission occurred.
At least they weren't truly dead—not unless they had chosen to return via death in the Origin Point.
Liu Xiao raised his gaze. In the distance, black smoke rose into the sky everywhere...
Before he could process this, his eyes widened further as he looked higher—above the clouds, at the very apex of the sky.
There were words there.
Gigantic, spanning the heavens, impossibly vast.
Someone had written in the sky?
And each character was enormous.
"Origin Era"
Three immense, unmistakable characters were emblazoned at the forefront, followed by:
"Galactic Order..."
"Planet 9322210182"
"Race Representatives"
"Merit Record"
"1. 87242-82231-25241-2241 2800"
"2. 87242-82339-43242-3245 1600"
"3. 87242-82644-52133-6634 1500"
...
"100. 87242-82524-34120-7795 1000"
The list was extensive, but every character was clearly visible.
It wasn't hard to understand—these were likely the Galactic Order merit points earned by all humans on Earth in the Origin Point.
"Race Representatives"—what the hell was that? He had no idea.
But while the Galactic Order in the Origin Point had acted like a reserved stepmother, here on Earth, it was flaunting its power unabashedly. Did it really need such a grandiose display?
Wait a minute...
Perhaps from staring at the sky too long, he suddenly felt dizzy.
The top entry on the merit record—though the number was long—somehow felt familiar.
With a thought:
[Intelligent Being Origin Point ID: 87242-82231-25241-2241]
Sure enough, even after the spirit's transformation, he could still interact with the central system outside the Origin Point.
And another confirmation: the number one spot on the merit record was indeed his...
Liu Xiao suddenly wondered if he should change his name. He had always been an unremarkable recent graduate, the kind who wouldn't stand out even in a flock of chickens. Yet now, here he was, flaunting his dominance in a way that made the whole world look up—literally.
No one in history, past or present, had ever pulled off such an audacious, over-the-top performance art.
And judging by the merit rankings, his 2,800 points wouldn't be surpassed anytime soon.
Huh? Does this mean I don't even need to submit resumes anymore? Just point HR to my ID number in the sky, and I'd ace every interview.
Setting aside his dark humor, Liu Xiao silently resolved to exchange for that identity protection feature once he had more merit points. Otherwise, if this continued, regardless of any real risks, he had no desire to become a public figure.
His brief moment of narcissism over, Liu Xiao began analyzing the implications of the merit record.
First, after mass-transporting most of humanity to the Origin Point, the Galactic Order clearly had no intention of letting Earth develop peacefully. This was a blatant message to all governments and ruling powers: "This is my doing, my support. Don't pretend you don't see it. Don't think you can suppress or resist this with your authority. Your pitiful technological civilization is nothing before me. I can blot out the sky—are you scared yet?"
Second, the merit record displayed the top 100, but as the current number one, aside from the privileges merit points could exchange for, he hadn't gained any other tangible benefits. So what was the point of this list?
[Detected intelligent being 87242-82339-43242-3245's inquiry regarding the merit record's purpose.]
[Insufficient permissions for intelligent being...]
Screw this.
Liu Xiao gave up on pondering the matter.
The situation in Hangzhou was far from optimistic—in fact, it was dire.
After walking through several blocks, Liu Xiao saw scenes that, while not quite post-apocalyptic, were close to chaos. Most areas had no power. The roads were clogged with abandoned vehicles, many of which contained unconscious people. Fires caused by crashes, short circuits, or unmanned machinery were everywhere. Most critically, there were no police, firefighters, or military personnel to maintain order.
He also saw many people.
Some wailed openly in the streets, others panicked or ran around aimlessly. Most were elderly, though there were also quite a few adults.
It wasn't hard to guess—these adults were likely the ones who had chosen to end their own lives in the Origin Point.
People searched frantically for their loved ones, called out helplessly to unresponsive bodies, or wandered in confusion.
This wasn't the end of the world, but to anyone other than Liu Xiao—who had some understanding of the situation—the sheer chaos made it feel like it was.
Liu Xiao didn't try to console the panicked masses. He knew it would be pointless.
Stepping over the unconscious security guard sprawled at the entrance of the university, Liu Xiao entered the campus—a school once famous for producing a successful entrepreneur.
A girl ran past him stumbling as she fled toward the campus gates.
By now, Liu Xiao was numb to such scenes. He quickened his pace toward the gymnasium.
Pushing open the gym doors, he found a standard indoor basketball court, where over twenty unconscious male students and a few female students lay scattered across the court.
Liu Xiao checked each male student's face one by one.
Finally, on the court, he found Li Tianjia, the Yang brothers (Yang Zhao and Yang Zhe), and Zhou Yuke.
Near the sidelines, he also located Fatty, Daoist Priest, and two others.
Liu Xiao's goal was simply to confirm the safety of his group's physical bodies. Satisfied that these members were unharmed, he moved on to other areas.
The search went smoothly—until he reached the girls' dormitory.
The soot-stained walls gave him a bad feeling.
Starting from a dorm room on the east side of the first floor, nearly a quarter of the building showed signs of fire damage. The charred doors and windows painted a vivid picture of how intense the blaze must have been. How it had been extinguished, he had no idea.
Stepping over puddles, Liu Xiao made his way to the third floor. He paused outside the third room on the east side, glanced inside, then moved to the second and first rooms, doing the same.
Finally, he went to the first room on the east side of the first floor and peered inside.
With a long sigh, he turned and left.
The fire had started with an electric immersion heater. Left unattended by its unconscious owner, it had heated relentlessly, boiling away all the water in the kettle before igniting itself.
Liu Xiao now understood the power outage. If it wasn't due to absent grid workers, it was likely a measure to prevent similar incidents.
And this small but destructive fire had sealed the fate of four girls in their group—including the two who had chosen to return immediately and Ye Shan.