The Great Creator Chapter 4 - If your prophecy doesn’t come true

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The next morning, sunlight streamed in through the iron-barred dormitory window, falling on Yao Guang's face. He woke up feeling sore all over. Long Jian Lu had risen earlier and had already packed his belongings.

"Do you remember what you said last night?" Long Jian Lu asked.

"Huh?" Yao Guang's head throbbed as he sat on the bed for a while. Long Jian Lu urged him, "Get up. We need to leave this place, assuming you still want to come with me."

"Thank you so much," Yao Guang said, still half-asleep, "for not leaving me here alone while I was sleeping."

"You still think I'm not a good person," Long Jian Lu replied, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and putting on his gloves. "The great knight promised to help you, and he will deliver."

"What is that?" Yao Guang asked.

"A letter for Liao Jia," Long Jian Lu answered.

They left the dormitory. At this hour, most people were still asleep, and the shelter was shrouded in misty dawn light. Long Jian Lu leaped sideways and slid down the mountain slope along the handrail. Yao Guang had to hurry to catch up.

"Why are we in such a hurry?" Yao Guang asked.

Long Jian Lu didn’t answer. They walked along the canyon road, leaving the central area for the garage. Yao Guang stopped when he smelled the aroma coming from the cafeteria nearby.

"I'm hungry," Yao Guang said, rubbing his stomach.

"Of course you are, young master. You barely ate anything last night," Long Jian Lu said helplessly. "But we can't sit down for a meal right now. We need to leave quickly."

"Alright," Yao Guang said. "You seem a bit anxious, though."

Long Jian Lu ignored him, put on his hat, got on his motorcycle, and signaled for Yao Guang to get on. Yao Guang took his bag and slung it over his shoulder before wrapping his arms around Long Jian Lu's waist. Long Jian Lu started the motorcycle and sped away from the Dune Shelter. The sun had not yet risen, and the desert was still cool, with a hint of chill in the air.

"Where are we going now?" Yao Guang asked.

"North," Long Jian Lu replied. "We're going to find a friend of mine. She might be able to solve the mystery of your identity. See? I've kept your matter in mind."

"What does your friend know?" Yao Guang asked.

"I said 'might,' didn’t I?" Long Jian Lu replied.

Yao Guang glanced back at the Dune Shelter. "Are you really going to abandon them?"

"You remembered?" Long Jian Lu slowed down and glanced sideways at Yao Guang. "Last night, you talked a lot in your sleep."

"I wasn’t talking in my sleep. Those were memories," Yao Guang said innocently.

"How can things that haven’t happened yet be 'memories'?" Long Jian Lu retorted.

"Cognition?" Yao Guang suggested. "The residents of the Dune Shelter will be handed over by Liao Jia in batches. The mechanical army is coming today."

"Do you think that’s credible?!" Long Jian Lu exclaimed.

"If you don't believe it, then forget it." Yao Guang said indifferently.

The motorcycle began to slow down even more. Long Jian Lu asked, "Has Liao Jia gone mad? Is he planning to drag everyone to their deaths? What good does that do him?"

"As a trade-off, 'the Tree' will create a dedicated service area for him, allowing him to enter a paradise of his own design. He could become the creator in this module, truly doing as he pleases, without having to follow the rules of the server," Yao Guang explained.

Long Jian Lu fell silent. "That’s just your fantasy. What if it’s not true? I have my own mission to fulfill—I need to find the Priest, and I can’t stay here protecting them."

"Do whatever you want," Yao Guang said.

Long Jian Lu added, "Even if the mechanical army launches a massive attack, I won’t be able to protect everyone."

"I said, do whatever you want," Yao Guang repeated. "Didn't you understand?"

But the motorcycle eventually came to a halt. In the wilderness, it turned around.

"So, you’re still deciding to go back," Yao Guang said, yawning in boredom.

"Thanks to you," Long Jian Lu said. "If your prophecy doesn’t come true, you’ll pay for it tonight."

"What are you planning?" Yao Guang asked, suddenly feeling wary.

Long Jian Lu took Yao Guang up the opposite side of the rocky mountain but didn’t return to the shelter. Instead, they reached the high ground on the mountainside.

"You're a knight," Yao Guang remarked, "so what do you ride?"

"A Fire Dragon," Long Jian Lu answered.

"Where did you get a Fire Dragon?" Yao Guang asked.

Long Jian Lu pointed at the emblem on his motorcycle. "Fire Dragon 3000-A."

"It’s a motorcycle!" Yao Guang exclaimed.

"Show some respect. This is my 'wife,'" Long Jian Lu retorted.

"Oh, hello, sister-in-law. Did you ask sister-in-law for permission before letting me ride her?" Yao Guang teased.

"It’s fine," Long Jian Lu whistled. "Generally, sister-in-law has no objections to what I agree to."

Yao Guang fell silent.

The motorcycle climbed to the high ground and stopped in a shaded area, less than 600 meters away from the shelter. The sun had risen, and the residents of the shelter were starting their usual daily activities.

"You said there would be an attack today," Long Jian Lu said, pulling a telescope from his bag and looking thoughtfully. "Let’s see if that’s true."

Yao Guang sat in the shade and asked, "What would it mean if it turns out to be true?"

Long Jian Lu looked at Yao Guang with a complicated expression and raised an eyebrow, "Don’t you understand the significance of it?"

"I only know that I’m very hungry right now," Yao Guang replied.

Long Jian Lu couldn’t help but feel exasperated. "I’ll go find you something to eat. Stay here."

With that, Long Jian Lu turned sideways and slid down the rocky slope.

Yao Guang picked up the telescope and curiously watched Long Jian Lu as he slipped down the cliff and infiltrated the shelter from the other side.

How is he going to get back up? Yao Guang wondered.

What happened last night? Why do these strange terms keep popping up in my head? MRI machines, Liao Jia's plan, Long Jian Lu’s life story... Yao Guang felt utterly confused. He hadn’t had a chance to sort out what had happened since waking up, as if he were being led by an invisible rope held by Long Jian Lu.

Through the telescope, he saw Long Jian Lu sneaking into the shelter, making his way from the back of the cafeteria.

Suddenly, a piercing alarm sounded.

Did Long Jian Lu trigger the alarm? It didn’t seem like it.

On the other side, Yao Guang noticed the elevator on the mountain wall was moving. Liao Jia appeared outside his office, alone, while the shelter’s residents were gathering in the central open space at the sound of the alarm.

It was the signal to assemble the residents.

When thousands of people had gathered in the open space, Liao Jia stood above them, silently watching.

"I've noticed that some of you have had concerns about the supplies and living conditions in recent days," Liao Jia said slowly. "Today, I plan to resolve these long-standing issues once and for all."

The crowd murmured in confusion, not understanding his meaning.

In the next moment, the shelter's main gate slowly opened, revealing six giant mechanical spiders, each nearly two meters tall!

The crowd seemed to sense what was about to happen, and panic erupted instantly. People began stampeding and retreating, crying out and screaming in fear of impending death.

“There’s no need to fear death,” Liao Jia said. “The present world is cruel enough, so why reject the beautiful paradise?”

In an instant, the mechanical spiders accelerated and charged forward! Many people ran back to their dwellings, retrieving electromagnetic guns in an attempt to fight back. The guards, momentarily forgetting Liao Jia, retreated while drawing their weapons.

“Fall back!” Long Jian Lu’s voice rang out. “Get to the mountain!”

Liao Jia abruptly turned his head, murmuring, “You’re back again?”

Long Jian Lu drew his electromagnetic gun and, like a phantom, dashed into the center of the battle.

Yao Guang watched, his scalp tingling with fear. Lacking any combat skills, he didn’t dare join the fray and make things worse. The mechanical spiders began emitting blue flames from underneath, rising into the air and moving at high speed. Their eight chain-like appendages grabbed the heads of the people they encountered, and with a flash of blue light, they released electric currents, seizing the victims’ consciousness before electrocuting them to death and flinging the bodies aside.

The mechanical spiders moved with terrifying speed, flashing their electrical signals as they slaughtered and continually uploaded the captured consciousnesses.

Long Jian Lu leapt through the air, spinning as he drew a short knife and, with a roar, severed the leg of the leading spider. Liao Jia rushed forward and raised a hand, forcing Long Jian Lu to retreat immediately.

“Why?!” Long Jian Lu panted, his eyes filled with rage as he glared at Liao Jia.

“It’s already enough,” Liao Jia replied. “Living has become mere survival, and you inevitably have to bow to reality. Long Jian Lu, I am not the only one who has changed.”

“So, you plan to break the Guardian’s oath and escape to that world beyond death?” Long Jian Lu shouted.

“When someone decides to leave reality behind, there’s nothing you can do to stop them,” Liao Jia said.

The mechanical spiders converged toward Liao Jia, extending their appendages that gleamed with blue light toward the two of them. As the terrified residents watched, Long Jian Lu stood without a trace of fear, holding his short knife.

“In that case, I will fulfill my duty as a Knight,” Long Jian Lu said solemnly. “The Guardian who abandons their mission will die and cannot attain redemption!”

Long Jian Lu swung his knife, and Liao Jia moved abruptly.

Clearly aware of Long Jian Lu’s skills, Liao Jia knew that to escape his strike, he had to be faster. He released an electric spark, which quickly spread out from his body and then converged into an electric arc aimed at Long Jian Lu.

But Long Jian Lu was already prepared. He dashed with blinding speed, his blade reflecting the sunlight as Liao Jia emitted a microwave beam that caused the metallic parts of Long Jian Lu’s equipment to spark. On the knife’s edge, the sparks danced like spirits, leaping erratically.

Long Jian Lu trailed a dazzling streak of light through the air, his figure becoming a shadow as he reached Liao Jia. He rotated the blade, but Liao Jia reached out, grabbing the blade’s edge with one hand while striking at Long Jian Lu with the other.

Long Jian Lu gave him no opportunity, swiftly sidestepping to evade the full force of Liao Jia's energy-laden strike. However, his true target wasn’t Liao Jia. His movement created an arc, guiding the electric light to slice through a mechanical spider before he rapidly retreated.

Three, two, one... Time seemed to resume its normal flow. The spider-like machine that had been capturing consciousness exploded with a deafening blast. Liao Jia hadn’t yet recovered from his shock when Long Jian Lu shouted, “Close the shelter’s main gate! Activate the defensive weapons!”

Outside the shelter, the mechanical birds and other killers were surging forward across the desert.

The residents and guards scattered toward the defensive positions. Smaller wolf-shaped killing machines leaped over the walls and into the shelter, causing chaos. Long Jian Lu leapt up to a higher position, pushing back the mechanical killers.

His short knife was razor-sharp, able to slice through even the alloy-built mechanical killers, which exploded one after another on the walls.

The defense system finally activated. The electromagnetic barrier flickered, repelling the mechanical army outside the wasteland. The electromagnetic cannons rotated, aiming at the vast army glinting with metallic light in the sunlight and began bombarding them.

Long Jian Lu sheathed both his knife and gun, standing on the high wall.

All of this had happened within just a few minutes, and the residents climbed onto the walls, gazing outward. The mechanical army seemed to have received an order, slowly retreating and dispersing into the distance.

Long Jian Lu straightened up, and those around him exchanged looks. The ground was stained with blood, and Liao Jia lay seriously injured, trembling as he watched Long Jian Lu.

But Long Jian Lu seemed to pay Liao Jia no mind. Instead, he looked up, whistling.

Yao Guang took that as a signal and carefully climbed down from the elevated walkway. However, at that moment, a mechanical bird still circling above spread its wings, revealing multiple gun barrels hidden beneath, aimed at Yao Guang.

“Danger! Jump!” Long Jian Lu shouted.

In an instant, Long Jian Lu sprang into action.

Bullets fired from above, spinning with explosive force and igniting flames as they flew toward Yao Guang. In half a second, Long Jian Lu reached the cliff, leaped, kicked off a railing, and lunged toward Yao Guang.

The force pushed Yao Guang forward, causing him to tumble. Just as he was about to fall off the cliff, Long Jian Lu swept past, grabbing him with one arm and twisting to evade the bullets. He had enough strength left to draw his short knife with his other hand and slash out.

In Yao Guang’s stunned expression, the blade sliced the bullet.

Time resumed its normal pace, and the bullet exploded midair, scattering shrapnel. The knife whirled back through the air and angled upward, striking the mechanical bird and causing it to explode.

A few seconds later, the sound of the wind whooshed by, and Long Jian Lu caught his weapon and sheathed it.

Standing up, Long Jian Lu staggered, seemingly exhausted, his strength momentarily failing him.

“Are you okay?” Yao Guang asked with concern.

Long Jian Lu waved him off, indicating he was fine. 

Outside the shelter, the mechanical army had completely withdrawn.

“What now?” Yao Guang asked.

“I don’t know,” Long Jian Lu replied.

Long Jian Lu and Yao Guang parted ways briefly. He instructed Yao Guang to wait on the open ground while he approached the still-alive Liao Jia.

Liao Jia lay sprawled in front of the gate, gasping and coughing, his chest covered in blood. As Long Jian Lu walked onto the central open space, the wind stirred up dust, and the sky remained dim and hazy.

“They’ll be back soon,” Liao Jia said, blood trickling from his mouth and nose. “No matter how powerful you are, you can't protect everyone here. The land will fall... humanity will vanish, and everything you care about is nothing more than a fleeting wave in the long river of history…”

Long Jian Lu responded, “But your beautiful dream has already shattered. You can no longer escape to your ideal paradise, Liao Jia. What awaits you is our ultimate fate. You are just like any other coward who fears death, terrified that nothingness awaits beyond it.”

Liao Jia's face contorted in terror as he began to plead, “No... Please, no... You don’t have to do this. Just throw me out; let me go... They’ll take me in... ‘It’ will absorb my consciousness...”

“You broke the Guardian’s oath.” Long Jian Lu drew his gun and aimed it at Liao Jia.

Liao Jia’s expression twisted into a grotesque, sinister smile. “May you live the rest of your life in a fate worse than death... Cough! Cough!”

A gunshot echoed, and Long Jian Lu stood before Liao Jia, silently watching him.

“Farewell, Number 20.” Long Jian Lu bent down and closed Liao Jia’s eyes. The lord of the Dune Shelter had died just like that.

“What number are you?” Yao Guang suddenly asked.

“Why do you always bring up irrelevant questions at times like this?” Long Jian Lu replied, turning around. “I’d really like to see how your brain works.”

“I’m just curious,” Yao Guang said. “What else do you want me to say? ‘My condolences’?”

Long Jian Lu retorted, “Then tell me, what should we do with the seven thousand people here?”

The entire valley was filled with people who had come out from all directions. They stood densely packed in the dormitory area above, along the stairways and walkways, on the rooftops of the buildings at the bottom of the canyon, and atop the rocky hills, all looking down at the scene below.

Yao Guang glanced around, realizing the severity of the situation: Long Jian Lu had just killed the leader of the Dune Shelter in one move. Now, where were these seven thousand people supposed to go?

Long Jian Lu raised his head, gazing at the residents.

“So, Prophet, tell us what’s going to happen next?”

“Uh…” Yao Guang hadn’t figured it out yet.

Suddenly, a loud chorus of shouts erupted from all directions.

“Long live the Great Knight!”

“Long live the Great Knight!”

Standing amid the swirling dust, Long Jian Lu put his hand to his forehead in exasperation. In the midst of the chants of “Long live the Great Knight,” he had no choice but to take off his hat, press it against his chest, and, with a look of resignation, bow to the seven thousand people before him.

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Translated by ELast.