The Great Creator Chapter 5 - So you want to verify it again?
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The Dune Shelter was safe, for now. But no one knew when the mechanical army would attack again.
At noon, the residents of the Dune Shelter began rummaging through Liao Jia's stash of supplies. Numerous iron boxes and backpacks were thrown down from above, and any usable supplies were quickly snatched up.
Even the guards who had served him in life joined in the looting.
Long Jian Lu and Yao Guang sat in the shade at the central open space, with Long Jian Lu wolfing down roasted potatoes, a large bowl of which had been sent by the cafeteria as a token of gratitude.
"Your ability is insane," Yao Guang remarked. It was his first time seeing Long Jian Lu use his power.
Long Jian Lu replied, "I can only use it occasionally. I can't use it all the time; it consumes a lot of energy and needs to be replenished afterward."
The ability to sense the flow of time required Long Jian Lu to mobilize all the energy in his body, creating a burst of power that affected everything from brain activity to bodily reactions, even muscle adjustments.
"Your knife is quite sharp," Yao Guang continued, "it can even cut through machines."
"This is big brother's treasured knife," Long Jian Lu said politely. "It was specially forged to counter the Killers, just like my existence. Kids shouldn't play with it—it might slice off your fingers."
He drew his short knife, twirled it, and then sheathed it again.
"What's the plan now?" Yao Guang asked, glancing at the crowd gathering not far away. They were dividing Liao Jia's hoard, and now people were spontaneously gathering in the central open space, more and more, knowing that Long Jian Lu would soon have arrangements regarding their fate.
"I don't know," Long Jian Lu said. "You wanted me to come back, you figured it out."
Yao Guang replied, "You came back on your own. Do you think I could control your motorcycle without your permission?"
"That's my wife," Long Jian Lu corrected him.
Yao Guang was exasperated. After Liao Jia's death, the remaining refugees gradually realized that the retreat of the mechanical army sent by the Tree was merely to conserve energy; they would not let them off the hook and would send killers again sooner or later. And Long Jian Lu could not stay at the Dune Shelter forever.
Some people wanted to approach, but Long Jian Lu raised his hand, signaling them to stop.
He first pulled out a map from his backpack, spread it out, and said, "The nearest place from here is the Riverside Shelter, four hundred and forty kilometers away. The person in charge there is Lu Shan, one of my former subordinates, a member of the rescue team. He should be able to take them in, but I don't know if Riverside can accommodate these seven thousand people."
"You're planning to take them all there?" Yao Guang asked. "At their pace, how long will it take?"
Long Jian Lu looked up and shouted to the people, "Bring out your supply transport vehicles!"
They understood what he wanted to do and quickly dispersed.
Yao Guang asked, "What number was Liao Jia?"
"Number 20," Long Jian Lu replied.
He folded the map and looked at Yao Guang.
"Are the numbers arranged according to abilities?" Yao Guang inquired.
"Maybe? I don't know, it was arranged by 'Elder Brother.'"
"'Elder Brother'? What is that?"
"Another computer that Dr. Shan used in his lifetime. It assists in analyzing gene fragments, but isn't intelligent."
Yao Guang asked, "So here’s the question—what number are you?"
"Your curiosity is quite strong, kid," Long Jian Lu replied. "Won’t stop until you get an answer, huh?"
Yao Guang persisted, "Just tell me, what number are you?"
Long Jian Lu said, "'Elder Brother' ranked me as Number 3. Satisfied?"
Yao Guang understood; Long Jian Lu was indeed very strong. After all, in the world of martial arts, speed conquers all. As long as he controlled the first strike, almost no one could challenge him, not even the mechanical Killers. From this perspective, Liao Jia had indeed made an unwise decision.
"What ability does Number 2 have?" Yao Guang asked.
"A very powerful ability," Long Jian Lu replied. "Almost everyone who has fought him is dead."
"And Number 1?" Yao Guang continued. "Who is Number 1? Don't they get involved?"
Long Jian Lu said, "Number 1 was the former leader, but he is already dead."
Yao Guang said, "Alright, let's not talk about that for now. I’m really curious—does Number 36 have a weak ability?"
"Number 36?" Long Jian Lu asked, puzzled. "Why do you ask that?"
Yao Guang said, "What I really want to know is, what is Number 36's ability?"
Long Jian Lu sized up Yao Guang, took out a small black notebook from his backpack, and found the page labeled "36." It contained only a brief line: Ability: Illusion and Concealment.
"Ah, I remember now," Long Jian Lu said. "Number 36's ability is self-concealment, perhaps like a chameleon? Not much investigation was done. It's certainly a good way to survive, hmm."
Long Jian Lu closed the notebook and looked seriously at Yao Guang.
"Number 36 is here," Yao Guang said. "It's a girl, she's hiding in the Dune Shelter."
Long Jian Lu remarked, "I think some training could make you a Knight... Where is she now?"
Yao Guang warned, "Don’t turn your head, or she’ll vanish into her illusion. She’s under that tree in front of the grocery store, watching us."
In the next moment, the hem of Long Jian Lu's coat fluttered, as if caught by a breeze, and he disappeared. In the blink of an eye, he had appeared by the spot Yao Guang mentioned, his hand resting on a young girl’s shoulder.
"Gotcha, long time no see," Long Jian Lu flashed a charming smile that could make anyone’s heart skip a beat. "Care to have a chat?"
The girl wore thick glasses and simple clothing, looking no different from the other refugees here.
"You've never truly 'seen' me, Great Knight," she said, knowing that once in Long Jian Lu's grasp, there was no escape. She could only admit, "But I admit, I shouldn't have come out to spy on you two."
"I would have found you even if you'd stayed inside," Long Jian Lu replied. "Perception is boundless."
"How did you know I was here?" Number 36 asked, puzzled.
Guiding her back toward Yao Guang, Long Jian Lu said, "Let me introduce you; this is my friend, the 'Prophet.' He knows everything happening in this world."
Yao Guang exchanged a glance with Long Jian Lu.
"Hello, Xiao Shuang," Yao Guang nodded at her.
"Wait," the girl, called Xiao Shuang, stammered. "No… I don’t remember anyone like you."
"That's not important," Long Jian Lu said, sitting back down and tossing a roasted potato in the air. "Want some?"
"No thanks," Xiao Shuang answered with a flat expression. "I’m sick of eating these every day. You killed Liao Jia. Now tell me, how do you actually plan to protect the people here? I doubt you’re interested in becoming the new ruler of the Dune Shelter."
Long Jian Lu shot a glance at Yao Guang, signaling him to handle it.
"I'm planning to move everyone to the Riverside Shelter," Long Jian Lu said. "But we have urgent business elsewhere."
Yao Guang understood.
Xiao Shuang asked, "So, what do you want from me?"
"Protect them," Long Jian Lu said. "Escort the people here until they reach the Riverside Shelter."
As he spoke, he tore off a page from the notebook and casually drew a childlike picture of a fire-breathing dragon.
Yao Guang looked at it, puzzled. "What is that?"
"Don't interrupt," Long Jian Lu replied.
"Aren't you supposed to be the Prophet? You don't even know the Great Knight's legendary artwork?" Xiao Shuang said.
"This is a symbol of my agreement with Lu Shan!" Long Jian Lu insisted.
He handed the note to Xiao Shuang. "Give this note to Lu Shan, and I promise I won't reveal your identity afterward."
"You won't be able to find me," Xiao Shuang said.
"With the Prophet here," Long Jian Lu raised an eyebrow, "I can find you anytime."
Xiao Shuang fell silent, taking the note.
Long Jian Lu knew she had agreed, so he called the refugees together and began explaining the plan to them. He also selected a leader to drive the heavy trucks, gathering them at the gate. After two full hours, the seven thousand people began boarding the vehicles in batches, with Xiao Shuang sitting at the front of the first truck.
Yao Guang thought they would hesitate, but it seemed everyone was eager to leave this place.
"Let's get going too," Long Jian Lu said after giving a brief command, returning to a higher ground and mounting his motorcycle.
"Where are we going?" Yao Guang asked.
Long Jian Lu did not answer, turning the motorcycle around and speeding down the rocky mountain. The sun was sinking low, casting a blood-red glow over the desert as they sped deeper into the barren landscape.
"They seem eager to migrate," Yao Guang noted.
"Yeah," Long Jian Lu replied. "The Riverside Shelter at least has a water source. This place chosen by Liao Jia is far too arid."
Yao Guang asked, "Are these shelters randomly assigned?"
Long Jian Lu explained, "Initially, some people chose relatively safe places to gather, and gradually the settlement expanded, forming shelters. Liao Jia just happened to be responsible for protecting this place."
As night fell over the desert, the stars descended, hanging in the deep blue sky. The temperature dropped sharply as they navigated through rugged stone formations, remnants of human habitation long erased by war. The scene was vast and starkly beautiful.
"Cold?" Long Jian Lu glanced back and asked. "We'll find a place to camp soon."
Yao Guang nodded, shivering a bit. Long Jian Lu finally found a stone cave halfway up a mountain, where he set up a small device that ignited a fire using fuel, casting a warm glow.
"Let's see what our lovely friends have prepared for the Great Knight to eat."
Long Jian Lu opened the supply pack prepared for him by the Dune Shelter, which contained some dry food, two rough glass jars of canned goods, and drinks. The two began their dinner in the cave.
"Is the whole area desert like this?" Yao Guang noticed that people's needs had become very primitive, and finding food had become a significant problem in this environment.
"No," Long Jian Lu replied, looking at the map. "Only this area is."
"It'll be more comfortable once we enter the forest region tomorrow," Long Jian Lu said, glancing at Yao Guang. "If we find a river, you can even take a bath."
Yao Guang then looked at the map with him. Long Jian Lu said, "Can you 'remember' or 'know' anything else? It's okay, tell me whatever comes to mind. I feel like you must have a special mission. Finding you in the Research Facility 42 was very meaningful."
The two locked eyes for a moment, and Yao Guang said, "I just feel very confused right now, as if something is off, but I can't pinpoint it."
Long Jian Lu handed Yao Guang a bottle of water and said earnestly, "Maybe I can help you? For example, what exactly feels wrong to you?"
"A lot of things don't make sense," Yao Guang said. Now that he had a moment to think, he started to try to sort out his thoughts. "Everything seems so illogical, this doesn't make sense, and that doesn't make sense."
"Can you be more specific?" Long Jian Lu asked.
"Is this what it's like to be crazy?" Yao Guang said. "Everything around me feels so strange."
"Don't worry about that," Long Jian Lu said. "Whenever you feel something is off, just tell me, okay?"
"I feel something is off right now," Yao Guang said. "Look at this map."
Long Jian Lu replied, "Hmm?"
Long Jian Lu spread the map out toward Yao Guang.
"The continents are all connected," Yao Guang said. "There's only one island! Does that make sense?"
"What?" Long Jian Lu said. "That's normal."
"What's the name of this place we're living in?" Yao Guang asked.
"Earth," Long Jian Lu replied. "This is a projection map."
Yao Guang said, "Okay, we know that continents can separate due to tectonic plate movement. Even if they didn't, there couldn't be only one island in the ocean, right?"
"Um..." Long Jian Lu said. "Is this something you remember from your past knowledge? Or maybe you're from another world? Let's try to explain it this way. You're someone from six hundred years ago, so many concepts are deeply ingrained in your mind."
Yao Guang asked, "What language are we speaking now?"
"Common language," Long Jian Lu replied.
Yao Guang picked up Long Jian Lu's black notebook and flipped it open, asking, "What are these characters?"
"Chinese characters," Long Jian Lu answered. "A writing system that has been around for six hundred years."
Yao Guang asked, "Do all the shelters use the same characters?"
"It seems so, with some English mixed in," Long Jian Lu replied.
Yao Guang asked, "Can they understand each other when they speak?"
"At least I can understand them," Long Jian Lu said.
Yao Guang continued, "For six hundred years, the language hasn't changed at all, no dialects or accents? There are only two languages, Chinese and English? Has no one else survived besides the Han people?"
Long Jian Lu was momentarily speechless.
Yao Guang asked, "When we throw something up, it falls back down. What causes that?”
"Gravity," Long Jian Lu replied.
"Who discovered gravity?"
"Newton?"
"And where was Newton from?"
"England?"
"You just mentioned 'England.' Please tell me, where is England?" Yao Guang asked. "Point it out on the map for me."
Long Jian Lu: "..."
"This world is full of various bugs," Yao Guang said. "It's like... it's like..."
The answer was on the tip of his tongue.
"...like a game," Yao Guang murmured. "A game designed by someone."
As night deepened, Long Jian Lu was left dizzy by Yao Guang's series of questions. Doubt crept into his mind as well.
Long Jian Lu asked, "Is this world not real?"
Yao Guang countered, "Have you ever played a game?"
Long Jian Lu said, "I tried one briefly at a friend’s place. It was a fighter jet in space, firing missiles, shooting down enemies.”
Yao Guang said, "You can imagine that someone designed all this, but it doesn't have to be a game; it just has a lot of bugs."
Long Jian Lu didn't respond. At that moment, another wave of information surged into Yao Guang's mind.
In the north, deep within the main city, a supercomputer stood towering and immense, its blue lights flickering as it processed data. A holographic projection unfolded, revealing the form of a young man.
Everything was just a shadow; his figure radiated blue light. At the same time, the "World Tree" released a dormant machine that fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
It was the body of a humanoid robot. The glowing blue soul of the man moved toward the robot and was instantly absorbed into it.
A moment later, the robot opened its eyes.
It fully resembled a human—a handsome man with a mask full of mechanical elements, revealing only his soft lips. Gears were embedded in the mask. The man raised his head and placed one hand on the computer’s touchscreen.
A door opened on one side of the computer, slowly revealing a silver-glowing, alloy-made lion-shaped mechanical monster. It was three meters long and nearly two meters tall, with sharp blades on its front paws. As it landed, the power of this Killer activated automatically, lighting up its entire body.
The man walked up to the Killer, pressed a hand on its mechanical lion head, activated it, then swung himself up onto its back.
At the last moment, he crossed the veil of consciousness and locked eyes with Yao Guang.
Yao Guang: "!!!"
Yao Guang snapped back to reality, seeing Long Jian Lu waving his hand in front of him.
"The Tree is tracking us," Yao Guang said. "It sent a strange machine and a robot. They don't look easy to deal with."
"That's expected," Long Jian Lu replied. "It seems you occasionally predict some things randomly, Prophet. After the failed mission at the Dune, the Tree would obviously come after us. But as long as we don’t have too many people slowing us down, I’m not worried. Those junk heaps it commands are hardly a threat. Now, get some sleep.”
"Alright," Yao Guang had no choice but to lean against the cave wall. Outside, the sounds of monsters merged with the wind, creating a wailing cry. Yao Guang asked, "Didn't you bring a sleeping bag?"
Long Jian Lu simply sat there beside him and said, "Nope. I'm used to it."
Feeling a bit cold, Yao Guang shivered slightly. Noticing this, Long Jian Lu took off his coat, lay down beside him, and covered both of them with it.
“This is how I live every day,” Long Jian Lu said, “wandering and sleeping wherever I can. It's rare to have someone to sleep beside me. You’re the first. Too bad you’re a guy—if you were a girl, this would be pretty romantic.”
Yao Guang couldn't help but smile wryly
"But you’re right," Long Jian Lu added, letting out an almost imperceptible sigh. "Sometimes, I wonder if this world was made by some careless Creator. If so, he’s certainly the type to cut corners.”
"Why do you say that?" Yao Guang turned to ask.
Long Jian Lu covered his face with his hat and said, “I feel like sometimes I do things I don’t really want to. Have you ever felt that way? Like you’re not really in control—like you’re making choices that go against your own nature.”
"For example?" Yao Guang replied. "That's quite normal, right? Everyone has different sides to their personality.”
"No..." Long Jian Lu said. "It's like... someone gave me a personality, but at certain turning points in fate, I make these weird decisions that I can’t explain, even to myself afterward.”
"You mean, like going back to Dune Shelter today?"
"No," Long Jian Lu said. "More like that time I stabbed Liao Jia. Believe me, I didn’t initially intend to kill him. In that moment, I felt a powerful sense of what you call 'fate's arrangement' guiding my actions—maybe it was the will of the god of fate? Anyway, let’s just sleep.”
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This was Yao Guang's third day in this world. The sun rose as usual, and Long Jian Lu took him on his motorcycle, riding toward the edge of the desolate desert.
Finally, he saw a hint of green.
"Tell me about your world," Long Jian Lu said. "You must have your own mission for coming here."
Through their discussions, Yao Guang and Long Jian Lu considered two possibilities:
One, that Yao Guang came from a world much like this one, also called ‘Earth,’ with similar landscapes, language, and technology. Or two, he came from six hundred years ago, and his world is the past of this world.
But he still found it hard to recall important clues, so Long Jian Lu kept asking questions, hoping that something would jog Yao Guang’s memory.
"Our world is very similar to this one," Yao Guang said. "I can even name some trees and flowers, like the formations around here. They’re called Yadan. And we have computers, AI, things like that… although it’s not as advanced as here. How does 'Tree' control its robots?”
“They used to use satellites," Long Jian Lu replied. "After humans destroyed some of them, they switched to low-orbit signals, and the ‘Killers’ communicate with each other now. Each one acts as a small relay station. Their range is wide enough to transmit telecom signals and commands among themselves.”
"That’s a huge amount of data,” Yao Guang said. “Can it really transmit without any data loss?”
Long Jian Lu replied, “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask it yourself.”
Yao Guang nodded thoughtfully. “It’s the programming, yes, the Creator’s ‘settings’ for this world.”
Yao Guang couldn't control what he knew and what he didn't, and Long Jian Lu had grown accustomed to his sudden astonishing remarks, quickly accepting them.
Long Jian Lu said, "Oh, another setting."
"That’s why I say this world isn’t reasonable,” Yao Guang insisted.
"When you think about it, it actually is,” Long Jian Lu countered.
“No, it just feels reasonable to you because you’re used to it,” Yao Guang replied. “You’ve grown accustomed to things that aren’t reasonable, so you accept them.”
Long Jian Lu said, “Why does the gravitational constant have a specific value? Where does it come from, and why is it 6.67? Why is the speed of light three hundred thousand kilometers? Why is π an infinite non-repeating decimal? Why can’t time be divided infinitely? Everything seems unreasonable when you drill down to the basics. So if you can accept those constants, you can accept data transmission without packet loss too.”
As they rode out of the desert and entered a coastal and forested area, a damp, fresh wind blew over them. Long Jian Lu steered his motorcycle through the narrow mountain passes, where the ridges blocked the moisture flowing down from the north, dividing the landscape on both sides of the mountains.
"I want to get off."
"The area around here may not be safe,” Long Jian Lu replied. “What do you need to do? Get water? Bathe? I’ll find you a suitable spot.”
The ground started to tremble, and Yao Guang wisely dropped the idea of getting off the motorcycle. Long Jian Lu flicked his thumb over the flight switch, causing the motorcycle’s auxiliary wings to unfold and the jets to engage, lifting them up and over the treetops.
"What is that?"
"Elephants," Long Jian Lu glanced down and explained. "Haven't you seen them before?"
Below them, a herd of elephants appeared, moving through the forest, their tusks having evolved into shovel-like shapes.
The motorcycle slowly descended on a hillside, and Long Jian Lu said, "There's a lake here, let's get down."
Finally, Yao Guang felt the greenery and moisture of the forest around him as he walked toward the lake’s edge. “Don’t go too far,” Long Jian Lu warned.
Yao Guang drank some lake water and washed his face, while Long Jian Lu filled their water bottles. The water was icy cold, and the depths of the lake were a dark, inky blue, as if something was watching from below.
A few moments later, a massive tail, nearly ten meters long, shot out of the water, and Yao Guang screamed!
Long Jian Lu, however, was prepared. Water splashed, forming droplets in the air. He took two quick steps and reached Yao Guang, scooping him up and stepping back, saving him in less than half a second.
"What was that?" Yao Guang asked, breathless.
"A giant anaconda," Long Jian Lu said calmly. "I told you this place was dangerous.”
"That was way too big..."
Long Jian Lu gestured for him to continue, but Yao Guang no longer dared to venture near the lake.
"It's okay," Long Jian Lu said. "Even if it bites you, I can still save you at the last moment."
Though it wasn't dangerous, the psychological shock was significant. Yao Guang decided not to provoke it again. He took off his shirt in the shallow water and wiped his body.
Thankfully, the snake only appeared once, seeming to understand it had no chance of catching these two prey.
Long Jian Lu whistled at Yao Guang.
"Huh?" Yao Guang turned to look at him, standing at the edge of the shallow lake, half-naked.
In that moment, Long Jian Lu was momentarily distracted. From Yao Guang's gaze, he read a sense of loneliness and unease in this unfamiliar world, which stirred an impulse in Long Jian Lu to step forward, embrace him, and promise to protect him for life.
"You’re very pale,” Long Jian Lu commented. “Pretty sexy, actually.”
Yao Guang replied, "That’s the second time you’ve commented on my skin tone. Yours isn’t bad either.”
Long Jian Lu didn't answer, merely gazing at Yao Guang's bare back with interest.
"Have you ever been married? Had a girlfriend?" Yao Guang asked while drying himself. "Or do you just have a thing for fair-skinned people?”
“Neither,” Long Jian Lu said. “I like girls, but under certain conditions, a fair and pretty guy would do too. He’d have to be beautiful, not rough.”
Yao Guang pressed, "Stop talking nonsense. Do you have someone you like?"
Long Jian Lu sat on the shore, spreading his hands.
"I am a Knight; my purpose is to serve the Priestess," Long Jian Lu said. "What about you? Have you ever liked someone?"
Yao Guang shook his head, unable to remember.
"Can we eat the fruits on those trees?” Yao Guang asked, noticing some unfamiliar fruits nearby.
Long Jian Lu said seriously, "Don't eat randomly; you might get poisoned. Are you hungry again? I can get you some animals to eat, but I'm not very good at cooking; it might not taste good."
“I saw a big—ahh!” Yao Guang cried as a massive, two-meter-long fish with sharp teeth lunged at him, trying to drag him into the water. In a split second, Long Jian Lu spun around and yanked him back onto the shore.
Yao Guang panted, wide-eyed, while Long Jian Lu gestured for him to sit down and stay put. Then, ensuring Yao Guang stayed within sight, he shed his coat, shirt, and pants, stripping down completely before wading in for a bath.
His skin was wheat-colored, his physique very well-proportioned, presenting a beautiful inverted triangle shape. His muscles were just right, not bulky, with neatly arranged and attractive abs, and he even had a V-line.
When Yao Guang saw Long Jian Lu's body, he suddenly found him very sexy. It was a masculine quality that conveyed a sense of strength and safety, as if he was showcasing his power, making Yao Guang feel that being by his side would provide absolute protection. Yao Guang’s heart began to race.
"Let’s go.” Long Jian Lu ran a hand through his wet hair. He slung his coat and boots over the motorcycle, slipped into just his pants, and hopped on barefoot. “Once we’re airborne, the wind will dry us off.”
Yao Guang suggested, "I recommend we don't fly."
"Why not?" Long Jian Lu asked, twisting the throttle.
Yao Guang replied, "The special Killer sent by the Tree is tracking our whereabouts. If we fly, it will attack us."
“You know,” Long Jian Lu said, “when you first started with these predictions, I didn’t really believe you. But after that chaos at the Dune Shelter, you proved yourself right… So I thought, maybe…”
"So you want to verify it again?" Yao Guang asked.
Long Jian Lu raised an eyebrow and nodded.
Yao Guang shrugged, “Suit yourself if you’re itching to die.”
Long Jian Lu gave a courteous bow, activated the flight system, and the motorcycle took off with a roar, shooting into the sky.
—
Note:
- "雅丹" (yǎ dān) is a transliteration from Turkic languages, specifically describing the unique landforms known as yardang in English. These are the streamlined, wind-eroded ridges and formations typically found in desert areas.
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