Mr. Maupai took a sip of tea and looked at the vast sky.

The picture of the broken stars is colorful and magnificent.

"It's so beautiful~"

He said with an intoxicated expression and a little melancholy: "It's a pity that I won't be able to see it soon." ”

Hearing this, Yu Lian judged that his remaining thoughts should soon disappear.

"Sir, I have a question." Yu Lian pondered beside him and asked, "I saw something strange in the church just now. Were they all born from your spiritual world? ”

"Of course it's me." Mr. Maupai was quick to answer.

"But don't you think those things are too for our time, uh......" Yu Lian paused, and said to him in a euphemistic way: "There is a kind of beauty beyond the scope of the era." ”

Hearing this, Mr. Morpai slowly turned around.

Looking at Yu Lian's eyes, they were deep and incomprehensible, and said with a hidden smile: "How do you know that it is ahead of the times?" ”

"Because that's so disrespectful to God." Yu Lian replied calmly.

"Are you religious?"

"I don't believe it, but I don't dare to do it."

Yes.

For most occultists, it is one thing to believe in religion or not, but they will never make fun of God when they have nothing to do. It's Victorian times, and God is still the belief of most Europeans, the only deity.

Yu Lian's answer couldn't be faulted.

Mr. Maupai took a sip of black tea and looked at him with a meaningful look in his eyes: "You think I'm incredible?" ”

"I should say that most people will find it incredible." Yu Lian said without leaking.

"There's nothing incredible in this world, sir."

Mr. Maupai smiled faintly, his voice mellow and soft, echoing through the temple with a vibration that would not disturb a dream.

This sentence sounds like it has the flavor of modern rationalism.

Mr. Maupai took another sip of black tea and continued: "In this world, there will only be things that should exist, only things that should happen, and there are no things that should not exist and should not happen. I think something is incredible, but people in the world think that they can understand everything in the universe with just the pitiful amount of common sense and experience they know, so when they encounter an event that is slightly beyond common sense and experience, they shout in unison that it is incredible. ”

At this point, there was a slight pause.

He wasn't gasping for air, he was giving Yu Lian time to think.

After seeing Yu Lian's expression without any confusion, he continued: "To be honest, what can those who haven't even thought about their own essence and origin know about the world? Are you right, sir. ”

"No one can know all the mysteries of the world, right?" Yu Lian asked calmly.

"God can."

Mr. Maupai seems to be saying that 1+1 equals 2.

"You talked to death...... Yu Lian complained angrily.

"Haha~"

Mr. Maupai chuckled heartily.

"I've always been spurned about religion." He held the teacup and said, "The research results of many occultists have been stolen by religion, and the divinity of religion has been propagated in the form of miracles and hallucinations, making knowledge that should be accessible to the public mysterious and weird. The purpose of occultism, as a discipline, is to make the mystery no longer mysterious, and the religious idea of making the mysterious more mysterious seems very vain. ”

Yu Lian listened silently.

“…… The unbelievers ridicule the foolishness of believers, and the believers condemn the sins of unbelievers. Of course, those who believe in science also worship 'science' as a god, which is not much different from believers in essence. However, compared with religious believers, those who believe in science are more willing to face up to and explore the principles of how things work, rather than thinking that they can be regarded as what they should be without looking closely, as believers do. ”

"You don't want me to tell between right and wrong, do you?" Yu Lian asked amusedly.

"No, no, right and wrong is a difficult topic to tell, and there is no single criterion for judging it, and it will vary from time to time and from place to place. In the age of barbarianism, the barbarians would consider the living sacrifice to be the greatest sincerity to God, but today it will be considered barbaric and ignorant; The Crusades were seen as righteous acts of spreading the glory of the Lord, but on the other side they were seen as barbaric acts of infidels of aggression......"

"Now that you also know that right and wrong cannot be judged by a single thought, I believe you will not be so petty as to secretly insult religion. But why would you want to make a church like that? Yu Lian asked curiously.

"An experiment."

"Experiments?"

"Yes!"

Mr. Maupai paused, his eyes glinting with pleasure.

It's like a person who has been holding back for a long time, and finally finds someone who is willing to accompany him to chat.

"After being promoted to the seventh rank, I have the ability to go back in time, so I have seen a lot of shocking images......

With a smile on his face, Mr. Maupai gently touched the edge of the teacup with his fingertips, and his eyes were deeply emotional: "When you look back on the path of human development from the perspective of a bystander, you can bring more profound insights......

"But some people say that the only lesson that mankind can learn from history is that it does not learn any lessons." Yu Lian said silently.

“……”

Mr. Maupai's expression was visibly choked.

"Don't interrupt me with that......"

He muttered, and laughed a few times as if he thought it was funny.

After laughing, he continued: "The biggest insight I got from it is that in order to survive, human beings have made great efforts and sacrifices to win the victory of evolution. And the pace of evolution has never stopped...... But this great victory is destined to be sad. ”

"Why?" Yu Lian asked with interest.

"The pace of evolution has not stopped, civilization continues to expand, but in the world, no, it should be said that on the planet we live in, the total amount of matter is constant. However, due to the dual constraints of human life and gravity, it is impossible to obtain material ...... from the universe."

Speaking of this, Mr. Maupai's voice deepened, as if muttering to himself: "Matter is the basis for the continuation of civilization, and if there is not enough external material supply, the earth can only control the rate of material consumption through a constant stock game. When that time comes, the strong will become stronger and the weak will become weaker......"

Hey, you Victorian, don't you really think it's strange to say this...... Yu Lian wanted to complain in his heart, but such a serious question made his face very solemn.

"Involution will exacerbate the Matthew effect......"

"yes." Mr. Maupai nodded, "The upper limit of lifespan, gravitational restraint, and the Matthew effect, the three-in-one, is equivalent to trapping humanity on Earth, waiting for self-destruction in despair......"

Speaking of which, Yu Lian probably knew what he was thinking.

"So, after you became the Eighth Order, you began to imagine how to slow down the consumption of matter by human beings?"

"It's just a little bit of a success."

Mr. Maupai smiled happily again, and said to Yu Lian as if he wanted to show off: "I have realized a truth from Socrates' 'dualism of spirit and body' - the human spirit depends on the body, but it is not symbiosis, but the order of succession, that is, there is the body first, and then the spirit. The countless neurons in the body form a complex neural network, which creates the spiritual concepts of human spirit, self-consciousness and other spiritual aspects by consuming matter. So, let's suppose that wouldn't it be possible to reduce consumption by transplanting the spirit that had already been born into something that consumes less materially? Is this path feasible? ”

He looked at Yu Lian with a smile, waiting for an answer.

"Feasible......" Yu Lian said angrily.

"That's right, you're amazing!"

Mr. Maupai applauded Yu Lian happily.

Looking at Yu Lian's mentally retarded expression, he sneered and said, "I have used the abilities of the two levels of time traveler and visionary, and after countless experiments, I have successfully made the 'digital of consciousness' feasible. I'm really genius to get the spirit out of the body that consumes too much, and to survive in a more magical way in a wider world with very little consumption......"

Seeing his happy smile from the bottom of his heart, Yu Lian couldn't help but be a little puzzled, and asked cautiously: "Since the research was successful, why did you go crazy later?" ”

“……”

Mr. Maupai's smile froze on his face.

"It's hard to answer this question......"

"Understood." Yu Lian looked at him with an understanding look.

The muscles of Mr. Maupai's face twitched imperceptibly: "No, it's not because I'm afraid of losing face and don't want to say ......"

"Understood!"

Yu Lian still has that "I understand" expression.

Mr. Maupai resisted the urge to strangle him, sighed slightly, and said, "Before explaining, I will ask you a few questions. ”

"Excuse me."

"What we see, hear, think, whatever information we receive, is provided by the brain."

"I know that."

"So, how do you tell if it's real or fake?" Mr. Maupai asked meaningfully, "To be specific, how do you judge that I am the master here?" ”

"You just said it, so you can judge."

"It's judged by experience, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Experiences are a type of memory. If you lose your memory, you'll never know it again. If you forget to learn to swim, you will never swim again, and if you forget to walk, you will have difficulty even standing up. ”

"That's right......" Yu Lian nodded.

"So, the question I'm really going to ask is......" Mr. Maupai's expression and voice became serious at the same time, "how do you tell if your memories are true?" ”

“……”

Yu Lian had nothing to say.

Who would judge this thing if they have nothing to do.

"No one knows where the memories are hidden, so there is no such thing as taking them out for examination. Moreover, the occultists of the masked path have the class of 'dream makers', who can tamper with or falsify a person's memories. If a person can't even guarantee the authenticity of his own memories, then how can he tell if he is still ......

"There are many ways to judge whether a person's identity is real......" Yu Lian gradually frowned, "Appearance, voice, fingerprints, iris ......"

"The only thing that can shape a soul is memory!" Mr. Maupai said categorically.

Yu Lian closed his mouth, intending to watch him perform quietly, but he suddenly asked very abruptly, "By the way, is your grandfather's health okay?" ”

"Why do you suddenly ask this ......?"

"Answer me, is he okay?"

Yu Lian was a little puzzled, and replied in confusion: "Before I was born, he went to see God." ”

"In other words, you don't know if he exists or not, do you?"

“…… How could I exist if he didn't exist? ”

"Okay, what about your father? Does it exist? ”

"My father died in the second year of my life, and I can assure you that he existed! Also, my mom was killed by me, so you don't have to ask about it again. ”

"What if these memories are something you're born with?"

Mr. Morpai's expression gradually became crazy, and he looked like he had to convince Yu Lian: "Let's put it simply, let's say 'you' have just been born into this world at this time, but only for a minute. But as soon as you come here, you have all the memories of your. So isn't there no difference between this newborn 'you' and the 'you' who have lived for more than ten years? ”

Hearing him say this, Yu Lian fell silent.

He was not very interested in this topic, but suddenly began to feel fear, no, more like a sense of loneliness or nothingness, as if the mud boat he was riding on had dissolved in the sea, and began to doubt his own existence.

"How is that possible...... I'm who I am......"

"You can't tell, do you? Maybe your memories are all made up. ”

"How can it be so illusory, I ......" Yu Lian frowned and thought for a long time, feeling that his thinking was getting more and more confused. In order to avoid being led into the ditch, he looked sideways at Mr. Mo Pai and asked angrily, "Are you crazy because you think of this?" ”

"Isn't that it......"

Mr. Maupai sighed wistfully.

"Since I can keep a person's consciousness alive in a machine without the body, how can I be sure that my brain is not kept in a vat?"

Really......

Yu Lian rubbed his eyebrows.

You're fooled by the 'brain in a jar'!

And also!

Abstract!

It's really too abstract.

I am a person who came from the information age, and I was actually dumbfounded by the question of a person in the age of steam using consciousness to digitize...... It's so abstract!

"If even my own existence is uncertain, then ......," said Mr. Maupai, whose mood was visibly low, "what is the point of all my efforts for the survival of civilization?" In itself, in values, in truth, everything will be denied, human civilization is fiction, the world is meaningless......"

"You've been poisoned by nihilism!" Yu Lian shouted.

Mr. Maupai tilted his head, his eyes sad, "Do you know my boredom?" ”

Yu Lian took a deep breath and asked, "Do you have any sense?" ”

"There is ......"

As soon as Mr. Maupai finished answering, he let out an "ah" in pain.

Yu Lian slapped him in the face, and then asked, "This is called existential beating, do you feel it?" ”

“…… It hurts. Mr. Mo Pai was stunned for a while, perhaps wanting to take revenge, so he put his hands in front of Yu Lian, "Sir, please choose!" ”

“？”

Yu Lian's mind was full of question marks.

"You take this blue pill and then tonight's story ends here, you will wake up in your own bed tomorrow and believe what you want to believe"

Mr. Maupai showed him what was in his palm, and he looked unfathomable.

"If you take the red pill, then I will welcome you back to the real, cruel world."

"What is the relationship between Your Excellency and Morpheus?" Yu Lian's tone was quiet.

"Who?"

"A fat black man with sunglasses."

"I don't know, you choose...... Eh, you're like that! ”

Yu Lian, who swallowed the blue pill in one gulp, shrugged his shoulders slightly: "Is there a problem?" ”

“…… Don't you behave a little bit of pain? And, you, shouldn't you pick the red pill? Mr. Morpai's emotions were about to collapse, "You don't want to think about it, what if the world you live in is really fake?" ”

"What to do? It's simple, be a Truman. ”

Yu Lian stood up, stretched his waist a little tired, looked at Mr. Mo Pai and said: "If this world is really false, then there must be an upper limit to its authenticity, I only need to continue to expand the scope of my activities, then there will always be a day when I touch the boundary and see through the truth and falsehood." At that time, how can Your Excellency trap me with falsehood? ”

"But, but, Wan, in case there is no upper limit......"

"No upper limit? Isn't that the real world? ”

The more Yu Lian said, the more refreshed he felt: "A false world without loopholes is meaningless, and human existence itself is meaningless, you are trapped in this problem, so you will go crazy!" You haven't thought clearly, on the basis of 'existence', the whole process of human self-shaping and self-achievement can be given meaning, for example, your research to slow down material consumption is meaningful! All things have their merits in the end—all of the above is the self-cultivation of a metaphysical materialist! ”

“……”

Mr. Maupai's expression was frozen for a long time.

Looking at him like that, I won't be able to think about it for a while.

So, as a human being, don't think about so many things that you don't have, you should eat and drink, and don't put anything in your heart, otherwise you will easily go crazy.

Yu Lian sighed, and said disgusted next to him: "You are all people who have been to the future, and you haven't kept up with the times at all in your thinking." ”

"Future?"

Mr. Maupai was stunned.

After a moment, his eyes lit up, revealing an expression of sudden realization: "You haven't awakened yet." ”

"No, I said you are ......" Yu Lian twitched the corner of his eye, "You are all eighth-order, and you are still laughing at me about this?" ”

"Oh no, sir, you are mistaken. I mean......" Mister Maupai regained his mildness and a vengeful smile in his eyes, "if you're an occultist, you should know that time can only be turned back, not surpassed. ”

“……”

This time it was Yu Lian's turn to be stunned for a long time.

No, what does this guy mean, that this nondescript thing like a cyber God is something he's seen in his past history?

You're lying, right?

Otherwise, I'm going from the past to the present, right?

Eh, etc.,

I have traveled from the information age to the age of steam, from the past to the future......

Yes!

It's messy, it's messy!

Julien's thoughts began to wander.

"Hahaha......"

Mr. Maupai laughed heartily.

Finding that Yu Lian's eyes were looking at him, he raised his eyebrows proudly: "I'm sorry, I will never explain it to you." ”

“……”

Yu Lian took a few deep breaths.

"I'll find the truth myself!" He said firmly.

"I wish you success." Mr. Maupai was still laughing, but his smile softened, "I really want to talk to you again, but I'm about to disappear, and time is running out." You are here, and I leave my research results to you, and I hope that one day you will be able to use ......"

As he spoke, the color of his body gradually changed to be transparent and unreal.

【The World of the Dreamer, Completed】

【Reward: Brain-Computer Interface (Technology)】

“…… It's really too abstract tonight! ”

The corners of Yu Lian's mouth tugged uncontrollably.

Looking at the idler's disappearing body, he hurriedly pointed to the throne and asked, "Whose position is this?" ”

"My master." Mr. Maupai replied with a smile, "No. 21 Sichen - the world." ”

"Si Chen?"

"You can understand it as the embodiment of the rules of the world, the omnipotent who governs the laws of nature, controls the passage of time, and knows everything...... Of course, you can also simply understand it as God. ”

Then I'm No. 0 Si Chenluo...... Yu Lian was quite satisfied with the title, and asked, "Where is he?" ”

“…… It's gone. ”

"Okay. It's been a pleasure to talk to you and see you soon. Yu Lian bowed politely, turned around and walked slowly outside the main hall. As he progressed, the temple disappeared and he returned to the castle without stopping.

Mr. Maupai, who gradually became illusory, watched him leave.

"Knock~"

A deep bell rang out in the darkness.

Suddenly, the boy tilted his head and fell to the ground.

Mr. Maupai's eyes froze.

A feather fell lightly, and a black shadow fluttered down from the ceiling.

A fat owl.

The closer the shadow was to the ground, the brighter the light on its body became, and finally turned into a plump and mature figure in the dazzling light.

In the light, she raised her head, and her mature and delicate face turned to the boy on the ground.

"It's all here, such a good free labor, don't waste it. It just so happens that I have the materials on hand all the time. ”

She hooked her finger towards Yu Lian on the ground and smiled proudly: "My good son, mom is here to help you awaken your nature......"

Mr. Maupai was dumbfounded.

How can this kid's mother be so good-looking......

"Don't look at it!" The woman hugged Yu Lian, who was floating up, and shouted to the back: "Before your sanity has completely dissipated, hurry up and come over to exert your residual heat." You're going to let my good son awaken to his nature, so why don't I let you be reborn......"