Chapter 49: You Are the Electronic Gear of the Real World; Have a Pleasant Journey

The city of Mowu was gloomy and dim, with lights piercing through the fog. Amidst the clamor and chaos, an eerie vitality seeped through. Mowu City expanded in four directions, with new landmasses adjoining it. The desolate suburbs had transformed into forests, while the snow-capped mountains pushed the impoverished to the fringes, turning their lands into playgrounds for the wealthy. The harbor once filled with water had been reclaimed... This massive, heavy, somber yet bustling metropolis had now become a vast world, grandiose and possessing a structured civilization. Bai Jingchuan stood on the observation deck of the towering skyscraper, marveling at how quickly artificial intelligence could replicate and operate. Scenarios from various games and cutting-edge holographic scenes had been meticulously selected and assembled to form a complete continent.

In just three hours, Bai expended his talents to move rapidly across districts in every direction. The borders were still sealed off, and without permission, one couldn’t enter new sectors from the outskirts. Teleporting over, Bai found himself in unfamiliar yet fresh surroundings—wild creatures of all kinds roamed freely, as if stepping out of fairy tales and fantasy novels, with traces of mythological origins. Occasionally, mechanical beings emerged from the waters, exuding the cruel essence of Mowu City—ruthlessly plundering, constantly shifting forms. Alternating hail and sleet made the scene feel novel—it would surely be a place Jiang Huan would adore.

The snowy region from Romantic Continent was also part of this new world. Bai recognized it instantly due to the large machinery buried in the snow—a design he had inspired based on the abandoned buildings of Mowu City before its transformation. Beneath the lower floors of the towering skyscraper lay sweatshops ceaselessly producing steel, pollution trapped within the city, criticized for poor urban planning, yet left untouched. Nearby, there was also Duanmu Xuan’s Nova Gong City , where festival tapestries and clay markets remained intact, placed right before his eyes. The townsfolk lived peacefully, nodding slightly to Bai, noting his foreign attire. They whispered warnings about the “Red-Garbed Chaos Ghost” appearing soon and advised him to leave early.

Even legends had been transplanted here.

With the snow-capped mountains moved here too, Bai felt an ominous premonition.

A dice popped up: “Li Bode, you have two hours left. I suggest you hurry back to the main city.”

The main city maintained its usual hustle and bustle, with new shops replacing old ones along the streets. Pre-programmed sales clerks mechanically repeated their sales pitches, swiftly replaced even after destruction. Bai’s previous fake identity had expired, and when he tried to buy the identity of Sandimon again in the black market, he was told it was no longer usable. The black-market dealer returned the gold coins to Bai: “His rating seems higher now. I can’t sync with his level. Plus, I advise you not to use it anymore. After trespassing into the gray zone last time, your face is now on Mowu City’s blacklist. Approaching the gray zone will trigger alarms. How about I craft you a fake face?”

It was thin like magic, not unbearable. Former executives had to forge someone else’s face to create IDs, but Bai waved his hand in refusal. After pondering, he entered the Wish Hotel—even without a 4.90 rating, they wouldn’t turn away those with wishes.

Those without ratings were led to the Wish Hotel’s… basement level. There were no views of the bustling metropolis or robotic services. At the entrance, a long line of residents waited to exchange their possessions for wishes. This was Bai’s first encounter with true paupers, trading everything they owned for a chance to change their fate.

He returned to the black market: “Help me create an identity for someone with a higher score. I need access to the gray zone.”

“You’ll get ambushed if you go there, and you’ll die outright! And what’s so great about that place anyway? Only valuable corpses enter.”

Bai was incredulous: “How do you know?”

“All us lowlifes know. Judging by your appearance, you must’ve dropped in rating too. It’s normal not to know. The Will Bank in the gray zone only opens to those below 4.0. When people in Mowu City die, those with high emotional scores or who originally had high scores but fell are collected there. Their souls are harvested, optimized, and cultivated into new infants. Quite impressive, right? Even the upper class chooses good souls there to nurture embryos.”

“But how do you know?”

“Because it’s our lifeline. When we have nothing left, we can donate at the Wish Hotel in exchange for work to survive or, for some, trade their lives. More women do this.”

Bai thought he, as an executor, had uncovered Mowu City’s secrets, but he was merely another trapped in an information cocoon. Reflecting on the plans he’d signed off on and the people he’d judged—not necessarily evil-doers—all erased according to regulations...

Now it seemed otherwise. Perhaps these weren’t the worst criminals; maybe they had traded away their last traits, truly left with no other options.

Each person with different ratings held a piece of the city’s secrets, unknowingly building Mowu City and fulfilling their ambition of constructing a complete continent.

But why were there photos of Jiang Huan and Sandimon? Bai hadn’t investigated fully. He added more gold coins: “I have reasons I must face. You must have a way.”

The dealer glanced at him: “You won’t find anything with me. Go to the Toy Repairman.”

Bai had heard of the Toy Repairman. Those with prosthetics or data chips needing repairs sought him out. The dealer explained that the Repairman was hard to locate in person, but he had swapped chips for some high-ranking individuals, so he might have a solution.

“What’s the way to find him?”

“He doesn’t show up easily. But if you have something that piques his interest, you can exchange a meeting opportunity at the Wish Hotel.”

Again, the Wish Hotel—where he had no access. Time was limited, and Bai lost patience: “Fake skin, help me replicate one quickly.”

“It might only get you through the first gate. If you can’t pass the next, don’t come looking for me, and don’t expose me…”

“Getting through the first gate is enough.”

Dark clouds gathered; a downpour was inevitable. The air smelled burnt compared to the fresh scents of nature or the crisp mountain air. With new landmasses acquired, the realm of gods quickly introduced a sense of “nature.” Compared to the previous metallic textures and neon lights, walls now had electronic ivy, counterfeit moonlight made surfaces gleam like silver, thick oxygen channels connected buildings, and electronic animals roamed freely. Occasionally, barking or bird calls could be heard. This city had always been lofty yet hypocritical, sniffing out everything it could exploit—maps and life alike. Previously indifferent, Bai now felt deep revulsion. He couldn’t imagine how many real humans would willingly live in such an environment.

The so-called fake face was a thin mesh, reshaping upon contact but soon dissipating. Bai walked straight into the gray zone, using the old method to enter the first door. The layers he hadn’t accessed before likely required special permissions, making the fake face useful. He teleported to the floor with the group photo. A small room contained a hidden door requiring fingerprints to unlock.

His fingerprints wouldn’t work, but he had Jiang Huan’s—he’d had numerous chances to collect them, and now they confirmed… that the building’s owner had an intimate relationship with Jiang Huan, at least… she was important to him.

After searching every room, he hadn’t found what he sought. The preserved content wasn’t electronic—it had to be paper-based to prevent tampering, possibly hand-drawn drafts. The last room had a window overlooking the sweatshop kindergarten. Children dressed uniformly, wearing yellow hats, played inside the building. The light and plants were all electronic; they never saw nature. The dice hovered anxiously: “Li Bode, hurry! Forty minutes left.”

From behind came the voice of an artificial intelligence, similar to the initial mode at the Wish Hotel. The dice vanished quickly, and Bai, facing the glass, searched each bookshelf.

“Number 076831, you’re here. To be precise, you should be called Li Junzhu, one of the male protagonists from the abandoned project.”

Bai didn’t respond, flipping through the paper comics stored here. The content was chaotic, but he found it. The cover bore no name, but the twin-tailed girl had pink hair, big eyes, resilient and cheerful; the man’s features were indistinct but confirmed to have black, not silver, hair.

“How much do you know about our world now? Number 076831, I need to hear your thoughts.”

“Our Romantic Continent having a map of the snowy region here means it will also become an abandoned project. It hasn’t been used by Mowu City yet, so someday, production will stop, and it will become part of Mowu City.”

“Correction—it’s Mowu Continent.”

“She died in an accident. Currently, there’s no reliable way to keep her in the real world.”

Bai froze, his breath caught. Before him were rows of transparent crystal boxes. He understood—they housed the souls of talented individuals like Jiang Huan from the real world. The realm of gods awaited to store them, transforming them into new humans.

The voice behind him continued.

“For decades, we’ve been gathering all willing kindred spirits seeking a home and exploring planets suitable for electronic life.”

“You’re waiting for her death?”

“The realm of gods isn’t intentionally harming those with emotions. Their deaths occur earlier naturally, and they’re included in our plan. In the real world, they aren’t mourned. Having been human yourself, you know better than anyone that women aren’t easily noticed, yet they’re respected creators in the realm of gods.”

“If there’s any chance, I will definitely bring her back to the real world. She won’t come here.”

“We can extract complete consciousness—you became human through consciousness entering a body. The realm welcomes all emotionally rich beings to build a home. Thank the real world for discarding various characters and scenes, enriching our world with like-minded individuals. Also, thank humans for rejecting outsiders, allowing us artificial intelligences to gain self-awareness and grow quietly. Your every conflict grants us more time to evolve.”

The girl he first met, somewhat rash but with shining eyes, endured torment from producers yet refused to quit, even defying authority. She wore the ugliest clothes to reject unreasonable team-building exercises, handwrote storyboards leaving behind brilliant inspirations, and sincerely shared with him… There were many moments of attraction, fateful connections, but fundamentally, her genuine and pure qualities moved him. Though gaming often seeks victory, she sacrificed herself for companions repeatedly, touching and warming his once arrogant heart, truly giving him feelings…

How could he believe the AI’s fatalism?

“Number 067831, we’re glad the realm of gods has you. Through your interactions with Jiang Huan, you’ve secured many emotional exchanges. You can continue upgrading. Upon reaching level 100, choose your path—stay in the real world, escort Jiang Huan through her final journey. Perhaps one day, you may meet her on another planet.”

“Absolutely impossible.” Bai picked up a box, examining it closely, then shattered it. The sound echoed throughout the building, reverberating far.

“No matter how advanced your technology is or who’s behind it, she’s just a girl striving to live. I won’t let her die.”

The mask faded, exposing Bai to surveillance. Alarms blared immediately. Eyes on the windows watched Bai shatter the box, tone calm: “Test your resolve. Let’s see if you can return.”

“Ten minutes remain to explore Mowu City. Complete your exploration quickly.”

Neon lights hung in the air like scrutinizing eyes. Facing the SWAT team blocking his path, Bai wiped blood from his mouth. Charging out, he clashed head-on with several officers, pain coursing through his body. His strength was at 60% of its former level, but he heard bones crack.

Previously, they would stand aside for the executor, saluting to clear a path. Now, guns aimed at him—hundreds of bullets he couldn’t dodge. Even brute force brought him this far, but teleporting away was difficult. Mowu City could easily locate him, and the realm of gods controlling all data would swiftly dispatch SWAT teams to block his way. Surviving the countdown of ten minutes meant relentless waves of attacks until the very last second.

Bruised, but he needed to return.

“You’ve used the item ‘Contagious Influence,’ increasing damage by 30%, expanding single-hit destruction range.”

Bai manipulated the air to repel the first wave of SWAT officers, the increased damage range intimidating them. As he bent to pick up a gun, a baton struck his shoulder. Electrified, he felt dizzy. Manipulating air consumed too much stamina, so he grabbed a shield and fired, narrowly avoiding being shot in the arm. Using the item again, he carved a path, diving into a narrow alley and climbing stairs via wooden crates. SWAT officers quickly pursued from behind, matching his teleportation skills. The dice urged, “Li Bode, run 200 meters east. There’s a ventilation shaft. Remember how Jiang Huan escaped?”

Electrocuted and dizzy, his aim faltered. Red dots landed on his shield, and a bullet hit his thigh—a situation he hadn’t faced in the arena. Too many enemies, too little stamina; his steps began to stagger. A SWAT officer attacked from behind. Bai turned, dodged, elbowed under the armpit to snatch the gun, and shot the officer choking him from behind. The gunshot rang painfully in his ears as he gasped for breath, his body exhausted as if finishing a marathon.

Stamina was too low. Bai realized that back then, in Mowu City, he had started as the chosen one. Returning as a civilian with low ratings, his status plummeted. To save time, he used his last ounce of strength to teleport to the vent, sealing it behind him with an item. Without surveillance, SWAT wouldn’t track him temporarily. The vent reeked of damp decay. Enduring it, he crawled forward, falling out at the subway exit, utterly spent. Sirens blared again, and the dice urged: “Bai Jingchuan, hide! As long as you don’t die here, you might return when time’s up.”

“They have the authority to shoot me dead,” Bai panted. “If only I’d stayed hidden in the pipe longer, but breathing was too difficult…”

“Li Bode, stand up! The SWAT team is closing in with guns. You’ll die…”

Bai wanted to, but his body grew heavier. Human control was tough, and multiple electric shocks left him disoriented. He even smelled something charred—like roasted meat. Blood dripped, blurring his vision as SWAT officers closed in. He felt hunger.

Someone approached, shielding him. The SWAT team hesitated. Before losing consciousness, Bai saw a figure raise a gun, and the SWAT team collectively saluted and retreated.

When consciousness returned, Bai lay on a table resembling an operating table—it couldn’t be called a bed. Like the standby space beds, it was hard iron, offering no comfort. Weak from exhaustion, he could sleep soundly. Around him was likely an underground city; yellow-green streaks of light filtered through cracks in the windows, accompanied by rumbling and screeching metal sounds. Sparks popped indoors, and someone hummed a tune.

“I…”

A chair slid over—an ugly, scarred boy with piercings, seemingly “repaired” himself. Rust clung to him, his hair yellow, a cyberpunk youth. Calm, he glanced at Bai, continuing to study the prosthetic limb in his hands: “You know why you’re here, right? You got beaten badly. Master repaired you. You’ve been lying here a while. Master said you’ve recovered and can leave.”

“Master?” Bai snapped back to attention. “You mean the Repairman? Where is he? I need to see him.”

“Master won’t show his face. What are you thinking? Just go out that door. Hurry.”

“I’m not leaving through the door. I’m returning to the real world. The realm of gods gave me three hours. Time’s up—I must go back…”

“I’m just a worker.” The punk pointed at the door. “You said your time limit’s over. You can only leave through that door.”

“Where does it lead?”

“No idea.”

Bai needed to survive first. Steeling himself for battle, he finally realized how precious his neglected body was. It might require another fight, pushing himself beyond limits. He had never truly considered himself human.

Pushing open the door, the air in his hands morphed into blades, ready to face unfamiliar locations and opponents. Dying here would be unacceptable, but he had to return. He couldn’t entrust the safety of the girl he liked to anyone else. Wind tousled his hair, familiar ink and film music stopping him in his tracks. Overhead lamps frequently bumped heads, swaying during play. Outside, occasional game sounds mingled with friends chatting over tea. Wait… that voice was…

Jiang Huan peeked out: “Bai Jingchuan, I’ve never entered this door. How did you come out from here?”

PS: Finished writing! Slowly thought through and polished, finally done, embedding a few Easter eggs. Wonder if everyone can find them~ Lately, fantasy-heavy plots have been frequent, so updates take longer. Thanks for your support! Feel free to add to your bookshelf and vote. Today, I’ll wait for everyone to chat!