He reloaded the save.
Su Wen returned to the beginning of Sprout Game.
The same opening CG from a bird's-eye view.
The same future three thousand years later.
But this time was different.
He wasted no time and ran straight down the rooftop stairs.
"I have to avoid the Life Forbidden Zone's instant-kill attack at the start."
Su Wen understood that some games had what were known as "inevitable death endings."
He had to accomplish something before that moment arrived.
It was just that the time vacuum Chronoscape Game had left him was far too short.
He raced down the stairs with all his strength.
Then, inside the building, he encountered that familiar figure.
"Qin Xiaodie, I'm here to save you."
"Who are you?"
"There's no time to explain. Come on."
There was no way Qin Xiaodie could trust him without any explanation.
"Since you're here to save me, where are your weapons? Didn't Rainforest equip you with any weapons?
Did you bring a single-soldier jetpack and a compact Field Generator?"
Although only a few people close to her knew her name,
she still could not understand how the Rainforest organization expected someone dressed in "retro clothing" to save her.
Su Wen understood that gaining her trust in such a short time was nearly impossible.
Besides,
she was right.
Without weapons and equipment, escaping was practically an impossible task.
As he watched the countdown pendulum he had set beside his computer continue to tick down,
47 seconds.
46 seconds.
45 seconds.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
The screen entered the post-death reload.
"Dead end."
The information he could gather in the game was far too limited.
Maybe he should bow to the old man and try to secure a good spot in the cemetery seven days from now.
Before Su Wen's eyes,
the red prompt text stood out sharply against the black screen.
The shadow of impending death was so crushing that Su Wen found it hard to breathe.
"I can't give up yet."
For him,
the time he could control was no more than one minute after the game CG ended.
What do I need to do within this one minute to reverse the entire outcome?
Su Wen sat silently before his computer, thinking.
Abilities identified Known information: Life Forbidden Zone, Star Ring, the Rainforest organization Qin Xiaodie belonged to, the Morton Brotherhood pursuing her, hidden cache
There had to be some information he had missed.
"Qin Xiaodie was willing to flee into the civilization-destroying Life Forbidden Zone during the chase. That proves the hidden cache she protected must be of immense value."
And within those mere forty-seven seconds, he had to obtain information about the ruins.
Humans could unleash immense willpower when faced with death.
Su Wen was no exception.
Under the shadow of death, he did not choose to give up.
Instead, he began attempt after attempt across a timeline spanning three thousand years.
You have died Continue reload
Thirteenth reload:
From a particular viewing angle, he obtained breakthrough information through his appraisal skill:
Fafner Pendant, a relic treasured by Qin Xiaodie, originating from the Inner Ring Explosion in District Thirteen; an item left behind by her father, Dr. Qin Mingyuan, Helens Technology's chief ancient civilization researcher.
Twentieth reload, during their conversation:
Using clues gained by resetting the timeline, he posed as someone entrusted by Qin Mingyuan and tried to extract information about the hidden cache.
Failed to obtain information.
Death.
Failed.
Death.
Failed.
Death.
Twenty-seventh reload.
He revealed research information about the Broken Star Ring while posing as Qin Mingyuan's fellow researcher:
"The Cain Group-funded planetary Star Ring appeared nine hundred years ago. It can prove your father's research into the changes during the mid-stage of the Origin Era outbreak.
The Life Forbidden Zone is about to awaken. We don't have time.
I need the information he left behind."
With enough information that only she herself knew,
Qin Xiaodie finally chose to trust him, though not without difficulty.
"It's just a map. If I could understand it, I might have opened the hidden cache long ago."
She handed Su Wen the pendant hanging from her fair neck.
Appraisal: Information cache. Encryption level: Alpha Level, multi-digit chained space. Encryption removed. Stream data connection successful. "Time Travel" game paused. Decoding in progress. Data intelligence analysis in progress. Data obtained: Ancient Life Forbidden Zone research intelligence.
Time remaining:
35 seconds.
Su Wen opened the Ancient Life Forbidden Zone research intelligence and obtained a map that had changed continuously over the long passage of time.
Two hundred years ago, the "origin point" of the Life Forbidden Zone began to migrate.
Five hundred years ago, %￥...&Ash Storm%... data corrupted.
Nine hundred years ago, based on twenty-eight years of data from the observation station, the Life Forbidden Zone showed signs of rank elevation due to contamination.
One thousand five hundred years ago, according to... data corrupted, contamination outbreak... large-scale clustered destruction of life activity occurred... Meme annihilation.
Three thousand years ago, at the beginning of the Origin Era, after 2.8 million database retrospectives, records confirmed that this place had once been a habitable zone.
Back then, it had another name: "Seaside."
The seed point of the Life Forbidden Zone is at the marked point on the map. I guarantee it can be located with meter-level precision.
I do not know who this research may help, but to whoever sees this research report,
I hope you can inherit my research and save this planet on the brink of destruction, because it was once our only home.
ID: RT67-XYU-Chief Researcher-01—Qin Mingyuan.
At that moment,
he looked at the words recording the changes of civilization.
He also looked at that final map, one so familiar that he had once lived there for nearly twenty years.
It felt as though Su Wen had been struck by a massive hammer.
"I understand everything now."
He crossed three thousand years.
He saw the man in a white research uniform and black-rimmed glasses, bent over his desk at work.
It was a scholar's final stand for civilization.
Su Wen put on his coat.
He picked up the bicycle keys on the table.
Then he said calmly,
"Time Record, load the appraisal authority into my retinas. I'm heading out."
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