Chapter 1571: The Way to Become a Posthuman
Wu Yiliu didn"t react for a moment, unable to grasp the meaning behind Professor Qiao"s expression. In that instant, still a child seeking comfort and guidance from adults, he felt a vague sense of alarm, which quickly dissipated.
In fact, he didn"t fully understand the weight of the word "posthuman." But was that important? Since he couldn"t bear to stay in this place, all he needed to know was that "posthuman" was a window to escape this world.
Wu Yiliu"s attention was entirely focused on the old lady"s words. He asked, "Become... become a posthuman? But you and Sakura—"
Though eager, he hesitated, reluctant to mention that name so casually in front of Professor Qiao. As if Sh.o.r.eis was just a data reference, an information source, he felt uncomfortable mentioning him so lightly—as though to reach his destination, he had recklessly trampled through a wildflower field in heavy boots.
Professor Qiao didn"t mind, nodding and saying, "Yes, we"ve discussed it. Since this world is still somewhat operating normally, it leads to the fact that it will not produce local posthumans."
Didn"t that mean...
Perhaps sensing his thoughts, the old lady gave a bitter smile.
"It seems you"ve realized it too. Our world is facing a slow, rotting apocalypse. In Sh.o.r.eis" hometown, the world was overturned overnight, but here, several months have pa.s.sed, and the end has only just begun. When it deteriorates into an uninhabitable h.e.l.l on earth, it might take decades."
"I won"t last that long," Wu Yiliu said. "Professor, you must have an idea, right?"
Since Professor Qiao said this was the third way, there must be a possibility to realize it.
Before answering, the old lady paused for a few seconds. Her gaze drifted away, and although her face was relaxed, her hands were tightly clasped, as if she were weighing something in her mind. After a moment of silent thought, she finally spoke.
"We may not know when the first posthuman appeared or when it spread globally, but we can at least be sure that this slow apocalypse has been ongoing for several months. This means that there are posthumans who have already been transported to this world."
Wu Yiliu suddenly realized that he might be breathing the same air as those seemingly omnipotent, unimaginable superhumans. If Sh.o.r.eis, who had never met Professor Qiao, had been transported here again after thirty-six years...
However, Sh.o.r.eis had also said that there were countless apocalyptic worlds, nearly infinite; the chance of being transported here twice consecutively by random transportation was too low to even consider.
Had Professor Qiao paused earlier because of this possibility? Even such a low chance might be too much for her to bear.
The old lady"s voice pulled Wu Yiliu"s attention back.
"If you can somehow find posthumans and seek their help, they might have the means to a.s.sist you in evolving," she continued calmly. "Back then, Sh.o.r.eis didn"t have this method, and I never asked. Later, the opportunity was lost, so becoming posthuman was never an option for me. But your situation is different; you can try. After all, you understand this world"s information... you have value worth trading with the posthumans."
These words were like a meteorite plunging into a lake, causing a towering splash of intense disappointment in Wu Yiliu"s heart. He nearly lost control and let the disappointment show on his face.
Is that all?
Wu Yiliu didn"t even know what posthumans looked like or where to find them, let alone have to look for them one by one until he found someone willing and capable of helping him. The possibility of success in this approach seemed as fleeting as waiting for the silver ring to regain its efficacy.
He knew, of course, that this was not Professor Qiao"s fault. She had already saved the world once. Wu Yiliu and countless others in the world existed today, perhaps owing to Professor Qiao"s grace. But Wu Yiliu was still young, and he could not help but feel despair at the possibility that he might ultimately be beyond help. His fingers clung tightly to the fabric of the sofa as he said in a choked voice, "Is... is that all?"
Professor Qiao gently rubbed her brow, looking even more weary and pale, reminding one that she was indeed nearing seventy.
"I don"t even know where to find them," Wu Yiliu said, his tone more pleading than complaining. "How many posthumans must I find before I run into someone who can save me? Besides, whether they save me or not is entirely in the hands of an unknown person. This..."
Professor Qiao"s lips thinned as if she wanted to shake her head but held back.
Wu Yiliu looked at her, suddenly struck by a strange feeling. The old lady seemed to be struggling to control herself, as if some words were preparing to burst through her barriers, to escape her lips. Her only defense was to keep her lips tightly sealed.
Did Professor Qiao have something she wanted to say but couldn"t?
"This path may be easier than you think. Sh.o.r.eis told me that these tranquil worlds are cherished by posthumans, like a drifting person suddenly finding an island in the sea where they can rest and catch their breath," Professor Qiao said, clearly changing the subject. "But their definition of "calm" is not quite the same as ours. In my experience, some lawless and disorderly behavior is inevitable since they"ve been detached from society for so long. I suggest we approach it from this angle."
Wu Yiliu listened, dumbfounded.
"I felt very disappointed when I realized that the world was once again on the same old path. During this time, memories from the past kept surfacing. Since I saw the first mutant, I"ve been collecting suspicious news reports to distract myself."
Professor Qiao"s smile seemed strained as she whispered, "With the internet and personal computers now, gathering information is indeed much easier than before. We can pinpoint the range of posthuman activity by identifying their crimes through these news reports. Then, your chances of leaving with their help increase..."
The words "posthuman crimes" struck Wu Yiliu, and he took a sharp breath, suddenly realizing what Professor Qiao had been holding back.
If they just let this world deteriorate and decay slowly, it might take decades to reach the stage where posthumans could emerge. But what if you add posthumans, the unpredictable ticking time bomb? They had the ability and means to significantly accelerate the world"s decline. If they wished, this place could become a standard apocalyptic world within days.
No wonder Professor Qiao had hesitated earlier, wanting to say something but holding back.
Waiting for a terminally ill patient to die on their own and stabbing them for a quick end after diagnosing a terminal illness are two entirely different things.
But wouldn"t posthumans themselves be reluctant to destroy this "place of rest and recuperation" too?
Seeing that he hadn"t spoken for a while, the old lady, despite her age, demonstrated a surprising sharpness of mind. With a slight glance, she seemed to understand the storm that had swept through the young student"s mind. "You"ve thought of it too, haven"t you? If the world ends a little quicker, you can save yourself a lot of trouble."
Wu Yiliu nodded stiffly, but it was a moment before she broke the silence.
"Since you"ve thought of it, I don"t need to avoid saying it. For the past thirty-six years, there hasn"t been a day when I could breathe freely."
She looked down at her hands, saying softly, "Sometimes I wonder why other people"s breath is so smooth. This world is clearly artificially separated from countless apocalyptic worlds... as if it"s covered by a gla.s.s dome, protected. Every time I think about being trapped inside a gla.s.s dome outside millions of apocalyptic worlds, I feel unable to breathe."
Wu Yiliu bit his lip, remaining silent.
"Now that the dome has cracked open, I suppose I"m living among millions of apocalyptic worlds... I finally feel air flowing through my choked windpipe again. I am in touch with the outside world once more, and I"m not just looking out through gla.s.s from afar..." Professor Qiao seemed very tired. "But I am old, and this is not enough."
He knew that what Professor Qiao was going to say next might be very shocking, for that indescribable expression had once again surfaced on her face.
"At the end of my life, I really want to see the world through his eyes. Those special abilities, pocket dimensions, items, adventures, encounters, dangers... all like fireworks exploding brilliantly in the night sky. This may be the closest I can get to him in the rest of my life. I"ve given my life to this world that"s destined to change... In the end, I want to be willful and demand something of my own from this world."
Even though Wu Yiliu had never experienced such emotions, he still couldn"t help but s.h.i.+ver slightly.
He had never thought that Professor Qiao had this side to her – he suddenly realized that in Professor Qiao"s account, the university female professor, who had never even received a speeding ticket, could coldly shoot a living person at a critical moment.
"While I was collecting news information during this time, I gradually noticed something from various fragmented pieces of information," Professor Qiao said with her eyelids slightly closed. "Of course, I can"t ensure that my a.n.a.lysis and prediction are entirely accurate... I may be very wrong. But if I"m right, instead of finding a posthuman willing to save you, getting the posthumans to join hands to accelerate the end of this world may be more likely. By then, you should have a good chance to evolve directly... perhaps this is my intuition as a professor."
Would Professor Qiao have told him about this if he hadn"t thought of it?
Wu Yiliu clenched the fabric of his pants tightly, his mind blank for a moment, as if everything had been dispersed, leaving only the last clear thought.
Qiao Yuansi could save the world to rescue a person, and Qiao Yuansi could also sink the world to get closer to a person.