Chapter 56 After That

The terminal contained a vast array of information, ranging from early human domestication of livestock to the maintenance of Dreammaker Type-7 and Mowen Type-1 hyperspace engines, and even including a civilization reconstruction manual. It was truly all-encompassing. Unfortunately, the anthropomorphic AI originally intended for the system had been damaged for unknown reasons, leaving behind only a relatively low-intelligence AI.

A special-purpose learning device connected to the terminal was placed beside it; whenever Mowen wished, he could acquire this knowledge.

However, completely mastering all this knowledge would likely take a very long time.

Considering that most knowledge delving into microscopic fields would be entirely useless in a world with fundamentally different physical laws, Mowen did not plan to learn too much at once.

As for the virtual reality device...

Mowen sat inside.

He saw a dazzling array of scenarios. Although due to a lack of computing power, the personal virtual reality device could not simulate every situation to absolute perfection, it was still sufficient for him to occasionally engage in combat training and refresh his mind.

And the most crucial item of all was right at the top of every scenario: the script titled [Must Watch].

Must watch? Well, then he would take a look.

On humanity's very first starship, Mowen opened his eyes.

He saw the cold, dark vacuum of the universe, and the planet that had now dwindled to a tiny speck.

Sometime after his departure, humanity transcended the gravitational bonds of their parent star system, launching their march toward the distant starry skies.

The screen on the side was broadcasting the news, the anchor's joy almost impossible to conceal, and the broadcast footage showed countless people cheering toward the sky.

No, it was not merely simple video footage. When Mowen opened the script settings, he discovered that most of the current scenes on the planet Avel were recorded in real-time.

He adjusted his position, setting foot upon a completely renewed earth.

The ruined town where he had first descended had been demolished and then rebuilt, transforming into a brand-new city.

A towering golden tree stood at the center of the city; it was a branch of the Tree of Light, serving as a rudimentary resurrection and production facility.

Along the way, every single person Mowen saw radiated a vigorous vitality, a far cry from the indifferent apathy he had glimpsed in the past.

Old humans, in the old era, were a low-tier species that should have been naturally eliminated as time progressed. They had indeed now completely perished, having replaced themselves with new bodies boasting superior performance.

Greater creativity, stronger empathy, enhanced psionic talent, alongside physiological functions that could rival old-model cyberware under the blessing of the "spiritual roots" and continuously grow, as well as various large and small systemic adjustments.

Even in the face of rogue machines, they had gained the ability to compete.

Thus, through labor, they re-established their own value; because they could create value, they could see hope and feel acknowledged.

They could look forward to tomorrow rather than simply drifting through life waiting to die.

Mowen found the Hawkes Gang—or rather, the Hawkes Academy—that had relocated to the new city.

Due to privacy issues, certain individuals and areas could not be displayed in the script, but the area around Hawkes Academy was exceptionally clear.

The gang leader, deeply cyberized to the point where all the meat on his entire body wouldn't even make a decent stir-fry dish, revealed his... or rather, her new body.

She could actually pass for a woman now!

Just thinking about how hardcore of a dude she used to be... should this be called the difference between cyberpunk and space opera? Good grief, a heavy cannon-bearer (fully operational) had turned into a cute young matron.

Big K was currently preparing his lessons, wishing to teach the super new human infants who had acquired ancestral memory functions. Clearly, it was no easy task, yet he still worked hard at it.

Beyond that, Mowen also saw a portrait of himself as a benefactor, along with children laying floral wreaths before the portrait and praying to pass their exams.

Being worshipped by people for the first time felt a bit odd, and besides, wasn't this the wrong field of study?

Regardless, he wished them academic success.

He continued his search for Dream-Maker Entertainment.

The [Corporation] had long since turned into the dust of an era, and a new [Human Commonwealth] had taken its place. The corporate system was a thing of the past; factions were now formed mostly around research directions and professional functions, but provided the sign was changed, the factional branches still remained.

However, the Outfield Department was not among the factional branches. As individuals possessing formidable psionic powers—or even advancing further—they were all stationed aboard the starships, escorting the upcoming voyage.

Mowen’s consciousness returned to the starship.

The script continued normally.

He walked toward the chamber door, which opened naturally. Behind the door stood a dense crowd of people.

For the people of Avel, who were merely acquaintances met along the way, they would probably never see Mowen again in their lifetimes; but to Mowen, they had been turned into weak AIs based on their likenesses and left within the script.

Mowen was not a fragile person; he would not use these weak AIs as an emotional crutch.

Yet, he still smiled at the crowd: "Hello, everyone."

"Yo! The hero!" "The most badass dude is here!" "The God of Hyperspace is on our ship; this vessel is definitely unsinkable." "Man, did you forget this is a VR script and we're just scripted characters?" "Bro, shake my hand and let me rub off some of that macho energy." "Horray!"

The atmosphere was a bit too lively, these dummy characters.

Mowen raised his hand slightly, and their voices quieted down for a moment, but soon, they went back to their unreliable antics.

"Say, how are we supposed to act from here? I didn't record that much data." "Uh, hyperspace engine engage?" "Oh right, where's the captain?" "What the hell, I forgot to place the captain. By the way, what is the situation with this ship now? What does it run on?"

"By setting, it should run on rogue machines; in reality, it should run by the power of the plot." "Don't overthink things in virtual reality; we aren't in full simulation mode right now."

"Anyway, head to the captain's cabin, press the virtual hyperspace device on the virtual piloting console, and then watch a CG."

That sounded simple enough.

Mowen arrived at the captain's cabin and pressed the switch.

He could see everything before him distorting, countless pathways emerging in tandem, as the starship charged into them, arriving in the shimmering hyperspace that lay somewhere between the虚境 (the Shroud/Immaterial Realm) and the physical universe.

It made faster-than-light travel far simpler than before, moving faster, consuming less, and bringing the sentient beings of the universe closer together than ever before.

This was humanity's first step into the starry cosmos.

Likewise, it was the first step for countless civilizations toward the stars.

One could see thousands of starships of every conceivable shape and form, hailing from every corner of the universe, also entering hyperspace.

Some sharp-edged, some resembling living creatures, some cold and rigid...

They spoke different languages, they practiced different cultures; some among them were destined to perish, some despaired at the vast yet narrow darkness of space, while others struggled amidst civil unrest. But today, at this very moment, they all gazed together upon the navigation routes between the stars.

Gazing up at the final trace Mowen left behind in this world, his ultimate parting gift.