Abyss Solo

Chapter 66: 042 Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind [Super Large Chapter Vote Request]_4

The sphere whispered slowly, “You must make that judgment yourself.”

Yang Ming asked, “What exactly is here? What exactly is the way to get in here?”

“The only way to get in here is through consciousness resonance,” said the sphere. “I only communicate with consciousnesses that meet the minimum standards. He must have a strong sense of purpose and enough conviction. When you lose this conviction, I will refuse to converse with you, as with the last one.”

Yang Ming thought carefully.

A certain slogan shouted by the ‘Chosen One’ during a live broadcast popped into his mind.

‘I hesitated when I found that vortex; if my ship was destroyed, I would be left with nothing and become a penniless bum. But one conviction supported me; I need to make money! Succeed and the girls in the clubhouse are mine! Fail and meet me on the rooftop! I’m going all in!’

In the next scene of the broadcast, two bikini-clad beauties appeared beside him, delicately calling him boss.

Is this f**king also considered conviction?

Yang Ming kept conversing with the sphere.

They were both very curious about each other.

This light sphere was not leading him on a meaningless stroll; about ten minutes later, Yang Ming was led to a building shaped like an inverted pyramid.

Mysteriously, Yang Ming felt a sacred aura.

The sphere’s voice grew more solemn as it whispered,

“Next, every choice you make is critical. Inside are ninety-nine questions, a comprehensive evaluation of your cognition and thinking. This evaluation will affect how seriously we take you going forward.

“Once you enter, everything about you—your thoughts, your memories, any ripple your consciousness creates—will be captured and analyzed by the mastermind in this place. If you can’t proceed, you can simply exit, and it doesn’t matter even if you can’t pass a single level; you will still receive a gift.

“Don’t be too anxious, Yang Ming. Typically, a first-time guided individual passing more than three questions is considered exceptional, limited by your perception, acquired knowledge, and the level of civilization you come from, as well as your level of understanding of the universe.

“Since chatting with you has been pleasurable, I can give you a little hint.

“The answers to the questions aren’t important; it’s the process of your thinking that matters.”

Yang Ming blinked, “If I choose not to go in now, what then?”

“I will send you away from here, and after our delightful chat, I will erase your memories about this place.”

The sphere continued,

“The creators here do not long for their legacy to be inherited.

“But they also don’t refuse to let the brilliance of this civilization once again illuminate the material universe.

“They call this the Twilight Land, representing not just the disappearance of their civilization here but also their willingness to leave a faint spark for emerging civilizations in the material universe.

“Of course, their path might not necessarily be the correct one—there’s no right or wrong in the development of civilizations, only length—but they have indeed reached a relatively high level in civilization development.”

Yang Ming tried to get more outside help.

He asked softly, “Is it possible that there is a key here, and if I obtain it, I can have administrative rights over this place?”

“I am the key.”

The sphere chuckled lightly,

“I am not a life form but a Thought Body created by them. If you can reach the highest level, you will understand how insignificant… the technological level represented by the buildings you see before you is.”

Yang Ming frowned and pondered for a while.

In the “Abyss,” the Intelligent Mechanic Dusk had a key which was simply a tangible remote control.

Yet, the key he was interacting with now was a higher intelligence.

What did this difference represent?

“Alright, I now have more questions—let’s chat later.”

Yang Ming shrugged and pressed his palm against the unimpressive great door in front of him.

The silver-gray grand door opened to the left and right, revealing an interior structure that was simple yet subtly embodied physical beauty.

Yang Ming was about to step inside.

“May I modify your ship?” the sphere suddenly asked, “As a return for our delightful chat, how about I offer you a little gift?”

“Of course,” Yang Ming laughed, “but you have to make sure I can pilot it back to my world.”

The sphere pondered for a few moments, “Then I need to be a bit more conservative.”

“Is this Tomb Guardian humor?”

“Mmm, you can think of it that way.”

The tone of the sphere became a bit more lively.

Yang Ming smiled and stepped onto the mercury-like ground; the environment around him dramatically changed, and he seemed to be in a vast white world, facing a mirror flickering with waves and a faint glimmering light.

[Question 1: How do you view the importance of writing in the development of civilization? Please provide a light analysis of your thoughts.]

Yang Ming:…

Well done.

(End of Chapter Five)

“How do you view the importance of writing in the development of civilization?”

Kolev murmured to himself,

“Is the first question such a grand topic? Oh, how advanced this extinct high-level civilization must have been, it’s unimaginable! How many questions did you answer correctly? Surely you weren’t filtered out on the first one, were you?”

Yang Ming shrugged, smiling mysteriously in his eyes.

He whispered slowly, “I can only say, I did everything I could at my current stage. Don’t worry, my dear first mate, you would never guess how interesting that sphere is.”

“Isn’t that just a higher intelligence?”

“No, they claim to be a Secondary civilization, far beyond simple artificial intelligence.”