Chapter 369: Extinction and Dialogue

Chapter 367: Demise and Dialogue

This scene was extremely bizarre.

A golden dragon sat in front of a human computer, using human internet communication devices to declare war on the two great human empires via a microblogging platform.

It was fantastical, yet utterly to be expected.

For any super-life form still dwelling in a primitive, beastly world, this golden dragon would naturally study human technology, its curiosity piqued by the "computer."

"How will things develop?"

Xu Zhi sat quietly in the milk tea shop, sipping his milk tea, a sense of tranquility washing over him as he watched the street outside the window. "You've escaped, but ultimately, you still have to face this."

"This dragon dares to post on our human society's microblog! We'll curse him to death!"

In the distance, a group of young people were shouting around a television. There was even a computer in the milk tea shop, and countless individuals were frantically refreshing the microblog. Today's youth were no longer obsessed with mechanical battle tanks or motorcycles.

"Sir, aren't you watching TV?"

An attractive young woman placed a cup of milk tea on his table.

"No."

Xu Zhi merely glanced at her.

The young woman was momentarily stunned, then sat down in the opposite seat, smiling. "You're truly unique. It's my first time seeing such a charismatic young person. We change with every wave of the era—for example, Mr. Levi's era of electricity companies, then the subsequent Mechanical Lava Age, and now the Internet Age... and the terrifying new continent before us."

She turned her head, looking at the cheering youths, as if observing the current of the times. "And you, surprisingly, aren't cheering at the TV like them."

Xu Zhi was slightly startled and looked at the woman. "You are very special."

"You're even more special. How should I put it? You have a very unique, mysterious aura, and your robe is very stylish!" the young woman said.

It was a wizard's robe.

This world had many strange outfits, and a rebellious biker culture was prevalent, with many mechanical motorcyclists dressed unusually, racing around all day and even flying in the skies of this mechanical city. So, his attire wasn't out of place.

The young woman smiled. "Nice to meet you, my name is Caroline. My father is a merchant from the distant East, and my mother is from the Yinier region, making me a Eurasian hybrid, just like Mr. Levi... only I'm not as intelligent as Levi, the God of Humanity."

Xu Zhi looked at her.

This world was very open, and it was quite normal for women to pursue men.

"Do you think I'm hitting on you?"

Caroline chuckled and shook her head. "Don't misunderstand, the man I admire most is Mr. Levi... In this world, there isn't only love; there are many other things worth pursuing, like science. I'm a celibate like Mr. Levi and will never marry... Of course, if the person were Mr. Levi..."

Xu Zhi looked at her slightly thinning hair and nodded.

"It's genetic!" Caroline paused, then playfully chided him with a laugh.

She seemed to be a talkative and very friendly young woman, possessing the warmth of the locals. Perhaps due to the heat, the Lava World's inhabitants were all very warm and hospitable.

Caroline glanced at the bustling TV and said, "It's hard to imagine what will happen in the future, what fate humanity will face. Perhaps we will be annihilated? Or perhaps we'll acquire those terrifying individual mythical powers, and powerful individuals will emerge among us, making us very strong?"

"Technological civilization or supernatural civilization, which do you prefer?" Xu Zhi slowly stirred his milk tea with a blue straw.

"Is there a difference?" Caroline grew curious.

"These are two different paths of civilization; the difference is significant," Xu Zhi explained. "In the age of science, everyone is virtually equal. They rely on external forces: cannons, firearms... Even in the future, when people develop extremely advanced technology, enabling them to achieve immortality and powerful individual strength through self-modification, or incredible mechanical spacecraft capable of spacetime jumps, they will still be equal individuals. No single individual will become disproportionately unique or powerful.

"Technology is an era of universal and equal progress. No matter how technology develops, it will be like now: some people will apply to be police officers, some will learn to pilot spacecraft to guard the borders, some will apply to be teachers... But a supernatural civilization is an individual-based civilization."

"Individual-based civilization?"

Xu Zhi took a sip of milk tea. "They have a pyramid structure, with one powerful individual dominating all life. It's an age of personal heroes, who are high above everyone else. Do you see that dragon? His world is just like that. He claims to be the 'Sacred Emperor,' ruling a land and controlling the life and death of all supernatural beings. Because his power is immense, no one can defy him."

Caroline thoughtfully considered the pros and cons of both civilizations, then smiled gently. "So that's how it is. In our technological age, a tyrant would certainly be overthrown, but in an individual-based civilization, they can't be overthrown? Is it a feudal system? A tyrannical dictatorship? That's a profound insight. If I had to choose, I think I'd choose the individual-based civilization..."

A hint of longing flashed in her eyes. "Perhaps it's because I haven't experienced such a world, and I'm very curious and hopeful about it... Or perhaps I have a tendency towards individualism and hero-worship, influenced by Mr. Levi."

Xu Zhi simply smiled, finding her an interesting woman.

Perhaps she could become a catalyst for an era...

In the following months, Xu Zhi occasionally came for milk tea, and Caroline also became a regular customer. They often chatted. However, not long after, war quickly erupted. The Sacred Emperor Michael, the dragon lord on the front lines, successfully led his giant beasts to find the underground tunnels beneath this land, confirmed their locations, and launched an invasion.

"For the Human Empire!"

Cannon fire and gunfire, planes and tanks—the frontline army resisted fiercely.

The golden dragon Michael declared war on Weibo:

A screenshot showed it was still taken by the computer's front-facing camera.

In the image, a lava cave was piled high with gleaming metal. A golden dragon sat on a small stool, engrossed in the computer screen, its claw holding a mouse. This rounded, rolling posture made its physique look plump and rotund.

"Humans, surrender! Become my subordinates! Accept my rule! I will grant you preferential treatment as slaves! Present to me your milk tea, fine wine, and web novels!"

"Yes! That Plum Blossom Fist Fighter who's still being serialized—update it for me, quickly! And your human women, they're so alluring! 'Three Variations of Plum Blossoms' – present me with a hundred beautiful women!"

The human empires were dumbfounded!

They were utterly exasperated!

Oh my god! This was the terrifying power of the internet! Who knew how this golden dragon, wading through a mountain of junk information online, came to understand human society and develop such immense interest?

However, this was an opportunity!

After all, it was a foolish beast with a very different way of thinking.

The high-ranking officials of the two human empires held a council and quickly made a request:

"We have already apprehended the author of 'Plum Blossom Fist Fighter' and compelled him to provide more updates! We have even invited many web novelists and locked them in a secluded room, who can write any novel you are interested in, for Your Excellency, the great Sacred Emperor Dragon Michael!"

On Weibo, it responded coldly, "Foolish humans! Once this dragon conquers the entire human race, you will all be my slaves, and I will possess everything I desire."

A terrifying war erupted.

The military factories of the two empires began operating.

The human army, numbering over a hundred thousand troops, combined, possessed terrifying firepower. Even the Sacred Emperor Dragon dared not expose itself to such an environment, as it would suffer a fatal blow in an instant.

It wouldn't die, but it would be injured. If it were injured, other lords would covet its position, so it could only "boil the frog slowly."

In less than half a month, a great number of human elites died. A full seventy thousand people were killed in action, and human society was gripped by unbearable tension. The destruction of civilization was imminent.

Meanwhile, Levi was still struggling to survive outside, constantly evading the Sacred Emperor's pursuit.

"Just a little more, just a little more..." he murmured.

The old man, in a white lab coat, peered into a microscope, researching the Tier 4 magic core. "If I succeed, I can use the magic core's power to build mechanical weapons, unleash Tier 4 abilities, and launch a surprise attack on the rear. Perhaps there's a chance..."

But it was still too slow. The war on the front lines had erupted and was too brutal.

Suddenly, Levi's communication device flashed. The old man opened his computer and saw a message from the "Super Research Institute," which contained the information he had previously asked the institute to investigate.

It was a photo.

The photo showed a milk tea shop, a young man in a black wizard's robe quietly sipping milk tea, and next to him, an attractive young woman chatting.

"It's him!!"

Levi's mind went blank.

That aura, that attire, and that figure were etched too deeply in his memory. It had become an eternal obsession in his mind. He would never forget that mysterious, unknown language spoken while holding the two progenitor infants.

He had constantly been exploring and analyzing the possible meaning of that sentence.

"Not in the land I specifically came to, but within our human society...." His withered hand began to tremble, excitedly gripping the mouse. After an unprecedented silence, he immediately typed on the computer, "A conversation! I demand to speak with him!!"

Levi was always broadcasting live on television for all of humanity. This moment was no exception.

At this moment, everyone was stunned. What on earth... was happening? Mr. Levi, so unprecedentedly agitated just by seeing a photo? And demanding a conversation with this young man?

Immediately, countless local and national television stations vied to report on it.