Chapter 573: Rebirth, Truly Good (Two in One)

However, the excitement was fleeting; that flame was quickly extinguished.

“Unlike before, this simulation of civilizational development on the sandbox is very unique.”

From a high vantage point, he surveyed the entire vast hundred-acre Stone Star.

This was a massive area within a wizarding world, the entire sphere round and vast, with snowy ice caps and lush green mountains, giving a sense of vibrant life.

“Unconsciously, I have traversed two future timelines of this world... the destruction of countless lives, the suffering and wailing of the populace. I’ve started to become somewhat cold and indifferent, as if it were just a game, a string of data.”

Xu Zhi felt it deep within himself.

But these were not mere games.

Everything he witnessed was a future that would genuinely unfold, a bloody reality!

And he was simulating the future of this planet's civilization.

He had now become like the former Three Pillar Gods, truly experiencing their power, terror, and indifference under Caroline's blessing. They treated every living being as a chess piece, the world as a chessboard, guiding the world's timeline towards their desired trajectory.

Xu Zhi, for his part, adapted well, as it wasn't his first time. But what if it were someone else?

Perhaps they would truly become addicted, seeing themselves as the sole supreme true god, viewing all beings as mere ants in the myriad futures of this world, arbitrarily molding and creating, opening up infinite possibilities.

“The timeline, the Demon Core lineage system, indeed leans towards cold, mechanical indifference... But of course, I knew back when I first created the Demon Cores that they were the brains of a supercomputer... The mechanical nature of the Demon Core system would make their emotions relatively cold; otherwise, the concept of a 'world line' wouldn't even exist.”

“However, if I were to truly become a Creator God in the future, standing outside of past and future, and the world genuinely became a single straight line, would I completely transform into that kind of cold, supreme, singular true god? With every opening and closing of my eyes, endless worlds would be born and destroyed—seemingly powerful, yet perhaps too heartless.”

But thinking about such things now is, after all, a bit too premature.

He was only an Heavenly Emperor, yet he was already contemplating becoming a Creator God. Wouldn't that be lonely? Isn't it too solitary? What level was he truly at right now?

Secretly scheming against Caroline a couple of times felt quite satisfying, even for an Eighth-Tier God.

He lowered his gaze, looking at the entire planet two hundred years in the future—scarred, with war and fire having ravaged the land and extinguished life.

“The Dragon Ball Warrior arc of this timeline has concluded,” Xu Zhi mused, narrowing his eyes. He re-examined the entire timeline, considering which historical point would be best to enter for the next simulated timeline.

Should he, from the start, overthrow the High-Green Star People's rule, guide the White Dwarves to first discover the extraordinary system, and then have them enslave the High-Green Star People?

Establish a White Dwarf Empire instead of a High-Green Empire?

“Given the White Dwarves' intelligence and their warlike nature, they definitely wouldn't develop an internet civilization. Their civilization would probably be quite barbaric.”

Xu Zhi pondered.

“There's no need to go against the tide of history like that. In the age of tribal civilizations, it's the natural course of history for the more intelligent race to first discover cultivation systems and rule the world...”

Xu Zhi thought for a moment and decided not to alter the origin.

“But the White Dwarf race cannot perish in history; they must rise. In the coming apocalypse, their people will be of great use as the main force against the zombies. And the potential of the Red Beetle race...” Xu Zhi frowned slightly. “Their race clearly exhibits characteristics of a technological civilization, with weak individual combat power... but if they develop, they will certainly become very strong.”

All three races must develop to counter the apocalypse of Stone Star and the arrival of the zombie virus.

“A world where all three races rise together? It seems incredible, but it's not impossible.” Xu Zhi raised an eyebrow, silently simulating the civilization sandbox, and finally settled on a timeline.

“Let the breaking of fate's trajectory begin here.”

Xu Zhi lightly tapped on a small figure, saying coldly, “Do you possess the power to shift the gears of history? Let me see.”

Stone Star, Year 201.

A sprawling, well-arranged machinery factory was enclosed by tall, white walls.

Rumble!

Steam billowed, and an automotive assembly line was in operation. Several small, white dwarves, each 1.2 meters tall, with black spiraling horns, worked day after day, assembling parts.

Ding-a-ling!

Suddenly, a wave of bells rang out.

“Freedom!”

“Finally, a day of rest...”

A group of sturdy, strong White Dwarves communicated telepathically, retreating in an orderly fashion.

Soon, they finished their simple factory meal in the mess hall and returned to the slave dormitory. There, they saw a trembling White Dwarf on a sickbed and sighed, “Why hasn't Zach's illness gotten better?”

“If only he could go to a hospital.”

“How could the High-Green People's hospitals possibly allow us lowly commoners to enter?” sighed a slightly dark-skinned, short, stout White Dwarf nearby.

When White Dwarves fell ill, they relied on their strong physiques to endure; those who couldn't simply died.

“It's not entirely impossible to get in. If you were bought by a wealthy family as a slave companion, it'd be much better—they'd send you to a hospital... But we were merely traded to the factory to be assembly line workers. How could our lives be that valuable?”

“We're still lucky. I heard that another batch, sold three years ago, were sent to be gladiators. That's truly worse than death.”

As they spoke, a shiver ran through them. Such a life was truly terrifying.

In recent years, cars and machinery have continually emerged. The intelligent High-Green Star People's wisdom was too profound, leading to the creation of many unimaginable things. It was said that earlier this year, the High-Green People's supreme ruler, the intelligent Great Elder, invented the Dragon Balls, rumored to possess terrifying divine power, capable of resurrecting the dead, healing the injured, and granting any wish.

“If only we could wish upon the Dragon Balls for Zach to recover,” someone said, wiping their nose.

“Yuri, you're dreaming!” someone nearby chuckled.

Zach, on the sickbed, suddenly trembled violently, slowly opened his eyes, and saw the ceiling.

What met his eyes was a simple small room with four wooden plank beds. By the window, on a table and benches, several people were chatting. Outside the window, the sunlight was somewhat dazzling.

Clang-clang!

“Shinkansen...”

Light streamed into the room.

The electronic sound waves of a passing train came from outside.

“Where is this? Didn't I die?” Zach's mind was muddled.

“Haha, speaking of Dragon Balls, they're said to be scattered everywhere, and all the great martial artists are stirring with excitement,” the voices nearby continued to chat.

“Yeah, it's true, the High-Green Star People are truly powerful. Their combat-oriented kin are stronger than us, and their intelligent ones can create all sorts of machinery, even Dragon Balls that can grant any wish...” A slightly familiar voice spoke nearby.

“If only we could become martial artists too, that would be great.”

The voices continued to chat.

“How is that possible? We are so weak. At most, we can only go to the slave gladiatorial arena to entertain the High-Green masters.”

High-Green Star People?

Dragon Balls?

World apocalypse? Bioweapon virus?

Suddenly, a vast and complex flood of memories surged into Zach's mind, washing over every corner.

Visions of the apocalypse rushed in frantically.

He saw the extinction of the High-Green Star People, and their last leader secretly taking them to the High-Green Star People's ruins to steal virus serum. It was a correct decision, despite the high risk, and they succeeded, no longer fearing infection from ordinary zombie hordes. A group of old, weak, and women and children barely survived, clinging to life for a long time in the ruined land. Ultimately, however, they still encountered the Zombie King.

Tear...

He suddenly had a splitting headache, and his pupils contracted violently in fear.

Friends, leaders, elders, children...

One by one, they fell alive before his eyes, a glaring crimson in pools of blood.

His mind reeled, and death's piercing screams echoed in his ears.

“No! No! Why am I the only one left?” The self in his memories wailed, collapsing to his knees, infected as well.

He felt a terrifying power awakening within him; he grew tall and formidable, surprisingly able to contend with the Zombie King.

He fell into a frenzy, fighting wildly, his eyes drenched in blood, unable to see clearly.

A cold voice suddenly came:

“Their combat talent is terrifying, but their intelligence isn't high enough. The High-Green People were the first to invent a cultivation system, and a single step ahead leads to perpetual dominance, completely suppressing them, leaving no chance for them to rise again.”

“This... who is this?”

“Who is speaking?”

“Oh? The White Dwarves have strong physical constitutions. After injecting the vaccine, there's a chance they'll develop viral immunity?”

The voice continued, as if commenting on the race,

“Speaking of transformations, it reminds me of Frieza. Although they don't resemble him, with the world lines, there are infinite possibilities... There will always be a path that leads to the Frost Demon race.”

What does that even mean???

The next second, a blood-red light bloomed, and he plummeted into the abyss.

“I died...” Zach fully recalled the scene before his death, his transformation, and that mysterious voice.

“Who was that voice?”

“Who was he?!”

He stared blankly around him. He had actually been reborn to more than ten years ago.

At that time, his group of slaves were finding joy amidst their suffering, looking forward to the future.

Although he had considered those the hardest years back then, compared to the later zombie virus outbreak, they were utterly insignificant.

“You... you're all still alive!” Zach looked at his roommates, weeping uncontrollably. If only everything could be undone, if only none of them had died...

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“You're not... into men, are you?”

Clang-clang!

“Shinkansen!”

The sounds still came from outside.

Warm sunlight streamed in through the window.

Zach's face beamed with a smile.

The familiar dormitory.

The familiar assembly line factory.

“Year 201.” He smiled, realizing he had returned to eleven years before the apocalypse. This day was as bright and sunny as the first he had witnessed in the factory.

“Rebirth, it's truly wonderful.”

Several hours later, he began to collect his thoughts.

“It's currently Year '01. There are still eleven years until the apocalypse of '12, when the virus breaks out. Even the powerful High-Green Star People couldn't withstand it then. The future is too terrifying...”

His pupils contracted, unable to suppress his fear of that era, a truly bloody apocalypse.

Mere survival was a luxury.

Before his eyes, he saw cities besieged by zombies, vehicles speeding from survivor camps, the deaths of elders, women, and children, and High-Green women reduced to mere trade goods, living terribly miserable lives—even worse than their own as slaves.

“And now, in this Year '01, the High-Green Great Elder had indeed invented the Dragon Balls, and the world had not changed... This year was a time of revelry due to the Dragon Balls' power and mystery, but it was also the beginning of a nightmare. According to videos leaked during the later invasion and upheaval by the Red Beetle race, the Dragon Ball technology that appeared this year was not a product of the High-Green Star People at all, but rather technology from a higher, mysterious dimension!”

“In the videos, an unknown entity had descended that year and communicated with the Great Elder... It told the Great Elder about the future apocalypse, and that was why the Dragon Balls appeared!”

“And then, at the moment the apocalypse arrived, that mysterious entity from the videos reappeared, observing their White Dwarf survivors.”

His mind roared.

What kind of entity was that?

Did it see various future apocalypses?

No one knew.

Was it malevolent or benevolent?

At the very least, there was no overt malice. It seemed his actions were an attempt to help this planet's civilization escape its tragic and doomed future, its fate of apocalyptic destruction.

“According to his words, our White Dwarf race possesses combat potential no less than that of the High-Green Star People.” The atmosphere was quiet as he looked at his roommates.

At this moment, none of the White Dwarves believed their lowly race could surpass the High-Green People, who excelled in both combat and wisdom.

Yes, their intelligence was indeed lacking, but if their combat power were to grow, it would be even greater than the High-Green People's.

“In my last moments, infected by the virus, my body underwent some kind of physical transformation. That mysterious entity had once murmured... 'Perhaps they could become Frieza? The Frost Demon race?'”

He had heard some underlying meaning.

This “Frost Demon” race must be very powerful, and the “Frieza” he mentioned was also very strong. Their White Dwarf race had the potential to become that powerful race in the future...

“I, in the future, will become Frieza.”

He had spiraling black horns, a short stature, white skin, and his eyes gleamed with intense ambition.

Taking a deep breath, he looked around.

He calculated the current timeline. This year was the first year of the Dragon Ball's emergence. The Great Elder would also promote the internet explosion and publicize martial arts tournaments, advancing various developments... all in preparation for the apocalypse.

Then, in a few years, there would be the famous White Dwarf suppression and escape incident, in which he himself had participated back then.

Now that he thought about it, after their failure, the Great Elder should have exterminated the White Dwarf race. But according to the mysterious entity's words, the Great Elder had a change of heart and spared the White Dwarves, deliberately allowing them to escape.

“Only after being reborn did he discover that his previous life, seemingly calm, was filled with so many conspiracies and hidden currents.” He continued to organize his thoughts,

Then came the Red Ribbon Army incident, where the Red Beetle race attacked the martial arts tournament and killed the Great Elder.

It was precisely because of the Great Elder's death that the High-Green Star People found it difficult to resist the future apocalypse.

“The Great Elder must not die in the future... Although I also wish him dead, for the sake of the future... Let me think about how to escape in the year the zombies break out.”

He continuously organized his thoughts. The White Dwarves were weak because their cultivation methods were poor, they lacked resources, and couldn't rise. It was only after the zombie outbreak that they began to acquire the High-Green People's cultivation methods amidst the chaos.

So now, with his memories from his previous life, he could begin to cultivate in secret.

Xu Zhi rested his chin on his hand and smiled faintly.

“In my various Genesis eras, there have always been indigenous rises like Gilgamesh, the Three Witches, and all sorts of original creations. There's never been a protagonist from a 'reborn' timeline... It's truly good that the world line can reveal the future.”

“But in the end, it still chose a Three Pillar God pawn like Subaru, Daughter of Sheng Lin, or the Great Joy Emperor... Speaking of traveling back to the past, this is similar to Subaru's method, who is a beast-type Pillar God.”

Stone Star, Year 201.

Zach, the White Dwarf transmigrator, returned to the year the Dragon Balls appeared. He secretly cultivated, beginning to accumulate his foundation.

Stone Star, Year 204.

As slaves, the White Dwarves entered the internet era where labor demand decreased. They were increasingly beaten and scolded. Feeling their own apocalypse approaching, no longer needed by the High-Green Star People, they began to plan the formation of a resistance army.

A movie-like scene appeared before his eyes.

In a secret base, Zach was giving a passionate speech.

“We don't need to resist! We won't be abandoned that quickly, because in just over a decade, the world will undergo drastic changes, and we will passively regain our freedom when that time comes!”

A line of text slowly emerged.

Under Zach's covert guidance, the White Dwarves chose not to revolt, thus escaping the fate of suppression and bloodshed.

Xu Zhi stood at the edge, watching this passionate speech. A crowd of White Dwarves cheered below. In that moment of hazy awareness, he felt as if he saw a brand new historical wheel slowly rolling forward.

Xu Zhi turned and left.

“If given a chance to restart, everyone would be a saint.”

Stone Star, Year 207.

In the internet age, people established online forums and stored secrets. The meek and weak Red Beetles began to rise, baring their fangs.

To prevent assassination attempts and the attrition of both factions' forces, Zach began his own plan that year. An anonymous post was published online, titled 'World Line: Dragon Ball Apocalypse.'

Dragon Ball fan fiction?

In the nascent era of the internet, this genre was undoubtedly unfamiliar. Many people clicked on it out of curiosity, only to find a meticulously detailed pseudo-documentary.

It recounted how many years ago, in Stone Star Year 198, the Great Elder mysteriously encountered an unknown entity. This mysterious entity informed the Great Elder about the future apocalypse and imparted the Dragon Ball technology.

“This is too fake, isn't it?”

“But it's quite interesting. In this story, the Dragon Ball technology comes from a mysterious dimensional entity that prophesies doom, telling us that on December 12, 212, a small meteor will fall, causing a mass extinction and a virus outbreak... Our civilization will be destroyed.”

“Hahaha, this is too interesting!”

Everyone found the “history” quite amusing.

They continued reading and discovered it mentioned that in Year 201, after three years of research, the Dragon Balls appeared, along with the internet, and martial arts flourished.

All the High-Green Star People netizens found it increasingly fascinating.

“Isn't what's written here exactly the day the Dragon Balls first appeared that year?”

“Haha, interesting, very interesting.”

“I find it quite dull. This isn't fiction; it's just copying reality.”

Everyone continued reading. It described how, due to the Four-Star Ball, a group of martial artists in Mount Bede had engaged in an intense, bloody deathmatch, completely driven mad, resulting in hundreds of casualties. The location and process were described in meticulous detail.

“Hey? Isn't that Zabakhan mentioned inside a famous martial artist from our Icepeak City?”

“Oh, how did my husband appear in this?”

“Wait, according to the time, 3:17 PM, isn't that happening in ten minutes?”

No one had fully processed it yet.

Another message caused a complete sensation. It was the comment from the wife who mentioned her husband: “My husband did indeed go out. Although he didn't tell me his exact plans, he did head in that direction. He supposedly got news about a Dragon Ball.”

This message completely ignited the public.

Immediately, everyone felt a strange sense of bewilderment and began to take it seriously.

An incredible thought popped into their minds: “This... is it describing the future?”