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Chapter 801 - 799: "Grandmother Paradox, Klein Bottle, Cosmic Program Theory (Part 2)

Chapter 801: Chapter 799: "Grandmother Paradox, Klein Bottle, Cosmic Program Theory (Part 2)

The content of the Civilization Gambling Pact is: [The Contractor Su Ming’an must restart the Dawn System within twenty days.]

So, as long as "Contractor Su Ming’an" can never reach the twentieth day, this Civilization Gambling Pact will become a mere empty talk.

When Su Ming’an reaches the nineteenth day, he will encounter Acto, who will send him back to the past to hand over his "Contractor" identity to his self on the first day.

Analyzing purely from the causality level, when "Past Su Ming’an" experiences nineteen days, he will again encounter Acto, who will send "Past Su Ming’an" back to the past again, handing the "Contractor" identity to the next first day self, that is, "Past’s Past Su Ming’an."

The time in the Ruined World is grid-like, as long as Su Ming’an has existed in this world, traces will be left in the system, whether past, present, or future. Although only the present Su Ming’an is the real "Player Su Ming’an," his past selves still count as the definition of "Su Ming’an."

This exploited the loophole in the term "Contractor: Su Ming’an," as the wording could only refer to one "object" and could not denote any specific timeline’s "Su Ming’an."

The present Su Ming’an can boldly move toward the future, while the past "Su Ming’an" will have "Past Su Ming’an" helping him reach the nineteenth day.

--- In this way, it becomes an Ouroboros of causality with no beginning or end.

The identity of "Contractor Su Ming’an" will loop endlessly in the exchange between the past and present, returning from the nineteenth day to the first day, going from the first day to the nineteenth day, and then back to the first day. It will never reach the twentieth day.

"..."

In the white brilliance, Su Ming’an clenched the chocolate in his hand, his heart pounding, a stairway of thoughts building in his mind, gradually forming a complete hall.

He felt a vague sense of thought, a layer of dense cold sweat seeping from his back.

"Su Ming’an, the causality of the Ouroboros is directly connected; there can be no situation of ’cause without effect’ or ’effect without cause,’ because once you lose one, you cannot stand here. The basis of our conversation here is that you have already linked to this causality at some point in time, either in the past or maybe in the future," Acto said. "So there must be a cause for every effect, and every effect must trace back to a cause."

"I understand." Su Ming’an’s voice was hoarse, the impact of this information was too great for him. Without Acto’s explanation, he wouldn’t have understood.

It’s like the grandmother paradox—if you went back in time and killed your grandmother, your grandmother would be gone, and you couldn’t be born. But the problem is, if you were never born, who killed your grandmother?

The current situation is similar, with Su Ming’an in a Schrodinger state of having "killed his grandmother" and "not killed his grandmother." Only if "his grandmother wasn’t killed" can he successfully reach the nineteenth day. If "his grandmother has been killed," he can’t reach this nineteenth day and can’t hear these theories.

When he stands here, this causality already exists. His "grandmother" must be alive now, and his task is to go back to the past and prevent himself from "killing the grandmother."

He can’t measure this three-dimensional war with linear time. Time here is just a web that can move a chess piece to one grid or skip a parallel line to another grid. It can even fold this web into four parts—one year, one 32 years, one 72 years, one 102 years.

In other words, one must discard all normal definitions of ’time,’ normal definitions don’t work in the Ruined World.

Time must be understood through space.

Like the Klein Bottle—a bottle with a hole at the bottom, then extending the neck to be pulled inside the bottle, connecting with the hole at the bottom, unlike the cups we use to drink, this Klein Bottle has no "edge," its surface never ends. A butterfly can fly directly from inside to outside without passing through the surface, i.e., the Klein Bottle has no inside and outside.

Now, Su Ming’an is like that butterfly, crossing the Klein Bottle made of three dimensions, he can return to the initial program and tap the letter preemptively placed by Acto, linking causality into an Ouroboros.

In mathematics, the Klein Bottle is a non-orientable surface, entirely indistinguishable between inside and outside. If the universe is likened to a higher-dimensional Klein Bottle, it also has no boundaries.

Humanity, although thinking they exist within the universe, might also exist outside the universe. The boundary between "inside" and "outside" itself isn’t clear. No matter how much humans explore, they may eventually return to a starting point, like that forever unfillable Klein Bottle.

From a two-dimensional view, the Mobius Ring appears very twisted but is highly reasonable in three dimensions—similarly, while a Klein Bottle looks strange from a three-dimensional perspective, it’s non-orientable in four dimensions.

As reality is three-dimensional, explaining a four-dimensional Klein Bottle with real-world theories will seem abrupt.

But this is reasonable.

The causality, inside and outside of the Ruined World, is like a Klein Bottle.

"...Have you figured it out?"

Under the pure white brilliance, Acto sipped his tea again, his demeanor particularly leisurely, like a mentor waiting for a student to have an epiphany.

The fragrance of tea filled the air, and Su Ming’an stared blankly at the Ouroboros pattern moving through the air. After a moment, he said, "I still don’t quite understand, sorry. But after this World Replica ends, I will discuss it further with Noel and the others."

Acto’s theories have already surpassed the scope of the Ruined World, even touching the level of the cosmic view. Su Ming’an recorded these words and planned to subtly discuss them with Noel during their New Year’s gathering.

Maybe a new idea to counter the Organizers might emerge.

Su Ming’an’s gaze grew darker, the High Tower of thoughts about to be engulfed by a flood.

The previous simulation stacked on this one might start the next simulation as it ends; time at a high dimensionality resembles a Klein Bottle, where time is described more with ’dimensions’ and ’causality’ rather than merely ’linear time.’

This line of thinking might assist him in opposing a higher dimension.

Su Ming’an placed his hand on his chest, feeling his heart thumping; a new window has opened before him, flooding unprecedented theory into his mind.

On the first day of Replica Activation, he never expected the nature of the Ruined World to be so complex—four timelines weren’t enough, requiring a three-dimensional Firewall Theory, and that’s still not enough. There must be a heap of Ouroboros, Mobius Rings, Klein Bottles, grandparent paradoxes, and even Cosmic Program Theory.

This is far more extensive than the dual-god conflict of Qiongdi. Clue upon clue, theory upon theory, it’s like a massive mystery of an entire World Replica.

"It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand, just do as I said." Acto set his teacup down. "After all, you’re still young, without deep contact with mathematics and physics. Many theories are hard for you to grasp. I believe if you have enough lifespan, with your will, you could surpass me."

"How could I surpass you?" Su Ming’an shook his head.

It’s hard for him even to understand these theories, let alone surpass their creator.

"So concretely, what should I do?" Su Ming’an asked.

Acto stood up.

With flower-like white brilliance surrounding him, he paced in this pure white space:

"Su Ming’an, the Central City Laboratory of Catastrophe Year 72, which is the place where you started, is a ’transfer station’ used to store the real Dawn System. The Central City Laboratory doesn’t belong to any dimension; it’s neither in the first year of three dimensions nor the 32nd year of two dimensions, nor the 102nd year of the City of Measurement. It is independent."

"I see," Su Ming’an understood. It seems the real Dawn System is protected in this ’transfer station.’

"The time in the Central City Laboratory has always been set to five days deliberately because we need to keep resetting the coordinates of this ’transfer station,’" Acto said. "Otherwise, if the time in the Central City Laboratory continues indefinitely, it can easily be locked by Ta Wei’s coordinates like the other three dimensions."

Su Ming’an nodded.

No wonder the people at the Central City Laboratory weren’t invaded by [Ta Wei]; it turns out that place is absolutely safe.

"But the only risk lies with you," Acto said:

"At the start of the instance, you frequently entered and exited the City of Measurement and the Central City Laboratory; [Ta Wei] could have pinpointed the location of the Central City Laboratory within five days by targeting your coordinates. Even if there is only one instance of causality severance before and after, we will cease to exist."

"What I need you to do is to lure ’your past self’ into the City of Measurement, which is the future state of the Central City Laboratory — allow your past self to exist in year 102, while your present self exists in year 72. This will make the coordinates of the Central City Laboratory coincide in the 72nd and 102nd years simultaneously, using one-dimensional coordinates to confuse [Ta Wei]’s vision and prevent the laboratory from being located."

Upon hearing this, Su Ming’an’s back was already damp with cold sweat. He blinked, suppressing his rapid heartbeat.

This manipulation of "the past belonging to 102 years, and the present belonging to 72 years" is too shocking, something unheard of.

"I understand," he said:

"The past has not yet become a fixed truth, and I must erase past risks."

"Ding dong!"

The system notification sounded:

[You have accepted the new main quest, "Ouroboros"]

[Quest Tip: Jump in a grid-like time pattern, guide ’your past self’ into the ruined building, and deliver the ’Contractor’ identity of the Civilization Gambling Pact to ’your past self’.

Quest Reward: A Dawn Code.]

...

"Have you ever picked up Tretiya’s pocket watch?" Acto asked.

Su Ming’an took out the bronze pocket watch.

Acto gazed at the watch, as if reminiscing about that radiant woman. After a moment, he reached out, and a stream of data flowed from his fingertips, into the pocket watch.

"Each of the Nine Thrones possesses a part of the administrator’s authority. Xiaobei’s is a USB drive, while Xi’s is the chip at the back of her neck. As for Tretiya, her authority is represented by this pocket watch," Acto said softly, "Give this pocket watch to your past self. I’ve stored the Source of Civilization inside it. Once you give the watch to him, the Source of Civilization changes hands, and you can hand over the identity of the Contractor to him."

Su Ming’an tightly gripped the pocket watch: "Why must I give him the pocket watch? What if I want to give him Xiaobei’s USB drive instead?"

Acto paused momentarily, then smiled: "Of course, you can. You may want to give him Xiaobei’s USB drive as well. You seem to not quite understand what the Ouroboros causality represents. You were able to pick up the pocket watch because the previous ’causal link’ gave it to you. If you give ’your past self’ Xiaobei’s USB drive, the next you won’t have the pocket watch but Xiaobei’s USB drive."

Su Ming’an exhaled a breath, feeling utterly overwhelmed by awe: "Understood, send me off."

Acto reached out: "After completing the quest, head to the Central City Laboratory, and I can transport you back."

White radiance shimmered between them, and before Su Ming’an’s eyes, horizontal and vertical lines intertwined, forming a parallel grid.

The entire space flipped before his eyes, as if a surface-less Klein Bottle rose beneath his feet, and he was propelled forward by the white chaos, gradually engulfed in the endless gaps—

At that moment, he became "Grandmother" itself.

...

[To avoid causality confusion, the essentially identical "Su Ming’an" cannot make contact on the same timeline; temporarily assigning you another identity...]

[Simulation successful, detected presence of "Lv Shu" emotion module within the Dawn System, temporarily assigning you the "Lv Shu" identity.]

[Equipping you with AI Xike bionic body to assist in your actions.]

...

Amid the white radiance, Su Ming’an opened his eyes.

Before him stretched a vast desert.

"Whoosh—"

The sand sea was boundless, hills were distinct, and sand flowed like water. The scorching warm wind beat against his face. Oasis accompanied yellow sand, birds danced with camel bells.

Countless wrinkles of sandstones rolled up like golden waves, spreading endlessly from afar.

Loudly hawking vendors, travelers with large backpacks... People gathered at the medium-sized gathering space ahead, shoulder to shoulder, waves of people converging.

"—Emotion Needle! Five Kore for a needle, one shot and no worry about emotional overload! Travelers, ahead lies the City of Measurement! Always keep an Emotion Needle handy!"

"—Hotel, lodging! Three Kore per day!"

Multicolored clothing fabrics intertwined and rubbed together, like a rainbow in the sand sea.

Su Ming’an stared blankly at the scene before him, as if time and space were misaligned, each glance remarkably fascinating. His chest surged with a heavy sense of weightlessness, growing more intense by the moment.

Time, space, dimensions, universe.

Ouroboros, Mobius Ring, Klein Bottle, Firewall Theory, Grandmother Paradox...

"Ruined World," he murmured the name of this world, as a tidal wave arose within him, shattered by the sense of awe.

He was about to step forward but stumbled slightly, almost losing his balance. Then, a blond, blue-eyed bionic person appeared beside him and steadied his shoulder, draping a black robe over him.

"During this time, remember not to expose your face, to prevent the Klein Bottle from rupturing." She took his hand, her beautiful eyes reflecting his dazed expression.

She tidied the hair under his black robe, smiled gently at him:

"Let’s go."

"Doctor."