Exploring Technology in a Wizard World

Chapter 1551: Chapter 1549: The Box, The Box!

Coret spoke.

"The first version is Necro Mansi, spelled as Necromancer, meaning Wizard, but inclined towards death. To be precise, it should be translated as Undead Mage. In my setting, this civilization highly revered death, treating the Death God as the supreme deity and considering death as a way of liberation from life. As the civilization reached its later stages, suicide became rampant and ultimately led to its destruction."

The second version is Sorcere, spelled as Sorcerer, meaning Wizard but inclined to darkness and masculinity. Accurately translated, it should be Male Wizard in the shadows.

In my setting, this civilization thrived on conspiracy, blood rituals, and vendettas. From the outset, it was filled with chaos and war. By the mid-stage, a large-scale Male Wizard Alliance was formed, seemingly establishing order.

The problem was that the rule of the Male Wizard Alliance was excessively brutal and harsh, causing unbearable oppression. The governed rose to rebel, leading to the civilization’s destruction amid unprecedented long-term warfare."

The third version is Vizhed, known as the Ancient Wizard Civilization, spelled as Wizard, meaning Wizard but inclined to guidance and technology, accurately translated as pioneers of knowledge.

In my setting, this civilization was very rational, researching various things and analyzing all secrets. Just that I didn’t expect their speed of development to surpass my imagination. Within a very short time, they had nearly completed researching all the topics I had set for them.

When my pace of setting new content couldn’t satisfy their relentless exploration speed, they began to delve into rather eccentric research, using methods to deliberately trigger errors in the virtual world operation, ultimately leading to destruction."

"After the Vizhed version of civilization was destroyed, what was the name of the civilization I used to live in?" Richard asked.

"The civilization you used to live in..." Coret replied, "In reality, the civilization you used to live in hasn’t been formally named yet... Don’t look at me like that, it’s not that I’m too lazy to name it, it’s just because while the Vizhed civilization was destroyed, it wasn’t destroyed thoroughly enough. Some parts continued on to become the civilization you lived in. So, in a certain sense, your civilization is an extension of the Vizhed civilization, it can be called... Vizhed 2.0."

"Vizhed 2.0? Sounds a bit like a game version update." Richard said, and then asked, "I’m a bit curious, if the Vizhed civilization really was destroyed, what civilization version do you plan to run next?"

"It’s simple." Coret spoke, continuing without hesitation, clearly already prepared.

"The fourth version of civilization, Enchanter, spelled as Enchanter, meaning Wizard, but more inclined towards Magic, accurately translated should be Mage. In my setting, this civilization is a world full of hierarchy, where everything has strict standard grading.

For example, the strength of Extraordinary Power, the destructive power of Magic, the rarity of various items, etc. Living within it, everything is clear at a glance, but precisely because of this, it will to some extent diminish people’s imagination, leaving the entire civilization somewhat lifeless."

The fifth version civilization, Mo Zhen Sen, spelled as Magician, meaning Wizard, but more inclined to magic tricks and deception, should really be translated as juggler. In my setting, Extraordinary Power begins to decline, transforming into a world at its nadir of Extraordinary Power.

In the civilization, the exploration of the Source of Extraordinary Power has almost stopped, some methods of extraordinary power are continuously lost, the Extraordinary Power System becomes incomplete and dilapidated, meanwhile, another system called ’modern technology’ catches up.

Thus, Magic turns into tricks, weak extraordinary power becomes juggles, fewer and fewer people are willing to research the Source of Extraordinary Power, and even for those who do, the environment is not conducive, the extraordinary path is virtually cut off."

"Sounds kind of desolate." Richard commented.

"Not yet at the bleakest." Coret said, "After the fifth civilization version, there is the sixth version civilization, which is the world that leaves those pursuing extraordinary power feeling hopeless, also leaving everyone feeling hopeless."

"Hmm? The sixth version? Can you talk about it?"

"Of course." Coret said, "In my setting, the sixth version of civilization, as an extension of the fifth version, the ’modern technology’ system has completely surpassed the Magic system, casting Magic into the waste corner of history.

People in civilization develop very rapidly, especially after entering the fast lane of ’Technology Explosion’, exploring extensively in many fields, establishing a complete system not inferior to Extraordinary Power.

But the good times don’t last long. As they continue developing in-depth, they gradually find the system becoming more bloated, the frontier increasingly difficult to break through. Eventually, all technological research will hit a red line; for instance, they will find out that the speed limit is forever locked at 300,000 kilometers per second and cannot be surpassed, or they will discover that it is indefinitely impossible to simultaneously measure the position and momentum of a single particle accurately.

Ultimately, in this civilization, those pursuing Extraordinary Power will be viewed as lunatics, with absolutely no chance of success. And those pursuing ultimate ’modern technology’ will also run into a wall that cannot be broken through, exhausting all efforts yet unable to advance even a little. Complete despair, while despair may not immediately descend, the outcome of despair is decided from the very beginning."

After listening to Coret’s words, Richard fell silent for a moment, his expression somewhat heavy, looking at Coret, he asked: "Then what is the name of the sixth version of civilization?"

"Do you really want to know?" Coret spoke, laughing a little, "Actually, even if I don’t say it, you already have the answer in your heart, right? His name is none other than Ez — Earth, that is, the Earth you have always wanted to return to."

Coret took a few steps to the side, pointing at the one in the middle of the five Crystal Balls, saying: "It is currently running right here."

Richard looked at the Crystal Ball Coret pointed at for a long time, slowly exhaling: "Indeed..."

At this point, Coret added: "Anyway, the six versions of civilization, Necro Mansi, Sorcere, Vizhed, Enchanter, Mo Zhen Sen, Ez, constitute the six different developmental stages of the Wizard Universe I designed.

Interestingly, Ez, that is, Earth, the final stage of the Wizard Universe I designed, is also the final stage of another universe I designed. That other universe has five versions, apart from Earth, they are Primordial, Four Continents, Eden, Atlantis, each being destroyed by war, chaos, apocalypse, and floods."

"So, you could say I transitioned from the Earth version civilization to the Vizhed 2.0 version civilization, then appeared before you." Richard looked at Coret and said.

"Yes." Coret nodded, not denying.

"Then..." Richard opened his arms, seriously asking, "Then... what is the meaning of all this? You spent enormous effort, from nothing to existence, designing many versions of civilization, arranging different environments, using massive energy to run them."

"Even going so far as to split your soul, enter among them, some like me — transferring from one version to another, creating a ’transmigration’ effect, why? I hope you won’t tell me it’s just for experiencing, just for experiencing diverse experiences, finding fun in a monotonous life."

Coret laughed: "Of course not. I actually do this for one purpose only, that is to see if people living in different civilizations, having varied experiences, can ever realize their world is virtual, and possibly break free from the virtual world to enter the real world."

"You mean, in simple terms, you do this to see if people inside the box can get outside the box?" Richard concluded and asked.

Coret nodded.

"But why?" Richard still didn’t understand.

Coret was silent, after a few seconds he looked at Richard and said: "It’s quite simple, because I suspect that the world I’m in now is... a box."

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