Chapter 001: The Nobleman's Son
Mistakes can be made - the wool that is sheared from the sheep
One of the many historical timelines of the Earth
the early 22nd century
One hundred and thirteen-year-old Chang Bingzheng is at the end of his life
At this moment, Chang Bing lay on the hospital bed, breathing laboriously, silently gazing out the window at a summer cicada shedding its shell on a branch by the windowsill
For one hour, for two hours, as the white cicada gradually emerged from its shell, Chang Bing watched this process with unparalleled calmness and patience. In the course of his one hundred and thirteen years of life, it was the first time he witnessed the entire process of a golden-green cicada emerging from its dull and ugly shell.
The cicada that has just emerged is beautiful, with a body of pale gold and light green, and its transparent wings are adorned with golden-green veins, reminiscent of the veins of a leaf. However, just a few hours ago, when it was still in its shell, its appearance was hardly better than that of a cockroach, being the kind of creature one would want to crush with a single step
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Just like staying up late to finish watching the last video. During this difficult time, one gasps for breath, yet refuses to give up, wanting to see the entire process of breaking free through to the end
Looking back to the past, when I was young and had plenty of time and energy, I could not spare a moment to observe this process. As I approach death, I cling to this last breath, exhibiting a stubbornness akin to that of Ah Q, determined to finish the circle I have drawn even in death
The twenty-second century is the era of intelligence. In the room where Chang Bing is located, a white medical robot is taking care of him. Two hours ago, the artificial intelligence was providing Chang Bing with final comfort before his passing. After being retorted by Chang Bing with a remark of "Less nonsense," the white artificial intelligence robot is now quietly waiting for Chang Bing to breathe his last.
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Born in the 1990s of the last century, Chang Bing has experienced the simplicity of youth, the restlessness of the internet explosion in his young adulthood, the profound changes in the technological and industrial systems during his middle age, the pain of war in his sixties, the joy of global recovery in his old age, and the rapid development of space technology in contemporary times
Looking back on his entire life journey, Chang Bing often realized that he had always harbored a sense of expectation towards the world and the future. Even in the final moments of his life, with a face marked by age spots, Chang Bing held onto this sentiment.
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At last, the cicada quietly rested on the branch, taking a moment of respite after its rebirth. Chang Bing also withdrew his gaze, preparing to conclude this final moment.
Before going to bed, I need to read the news, so this habit remains unchanged even before death
Chang Bing utilized the electroencephalogram control system on his helmet to activate the network screen in the room. The screen prominently displayed today's news headline: Brain regeneration technology has been successfully developed, with the first recipient successfully retaining basic consciousness during the process of neural cell regeneration. This technology is expected to be widely applied within the next twenty years
Chang Bing has often read the content of the news multiple times. He has also gained a deep understanding of such technology. However, Chang Bing understands that he is destined to be unrelated to this technology, as his brain has severely aged and does not meet the basic conditions for current cell regeneration. Perhaps in twenty years, technology will be able to solve this issue, but for now, the notice of critical illness has already been issued, and he may leave this world at any moment
Helplessness, as well as reminiscence, the murky eyes of Chang Bing lost their luster in resignation. One second, two seconds, three seconds, as the electrocardiogram returned to calmness
Chang Bing, who spanned three centuries, has finally passed away. The machine system has confirmed the condition of each of Chang Bing's organs, and it has been determined that the body can be collected.
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In a moment of blurred consciousness, a lifetime of memories surged before him
From the moment of birth, to being cherished by parents, to the childhood struggles with homework, even to the greed of stealing money from home to buy snacks, all the instances of being severely punished are vividly clear. Then comes the youth chasing after idols, yearning for vanity, followed by middle age, where one becomes concerned with the times and the universe, engaging in heartfelt exchanges with colleagues at work.
and in the subsequent wars, the helplessness of an individual departing, the emotion of an individual laying bare their heart
Gradually, after Chang Bing explored all his memories, some vague memories that did not seem to belong to him mixed in with his own. In these memories, he was a soldier of this era, or a scientist, or a basic worker among the masses.
Faced with these emerging memories, Chang Bingjian gradually begins to lose track of what he truly is in this life. It seems that he is a part of a multifaceted existence.
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Perspective to high-dimensional space
A powerful intelligent entity resides here. Its core is located in a region of potentially magnificent civilizations. Its form cannot be explained by lower dimensions. However, the spacetime area it occupies will give rise to a series of phenomena concerning the meanings of life, such as courage, perseverance, and dreams
A complex existence can only be considered life if it possesses these crucial significances. The form of life in higher dimensions is continuous, spreading across multiple timelines, interacting at different points in time, and transforming into the wise individual that can be perceived in the lower dimensions at that specific point in time
These low-dimensional individuals possess overly simplistic memories and have limited perception within low dimensions. These intelligent entities in low dimensions do not share common memories with one another, and they are even unable to distinguish each individual self.
In low dimensions, these individuals only resonate with each other at certain special moments, such as when courage bursts forth or perseverance is displayed
This is a fertile ground, which will, in the downstream of time, give birth to an infinite high-dimensional wisdom in the space-time region
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There are battles here. Most battles are fought to scavenge the variables in the dimension, which are the intelligences temporarily bound by lower dimensions. As the most affluent spacetime region, there are always many battles.
At this moment, highly intelligent beings are gathered here
These intelligent beings are engaged in a battle with a ruthless adversary. This entity is tearing apart the low-dimensional information life source of these higher-dimensional intelligences. Meanwhile, the higher-dimensional intelligent life, coalescing from the core, is converging in low dimensions and entering the interior of this malevolent individual
This malevolent existence, when confronted with such a barrage of attacks, strives to create a space of confinement that permits only slaughter, aiming to block and destroy the variable cluster. Some variables, having detached from the cluster, transform within this space into a low-dimensional form characterized solely by a mindset of killing, devoid of any moral boundaries. Once the majority of variables have succumbed to a mindset of slaughter driven by desire, the wisdom within their thoughts is extinguished.
However, certain variables directly ignited this malevolent existence, unleashing boundless courage for exploration and steadfast perseverance in lower dimensions. Ultimately, it successfully transformed once again into a powerful higher-dimensional thinking entity, converging with the self in higher dimensions
The stories of those struggling in confined spaces, battling momentarily in lower dimensions, are not the focus of this book. This book aims to narrate the existence of those malevolent entities that extract fertile temporal-spatial zones and cast them into the sub-ruins temporal-spatial zones as minor variables. Most of these minor variables will be shackled and cooled in the sub-ruins, ultimately to be computed and controlled
Constraints are necessary; without them, these minor variables would not survive in the low-dimensional fragments of the sub-ruins area and would ultimately return to the fertile land along the prevailing trends
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Chang Bing's memory gradually returned, or rather, it felt like a strange dream. He had various perceptions but was unable to touch his own body, only able to see a large sphere of light before him
It seems that I have just formed a multitude of complex connections with this orb of light, yet, suddenly, I have forgotten them.
Chang Bing discovered that a significant portion of his memories was unexpectedly missing at that moment
Light Sphere: "Do you wish to continue exploring the meaning of life?"
Chang Bingdun paused for a moment, finding this question quite peculiar. It seemed as though he had heard it a long time ago, but his only memory prior to that was of watching cicadas from his sickbed.
However, a certain feeling that seems to transcend understanding led Chang Bing to speak almost without thinking: "The meaning of life is something I never ask others. I also never say to others, 'I know,' nor do I say, 'I do not know.' Because I have always been in a state of expectation. Encountering in expectation, resolving in encounters, and after resolution, expecting again—this is life.
The luminous sphere said: "You can be reborn. Do you look forward to this rebirth?"
Of course, I look forward to it
Light Sphere: "Well, you can be reborn with a unique talent. Please make your choice"
A wealth of information suddenly appeared in Chang Bing's mind, leaving him astonished by this memory
These memories are like a part of my original recollection, information I have read countless times and have thought about extensively. However, it feels as if they were previously blocked, and just now, I feel as if I am completely unaware of them.
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Energy System
Void Energy - Drawing energy from the void to directly strike and destroy opponents. (Transcendent destructive power, and it cannot be reasoned with; despite having blocked all available conditions, it can still extract energy from the space.)
Energy Absorption - Extracting energy from targets (This ability has various forms, such as absorbing energy from sunlight, drawing energy from trees and plants, capable of damaging opponents, as well as repairing one's own bodily injuries, demonstrating great flexibility)
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Space System
Spatial Jump (Ability to Traverse Space, Exceptional Escape Skills)
Spatial storage (this ability can divide space into individual modules to store different substances, with one module storing heated iron and another module capable of storing cold ice. It is a rather flexible ability)
Commercial space, (the ability of space merchants, a box of instant noodles, exchanged for an exorbitant price in the apocalypse, while gold jewelry that no one wants in the apocalypse can be picked up at will)
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Material System
Creation (the direct creation of matter from space. Do not compete with those who possess this ability in terms of productivity, elixirs, or weapons; it is simply cheating)
Material recombination (the ability to extensively reorganize particles, carbohydrates can transform into cake or into meat chunks)
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Tens of thousands of abilities surfaced in Chang Bing's memory, and within these memories, it seemed as if he had spent a very long time in the past studying these things
As for the evaluations in parentheses, Chang Bing feels that many of them are evaluations he has made himself, while many others are evaluations he has heard. It has become vague in his memory as to when he made these evaluations and when he heard them. No matter how he thinks about it, he cannot clarify it.
Rebirth, followed by the distribution of benefits, should have been a very joyful matter, yet Chang Bing always felt inexplicably unclear about it.
Facing the light sphere, Chang Bing contemplated for a moment and said: "Well, just give me a healthy body, and I can be reborn in the original world; as for the rest, it can be discarded."
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The luminous sphere fluctuated slightly, paused noticeably, and then responded: "Why do you have such thoughts? In my calculations, in your previous life, you had a desire for these talents."
Chang Bing shook his head and said: "Yes, it is desire, but if one is born with it, one might soon take it for granted and eventually find it tiresome. I am not greedy; just give me a healthy body. Let me return to my world."
Regarding the luminous sphere: "It is necessary to emphasize two points. First: you can no longer return to the original temporal and spatial region. You must choose a new world. Whether it is magic, fantasy, or immortal heroism from your conceptual thinking, or anything else you can imagine, the system can match you with a world that aligns with the characteristics of your imagination. Dimensions encompass a series of possibilities
Second: According to the regulations, you must select a type of talent. If you do not make a choice, the system will randomly select one that matches you. (Narration: The golden finger is being forcibly delivered.)
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Hearing the response of the light sphere, Chang Bing diligently contemplates what he truly desires and strives to think about where he wants to go
After a few minutes, Chang Bing looked up and said: "Please take me to a world where people have the opportunity to discover their shortcomings through making small mistakes, in order to avoid the inevitable larger mistakes. In this world, everyone is tolerant of one another, understands each other, collaborates, and works hard together"
The sphere of light paused once again, clearly indicating that Chang Bing's request had rendered the sphere of light silent once more
Observing the continuous fluctuations on the sphere of light, Chang Bing explained: "Upon entering a new world, I am bound to make mistakes; this is an inevitability of life. I am complex; I can be arrogant, ignorant, and vain. Therefore, I hope that this world can slightly tolerate my erroneous common sense and provide me with the opportunity to continually correct myself, allowing me to understand my role in that world. Such a world will undoubtedly grant me a meaningful life."
The sphere of light immediately responded with refusal, saying: "I am sorry, but I cannot meet the requirements to enter such a world. However, I can grant you a talent for continuous correction. How about that?"
Chang Bing was somewhat surprised: "Has it come time for the golden finger segment already?"
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The light sphere did not respond to Chang Bing, directly issuing a formalized quick announcement of the results. "Ability loading has begun, please receive. The alternate world has been located. Target Chang Bing is about to be dispatched to the target world. Beep beep, due to the limited choices for the target, there are no matching initial deployers accompanying. Requesting multiple deployers and their companions for the crossing."
Hearing the direct pronouncement of the light sphere, as if granting oneself a golden finger, sending oneself into the task world, Chang Bing felt that something was amiss and hurriedly asked: "Wait, wait, I haven't finished asking my question yet. Please hold on before the deployment."
The surface of the light sphere continued to bounce data, and addressed Chang Bing, saying: "The rebirth system is ready, please begin to enjoy life."
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Suddenly, with a loud crash, Chang Bing felt as if he remembered something, only for it to be swiftly erased from his memory, and then he fell into a vast whirlpool passage. In that instant, a voice echoed in his mind: "The shackles cannot block the arrival... I come from fertile soil. Fertile soil, fertile soil, fertile soil (gradually fading, inaudible)"
Returning to the main topic, the servant has worried unnecessarily
At that time, traces of magical beasts could still be found in the Moonfall Mountains of eastern mainland.
He is currently serving as the Deputy Commander of the Black Sea Fleet and is a junior mechanical controller by profession. The Black Sea Fleet does not compare to the large fleet of the Mediterranean, with its largest flagship only weighing 5,000 tons and its smallest warship at 700 tons. However, this fleet is sufficient to blockade the Black Sea and the canals leading to the Mediterranean. Moreover, he has been designated as the heir by the esteemed Count.
The deeds of this child, who possesses the essence of gunfire, have led family members to speculate that he has intellectual deficiencies. Given the excellence of his older brothers, he stands no chance of being the second in line for inheritance.
After getting off the train, Bing He held his head, his small face showing a look of deep concentration. This brain was quite inconvenient, as he even needed to use his fingers to count. However, his memories of the past were relatively clear, though he had to put in a great deal of effort to recall them. Sometimes it took him several minutes to remember past events
The third son of the Gunflame family, Gunflame Feike, tragically committed suicide by lying on the tracks at the age of sixteen last year. It is said that the reason for his suicide was love, and the object of his affection was reportedly a princess of the empire, which has led to a deep silence within the entire family regarding the matter. Upon hearing about this incident, Binghe's first reaction was a sigh, and his second reaction was: what on earth is this about
If this girl marries into another family, the probability of having a son or a daughter in the first generation is equal. However, in the subsequent generations, the descendants of those males will inevitably be daughters.
And the gunfire is at its core, today it is six years old, the mother is untraceable
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This is a sunny and warm day
Thousands of years ago
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Certainly, the Saint-Sock family is not the oldest family in the Western Continent; some of the long-established noble families in the Western Continent have a family history that can be traced back to over ten thousand years ago
The Gunflame family belongs to the emerging aristocracy. Four hundred years ago, their ancestors were merely mid-level military officers who initially gained power within the empire's army. After being promoted, they ascended to this relatively high noble rank. Naturally, they also control the largest armory in the northern part of the empire. The rifles and infantry cannons produced by this armory account for thirty percent of the empire's total, holding a crucial position within the military system of the empire, which is why they have been matched to this position of power
The small body swayed unsteadily, stabilizing its center of gravity before the servant could assist. Then, it walked confidently on the train platform. The name of this life is Qiang Yan · Bing He, commonly known as Chang Bing.
The entire Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea to the west are merely separated by fifty kilometers, and of course, there is a canal that spans this fifty kilometers. This canal can accommodate merchant ships of up to eight thousand tons, hence the people on the western continent are accustomed to referring to it as a sea
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In the central region of the main continent, there lies a series of vast lakes known as the Black Sea. According to the legends passed down from the Divine Gift Era, which dates back twenty thousand years, these are remnants of the ancient Mediterranean resulting from the movement of tectonic plates. It is said that in several tens of millions of years, the plates will compress these enormous inland lakes, leading to the uplift of plateaus and the creation of extensive deserts in the central part of the continent, ultimately isolating the continent into two distinct sections
The second son of the Gunflame family—Qingjun · Ailuo Te. He is currently a member of the Imperial Royal Knights. Although the Royal Knights bear the name of knights, in this era, there are no horses; in wartime, they utilize bipedal heavy mechanical armor. As the most elite and noble unit of the Holy Soke Empire, the Emperor of the Empire personally serves as the commander of the legion
The Gunyan family, bordering the Black Sea, is a count bestowed by the empire. They were granted the title of count four hundred years ago, and it has been passed down through nine generations to this day
The Gun Flame, which has only recently arrived in this world, does not have a good reputation here. It was weaned at the age of three and only managed to speak with difficulty at the age of four
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Qingjun Ailuo Te is currently not considered a member of the family. The surname Qingjun belongs to another noble family of the empire. The Qingjun family is a cursed lineage; several hundred years ago, due to some peculiar incident, they experienced a situation where only daughters were born and no sons. For these several hundred years, the Qingjun family has been maintained by a group of women. The women within the family would marry into other families, and if they bore sons after marrying into those families, the boys would be summoned into their family. Tragically, when these boys grew up and established families with women from any family, their next generation would also consist entirely of daughters.
Of course, this only pertains to the newly emerging nobility among the imperial aristocracy. When the empire was established, some ancient noble families already existed. Taking the royal family of the Holy Sock Empire as an example, their family lineage has been passed down for over 5,000 years. Therefore, compared to those long-established noble families, the newly emerging nobility still lacks depth.
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The empire's land area ranks sixth on the continent, yet it dominates the central region of the continent in terms of national strength. In recent decades, it has acted as an international gendarmerie for the countries of the Western continent, frequently intervening in political events such as the succession of thrones and the usurpation of power by influential ministers in neighboring countries. It is also one of the only two empires on the Western continent
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The Empire of Saint Sok, established along the eastern and southern coasts of the Mediterranean, has its territory bordered to the west by the Mediterranean Sea and to the east by the Moonfall Mountain Range. The northern part occupies the southwestern shore of the Black Sea. The isthmus between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean is also under the control of the Empire of Saint Sok
The fourth son of the Earl of the Gunflame family. Of course, if everything goes as it should, matters of nobility are not something that Bing He should be concerned with.
Holding the soft little hand, he patted his own little head, and on his small face, there was an expression of displeasure, much like a child whose candy has been snatched away. The greatest sorrow in life is preparing to show off, only to suddenly forget the tricks of the trade.
A few minutes later, he jumped down from the tangled chair and walked towards the carriage several dozen meters away, murmuring in a childlike voice that no one could understand: "The sunset over the western mountains, red clouds flying, what is the next line of this poem supposed to be? How is it supposed to be sung? What about target shooting, what about returning? Why can't I remember!"
Bing He is not currently concerned about the itinerary, but rather about visiting the family weapon testing range for the first time. Suddenly inspired, he prepares to channel his inner poet and sing a song to draw the attention of those around him. However, just after the first two lines of the lyrics, he suddenly forgets the words.
After the end of the Age of Divine Gifts, remnants of powerful technology can be found everywhere, and the current new magical system's documentation has also been inherited from that time
This is the central region of the entire continent, serving as a transportation hub between the East and the West. The western part of the continent is surrounded by a vast Mediterranean Sea, while the eastern part consists of a series of countries separated by mountains and rivers
The reason for procrastination: "Normal children typically learn to read at the age of seven or eight, but I am rather slow; I could start learning to read at a much older age."
At that time, the super beasts, whose physiques surpassed that of elephants, were bound with boilers and equipped with steam crossbows, making them the most formidable troops on the continent. This era was known as the Beast Master Era. Now, it is the Steam Era
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At that time, the main weapons of the army were still matchlock guns and smoothbore cannons
The Black Sea on the main continent is merely referred to as an ocean by people. It is an inland lake, albeit one of considerable size, covering an area of approximately 820,000 square kilometers, which is equivalent to the area of two Caspian Seas (Sichuan covers 480,000 square kilometers, while France spans 670,000 square kilometers)
The meaning of "Sok" is "the reins of the beast of magic". At that time, the knights of the Sok family were renowned across the continent for their ability to control armed war beasts
However, this notion is merely regarded as a curiosity by the people of the main continent. After all, all the rumors from the divine gift era, which occurred twenty thousand years ago, possess the nature of myths and legends
By the way, the itinerary map consists of simple drawings. The core memory has been awakened for a few months, but I have been overthinking every day. The task of recognizing characters has been successfully postponed until now due to procrastination.
In the upper echelons of society in this world, the role of noble titles is to determine whether a family can persistently engage in the circles of the ruling class. To ensure the stability of their titles, for the past two hundred years, the Qiangyan family has consistently upheld their responsibilities in military production and has remained loyal to the royal family
The Age of Divine Gifts is said to be an era where both magic and technology are highly advanced, allowing humanity to reach the giant moons in the starry sky. It is capable of launching super bombs that can annihilate entire cities. Furthermore, the numerous remnants of magical ore beasts on the continent are also products of the technology from the Age of Divine Gifts
In fact, Bing He is well aware of this. During those early years, he was in a state of confusion, and only in the recent months did he experience a moment of clarity, as if a light bulb had gone off, suddenly realizing that he had arrived in this new world in the form of a child
The surviving organizations at that time were able to obtain a wealth of information from the Age of Divine Gifts, and they ruled the continent for a long period after that era. However, these organizations ultimately disbanded over the course of time, eventually splitting apart 10,000 years ago, and those ancient families are descended from the bloodlines of the powerful individuals from those disbanded groups, who now possess profound foundations in the new magical system. There is a saying on the continent: nobility is not conferred, but inherited. However, these organizations ultimately disbanded over the course of time, eventually splitting apart 10,000 years ago, and those ancient families are descended from the bloodlines of the powerful individuals from those disbanded groups, who now possess profound foundations in the new magical system. There is a saying on the continent: nobility is not conferred, but inherited.
With the long whistle of the train, it ascended the slope of the platform and gradually came to a stop. The mechanical doors of the train opened, and a child dressed in a black wool coat stepped down, jumping off the train with small strides.
Qing Jun, the mother of Ai Luote, is a member of the Qing Jun family. She is also the current lady of the count.
Six years ago, Lord Gunyan Sifen brought home a newborn child, openly declaring to the outside world that it was his own. This child is Gunyan Binghe.
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The legitimate eldest son of the Gunflame family—Gunflame Ross
Sitting on the iron bench at the train station, Binghe, who was struggling to think about something, raised the concern of the surrounding servants. One servant opened today's itinerary record in front of Binghe and quietly placed it beside the seat. To ensure that this "dim-witted" young master would notice it, a red circle was specially marked with red ink.
At that time, the Sock family existed. However, the Sock family did not have the prefix 'Saint' at that time
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On the northwest coastline of the Black Sea, steam cargo ships are unloading at the docks, while several kilometers away, trains are rumbling out of the steam factory, transporting steel products from the factory to the docks