Chapter 28

When he heard these words, there was a noticeable change in the Governor of Western Continent’s expression. [1]

“Explain it to me carefully,” he said, looking urgent as he spoke.

……

A moment later, a soldier rushed into the great hall. He then presented a seal with some resemblance to the texture of green jade.

“According to you, this is the so-called ‘Imperial Seal’? The thing that the Old Emperor used to control the guards and the palace’s men around him to fight, right?”

The Governor, or now the new Emperor, looked at the exquisite seal.

It was smaller than how an imperial seal should be.

Its shape is a classic square, adorned with intricate light gold lines on the surface, but now—it has become dull.

“Yes.” The new Chief Scientist of the Empire sighed and said:

“This project 001 is the most important one in recent years. Except for a very few people who knew about it, it is kept secret from the outside world.

“The project has been carried out in secret for hundreds of years. At first, it was because we accidentally observed a strange phenomenon between the heaven and earth, which we called the ‘Spiritual Tide’.

“That is, every once in a while, some kind of abnormal energy disturbance occurs between the heaven and earth…

“It should be some kind of interference. The Scientific Research Institute, through its research, guessed that there is an energy in nature that we are currently unable to observe.

“Every once in a while, this mysterious energy will rise and fall as if it were a tidal wave for some reason… and thus causing disturbance to the rest of the observable energy.”

“Hence, the Scientific Research Institute had set up several observation stations on the high mountains to observe the ‘Spiritual Tide’ for decades. Through calculations, we found that there is no regularity except for the first two intervals.

“Later, there is a phenomenon of decreasing function of the interval between every two spiritual tides.

“Although there are errors, the regular curve does exist.

“With each occurrence lasting about three days.

“Of course, part of the error may also be due to the early means of observation and outdated technology.

“In short, we determined the cycle of the Spiritual Tide and guessed that it’s likely to involve the nature of the world.

“Unfortunately, even though technology has been improving, we still cannot observe that mysterious energy. Until one time, a scientific research team sent from Kyoto accidentally discovered a strange ore in the southern hills. The vegetation around the ore was extraordinarily lush, which is strange. [2]

“And the location where the ore is located happens to be the direction of the ebb of the Spiritual Tide.

“So we suspect that this ore may have absorbed the mysterious energy under the long term ‘tide’, because of that a special project team was established to study it… at that time, its project number was not yet 001…”

Speaking of this, the Chief Scientist’s eyes became full of emotion and he continued:

“Since then, the research institute began to research this mysterious energy based on the ore… but because of our inability to observe it, the research progress was extremely slow. Fortunately, through constant exploration, we found that this piece of jade can indeed absorb the mysterious energy automatically.

“And it seems to contain some kind of extraordinary power… if we stimulate it to a certain extent, it can actually affect the human spirit…

“… the person who masters it can, with the help of this object, amplify the inner thought and forcibly interfere with the thoughts of humans within a certain range, just like… hypnosis! Yes, hypnosis!

“After realizing this, the Scientific Research Institute immediately reported it to the former… Old Emperor.

“This is what made it the top-secret experiment, the number 001.

“We tried to decipher the hypnotic power inside it, but to no avail.

“Some of our people speculate that this may involve the realm of the Gods.

“Later, it had to be forged into an ‘Imperial Seal’ and kept in the palace under the control of the Old Emperor, until—the Old Emperor died and the Imperial Seal fell into the hands of the Empress. What happened after that… everyone should know.” His voice fell when he said this.

After listening to this story, the new Emperor’s eyes changed.

He slightly squeezed the Imperial Seal nervously, then he stared at the Chief Scientist and said in a low voice:

“So, what you are saying is that those who control the Imperial Seal can hypnotize other people?”

“… Yes, but there are many restrictions such as distance and the number of peoples, and if the target’s brain is more active, the effect of hypnosis will be reduced.”

Under the Emperor’s oppressive aura, the Chief Scientist gulped and bowed his head, then added:

“In addition, each use will consume the energy of the Imperial Seal. You can only place it and wait for it to recover slowly… previously—the queen had used it once. That’s why it is dull right now and for a short time, unusable.”

After saying this, there was a long silence in the hall.

The atmosphere is abnormally oppressive.

No one knew how long it took until the Chief Scientist finally raised his head, and then, with a shudder, he found that the Emperor was staring at him with a deadly gaze.

“Your Majesty?”

“Tell me, this thing… how do you use it!”

……

[In the 700,041,049 years of the derivative world. The Governor of Western Continent was crowned and the Chi Dynasty was changed into a new empire, with him as the first Emperor. In the same year many laws and decrees were issued to appease the people and end the war, while the Empire is recuperating.]

On the Operation Log.

Click-click-click.

New texts keep popping up as he clicks on it.

At the same time, Lin Tuo also noticed that the Ether concentration on the virtual panel had also changed from a red downward arrow, back to an orange horizontal bar, and then after a few more minutes, back to a green upward arrow.

“Sure enough, when the civil war ends and society re-enters the era of peace, the Ether will also recover again.”

Beside the Sand Table, Lin Tuo’s somewhat tense mood suddenly became relaxed.

As for the change of the Chi Dynasty to a new empire… it was not surprising.

In fact, in his opinion, the Chi Dynasty had already aged two hundred years ago. Only Lin Tuo’s “descent” managed to force a fresh wave of life by introducing science.

As the Sand Table’s continent continued to develop, Lin Tuo also relaxed his heart. He turned his head to hold the computer, put on his headset, and played a game.

Well, during this period, besides practicing and doing business, he was also busy looking after the Sand Table to the point that; he was even busier than when he was working. Hence he occasionally needed to take a day off and relax.

Not long after, only the sound of mouse and keyboard clicks were left in the room.

And naturally, Lin Tuo, who was concentrating on playing the game, did not know that his action of collecting the Ether last night would be observed by the humans in the Sand Table.

It would never occur to him; that him setting up an alarm to wake him up—and remind him to collect Ether—would be carefully recorded and analyzed by the scientists in the Sand Table. With them summarizing it as a “Spiritual Tide Cycles”.

……

The Sand Table was still changing rapidly.

In the blink of an eye, the new Emperor had been reigning for one year.

In this one year, the Emperor implemented some reforms, though it’s only directed to weaken the local force and strengthen his rule.

Obviously, as the usurper himself, he will not allow for the existence of another him.

Regarding the people’s livelihood, he removed the filth accumulated during the Chi Dynasty period. He killed the corruptors, consolidated the officialdom, and replaced the original administrative system with the 'small government” officials from the Western Continent.

And through a series of means and decrees. He fully demonstrated his excellent ability to govern the country… as the whole society quickly stabilized, and again with faster speed back to the electrical era.

In this transitioning era, many new things appeared each day, and in just one year; the people had adapted to the new empire’s rule.

Because of the merit of presenting the “Imperial Seal”, the Chief Scientist career was really smooth this year. No matter how much things have changed, he has not been affected in the slightest.

He had led several major inventions, which made him a celebrity, second only to the Emperor. For a while, the spring breeze has obtained its wish. [3]

Until another cold winter, he was summoned again into the palace… to the conference room called the Imperial Study. [4]

“Your Majesty.”

When he stepped into the room, he saw that the Emperor was alone; looking toward a map on the wall, with his back toward the door—seemingly lost in thought.

“Ah, you’re here, take a seat,” said the Emperor, turning around and smiling.

“I wonder what instructions may Your Majesty have to summon me?” said the Chief Scientist.

“Indeed, I do have an important matter to have summoned you,” said the Emperor, “I’m going to set up a new laboratory in the Great Western Continent. It’s made for a major research, though we are lacking a person in charge of it. So, are you willing to lead it?” [5]

“Great Western Continent? New laboratory? Research?” said the Chief Scientist, surprised as he couldn’t help but ask, “what is it?”

The Emperor turned around again and looked at the map, then uttered slowly, “The Boundary.”

“The Boundary?” said the Chief Scientist, looking awkward.

The word “Boundary” exists as a special reference, with its full name being “World Boundary”.

Located at the end of the Endless Sea outside the continent—at the very edge of this world.

A wall so magnificent and big, that it cannot be seen in its entirety, the “Great Wall”.

Only, unlike the people outside the Sand Table who can clearly see it in its entirety; the Sand Table’s people’s perception of the world can only be based on the environment simulated by the Sand Table.

And so are their scientific calculation results.

Many years ago, when their navigation technology was still not that advanced.

The people of the Chi Dynasty had no idea how it looked like there. After all, whenever they set out to sail into the end of the “Endless Sea”, they will always encounter mysterious wind and waves—blocking them from moving forward.

It was not until the Industrial Revolution and the advancement of navigation technology did, they finally broke through the dangerous sea and came to the world’s edge.

Where they finally found that huge wall, and named it the “Boundary”

Countless scientists have broken their head trying to figure out the composition of the “Boundary”, but to no avail. Let alone, what is outside of it.

Some of them even believe that the outside of the boundary does not exist.

It is said that more than two hundred years ago, the Saint who taught the world lived there.

Therefore, it has become the most mysterious thing and the ultimate goal in the Empire’s field of science.

The Sand Table’s people saw the “Boundary” the same as how Earthling saw the “Universe”.

“Yes,” said the Emperor, pointing at the map, “I do not know if you have felt it, but the very world that we live in… is very small.”

“When I was still in the Great Western Continent. I had always liked to watch the stars at night in the Astronomy Station, and since the mountains there were very high—I felt it, this feeling… it became stronger when I got closer to the stars.

“And It’s becoming worse after I took control of this country.

“My chest was often stuffy and I felt like I couldn’t breathe…

“According to your scientific community, mankind began in the wilderness and gradually conquered nature to become what it is now. I have often thought recently, after we conquered nature, and after I had conquered this country, then…

“What’s next? What are we going to conquer?”

“What are we going to conquer?” said the Chief Scientist, subconsciously.

The Emperor turned his head and gazed at him with an oppressive gaze.

“The Boundary, I want—no, I WILL CONQUER IT, NO MATTER THE COST!”