“Did your companion just speak to me?”
Prythian turned her face directly towards where Xing Chen was standing, her expression full of doubt.
“Yes, didn’t you hear him?” Theresa asked, puzzled.
At this moment, in Prythian’s eyes, Xing Chen was nothing but a mass of black chaos.
When the three of them first entered, she thought he was just a local creature with incomplete Oripathy modifications. Now it seemed that only she couldn't see his true appearance.
“Interesting, a restriction specifically targeting me. It seems your relationship with me is extraordinary.”
“Is it dangerous?” Theresa couldn’t help but ask Prythian.
“Not dangerous. Achieving this effect is very simple: just set his information so that I cannot parse it.”
Everything is composed of information and can be explained by information. Originium is merely a medium for storing and translating information.
Theresa selectively introduced some information to Prythian, including her conversation with the Seer, and Prythian quickly drew a conclusion.
She had the control panel raise a display screen and projected a red-glowing Originium onto it.
This was the very first Originium she and the Seer created; all Originium on Terra proliferated from it.
“Originium is not infinite. Although it has high-dimensional properties, it is inherently in a material state and can only be stored as a three-dimensional entity; it can be consumed.”
Then, Prythian wrote a long string of formulas on the display screen, constantly simplifying them. Finally, when Xing Chen could understand, he found that it contained several exponential functions.
“This is the natural proliferation function of Originium. Without external catalytic forces, it follows this curve.”
Next, she drew a point on the curve. Before this point, Originium proliferation showed fluctuating growth. After this point, the proliferation rate began to skyrocket.
“Before this point, as long as the consumption rate reaches this value,” Prythian wrote and drew. Xing Chen suddenly felt like he was in a calculus class, while Theresa and Theresis had stern faces.
The latter two hadn’t attended school, but all three were in the same state.
Mathematics, if you don’t have the talent, you truly don’t understand it.
However, regarding Catastrophes, everyone knew quite a bit. Especially knowing that “Catastrophes are a form of Originium proliferation” and “sufficient quantities of Originium can trigger Catastrophes,” Prythian’s words were not difficult to understand.
Xing Chen seriously suspected that if anyone had ever statistically tracked the frequency of Catastrophes, the areas near the main Originium veins should be the highest, as that is where the initial Originium descended and proliferated.
“...the proliferation of Originium is controllable. If it is greater than the value below, Originium will be eliminated extremely quickly.”
“What if it exceeds that point?”
“If it exceeds that point, Originium will assimilate all things at an uncontrollable rate. Without the ultimate command from me and the Seer to eliminate Originium, it would be endless.”
Knowing that Originium was not indestructible, Xiao Te and Theresis breathed a sigh of relief.
“However, I will not grant you this authority. For the sake of our compatriots, I must assimilate the universe and become the creator who controls everything. I apologize.”
“Theresa, ask her if she’s the same as Lu.”
Theresa relayed Xing Chen’s words. Prythian nodded; her goal was the same as Lu’s, except Lu relied on the power of life.
“And you, Xing Chen, are a higher form of Originium, no longer existing in a three-dimensional material state, but symbolically encompassing information.”
“I’m a higher form of Originium?” Xing Chen hadn’t expected to have such an attribute.
“Using the term ‘Originium’ is just for convenience of understanding; you can also call yourself a higher existence.” Prythian drew two circles on the display screen, “You simultaneously represent two worlds. You can consider these two worlds as information aggregations. When you transfer, the other world will be stored within you—this is something current Originium cannot do. All Originium share a single Internalized Universe, which can disconnect under certain circumstances. And you are the ultimate form of Originium we desired.”
“Cannot be completely destroyed, storage space is almost infinite, and assimilating all things doesn’t require a process of disintegration and transcription; as long as it’s perceived, it will be recorded. Now, all that’s missing is the ability to control internal information.”
Prythian’s words were well-reasoned, but Xing Chen was certain that the game never mentioned any higher form of Originium; these changes must have occurred later.
So he asked Prythian where the concept of a higher form of Originium came from.
Prythian was stunned. This knowledge seemed to exist naturally in her mind, yet she had no memory of the research process.
However, she quickly sorted out the sequence of events.
This was a chain reaction caused by the two individuals from the future changing the past.
“Prythian, when did the Pre-civilization start using Originium?”
“A very, very long time ago, I suppose. No, the Seer and I are the creators of Originium.”
Prythian’s memories were contradictory; this was good news. Discovering contradictions and resolving them leads to progress.
Xing Chen now had a hypothesis: could the world they were currently in already be a universe rebooted by an equivalent existence to “Ultimate Skadi” or “Asymmetric Deduction Jeger”? All the people of Terra would then be individuals who replaced the originals after the reboot.
“That possibility cannot be ruled out,” Prythian nodded. She was now also deeply interested in Xing Chen, this higher form of Originium. “It’s a pity I cannot see your appearance or hear your voice.”
“Perhaps we can take you out. In the real dimension, we still have time to continue our research, and besides, the Seer is waiting for you at Rhodes Island.”
Prythian merged herself with Originium; the Prythian before them might only be a fragment of the concept of “Prythian.”
If they could have a good Prythian on their side, then when the bad Prythian appeared, the people of Terra wouldn't be overly passive.
“If you entered here through Rhodes Island’s sarcophagus, perhaps I would agree to your proposal.” Prythian shook her head, “To restore my body in the material dimension, either an entire Originium vein must be consumed.”
Xing Chen and Theresa stared at each other with wide eyes, then shook their heads. An entire Originium vein—Terra’s largest mobile city wouldn’t use that much in years.
“Or, let me trigger a Catastrophe where you entered the Internalized Universe, generating enough Originium.”
Theresis’s expression was serious. He did want to blow up Londinium, but not now.
Almost the entire Sarkaz high command and military forces were here; if a Catastrophe erupted, the Sarkaz would truly be finished.
“See? The cost of recreating my physical body is something you simply cannot bear,” Prythian said with a smile.
“Moreover, why do you think I would necessarily help you?”