"So beautiful. Ever since I saw the appearance of the mother planet in books, I wanted to find a similar planet to experience how our ancestors felt. I didn't expect this dream to come true so soon."
Lin stood at the very top of the shelter, gazing out at this world where mountains and rivers blended with the ruins after the disaster. Regardless of whether the gas composition was similar to Third Earth, he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
"Do aliens have dreams too?"
"Don't treat aliens as omnipotent beings. I almost starved to death."
While grumbling, Lin turned his head to see the black-haired woman climbing to the roof using a ladder. She walked to his side, her gaze solemnly fixed on the distance.
Hearing Lin words, she said coldly: "In the end, the fact that someone like you, who can be fine even with a bullet through the head, would starve to death is a weird thing in itself."
"Uh, you wouldn't know about that. There are plenty of wondrous races in the universe. Some races that I consider almost perfect beings still have the need to eat. And guess what their food is?"
"What?"
"The feces of other creatures..."
"..."
Perhaps considering that his lighthearted behavior had hurt the feelings of a budding civilization with fantasies about the universe, Lin hurriedly steered the topic back: "So it's perfectly normal for me to starve. After all, my race hasn't evolved further during the long Cosmic Eras. As for having my head pierced by a bullet... Hehe, your 'guns' are like tree branches to me. Would you have your head pierced by a branch?"
"But at that time, you looked like... Could it be that your vital organs are different from ours?"
Facing the woman's suspicious gaze, Lin waved his hand helplessly: "You just wanted to prove whether I'm an alien. I have countless bizarre ways to prove it to you; I chose the simplest one. As for the method, don't look into it."
The woman could only let it drop and nodded. Her attacking Lin back then was just to see if this alien was real. Even if he were truly an alien and died, it wouldn't matter—an alien who could be killed by a gun couldn't help humanity anyway.
Before she could say the next sentence, Lin reached out to block her mouth, looking at the distant scenery while saying unhurriedly: "Alright, next you might ask me a series of questions and then make a request, like helping humanity solve its crisis... But unfortunately, I cannot interfere with other civilizations, especially you planetary civilizations still in the budding stage. Otherwise, I'll be hunted to the ends of the universe by a certain organization."
"...Not even a little? Didn't you say this is a star system that no one cares about? Even if you did something, no one would know."
"Then you underestimate those guys who take balance as the ultimate rule of the universe. Their methods aren't something you can depict with your imagination." Lin shrugged. He himself wasn't afraid of those guys, but this planet wouldn't be able to escape disaster. "If they determine that a planetary civilization was intentionally interfered with during its budding period, they might decompose the planet along with its civilization into cosmic nutrients to achieve balance."
"But aren't they also interfering with the progress of civilization?"
"Uh, young lady, you're right. But you should understand the principle that the one with the bigger fist speaks the truth, right?"
The black-haired woman was unwilling. She remained silent, thinking about something. After a long while, she said softly: "In other words, you're useless to us?"
Snap.
Lin snapped his fingers.
"Good question." He turned and smiled. "I just happen to be someone who doesn't like rules. If you don't mind, tell me about your difficulties. Or... shall I tell you what I see?"
...
"Honkai. Similar situations have indeed occurred in other planetary civilizations."
After listening to the woman's description, Lin confidently brought forth the information he knew: "It is now generally believed that Honkai is a civilization screening mechanism. Only by passing the Honkai is one considered a qualified civilization that has left its childhood."
"Childhood?" The woman was puzzled by this word. A disaster that had nearly wiped out humanity was, in Lin mouth, as common as a natural phenomenon—and it was only the childhood of civilization?
"What's with that look?" Lin asked back, puzzled. "Don't tell me you think Honkai is a terrifying disaster unique to your Earth? An ordinary Honkai can only destroy a civilization at most. Any high-ranking official from the military-government of my Third Earth could wash a planet's surface clean, not to mention that a charged shot from a starship's main cannon could evaporate a star system."
"...Are you some battle race from a manga?" To the woman, Lin words sounded like delusions made up out of thin air. Surface washing? Evaporating star systems?
"Just one of the most common cosmic civilizations." Lin wagged a finger. "Anyway, I can help you pass the Honkai. There are two solutions: preservation and departure. See which one you need... or rather, which one you can accept."
The woman held her breath, waiting for Lin next words. She thought humanity had reached the end, but now an unexpected turn of events had arrived.
"The first one."
Lin voice suddenly turned cold. It was as if he had dropped his temperature to the cosmic cold that could freeze creatures into ice sculptures, as he narrated indifferently: "I will pick out 'qualified' humans and have you hide in facilities I build so you can survive the Honkai's cleansing of the planet within them. I will also provide appropriate technological help, allowing you to reach a civilization level that can defeat Honkai within a century."
"Of course, who the 'qualified' humans are will be chosen by me. The remaining people will have to experience that cleansing on behalf of all humanity."
"Wait a minute!"
The black-haired woman stopped his words loudly before Lin could finish, and Lin gaze seemed to say, "What's your problem?" That matter-of-fact look made the black-haired woman shudder.
"Why only some of the people? Can't you..."
"I am not a generous giver. I said from the start: help you pass the Honkai, not let everyone survive." Lin interrupted her indifferently, staring into her eyes that found it hard to believe. He continued, "The second one: I will transform all of humanity into a collective consciousness without bodies. Similar biological civilizations exist in the universe, so it won't be hard for me to do. Then, I will take you away from Earth."
"At that time, you will no longer be 'human' but a new creature. Furthermore, you will no longer be different individuals."
"To put it more bluntly... you become the same person."
"Preservation or departure. You choose."
"Note that it is 'you'—the leader of humanity."