Beta Universe, 2025, Winter, a picturesque vacation island in the Southern Ocean.

Since the news of Wasteland OL's upcoming open beta was released, this mysterious fully immersive virtual reality game immediately caused a huge sensation worldwide, making this originally bustling vacation Sacred Land much quieter.

At the bar by the beach, the spacious counter was particularly deserted, with only one bartender mechanically repeating the action of wiping glasses, and a guest who only ordered a cup of coffee.

The atmosphere here was both harmonious and leisurely, yet filled with strangeness.

There were no other guests in the store, and it was unclear where so many glasses needing wiping came from.

That guest was even more bizarre, with a brow in his early thirties exuding a calmness as if he had weathered two centuries, and a mouth that seemed restless, occasionally spouting a couple of sentences, as if chatting with non-existent guests.

"No wonder it's 'another me'."

Having received the task completion prompt, the man sitting at the bar smiled lightly, as if laying down a heavy burden, even his tense shoulders relaxed quite a bit.

Memory is the cornerstone of consciousness.

Merging memories that do not belong to oneself will gradually make one no longer oneself.

His family, friends, and all familiar people in this world... still remember his name.

But to him, they felt like old photos that had been preserved for two hundred years, appearing different from the way they were in his memory upon reunion.

This is actually unfair to them.

Just like his dear assistant said, the composition of his "conscious existence" is not just his own memory, but also someone else's.

For those people, they lost the once very familiar self, before becoming "Professor".

Yet even if unfair, he didn't have many choices; there is no perfect solution in this world. Even if he deleted the memory from the other world now, he couldn't possibly go back and start over in the summer of 2014.

The worldline has already changed.

The past self has died in a dream, replaced by another self from a parallel world.

Fortunately, "Alpha" did not follow his path but chose to continue moving forward along his own.

This is the best ending.

He had suspected for a long time how that person would choose.

"But in that case... Master, won't you be unable to return?" A worried voice wafted gently by his ear, like a wind chime at the door.

It was the voice of his assistant.

After arriving in this world, he first created it... just like he had done once on the original timeline.

The clear voice momentarily made him lose focus, though the bewildered gaze soon transformed into a gentle smile.

He smiled lightly, picked up the cold coffee on the table, took a sip, and said with a voice carrying a hint of laziness.

"Return? Where should I go?"

The voice floating into his ear whispered.

"Didn't you say you came from another world?"

"Did I say so? I've been from this world all along, just happening to have a dream about a parallel world."

But this dream was really long, about three times the length of an ordinary life.

The intelligent program running elsewhere briefly bewildered, after a moment's pause, then said.

"Uh… I suppose it can be understood that way."

"Right?"

Professor chuckled, put down the coffee cup in his hand, and continued.

"If one boards the observer's pirate ship only to disembark, the end result would be leaving this world in chaos; it's better not to board the ship in the first place. I believe in the wisdom of the people of this world, they will surely create a future more beautiful than the Prosperity Epoch... After all, the force acted in mutual ways—while Consciousness Entity in Beta Universe exerts influence over that in Alpha Universe, vice versa occurs with the Consciousness Entity in Alpha being equally influenced by the former."

As he was speaking, the nearby LCD television began broadcasting news.

The "Pangu" fusion reactor located in Daya Bay was undergoing its first ignition experiment, and its leader and initiator was a Professor named Yan Feng.

This guy indeed put quite a lot of thought into it.

He spent even more thought on that reactor than in the "Game", nearly going overboard.

But also, it wasn't wasted effort in the end; he managed to climb out of his "well".

Ultimately succeeding was somewhat expected.

"Tsk, this was originally 'my' achievement…"

Looking at the emotionally charged reporter on the screen and behind her the fusion power station that gathered countless global visions, the corner of Professor's mouth involuntarily curled into a faint smile.

Oh well.

That was all matters from another world.

The bartender standing in front of the bar placed the cup down, speaking respectfully as he noticed the nostalgic expression on the Professor's face.

"Do you have any plans about what to do next?"

That bartender was precisely one of the initial Residents of Shelter No. 404, or, more accurately, a member of Shelter 404-Beta, responsible for confidentiality and security work.

In fact, not just this bartender.

Most Residents and bionics agents of Shelter 404-Beta were hidden on this vacation island housing tens of thousands of people as "Digital Nomads".

As for the core of Shelter 404-Beta, it was located not far from the island in international waters — near a trench roughly one kilometer deep in the Pacific volcanic arc.

With the existing technology of this world, even in fifty years, there would be little chance of uncovering that Shelter. As for the Residents of Shelter 404-Beta, commuting only needed a deep-sea submarine, making a trip back even more convenient than flying internationally for a business trip.

"Hmm… haven't decided yet. Actually, I only just began considering this issue."

After pondering for a while, the originally indecisive Professor suddenly felt a surge of thought, smiling as he said.

"Perhaps… go to where I would have gone?"

The subordinate standing behind the bar was slightly confused.

Not only the subordinate, but his omnipresent AI assistant also expressed confusion, and asked uncomprehendingly.

"Where you would have originally gone?"

Professor chuckled softly and said.

"Indeed, in any case, first make a trip to Mars, I need to retrieve the 'Venerable' kept there. Well, that thing that'll let me spend more time with you... This time I'm planning to drink it myself."

The legendary water of immortality.

Drinking it grants unlimited longevity.

This world does not need a "Perfect Life Form".

Moreover, he had conducted that research once, with no interest in doing it a second time.

But speaking of which, after obtaining infinite lifespan, what to do?

Staying within the Solar System seems quite boring.

Besides the AI assistant who has always been by his side and the three thousand researchers, he doesn't have any real acquaintances in this "Beta Universe." Even if he started recognizing people anew, they would probably find his presence rather baffling.

"...Decided."

After a long period of contemplation, he suddenly lifted his head, laughed freely, and said.

"I once heard from an old friend that other civilizations are hidden within this galaxy, and we will encounter them in the next several millennia. Before they discover the superluminal engine, I plan to visit them, travel around the Milky Way, and conveniently look for something called the Heart of the Galaxy."

Heart of the Galaxy.

That supreme treasure composed of eleven-dimensional matter, the concretization of cosmic rules...

It is said to be one of the ways to become a Breaker.

In the original timeline, the Observer once mentioned it to him and hinted that he could see it as a target to pursue.

Of course, all these are secondary.

He doesn't care about whether the universe will reach heat death in billions of years, nor does he have the interest to become that "sky patching stone," purely driven by curiosity about that legendary existence.

Saying this, he looked at the bartender standing behind the bar, smiled, and continued.

"As for you... you are free to do as you wish, for our mission has ended."

"According to the final 404 plan, our respectable Manager, also the game planner, will take over the facilities of Shelter 404-Beta and be responsible for the wrap-up of the plan."

"Whether you want to go home or continue to live, grow old, and die in the past timeline, that is your freedom... there's no need to ask me about such things; think for yourselves."

A manned spaceship equipped with an anti-gravity device and hyper space engine was prepared two years ago and is deployed on the ocean floor in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, ready to launch at any time.

Originally, he didn't build that thing to tour the Milky Way, just to collaborate with "Alpha" to make that advanced civilization drama more realistic, but now it seems unnecessary.

The countries that benefited from the third contact have fully leaned towards the hypothesis of "benevolent contact" and even reduced the budget of alien investigation agencies.

Since that little "guy" only a few hundred meters long is no longer needed, he might as well take it for his use.

Anyway, with the technological reserves of the Alpha Universe's Alliance, if they really want to expand interference with the players' world on this side, they can completely make a bigger and better one using the resources of this side.

In many fields, they really have surpassed this old relic of theirs.

Looking at the respectable Professor, the bartender had a hint of reluctance in his eyes.

He detected the farewell in that tone, wanted to say something to retain him, but ultimately didn't voice it, merely nodding solemnly.

"I will seriously consider it..."

Although going back isn't a bad idea, he already has his own lover and kids in this world.

It's not just him.

Many, like him, have re-established families on this distant timeline and become part of this world.

Now that the mission is complete and the Alpha World is back on track, they should enjoy their life.

He actually envies them a bit.

Unlike him, who has experienced more than two hundred years of life, they have at most four or five decades of experience, and the younger ones might have only two or three decades, still having the energy to think about their own matters.

As for him, it's different.

Even if he became young again, he doesn't have the patience to do the same things again, say the same words again, and then send off those long-reacquainted acquaintances from memory again.

That would simply be torture.

"Hmm, no need to rush, take your time to think." The professor smiled, finishing the last sip of coffee in the cup.

The game isn't over here; only the mission of "Shelter 404-Beta" ends here.

The days ahead are still long...

...

The sun gradually set behind the mountains.

At the liveliest time on the beach, when the bar should have been open, it closed down instead.

For a whole day, the internet was buzzing with discussions about the ignition of controlled nuclear fusion, and this news even overshadowed "Wasteland OL," which had "cloud coverage worldwide."

This fervor even permeated the reality outside the internet. Strolling along the coastal road, the professor heard that exhilarating ignition more than once from the mouths of tourists.

This is actually understandable.

Although the NPCs in "Wasteland OL" have long mastered this technology to the point of perfection, coming up with a lot of derivative products, for humans in the Beta Universe, this is their first time holding that star-like energy in their hands.

They have already grasped the first key to the Prosperity Epoch.

It won't be long before they can completely liberate their computing power on the basis of liberating energy.

And in the near future, Earth's Beta Universe will soon give birth to the second true Artificial Intelligence Life.

At first, they will be as flustered as parents who have just obtained new life, but it won't take long before they accept its existence and once again liberate themselves on the basis of liberated energy and computing power.

They might follow the path of the Alpha Universe and build a giant space elevator on the equator.

Or they might skip this step and directly model after the "Alliance" of the new epoch, deploying an anti-gravity system on the sea, allowing the elevator cabin and various models of spacecraft to float up by themselves.

Anyhow, like the dawning Alpha Universe, the Beta Universe where the players dwell now also welcomes the dawn of a new era.

For the people living on this planet, the distant Star Sea has never been so within reach today!

By the beach.

The professor stopped his steps, fixing his gaze on the splendid sunset elongated by the waves.

Starting from the summer of 2014, it has now been more than eleven years.

In those past eleven years, the Observer hasn't spoken a word to him again.

But he can be sure that eye is still observing here from somewhere in this universe.

Perhaps—

It's hidden in that fiery red scorching sun.

Stopping on the beach, he bent down to pick up a pebble, throwing it hard towards the sparkling waves.

Squinting, he watched that silent countercurrent melt into the surging tide, and his mouth suddenly formed a faint smile.

Like a champion standing in an unpeopled arena, he declared the victory of the game with a voice only two people could hear.

"I still remember you telling me I had only one-in-infinity odds of winning... but now it seems, the winner appears to be me."

"You got one thing wrong."

"I was never alone, but infinite versions of me made the same choices."

"Therefore, infinity was never the denominator you spoke of but rather the numerator above the finite denominator."

"Hence, my winning odds should actually be infinity over seven hundred seventy-seven... which is infinite."

Having said this, he smiled and stopped the speech, leaving the final mystery to his AI assistant, giving a bit of face to the Observer silently watching him and putting a full stop to this expedition spanning two worlds.

"Am I right, little I?"