Genius Club

Two days later.

“Is this the place?”

Chen Heping pushed Liu Feng’s wheelchair as they followed Lin Xian to a grassy field.

“Yes,” Lin Xian nodded. “After that World-Ending White Light was stopped, a time and location were implanted into my mind, along with the memory of walking here. It’s almost… considerate of them.”

“How is that even possible?” Chen Heping frowned. “If they can put memories in your mind, it means they can do far worse—like destroying you in an instant.”

“Exactly,” Lin Xian replied. “It could’ve easily handled the white light or even eliminated me in countless ways. Yet, it chose to block the light and let me find help as I wished.”

“This suggests it’s most likely after the Universal Constant 42. After all… only something as valuable as the Universal Constant would warrant such measures.”

He pointed toward the sky. “Look, it’s here.”

Chen Heping and Liu Feng looked up to see a golden orb of light brighter than the sun appearing high in the sky. In a flash, it descended rapidly, landing on the ground and morphing into the form of a man.

Lin Xian scrutinized the man’s unnaturally perfect features and physique. The uncanny perfection gave him an eerie feeling—a deliberate attempt to mimic a human, but one so flawless it fell straight into the uncanny valley.

The man’s chiseled features, sharp jawline, and piercing eyes resembled a living sculpture.

“Greetings, intelligent humans,” the sculpted man said in a flat tone. “I’ve met every sentient being who has uncovered the truth of 42 and holds the key to the universe’s destruction. However, forcing our hand like this—self-destructing to draw us out—you’re the first.”

“It couldn’t be helped,” Lin Xian shrugged. “Our human civilization is too weak. We had no way to defeat the Piling Civilization through conventional means. Forget defeating them; we couldn’t even locate them. I don’t even know if they’d retaliate with another light-speed weapon.”

“By the way,” Lin Xian continued, “how did you stop that white light—the light-speed weapon? If humanity could master that, we wouldn’t have to resort to suicidal strategies anymore.”

“It’s not difficult to grasp,” the sculpted man replied, his face remaining eerily still aside from his moving lips. “This, too, is an application of the Universal Truth 42, a type of rule-based weapon far beyond your current comprehension. However, once you step through the door of 42, understanding its other uses is merely a matter of time.”

“As for your civilization’s safety, you need not worry. Every civilization that comprehends 42 is under the protection of the Truth Club.”

“You are a civilization that has passed the test. You’ve earned the right. You’re worthy of continuation.”

Chen Heping stepped forward. “So, the Universal Constant 42 is just a test? And what exactly is this Truth Club?”

The sculpted man turned his gaze to Chen Heping, his eyes unwavering. “Whenever a civilization or an individual discovers the Universal Constant 42, the Truth Club sends an invitation to join—a pact to protect the balance and stability of the universe.”

“There are countless ways to uncover 42 and countless ways to apply it. Although you’ve only scratched the surface, given your civilization’s young age, your progress is remarkable.”

“A species with no memory inheritance and reliant solely on vocal communication—it’s astonishing that you’ve come this far.”

“I’ve been observing you for quite some time. Long before the enemies you call the Piling Civilization discovered you, I was already watching.”

Liu Feng raised his head from the wheelchair.

“Can you tell us more about the Piling Civilization and the Millennial Stake?”

The sculpted man turned his gaze to Liu Feng and responded smoothly, without hesitation:

“The Piling Civilization is vastly more advanced than your human civilization, belonging to the category of higher civilizations. They have mastered light-speed weaponry and travel but remain incapable of breaking through the barrier of the Universal Truth 42. They cannot step through its door.

“For six millennia, the Piling Civilization has been locked in conflict with another civilization. Their strength is evenly matched, so neither can gain a decisive advantage. Fearing ambushes along the timeline, they engage in a strategy beyond direct warfare—finding suitable planets and civilizations to anchor history with Millennial Stakes. This is what you refer to as ‘locking history.’

“Your Earth is neither their first nor last site for such stakes. Even now, they’ve seamlessly transitioned to another lower-level civilization, hammering down a new Millennial Stake and beginning another cycle of locked history.”

Chen Heping raised his hand. “I have a question.”

Receiving permission, he continued, “If locking history depends on converting the Millennial Stake’s material into energy to fix a worldline, doesn’t that simultaneously lock the opposing side’s history, too? After all, both exist on the same worldline. What’s the point if neither side gains an advantage?”

The sculpted man shook his head. “Using the Millennial Stake to lock history is a defensive maneuver, not an offensive one. Many advanced civilizations deploy such stakes, but the intervals between them are typically much longer, around 1,000 years per stake.

“Your Earth’s stake, however, became unstable after only 600 years due to the overly frequent attempts at anchoring. From the perspective of higher civilizations like ours, this behavior is entirely futile.

“Moreover, if a stake can be driven in, it can also be removed. In the universe, everything is reversible, including time, space, matter, energy, and even the universe itself.”

A blue starry sea appeared on the man’s chest.

The sea erupted from a singularity, expanding outward in a radiant explosion, only to collapse back into a singularity in an instant.

“This is the essence of the Universal Truth 42. Your current understanding of it isn’t even the tip of the iceberg; it’s a mere drop in the ocean.”

Everything is reversible?

Does this mean even the Millennial Stakes that have already been driven can be removed?

Lin Xian’s curiosity was piqued. “What would happen if a locked history’s Millennial Stake was removed?”

“It would trigger Worldline Convergence,” the sculpted man replied. “Most of the temporal laws you know stem from the locked history phase. Normal spacetime is far more malleable, as demonstrated by your experience in 1952.”

So that’s it, Lin Xian thought, the realization dawning on him.

No wonder before the first Millennial Stake was driven, all worldlines shared the same ‘root.’

He had speculated as much in 1952 Brooklyn, and now the sculpted man’s confirmation solidified his theory.

“If we remove the Millennial Stake, could we rewrite the locked history?”

“Of course,” the sculpted man replied without a hint of emotion. “But you might not fully understand what Worldline Convergence entails or the proper use of the Universal Truth 42. It’s an extremely dangerous undertaking.”

The man’s gaze fixed on Lin Xian. “That’s why I’m here. I hope you’ll accept our invitation to join the Truth Club, where you can receive proper guidance, adhere to the correct rules, and apply the power of Truth 42 in the right places.

“In the Truth Club, you’ll learn new laws and gain deeper insights into the truth. As your ability grows, so does your responsibility. The more you have to protect, the greater the power you must wield to match it.”

His tone remained flat. “Self-destructive, all-or-nothing tactics won’t work a second time. We’ll preemptively neutralize such risks.

“However, if you’re willing to join the Truth Club, we’d gladly welcome you. After all, in this vast universe, our numbers are sparse—only 26 seats.

“Especially for someone like you, an intelligent individual from a lower-level civilization, we’d provide special care. You’d receive an induction package to help you quickly grasp the power of the Universal Truth 42.”

Lin Xian tilted his head.

This was… a newbie starter pack?

In truth, he had no intention of rejecting the Truth Club from the start.

After all, it was the Truth Club that had intervened to stop the World-Ending White Light, saving Earth.

Additionally, joining the club would allow him to better understand the Universal Truth 42, gaining access to more rule-based and law-based weapons. With these tools, he could better protect Earth and accomplish much more.

However—

Lin Xian pointed to Chen Heping beside him. “Can you give us two invitations? The truth behind 42 was actually discovered by him. I was just the one who carried out the final plan.”

Unfortunately, the sculpted man shook his head. “We always choose the most suitable candidate.”

“No worries,” Chen Heping said, patting Lin Xian on the shoulder. “Go, Lin Xian. See the greater and farther world for us!”

Lin Xian nodded and turned to face the sculpted man. “I agree to join the Truth Club.”

The sculpted man smiled with an unnaturally perfect expression. A small blue sphere of light flew from his hand, darting between Lin Xian’s brows and merging inside.

“A spacetime particle?” Liu Feng squinted.

More accurately, it was a miniaturized version of a spacetime particle, though its exact nature was unclear.

Once the blue sphere fully entered Lin Xian, his eyes blinked.

In an instant, his pupils turned into brilliant azure, as dazzling as shattered blue sapphires.

And he saw…

Countless iterations of 42, forming infinite lines and threads. They intertwined and wove together like a loom, stitching time and the world itself.

Reaching out, Lin Xian gently plucked a broken thread.

The sensation was incredible. Despite the billions of threads before him, he could instantly grasp the one he sought.

The broken thread was connected to the Aluminum Alloy Trashcan VV.

With his left hand, he grabbed the other half of the thread. The two broken ends met at his fingertips, and with a light pinch—

“TRAAAAAAAASH!!!!!!”

In the dusty underground warehouse of Rhine University, the Aluminum Alloy Trashcan raised both arms high and charged out of the door!

“This is just the basics,” the sculpted man said, his voice calm yet powerful. “You have much more to learn. Start with the simplest applications.”

Golden light radiated from his body as he waved farewell. “We look forward to our next meeting. Goodbye.”

And with that, the man transformed into a sphere of white light, shooting straight into the sky and vanishing into the clouds.

Lin Xian blinked.

The blue glow faded from his pupils, and his eyes returned to their natural black.

“Amazing,” he murmured, staring at his hands. It was hard to believe that merely reconnecting a single thread had brought VV back to life.

Moreover, the moment he touched the thread’s end, all high-dimensional details unfurled before him, every nuance laid bare.

“How does it feel?” Liu Feng and Chen Heping leaned in eagerly.

“Incredible,” Lin Xian nodded. “If this is just a fragment of the basics, the tip of the iceberg for the Universal Truth 42… I can’t even imagine what it would be like to fully comprehend it.”

“What exactly did it give you?” Liu Feng asked urgently. “Is it the ability to reverse time, space, matter, and energy, like it mentioned?”

“More or less,” Lin Xian replied as his eyes briefly glowed blue again. “I don’t know what this ability is called, but I can confirm it can perform all of those actions.”

“Then it definitely needs a name,” Liu Feng said, his tone serious. “Let me think… Since it can pull up the Millennial Stakes, it should pair well with that concept. Something fitting and descriptive. In that case, let’s call it—”

“The Millennial Pickaxe!”

…

…

Lin Xian and Chen Heping exchanged a speechless glance at Liu Feng.

“What?” Liu Feng asked, puzzled. “Don’t you think it’s fitting?”

“Sure,” Lin Xian shrugged. He wasn’t overly concerned about the name, and since Liu Feng was the author of Introduction to the Universal Constant, he deserved some credit. “Let’s call it the Millennial Pickaxe then.”

He opened his palm, gazing at the countless threads and strings before him.

They represented the fates and lives of innumerable individuals, histories, and pasts intertwined.

“The sculpted man said that if a Millennial Stake can be driven in, it can also be pulled out. Everything in the universe is reversible.”

“In that case… let’s pull out every stake hammered into the river of history!” Lin Xian’s blue-lit eyes locked onto the stakes anchoring history. He grasped their strings between his fingers.

“Where will the Worldline Convergence start? And where will it lead?” he wondered aloud.

“It should converge onto this worldline, right?” Chen Heping speculated. “After all, you’re pulling the stakes while standing on this worldline. I’m just curious—what will happen to the world after it converges?”

“Not much will change,” Lin Xian replied. “I can see clearly that even if the worldlines converge, the process will be gentle. There won’t be any sudden upheavals.”

“Of course,” he added, “since we now have the Millennial Pickaxe, we can tweak some details. During my first test, I chose VV the trashcan because it seemed low-risk. I simply pulled it back from its timeline.”

“But beyond VV, we’ve lost many friends. People who died unjustly, sacrificed in this void-spanning battle that lasted 600 years.”

“They gave so much for this hard-won victory, yet many left behind regrets in their lives. Now… it’s our turn to help them fulfill those regrets!”

Lin Xian tightened his grip on the strings.

He seized countless threads tied to the Millennial Stakes, pulling upward with determination.

The river of time roared and surged, its mighty current rushing eastward. The stakes that once shackled it were lifted, freeing the river of liberty entirely.

“Worldline… begin your convergence!” Lin Xian declared.

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation