On a distant planet, Pei Guang took in his surroundings and couldn't help but complain.
"This… this feels way too real! I can log out, right?"
Pei Guang had developed a kind of PTSD about whether he could leave or not. Just as he had that thought, a messenger from the Garden of Recollection appeared beside him.
"If you want to leave, I can take you out at any time~ Hmm~ With your abilities, you could also easily leave this world on your own. But please don't force your way out, as that would cause this world to collapse."
At this moment, Pei Guang had already been fully transported into this memory world by the Garden of Recollection's messenger.
From his perspective, this world was indistinguishable from reality. If not for the messenger standing beside him, he would've started suspecting that he had somehow transmigrated yet again.
This time, Pei Guang had entered the world alone. It wasn't that March 7th and Stelle didn't want to come: Pei Guang had turned them down. That was because he was planning something big this time.
Since this was just a memory world, a fabricated simulation, why not take the chance to cut loose a little? Otherwise, wouldn't that betray his identity as a player?
Pei Guang: "One last confirmation: does this mean I can do whatever I want in this world?"
The messenger nodded. "That's right! These people will only act according to the recorded memories. As long as you wish it, you could even destroy this entire world if you wanted. Also, Lord Fuli has recreated certain elements based on your memories. I don't know exactly what they are, but He said you'll understand as soon as you step into this world."
Pei Guang muttered under his breath, "Yeah… I can definitely feel it…"
He suddenly noticed that his system had received an email. That's right—his system had actually received a message! Opening it, he found a generous gift package sent by Fuli.
[Memory World Gift Pack]
Upon use, you may select an item from your memories for each new action.
This was a gift from the realm of memory. After opening it, the system immediately displayed a new prompt.
"Detected: Player is in a special game world. Upon each restart, the player may select a basic item, gaining three random traits based on that choice. Enjoy your game!"
Since this wasn't the real world, even the system had decided to let loose. After all, keeping a player restrained for too long was never a good idea.
Players might hesitate to mess around in a first playthrough, cautious of consequences in reality, but if you kept them bottled up for too long… who knew what they'd do? Might as well let the player indulge in this simulated world.
As for whether it would affect reality?
Not at all. The bonds Pei Guang had formed ensured that he wouldn't act recklessly in his first playthrough. He knew he was a player, but he also understood that the real world was real.
While the real world might make some concessions for players, players, in turn, wouldn't bring the negative aspects of the game into reality.
Players could distinguish between what was real and what was fake. Sure, they might project game mechanics onto their daily lives, but when it truly mattered, they would never cross the line.
As long as March 7th, Stelle, and the crew of the Astral Express were safe, Pei Guang could keep that distinction clear. If something happened to them? Well… then it would depend on whether this world was capable of offering him a second playthrough.
And if it did? A second-playthrough player wouldn't be nearly as easygoing as a first-playthrough one.
Looking at the system's notifications, Pei Guang's expression gradually turned serious. Seeing all this information, he knew one thing for sure—this time, he could truly, completely enjoy himself without any worries.
Pei Guang: "I can do anything?"
Messenger: "That's right! And to make things more convenient for you, you can speed up or pause time at will. This is just a memory world: you can do whatever you want until you decide you're done experiencing it.
But just a heads-up~ In this world's past ten years, a swarm of insects will overrun and destroy this planet. Of course, if you're not satisfied, you can select a different point in time and location to restart. However, be aware that your previous experiences will affect your next choice."
In simpler terms, if Pei Guang reached a bottleneck in his development and wanted to start over, he could reload a save, and his past experiences would carry over. When his next save reached that same point in time, his previous progress would automatically be integrated.
Throughout the experience, his actions in one save would influence the next. While there were consequences, the benefits outweighed them, making the game even more engaging.
"We will preserve all your gameplay and development. In the end, everything will converge, allowing you to craft your own perfect ending."
The messenger paused briefly before continuing, "If you don't forcibly exit, we can even save your progress so that your companions can join in and play with you."
The messenger had Pei Guang completely hooked. From their perspective, players were easy to manipulate—but easy to manipulate didn't mean easy to exploit. The key to dealing with players was sincerity, and the returns from being honest with them were tenfold, even a hundredfold.
And the messenger wasn't stupid. Honesty was second nature to someone who had always upheld the principles of fair trade.
Hearing all of this, Pei Guang was completely fired up. Not only could he play however he wanted this time, but he could also save his progress? A grin spread across his face.
The game had begun.
As events started unfolding, Pei Guang reached into his inventory. Since this game had so many mechanics—including saving and loading—he planned to play it seriously, maybe even go all out.
[10 Drone Units: The Zerg's basic gathering unit, capable of mutating into primary Zerg structures. Players can cultivate more powerful Zerg creatures.]
Pei Guang's first choice was a unit from Starcraft. The Zerg weren't necessarily the strongest, but their potential for growth was enormous. Plus, he was familiar with how Zerg broods expanded.
Although these creatures evolved and adapted, their core principle was replication. Based on Starcraft unit power levels, as long as he didn't mess with the Aeon of Propagation and its Emanators, Starcraft's Zerg had nothing to fear.
In reality, what he truly wanted was Warhammer 40K's Tyranids, but unfortunately, they weren't included in the Aeon of Remembrance's basic item pack—which was frustrating.
However, he noticed something interesting. While the drones were based on Starcraft, they now had additional functionality. They could even evolve into new directions beyond the original design.
Unlocking multiple 'Queen of Blades' units wouldn't be an issue at all.
But just the drones wouldn't be enough against this world's swarm. So, Pei Guang turned to the three random traits his system had assigned him.
[Reproduction]: The player has a unique reproduction trait. When two lifeforms have sufficient food, they can quickly reproduce new offspring. Young lifeforms with enough nourishment can accelerate their growth. This only applies to non-sapient or naturally non-reproducing lifeforms. Offspring will randomly inherit traits from both 'parents.'
[More Geniuses:] Under the player's influence, more geniuses will be drawn to your cause across various fields. Your faction's construction, production, and research speeds will increase, and talents will be utilized more efficiently.
[Efficient Resource Conversion]: The player can always extract high-value resources from enemies. Your units can scavenge more usable materials from opposing forces.