In truth, the question posed by the Trolor Civilization wasn’t particularly difficult. In fact, it could be considered very simple, so simple that any creature with even a little intelligence could come up with countless answers. Pick anyone from human society during the Earth era, and you’d get a plethora of responses that sounded philosophical but, upon closer inspection, were completely meaningless. Things like ‘the meaning of life is survival’ or ‘the meaning of life is to explore the unknown.’ Xiao Yu could easily rattle off such answers nonstop for three days and nights without repeating himself.
But precisely because there were too many answers, Xiao Yu felt even more lost. He had no idea what kind of answer the Trolor Civilization was actually looking for, what aspect they wanted addressed, or even what their true motive was in posing the question at all. Xiao Yu knew none of these things. But there was one thing he was certain of, the correct answer wouldn’t be simple.
So Xiao Yu simply gave up on trying to find an answer and instead responded directly with, “I don’t know.”
This wasn’t an impulsive decision. Choosing to respond this way came after careful consideration. Rather than picking randomly from the endless sea of possible answers, it might be better to just say ‘I don’t know.’ Perhaps ‘I don’t know’ itself could be an acceptable answer. Who, after all, could definitively answer a philosophical question like this?
As Xiao Yu transmitted the message to the dwarf planet, he also made the answer public in the meeting room. All the scientists heard Xiao Yu’s response.
A few scientists looked downcast, saying nothing. Their instinct was that ‘not knowing the meaning’ was an improper answer, but if it were up to them, they wouldn’t know how to answer either.
After giving the response, Xiao Yu quietly waited, for Intelligent Program One to reply. And for the first time, he felt a trace of nervousness.
The reply came quickly, almost as soon as Xiao Yu had sent his answer. The response was brief.
“Are you sure you want to use ‘I don’t know’ as the answer to the second trial?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” Xiao Yu replied, gritting his teeth.“Very well. You have passed the second trial.”
After a brief pause, Intelligent Program One gave an answer that utterly exceeded Xiao Yu’s expectations.
“Passed?”
Xiao Yu and the scientists in the conference room exchanged bewildered glances. The outcome was so unexpected that Xiao Yu couldn’t help but think, ‘What kind of game is the Trolor Civilization playing? That answer actually passed? Isn’t this a bit too much of a joke?’
In Xiao Yu’s plan, he had already mentally prepared to fail the trial. Intelligent Program One had said that failure meant permanent confinement within this small universe. But after consideration, Xiao Yu didn’t find that punishment unacceptable. After all, Intelligent Program One had only said he’d be confined, never that he would be destroyed. That made things much simpler. Bound by hard-coded rules, Intelligent Program One likely couldn’t attack him directly. And with no other enemies in this place, given enough time, Xiao Yu was confident he would eventually develop his civilization to Level 6 and break out on his own.
It was an unfortunate choice. Losing contact with other civilizations would certainly slow the path to Level 6, but it was still a viable path.
However, the response from Intelligent Program One had utterly upended Xiao Yu’s expectations, it said he had passed the trial.
“I am the leader of the Trolor Civilization. My people, this is the message I leave for you.” Just as Xiao Yu sat there in stunned silence, another message arrived directly in his mind.
“I’m delighted that you have finally discovered the information we left behind and, after overcoming many trials, arrived here. As the being who created your world, I am truly pleased. You did not disappoint me. I imagine… you don’t mind the little tests you encountered in the beginning, right?”
“I know you must think that Intelligent Program One has developed independent thought, and that it harbors hostility toward you, right? You’re wrong. The technology of a Level 6 civilization is still insufficient to create intelligent life with true independent thought. That’s right, everything, from the deception to the threats you experienced, was carried out by preset programs we left behind. It was all deliberate. The deception and threats you encountered were just part of the first trial. Fortunately, you passed it.”
“Passing the first trial already proves your ability to survive, and it shows your sensitivity to danger and conspiracy, something extremely important in the universe. I’m very glad you weren’t swallowed up by the traps we had laid.”
“Since you’ve passed the first trial, let me now explain the intent behind the second one. You must have wondered why we posed such a question. In truth, regarding philosophical questions like the meaning of life, we don’t know the answer either. It seems that from the moment of birth, we’ve been constantly striving to survive, and to live better. But we don’t believe that mere survival is the purpose of life. Within our civilization, there are many differing views and debates on this topic. But one thing is universally agreed upon: in the process of developing your civilization and advancing your technology, you must never forget the meaning of your own existence. Because this, this is the greatest question in the universe. There are too many unsolved mysteries in the cosmos, but as intelligent beings, we should not become so lost in these unknowns that we forget ourselves.”
“That’s why we set this question as the second trial. But in our evaluation program, we never established a ‘correct’ answer as a reference. In other words, no matter what your answer is, even if your answer is that the meaning of life is to wait for death, it doesn’t matter. You would still pass the trial. The purpose of this question was simply to make you reflect, to make you think deeply. We hoped that such thinking would be of benefit to you, and smooth the path of your future development. And from what we see now, our goal has been achieved. From the time we asked the second question to the time you provided an answer, several months have passed. In that time, you must have engaged in deep reflection and broad discussions. Surely you’ve gained a new understanding of the meaning of life, haven’t you?”
The message from Intelligent Program One was being broadcast in real time by Xiao Yu into the conference room, played aloud for all the attending scientists. Hearing the words of the Trolor Civilization’s leader, the scientists exchanged glances, each seeing a glimmer of realization in the others’ eyes.
Xiao Yu felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, clearing his thoughts in an instant.
“It’s true… it really is.” Xiao Yu muttered to himself, thinking of the Level 4 Alien Beast he had killed with his own hands, and the ten million Dwarven youths he had nearly condemned to death, but ultimately spared.
“The meaning of life… the meaning of life…” Xiao Yu pondered silently, as if some subtle insight had dawned on him, an insight so profound that it could not be put into words.
“A Level 6 civilization… truly worthy of the title. It seems that the gap between us isn’t just in strength. The Trolor Civilization surpasses me not only in science and technology, but also in culture, and in every aspect that forms the foundation of a society. In this moment, I genuinely feel a sense of admiration.”
“My form of existence is too unusual. In my fleet, the Dwarves are the most numerous, so perhaps they mistakenly believed my fleet was still Dwarf-led and failed to detect my presence. But that’s fine, the Dwarves are, after all, your descendants. I will take your place and look after them well.” Xiao Yu made a firm resolution.
The message from Intelligent Program One continued.
“Whatever insights you may have gained about the existence of life, this is your own treasure. And this treasure is far more valuable than technology. In the long river of time, we hope that you will hold firmly to your beliefs. Even when faced with a power like the Sweepers, do not falter. Never bow your head lightly.”
“That concludes what I have to say about the second trial. Now, we move on to the third and final trial.”
“Before the third trial begins, I will first pass on to you the technology to use spatial weapons, Fractured Space… There. Done. Now I will tell you the details of the third trial.”
“I must unfortunately inform you of one thing: when we built this small universe, we only constructed an entrance, but not an exit. In other words, if you wish to leave this small universe, you must rely entirely on your own strength. As for the method to escape, within our civilization, we spent a long time deducing it using the scientific capabilities of a Level 4 civilization. The conclusion is this: if the correct method is found, a Level 4 civilization, with the help of spatial weapons, indeed has a chance of breaking out. But regrettably, we will not tell you what that method is. You must rely on your own intelligence to discover it.”
“Consider this our final test for you… And remember, you have only ten years. If you cannot escape within ten years, due to the principle of entropy increase, you and this small universe will dissipate into the void together…”