A Frank Talk with the World Consciousness

Hearing Lu Su’s words, the World Consciousness sighed regretfully, then returned to its previous form as a white silhouette. "It seems you don’t like it very much."

"But don’t worry. I don’t have the ability to pull humans into Valhalla. Otherwise, the world wouldn’t have ended up like this."

Lu Su had only been making a joke. He sat down cross-legged on the spot and looked around the pure white space. "How come I’ve never heard anyone else mention this place?"

A long time ago, when he had spoken with Fang Wenlong and several other Card Masters, he learned that after advancing to Master Grade, one could vaguely sense the state of the World Consciousness. But he had never heard of anyone being able to communicate with the World Consciousness face-to-face like he was.

There were not even any written records of this space.

At that moment, the World Consciousness leaned back slightly, bracing itself on the ground with both hands. Its faceless head tilted faintly. "Because you are different from them."

"?"

Lu Su froze. He naturally knew he was different from most Card Masters on Blue Star. He had realized that the moment he met Xingu.

But he knew nothing about the finer details.

Fortunately, the World Consciousness had not come to speak in riddles this time.

Just as it had said in Fox Jiu’s secret realm, it would tell the "Youth" before it everything.

Everything, including the abnormalities when the Youth made cards, the strange strength of the Youth’s cards—

Including the Youth’s origins.

The World Consciousness leaned forward, resting its hands on its knees as it stared straight at Lu Su. "You should have noticed when making cards before. Most of the cards you currently possess could be successfully made even when the stories you compiled for them were rather crude."

Lu Su silently nodded. This had always been something he found strange.

Although Fang Wenlong had said that the World Consciousness gave preferential treatment to talented Card Masters and would relax some of its criteria during card making, Lu Su felt his own standards had been loosened a little too much.

It seemed to have seen through his thoughts, and the World Consciousness gently shook its head. "I told you. You are different from them."

"When those children make cards, I can indeed relax the criteria, but I need to pay a small price."

"After all, materials are essentially condensed Demon power. So-called card-making failure is merely the result of a story not matching the power. To relax the criteria, I naturally have to slightly alter the nature of that power to make it better fit the story they provide."

Lu Su immediately understood.

He did not ask why the World Consciousness could only make small-scale changes. It had already said it needed to pay a price, and that price was undoubtedly its own strength.

If it altered things without restraint, there would be no need for Demons to invade. The World Consciousness would probably have been drained dry long ago.

At its core, Card Masters were more like the world’s immune system. Their purpose was to eliminate invading Demons, gain resources from them, and eventually form a sustainable self-circulation.

If the World Consciousness had to help with everything, it might as well take matters into its own hands.

When the World Consciousness saw Lu Su’s thoughtful expression, it knew there was no need for a detailed explanation, so it continued. "But you are different. From beginning to end, aside from Spider-girl, I have never interfered with your card making."

Hearing that, Lu Su immediately thought of Spider-girl’s utterly absurd Immortality Trait.

The World Consciousness nodded. "Immortality was formed through my intervention. Under normal circumstances, a Trait like that would generally not appear."

"As for why…"

"Consider it an insurance policy I gave you. You had worked so hard to reach that point. I couldn’t bear to let you perish just like that."

Lu Su was rendered speechless.

He finally understood why Immortality only worked on Blue Star. It turned out the World Consciousness before him had been paying the price.

But he had to admit that ever since advancing to Diamond Grade, if Little Spider’s Immortality Trait had not kept him going, he would have died who knew how many times already.

After a moment of silence, Lu Su asked, "So the reason making cards is so easy for me has to do with me personally, right?"

The World Consciousness nodded. "That’s right."

"You…"

"Like me, are a World Consciousness."

"Lu Su."

"We are the same kind."

"That is also why you were able to come here."

Upon hearing such explosive news, Lu Su opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

Although he had already vaguely guessed as much, the sheer impact force of the revelation still made it difficult for him to contain himself.

The World Consciousness simply watched the Youth in silence, waiting for him to digest the information.

After quite some time, seeing that Lu Su had calmed down again, the white silhouette continued. "That is why those stories had always been hidden within you. When making cards, you merely read that information."

"And the reason the cards you make are far stronger than ordinary ones is naturally the same."

At that moment, Lu Su suddenly caught a blind spot.

He looked suspiciously at the World Consciousness opposite him and asked, "Then why do I only remember things related to otaku culture?"

Don’t tell me this World Consciousness was a shut-in nerd too?

More importantly, the only memories in his mind belonged to the individual named "Lu Su." There was not the slightest trace of information concerning the World Consciousness.

Faced with Lu Su’s question, the white silhouette raised a hand and scratched its cheek.

Though it had no facial features, Lu Su could still detect a hint of awkwardness in that gesture.

The World Consciousness was silent for a while. It lightly coughed before speaking. "Because you are incomplete."

"You know how some animals chew their cud, right?"

"Your current state is like the food they spit back out. You are all residue."

"…The one that ate you was me."

After hearing the explanation, Lu Su stared at it with dead fish eyes. After a moment, he twitched the corner of his mouth and complained, "Couldn’t you have used a slightly better description?"

"That’s disgusting."

But honestly, he did not care much about the World Consciousness’s words. What it had done was most likely for survival, and besides, he still did not have much of a real sense that he himself was a World Consciousness.

As for how he, a World Consciousness, had appeared in this world…

Combined with Xingu’s appearance, the answer was simple.

Earth was probably already gone. It had most likely even become a secret realm.

Though he had no family on Earth, the thought still made him feel somewhat sorrowful.

Thinking of that, Lu Su silently sighed and asked another question. "What made you think of… spitting me out?"

The World Consciousness answered in a nostalgic tone, "To be honest, I have eaten quite a few of my kind over the years."

"Most of them had no value and could only replenish a little of my strength."

"But some still retained the spark of resistance."

"Like you."

At this point, the white silhouette paused before continuing. "Honestly, when I first saw you, I never expected there to be someone as stubborn as you among our kind."

"At first, I intended to simply eat you, just as I had before."

"But…"

"In the end, I decided to try something. The pressure on me has been growing greater and greater in recent years. Replenishing that little strength was simply a drop in the bucket."

"By then, though, you had already been mostly digested by me, so after I spat you out, only this little was left."

"But now, it seems I made the right choice."

Perhaps fearing Lu Su might misunderstand, the World Consciousness immediately added, "But before I ate you, you had already been eaten once by someone else."

"So your current state is not entirely my doing."

Lu Su was speechless as well. He had not expected to be chewed over twice.

Then he thought of Xingu. Now that he considered it, that boy’s condition was probably similar to his own.

At that moment, the World Consciousness suddenly asked, "So…"

"Should I call you Earth, or…"

"Lu Su?"

Faced with that question, Lu Su fell into a long silence.

After a long while, he finally let out a deep sigh. "Call me Lu Su."

The past could not be reclaimed. Leaving aside the fact that the Youth no longer had memories of being a World Consciousness, the more important point was that he had already formed his own Bonds on Blue Star.

He was now merely an individual named "Lu Su." Nothing more.

The World Consciousness did not seem surprised by his choice. Rather, it had been hoping for exactly this.

Shaking his head, Lu Su prepared to move past the topic. "By the way, were the materials I obtained in secret realms before specially arranged by you?"

The Youth had always been curious about this. If every material he had obtained had been coincidence, then his luck was simply too good.

Sure enough, the World Consciousness nodded slightly, confirming his guess, but then shook its head. "Some were, and some were not."

"After all, I do not have the time to watch you constantly."

"And part of the reason for meeting you this time was to teach you this method of replacing materials. After all, once you reach Master Grade, there will be no need for you to make cards through me."

Upon hearing that, Lu Su’s heart began pounding uncontrollably. He had not expected such a good thing, but then he caught another crucial detail. "What do you mean there will be no need to make cards through you?"

The World Consciousness did not seem impatient despite his repeated questions. It merely explained patiently, "After advancing to Master Grade, you will have your own Card Making Space when making cards, and you will be able to perform simple transformations on certain materials."

"In the end, we are the same kind. Naturally, you can do what I can do. It is only because you are residue that you can barely do these things only after advancing to Master Grade."

"That is also why I chose to meet you only at Master Grade."

"Of course, if you continue advancing, one day you will become like me."

Lu Su’s first reaction upon hearing that was that Jin Ping’s lifelong pursuit had been accomplished by him so easily.

Perhaps that was the difference between people. Some people spent their entire lives pursuing something that others possessed from birth.

Perhaps sensing his thoughts, the World Consciousness said in a somewhat strange tone, "I merely closed off those rebellious children’s permission to enter the Card Making Space."

"There is nothing else I can interfere with."

"And after ordinary Card Masters advance to Hall of Fame Grade, they must also find a way to separate from me and make cards independently. That is the key to taking their next step."

But truthfully, the World Consciousness did not know how to make a normal Card Master separate from it and make cards independently either. Otherwise, Blue Star would not have fallen to its current state.

It was also at that moment that Lu Su finally understood why Adley’s attitude had been so strange.

Without question, that Hall of Fame Card Master from the Indo-American Federation had plans similar to the Skin Peeler’s. But deep down, he still possessed some conscience, which was why he had allowed Lu Su to drive out the Four Calamity Gods.

The World Consciousness gently shook its head and brought the topic back on track. "Let’s get to business. Accept the file."

"?"

A phrase suddenly rang in Lu Su’s mind for no apparent reason.

The World Consciousness has initiated a face-to-face transfer with you.

In his confusion, Lu Su chose to accept it, and then…

Nothing happened.

"Alright. Once you return to your own Card Making Space, you’ll know how to use it." The World Consciousness shrugged. "Anything else you want to ask?"

Lu Su thought carefully for a moment, then nodded and asked solemnly, "Can you tell me the name of the mastermind?"

The World Consciousness naturally had no objection. It merely gave a reminder. "It’s fine to tell you, but don’t spread it around after you leave."

"World Devourer Calamity Star."

"That is Its name."

Lu Su silently memorized the name, then said to the white silhouette before him, "No more questions. Send me out."

"Alright."

As the World Consciousness spoke, Lu Su’s figure flickered once, then vanished from where he stood.

With only itself remaining, the white silhouette slowly rose to its feet.

With its movement, the pure white space rapidly collapsed. Within seconds, it transformed into a starry sky.

Looking down at Blue Star beneath its feet, the World Consciousness murmured softly, "Grow stronger soon."

"I cannot hold on much longer."

Elsewhere.

After Lu Su’s vision blurred, he discovered that he had already left the pure white space and arrived in a place identical to the Mysterious Space from when he had made cards before.

Yet unlike the deathly stillness of the Mysterious Space, this place gave the Youth a warmth that felt like home.

More importantly, he felt as though he could manipulate this space however he wished.

With a thought from Lu Su, the pitch-black void beside him immediately began to ripple.

The next moment, a vast manor appeared out of thin air.

It was Lu Su’s residence in Nandu.

Seeing this, the Youth raised an eyebrow. "It really works?"

But for one person, the manor was ultimately too empty. Thus, Lu Su eventually turned the space into his study in Nandu instead.

The moment he sat in the chair, Lu Su noticed a strange interface floating above the desk.

Card Making Department World Consciousness Crash Course System v0.1.

"What is this??"

Lu Su could not help twitching the corner of his mouth. Judging from the name, this was probably what the World Consciousness had given him.

Filled with curiosity, he reached out with his right hand and lightly touched the interface.