Chapter 257: A New Look (Part 3)
The bamboo hut door opened, and a man with equally vacant eyes walked out. He seemed to glance at the little girl but had no intention of speaking. He simply picked up his back basket and walked towards the entrance.
Upon reaching the entrance, he didn't even look at Liu Sheng, who was standing by the door. He brushed past her and pushed the door open, leaving.
The mountain wind was silent, leaving only the little girl still swinging on the swing, making the branches creak and groan.
Before long, the door of another bamboo hut opened.
A woman stepped out, holding a basin of steaming hot food.
Her face, too, showed no Life Qi.
Without calling the little girl over, the woman placed the large basin on the stone table in the courtyard and sat down by the table herself.
Only then did Liu Sheng see clearly: it was a dark, mushy, unappetizing lump of cooked food.
But what was even more disgusting was that the woman directly dug her hand into the basin, scooped out a lump of food, put it into her mouth, and ate it with her hands.
The little girl sniffed, noticing the appearance of the food.
If that could even be called food.
She jumped off the swing eagerly and stiffly, falling once but then getting up as if nothing happened. She walked to the table and also started eating with her hands.
From beginning to end, her expression didn't change in the slightest.
This scene was stiff, silent, and eerie.
Liu Sheng watched, feeling a chill run down her spine.
She had experienced many strange things, but this was the first time she felt what true horror was.
“Yes, these are the products of my experiment. I'm sorry.”
“I tried to create humans from nothing, but I failed.”
“The humans I created only have biological instincts. They can be trained for some basic skills like animals, but they have no Soul.”
Liu Sheng couldn't bear to watch any longer. She closed her eyes and withdrew from that place.
Returning to the nest, she opened her eyes and looked at the embryos filling her vision, falling into deep thought again.
“Regarding the Soul, or consciousness, there is still no real conclusion as to where it comes from.”
“Yes, the information we have obtained is also very limited. Perhaps we still need to learn more knowledge to know where the flaw lies.”
The World's voice was somber, but because too many threads were running, this somberness was quickly drowned out in the data.
“So, you wanted to try to reproduce humans using the method of the Zerg nest?”
“Yes, I am thinking that perhaps it needs to start from the embryo to truly possess consciousness.”
“Did it succeed?” Liu Sheng asked.
The World knew Liu Sheng would ask this, so it didn't answer and directly shifted its view to a civilian house in the city.
A middle-aged couple was playing with a baby, just over half a year old, lying in a cradle in their room.
The woman held a rattle and shook it in front of the child, making the child grin, drooling, and laugh loudly.
“Say 'Mama,' quickly say 'Mama.'” The woman put away the rattle, using it to coax the child to speak.
The child didn't understand. Seeing the toy gone, its mouth immediately drooped, and it burst into loud sobs.
“Oh, it's you. The child is still small, what's the hurry?” The man, seeing the child cry, quickly picked it up to soothe it, complaining softly.
“I'm also anxious. I really want to hear a 'Mama.'” The woman sighed, “Ever since Ling'er… met that tragic end and died in the wilderness, I…”
At this thought, the woman couldn't help but choke back sobs.
It was truly miraculous. The child, seeing the woman cry, stopped its noisy wailing and instead called out anxiously, “Wah la la,” finally indistinctly uttering: “Mama… Mama…”
“Did I hear wrong?” The woman stopped crying and looked at her husband with uncertainty.
“No, you didn't hear wrong!” The man's eyes were red with excitement. “Zhen'er really called 'Mama'!”
As if to confirm this for them, the child called out a few more times: “Mama… Mama… Mama…”
Then, it looked up at the woman and smiled widely.
“Earth Mother above, this is actually true!” The woman was overjoyed but also puzzled. “But Zhen'er is only half a year old, and she can already speak?”
“Perhaps she's smart. After all, this is a child granted to us by Earth Mother!” The man couldn't suppress his excitement. He picked up the child, held it high, and made the child cry and laugh again, still indistinctly babbling syllables similar to “Mama.”
Looking at the harmonious family in front of her, Liu Sheng felt a little relieved.
“Is this a child born from the nest?”
“Yes, there are five others like this.”
“So, it also proves that cultivating from the embryonic stage can result in a normal person?”
“Further observation is needed, but for now, it seems so.”
“Moreover, a half-year-old child being able to speak, even if it's only one sound, is extremely rare.” Liu Sheng noticed this, knowing there must be something unusual.
“Yes, this was also intentional when I programmed the embryos. The brain development and physical quality of these created humans will be stronger than ordinary humans.”
“You… are walking a very dangerous Dao.” Liu Sheng could only say this; the ominous feeling lingered.
“I know.”
“I didn't expect you to do so many things without a sound.”
Liu Sheng felt a bit emotional. She had initially thought the generation speed of this “New World” was too slow, but now it seemed that it was definitely not slow; it could even be said to be incredibly fast.
“After all, I am the World,” the World said calmly.
“What's next?”
At this point, they returned to Xuan Mountain Academy again.
Liu Sheng looked at the students below and had other ideas.
“In the future, the age gap between the upper, middle, and lower dorms will definitely be greater. I'm afraid the current education system won't be enough.”
“Yes, the current teaching content is still classics, history, philosophy, and collections, following the Tang Country's education system of that time.”
“After all, there are no textbooks, no teachers, and no understanding of other educational models.”
Considering that Yuan Zheng Mr. Zhuang received his education under the Tang Country's imperial examination system from several hundred years ago, one can imagine how ancient it was.
But Liu Sheng also didn't want to fully introduce the existing Tang Country education model. It could be adopted as part of it, but it wasn't enough.
“The New World we want should not be the former appearance of Tang Country, nor should it be the current appearance of Tang Country.” A strange light flickered in Liu Sheng's eyes. “What we want is a truly beautiful New World.”
“So?”
“We need to introduce Hongxing Elementary School.”
As Liu Sheng finished speaking, the door leading to Hongxing Elementary School was brought in by the World, suspended in mid-air.
“However, it only contains elementary school content, and it hasn't been fully unlocked yet.”
“It seems entering this door is imperative.” Liu Sheng had a plan in mind.
According to Ling Xiaoshu, there was a broader world within the inverted door.
Perhaps, in addition to Hongxing Elementary School, there were also Hongxing Middle School and University.
If the education system of that world could be introduced, perhaps the “New World's” technology tree could be lit up in another direction.
“And it can also be combined with Spiritual Qi,” the World reminded.
“Yes, speaking of which, the books I collected at Seven Profound Academy can also be used, and then we can add a 'Cultivation' course to the academy.” Liu Sheng immediately became excited.
Those were exactly Entry-Level books, perfectly suitable for these young children who haven't fully grown yet.
According to the cultivation model in the Seven Profound Decree World, it's best to start from childhood.
The World responded and immediately began planning and constructing a Hidden Scripture Library in the back mountain, simultaneously copying various ancient and modern Chinese and foreign books collected by Liu Sheng into it.
It seems everything was prepared for this day in the dark.
Brave New World! A tribute ψ(｀∇´)ψ