PGVCW 33

Playing God in Various Catastrophic Worlds

Chapter 33: The Heaven-Saving Sect Takes Shape

"Colton!" The somewhat slender boy had just emerged from the security inspection channel when he heard his uncle's calling voice. Perhaps because it was his first time arriving in a foreign land, or perhaps due to the unfamiliar and grandiose environment, he had been cowering nervously like a little chick spotting its mother hen, instantly accelerating his pace to dash toward his uncle.

"Uncle Hudson!" He sprinted over, and the team leader behind him simply led the other members forward, familiarly greeting the middle-aged man clad in work attire: "Hudson, are you on leave today?"

"I swapped shifts with someone to come take a look at Colton. This is his first time visiting the Xia State, after all." Hudson was similarly part of the technical talent transfer cohort; eager to gather news regarding his home country from the team leader, he handed a prepared water container to his nephew, instructed him to hydrate, and began conversing with the team lead. Holding the water container like a precious treasure, Colton inspected it with hesitant disbelief. Only after confirming that it genuinely contained pure water did he carefully take a tiny sip.

The other peers originating from Country J could not help but cast envious glances as they watched him drink. Although Country J's conditions were better than in prior years, water resources remained perpetually scarce; having such a large container filled to the brim with drinkable purified water was simply an impossibility back home. Just by observing Uncle Hudson's facial expressions and demeanor, they could tell that while this cup of water remained precious within the Xia State, it had not reached the level of being an unattainable luxury.

Standing beside his uncle and listening to the two adults converse, Colton could not refrain from letting his eyes wander across his surroundings. The Xia State airport was exceptionally vast to begin with, and following the frequent back-and-forth transportation of various supplies and talent across different nations, the entire infrastructure had undergone a massive expansion. Compared to Country J, the Xia State had clearly experienced a monumental technological transformation post-cataclysm. This was evident from the rolling spherical robots and various spherical mechanical cargo pods responsible for transporting supplies everywhere throughout the terminal. Even many buildings within the airport were completely spherical, semi-suspended in mid-air.

Colton naturally understood that this architectural choice did not stem from a generic preference for circular geometry. Rather, after the cataclysm struck, the terrestrial crust was left scarred and ravaged; ordinary transport vehicles or surface robots would suffer rapid mechanical wear and tear over such ruined terrain. Raising the structures off the ground was clearly a design lesson learned the hard way from the early days of the cataclysm, when the earth frequently collapsed, swallowing humans and buildings deep into the subterranean depths.

Although Colton was an ability operator, he had secured the opportunity to visit the Xia State as a technical talent in the research track for those under twenty. Standing out among a multitude of competitors, he was naturally a youthful genius. After observing carefully for a short moment, he realized that these spherical structures must be utilizing Hu substance extracted from meteorites. Even if the ground collapsed beneath them, they would not plunge into the abyss, and their spherical exteriors allowed them to better utilize levitation technology.

The Hu substance could be considered the singular useful element extracted from meteorites, but unfortunately, refining it required immense manpower and material resources, not to mention the arduous requirement of hunting for meteorite craters within heavily contaminated zones. Therefore, even while recognizing its utility, Country J could only gaze at the Hu substance and sigh in helplessness.

Yet it was evident that the Xia State had not constructed these buildings on short notice merely for this Salvation Initiative; given such mature technology, Colton could boldly predict that the Xia State had already begun researching levitation technology right after the very first ground collapse. That period had been the most grueling ordeal for humanity globally, with many national governments collapsing into complete paralysis at the time. Yet the Xia State not only weathered the pressure to execute rescues across all regions, but even managed to construct suspended architecture amid such harrowing and chaotic conditions.

Later on, major ground collapses occurred several more times, resulting in massive casualties worldwide, but the Xia State—armed with its circular suspended architecture—should have remained largely unaffected. No wonder the Xia State still retained a massive population baseline of two hundred million.

Colton continued observing his surroundings; he spotted rigorously uniformed staff members, sliding elevators, robotic flight guides, and even medical teams handing out sugar water to technical talents from unknown nations, every single one of whom appeared sallow and malnourished.

When his uncle finished chatting with the team leader and beckoned him along, Colton could not help blurting out: "Uncle, this place looks simply like an era of peace." "This is merely the inspection zone. Once you step outside, you'll see that the Xia State is even better than you imagine."

Colton was not entirely convinced; in his view, everything he had witnessed already surpassed the bounds of excellence. After all, just two days prior, he had been gnawing on dried insects inside a subterranean basement that trembled at regular intervals.

As they departed the inspection zone and entered the main airport terminal, Colton's hand went limp, causing his pack to drop squarely onto the floor. "Saviors..."

Strictly speaking, he knew that every single staff member in this airport was a constituent part of the [Salvation Project]. He also knew that the [Salvation Project] was spearheaded by the Xia State with the active participation of four other nations, so the collective headcount could not possibly be small. However, knowing the general scale conceptually versus witnessing it firsthand—in an airport terminal half the size of the entire residential base he lived in back in Country J, packed with a churning sea of humanity—still made Colton gasp aloud.

Several twenty-meter-tall androids strode past carrying massive luggage pods, holographic directional guide videos were projected into mid-air, personnel in tactical combat gear rushed past while managing video calls, white-robed medical workers wheeled stretchers into rapid-transit lanes, and in the distance, rows upon rows of soldiers clad in powered exoskeleton armor patrolled the area.

Voices in diverse languages filled Colton's ears, faithfully translated by his translation earpiece: ——“Sector 786 contamination clearance confirmed; likely impacted by seawater, extracted soil samples have been dispatched to the laboratory.” ——“We arrived too late; that well-known expert from Country J passed away five years ago, and the local government collapsed long ago, which explains why we couldn't establish contact.” ——“Mom, it's me, I've returned. The operational mission was a complete success; remember to prepare my dinner tonight!” ——“Correct, I understand you are halfway through execution, but modifying the structural schematics is not my sole decision. Look, I brought an expert in this field back with me; let us initiate a video conference immediately.” ——“Hey, ah, it's me. Just returned from the desert campaign; let us schedule a meal once my official debriefing concludes!”

If this were an era of peace, any international airport could produce such scenes, but this was a world after the cataclysm. To state it bluntly, the greatest aggregate of human beings Colton had ever laid eyes on from birth until now was right at this moment. And remarkably, this was supposedly merely one of the five major airports constructed by the Xia State.

The people gathered here comprised different races, spoke different languages, and many clearly looked as though they had just stepped off an active combat zone. Yet their shared characteristic was that almost everyone moved with hurried, bustling purpose. This kind of bustling activity was entirely foreign to Colton; he could distinctly feel that everyone carried an immense driving force within them—they knew precisely what they were doing and what step came next.

This vibrant, dynamic behavior was completely absent among the populace back at the Country J base, who didn't even dare to dream of surviving until tomorrow. Colton listened to these voices almost greedily and with a sense of covetousness; no matter how glowingly his uncle's letters home had described the Xia State, it paled in comparison to the sheer shock of witnessing it with his own eyes.

"Was my evaluation not accurate?" Hudson chuckled as he watched his nephew's stunned expression, giving him a gentle pat on the head: "The Xia State is precisely like this. When I first arrived, I genuinely assumed I was experiencing hallucinations induced by mutant spores." "Come along; as a technical talent, you are entitled to free meals at the cafeteria. The culinary options in the Xia State are nothing like dried bug rations." "Rations used to be strictly capped, but lately the action squads have brought back immense volumes of grain; word has it the granaries are nearly overflowing. You've arrived at a propitious temporal juncture, kid."

Still wrapped in shock, Colton followed his uncle out of the airport terminal and boarded a massive transport vehicle that resembled a giant beast. Country J possessed similar vehicles, deployed similarly for defending against mutant beasts and ecological contamination, but those were utilized strictly as armored combat tools. If ordinary citizens wished to travel outside, they either had to rely on their own two legs or brave contamination risks on motorcycles better suited for navigating the ruined terrain.

Yet here within the Xia State, as he sat by the window looking out, the transit lanes outside the airport were packed almost solid with these vehicles. They were actually utilizing such heavy transport vehicles as ordinary public transit. Every vehicle departed loaded to capacity, further attesting to the terrifying passenger volume of the Xia airport.

"There weren't this many vehicles originally, but with frequent international exchanges lately—especially flights streaming toward the Xia State side—the airport fleet has just kept expanding," Hudson explained to his nephew. "All vehicles at the airport serve the Salvation Project, and riding them is completely free."

When Colton was born, Country J had long since ceased offering anything for free; basic public services of that nature required a foundation of national stability. Hudson clearly understood this and made a point to clarify that the Xia State's free transport was currently open exclusively to [Salvation Project] personnel.

Yet to Colton, this was already extraordinary; the vague notions in the back of his mind finally crystallized into the realization of what an incredible project he had joined.

Arriving at the research laboratory district alongside his uncle, Colton was struck with a fresh wave of awe by the vast, brightly lit expanse. From what he could observe, their district alone accommodated at least ten thousand researchers.

"Where on earth did they mobilize so many researchers?" Colton's question was entirely logical. After the cataclysm struck, human society stagnated across all sectors, naturally including education. In contemporary Country J, education was an exorbitant luxury, especially since the ranks of teachers had thinned drastically through wave after wave of mortality. The primary reason he had managed to become a youthful prodigy was that starting from his great-grandfather, his family had belonged to the scientific research cohort, affording him the domestic privilege of schooling. Yet across the entirety of Country J, those with such privileges were exceedingly rare.

"The Xia State has consistently persevered with nationwide free public education. That's why, even though this initiative is billed as a five-nation coalition, Xia talents actually account for nearly seventy percent of the total." "The remaining thirty percent consists of talented young scholars like you from various nations, a portion of self-taught experts from around the world, and another fraction comprised of individuals who were already renowned in their respective industries decades ago." "Now that the five nations are re-exploring the various countries of Blue Star, the goal is to help other nations rebuild and unearth as much global talent as possible to participate in this project."

Colton opened his eyes wide. After all, he was still young; while gifted in technology, his perspective was constrained, and having lived his life inside a basement, he still struggled to comprehend the Xia State's choices. "Isn't everything just beginning now? Even though the granaries are nearly full, the Xia State alone has a population of over two hundred million. At a time like this, why bother helping other nations rebuild?" In his mind, if he were calling the shots, he would undoubtedly hoard all the benefits for himself—wouldn't that yield greater returns?

"You don't understand; this is a protracted war." "What the Xia State is doing is correct. Otherwise, if it tried to single-handedly carry the burden as a solitary nation, it would eventually be dragged down and collapse." Look at how other nations were currently dispatching resources and talent here at a desperate pace. As for those collapsed nations, while their usable manpower might be minimal, a nation's accumulated resources could always be squeezed out if one dug deep enough.

To his knowledge, Country J was currently scrambling to overhaul its education system, planning to screen a batch of high-IQ students and dispatch them to the Xia State for cultivation, aiming to integrate them into the Salvation Project at maximum velocity. Among the current cohort of action personnel selection candidates, technological talents from various nations made up a substantial portion, and Colton was one of the alternates.

Still struggling to fully grasp the logic, Colton gazed out the window at the peaceful, suspended buildings and could not help murmuring: "Uncle, when will our country be able to transform like this?" Hudson fell silent for a second, then spoke softly: "We are striving precisely so that it can become like this."

Entering the Xia State felt to Colton like stepping onto an alien planet; first, he was startled by the overflowing abundance of food in the cafeteria, and then he was stunned by the presence of actual running water taps inside the dormitories. During his break, he even joined a guided tour group to gaze at a real pond and the actual ocean, while listening to the guide recount in impassioned tones how Xia Wang'an had transported these resources back to their home plane and how monumental the Salvation Project truly was.

To be frank, as a youth under twenty, Colton's initial perception of the Salvation Project was driven purely by romantic yearning. But after genuinely becoming a part of it, he discovered that calling this opportunity "grandiose" was an understatement. The global participant count for the initiative had already reached millions; it re-linked the shattered fragments of Blue Star, allowing smaller nations lacking the capacity for independent action to gradually restore communications, uniting everyone's strength toward a single focal point.

Naturally, not everyone possessed a cooperative mindset; just as psychological deviancy existed in times of peace, it was doubly true in the current era. There remained a faction of individuals eager to step up and play the role of villains—exerting effort toward the destruction of the world while humanity fought for its salvation, and even attempting to assassinate the Savior, Xia Wang'an.

Perhaps such elements could still strut around and lord over other collapsed nations, but under the suppressive weight of the Xia State's military might—multiplied a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand fold—playing the villain was no simple feat. The cinematic tropes of "doomsday cults" occupying half the world, engaging in complex conspiracies and fierce shadow-wars with the "salvation factions," were utterly impossible.

What's that? Your organization has ability users? Please, as if the state didn't have any; purely in terms of headcount, the Ability Management Bureau could easily steamroll these individuals. Naturally, while the combat efficacy of the "doomsday cult" was thoroughly mediocre, the state still accorded them high priority; the scenario of dispatching an equivalent headcount to duel the enemy's organization was completely off the table.

Much like shelling mutant vegetation. Who's going to play a high-stakes thriller with you? The authorities had personnel to spare and resources to burn; their entire modus operandi revolved around absolute, foolproof security.

The small underground organization totaled around three hundred members, but the state dispatched three thousand frontline soldiers alone—each fully equipped with maximum energy shielding—accompanied by two hundred Tier-4 ability users. Prime Minister Zheng Shanhe personally led the campaign, ensuring the operation was executed with ironclad safety.

This entire faction was apprehended before they even came within proximity of the Salvation Tower; before they even had time to mount a resistance, every last member was pinned flat to the earth. The state processed the interrogation, judgment, and death sentencing pipeline at breakneck velocity.

News broadcasts summarized the incident with a brief, perfunctory blurb before moving on, leaving even the Savior Xia Wang'an—who had narrowly avoided assassination—entirely devoid of emotional turbulence. Her sole internal commentary regarding the affair was: "Three hundred odd people wanted to assassinate me? How laughable!" If someone wanted her dead, they should at least mobilize thirty thousand! And even then, they still wouldn't succeed.

As for sentiments like "I'm out here saving the world while you plotting bastards try to harm and resent me," such thoughts never crossed Xia Wang'an's mind. Provided the overwhelming majority stood on her side, she felt thoroughly content. If the majority chose not to stand with her, it mattered little either.

Grievances naturally existed, but they lasted merely a fleeting instant. Once she snapped those individuals' necks, such grievances naturally evaporated into thin air; when recalling the incident later with 007, it evoked nothing more than pure, unadulterated perplexity. Specifically, the sort of bewildered wonder: "Is something fundamentally wrong with these people's brains that they actually dare to dislike me?"

Therefore, upon learning of the incident, she merely inquired about the enemy headcount before banishing the matter to the back of her mind.

Her current focal point of attention was when the mutated flora world would finally receive signal towers. The world was simply too vast, with sparse population distribution and minimal action personnel density; whenever team members drifted even slightly apart, walkie-talkies failed to function, severely undermining the efficiency of fully subjugating the realm.

Under Xia Wang'an's eager anticipation, Colton completed all his training and examinations on schedule, finally receiving notification that he had earned operational group clearance and was cleared to cross into the alternate dimension.

On the eve of his departure, Colton tossed and turned, unable to find sleep. Although he had long since been informed that their mission would primarily involve manual labor, and that the destination world featured blue skies, white clouds, green trees, and rich soil, this was still an alternate dimension after all. And moreover, what exactly was [Immortal Cultivation]? Word had it that the Savior had already attained the Foundation Establishment stage, allowing her to achieve flight. Could human beings genuinely reach such heights?

Compared to the unbridled yearning radiating from Xia citizens, Colton felt primarily bewildered and baffled. "Rest easy, I already checked. Several batches of architectural robots accompanied by technicians have already crossed over; you're in the final wave, and accommodations are fully established waiting for you there," his uncle had consoled him, yet Colton remained deeply tense.

Clad in standard work attire, carrying a heart full of trepidation, fear, and a tiny dash of eager anticipation, he stood within the transit hall. "Technical personnel form up on the left, action personnel on the right, dual-qualified personnel occupy the center." An operations officer directed from the front, and within moments, the dozens of gathered individuals split neatly into three files. Colton stood on the left; his ability was [Illusory Shadow], which merely manifested eight phantom hands and offered virtually zero utility in direct combat.

"Alright, everyone begin moving forward." With sharp observation, Colton noticed several dozen-meter-tall construction robots lined up toward the rear, accompanied by rows of subterranean tunneling automatons. This sparked a wave of anxiety within him. Hadn't they said architectural robots had already crossed over? Multiple batches even? Why hadn't housing been fully constructed yet? Would they arrive only to find themselves lacking shelter?

Would they end up forced to reside in trees? He had never even laid eyes on a living tree before. Harboring these bizarre and complex anxieties, Colton slowly shuffled forward in the queue.

Then he caught sight of the black-haired maiden seated ahead. The Savior! Colton's heart surged with excitement; Country J had adopted a laissez-faire stance toward its citizens' adoration of Xia Wang'an, resulting in the spontaneous birth of civilian religious sects dedicated to her. For an entity capable of saving the entire world, Colton privately believed that no magnitude of reverence could ever be considered excessive.

He even harbored an impulsive desire to prostrate himself on the spot before the Savior, but his recent period of rigorous discipline prevailed; suppressing the intense urge to offer devout prayers, he stepped forward steadily.

She truly cut the figure of a Savior. Colton watched Xia Wang'an consume a pastry while busily reviewing holographic data streams displayed before her, overflowing with profound admiration. Juggling three tasks simultaneously—replenishing energy supplies via food consumption, dispatching personnel into the alternate dimension, and managing administrative workloads—she operated with seamless efficiency.

Overwhelming awe eclipsed every trace of apprehension; maintaining an electrified, uplifted expression, Colton arrived directly before Xia Wang'an.

Fixated upon private holographic displays visible solely to her ocular field, Xia Wang'an perused newly updated web novel chapters while consuming sweets, noticing movement in her peripheral vision, she gave a casual wave of her hand and transferred the individual across dimensions.

Before Colton could express his wave of adoration through his expression, his physical form vanished entirely. Experiencing a momentary visual blur, he snapped his eyes open, and his respiration turned abruptly frantic.

Another exclamation escaped his lips: ——“Saviors...”

Evidently, he was far from the sole individual who treated "Savior" as a primary verbal reflex; a chorus of identical utterances erupted simultaneously from the surrounding crowd. Colton and all the newly arrived personnel stood rooted in their tracks, jaws agape in slack-jawed astonishment.

Before them, soaring across towering mountain ranges, majestic architectural complexes hovered directly above the mountain summits, while towering, diminutive, and ruggedly constructed building robots hammered and bustled with unceasing activity. “You have entered the Heaven-Saving Sect territory. Please verify identity; failure to verify within ten minutes will result in detention.” “Over here, reinforce this foundation section immediately!” “That door frame color is incorrect! We don't want cinnabar red, we require deep vermillion—hold on, I'll mix the pigment personally!” “People! I need manpower! Do not send me robots lacking design capability or multitasking functionality! Didn't headquarters state additional personnel were incoming?! Where are they?!! “Team leader, looks like arrivals are entering the zone. Are these the newly assigned technicians?”

Distant auditory waves echoed across the expanse; the grandiose architecture and alien environment initially convinced Colton they had materialized within an entirely different world—wait, no, they genuinely were in a different world. Was this... the architecture they were assigned to construct?

Gazing into the distance across a sea of cloud-draped peaks, jade towers and immortal pavilions stood in solemn, majestic defiance. Mortals standing beneath their eaves appeared as minuscule as traversing ants.

At the summit of the sweeping stone staircases painstakingly carved by hardworking robots, a colossal stone stele stood proudly erect.

Inscribed upon its surface were three striking characters:

——[Heaven-Saving Sect]

--

✨ Translator's Note ✨

Hey besties! Just a quick little heads-up on the chapter numbering: if you've been hunting for Chapter 32, don't stress, 'cause you literally won't find it here! 👀 The raw source site I pull my translations from skips it completely—like, it's straight-up missing from the directory! You can scope it out for yourself right here: https://m.wfxs.tw/booklist/2964495.html.

Don't sweat it, babe, you haven't missed a single beat—we're just rolling right along with the raw provider's numbering straight through! Catch you in the next chapter, stay gorgeous! 💖✨