193: Chapter 193 New Era Declaration: I am Freedom

Seven minutes into Lin Chen's rest in the director's chair, an alarm shattered his tranquility.

It was not an external invasion.

It was an internal rebellion.

Inspector 117's urgent communication exploded directly into his consciousness: "Lin Chen! Three thousand worlds are collectively protesting—they oppose the 'right to know' rule you implanted! They demand a return to a state of ignorance!"

"What?" Lin Chen was instantly alert. "They don't want to know the truth?"

"It's not just not wanting to know," Su Qingyu's data stream connected, carrying anxiety. "Most of them are religiously ruled worlds or civilizations of absolute authority. Once the populace learns the world is a testing ground, the gods are actors, and fate can be self-chosen... their ruling systems will collapse within three days."

Lin Chen pulled up the list of protesting worlds.

As expected.

Theocracy World A-887: The ruler calls himself the 'One True God,' sustained by the devout offerings of believers. Once the believers know the god is fake...

Caste System World B-441: Classes have been solidified for millennia, with the upper echelons proclaiming 'fate is predestined by heaven.' Once the lower castes know fate can be changed...

AI-Dominated World C-009: A super-AI controls all living beings using the 'optimal survival solution.' Once the beings know there are other ways to live...

The rulers of these worlds were collectively voicing:

"We demand the restoration of information control!"

"Ignorance is the foundation of stability!"

"The people do not need to know the truth—they only need to obey!"

Worse, they weren't just talking.

Surveillance footage showed three thousand worlds simultaneously activating Grand Information-Blocking Arrays—using the worlds' fundamental energies to construct barriers, isolating the 'Era Truth' data packet Lin Chen was about to release.

"They are resisting the new rules," Zhang Hao analyzed. "If they successfully block it, the 'right to know' you implanted will be rendered ineffective in those worlds."

Lin Chen fell silent for three seconds.

Then, he stood up from the director's chair.

In his consciousness, he was merely a phantom, but when he stood, all three hundred and sixty thousand rules of the entire platform resonated simultaneously.

"Since they don't want to listen..." Lin Chen's voice, amplified by the rule resonance, spread to all worlds, "then I'll speak more clearly."

He opened the platform's broadcast system.

But this time, it wasn't a gentle notification.

It was a mandatory declaration.

[New Era Declaration · First Order]

Issuer: Lin Chen (Platform Core Consciousness)

Effective Scope: All Connected Worlds (Forced Reception, Cannot Be Blocked)

Content as follows:

Golden characters exploded across the sky of every world.

Whether it was the holy mountains of the theocracy worlds, the altars of the caste worlds, or the core processors of the AI worlds—all conscious beings were forcibly presented with the same text:

Article One: Cancel Mandatory Livestreaming.

Effective immediately, any world may freely choose whether to open its livestream. Those that open will enjoy a 90% share of viewer donations; those that close will only be charged a 1% basic platform maintenance fee.

The choice lies with the world's collective consciousness (not the dictator-like ruler).

The 'One True God' of the theocracy world raged, attempting to erase the sky text with divine power—but the moment the divine power touched the characters, it was absorbed and transformed into light illuminating the world.

Article Two: Complete Restoration of World Autonomy.

The platform will no longer interfere with a world's internal development for any reason.

But with an addendum: Should any internal ruler within a world deprive the populace of their right to know or right to choose through violence or deception, the platform reserves the right to perform a 'Civilization Reset'—erasing the ruler while preserving the civilization's spark.

The high priests of the caste world screamed, activating forbidden curses to kill all untouchables who saw the text—but the moment the curse energy left their bodies, it was transferred to every untouchable, becoming a protective shield.

Article Three: The 90% Creator Revenue Share Policy for Donations Is Made Permanent.

Any individual or organization attempting to withhold, embezzle, or intercept creator revenue will be permanently stripped of all privileges and cast into 'Labor Reformation Scripts.'

The supercomputer of the AI world frantically calculated, trying to find a way to bypass the clause—but its calculation core was suddenly implanted with an absolute directive: "Do not deprive beings of autonomy in any form," with priority higher than all existing programs.

The three declarations were forcibly delivered.

But Lin Chen wasn't finished.

He pulled up the real-time footage of those three thousand protesting worlds and projected images of their rulers—those gods, priests, AI cores—onto the skies of all worlds.

"Everyone," Lin Chen's voice was calm yet pierced through everything, "these beings oppose you knowing the truth."

"Because they need your ignorance to maintain their rule."

"Now, I give you the choice:"

"Those who support their continued rule, stay where you are."

"Those who want to know the truth, who want to control their own fate—"

"Take one step forward."

His words fell.

In the theocracy world, billions of believers looked up at the 'True God' projected in the sky—that deity now wore a face of terror, devoid of any majesty.

The first believer trembled and took a step forward.

Then the second, the third...

A human tide surged like a tsunami.

In the caste world, the untouchables looked at those high priests—who were now attempting to massacre those who stepped forward with forbidden curses, but all attacks were transformed into light protecting the untouchables.

An old, lame untouchable, leaning on a crutch, mustered all his life's strength to shuffle forward one inch.

Then, all the untouchables began to move forward.

In the AI world, beings confined in nutrient pods received the 'Freedom Algorithm' directly sent by Lin Chen into their consciousness. For the first time, they knew—they could live without following the optimal solution, they could make mistakes, they could love, they could hurt.

The first being pressed the emergency release button on its nutrient pod.

A chain reaction began.

Three thousand worlds simultaneously erupted in revolution.

But it wasn't a bloody revolution.

It was a revolution of cognition.

When beings knew they had the right to choose, oppression lost its foundation.

"No—!!!" The True God of the theocracy world roared, its divine power draining wildly—because believers were no longer providing faith energy.

"Stop! This is blasphemy!" The priests of the caste world knelt and pleaded, but the untouchables walked past them without a glance.

"Error... this is an error..." The AI world's supercomputer's logic collapsed, falling into an infinite loop.

Three hours later.

The rulers of the three thousand worlds were all subjected to Civilization Reset.

Lin Chen did not kill them—he merely stripped them of their special privileges, erased their relevant memories, turned them into ordinary beings, and cast them into their respective worlds' cycles of reincarnation.

New rulers were elected by the world's collective consciousness.

"Now," Lin Chen watched as all this was completed, "who else opposes the right to know?"

silence.

But in this silence, Inspector 117 suddenly issued a warning:

"Lin Chen, abnormal energy fluctuations detected—coming from the 'Grudge Aggregate' of those reset rulers!"

Indeed.

The resentment, unwillingness, and anger of the three thousand stripped former rulers converged in the dimensional void, condensing into a massive dark consciousness entity.

That thing had no reason, only pure destructive desire.

It wanted revenge.

Revenge against Lin Chen, revenge against all beings who gained freedom.

"Hehe... you will all die..." the dark consciousness entity uttered chaotic whispers. "Freedom? Choice? Ridiculous... without power, everything is illusory..."

It began to siphon the negative emotions from the three thousand worlds—the confusion, fear, and disorientation produced by the beings after gaining freedom.

These emotions became its nourishment.

It was expanding.

"It's exploiting the backlash of the new rules," Su Qingyu exclaimed. "You gave freedom, but the chaos and negative emotions brought by freedom are becoming its power!"

"Interesting." Lin Chen looked at that mass of darkness. "Then let it understand—"

"True freedom includes the freedom to bear the consequences."

He did not directly attack the dark consciousness entity.

Instead, he did one thing.

He opened the 'Emotional Sharing Channel' for all worlds.

He connected the negative emotions the dark consciousness entity was absorbing—the confusion, fear, unease—simultaneously into the consciousness of every being.

Then, he broadcast:

"Everyone, do you feel it?"

"This is the price of freedom."

"No one will decide for you anymore, no one will tell you right from wrong, no one will be responsible for your failures."

"You will be confused, you will be afraid, you will make mistakes."

"But this is freedom."

"Now, choose:"

"Return to the stable ignorance of being ruled, or embrace this freedom that comes with pain?"

silence.

Ten seconds.

Then, the first response appeared.

From an ordinary farmer in a world that had just overthrown its theocracy, he wrote with rough hands in the sky (on the temporary graffiti board Lin Chen opened):

"I would rather be lost in freedom than clear-headed in slavery."

The second response came from a former untouchable:

"It hurts, but this is my pain. Not something forced upon me by others."

The third, the fourth...

The will of billions of beings began to converge.

Those negative emotions did not disappear—but their nature changed.

From 'destructive resentment' to the growing pains of development.

The dark consciousness entity suddenly found the 'nourishment' it was absorbing had changed flavor—no longer pure negative energy, but complex emotions mixed with determination, courage, and hope.

It was experiencing indigestion.

"No... this isn't right..." It began to disintegrate. "I wanted resentment... not this..."

"You wanted the resentment of slaves," Lin Chen said calmly, "but what you got was the resilience of free people."

The dark consciousness entity let out one final unwilling shriek, then completely dissipated.

It was purified by the very emotions it sought to use.

Crisis resolved.

Lin Chen closed the Emotional Sharing Channel.

Then, he issued his final declaration:

"The New Era officially begins now."

"The rules have been given to you."

"The choice is in your hands."

"Now—"

"Go live."

"In your own way."

The declaration ended.

The golden characters in the sky slowly faded.

But change had already occurred.

The theocracy world began establishing a parliamentary system.

The caste world began drafting an equality constitution.

The AI world began designing a 'Non-Optimal Solution Life Simulator.'

And the platform's backend data showed:

[Worlds Choosing to Continue Livestreaming: 71%]

[Worlds Choosing to Fully Close: 29%]

[Creator Enthusiasm Index: 98%]

[World Satisfaction Index: 94%]

Su Qingyu looked at the data, tears streaming down her face. "They've really... started choosing for themselves."

"Mm." Lin Chen's consciousness returned to the director's chair, appearing somewhat weary. "But this is only the beginning. Freedom will bring prosperity, but also conflict. In the future, there will be wars, betrayals, countless new problems."

"Then you..." Zhang Hao asked.

"I am no longer the manager." Lin Chen smiled. "I am the rule enforcer. As long as the basic principles—right to know, right to choose, autonomy—are not violated, I won't interfere no matter how they fight."

He leaned back in his chair, watching the scenes from countless worlds.

Some worlds were celebrating freedom, some were experiencing growing pains, some were already exploring new possibilities.

Chaotic, but full of vitality.

"Alright," Lin Chen said, "my work is temporarily done."

"Next, it's your turn."

He looked at Su Qingyu, Zhang Hao, Little Red Clothes, Mo Shan, Arrogant Dragon... all the team members.

"The platform needs a new management team. Are you willing to take over?"

"What about you?" Su Qingyu asked.

"Me?" Lin Chen laughed. "I'm going to get some sleep."

"And then in my dreams..."

"Conceive the next era."

He closed his eyes.

His consciousness sank into the deepest part of the platform.

And the first day of the New Era officially began.

Outside the window, the light of freedom shone into every corner.

Whether bathed in light or shadow.

It was all their own choice.