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[System binding in progress, assisting host in reincarnation…]
[Choosing a universe to travel to…]
[Language module loading…]
[Error!!]
[Warning! Error in timeline travel… No human civilization found, attempting correction… Correction failed…]
[Activating backup plan, constructing compensation plan… Compensation plan confirmed…]
[Compensation complete!]
...
"Cough, cough…"
"Uh…"
In a simply designed wooden house, Lu Chen opened his eyes and rubbed his head.
He struggled to sit up in bed.
The room's furnishings were unfamiliar.
In a space of about fifty square meters, there was a bed, a dining table, several chairs, and a large box piled in the corner.
All of it was made of wood, looking like a medieval peasant's house.
"I… traveled to another world?"
He looked around for a while, barely managing to understand his current situation.
Not long ago, he was just an ordinary office worker on Earth, transported to another world by a dump truck on his way to work.
Suddenly, the system asked him if he had any wishes regarding the world he was about to be reborn into.
He casually made a few wishes:
"The world I'm going to shouldn't be too mundane. It should be interesting, with occasional surprises, but not too dangerous—definitely not something like Cthulhu or SCP..."
"Also, my cheat system should have high growth potential, ideally reaching the level of a single universe or multiverse…"
The system sounded quite human and granted his requests.
So he was very much looking forward to what kind of world he would be transported to.
"Where is this?"
Lu Chen asked.
[The future—Earth in 2260 AD.]
The system replied in a detached, mechanical voice.
"Huh?"
Lu Chen was somewhat surprised.
"Do humans in the 23rd century live in wooden houses?"
[This is different from what I imagined.]
He sat up in bed and looked around.
There were no electronic devices, nothing high-tech whatsoever.
A large box in the corner contained basic necessities like rice, flour, dehydrated vegetables, and bottled water, along with a few packets of seeds and medical supplies.
It looked more like the 13th century than the 23rd.
Opening the door, a gust of cold wind blew in.
Utter silence reigned; there was no trace of human activity.
All around him and in the distance were ruins. The buildings were so badly damaged that they were unrecognizable.
Plants grew rampant through the city, dust filled the air—a scene of utter devastation.
"What's going on? World War III?!"
He squinted, peering into the distance.
Judging from the remaining architectural styles, he felt he was in the suburbs of some European city.
[Human civilization in this timeline perished thirty years ago.]
[Confirmed. Apart from you, there are no other human survivors on this planet.]
The system replied.
"Huh?"
Several question marks seemed to appear above Lu Chen's head.
This wasn't surprise—it was shock.
[Sorry. Due to an unknown bug during the transmigration process, the timeline is incorrect.]
[Humanity in this timeline is extinct. The host's 'Stellaris' system cannot be loaded.]
[As compensation, the 'Dimensional Civilization' system is reloaded, and the host's mental strength and physical compatibility are greatly enhanced.]
A cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
"Wait a minute."
Lu Chen was startled.
"Humanity is completely wiped out?!"
"Dimensional Civilization System? What are you for?"
[This system will assist the host in rebuilding a super-dimensional civilization composed of multiple universes from scratch.]
[The host can freely travel to other worlds, gather companions, obtain rewards, and make your civilization stand at the pinnacle of the multiverse.]
"…"
"All right."
Lu Chen wasn't too surprised by this result.
As the only remaining human survivor, rebuilding a civilization from scratch was indeed a monumental undertaking.
He shook his head and opened the statistics panel.
[Civilization Overview]
[Civilization Type: Technological Civilization]
[Technological Level: Stone Age]
[Members: 1]
[Species: Human]
[Dominion Area: 60 square meters (surface)]
A sixty-square-meter wooden hut was his dominion area.
As for the civilization type, it was obvious that civilizations in this vast world could be broadly divided into those that used technology and those that used magic.
Conventional civilizations like humankind, the Trisolaran civilization, Cybertron, and the Stellaris civilization were technological civilizations.
Alternate worlds like magical girls, Teyvat, and Chaldea, while containing some technological elements, were primarily magical civilizations.
Of course, there were also cases where both were present.
But he quickly discovered a problem.
"My civilization's technological level is the Stone Age? Does that mean I'm a primitive man now?!"
"I'm supposed to be highly educated, you know?"
Lu Chen felt the system's judgment was seriously flawed.
[The standard for measuring a civilization's level lies in what technologies it has mastered and what tools it can manufacture.]
[Although you come from a pre–space age civilization, now everything needs to start from scratch.]
The system replied.
[Stone Age humans have already mastered the techniques of polishing stone tools, pottery, and simple agriculture and animal husbandry.]
[You consider yourself a modern person, so may I ask, host, do you understand high-energy physics and celestial mechanics?]
"No, I majored in civil engineering in university."
Lu Chen shook his head.
[Do you understand organic chemistry and automation?]
"No."
[Could you build a steam engine?]
"No, I don't have the materials."
[Do you know anything about animal husbandry?]
"Uh… does walking dogs and petting cats count…?"
[No, unfortunately. According to the standards for classifying technological levels, you're a primitive. Please try your best to improve your technological level.]
"Damn."
Lu Chen actually found this answer quite reasonable.