Chapter 4: The Atlantis Civilization

In just a few seconds, the blue light vanished. I felt an overwhelming sense of lightness and relaxation throughout my body. It even seemed as if I had lost a few pounds. The most surprising part was that my injured ankle had completely healed, without a trace of the injury remaining. At the same time, hunger hit me hard, and I had an intense craving for food. However, surrounded by aliens, I felt too embarrassed to bring it up.

At that moment, the mechanical door started to ripple and distort, like gentle water waves. The giant eagle and wild men around us rushed in first and disappeared. Buweiluo glanced at me and also walked in.

Noticing that I was still frozen in place, the mantis-like Ideaisge, extended an invitation, "Brother Ji Wufan, please step inside. I'm the administrator of this base. It's an honor to have you as our guest. Bu weiluo is our Alliance collector who travels to different bases to gather local biological samples, air data, and environmental information for analysis. Once he's done, he'll take you to the Alliance headquarters." I nodded mechanically, nervously following them, afraid that I might bump into the mechanical door.

Strangely, as I passed through the mechanical door, I only felt a slight ripple around me, like the wind, though I was certain it wasn't wind. My body moved through the metallic mechanical door without any obstacles.

"Hmm?"

After regaining balance in this new space, I sensed that the space around me was somehow shifting. What was even stranger was that I could tell the changes were happening only in the area surrounding me, leaving me utterly baffled.

Ideaisge continued to explain, "Brother Ji Wufan, there's no need to be surprised. The gravitational forces in our base are different from outside. Since you're new here, the universal energy field is adjusting the quality and state of the space around you, so you won't feel uncomfortable — it'll feel just like normal."

So that's what it was. But by this point, my attention was already drawn to the surroundings. The space was vast and bright, with unknown metallic structures everywhere—from the floor beneath my feet to the ceiling above my head. They looked solid yet somehow soft, giving off a warm and cozy feeling.

Curious, I instinctively spun around to take it all in. Strangely, I couldn't spot a single light fixture, nor were there any visible electrical wires. It seemed like the light was radiating directly from the metal walls themselves. The lighting was bright but not harsh, creating a comfortable atmosphere.

As I glanced around at the surroundings, I was met with a collection of advanced technological devices far beyond my understanding. It felt like I had stepped into the set of a sci-fi movie, except the equipment here was even more sophisticated and extraordinary than anything I had ever seen on screen. Although I'm not particularly into science fiction in my daily life, I've watched a few sci-fi movies. However, the majority of the devices here left me completely bewildered, operating on principles far beyond the reach of human technology.

What happened next shocked me even more. Standing next to some of these machines were small grey beings, about a meter tall—exactly what I had always imagined aliens would look like. There were also many other alien species, diverse in appearance, and I estimated there were around a hundred of them in total. Instinctively, I wanted to take out my phone and snap a photo, but on second thought, I figured they probably wouldn't appreciate that, so I let it go.

Some of the aliens glanced at me, but didn't bother looking at Buweiluo or Ideaisge, who had just entered, and simply continued with their work. Seeing that none of them were crowding around to gawk at me, I felt a huge sense of relief. At that moment, I suddenly received a telepathic message: "The Alliance just decided to find a human to relay a message to the surface, and I didn't expect Buweiluo to find one so quickly."

"I've already verified this human. He's an upright, kind, and honest firefighter—a rare quality among surface dwellers these days. Whether humanity believes him or not, this Ji Wufan is trustworthy and won't spread lies or deceive us."

"He's definitely reliable. Ji Wufan agreed to come here to prevent others from taking unnecessary risks. What a noble spirit. Even though he has almost zero understanding of technology, his profession earns our respect. In the process of evolving from a zero-level to a primary civilization, their profession is the most dangerous and deserving of respect."

…

"Hiss…"

At first, I didn't think much of the occasional telepathic messages, but as more and more thoughts surged into my mind, darting around inside my head, it started to make me feel uncomfortable. It was especially unnerving that they could see right through me, leaving me with no privacy whatsoever. It made me feel extremely uneasy.

"Hmm?" Suddenly, all the chaotic thoughts in my mind disappeared, and a sense of calm washed over me. In front of me stood Buweiluo, holding a transparent cup filled with white liquid. This time, instead of communicating telepathically, Buweiluo spoke to me face to face. Although his mouth didn't move, I clearly heard him speaking in Chinese: "Apologies, brother, I forgot to block the mental telepathy. I didn't mean to cause you any discomfort, please forgive me."

"Just now, I implanted a nanochip from the Alliance into your body. It will block other members from reading your thoughts, so from now on, your privacy is safe. Also, you can ask the nanochip any questions you have. As long as it's information the Alliance allows, it will provide answers. You can call it 'Xiaomeng'. Go ahead, give it a try."

Buweiluo's voice in Chinese was deep and pleasant, almost soothing. I realized he must be using my language to make me feel more comfortable. Still, I couldn't help but wonder—when had he implanted the nanochip into my body? How had I not felt a thing? Was it because it was so small?

That thought quickly put me at ease, as the chip must be tiny. I mentally called out, "Xiaomeng, are you there?"

"I'm here, human friend! I'm happy to assist you. Feel free to ask me any questions, and as long as the Alliance approves, I'll provide answers." The voice that responded was soft and gentle, feminine in tone, and instantly put me at ease.

Seeing that I had successfully communicated with Xiaomeng, Buweiluo handed me the cup of white liquid and said, "When you first entered, the medical beam of the universal energy field cleansed all the bacteria from your body. Not only did it remove any viruses, but it also prevented unnecessary bacteria from entering our base. After that, the medical beam broke down impurities inside your body, making you stronger and healthier. In your language, you might describe it as a 'complete transformation'. It also healed your injuries by realigning the atoms in your damaged bones, allowing you to recover in seconds. Once humanity masters the technology of the universal energy field, you'll be able to do the same."

Noticing my half-understanding nod, Buweiluo continued, "Clearing out the impurities in your body might leave you feeling hungry. While we no longer rely on food for energy, we understand that humans still do. The cup contains a specially formulated high-nutrient liquid, blending the essence of fifty different grains. Given your current condition, drinking it will keep you energized for the next three days. It's also highly beneficial for your health. Although it won't grant immortality, it can help you live a long life. Consider this a token of appreciation for delivering our message. Please don't hesitate. Initially, we thought about using the universal energy field to deliver the nutrients directly into your body, but we figured you might not be comfortable with that, so we respected your preference."

Only a fool would refuse. After hearing Buweiluo's explanation, all my doubts disappeared, and I was overjoyed—who wouldn't want to live a long life? Being a straightforward person, I quickly accepted the cup and thanked Buweiluo excitedly, "Thank you, Buweiluo." I then gulped down the entire contents in one go.

The nutrient liquid was delicious, with a rich, natural flavor, a hundred times more fragrant than the grains we grow in my rural village. Oddly, though, there wasn't a single drop left—every bit of it flowed into my mouth, leaving no residue, unlike the typical milk or liquids we're used to drinking.

"Wow!" Just a few seconds after drinking the white nutrient liquid, I immediately felt a warm and comforting sensation inside, followed by an indescribable surge of energy and fullness in both body and mind. About 10 seconds later, I not only felt a rush of strength throughout my entire body, but also experienced a significant boost in mental clarity, as if I had returned to my vibrant teenage years.

"Advanced technology is truly amazing!"

Since I'm no poet and lack any literary talent, I couldn't come up with anything better to express how refreshed I felt, so that simple statement was all I managed to say. I handed the cup back to Buweiluo, who took it, and the cup disappeared instantly. Seeing that I was in good spirits, Buweiluo said, "I'll go collect some biological samples now, then take you to the Alliance headquarters. In the meantime, feel free to explore, ask questions, and don't hold back. No one here will harm you, and whatever we're allowed to share, we'll tell you. Although we're only a primary civilization, you're our guest, representing human society. We wouldn't want anyone saying we didn't treat you properly."

Later, I learned that the Alliance knew everything about humanity. They could monitor humans anytime, anywhere, through the "data and information" in the universal energy field. They had deep insights into individuals from different countries and regions. During the 3 days Buweiluo hosted me, he even spoke in the local dialect of my hometown, making me feel right at home while communicating with him.

"Oh, okay," I nodded but still followed Buweiluo, curious about how the cup had disappeared so suddenly. Even though he told me not to be too reserved, I couldn't help it. I was also intrigued by his work—if allowed, I'd definitely love to follow and watch him in action.

On the way, I chatted with Buweiluo and asked, "Earlier, you mentioned that your species was Earth's first inhabitants, also known as the Earth's prehistoric civilization. I'm curious, which generation of civilization are we humans?"

Buweiluo smiled, which helped me relax even more. I listened as he explained, "From the time Earth was born until now, there have been five great technological civilizations. However, it's nothing like those theories you might have seen on your phone, which are just fabricated nonsense. Our species was the first civilization, and according to your human astronomical timeline, that was about 2.9 billion years ago. We refer to ourselves as the 'Sanziyao Civilization'. If your human scientists could figure out the meaning of the 'Yao' symbol, it would greatly advance your technology, as this symbol is linked to the cosmic code.

Later, due to wars, our civilization was destroyed, and only a few of our species' elite survived by hiding in battleships. After us came the second, third, and fourth generations of intelligent species with technological civilizations, all of which eventually faced destruction. There were long gaps between each of these great civilizations, but the fourth civilization was quite close to yours in terms of time—only about 10,000 years ago. Interestingly, your human race bears a striking resemblance to the two most intelligent species of that era. They were known as the 'Atlantis' civilization."