The Reviewer Was Dumbfounded: Is This Really Something a Person Can Create?

Then came the soundtrack.

A deep melody filled the air, unsettling and discordant, drifting in the lower registers. The intervals felt jarring, yet they conveyed a growing sense of anxiety.

The orchestral sounds heralded the impending disaster, like someone weeping in sorrow.

This was a monumental work, merging text with imagery and music, its birth signifying the arrival of an epic.

After the auroras.

An endless white mist enveloped the surface of the planet, a potent poison announcing total destruction.

The First Illustration.

A grand steel city stood tall, vast crowds collapsing under the dense toxicity.

The atmosphere was rife with panic and fear.

In the sky, a gaping black vortex still tore through the air, remnants of the magical ritual, as the world sank into despair.

Brilliant civilizations were shattered, the poisonous fog indiscriminately slaughtering all races on Earth.

Humanity, once the dominant species, fell into the abyss, struggling to survive amidst despair.

In the face of extinction, nations set aside their grievances.

All of humanity united for survival, desperately researching genetic engineering, conducting various mysterious modifications on their own kind.

Thus, the next-generation primates known as "A-Rays" emerged, along with some evolved humans who adapted to the toxic environment. Though not pure humans, they fought valiantly to survive on Earth.

Gaia felt an overwhelming fear at the thought of her children surpassing her in existence after her death.

In response, she sent out a final SOS signal across the solar system:

"Please eradicate all primates that continue to live upon my corpse after I am gone!"

Other planets accepted Gaia's plea. As the ultimate tool of each planetary will, UO (Ultimate One) would descend upon Earth to cleanse the new primates that inhabited Gaia's remains.

This was the prologue to "The Steel Earth," a tale set in a post-apocalyptic world.

The main narrative then introduces a lovely angel with golden hair and pure white wings, living on a dead star, showcasing both the ugliness and resilience of humanity, alongside eternal spirit and faith...

In this wasteland, people struggled to live against all odds.

Luo Shu typed furiously, his hands moving so fast they blurred.

Suddenly, he froze, his pale hands hovering in mid-air.

The effects of NTZ-48 had worn off.

He had only completed half of the novel "The Steel Earth."

As he slipped away from that all-powerful state, a sense of regret and loss washed over him, no matter how strong his will.

The person he was while under the drug felt completely different from his current self.

"I just need to earn more divine rights and strengthen myself to that level later," he muttered to himself, trying to find comfort.

That feeling had been too wonderful, almost addictive.

Looking at the flowing text on the screen, Luo Shu couldn't help but rub his eyes in disbelief.

Did I really write this?

The grand and majestic prose, the thought-provoking core of the story, the seamless illustrations...

The combination of text and image created an immersive experience, evoking tears from the audience as they confronted the tragic courage of humanity's struggle.

A masterpiece, absolutely a masterpiece!

Luo Shu was confident that "The Steel Earth" would create a sensation online, earning him vast amounts of divine rights.

It laid the foundation for his next steps.

After hitting send, the Twitter account named Merlin displayed his novel.

"I hope to wake up to good news," Luo Shu murmured, his eyes feeling heavy as he quickly lay down on his bed.

He closed his eyes, gradually drifting into a light sleep.

---

Meanwhile.

Tokyo, Twitter Headquarters.

"What the hell, are newcomers this arrogant nowadays?"

A young editor stared, dumbfounded, at the screen.

Twitter's posting area—

"The Steel Earth" (Pending Review).

Synopsis: No guarantees of completion, no promises to resolve plot holes, no answers, no friend requests, no publishing...

I write, you read; please remain quiet.

Kudo Tomoki swore he had never seen such audacity in a newcomer during his five years as an editor!

New bloggers usually treat readers like gods, desperate to please them, almost bowing down for attention, looking utterly humble.

When views plummet, those bloggers cry heart-wrenching tears.

But this guy turned the tables, acting like he was the god, demanding readers bow to him.

Arrogant!

Too damn arrogant!

After mentally ranting, Kudo nonchalantly clicked on the article.

Newcomers are often a bit boastful; it's a common phenomenon.

In a few days, once the view counts came in, this newcomer would realize the reality of the situation and stop bragging about their minuscule creativity.

However.

In the next moment, as the screen shifted to the content of "The Steel Earth"...

A grand, sweeping scene unfolded, suffused with melancholic music, echoing the feelings of despair...

Upon seeing the words, Kudo Tomoki felt as if his heart was gripped by the stunning imagery and the background music, suffocating him. He was frozen in place.

His gaze shifted from casual to bewildered.

It was as if his soul had been soaked in the desolate atmosphere, and a few crystalline tears fell from his eyes.

Drip, drop...

"Am I... crying?"

The young editor looked down at his dampened hand, confusion etched on his face.

His brain hadn't fully processed it yet, but his instincts had already made the choice.

This was utterly beyond reason!

Suddenly, Kudo lifted his head, staring intently at the computer screen, breathless with anxiety.

Perhaps this newcomer really had written something remarkable...

With the sound of the mouse scrolling down, the content of the short story became clear.

There were six illustrations and two musical pieces.

Each illustration was exquisitely crafted, rich in meaning; the music was equally awe-inspiring.

Then came the words.

"This is the definitive end of the century; the planet, once the cradle of all living beings, has perished today."

A white mist swept across the world, and amidst the anguished wails of all species, every brilliant, beautiful, and tragic... civilization was destined to end at this moment.

...

"It seems this is the divine punishment that befalls humanity after digging its own grave."

A profound sense of desolation washed over him, as just a few lines evoked a vision of hopelessness and doom, immersing him in the sorrowful tale with its accompanying music and illustrations, both painful and heart-wrenching.

The low piano notes seemed to weep.

The music was filled with intricate emotions, transporting him, in a daze, to another world.

Before him lay a ravaged landscape, the world fragmented, bodies strewn across the ground, with cries of agony echoing ceaselessly, a haunting sight.

The world was dying; this was no exaggeration.

Kudo couldn't help but shed more tears, instinctively reaching out to touch that desolate world, but all he could feel was the coldness of the computer screen.

He was stunned, for the first time truly aware of the power of words—so deafening and clear!

It blurred the lines between virtual and reality.

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