Errata Across the Ages

The world isn't generated by running. It's made through proofreading. The first time Xu Ci saw the annotations behind reality, he learned that everyone's identity, memories, relationships, and even history might be no more than the “current version.” Those who don't fit the rules become typos; inexplicable facts are corrected; contradictory pasts have to be merged; and every blank space must eventually be filled by someone. At first, Xu Ci only wanted to know who was editing reality. Later, he realized that the more dangerous question was never “Who has the power to rewrite the world?” It was: Who gets to decide what counts as a mistake? Authors, editors, co-commenters, networks of responsibility, public systems, future generations... One seemingly more reasonable answer after another appeared, only to become a new throne. So Xu Ci began doing something increasingly absurd: Instead of seizing ultimate authority, he started dismantling, one by one, all the positions that “must have someone responsible,” “must have an owner,” “must have a final answer,” or “must prove their worth.” Until the world had no choice but to face the final question: If reality can never become one complete, unified, absolutely correct version... Does it still deserve to exist? Xu Ci's answer was simple. Don't change people just yet. First, let's see if the answer key is the thing that's wrong.