Chapter 521

Mei's words made Prometheus pause... Then the girl's eyes seemed to change, as if she really wanted him to say it.

"So, how about this? I'm following Dr. Mei's position according to my understanding."

Why would I help them? It's because I'm carrying out Dr. Mei's will. The Stigmata Plan has always been the worst project. If there's a chance to change it, she would definitely want to change it.

Why does it feel like... they're forcing the little girl a bit? Kiana and the others have strange expressions, as if they've done something they shouldn't have.

"Bronya, to the core of the Herrscher of Reason, the Stigmata Plan is an external hack. It hijacked 300,000 thoughts within the core, causing them to naturally lose their original stories and become slaves to the Stigmata Plan. And since the Stigmata Plan is a dream, then for you, the simplest remedy is of course... to wake them up."

"Wake them up? I know how to do that. Do I need to do it myself?"

Shen Gonglin, who had been AFK, finally found an opportunity to show off. Her blue constructive abilities gathered in her hand and eventually turned into a megaphone. Shen Gonglin has always enjoyed doing this kind of destructive action.

"... No, that doesn't mean you need to personally grab a megaphone and shout into the fragments of consciousness... Could you ask him to stop? My head is starting to hurt. What you should do is use your remaining Herrscher power to mimic the reverse signal that uses the same encoding method as the Stigmata Plan, and concentrate your efforts to suppress it locally. Once we achieve a breakthrough at a certain point using this method, you might be able to cause a huge disturbance and ultimately tear apart this fictional web that's trapping you."

Having stopped Shen Gonglin's actions, he can still use the power of the Herrscher of Reason. It seems his Herrscher of Reason Core and Bronya's Herrscher of Reason Core are completely different entities, with no connection whatsoever. And Bronya is about to perform this operation; if my guess is correct, it should be very useful.

"I see. Is it a tactic of fighting poison with poison?"

Bronya easily understood Prometheus's words. So that's the principle. Thinking about it carefully, it does seem quite plausible.

"Yes. Of course, there is a price to pay for doing so. We cannot guarantee that the 300,000 ideas themselves will not be harmed in the process. In order to bring them back together... you may lose some of them forever."

After explaining the risks of this approach, Prometheus thought Bronya would hesitate, but the emotionless girl simply shook her head. She had already prepared herself for such a price.

"It's alright. After all, Bronya had already made this decision before. The core legacy of the Herrscher of Reason has been passed down to this day. Its value lies in fighting for humanity, not in existing somewhere on its own. I'm ready."

Chapter 410 Melancholy

Having anticipated this development, Bronya showed no fear whatsoever, as Bronya was well aware of it as Herrscher of Reason.

"Since Welt Joyce sacrificed himself at the beginning of this story, Bronya will definitely not hesitate to act for the sake of so-called historical value in Bronya's chapter."

Understanding the girl's resolve, Prometheus nodded calmly, relieved. He hadn't expected such a seemingly fragile girl to have such awareness. But upon reflection, he realized he had seen many girls like her before.

"Very good. So, the problem we need to solve now lies in the matter of mimicking signals themselves. Now, Bronya Zaychek, get ready. I will show you all the underlying code that I can understand. The origin of the Stigmata Plan is a genetic engineering project. Moreover... code is, in essence, the most powerful narrative tool that humanity can master."

After explaining their plans, the girls had a little time to prepare. Kiana was telling Shen Gonglin about what they were going to do next in a language she could understand, while Bronya quietly came to Shen Gonglin's side. What were they talking about?

"Simply put, Bronya is different from powerful Herrscher like me and Mei. She hasn't undergone Ascension yet... I feel that Ascension is a deep communication with the core. Think about how fierce the conflict between me and the Herrscher of the Void was back then? I'm not too clear about Mei's situation with the Herrscher of Thunder Mei, but it must have been very difficult. In comparison, Bronya's Herrscherization was much easier, so I guess she's going to get a beating soon. Do you understand what I'm saying, Shen Gonglin?"

As soon as I arrived, I heard Kiana spouting nonsense. Although what she said wasn't wrong in a certain sense, why did I feel so annoyed? And why did Shen Gonglin look so sympathetic? Did they really want to see me get beaten up by someone?

Did I somehow end up eating their rice? Kiana could accept Bronya's "bad intentions," since she was actually trying to cuckold her, but why was Shen Gonglin agreeing with her? You ungrateful idiot.

"Also, next up should be the so-called 'tech geeks save the world,' or something like that. Prometheus is going to tell Bronya some code... and I don't know the specific principles behind it, but with that code, Bronya should be able to regain some of the Herrscher of Reason's power, which seems to have a lot of benefits for us in the Stigmata Plan."

Listening carefully to Kiana's explanation, Shen Gonglin suddenly felt enlightened. So that's how it is. You could understand when I said Shen Gonglin save the world. Now Prometheus is going to teach Bronya something called code, and... I get it.

"Shen Gonglin, Bronya needs help."

When did Kiana become a "commentator"? Bronya originally planned to come over and explain things to Shen Gonglin, since her conversation with Prometheus might be a bit hard to understand. But unexpectedly, Kiana had already explained it to Shen Gonglin. So the emotionless girl could only quietly huddle next to Shen Gonglin.

She needs to make her presence known to him a little. As the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, Kiana is quite good at "showing off," which is probably why Shen Gonglin often gives her treats.

"Hmm? How can I help you?"

Kiana's easy-to-understand explanation made Shen Gonglin nod repeatedly. Now she understood. Kiana was truly remarkable. She had matured a lot and was indeed worthy of being the class representative. However, looking at Bronya was leaning closer, Shen Gonglin was a little confused.

How can I help Bronya now? To be honest, Shen Gonglin feels like she's less useful than a broken record.

"Having learned too much, Bronya felt a little tired and needed a hug."

Bronya slammed her little head against Shen Gonglin's chest and mumbled. Only someone of her height could do something like that. To do so, Bronya even stood on the ground from the Heavy-duty Rabbit. The girl closed her eyes and leaned her weight against Shen Gonglin. Although she wanted to act cute, she was also really tired.

"Oh, is that alright?"

It's no big deal. Shen Gonglin thought she wanted to borrow money. If it's just a hug, then it's no big deal. Shen Gonglin reached out and put her arm around the girl's waist. For Shen Gonglin now, a hug is as simple as eating or drinking. In a way, Shen Gonglin has also grown up.

"Okay, let's keep it like this for a little while."

Having finally gotten some rest, Bronya closed her eyes and quietly leaned against Shen Gonglin's chest. This made Kiana on the other side a little jealous. How did Bronya manage to seize the opportunity? Damn it, I'm so envious.

"Calm down, Kiana. We all need to take some time to adjust. Let Bronya rest for a while; she's under more pressure than any of us."

Mei, being the most obedient and sensible of the three starter families, tried to dissuade Mei. As expected of the most sensible girl, Kiana said that it was just a matter of letting Bronya rest for a while.

"Oh... if Mei, you had held my hand a little looser, I might have believed you more. Bronya, that girl, really knows how to seize opportunities."

Kiana initially thought Mei was calm, but seeing the slightly white knuckles on the girl's small hand gripping hers, Kiana's lips twitched. It seemed Mei wasn't as calm as she claimed... But why was she so agitated? Kiana was worried Bronya was taking advantage of Shen Gonglin, and she... No way? She and Mei had just reconciled; were they going to quarrel again over something like this?

The thought of this possibility instantly made Kiana conflicted. This was truly a difficult situation. How could a girl like Mei possibly...? Sigh, it was really exhausting. Who could bear this? Kiana sensed the adult's worries, and the girl sadly raised her head. What should she do?

My best friend is also thinking about her husband. What should I do?

Chapter 411

"Are you ready? If you are, I'm going to start trying. I'm going to explain it to you in a new way. If you're not ready yet, you can wait a little longer."

Not quite understanding their interaction, Prometheus spoke up to remind them, and her words finally managed to free Bronya from Shen Gonglin's arms. Kiana and Mei breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully it had stopped, otherwise they would have called the police.

"Bronya is ready, but what do you mean by the other way?"

Having replenished the necessary Rin element—an element they frequently replenished—and with Sister Purple's description of it so aptly, Bronya now felt energized. She was ready to take on ten opponents; the rest was up to her.

"That's it."

Bronya didn't know what Prometheus had done, but she felt a sudden darkness before her eyes. When she opened them again, she found herself in a strange space, which was similar to the quantum realm, but this time it felt like a data space. Her teammates had disappeared, and only Prometheus was beside her.

"... What did you do?"

Bronya's previous experience in the World Bubble had given her a basic level of trust in Prometheus, so she didn't feel any hostility towards him in this current environment. The fact that the environment had suddenly changed to this state was undoubtedly Prometheus's doing.

"It's easier to let the Stigmata Plan tell you itself than to explain its underlying code to you using a grammar book. Or are you a little overwhelmed by your current busy schedule? If so, I can try to get Shen Gonglin to come in and give you a hug."

Prometheus explained very seriously, her expressionless face revealing whether she was joking or serious. Bronya blushed at her words, feeling as if she were being teased. She didn't need Shen Gonglin to come in and hug her!

She's making herself sound like some little girl who always needs comforting, but she doesn't need that... She's not Kiana.

"No need, tell me your plans."

Bronya shook her head, indicating that she didn't need her parents by her side, and in fact, Bronya felt more like the parent herself.

"The most fundamental logic of the Stigmata Plan is called Existence. This is the basis upon which fiction can stand, and the origin of all abstract concepts. Above Existence... well, the terminology isn't important. In short, they express the two most important properties of Existence: substance and change. Let's deal with the enemy in front of us first, or rather... the firewall."

Knowing that Bronya could understand his way of explaining things, Prometheus was able to communicate with Bronya more effectively, explaining the principles behind what he was doing. At this moment, an enemy, like a firewall, appeared in front of them, so they fought and talked at the same time.

Bronya silently summoned her Heavy-duty Rabbit to fight, while Prometheus continued his explanation to Bronya.

"Ideas are the core unit of the Stigmata Plan. Ideas enlighten people, reflecting the outline of what is called truth. Ideas will always fall into contradictions... However, it is in this way that they express their existence and eliminate the boundary between reality and fiction. In the Stigmata Plan, life is the most direct idea, and the absolute is the highest idea. This project designs the absolute of life within fiction... so that it can be liberated from individuality and become a truth that transcends itself. And the price of this transcendence, in its most common form, is death."

When Prometheus left the Shen Gonglin, Kiana, and the others and faced Bronya alone, he seemed to have let loose and spoke to her in the most efficient way possible. This Herrscher of Reason had excellent comprehension skills, and he could finally speak such a long passage without any obstacles. If he had said it in front of those idiots, they definitely wouldn't have understood.

"Individual life is hard to resist death because it is a contradiction in itself. Life seeks its universality through fiction, but it exists only as an individual. Therefore... for the Stigmata Plan, the death of an individual is the advancement of the spirit. After all, in its view, civilization is originally built from the bones and last words of generations."

With the story finished, Bronya's battle was nearing its end. Their private chat concluded, and another familiar daze washed over her as Bronya returned to "reality." The girl rubbed her temples; the knowledge Prometheus had imparted was obscure and difficult to understand, and...

"Hmm... this really is..."

"Bronya, are you alright? What's wrong? Do you suddenly have a headache?"

They had no idea what Bronya had just gone through. To Kiana and the others, Bronya had just suddenly become unwell. What was going on?

"It's alright. Bronya has come to understand what it's like to talk directly to a mechanical system other than the Heavy-duty Rabbit."

Bronya rubbed her head and tried to force a smile at her worried friends. Sure enough, not all mechanical devices are as obedient as Heavy-duty Rabbit; this was a terrible experience.

"This is the most reasonable channel width for you, taking into account both efficiency and capacity."

Prometheus explained the scientific basis of his method, and given Bronya's capacity to understand, there was no problem.

"So... otherwise, machines would try to overwhelm our brains with information, right?"

Mei said this, and this statement caught Prometheus's attention. It seems that the Herrscher of Reason isn't the only one with a good head; the Herrscher of Thunder also has the potential to become the Herrscher of Reason.

"A very interesting point. Even if all the brains of all the wise men of mankind from ancient times to the present were combined, they would not be able to handle the vast amount of data that machines can manipulate. If a machine wants to deal with humans, then this is the simplest and most practical technique."

"But they can't deal with the Herrscher of Thunder."

For some reason, Mei crossed her arms and puffed out her Mei, looking exceptionally proud, though no one knew what she was proud of.

"... That's true. However, this topic is irrelevant to your current predicament, so let's focus our attention back on the Herrscher of Reason."

Chapter 412 The Way to Restore Strength

The important thing now is Bronya's condition. Turning his attention back to her, Prometheus explained what he had done before and everything he was doing now was to help Bronya return to being a true Herrscher of Reason.

"Bronya, I just helped you familiarize yourself with the underlying code architecture of the Stigmata Plan in the shortest amount of time. Now, although your Herrscher power is almost gone... as long as you reclaim those 300,000 thoughts step by step, you can still become a complete, true Herrscher of Reason. However, precisely because of this, instead of aimlessly traversing all nodes, you still need some heuristic algorithms to find the critical path. On top of that, if everyone applies their strategies properly... then, just as I just rehearsed in Bronya's mind, the Herrscher of Reason can indeed become the cornerstone that allows you to surpass the Stigmata Plan."

When Prometheus spoke, Shen Gonglin knew this wasn't what she needed to hear. She didn't really understand it anyway, so Shen Gonglin wisely gave up trying to figure it out. All she heard was a string of technical terms coming out of Prometheus's mouth. What was all that? Why were those girls listening so intently? Shen Gonglin thought Prometheus was just babbling on and on with his little mouth open.

It's so strange. I can understand every single word she says, but when they're put together, it sounds like she's speaking a different language. It's really baffling. And then there's that heuristic algorithm she mentioned earlier...

"Heuristic algorithm... does your wording mean that the 300,000 ideas in the core are not absolutely equal, and that Bronya can win this battle by controlling key nodes?"

It doesn't matter if Shen Gonglin doesn't understand, because she has Bronya. Bronya can become Shen Gonglin's brain, and the girl quickly understands Prometheus's meaning. The mechanical girl is also very satisfied with Bronya's excellent comprehension ability. Finally, she doesn't have to spend so much time explaining anymore, which is really tiring.

"It seems you grasped it quickly. So... let's test it right away and see if you can really do it. I will follow the example of those who came before and use the power of the Stigmata Plan to bring forth a new memory for you ahead. If all goes well, your power will at least be restored to the level before the battle at the Gate."

Leading the group forward, a black rhombus-shaped crystal appeared before them. It was different from the rhombus-shaped memory crystal they had encountered before. This crystal... and the practices of the predecessors that Prometheus mentioned, what could this be?

"As for the predecessor... you just met him. I don't need to repeat his name again."

"Welt Joyce... And this memory crystal, it... seems to contain something beyond the memories? What's going on?"

Bronya silently recited the name, then pointed to the memory crystal in front of her and asked the question. This memory crystal was clearly wrong; it was impossible to simply ignore it.

"Very good. It seems you have learned how to identify and classify. The Stigmata Plan used it as a wedge to implant in those 300,000 thoughts... and thus, a certain heterogeneous thing can penetrate the Herrscher of Reason's interior... You may not understand this explanation, but go ahead. You will soon know why."

She gestured for Bronya to step forward and touch the memory crystal, and the girl glanced back at Shen Gonglin and the others before taking a breath and stepping forward alone. She had to break the current stalemate.

Familiar memories overwhelmed Bronya, and the third Herrscher of Reason quickly understood Prometheus's meaning. The girl pondered the place names she had just heard in her memory; was the so-called "heterogeneity" implanted here...? When using Prometheus's method to observe that memory, the third Herrscher of Reason, Bronya, easily discovered the anomaly: Ural Silver Wolf. This name, inherited from Maxim, symbolized Bronya's past, and this Ural...

Bronya sighed. The tower restored the implanted memories to their original state, and with this action, Bronya's power was also restored by a small amount. In the sea of consciousness, Prometheus appeared before her. The mechanical girl crossed her arms and looked at the now-disguised Bronya. It seemed she had succeeded.

"Congratulations, Bronya. You have discovered [her] original secret, the person you guessed. The real problem for you is that, through the Stigmata Plan, she has mixed her memories into your no longer stable core."

Congratulations to Bronya for regaining some of her power. As for the "she" that Prometheus mentioned, Bronya has also made some progress. Feather Rabbit... Judging from her feeling when she saw her, she was indeed quite concerned about her problems.

"So, just as you hinted before... because of the similarities between the Stigmata Plan and the Herrscher of Reason, she is terrified of the Herrscher of Reason's power?"

Is it because of the unique nature of the Herrscher of Reason's power? Is that why she targets her like this? Bronya had this feeling when they first met; she seemed particularly concerned about her, often staring at her with a strange gaze. To be honest, Bronya was quite bothered by this gaze. After all, Bronya wasn't always the "protagonist." If we're talking about special qualities, Bronya felt that Kiana and Mei were more special than her.

"... No, that person's motives may not be like that. But motives are far less important than the actions themselves... Functionally speaking, the information she implanted has the ability to erode and disintegrate the Herrscher of Reason Core. However, we don't need to panic. As long as we do the opposite, you also have a chance to regain the initiative and stand up to her."

They explained in detail what they should do now. Bronya still trusts Prometheus, but the only problem is... Bronya looked around and saw that Kiana, Shen Gonglin, and Mei were not by her side. Where were they?

"Don't worry, I will send them to the location in space where they can escape most easily, just like I did before... Shen Gonglin might get lost, and I will help if necessary. Once you regain the power of the Herrscher of Reason, they will naturally return to reality."

Chapter 413 Birth

Were they relocated elsewhere? Upon hearing Prometheus's arrangement, Bronya focused her attention on the immediate matter. Her task now was to further expose the implanted disguise, leaving it nowhere to hide within the core of the Herrscher of Reason.

"Yes, your summary is very good, just like I thought. We should get along well. The Herrscher of Reason... its power will crumble due to excessive fabrication, and will naturally recover when it returns to reality. So, let's begin."

Talking to her was incredibly easy, and Prometheus genuinely felt comfortable. After all, she had been doing the job of explaining things for a long time, and she had never met anyone who could understand her so easily. If she had human emotions, Prometheus felt that she might even want to become sworn brothers with Bronya. But right now, helping her regain her power was more important.

The surrounding darkness changed, and Bronya felt a chill as the environment changed. Snowflakes landed on her arms, sending a cold sensation through her. But what caught Bronya's attention wasn't the cold touch, but rather... Bronya jumped off the Heavy-duty Rabbit and looked at the surrounding snowfield. Bronya was surprised to find that she had a physical form in this memory.

"This is the space you found within the Herrscher of Reason Core, the original form of the implant you just discovered. Further in, only she, closely connected to the Stigmata Plan, and you, who were originally the Herrscher of Reason, can reach... But the Herrscher Core is, after all, a fixed point in Imaginary Space. If you ignore the difficulties, and simply continue forward, you will pave a path for your companions to cross dimensions and return to reality."

Prometheus's voice appeared in Bronya's ears. The mechanical girl was like a guiding spirit. If they continued to move forward, could they pave a path for their companions to cross dimensions and return to reality? Then Bronya knew what she should do. But before that, there were still things Bronya wanted to know.

"... Bronya, what will you see ahead?"

Although this snowfield was a scene from her hometown, Bronya now felt that she still preferred green grass and flowers. The scene before her reminded Bronya of her childhood... which was certainly not a happy one.

"A twisted heart. You might think of her as... the complete opposite of Welt Joyce. She feared the Herrscher of Reason because of the Stigmata Plan... She also personally envied the Herrscher of Reason. But please don't misunderstand. She is not someone who deliberately opposes you. In any case, you are all daughters of Siberia... all children of the Ural Mountains."

After speaking, Prometheus fell silent, apparently due to a signal interruption. Bronya composed herself and continued forward alone. After a short while, Bronya discovered a ruin. Tanks, armored vehicles, and various war equipment were piled up in a state of disrepair, suggesting that a fierce battle had taken place there. In the center of the ruins, Bronya spotted a figure that seemed completely out of place on the battlefield.

Bronya wanted to get closer, but as soon as she did, she realized... she seemed to be too close. Was she... seeing everything from her perspective?

The "she" that Prometheus spoke of was indeed her.

A familiar-looking girl was kneeling there, helplessly gazing at the sky. She was utterly bewildered; she had so much to experience: her form, her bones, the biting cold wind... and her birth.

In the beginning, she struggled to connect this all-encompassing catastrophe with her own existence. Had she... become human?

Trembling, the white-haired girl raised her hands, gazing at her tiny, delicate hands. This was indeed an unprecedented experience. Compared to other newborns, she, too, had not chosen to come into this world of her own volition, and was equally perplexed, unsure of where she should go. However, unlike infants, from the very first moment of her birth, she already understood language, could distinguish right from wrong, and even knew roughly where she came from... certainly not picked up from a garbage dump, nor given away as a free gift with a phone top-up.