Chapter 397
A jarringly disconcerting scene unfolded before my eyes.
On one side is Aglaea, the current ruler of Ochema and leader of the Golden Kin, offering a sincere invitation to the guests from beyond the heavens to join them in the great undertaking of "Re-creation" and save the world from the apocalypse ravaged by the Black Tide.
On the other side was their strongest backer, the great being who would never disappoint. Ai Yue's cold assertion, like the Grim Reaper, delivered the final judgment on this world, claiming that the so-called Journey of Chasing Fire was nothing but a mirage, an unattainable destination.
"What's wrong?" Although Xing and Dan Heng didn't answer, Aglaea, being Golden Kin who could see into people's hearts, could sense the change in their emotions even though she hadn't yet applied the golden threads to the two in front of her. "Do you still have doubts about what I said?"
"Of course not, Ms. Aglaea, thank you for your trust." Dan Heng was the first to react, then tried to smooth things over, "It's just that we're new here and do need to understand the situation in Onfaros before we can make any promises to you—this is for the benefit of both of us."
"Mr. Dan Heng is truly meticulous; it seems I was a bit too hasty." Seeing the sudden change in their attitudes, Aglaea didn't show much emotional fluctuation, proving herself worthy of being the leader of the Golden Kin. "But regardless of whether you agree or not, I hope to receive a promise from you."
"Please promise me: no matter what, you must not reveal the existence of the 'Outer Heavens' to the citizens, okay?"
Xing and Dan Heng exchanged a glance, not feeling too surprised.
If they were just ordinary newcomers, they might find such rules puzzling. After all, even on the ice-covered planet Arillow-VI, people are aware of the existence of the universe. It is indeed very rare for Onfaros to block news of the outer world.
But this is not a normal world after all; it is a sealed-off experimental field. Therefore, the controller of this experimental field will naturally try every means to prevent the people inside from contacting the outside world. The fact that Aglaea and the others can understand the outer world is actually quite surprising to the Nameless Guest.
Therefore, they agreed without asking any further questions, and Aglaia tactfully left Aglaea, giving the two of them the opportunity to explore Ochema freely.
The two quickly got to work, ostensibly exploring Ochema, but actually communicating with Ai Yue.
"Mr. Ai Yue, what did you find?" Dan Heng and Xing walked side by side down the street, looking around, but their attention was focused on the glowing humanoid figure floating in front of them. "How is this world stuck?"
"Before you understand this matter, you must first understand the underlying logic of this world," Ai Yue explained. "The inner world of Onfaros is constantly iterating through 'reincarnation.' In this process, the entire world evolves towards the tasks pre-set by the mastermind behind it, ultimately achieving his expectations."
"The birth of the Great Extinguisher, is that it?" Dan Heng nodded, clearly understanding Ai Yue's words easily. "Does the Card Master mean that this world cannot complete its iteration and can only endlessly repeat the current history?"
"Yes, this scene has happened countless times... I haven't counted the exact number, but it must have happened at least thirty million times." Ai Yue nodded, a subtle look on his face. "Although we haven't found the source of this vicious cycle yet, I have a clue... I can only say, it's quite interesting."
"This vicious cycle was caused by someone?" Xing blinked, then looked around. "Doesn't that mean that these people being used as experimental subjects are rebelling against this experiment?"
"That's right, that's why I said it's interesting." Ai Yue smiled. "It shows that, through continuous iteration, someone has broken through the original constraints and grown to a level that even the mastermind behind the scenes didn't anticipate, thus being able to interfere with this experiment from a higher dimension and disrupt the other party's plan."
"The world is saving itself—and those who defy fate should naturally receive a reward of equal weight."
"It's clear that Brother Yue is truly interested this time." Xing could tell what Ai Yue was thinking from his admiring tone. "The mastermind behind this place is going to be in big trouble."
"What should we do?" Dan Heng continued, "Do we need help?"
"No need. You are already part of this world, so you can take a different path from me." Ai Yue waved his hand. "Let nature take its course. Whether you lend a helping hand to the Golden Kin or choose to observe from the sidelines, don't stray too far from them. Observe this world and come to your own conclusions."
Ai Yue did not ask Xing and Dan Heng for help. After all, as nameless guests, they should also walk their own path. As elders, it would be too useless to take up the time of the younger generation to explore the world.
Anyway, there are other people who can be exploited.
After parting ways with the two once again and telling them to be careful, Ai Yue hid his clone in the underlying code, and then gradually withdrew his consciousness from it, leaving only the most basic vigilance.
Having gathered a lot of information, it's time to settle accounts with Black Tower and the others.
When his consciousness returned to the train, Ai Yue saw Black Tower and Screwllum standing beside him, still looking at him, just as they had been during his time in Onfaros.
No, it should be said that the time was so short that they didn't have time to do anything else.
The flow of time inside and outside Onfaros is different— Ai Yue had realized this long ago. After all, before the more than 30 million cycles of reincarnation were stuck inside Onfaros, that world had undergone countless iterations. If the time inside and outside were truly synchronized, then Onfaros obviously wouldn't have that much time.
This demonstrates the superiority of using a simulated world for iteration, since the real world cannot so easily adjust the flow of time to give experimenters endless years and the opportunity to start over repeatedly.
"Time is of the essence, so I'll get straight to the point and avoid interruptions." To get back as soon as possible and prevent any unforeseen events from occurring within Onfaros, Ai Yue quickly shared the information he had gathered with the two men, "... This is part of the underlying code I obtained; it might be useful to you."
After packaging and sending the discovered underlying operating logic of Onfaros to the two geniuses, Ai Yue immersed himself back into Onfaros. His immediate priority was to find the god who had blocked the entire Onfaros, from whom he might be able to obtain clearer and more complete information.
As Ai Yue fell silent again, Black Tower, who had just been about to hack into the Onfaros firewall, suddenly lost her temper. She looked through the Onfaros underlying data code that Ai Yue had sent her and shook her head slightly. "I have a feeling... we're just here to ride the wave of the situation."
"It's normal to have such thoughts, after all, Mr. Ai Yue's methods are truly admirable." Screwllum expressed his understanding, then added, "However, Mr. Ai Yue lacks understanding of the current state of the universe, and that's where we can help him. Conclusion: Don't be pessimistic, Black Tower."
"Who's pessimistic? I was just making a comment!" Heita retorted stubbornly. "Alright, let's get to work. Hopefully, Ai Yue will wake up a little later next time, at least until we've done something, right?"
"Leave the firewall to me. I brought an external thinking loop, which is more efficient in this area." Screwllum head slightly. "The task of analyzing the underlying code of Onfaros is yours. That data is not coherent, and analyzing it may require more human imagination."
"Alright," Heita didn't say anything, but glanced at Ai Yue again, afraid that he would suddenly stand up and say something like, "I've already disassembled the underlying code of Onfaros." "I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I feel like this time it's gone a little too smoothly?"
"Rationally speaking, with someone like Mr. Ai Yue actively involved in this experiment, its success is only natural." Screwllum had already begun working on cracking the firewall. "But if we are really facing that genius... I'm afraid there will be some twists and turns later on."
Ai Yue was naturally unaware of the conversation between the two geniuses. At this moment, he had just returned to Onfaros and was controlling his clone left here to float into the virtual space—and then he discovered that Xing and Dan Heng were not there.
How much time has passed? Have those two already run away from Ochema?
Such a thought crossed Ai Yue's mind, then he shook his head—not to mention that he had instructed the two to stay with the Golden Kin, even if they ran away, most of Onfaros was now shrouded in the Black Tide; where could they possibly run to?
As Ai Yue pondered, he moved in a certain direction. He had anticipated this situation, so he had set up some kind of beacon on Xing in advance so that he could track the other party's location.
Although the distance seems a bit far at the moment, it's not really a problem in this virtual space.
But at that very moment, he suddenly sensed something and looked in another direction.
This feeling... [Three private cold fins] Er Er < like Dad Temple [...
At this moment, "Fate has reached a dead end."
Three identical red-haired girls are exploring the now-silent, cold temple.
They are the "Tiresias," the saints of Januspolis, the Golden Kin who obtained the "Path" fire. This power granted them the ability to open the Gate of a Hundred Realms and freely travel through Onfaros, but it also caused a once mature and benevolent woman to transform into a thousand stars scattered across the earth.
Yes, as the price for obtaining the power of the "Path" fire, Tiresias multiplied into thousands, becoming countless messengers traversing Onfaros, traveling between various city-states in Journey of Chasing Fire. But their power eventually came to an end, and whenever their power was exhausted, one of their clones would extinguish.
Now, of the original thousand stars, only three remain, and...
"Tibao, Tining, what are you whispering about?"
Watching the other two girls talk to each other, Tian, whose eye was covered by her bangs, couldn't help but ask curiously.
Faced with the question from her other self, Tibao opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
They were all Tiresias, and thus shared the same mind and thoughts, completely sharing each other's memories. However, at this moment, Tian could no longer even sense their own communication, which meant that her power was so severely depleted that it had endangered her own existence.
If this continues, Tian will probably...
Tibao's silence seemed highly suspicious at this moment, but fortunately, Tian didn't care. Instead, she pulled the two of them to search the house. They had come here to uncover the past of the oracle and seek the help of the Titan of Time in order to clear up the murky memories of the past.
When asking someone for a favor, one should not go empty-handed. Therefore, before performing the ritual, it is best to find some Saffron Rui, a traditionally essential item for the ceremony.
But the Abyss of Fate was too silent at this moment. They used to be able to hear the voice of the Titan of Time, Oronis, here, but now only their footsteps could be heard.
It was as if the Titan of Time did not want to see them and had hidden itself in the mist.
"Something's not right." Finally, Tining stopped in her tracks. A ribbon was wrapped around her eyes, and she seemed calmer than the other two versions of herself. "Tibao, Tian, we have to go."
Tibao looked at Tining, and then heard her say, "There are other people here."
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Tibao looked surprised, but Tian, who could no longer hear the conversation, focused her attention on a piece of black rag on the ground. She picked it up, looking puzzled. "What is this? I feel like I've seen it somewhere before?"
The next second, a violent storm descended from the sky!
"Bang!"
With a heavy thud, the three girls were thrown back by the impact. When they looked toward the source of the sound, despite their pain, they saw a tall figure in a black robe holding a sharp weapon, watching them intently.
Oh no, it's that bad guy!
A memory immediately surfaced in Tibao's mind: the strange black-clad men they had encountered not long ago when they were helping Anaxagoras evacuate from the Divine Enlightenment Tree Court, and who came to steal the fire.
He was incredibly powerful and his moves were unpredictable. Even though Bai E and the others were present, they couldn't do anything to him. In the end, they only managed to escape by being teleported away by the Gate of a Hundred Realms.
And now...
Tibao subconsciously looked around, only to find several other blurry figures not far away, blocking all their way.
The man in black didn't give them much time to think, immediately commanding the phantoms to rush forward. But the most quick-witted Tining reacted just as quickly, standing in front of her two other versions of herself, using her last strength to unleash—
"Please don't use it again."
Just as the power of the "Gateway" was about to be activated, a voice reached Tining's ears, and then her power miraculously flowed back, even seeming to be strengthened slightly.
However, Tining had no time to care about such things. She stared blankly ahead, feeling the unprecedented radiance shining upon her.
It was a glowing white figure. He simply raised his hand, dispelling all the dark figures and simultaneously blocking the attack from the man in black.
"Finally found you, buddy." Ai Yue glanced at the top of the other person's head and smiled. "Shall we talk somewhere else?"
In Ai Yue's view, everyone is like an NPC in a game, bearing a name.
For example, Bai E has "neikos496" marked above his head; and the man in black in front of us has...
It's also "neikos496".
Chapter 103 Laigushi, Declaring War!
When Tibao opened her eyes again, she saw the worried faces of Bai E and the others.
This is --
"Teacher Tibao, you're finally awake." Seeing Tibao regain consciousness, Bai E breathed a sigh of relief and smiled slightly. "Next time..."
"Tian!" Tibao didn't have the energy to pay attention to what he was saying; she just looked around in a panic. "Where is Tian?!"
Her memory remained stuck in the last moment before she lost consciousness. In that instant, she clearly saw that it was Tining who confronted the terrifying man in black alone.
Then she saw that the other two versions of herself were leaning on her, one on each side. Although they were still unconscious, they were not in any danger.
That's great, really great.
Tibao felt her strength drain away from her body in an instant, causing her to lie back down, but this time she smiled.
How could the already extremely weak Tian have saved them from the men in black? Tibao couldn't imagine, but whether it was Titan's protection or some other miracle, she sincerely prayed in her heart and was grateful for their kindness.
Even though one day everyone will have to part ways, she greedily hopes that time can be delayed, and delayed even more...
"So, Teacher Tibao, what happened to you?" Seeing that Tibao had relaxed, Bai E continued, "We searched the surrounding area but didn't find any suspicious traces... Why did you collapse here?"
As they were talking, Tian and Tining also woke up one after the other. The three of them reacted in exactly the same way, which showed that they were indeed the same person.
"We encountered that swordsman in black robes." Tibao gripped Tian and Tining's hands tightly before continuing, "But I don't remember what happened after that... Tian, you were closest to him, weren't you?"
"Hmm, let me think..." Tian unconsciously touched her lips, then shook her head. "I don't remember, I just remember a white light... and then it's now!"
"White light?" Upon hearing this, Dan Heng and Xing, who hadn't originally intended to interrupt, exchanged a glance, then asked, "Could we have seen wrong? That black-robed swordsman doesn't seem to have used such a technique before."
"Perhaps it wasn't him, but someone else who saved Teacher Tibao and the others." Bai E shook his head. "In any case, it's very likely that the flame of Orionis is now in his hands, and we must find him!"
"Calm down, Bai E." Dan Heng, who had already realized that Ai Yue was involved, advised, "You escort Tibao and the others back to Ochema, leave this to us."
"No, without our help, you have no chance of escaping from him," Tibao tried to stand up again. "Let Tian and Tining go back; I'll stay and help you."
"Tibao, Tining, leave this to me!" Unexpectedly, Tian raised her hand enthusiastically. "I feel really energetic right now!"
Tibao looked at her with a subtle gaze, trying to find a way to dissuade her, after all, Tian was the weakest of the three... Eh?
The thoughts swirling in Tibao's mind vanished the moment she sensed Tian's condition, for what appeared in her senses was an incredibly powerful force!
This means that Tian did not continue to weaken, but instead, for some unknown reason, became the strongest among them.
But this is so strange! Something must have happened back then, right?
Tibao stared blankly at the proud-looking Tian, with only one thought in her mind.
Could this really be... a gift from some deity?
"This should be about right."
At this moment, the person whom Tibao regarded as a god finally found a remote and quiet place, and then casually released the man in black who had been choking him. "Shall we talk? Bai E, or should I call you by another name?"
The man in black, who had struggled all the way but failed to escape Ai Yue's clutches, wanted to take this opportunity to flee, but stopped in his tracks after hearing these words. He turned around, staring intently at the humanoid silhouette radiating white light before him, and after a moment, uttered a hoarse, broken question, "Who... are you?"
"That depends on what kind of story you're going to tell." Ai Yue shrugged. "Of course, judging from all the current signs, I should be the one here to help you—you're the one who created this vicious cycle, right? And for what reason?"
The man in black looked at him silently for a moment before replying, "To prevent... its birth."
"That matches up." Hearing the answer he wanted, Ai Yue nodded in satisfaction before asking, "Next question, what's with this amount of data?"
When Ai Yue first saw the other person, he wanted to ask a question: As someone who is half a person, the black-clad man's data should have been missing and incomplete like Bai E's, but he was unusually "huge". This hugeness does not refer to his size, but to the total amount of data he possessed.
That number was clearly so abnormal that it could not be explained by common sense.
Even Ai Yue could only discern that most of the data exhibited astonishing consistency, leading him to preliminarily deduce that the other party was continuously collecting something within these more than 30 million infinite loops.
"Collect, the spark."
Upon hearing Ai Yue's question, the man in black remained silent for a moment before reaching into his own chest. Amidst countless fragments of dissipated power, he retrieved a deep blue object from his body that resembled both a tear and a flame. Within it, a pattern formed by linked stars could be seen.
Is this the spark?
Ai Yue had overheard Aglaea's conversation with the nameless guests, so he naturally knew that the Golden Kin were collecting these things to complete the great task of Re-creation. He never expected that the man in black was doing the same thing.
But if the Golden Kin are aiming to Re-creation, then what is the purpose of the men in black? If both sides share the same goal, they shouldn't fight each other, unless the other side's purpose is completely contrary to that of the Golden Kin.