Inside a hall filled with a metallic, high-tech visual effect, researchers dressed in special protective suits hurried back and forth.
In the center of the hall is a huge machine that connects to the ceiling. It looks like a condensed version of a supercomputer, and there are many computer-like screens around it for the researchers below to operate at any time.
At this moment, several people with solemn expressions were gathered around one of the quantum computers.
They discussed in hushed tones as they operated the quantum computer.
"Here we go again! Another shock to consciousness!"
A young man on the left, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and looking refined, stared intently at the data on the screen, his brow furrowed. "And it's on a massive scale, involving at least hundreds of thousands of consciousnesses!"
On the right, a middle-aged man with a receding hairline cursed angrily, "Damn parasites! Are we really powerless to do anything but watch them wreak havoc?"
Upon hearing this, the three colleagues beside him exchanged glances, shook their heads, and sighed, "Until we pinpoint the exact location of the target, there's truly nothing we can do."
"That kind of talk again!!" The Mediterranean man's hair stood on end, his entire head resembling a blooming sunflower. "It seems we're forever stuck on this problem! We never get a useful solution!"
The young man with the gold-rimmed glasses kindly comforted him, "Don't be angry. You know the target is very cunning. Last time, during the location erasure, we somehow managed to have a main consciousness take its place and be erased, turning an extermination operation into a serious accident. Since then, we've been extremely hesitant and passive, not knowing how to proceed for a long time. Now, being able to narrow down the range by monitoring consciousness oscillations is already a huge step forward. You can imagine that the day when we can pinpoint the exact location isn't too far off."
Faced with his colleague's words of comfort, the Mediterranean man's anger turned into a cold laugh.
He glanced at the gold-rimmed glasses with an ambiguous expression and scoffed, "Not far off? Like the ancient concept of 'forever fifty years'?"
The young man was astonished.
His throat bobbed a few times, then he fell silent, not responding to his words.
Seeing this, the Mediterranean man sneered again, "I told you long ago that we should act decisively and cleanly. Forget about the main consciousness and the sub-consciousness; as long as we determine the general area, we should wipe them out in batches! Let's see where that damned parasite can hide now! Why be so hesitant and powerless like today?"
"No, no..." those around them exclaimed, "That would have a terrible impact! Erasing one main consciousness is already a very serious incident; if more happens, we'll all be sent to prison!"
"This won't work, that won't work, is there some faster, more effective way?" The Mediterranean man, spitting as he argued, retorted, "You're all so hesitant and indecisive! If we have a few more shocks like this, our fate will be worse than going to jail!"
The people around hesitated.
But he still habitually shook his head. "No, no."
In a noisy and chaotic environment.
The tall man in the center, who had been silent until now and was wearing a mask, suddenly shouted in a deep voice, "Are you all very free today? Instead of making a racket here, you should do more screening to try and locate the target as soon as possible!"
The tall, masked man's voice rang out.
The group of people who had been making a racket just moments before immediately fell silent.
Several of them tapped and pulled their wrists together, pulling out their personal computers and typing on the optical keyboards as they turned to leave, appearing very focused and busy.
Even a few researchers who happened to be passing by in the distance quickened their pace, trying to pass through in a shorter amount of time.
Not long after.
In front of the enormous machine, only three people remained: a tall man wearing a mask, a young man with gold-rimmed glasses, and a man with a receding hairline.
The Mediterranean man seemed to have exhausted himself in the recent brawl, and now appeared somewhat tired and panting.
The young man with the gold-rimmed glasses gently pushed up his glasses, hesitated for a moment, and then softly suggested to the tall man, "Although it's a bit extreme, we have to admit that if we continue to let our target run rampant, the situation could easily spiral out of control. We should take some necessary countermeasures, at least to buy some time?"
Upon hearing this, the Mediterranean man's eyes visibly lit up.
The tall, masked man remained silent, deep in thought.
After a while.
He nodded slightly, then turned to the young man with the gold-rimmed glasses. "How's that batch of meta-consciousnesses we specially trained doing? If they haven't been wiped out yet, grant them more permissions."
Before the young man could answer, the Mediterranean man eagerly chimed in, "I'll take care of it! I'll make sure that damned parasite suffers!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than he pulled out his personal terminal and ran off happily.
Watching the Mediterranean man's slightly excited back view.
The young man with the gold-rimmed glasses asked with some concern, "Are we just going to hand it over to him like that? Isn't that too radical?"
"It's alright. Perhaps we were too lenient in the past." The tall, masked man glanced at the enormous machine before him, his tone flat. "Like you said, it's good to buy some time."
After that sentence, the only sounds in that spot in the hall were the hum of machinery.
"How terrifying! It's absolutely horrifying!"
Are we still alive?
"Oh no, do I think I've gone blind?"
"Shut up, all of you! You're giving me a headache!"
"Everyone's escaped death and is venting their emotions, why are you being so fierce?"
"Because I fucking peed my pants!"
"..."
"(Whispering) So what if you wet your pants? I just peed my pants too."
"..."
Inside a dark air-raid shelter, the high priestess in red robes sat quietly against the wall. Although her face was hidden by a mask, her uneven breathing and limp posture revealed that she was extremely weak.
Looking at the priests she had risked her life to save, she remained silent.
Gently remove the mask.
His exposed face was pale and haggard.
If Wang Wen or Cheng Queyi were here, they would definitely recognize the owner of this face.
It was none other than Cheng Queyi's former best friend, the bespectacled girl Yuanyuan.
At the same time, Yuanyuan is also a member of the sisterhood including Du Keke and Xu Wa.
Furthermore, through Mi Lailai's teammates, he brought in Mi Lailai's partner to open a bar together.
All these relationships are connected.
This high priest from the Eastern Continent, who was lurking in the Western Continent, was truly a master of diplomacy.
but.
At this moment, this master of social skills appeared quite dejected.
Leaning against the wall, she helplessly looked up at the ceiling of the air-raid shelter, murmuring in a voice barely audible, "All-powerful Lord, what should I do? The target is far too powerful. Compared to him, the strength we've accumulated over the years is like a firefly under the bright moon, utterly insignificant..."
Hearing the muffled voice, the priests who had been watching her quickly moved closer, bowed respectfully, and asked, "High Priestess, thank you for saving our lives. Please do not hesitate to ask if there is anything we can do."
The high priest did not receive a reply from the "Lord".
He shook his head bitterly.
He lowered his head and put the mask back on.
He stood up, faced everyone in the room, and softly said, "Colleagues, this time, undeniably, I must admit, we have failed..."
A sound was heard.
The air-raid shelter was completely silent.
The surviving priests were dejected, their expressions sorrowful, and the entire scene was one of utter morale collapse.
Wearing a tattered robe whose color was no longer discernible, the high priest tried to compose himself and comfort the crowd, "You've all worked hard for many years. Take this opportunity to rest and go home to spend time with your families."
A voice filled with resentment rose from the silence. "High Priest, are we just going to admit defeat like this? Are we just going to give up on this grand plan we've built over so many years?"
"The enemy was too powerful; we did our best." The high priest's voice trembled, and he smiled bitterly, "I did my best too."
This sentence seemed to evoke memories of Wang Wen in everyone.
No more voices of resentment could be heard from inside the arena.
Everyone was silently observing their surroundings.
Like a group of homeless wanderers, their "career" that they had persisted in for many years has ended, but they are still alive, so they are lost and do not know where to go next.
The first person let out a choked sob.
The situation became unmanageable.
The emotions that everyone had been suppressing suddenly surged forth like a flood.
Some wept silently.
Some burst into loud sobs.
People banging their heads on the ground in heart-wrenching pain are everywhere.
The high priest, standing at the very center of the crowd, was enveloped and overwhelmed by this intense sorrow, trembling uncontrollably like a withered leaf in the wind.
Water droplets eventually dripped from beneath the masked face.
Just when this emotion was so intense that someone almost couldn't resist committing suicide to atone for their sins,...
The ceiling of the air-raid shelter.
Suddenly, a beam of light appeared in the seemingly impenetrable cement wall.
A beam of light appeared out of nowhere, fell steadily, and enveloped the trembling high priest.
The people around them were suddenly awakened.
They thought it was an enemy attack that had struck again from afar.
They quickly and tacitly set up Isolation Grand Formation they had practiced for many years in an attempt to protect the high priest.
The high priest suddenly stretched out his hand to stop everyone's actions.
She tilted her head slightly, looking at the beam of light overhead.
His trembling body stabilized, and his emotions returned to calm.
for a long time.
Under everyone's questioning gaze, her voice rang out once more.
This time, however, the voice was incredibly firm and powerful. "Friends, our Lord has bestowed upon us new strength!"