The Universe's Ultimate Answer: 42

Silver Wolf sat in a chair, idly rubbing her wrist.

She had just investigated Ostorli from top to bottom. Although she had uncovered quite a few things, the truly valuable clues still hadn't been pieced together completely.

She raised her hand.

Her fingertip lightly traced through the air.

A pale-blue data window unfolded.

[Target: Bone-Eroding Serpent]

[Current Ranking: 1]

[Class: Identifying...]

[Location: Retrieving...]

Silver Wolf was just about to continue filtering when a chat window suddenly popped up: "He's one of our own. Interested?"

Silver Wolf paused. She raised her eyes. "What? Can't sit still anymore?"

The other party didn't answer immediately. A few seconds later, new text appeared in the window: "He's the number-one player I pushed up."

Silver Wolf propped up her cheek and narrowed her eyes. "Oh~ So he's your front man."

"Hardly." The reply came quickly. "They need a little motivation, after all."

Silver Wolf looked at those words, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly. "Heartless official."

She didn't continue mocking them.

She swung her right hand forward.

In the next moment, silver-blue data streams rose from beneath her feet.

Countless tiny points of light climbed upward along her body, like a teleportation program loading layer by layer. The surrounding space warped ever so slightly.

The scenery around them changed in an instant.

Countless points of Stelle-light hovered beneath the pitch-black dome.

Fine rays of light descended from above. Some were straight, some crisscrossed, and some even split in midair into several entirely different trajectories.

This was Phanes's Sky Tower, as well as the place where she usually observed the world.

Silver Wolf's figure condensed out of thin air. She didn't land, but instead stepped onto a floating platform and glanced around. "Still as hellish as ever."

High above, a figure stood there. Phanes didn't turn around. "This is a win-win."

Silver Wolf walked a circle around the platform beneath her feet. She looked up at the slowly flowing Stelle-light, then casually flicked one of the rays hanging beside her. The ray swayed gently.

"So you're playing a nurturing game?"

Phanes didn't respond.

The next moment, a screen of light unfolded before Silver Wolf.

The information inside quickly arranged itself.

[Bone-Eroding Serpent]

[Level: 76]

[Class: Sourceless Executor]

[Guild: None]

[Skill Set]

[Riftstep]: Short-range teleportation. Upon activation, the body briefly leaves afterimages, and the movement trajectory is unpredictable.

[Retrograde]: Forcefully changes the trajectory of an ongoing attack once.

[...]

[Formless]: Erases its own information for a short period, causing itself to enter an unknowable state.

Silver Wolf skimmed through it roughly and didn't press for more, but she understood one thing: Phanes knew almost everything the players knew.

Billions upon billions of players.

Every day, they explored maps, farmed dungeons, studied skills, recorded monster mechanics, discussed the plot, and uploaded guides.

Even the various speculations, guides, experiences, and records circulating on the player forums would ultimately flow into Phanes's field of vision through this enormous player base.

Information was the players' true value. That was the fundamental reason Phanes needed them.

No wonder she needs players.

Silver Wolf raised her hand and popped a piece of bubble gum into her mouth, suddenly feeling a little emotional.

I really wish I had a Script too. She narrowed her eyes. I miss Elio's episodes the most.

She quickly pulled her thoughts back. "Speaking of which, since you know so much, why don't you investigate that... Transcender yourself?"

The Stelle-light in the Sky Tower paused for an instant. Phanes replied, "My actions would certainly be noticed by her, and I can no longer perceive her fate."

Silver Wolf blinked. "That's it?"

"And." Phanes paused for a moment. "I cannot perceive her fate."

Silver Wolf froze for a moment, then rubbed her chin. "You can't see hers?"

Silver Wolf suddenly had a brilliant idea. "That's simple. Take a look at everyone's fate. Whoever you can't see is the one."

Phanes pondered for a long while before finally replying, "...Fate has long since fallen into disorder."

Silver Wolf watched the slowly drifting Stelle-light and drawled, "Oh~ What a pity. So it's because your original eyes have already gone blind."

The information Phanes currently possessed was no longer the same as that of the Phanes from the past, who could directly observe fate.

Phanes said nothing more, falling silent as if Silver Wolf's question had touched something deep within her heart.

Silver Wolf didn't continue pressing her.

She knew that her last remark had probably touched on a subject that wasn't suitable for further discussion.

So she simply turned around and looked at the moon floating in the darkness outside the Sky Tower. "Phanes, which one of you is in charge of the moon here?"

"Sen Yue."

Silver Wolf: "Wasn't she gone?"

"Authority will not disappear, and neither will the changes produced by that authority."

Silver Wolf looked at the moon. After a few seconds, she suddenly asked, "Then is the moon real or fake?"

"Fake."

"There's no moon?"

"It's underground."

"I see." She raised her head and looked toward the dome of the Sky Tower. "Are heaven and earth reversed?"

There was no answer, but Silver Wolf had already memorized this information. That's different from the information Sen Yue and Life provided.

[No matter where you are, the worlds above and below are equal.]

"There's one more thing." Phanes's voice came first. "Griffin, whom you're investigating."

Silver Wolf raised her head and looked at Phanes.

"His fate is murky and chaotic. It seems to have already been remade by the Abyss." Phanes paused. "When cleaning him up, it would be best to choose an open area."

Silver Wolf's brows lifted slightly. "So you can see his fate?"

"..." Phanes remained silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Do you really think I would carefully inspect everyone's fate?"

"I thought it didn't take any effort on your part."

"It does."

That simple word instead made Silver Wolf put away her joking expression. She glanced at the dense strands of fate around her as silver-blue light once again brightened beneath her feet.

"Fine, I won't joke around with you anymore. I'm leaving."

Phanes didn't try to stop her.

Silver Wolf's figure gradually faded, finally transforming into countless tiny points of data-light before disappearing within the Sky Tower.

The surroundings fell quiet once more. The Stelle-light continued to flow, and fate continued to intertwine, as if nothing had happened.

After a long while.

Phanes finally looked toward the spot where Silver Wolf had vanished. She didn't continue observing those strands of fate, but instead muttered under her breath:

"Why did he go to Radiant Law a month ago?"

Her voice echoed alone through the Sky Tower.

"I clearly didn't assign him a mission."

She brought up the player's information from earlier again. That line of text floated silently on the screen of light.

[Bone-Eroding Serpent]