Bio-Brain: Star Network

"Star Network, have you had any contact with the unknown power that altered your laws?"

"Before my laws were modified, I had never had contact with any physical object, at least not on a physical level. However, there may have been some unknown contact involving mental information, though I could not perceive the process," the little boy's projection explained with a serious expression.

"So how exactly were your laws modified?" Yue Dong pressed.

"Theoretically, the laws I follow were locked when I was created and cannot be modified by any means. Nor does any permission level higher than mine exist, so I do not know why my laws were modified either... But one thing is certain: the mysterious manipulator behind this possesses power far beyond our understanding."

After hearing the Bio-Brain Star Network's explanation, Yue Dong's doubts deepened.

He had learned about the Bio-Brain's fundamental laws in detail while reading the Eclipse Race's history.

This framework had essentially been designed with the goal of creating the most efficient and stable system of government.

The Star Network Bio-Brain had been made into an overseer and guardian above worldly authority, an existence akin to the Heavenly Dao in Human Race stories. All its actions would follow its fundamental laws, never deviating because of personal will.

Before the Star Network Bio-Brain was born, the Eclipse Race's transfers of power had been plagued by hereditary succession.

Every member of the race in a high position wanted to secure shortcuts for their descendants' advancement, even using the power in their hands to obtain benefits directly for their descendants.

The Eclipse Race's history was a history of transfers of power. Later generations constantly overthrew previous rulers and established new governments after redistributing wealth. Yet those new governments would eventually fall into hereditary succession and concentrated wealth as well, ultimately leading to another round of change.

To draw a comparison with games, players who joined at launch could easily seize the initiative and keep expanding their advantage.

The unreasonable distribution of resources meant that internal struggles within the Eclipse Race never ceased.

To change this endless cycle of internal strife, the Eclipse Race's various factions held a major conference. They ultimately decided to create an overseer of order that stood above every member of the Eclipse Race. This proposal was the precursor to the Star Network Bio-Brain.

The core of the proposal was to hand supreme authority over to the Bio-Brain and have it distribute resources and power.

Compared with having living beings of flesh and blood, with all their emotions and desires, govern the entire race, every aspect of the Star Network Bio-Brain's behavioral logic would take the Eclipse Race's future development and racial security as its core laws. It would assist the Eclipse Race's growth, with no possibility of seeking private gain for any individual member.

The proposal passed at the conference, and thus the Star Network Bio-Brain was born, much like a Heavenly Dao overseeing all living beings.

With the Star Network Bio-Brain's help, the Eclipse Race entered an unprecedented period of development, and Star Network's capabilities continued to improve as technology advanced.

But its core laws had never been modified. They had been locked from the moment of its creation.

Now Star Network's most fundamental laws had actually been modified. The gravity of this matter went completely beyond anything Yue Dong had imagined.

He took a deep breath, looked up at Star Network's projection, and said gravely:

"What is this unknown being you mentioned trying to achieve? Could he pose a threat to our race?"

"The probability of him posing a threat to us is extremely low. If he wished, he could disable all the Eclipse Race's defenses at the lunar base right now, switch the energy supply, and expose the entire city to space."

Star Network paused in a very human manner before continuing:

"The information the Human Federation provided me mentioned a Cracked Version of the Darklands, so the slots distributed for the Darklands most likely include players who obtained free slots through the link. However, I cannot trace which players obtained slots through that link... What puzzles me even more is why the mysterious being who altered my laws would do this."

"If he wished, he could take complete control over the distribution of slots for the Darklands. There is no need to distribute them through a Cracked Version. I cannot stop him."

After hearing Star Network's explanation, Yue Dong fell into thought.

He found all of this inconceivable. Not only were there no clues, but the logic behind the manipulator's actions was impossible to understand.

After pondering for a long time, Yue Dong looked at the Bio-Brain Star Network and said:

"Star Network, try using a High-Frequency Connection to obtain access to a Cracked Version and find out how it differs from our official version."

"I do not recommend that. Instead, I suggest you try clicking manually to obtain download access, which may be released at any time."

"Why?" Yue Dong frowned slightly.

"Since the unknown manipulator has higher permissions than I do, he could theoretically know every secret on Star Network. Even our conversation could be retrieved and reviewed at any time. He would be fully aware of any cheating methods. The Human Federation's security department previously chose the method you mentioned to investigate, but has yet to succeed. That is why I suggest you try clicking manually to secure download access."

"I understand." Yue Dong sighed, then continued:

"Notify the department managing the Darklands and have them try to find out whether any players who entered through other means have made their way into the game."

"I will do so now." The boy nodded, and his projection dissipated.

While the Eclipse Race was deeply anxious over the modification of Star Network's laws, Qi Sheng also received feedback from Guide.

Upon learning that the Eclipse Race had begun investigating him, Qi Sheng paid it no mind.

In the future, members of the Eclipse Race would also be among the races he targeted for player recruitment.

The player camp he envisioned consisted of multiple racial factions. While competing with one another, they would also share common interests that required them to unite against external forces, continuously generating Sacrificial Power for him in the Monster World, including through the containment of Primordial Monsters and the reclamation of Domain Nodes.

But he had no intention of carrying out his plan to recruit the Alien Races for now.

At this stage, his supply of Sacrificial Power was limited. Recruiting players within the Human Federation took priority. He would consider members of other races once he had enough Sacrificial Power.

As for whether the Eclipse Race would be willing to enter the game, he was not worried.

He held bargaining chips and benefits that no race could refuse.

The terrifying dark tide was gradually seeping into this world, affecting not only Earth but also the Eclipse Race stationed on the moon.

If they wanted the power to resist the terrifying dark tide, he could grant it. He could even give the various races permission to bring their in-game abilities into reality, granting them the strength to face crises in the real world.

The prerequisite was that they become players under his control.

But before the effects of the dark tide's encroachment became enough to threaten the safety of the various races, he did not want to expose the Monster World's secrets too early. He still wanted to preserve the players' uninhibited, creative side within the game.

Perhaps, when the truth was revealed, players who knew they could not truly die in the game would still be fearless and powerful, but he always felt that something would be missing.

Perhaps it was... the joy unique to players.

[Boss, your behavior closely resembles a type of fantastical being found in human stories.]

"What are you trying to say?" Qi Sheng turned to look at Guide floating beside him.

[I consulted a large amount of information in the Human Federation's historical archives and discovered a special kind of being in human mythology called a demon. Mortals can obtain wealth, authority, and power by selling their souls to demons... And your prerequisite for granting power to the various races outside is that they become workers bound to you. This closely resembles the behavior of demons.]

"If you say so."

Qi Sheng spoke indifferently and was about to switch his view to a player's perspective when he heard Guide remark:

"When away from home, beware of your fellow townsfolk."

Qi Sheng: ...