Just then, the scene of [The Bold Explorer] abruptly ended, and the view returned to the warehouse.
Han Xiao stood still as his hand left the cool outer shell of the triangular device, silently gazing at the device before him.
He remained silent, making no move. Harrison, standing nearby, unaware of what was happening, sensed the increasingly tense atmosphere and couldn't help but cautiously ask:
"Lord Black Star, what's wrong?"
"... nothing."
Han Xiao snapped out of his daze, glanced at him, and strode out of the warehouse, with Harrison hurrying after him.
"Go do your thing, you don't need to follow me."
"Okay, sure."
Harrison, feeling like he'd been granted a pardon, quickly left.
Although Black Star did nothing, Harrison couldn't help but feel immense pressure just by being by his side.
After seeing Harrison off, Han Xiao returned to his room, his thoughts racing as he recalled the secret he had just witnessed.
"So the real name of the Virtual Mutiny Virus is the Domino Virus. It's a truly terrifying weapon of war. Any force that masters this technology can be invincible in information warfare..."
He finally understood why the Intelligence Plague in his previous life had still swept across the entire universe. It wasn't just that someone was causing trouble; the fundamental reason was that the Three Universal Civilizations failed to stop the invasion of the Domino Virus.
It wasn't that their technology was lacking, but rather that they suffered from a lack of intelligence; the Three Universal Civilizations were caught completely off guard.
After all, who would have thought that Virtual Mutiny Virus would have such a mechanism?
If I hadn't seen the true nature of the virus in [The Bold Explorer], I probably would still be like the Three Universal Civilizations, still regarding the virus's core as a simple data program.
Based on normal reasoning, the core of the virus is merely a switch program that monitors the overall infection progress, so the Three Universal Civilizations currently believe that they have nothing to fear once they have created the three antivirus tools.
They were naturally unaware that the virus's core possessed the ability to self-renew and evolve. What they had contained was only the first generation of the virus. As long as the core issue remained unresolved, there would be a second and third generation, and the next one would not remain dormant, directly triggering a mechanical rebellion.
Not only is its infectivity more terrifying than imagined, but the virus's core itself has an astonishing ability to escape. It is not limited to data modes; it can also enter the material world, constructing an electromagnetic field as its shell, freely switching between virtual and reality, and is not afraid of being blocked online.
Because its existence is based on Virtual Soul, the virus core can enter the quantum network without physical contact with nodes. This is similar to the ability of Beyond Grade A virtual mechanic to enter the Quantum Network Vision anytime, anywhere. It only needs nodes as exits when it becomes physical, which means that it can use the quantum network to teleport to various nodes.
"No wonder I haven't been able to find any trace of the virus's core for months. It's probably not that Harrison's influence is lacking, but rather that simply tracking it online is not enough to catch it," Han Xiao thought to himself.
This ability is similar to its own Void Leap; to the core of the virus, the quantum network is like another Secondary Dimension, which it can freely enter and exit.
This intelligent civilization has probably not reached the cosmic level. The Three Universal Civilizations are capable of analyzing all the principles of the Domino Virus, but this requires a certain amount of research time. Therefore, when they first encounter this kind of viral weapon, there will be a period when they have no solution.
Each civilization has a different technology tree, and some civilizations will always develop cutting-edge technologies, such as the Kunde Race's Spacetime Shearing Device. The Three Universal Civilizations cannot compare to this intelligent civilization in terms of virtual viruses. After all, everyone has their own expertise. Even their citizens are intelligent life forms, which is obviously their strongest point.
"But this is strange. Since the Three Universal Civilizations in my previous life successfully resolved the Intelligence Plague, the core of the virus must have been solved. Logically, the Three Universal Civilizations should have mastered this technology... But why didn't they use it when they were fighting the World Tree?"
Han Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and doubt arose in his mind.
Could it be... that the core of the virus in the previous life didn't fall into the hands of the Three Universal Civilizations, but was instead secretly intercepted by someone else?
The next moment, the image of a decrepit old man surfaced in Master Han's mind...
Mechanic Emperor Manison!
The person who hanged himself is the prime suspect!
It's no wonder Han Xiao thought that way; Manison had left a deep impression on him, and it sounded like something Old Manison would do.
Moreover, the raw material for the Domino Virus is mutated intelligent life, and Manison happens to be in control of an AI Civilization.
... It's terrifying to think about!
Han Xiao quickly shook his head, shaking off these distracting thoughts, and pondered to himself:
"The Three Universal Civilizations learned many lessons before figuring out the mechanism of the Domino Virus. Now that I've seen the truth in advance, I can save myself the trouble of figuring it out and prevent it from happening again!"
Thinking of this, Han Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.
In the past, the Three Universal Civilizations could only learn through trial and error, but now that there's this bastard who "reads guides," they don't have to repeat the same mistakes.
Perhaps the source can be addressed when the virus is still in its first generation, preventing an outbreak and minimizing losses!
From this perspective, the butterfly effect I created was still largely positive.
"The main problem now is persuading the Three Universal Civilizations to change their large-scale antivirus plans. Without dealing with the virus's core, no amount of antivirus measures will be effective. And the virus's core is so troublesome that resolving it requires the cooperation of the Three Universal Civilizations..."
The ability to self-evolve is the most terrifying thing; once that's resolved, the rest will be easy.
He wasn't afraid that the virus's core would escape from the Ancient Star Desert, but the quantum network in this star region was blocked, making it essentially a large local area network that couldn't receive data from the Ancient Star Desert virus information packets from the outside.
Even if the virus core does manage to leave, it will still need to return and log back into this closed network if it wants to monitor the overall infection situation in the Ancient Star Desert.
This means that even if the virus's core could teleport using the quantum network, its range would be limited to the Ancient Star Desert.
As for whether it would spread the virus seeds to the outside world, Han Xiao was not worried. Although the Three Universal Civilizations lacked intelligence, they were not idle. In order to prevent leaks, they also conducted extensive scanning in the outside world.
If the first-generation virus spreads on a large scale outside, the Three Universal Civilizations will be able to detect it quickly, without needing to worry about it themselves.
After analyzing the situation for a while, Han Xiao had some ideas. He summoned Phillip and gave him instructions:
"Help me schedule a meeting with the heads of the Three Universal Civilizations at the disaster command center, and also call up the other Beyond Grade A mechanics. I need to call them to discuss a major discovery about the core of the virus..."
Half an hour later.
Intelligence Plague disaster command center, high-level conference room.
Upon receiving Black Star's invitation, everyone put down their work. The three Observer Department, including Sidrun, and all the remote projections of the Beyond Grade A Mechanics all arrived to hear Black Star's discovery.
As soon as Han Xiao's remote projection arrived, Sidrun couldn't wait to ask:
"Black Star, have you found the virus's core?"
"No, I haven't caught it yet, but I've made some groundbreaking discoveries."
Upon hearing that Han Xiao had failed, those present felt both disappointed and relieved, and then became curious about the major discovery Han Xiao had mentioned.
What did you discover?
"That's how it is..."
Han Xiao didn't stand on ceremony and went straight to explain the core mechanism of the virus, mainly emphasizing the transformation between virtual and real worlds and its self-renewal function.
The Domino Virus is too threatening, and working together to solve the disaster is the top priority, so he has no intention of keeping anything to himself at this time.
After hearing Han Xiao's story, everyone present fell silent, exchanging bewildered glances, unsure of what expression to make.
Seeing this, Han Xiao continued, speaking seriously:
"Therefore, your large-scale antivirus plan is useless. Only by finding the core of the virus can the threat of the Intelligence Plague be truly eliminated. I suggest you take immediate action..."
At this moment, Sidrun interrupted Han Xiao, looking at him strangely.
"Black Star, we'd like to ask... where did you get all this information from?"
Everyone else present shared the same thought: surprise and uncertainty, their eyes fixed intently on Han Xiao.
They couldn't help but be suspicious; the intelligence was far too detailed... so detailed it seemed almost fabricated!
Are you kidding us?
With your flirtatious nature, it's not impossible!
This is a serious matter and cannot be taken lightly. We must verify the authenticity of the information. How can we trust you without providing evidence?
'I knew you'd say that.'
Han Xiao was not surprised at all, and immediately replied:
"In fact, I recently discovered traces of the virus's core in the quantum network and was trying to track and capture it when the target disappeared from the quantum network without warning, thus breaking the trail... I am a Peak Beyond Grade A virtual mechanic, and it managed to disappear right under my nose without me being able to figure out the underlying principles. There are experts among you here, so I don't need to elaborate on the difficulty involved. I had my suspicions at the time, feeling that it was more than just a data program."
"And then? How did you find out this information?" Sidrun asked curiously.
"Your files should record that I have a passive precognitive ability. I sensed that the core of the virus was not simple, and a few days later, I had a premonition and saw a future Intelligence Plague outbreak, a scene of devastation, and at the same time, I saw the true face of this virus core." Han Xiao pretended to be helpless. "So if you want me to produce evidence, I really can't."
"This... this is a difficult situation for us."
The leaders of the Three Universal Civilizations each looked troubled.
It's not that they don't believe in Black Star, but rather that predictions are sometimes inaccurate. This matter concerns the safety of the entire universe, and without concrete evidence, betting on vague predictions is too risky.
Han Xiao had no other choice. He lacked physical evidence, which meant his argument was unconvincing. He could only resort to using his precognitive abilities as an excuse again, since the "Bold Explorer" label was difficult to explain and less believable than precognition.
However, while his claim of foreknowledge lacks persuasiveness, given his current status, even if the people of the Three Universal Civilizations don't believe him immediately, they will certainly find a way to verify his statement, so he doesn't need to offer much explanation.
If it is proven to be fabricated, the Three Universal Civilizations will naturally lower Han Xiao's credibility afterwards, but before that, they will not immediately regard Han Xiao's statement as false.
Having gone through so much, Han Xiao's reputation, prestige, and influence in the universe are enough to make the Three Universal Civilizations take his suggestions seriously.
Just then, Manison spoke, slowly saying:
"I think Black Star's prediction makes some sense. In fact, I also discovered traces of the virus's core some time ago. It also disappeared into thin air in my eyes. I also suspect that it's not just simple data."
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao's eyelids twitched.
While the core of the virus he encountered may have been fabricated, it's possible that Manison's account is true.
I knew it! Old Manison had made progress, but he kept it a secret. If I hadn't tricked him today, the old man would never have revealed this information.
Hey, you said I lack moral awareness? You're even worse, hiding such crucial information from me!
The group exchanged glances, silently processing this impactful information.
Finally, Sidrun coughed and gave his reply:
"In any case, we will investigate the details of Lord Black Star's premonition; this is extremely important intelligence."
As he spoke, he glanced sideways at Manison, his eyes filled with disdain.
--The strongest mechanic in the universe, huh? We had the same experience, how come you couldn't gather as much information? Learn from others!
Manison kept his eyes straight ahead, pretending not to see Sidrun's glance.
At this moment, Kant spoke with great concern:
"If the Virtual Mutiny Virus is really as Black Star says, then we're in big trouble. The firewall we've built over the past few months will be riddled with holes by the next generation of viruses, and then disaster will sweep across the universe."
"What civilization developed such terrifying virus technology? Aren't they afraid of getting burned?" Francisco the Mechanical Catastrophe asked, puzzled.
"Regardless of whether Black Star's words are true or false, we must formulate a response plan," said Judith, the Quantum Magic Spirit and ally of the Empire.
Seeing this, Han Xiao spoke again, saying in a deep voice, "That's right. Whether the prediction is accurate or not, trying it won't cause any problems."
That makes sense... The leaders of the Three Universal Civilizations exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously.
So what are your plans?
It's not really a plan, just a rough idea.
Han Xiao paused, looked around, and seeing that everyone was looking at him, slowly said:
"The virus's core is too mobile to be captured, but there are still limitations. It can enter the quantum network anytime and anywhere, but when it leaves in physical form, it must choose a terminal node as its exit. This may be a breakthrough."
In order to receive feedback from information packets, the virus core will periodically return to the quantum network. This time, a large-scale network shutdown may really be necessary to reduce the number of terminal nodes, thereby limiting the virus core's range of movement and reducing its available exit routes. Meanwhile, on each terminal node, personnel will be deployed to create traps.
The ambush operator must be Beyond Grade A virtual mechanic who has mastered ' Supreme Virtual '. Because once the virus core materializes, it can re-enter the quantum network at any time without contacting the nodes, so the opportunity is only a fleeting moment—the moment the virus core materializes, the ambushing Beyond Grade A mechanic uses ' Supreme Virtual ' to suppress the Virtual Soul of the virus core, preventing it from temporarily leaving its body, and then contains it together.
The technology to seal the virus's core is readily available. That safe prevents the virus from leaking out and will inevitably suppress the virus's core Virtual Soul, preventing it from entering the quantum network. Once that triangular container is analyzed, this targeted technology can be mastered..."
Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but scrutinize Han Xiao again, their gazes turning strange.
Putting aside the feasibility of your plan, the mere requirement that the ambushers be virtual mechanics who have mastered [Supreme Virtual] is just too blatant.
The Supreme Virtual is an ability mastered only by Divine Throne Mechanic specializing in virtual reality. Naturally, it's at the Peak Beyond Grade A. You have one, Manison has one, so that's two of them.
So you mean only you virtual green-man kings can compete for the virus core, and even the Three Universal Civilizations have to step aside?!
Are you sure you're not kidding us?
Instead, Manison laughed and gave the plan a huge thumbs up:
"Black Star speaks well. Maintaining cosmic peace is our duty. How many terminal nodes are there to act as traps? Here's what we'll do: I'm willing to deploy 50 million backup Dominion avatars to place at various nodes, ensuring I can arrive at the location where the virus core appears at any time. I wonder if that's enough?"