I didn't think that anyone would be able to guess what was happening in the deepest depths of the Mental Network. Yes, anyone.
The highest leader of the New Empire and the highest leader of the Fallen Apostles, two people who should have been mortal enemies no matter what, were now sitting face to face with each other. They weren't at each other's throats, nor were they fighting. Instead, they seemed to be chatting casually.
I didn't even know how this situation had formed, nor did I know what to do with this inexplicable "harmonious atmosphere." It was as if I didn't have the initiative from the very start. It was as if I was being pushed around by this inconceivable situation. I couldn't find any reason or opportunity to take the initiative to attack. And so, by the time I realized what was going on, the situation had already become like this.
The Chaos Faction's Schilling was sitting several meters in front of me. As enemies, this was an inconceivably close distance. Meanwhile, Icetis was still calmly playing the role of her "bodyguard." She was still wearing her armor and had a solemn expression as she stood behind me. Actually, she didn't need to do this at all. After all, calling her "bodyguard" was a bit of a joke. She was supposed to be my partner. However, in this situation, Icetis decided to use her own method to provide me with some sort of "aura support." When have you ever seen this insufferably arrogant female pervert act like this, obediently standing behind someone else like a Valkyrie? In any case, I was quite moved.
"Chen, if you have any ideas, I'm confident that I can take that girl's chastity in three parts with a brick in one second …"
Icetis said in a low voice through our mental connection.
I was rendered speechless. I needed to make it clear that all of my feelings were limited to when this female pervert didn't open her mouth.
"Do you know what this place is?" Just as I was wondering how to start the conversation, the Chaos Faction's Schilling, who was sitting opposite me, spoke up in a seemingly casual manner.
"We call this place the Rift Valley. It's an undetectable black zone in the Mental Network." As I spoke, I observed the other party's movements. The other party gave off an unfathomable feeling. Her nonhostile attitude was too strange.
"Rift valley, huh …" Abyssal Schilling seemed to have a subtle smile on his face. "Very apt. But I call this place the 'fault zone'. It's a name that sounds similar. So I guess the little girl on your side must have told you about the 'rift valley'. I think we have the same taste."
I was very curious. "What is this place?"
I had originally thought that the other party would definitely not answer my question because it might be related to the secret of the fallen apostles. However, I never expected that Abyss Schilling would be more frank than I had imagined. "You should know from the name, right? The fault zone, where your network and ours are cut off. Even if you are a foreign emperor, you should know that your new network and the Abyss network were originally one during the era of the Old Empire. The Fifteenth Sky cut it off, but even the so-called Concept Division left traces on the fracture. The separated nodes still record the mapping relationship when they were connected. But because of the Concept Division, the target of the mapping relationship can only be a null value. This is why the fault zone is formed. I don't know if you can understand this answer? "
I was stunned for a moment and suddenly reacted. "You know about the Concept Division of the Fifteenth Sky?! You knew it from the start … "
"No, my memory is based on the network data. So, my memory of the Fifteenth Sky has been blocked for a long time due to the Concept Division." Abyss Schilling looked at me with a faint smile. "I should thank you for removing the isolation state of the Fifteenth Sky, allowing me to recover these memories. It's a pity that I didn't notice the abnormality in the sea of data immediately. Otherwise, it would have been a good time to launch an attack …"
She had only recovered all the records of the Fifteenth Sky recently. But her words also revealed an even more important piece of information. Long before the fall of the Old Empire, Abyss Schilling already knew about the highly confidential Concept Division plan of the Fifteenth Sky!
"There's nothing strange about it." She didn't seem to mind that she revealed these secrets. "You know, a long time ago, before the Empire was divided, I was the highest consciousness on the network. The secrets of every Sky were laid out in front of me without any defenses. I could leisurely read all the plans that the far-sighted emperor made. The Concept Division — until it took effect, it was under my supervision. I know many more things than you can imagine. "
I tried my best to remain calm. Yes, there was nothing strange about what she said. I just confused her current state of being in the Abyss Faction with that of the Old Empire. More than 70,000 years ago, the Abyss Schilling before me was still one with the Abyss Schilling of the New Empire. She was once the collective consciousness of all the Apostles. She was a completely untainted great life and had the highest authority on the network. So, it wasn't strange that she knew about the secret plan of the Fifteenth Sky. Back then, she definitely wouldn't have thought of doing anything bad to her own kind. And when she could do something bad, the Concept Division had already erased most of her memories. It was only recently that this state was lifted. Now, I could only be glad that she didn't notice the abnormality in her database the moment she returned to the Celestial Realm. The magic army of the New Empire was only able to develop in a safe and stable environment.
"According to what you said," I slowly pondered, "after the network split, the mapping relationship between them became a mess, which resulted in a physical separation. But this rift — or should I say fault zone, although there's a Black Barrier effect, it's obvious that they're connected. How can this be …"
"I'm the one who connected them." She smiled. Her smile was as precise and elegant as a mask. "Strictly speaking, you and I worked hard to connect them. Powerful Void Creature, your soul is the most destructive thing I've ever seen. You can even ignore the effects of the Concept Division. When you were protecting the Fifteenth Sky, you even spread your power to the Empire's main network, which should have been completely isolated on the other side. I was lucky enough to obtain your power. I used it to maintain my self-awareness for tens of thousands of years, until my transformation was over. And your power also left the same mark on the two broken points of the network. Using the weak connection between the two marks, I was able to reconnect the two networks that were originally completely separated, and then find a chance to retrieve the other half of my node … Unfortunately, although I successfully established the connection, it still created something like a fault zone. The Black Barrier here is preventing data exchange, and my great plan … was blocked by a firewall. "
I was stunned. It took me a while to digest the meaning of Abyss Schilling's words. This rift …
Was it caused by me back then?
I remembered the incident in the Fifteenth Sky. Back then, my sister was still the Emperor of the Fifteenth Sky. Before the invasion of the Abyss, she separated the Skynet and the Empire's main network into two and used the extreme method of Concept Division to protect the entire Skynet. After that, the severed nodes between the Skynet and the Empire's main network were completely unable to connect.
Then, my sister's past life found my past life, and we worked together to save the world, which was not very successful …
According to Xi Ling of the Abyss, the power of the Void Creatures had bypassed the barrier formed by the Concept Severing. To the Void Creatures, the rupture between the Skynet and the Empire's main network was practically non-existent. Back then, my uncontrollable power had entered the Abyss domain where the Fallen Apostle resided through this limited bandwidth …
The power of the Void Creatures left an indelible mark on the two broken points of the network. In the future, the Empire's main network transformed into the spiritual network of the Fallen Apostle, while the Skynet of the Fifteenth Sky was split into two parts, one part was on the technological side, and the other was on the mystical side. (I'm sure everyone will remember that my biggest mistake when I started the Empire was not distinguishing between these two parts. As a result, I died because my power was too scattered …) They eventually became the backbone of the new Empire.
Abyss Schilling did not do much at all. She only connected the two parts that were originally of the same origin. The rift was a phenomenon that she catalyzed, but in essence, it was the 'legacy' that I left behind …
"Oh, you look surprised," Abyss Schilling said in a declarative tone. "It was all left behind by you. This fault zone is also one of your legacies."
"So, the reason for the 'Black Barrier' effect of the rift is the power of the Void Creatures." Icetis could not help but speak up. "The Void Creatures blocked this passage, and the information in the network was not protected by the Orderly Field, so it was swallowed up."
"That is only part of the reason. The main reason is … after such a long period of isolation, and the tens of thousands of years of conversion on our side, the basic protocols of the two networks are no longer compatible. Unless one of us is willing to completely compromise and join the other's camp, the Black Barrier will probably never be removed …"
"Is it really okay for you to tell me so much?" I suddenly interrupted Abyss Schilling. This strange atmosphere was too strange. "We are considered arch-enemies, right? Why do I feel that you are not nervous at all?"
"Arch-Enemies, that is indeed the logical conclusion." The other party was indifferent. "That does not affect me talking to you. It is very boring here, and the real world is even more boring. Anyway, what I tell you is not of much value, and there is nothing you can do no matter how much you know … As for feeling nervous? Are you saying that you or the little girl next to you are planning to make a move? Believe me, there is not much meaning to it. You know my life form, and pure power is meaningless to me. In front of you, it is just an interactive interface. "
Icetis clicked her tongue and put away the meteor brick in her hand. She had been using that thing to act cool, but now it seemed that Abyss Schilling was very clear about the situation. We could not destroy the collective consciousness of a network, unless the two of us could explode with willpower equivalent to the combined willpower of billions of fallen apostles. This was probably not something that could be solved with just strength.
So, even if Icetis were to use the brick to instantly destroy the middle and bottom of the network … we would at most smash an interactive interface away.
I looked down at my feet. In this dark space, I could not see anything other than the three of them talking. Naturally, there was no ground. I knew that the feeling of my feet on the ground was just an illusion. It was a false sense of perception created by the person on the other side for the convenience of the conversation. The other party obviously knew a lot about this place. At least, she knew how to create a virtual sense of perception here.
We were in the Black Barrier, in the echo of the power I had left behind, but it was obvious that I had lost the ability to control this part of the lost power. It had coexisted with this network for a whole 70,000 years, and now it was part of the rift. If I forcibly separated it, I might be able to destroy the network connection with the fallen apostles, but it was more likely to kill millions of Empire soldiers. They were my warriors, my people, and even my family. This was an option that could not be put into practice.
And even if the rift was destroyed, I was worried that Abyss Schilling would find a way to establish another connection. Before Schilling (idiot version) came, the other party had already studied this place for a long time. If she really established another connection after the rift disappeared, then we really would not be able to do anything. There were some things that had to be guarded against.
Abyss Schilling could probably guess what I was thinking, but she only looked at me quietly. Her whole body was surrounded by an atmosphere that I could not understand, so much so that for a moment, I had the illusion that the other party was not an enemy. I shook my head abruptly, throwing these random thoughts out of my head. I looked at the person on the other side with a serious expression. "What is your purpose?"
"You don't need to know." The other party shrugged. "Of course, I won't tell you everything. We are enemies."
"Beyond this Black Barrier is the network of the fallen apostles, right?" Icetis said from the side.
"But you can't cross over, just like I can't reach your side." Abyss Schilling looked into Icetis's eyes. "You have experienced it just now, haven't you? Coming down from the fault zone is a never-ending road. This point of balance is the only channel through which both of us can communicate directly. Actually, this is a good thing. Here, the two parts of the network are partially shared. You don't have to worry about being attacked by the huge sea of consciousness of the Abyss Empire. I also don't have to worry about losing my own network node. Here, I can use the local resources to complete the communication. Otherwise, it would not be a good idea to be connected to the Void Creatures for a long period of time. I suffered quite a loss the last time. "
"So, Halland is really your sacrificial pawn." I exhaled. "You are really ruthless to your own people."
"Who knows? He is indeed not easy to control. But … there are some things that make people feel helpless. Just like now, you two uninvited guests have come to visit." Abyss Schilling stood up. He seemed to be a little annoyed. "To be honest, nothing can be solved by chatting here. I still have a lot of things to do. Things like destroying the world and so on."
I noticed that Icetis, who was beside me, was agitated for a moment. However, she calmed herself down. After that, I stood up as well. I felt that I still had a lot to say to the person opposite me. The other party seemed to be a rational individual who could be communicated with. He wasn't as crazy as most of the fallen apostles. However, I just couldn't understand why this Abyss Schilling would be so dedicated to destroying the world. This sudden conversation was too precious and caught me unprepared. If I had known that I would meet such an old enemy in the rift valley, I would have started preparing the interview script yesterday …
As though he had completely guessed what I wanted to say, Abyss Schilling suddenly laughed. "I have no enmity towards you and your new Empire."
Both Icetis and I had this expression: ○ _ ○!
"No enmity?! Is there something wrong with your brain? "The hot-tempered Sis Bing was the first to lose control." If you don't have any enmity, why are you causing trouble everywhere? If you don't have any enmity, why are your army and the Imperial Army fighting so hard that their brains are coming out? If you don't have any enmity, why are you destroying the world one by one? If you don't have any enmity … "
"You aren't the Shiring Apostles, right?" Abyss Schilling glared at Icetis coldly. "You are a God. It is already strange for a God to appear here. I can totally treat you as air. So, be quiet."
My Sis Bing had never been provoked like this before. "Quiet your ass! I will flatten nine inches above your navel with a brick … "
I extended my hand and pressed Icetis down. Then, I turned to look at Abyss Schilling. "I don't dare to believe that you don't have any enmity towards me. You have caused me so much trouble."
"I just need to do that." Abyss Schilling didn't even look at Icetis. "I have no enmity towards you. The war between you and me is due to some kind of necessity. Goals, needs, execution. Everything that goes against it is actually not contradictory. Just block it out."
I was instantly speechless. I suddenly realized that I was facing a kind of machine-like logic.
If that was the case, the Empire and the Fallen Apostles would have to fight forever, unless Abyss Schilling could give up on her "goal" and stop destroying the world. But this sounded like nonsense. I didn't believe that such a determined collective consciousness could change her plans that she had been carrying out for so many years just by talking. If talking was useful, why would we need naval cannons? Visca had said so before.
"Who knows when we will meet again. On the battlefield." Abyss Schilling waved her hand and turned to walk into the darkness. "I will block the gateway in this area. It is good to talk to you, but it is meaningless and a waste of time."
This unfathomable person smiled and said "no enmity". Then, she smiled and made a declaration to continue the war in front of me. I couldn't figure out what was going on with her logic anymore. Only her last words could be faintly heard after she disappeared into the darkness.
"Tell that 'Abyss Schilling' on your side that if she wants to get close to the fault zone, she should lower the priority of her node indexing process by one level. But there is nothing fun here …"
Everything returned to silence.
"What the hell is going on?"
After a moment of silence and awkwardness, Icetis finally couldn't hold it in anymore. She looked in the direction where Abyss Schilling disappeared, as if she had a stomach full of anger and didn't know who to vent it on.
I was even more confused than her. The amount of information that I had experienced in the past few minutes was more than all the events that I had experienced in the past month combined. Now that the strange person had left, I finally had the chance to slowly digest the information that she revealed. In the end, the more I thought about it, the more I felt that there was an unimaginable secret hidden behind it. After thinking for a while, I felt that I couldn't understand it. So, I waved my hand at Icetis. "Regardless, let's go back first. This matter … I am afraid that we can only make a decision after discussing it with Sandora."
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
