"It's been a long time since I've had such a leisurely time."
Leaning back on a bench in the small park, I narrowed my eyes and stretched my body comfortably in the warm morning sun.
Two weeks had passed since the incident in the Keplu Star District. A bunch of idle leaders of the Empire had returned to their daily lives. Shallow Shallow had regained her astonishing vitality and began to drag a few of the younger ones to the various amusement parks and theme parks in the city. Sicarro and his annoying soldiers were still fighting tenaciously in the encirclement and counter-encirclement campaigns. Big sister and Little Ghost were researching on how to use Azeroth's ingredients to make authentic braised eggplant rice. As for me and Sandora … Alright, as the leader of the Empire, I really couldn't indulge myself like that bunch of heartless people, especially now that the fallen apostle had reappeared. Recently, we had been almost constantly running to the shadow realm. Of course, it was still the same now.
Speaking of which, slacking off and dozing off in the shadow city shouldn't be considered as leaving the post, right? Sandora had even come here to slack off …
The place that we were currently in was quite different from the other areas of the shadow city. Although it looked like a modern city, the obvious difference in style from the surrounding streets still proved the uniqueness of this place.
The replicated streets of the school city.
In order to give tourists from various worlds a greater sense of belonging, the shadow city had built many such special districts. For example, the district where Osaka's younger sisters lived was a perfect replica of the school city. There was even a bustling commercial street run by the Imperial Army who were on vacation and a middle school taught by an Imperial Army officer. Osaka's younger sisters lived, went to school, and rested here. According to the feedback from 10031, the younger sisters were very satisfied with all of this.
In a few other places far away from here, the Stormwind City, Silvermoon City, and Orgrimmar City were also being built. Including Osaka's younger sisters, the residents of each world knew of each other's existence. It was said that this mysterious city, which was located in the crack between the planes, was gradually becoming the center of the world. It was already rumored that it was a mystical existence similar to a fantasy land. Apart from Osaka's younger sisters who were already official citizens here, only those who were regarded as legendary heroes in their respective worlds had the right to come to this city to 'serve the Gods'. But with the massive population of several different races, the various districts gradually became lively. Occasionally, a few of Osaka's younger sisters would take a car to visit the tauren village, or a few alchemists from Silvermoon City would come over to give chemistry lessons to the Osaka's younger sisters. Such things also gradually became a daily occurrence. Under the management of the Empire's Town Security (I really didn't know how Seves came up with the idea of setting up such an organization in the shadow city), travelers from different worlds with different ideologies and cultures carried a sense of novelty and astonishment, yet they also communicated with each other in an orderly manner. This was a good sign.
With the Empire as the center, it gradually became a gigantic alliance of worlds. This was the true meaning behind the joyous daily activities of the shadow plane. Currently, only the Azeroth Salvation Army, the Verdis Empire Allied Army (strictly speaking, it was the Verdis Goddess's Church as the main force. However, since the Verdis Empire was the first Empire to be chosen by the "Savior" and was also the strongest, this allied army was habitually known as the Verdis Allied Army), as well as the Mage Army of the Forbidden World. However, this speed of development was enough to make one feel gratified. What was certain was that once the Kaulu and Proteus tribes, who had lost their homes and could only survive under the protection of the Empire, recovered, they would also become members of the massive army under our command. Even if these armies combined weren't as strong as the regular army of the Empire, they weren't cannon fodder either. Their combat strength would definitely increase exponentially.
More importantly, as the many worlds gradually formed a unified defense system, even if the Fallen Apostles were to launch a frontal attack on us, they would have to weigh the losses they would suffer in battle, right?
This was also one of the reasons why we could still feel relaxed despite the increasing threat of the Fallen Apostles. Compared to the Fallen Apostles who could only grow stealthily, our strength was expanding at an astonishing rate.
Yep, we also had to thank the special properties of the shadow city. This conceptual projection space had an inconceivable ability to grow. As long as the amount of information gathered and the computing power of the Schilling Mainframe Group, which acted as the core of the city, was sufficient, this space would be able to grow continuously. Although I didn't know if it could reach infinity, it seemed like storing a fantasy land wouldn't be a problem.
Living in the most inconceivable city of a different dimension, surrounded by non-human creatures from various worlds at all times, to the point where a mech squadron would occasionally rumble past above her head, and a Forgotten Queen would walk right in front of her from time to time. Yet, she still unknowingly lived in her simple and blissful little world, firmly believing that the city she lived in was a simple and beautiful place where she could eat her fill and wear warm clothes. She used her inconceivably sluggish mind to deal with all abnormalities in this city. This fellow …
She was just as happy as a mole.
Those were Liliana's exact words. I really didn't know what similarities existed between a former Fallen Apostle and a mole. However, Sylvia's simple happiness was something that every single one of us was envious of.
Speaking of which, did all the Mystic-type Shiring Apostles have the trait of being easy to take care of? Let's not even talk about those mass-produced Ravens. Sylvia was a simple fellow who would be happy for a day as long as she could eat her fill. Alaya was someone who relied on photosynthesis to survive … Err, he didn't even need photosynthesis to survive. If the gluttonous Sandora was half as easy to take care of as them, we could use the money we saved to invest in real estate.
"I feel like you are talking bad about me." Sandora immediately shot me a strange look before lowering her head and instantly finishing the pancake in my hand. "Ah Jun, I want more."
But you have already finished the pancake stall. You didn't even let go of their pancakes!
"The pancakes here are very famous —" Sylvia leisurely finished her pancake and gulped down the remaining orange juice in her hand. Then, she sucked on her finger while activating her memory mode. "Ah, right — there seemed to be thunder yesterday. I was so scared that I didn't sleep well. But the weather forecast didn't say that there would be a thunderstorm —"
Was it thunder?
I stared speechlessly at the almost invisible dark shadow in the sky. Thunder can actually create spatial cracks. Sylvia, your ability to hypnotize yourself is indeed terrifying. No wonder Tawil wasn't worried about Sylvia, who lived closest to him, having any suspicions after the explosion in the laboratory. It seems that this fellow has already reached the level where he can be happy even though he is in the midst of the apocalypse?
Sylvia's mental state has some sort of obstacle. This was the conclusion that Liliana and Tawil came to after their joint research. Even though it was hard to imagine that a Shiring Apostle would have a mental disorder, there was no other reason that could explain Sylvia's current situation.
She created an imaginary world for herself that we can't understand.
It sounds like a protective shell formed in the heart of an extremely autistic person, but Sylvia's situation is very special. She is not autistic, but rather cheerful. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she is foolishly happy. But in the depths of her heart, she stubbornly built a sturdy fortress for herself. In that fortress, everything is simple and beautiful. Everyone is innocent and filled with kindness. Her life is filled with sunshine. She converts everything she comes into contact with into something that can be explained by this worldview before accepting it. Thus, no matter where she is, there will only be a happy little world in the eyes of this silver-haired slow-paced person. Liliana believes that it is this strange mental disorder that allows Sylvia's reaction speed and ability to filter information from the outside world to be so strong. There is a firewall between her reflex arc and the outside world.
Well, although this theory makes sense, even a psychologist like Liliana admits that a certain idiot's miraculous reaction speed is mostly due to her own sluggishness …
"Hmm — — Is there something on my face?" Sylvia looked at me suspiciously. Then, she slowly muttered to herself while wiping the corner of her mouth, "Ah, it's pancake crumbs — — Oh right, where's the pancake stall?"
Half an hour ago, they went home to pound the floor because their queen ate their business partner.
Liliana and Tawil had different explanations as to why Sylvia would have such a situation. Tawil explained it from the soul characteristics of the Shiring Apostles. He believed that Sylvia's spiritual body suffered a huge impact and a part of it might have completely perished. The incomplete soul caused Sylvia to choose this type of spiritual lock to protect herself. On the other hand, Liliana analyzed it from a psychological point of view. She believed that Sylvia's slow reaction was because she encountered something extremely terrifying. An almost permanent psychological shadow destroyed the rationality of the former Belavilla, and the Sylvia that was born afterward was used to protect her other personality. Of course, the strange mentality of "the world is always beautiful" after suffering a huge shock was obviously unexplainable from a psychological point of view. To this, Liliana expressed her interest in researching it …
In any case, regardless of how different the opinions of those two researchers were, there was one thing they both agreed on: no matter what, they should not try to cure Sylvia's spiritual regret. Even if Belavilla's soul was already finished, they should not try to cure her out of sympathy. Otherwise, if she didn't transform into another fallen apostle, she would collapse from the awakening of a certain painful memory. Neither of these results were good.
"Oh right — — Chen-kun, I encountered something strange …"
Even if we ignored her, Sylvia was still able to let her thoughts wander. But I still wanted to ask: Is there really something in this world that can make you feel strange?
"A few days ago, when I went to the merchant street, I met someone who looked exactly like me — —" Sylvia spoke slowly as usual, but the content of her words made me break out in a cold sweat. "But she ran away quickly after seeing me … Did I have a twin sister before I lost my memory?"
"Xi Wei!" After asking Sandora to temporarily calm Sylvia down, I immediately contacted the adjutant in charge of managing this city. "Where does Raven live now?"
"Sir! They live in the barracks in the central district. "Xi Wei immediately replied.
"Something bad happened. You have to increase the discipline of the Ravens. A few days ago, a Raven wandered near the merchant street of the magical district and bumped into Sylvia!"
This sudden situation made Xi Wei nervous. She immediately started to check which Raven was that ran around, while I turned my attention back to Sylvia …
Ugh, it seems that I was overly nervous. Silver Hair slowed down by half a beat. It seems that I had forgotten about that.
Sandora shrugged at me, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. She said through the mental connection, "She doesn't even know what she just mentioned."
As Sylvia's soul clone, Ravens are definitely not allowed to meet their mother. According to the calculations of the Bubble, there is a 30% chance that Sylvia's mind will be disturbed. It is impossible for her to transform into Belavilla, but it is hard to guarantee that she won't collapse and dissipate like she did in the school city. Thus, we gave a strict order to every Raven. No matter what the situation is, they are strictly forbidden from appearing in Sylvia's sight. They all have the ability to sense their mother …
Wait, that's not right. Every mass-produced Raven has the talent to sense the location of their mother. That kind of resonance at the soul level is ten thousand times more accurate than a radar. As a well-trained and absolutely obedient Raven, how could they not take evasive measures when they sense that their mother is right in front of them?
You have to know that Sylvia's reaction speed is at the level of an idiot! Even if a Raven appeared in front of her, she would probably need a few seconds to react. Don't even mention the Shiring Apostles, even a normal person would be able to turn around and leave in a few seconds, right?
In other words, under normal circumstances, a Raven would definitely not meet Sylvia head-on — — unless the Raven initiated it. But the probability of the Shiring Apostles disobeying orders … is practically nonsensical.
As expected, after a few seconds, Sylvia connected to the mental connection and reported, "Reporting, Sir! The investigation is complete. It has been confirmed that the Raven that met Sylvia is 068 from the first batch, but … "
"But what?"
"Raven 068 mentioned in her report that she encountered an extremely short period of spatial imbalance. When she adjusted her coordinate sensor, she found herself standing in front of Sylvia!"
I exchanged glances with Sandora, who has been listening by the side, and saw a trace of shock in each other's eyes.
"My apologies, Sylvia. I suddenly remembered that Shallow Shallow asked me to go out and buy soy sauce … You can continue to daydream, we will leave first!"
"I'll help Ah Jun get the soy sauce bottle!"
Leaving behind these two sentences, the two heads of the Empire had already turned into a gust of wind, rumbling away. Silvia was left in a daze after the howling wind for a long time. Finally, she slowly uttered, "Ah, be careful on the road. Where is everyone?"
I pulled Sandora along as we sprinted, almost at the speed of sound, to the control center of the shadow city. There was an unprecedentedly large Schilling Mother Nest here. After our Schilling Hosts reached a certain number, and after a few breakthroughs in a few key technologies related to improving the Host's efficiency, this Mother Nest replaced the original automatic control center of the space. This pyramid, personally designed and built by Bubble, was the most important place in the entire shadow space. It was located in the middle of the shadow fortress, and was heavily protected. In its internal host slot, there were at least three Schilling Hosts that were connected at all times. The entire situation of the shadow space was precisely controlled by this Mother Nest. If anything were to happen in this space, this would be the first place to detect it.
When we heard Syves' report, the first thing that came to our mind was: The shadow space has gone wrong!
Spatial imbalance, this is a general term that includes many situations, such as the sudden exchange of coordinates between two locations, the sudden disappearance of a certain space, the random teleportation of a small area, etc. No matter what the situation is, it means that the laws of space have gone out of control, and in a place like the shadow city which is constantly monitored by humans, the appearance of spatial imbalance means that the space is gradually breaking away from our control. Of course, this might be a little too sensitive, but …
If you were living in a nuclear power plant and suddenly heard a loud crack next door, I don't believe that you would be able to keep your cool!
Aware of our arrival, Syves was already waiting in front of the Mother Nest. The moment Sandora and I appeared, he hurriedly welcomed us. As he led us in the direction of the central engine room, he reported the information that he had just gathered.
"… We have just completed the search of the shadow city's boundary system, and found no signs of spatial integrity being destroyed. But according to the information sent back by the various probes, there are indeed some abnormal things appearing in our management system, but most of the abnormalities are very weak, and even something that humans are unable to detect. The largest scale should be the spatial imbalance incident that the raven encountered … As the city's operations have recently focused on military expansion, these reports that could be small problems have been suppressed. It was only when I flipped through the records of the raven's movements that I discovered it …"
As Syves reported along the way, we had already arrived at the central engine room of the Mother Nest. There was a large star-shaped crystal prism here, and at most thirty Schilling Host Computers could be connected at the same time. What appeared before us now was the spectacular sight of thirty-three Schilling Host Computers all connected at once, with the central Bubble leading the way.
Right now, the computing power of this place could almost deduce the entire history of the universe from the Big Bang to the present more than a hundred times in a minute …
"Bubble, what's the situation?"
I walked forward and knocked twice on the crystal prism in the center, waking up the little girl who seemed to be working hard inside, but I still had sufficient reason to believe that she had at least twenty games running simultaneously.
"Ah, the child's father!" Bubble opened her eyes and saw that it was me. She immediately leaned on the inner wall of the crystal prism happily. "We just made a big discovery!"
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