Chapter 663 - 421: Ancient Darkness

Chapter 663: Chapter 421: Ancient Darkness

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「Gaia Satellite City.」

The azure sky was bright with sunshine as white clouds drifted lazily by. The temperature was a perfect 25°C, with humidity maintained between 35% and 65%. A gentle breeze blew, and the ultraviolet rays were weak.

Amid a great roar, a train sped along the suspended tracks, weaving between countless towering skyscrapers. The passengers aboard were a diverse mix. There were office workers in crisp suits, Knights in battle-damaged armor, dust-covered adventurers, fashionably dressed youths, and fresh-faced students. Some gazed around curiously, others calmly played on their phones, and a few used the travel time to catch up on sleep.

The train pulled into the station. As the doors opened, a giant screen playing advertisements on the building opposite came into view. Looking up, hovercars zipped along orderly aerial lanes. Looking down, the bustling city teemed with people and traffic. The entire city was just as prosperous as the World outside the Restricted Area.

Jiang Che stepped off the train, glanced at the time on her watch, and walked to the edge of the platform to wait.

RUMBLE... Before long, the churning of rotor blades stirred up a gust of wind that whipped at her coat. A military helicopter descended and landed at the edge of the platform. She strode aboard.

"Ms. Jiang Che, welcome to the Satellite City," greeted the man in the suit sitting across from her.

"This place isn’t quite what I imagined," Jiang Che said, looking at the city below.

’The Satellite City’s prosperity far exceeded her imagination. Even in the outside world, it would undoubtedly be a first-tier metropolis. The difference between it and the rest of Gaia was like night and day. This place was like Heaven—warm sunshine, clear skies, cool air, ample food and water, and no monsters to worry about...’

"Haha, the last few batches of Players said the same thing," the man in the suit chuckled. "One year in the outside world is a hundred years in Gaia. Eighteen centuries have passed since the Satellite City was founded. On top of that, Players descend every century to help us with construction. There’s no reason for us to remain stuck in some ancient, medieval era.

"Unfortunately, due to the game system’s restrictions, both the city’s size and population are capped. Otherwise, we would have expanded to cover half of Gaia by now."

"What level has the Satellite City’s technology reached?" Jiang Che asked.

"If we wanted to, we could scour the entire surface of Gaia several times over, but it would be useless. It wouldn’t solve Gaia’s fundamental problem."

The man in the suit glanced at the simulated blue sky and Sun above them and said with a sigh of resignation, "The gamification of this world gave Gaia a chance to be saved, but at the same time, it also shackled us.

"Gaia today is no longer a World. It’s a game—a classic ’hero saves the world,’ ’Hero versus Evil Dragon’ game. It’s precisely because of these fundamental, underlying Rules that we’ve never been able to liberate Gaia.

"Every game has to have a protagonist, and Gaia’s protagonists are the Players from a higher ’dimension’.

"Only Players can kill the final boss and clear the game. We natives are just NPCs... Have you ever seen an NPC rebel against its own ’programming’ to beat the very game it exists in?"

This was why, despite their advanced technology, the people of the Satellite City could never eliminate the final boss, reignite the Sun, clear the game, or unseal the Restricted Areas. They were not the protagonists of this game. No matter how advanced their technology became, it was useless. The boss could only be slain by the game’s protagonists.

The man in the suit quickly composed himself, his expression turning serious. "Ms. Jiang Che, I trust you’ve brought the item?"

Jiang Che nodded. "I did."

’She had been traveling the world with her teacher for nearly a month, seeing just how vast it was. Then, just a few days ago, her teacher had given her an invitation to Zone 009. He’d said he bought it at a high price from another Player and told her to go into Gaia and have some fun.

’At first, Jiang Che had refused. Gaia was a crumbling, apocalyptic world in dire straits. Even if Zhou Chen was here, it was hardly a place for a vacation. Coming here for ’fun’ was just asking for a bad time. But then, she received a call from the Star Association’s leadership. They had temporarily rescinded her suspension and given her an urgent, temporary assignment.’

She had no choice but to come.

The helicopter flew toward the core district of the Satellite City, landing on the rooftop of a black skyscraper.

This black skyscraper was the city’s most critical structure, the core that controlled all of its operations. The building had no doors or windows; its pitch-black surface reflected a metallic sheen, making it look like a giant, rectangular slab of obsidian. The only way in or out was via teleportation-type Skills, which required proper clearance. The consequences for trying to force one’s way in were said to be dire.

After they disembarked from the helicopter, a miniature Magic Array flared to life in the man’s right eye. A silvery-white magical light enveloped them both, and they vanished on the spot.

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Che found herself in a bustling hall. The layout was strongly reminiscent of the Star Association: large screens displayed a map of Gaia and various data, and everyone was busy at their stations. A familiar feeling washed over her.

"This way, please."

The man in the suit led the way, taking Jiang Che down an elevator to a server room on the lowest level.

In the center of the server room sat a familiar figure, their long, silvery-white hair cascading down with a metallic sheen.

—Godslaying Weapon: Tang Ling!

[Artificial Dome System takeover complete... Great Wall Defense System takeover complete... Eye of Horus System takeover complete...]