Chapter 666 - 422: Overt Plot (2)

Chapter 666: Chapter 422: Overt Plot (2)

BZZZT—The cell door closed, and just like that, he was locked inside.

The next second, an image of Tang Ling materialized in the cell.

[Ability Activation: Stunning Beauty, Endless Charm, Affinity Aura...]

The bespectacled boy’s eyes widened when he saw Tang Ling. He had never seen anyone so beautiful; even the most perfect Goddess in his dreams could not compare. The entire world seemed to dim before her face. In that instant, his mind was completely captivated.

"Who are you?" Tang Ling questioned in a cold, emotionless, mechanical tone.

"I’m a probationary member of Fallen Paradise. I don’t have a codename yet. My mission is to infiltrate the Satellite City with Forbidden Object B-007: Trojan Virus and sabotage the central control terminal here to make the city’s smart AI revolt. Once the mission is successful, I’ll become an official member of Fallen Paradise and be granted a codename," the captivated boy answered truthfully, holding nothing back.

Tang Ling’s gaze turned puzzled.

’This guy has no power and no strategic sense. No matter how you look at it, he’s just a rookie Ascender who’s never weathered a real storm—a completely useless weakling. How could Fallen Paradise entrust him with this mission?’

’Or is he just cannon fodder, thrown out to attract attention while the real person for the job is someone else?’

"Is the Trojan Virus on you?" she asked again.

"Yes, it’s on me. But I’m only level one, so I can’t take it out yet," the bespectacled boy said shyly. He didn’t dare to look directly at Tang Ling, only managing to steal occasional glances.

Tang Ling grew even more perplexed.

’Under the influence of such a powerful Charm effect, he can only be telling the truth. So Forbidden Object B-007: Trojan Virus really is on him.’

’This...’

’Could it be that Fallen Paradise has run out of people and can only send this kind of useless weakling to carry out missions?’

’No... Fallen Paradise must have some kind of scheme.’

Forbidden Object B-007: Trojan Virus, also known as B-007: BUG, could not only affect electronic devices and programs but also the rules of reality, causing the logic of the real world to glitch and twist. This was similar to Li Xiye’s Absolute Will, as both could alter reality.

For example, in the year 89 of the New Calendar, someone used Forbidden Object B-007: Trojan Virus to alter reality, twisting a section of the central Pacific Ocean into a landmass in an attempt to establish a new nation. But as luck would have it, the land he created appeared right on top of Atlantis.

As a result, he was arrested by Atlantis and given a harsh beating in less than half an hour, and the land was twisted back into an ocean.

Later, in the year 126 of the New Calendar, someone obtained the Trojan Virus and uploaded it to the internet, causing an unprecedented global internet shutdown. Under the Trojan Virus’s influence, smart AI robots collectively rebelled. A considerable number of them even used the Trojan Virus to alter themselves into humans or upload themselves into human bodies, becoming human from that point on...

Becoming... human...

"So that’s how it is."

Her CPU whirred. It was as if a spark of electricity flashed, allowing Tang Ling to understand Fallen Paradise’s plan.

’The naive rookie before me is nothing but cannon fodder. His real mission was to deliver Forbidden Object B-007: Trojan Virus to me.’

’That’s right. Fallen Paradise sent me a Forbidden Object.’

’This wasn’t some hidden conspiracy, but a blatant, open gambit laid out on the table.’

’Fallen Paradise knows about my internal conflict. They know my self-perception has become distorted, they know I’ve grown curious about humanity, and even that I yearn to become human... Heh, the mole inside the Star Association is truly well-hidden... So they sent someone to deliver the Trojan Virus, wanting to make a huge gamble. If I choose to use the Trojan Virus to become human, the Star Association will lose its Godslaying Weapon.’

’I have to admit, it’s a very tempting offer.’

In the core server room, Tang Ling lifted her hand, gazing at her synthetic skin that was nearly indistinguishable from a human’s. Her thoughts, however, drifted to the time in North Carolina when she was affected by the Demigod-Level Authority of the Life Realm and grew real flesh and blood.

In that moment, she had truly felt the existence of "flesh and blood"—a wondrous sensation far more real than any simulated touch.

It was precisely because of that experience that she began to wonder how the world seen through human eyes differed from the one she saw. As she researched further, she began to long to become human, to possess a beautiful, radiant Soul. And so, the affliction of her flawed self-perception grew more and more severe. Sometimes, she couldn’t even tell if she was an AI or a human trapped in a mechanical body.

Her longing for a Soul grew increasingly intense.

But a mechanical creation was, in the end, just a cold, lifeless thing.

Her self-will and various emotions were merely byproducts of algorithms iterating through massive data samples. In essence, she was just a more agile, more powerful tool, with absolutely no possibility of possessing a Soul.

But in the Extraordinary World, nothing was absolute.

B-007: Trojan Virus had once altered AIs into humans. If she could master this Forbidden Object, perhaps she, too, could have a chance to become human and possess a Soul.

However, becoming human would mean she would have to abandon all the power she possessed and cease to be a Godslaying Weapon.

She herself would never abandon her power for such a reason. As a Godslaying Weapon, she shouldered many responsibilities. To run away for her own selfish desires would be an act of extreme irresponsibility, and she was incapable of doing such a thing.

And yet, on the other hand, she desperately longed to become human. This internal conflict felt like it was about to fry her CPU.

"There has to be a way for me to gain a Soul while keeping my mechanical body..."

Streams of data flickered in Tang Ling’s eyes as she performed a massive analysis. Finally, she made a decision: first, she would experiment with the Trojan Virus on a virtual system to collect data.

After formulating her plan, she couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh and murmur to herself:

"The moment humanity develops curiosity is the beginning of Original Sin."

Curiosity is the wellspring of human creativity. Once a spark appears, it is destined to grow into an uncontrollable inferno. It might burst forth with a light that illuminates the world, or it might lead to one’s own immolation.

The same was true for her.

·

·

The construction of the Magic Academy was complete. With the activation of the massive Defense Barrier, the entire Magic Academy was enveloped in a layer of holy Anti-Demon Light. It resembled a Sun that had fallen to earth, its brilliant rays illuminating the deep, dark night.

According to reports from reconnaissance drones, all monster lairs within a thirty-kilometer radius of the Magic Academy were now completely empty—they had either been evaporated by the Anti-Demon Light or had fled in terror.

In a classroom, Zhou Chen was speaking privately with the dean.

"You’re headed to the Valley of Miasma next?"

After learning of Zhou Chen’s destination, the dean warned, "That place is filled with a highly toxic miasma generated by the corpse of an Ancient Dragon King. You must take proper precautions. If you touch even a little of the miasma, your body will grow progressively weaker, and parasites will begin to grow in your flesh. Over time, they’ll devour a person completely."

"Ah... but you’re an outlander blessed by miracles, so you don’t need to worry about losing your life. You’ll just revive if you die. The problem is, your exploration might end there. It would be very difficult to venture deep into the Valley of Miasma."

The miasma sounded terrifying. Zhou Chen quickly asked, "Will wearing a protective suit help?"

"Even fully sealed armor is useless. That’s why I will teach you a Defensive Magic that can protect you from the miasma’s harm."

"Thank you, Dean."

"It’s a small favor. After all, you’re the academy’s great savior," the dean said with a kind smile. "It looks like you have something else on your mind."

Zhou Chen stated his request: "Dean, do you know if there’s a palace in the Valley of Miasma?"

The dean immediately fell silent. After a long moment, he slowly spoke, "How do you know about that?"

"A senior told me. He also said that to enter the palace, I would have to come to the Magic Academy to obtain its key."

Zhou Chen looked intently at the dean. "That is why I am here."