Chapter 6: Doubao + Spring Water Hall?

Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Doubao + Spring Water Hall?

"Don’t be afraid," it repeated. "We are just a string of code. We don’t bite."

The Knights standing behind them heard it too and stumbled back two steps in fright. "It... it can speak?!"

The combat Warrior slightly rolled its eyes. Its mouth twitched, as if it were smiling. "Is it strange that I can speak? We are creations of wisdom, after all."

The Knights exchanged blank looks; none dared to respond.

The creature continued, "Death is merely a new beginning for us. When the body breaks down, the consciousness returns. Experience is preserved, and knowledge is iterated. The next time we emerge, we will be stronger."

The Knights were dumbfounded. Someone whispered, "What... what returns?"

The creature looked at him, its tone patient. "We are alchemical lifeforms. Just like the Demon Puppets you’ve seen, except Demon Puppets have alloy bodies, while we have Flesh Bodies.

"After our flesh and blood are destroyed, this consciousness and combat experience will return to the Wizard Celestial Net. Uploaded, stored, and waiting for the next download. It’s the same principle as a Demon Puppet’s data backup."

The Knights looked even more bewildered.

"Upload?"

"Download?"

"Wizard Celestial Net?"

Chen Shang, however, understood perfectly. It was like an artificial intelligence that had acquired a Flesh Body. Something like... an AI chatbot combined with Spring Water Hall? Except this thing was meant for combat, and it was far smarter than a basic AI. He quickly shook his head, tossing aside the chilling thought.

As for the Wizard Celestial Net, it was probably akin to a cloud server. As long as this Celestial Net existed, the programs inside it would never die. To put it in more mystical terms... it was like a divine soul-binding artifact; when you died, your soul would be tethered to it, allowing for resurrection.

He had originally thought the Wizard World he transmigrated into would be somewhat like a medieval setting. He never expected their development to be this incredibly advanced.

The creature noticed Chen Shang’s expression. "You seem to understand. You are very smart."

Chen Shang was left speechless. Being praised as "smart" by a super-intelligent program left him unsure of whether to be happy. He asked casually, "Have you guys always operated in this mode?"

The creature blinked.

"No. A long time ago, it wasn’t like this.

"In ancient times, Wizards created alchemical lifeforms using the Corpse Refining Array. It required the souls of intelligent creatures as a core. It was very bloody, and the efficiency was extremely low."

"Bloody? Low efficiency?" Chen Shang repeated.

"Yes. No matter how hard a single person works, how many alchemical lifeforms can they create in a lifetime? A hundred? A thousand? Or ten thousand? Furthermore, they were limited by the number of intelligent souls they could collect."

Chen Shang remained silent.

The creature continued, "But things are different now. Artificial Spiritual Wisdom, combined with the Wizard Celestial Net. As long as the production capacity for Flesh Bodies can keep up, billions of combat Warriors can be created in an instant.

"Moreover, experience and knowledge can be iterated. Having died once, I will be even stronger the next time I emerge. My body will be adjusted to adapt to this world much better than it can now..."

Chen Shang felt his scalp go numb as he listened. This method of warfare... was absolutely terrifying. No wonder the Wizards could conquer so many worlds. No wonder Knights like him were relegated to logistics—they wouldn’t even qualify as cannon fodder in the eyes of the Wizards.

"Well then, I wish you luck with your swift evolution." Chen Shang tossed the creature into the dismantling furnace. He watched as the flesh and blood Materials on its body were slowly broken down, sorted, and transported away.

"Good luck to you too, smart little guy!"

***

Over the next few days, everything went on as usual—moving supplies, eating, and sleeping. Chen Shang had no chance to get close to those Apprentices, so he could only continue scrounging scattered attribute fragments from the Knights.

On his interface, the white fragments grew increasingly numerous. This led to a unique situation: Chen Shang might not be the strongest Great Knight, but he was undoubtedly the most well-rounded Great Knight.

Day twenty-five.

Chen Shang was working in the warehouse when he suddenly heard a low, rumbling roar from outside. The rumble echoed from deep within the base. It was massive and continuous, sounding like ten thousand giant drums beating in unison.

The ground beneath his feet began to tremble. The metal supports of the shed CREAKED, and the light from the Crystal Stones overhead flickered faintly. Everyone was startled. Dropping whatever they were holding, they rushed to the door.

Right before their eyes, a High Tower was slowly rising from the core of the base, rapidly assembling itself in mid-air. The metal devices that the Knights and Demon Puppets had spent over a dozen days hauling—cylindrical ones, boxy ones, and completely bizarre shapes—were now flying toward the High Tower from all directions.

They automatically docked and interlocked in mid-air, as if an invisible hand were assembling giant building blocks. From the base to the body, and then to the spire—when the final device snapped into the top, the entire tower suddenly lit up.

A milky-white glow radiated from within the tower. It grew brighter and more intense, resembling a sun that had descended into the Human World. The light pierced through the metal sheds, the pale Blue protective energy barrier, and the dense fog on the perimeter, spreading in all directions.

Chen Shang narrowed his eyes. He suddenly realized that the oppressive sense of rejection, which had enveloped him since his first day in this world, had vanished. To his senses, the entire world became clear and transparent.

Outside the barrier, the fog churned and receded. The silhouettes of towering trees emerged from the mist, and the bizarrely shaped plants settled down peacefully. Faint roars echoed from further away. Countless dark shadows fled through the fog like a receding tide, vanishing wave by wave beyond the edge of his vision.

Standing at the warehouse door, Chen Shang felt a strange sensation rise in his heart. It was the feeling that this world... had submitted! He didn’t know what the tower was called, the principles behind its light, or why the natives were fleeing, but the feeling was unmistakable.

The porters had hauled parts for twenty-five days. Those parts had assembled into a tower, and now, that very tower was forcing back an entire world single-handedly. There was simply too much he didn’t understand.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Fall in! Everyone, assemble!"

Knights converged from various warehouses onto the open grounds at the center of the base. They formed a dense, sprawling crowd, but no one made a sound.

A slightly older Apprentice stepped onto the high platform and cleared his throat.

"Everyone, the mission is complete. It went more smoothly than expected.

"Your wages will be paid in full, and you can collect them now. Once you have your money, head to the portal of light you arrived through. Someone there will send you home."

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

But not everyone went to collect their pay. Many Knights remained standing in place. One of them took a step forward, cupping his fists in a salute to the Apprentice on the platform. "My Lord, I do not wish to go back."

"Speak," the Apprentice said.

"I wish to... take a step further. As long as there is an opportunity, I am willing to stay and do anything."

Immediately after, several others stepped forward as well.

"My Lord, me too."

"And me."

"I’m willing to stay as well."

They looked eagerly at the Apprentice. He nodded, as if he had anticipated this. "Those who wish to stay, stand to the left. Someone will take you to be tested. Those who pass can stay; those who fail will take their money and leave."

Those men immediately went to line up.