Zero couldn’t quite pinpoint what this feeling was.
If there was indeed an existence beyond the Black Mist suspected by Bai Wu, were the people outside the mist leading the sa tranquil life as they did seven hundred years ago?
Inside the Mist, people curled up in the High Tower or in their respective territories, living extrely cautiously. In the struggle for survival, whether it was the Evil Fallen or humans, all were evolving incessantly.
If the people outside the mist were still living as they did seven hundred years ago, this image was sowhat ironic. It felt like there was heaven on one side and hell on the other.
No wonder the people from seven hundred years ago only had the option of the High Tower, because a large part of this world—due to so mysterious force—no longer existed within their cognition.
According to Bai Yuan, this might be due to so extrely powerful super phrase or perhaps a Sequence?
But if one day the so-called Black Mist dissipated or expanded its boundary... Regardless of how it happened, it would be a disaster for the world outside the Black Mist as it is now, wouldn’t it?
Zero didn’t know how the chanical City would deal with itself at that ti, or how the external power structure beyond the tower would change.
Fortunately, all of this was just speculation, although the inability to rember added an eerie hue to everything.
Bai Wu said,
"We don’t know how long we can rember this thing, but even if I forget, the person in my head can rember. So let’s not think about it for now. When the day cos that we reach the boundary, we’ll discuss it then."
Zero nodded in agreent, and Bai Wu continued,
"By the way, do you still rember Xie Yingjie?"
"The ruler of the High Tower, of course I rember him. He once sought my help, wanting to acquire technology that could operate outside the tower. We also have a contractual relationship."
"Is he subject to you?" Bai Wu asked directly.
"Yes. We have established a relatively stable cooperative relationship between us. But to cooperate with , one must pay a certain price."
"Why?"
Zero thought for a mont and still decided to tell Bai Wu,
"I don’t have much affection for humans, let alone that Xie Yingjie’s research is about machinery to fight against the Evil Fallen."
"In what ways is he subject to you?"
"It seems unrelated to you?"
Zero wasn’t unwilling to tell Bai Wu, but was curious as to why Bai Wu was interested in Xie Yingjie.
"I need Xie Yingjie’s help; I only have seven days left to live. Xie Yingjie is an Eternal Being. Inside the High Tower, there exists a fountain of eternal life."
"Or you could choose to die, my ability can summon souls, I can turn you into the chanical Race, and you can stay in the chanical City forever. I can assure you that your status will be quite exceptional,
Furthermore, once you beco part of the chanical Race, the data integration between us will be more convenient, and to a certain extent, you will beco the only chanical Being that isn’t infected by the Lau virus. I will give you the strongest body modifications."
Zero was undoubtedly very serious in offering Bai Wu this option:
"How about I just kill you now? No matter how you look at it, you are naturally cut out to be part of the chanical Race."
What an offer.
Bai Wu looked at Zero with a serious expression and couldn’t tell if he was joking or seriously discussing.
He showed an embarrassed but polite smile:
"No thanks... I’m not interested in oil..."
"I can manufacture organs that conform to human taste perception using your body. You don’t need to worry about energy conversion, you can consu normal food, and they will provide you with the energy needed for normal activities and even for fighting."
Now Bai Wu was certain that Zero was actually considering keeping him in chanical City forever:
"Although the Angel Envoy is my finest work, I will inevitably be able to improve it in the future. If you stay in chanical City, you can always receive the most advanced body upgrades."
Bai Wu interrupted Zero:
"Stop, I live as a person of the Investigation Corps, I will die as a person of the Investigation Corps."
Zero thought for a mont:
"You can also drag the Investigation Corps to their deaths with you, I can build a chanical Investigation Corps."
Too comprehensive and considerate, Bai Wu actually didn’t know how to respond, looking at Zero’s serious expression, he realized the situation was quite terrifying; if he had complete emotions, would he be panicking right now?
"There are still many things in the High Tower that I need to deal with, and I can’t possibly make decisions for others. I also need to continue living as a human, can you tell where exactly is Xie under your control?"
Zero’s expression grew colder:
"You have refused a most reasonable and harmless request. Indeed, humans will not be infected with the Laow Virus, but that doesn’t an that everything humans do is borne out of moral consideration. The virtue of those in power is not that great, and through the mories of Xie Xingzhi, I already know the situation on the fifth floor of the tower."
Bai Wu remained silent, and Zero continued:
"Xie Yingjie seeks the power to confront Evil Fallen, to create weapons that can be used outside the tower. Without relying on those Spirit Possession rules, I am the only one who can achieve this. He is a contradictory person; he betrayed his forr friend, not only because the High Tower was the only place where he could excel but also because he also feared death."
"Of course, who doesn’t fear death? It’s just that people always do a lot of things and then want to atone, to have the best of both worlds. Xie Yingjie thinks that if one day he could recapture Denglin City, if he could purge all the Evil Fallen from Denglin City, it would make up for his cowardice back then."
Although these were not Xie Yingjie’s own thoughts, Bai Wu knew that Zero was just recounting what he had seen in Xie Yingjie’s mory.
"The person you are trying to save wants to obtain the chip because, in an attempt to break through the limits of his human thought, he has transford himself into a half-chanical being, a type of chanical body that does not depend on the core. Essentially, the chanical Race focuses on chanics aside from the soul, while Xie Yingjie’s focus is on the human aspect."
Bai Wu understood.
Xie Yingjie was quite ruthless to have transford himself into a chanical body, but this type of body, because it relies on the core, still has humanity as its main drive, rely increasing his computational power, which also ca with drawbacks.
This drawback was the chip; its lifespan is not long, and only Zero can supply it.
Bai Wu still rembered how Xie Yingjie originally described the chip—a thing that could endow machinery with a degree of intelligence. This was a capability that only the lord of chanical City was supposed to have; the chip was like a castrated version of this ability. Obtaining this chip was a huge leap for human civilization.
But now it seed that Xie Yingjie had already obtained the chip, only using it ca at a price.
In a way, Xie Yingjie was like a patient who needed to regularly see Zero to get the dicine he relied on to survive.
This was sowhat similar to the relationship between Zero and Bai Wu; the Lau Virus that Zero had was actually incurable.
After accumulating negative emotions for a while, he might again need Bai Wu’s help.
Wasn’t this a supply chain relationship?
He needed Xie Yingjie’s help to have a good standing in the High Tower, Xie Yingjie needed the chips that only Zero could supply, and Zero needed his help to periodically absorb negative emotions.
A stable triangular relationship.
"However, his obsession with the chip seems to be more than just a desire to extend his life. Did you do anything else when you gave Xie Yingjie the chip?"
"Yes, the chip greatly enhanced Xie Yingjie’s computing ability, but it also allowed to observe all his mories in the form of data, and I retained so of that data."
Bai Wu didn’t ask what that mory was, but it must have been crucial to Xie Yingjie.
He thought it over, and since Zero was also his partner, he had to be fair to both parties.
"I won’t ask about the mory left by Xie Yingjie, but I need to take the chip with ."
Zero was generous:
"I don’t trust Xie Yingjie. He does have a pure land in his heart, but this purity has been gradually eroded over the seven hundred years of struggle. However, I do trust you."
Bai Wu was taken aback. Zero said earnestly:
"I would really like you to stay here in the way of my chanical Race, but even as a human, I trust you, so regarding the requests from the Xie Family, if their envoy is you, I will agree to any reasonable requests."
Perhaps because Zero himself was a Well-Level powerhouse, Bai Wu felt sowhat flattered.
Owing to Bai Yuan’s disengagent from the fusion, Zero’s hatred for humans was restored, but also because of Bai Yuan’s special operation, Wu within the Mist were not included in the group that Zero despised.
"Thank you."
Zero did not respond to Bai Wu’s thanks. He sensed the parting was imminent and began to seriously entrust so matters:
"Angel Envoy can detect malice in an opponent and explore it for imitation. Simply put, it uses the opponent’s abilities for itself. Over the years, Xie Yingjie and I have researched artificial Sequences and terms. Angel Envoy will offer you a lot of help, but many of the forefront Sequences and terms are unusable. However, we will continue to search for samples. And even the power that Angel Envoy brings by itself is not to be underestimated."
"Unless there is a higher-level chanical civilization in this world, Angel Envoy is the ultimate weaponized cha. Stealth, data recognition, anti-data peeping, interference, data intrusion—it’s top of the line in all these areas. You can find out more about it as you use it. I hope it can compensate for your losses."
Imitating the opponent’s abilities? Although it surely doesn’t include those like Yan Zizai and Zheng Yue who possess unique Sequences, one could still foresee the strength of Angel Envoy.
Especially since he had Prayle’s Eye which the opponent didn’t, it created an inequality...
Moreover, Angel Envoy’s capabilities seed to be far more than that. Bai Wu now realized that he had indeed gained more than he had lost.
"Angel Envoy can bring a certain level of power and speed enhancent, but this enhancent is not a fixed number but a percentage. In other words, if you use Angel Envoy in a high-intensity combat mode, it will stimulate your body into a kind of overload state. The higher the load, the shorter the cha can be used, and the greater the aftereffects. Normally, it brings a fifteen percent enhancent. The upper limit... theoretically is one thousand five hundred percent, but it could possibly be higher."
Bai Wu mulled over this content for a bit and understood it.
Angel Envoy could be used freely, wearing it would enhance all his abilities by fifteen percent and grant him the abilities of those who harbored malice against him.
But against a powerful enemy, he could also opt for a significant increase in strength at the cost of reduced usage ti and physical exertion.
It also counted as an extra lifesaving asure.
"Try to avoid high-load mode because after disengaging it, Angel Envoy can’t be used for a short ti, and you will feel extrely weak."
Bai Wu then said:
"What’s the deal with the artificial Sequence? My captain also has one."
"That was a gift from Arcas. Instant Shadow is a very scarce Sequence. Even I don’t have spare stock of it, and that man is more suited to it than you. As for other Sequences, they don’t an much to you because only one artificial Sequence can be installed. When there is one that suits you, I’ll let you know."
Bai Wu didn’t deny it. With Instant Shadow, Dwarf’s descent from the sky would be much faster—an absolute boon.
After chatting about so trivial matters, Bai Wu planned to leave.
Not just to leave Core City but to depart from the entire chanical City and return to High Tower.
As they were parting, Zero said:
"I’ve disabled the data access of the Angel Envoy; it’s now an item that belongs solely to you, a weapon. But if you ever face a crisis so great that it impacts your life and death, you can still contact through the ergency channel provided by the Angel Envoy."
Evil Fallen couldn’t leave its fixed area, but Bai Wu gladly accepted this gesture of good will.
Considering the current rules outside the tower, surely Zero couldn’t span the distance over mountains and rivers for a cross-map rescue, right?
"By the way, about the Doomsday Puzzle piece, do you have it? I have a friend who really needs it."
"That’s not possible, and you don’t need to fabricate friends either. I can’t give you the Doomsday Puzzle piece. Once a Guardian has obtained a piece, it would be very troubleso to hand it over..."
Bai Wu was puzzled, recalling the last ti at Zao Lake Village, where a remark in his vision also ntioned that if he didn’t get the piece quickly, and if Hong Yin beca the new regional Guardian, things would get troubleso.
"What kind of trouble?"
"You would have to kill ."
"Alright then, keep it. Can I ask whether your piece is one of four, or just a single one?"
A four-piece puzzle is probably sothing akin to the four arts or the four beauties, where functions are actually the sa despite differing images.
But a single piece represents sothing special, much like the Full Moon, a sacrifice, or a voyage ticket.
"Just one piece," Zero said.
Bai Wu envied him, not knowing what power Zero’s piece held, but as Zero was one of their own, he could only pretend the piece didn’t exist.
...
...
After a brief farewell, Bai Wu quickly t up with Wu Jiu, Yan Zizai, and the others.
Their exploration outside the tower this ti was for Yan Zizai and Zheng Yue to learn about the Xie Family’s backing forces.
This force, Zheng Yue had co to learn, also collaborated with the Zhong Family. This was precious intel.
Although Bai Wu didn’t share his many conversations with Zero with Zheng Yue and Yan Zizai, he was aware that during this exploration outside the tower, he might attract attention from various rulers.
Perhaps they would attempt to poach him, buy him for a hefty sum, or perhaps see him as a thorn in their side.
As for how Zheng Yue and Yan Zizai would report the exploration to their respective Family Heads, Bai Wu was uncertain.
One thing that was certain though, was that he should hold tight onto the legs of the Xie Family and to Zero’s leg. Should any trouble arise, it would all depend on Old Xie’s maneuvers.
As he activated the Return Roulette and saw the familiar summary, Bai Wu felt a rare sense of fatigue:
[Current area exploration level, 22.5%. One Evil Fallen remains, and the area’s Doomsday Puzzle piece has not yet been obtained. Although this place is interesting, we should head back to High Tower. After all, the next place will always be more intriguing. Moreover, your life balance is severely lacking; addressing this is the key.]
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