“Here…”
After Sigaochin led the soldiers back to the core area, the first thing she did was check the state of the alien intelligence. After locating it, she immediately ordered the troops to form a perimeter around it.
Then she noticed Guan Tong was no longer there.
She was not worried that Guan Tong had gotten into trouble, because she had found some remaining unconscious parasitized forms at the scene, which meant his question had not triggered massive feeding by the alien intelligence.
Also, when she was still some distance away earlier, she had seen a pure black circular dome made of Shadow on the vehicle. That must have been the kind of “domain” Guan Tong had mentioned.
Sigaochin knew this was not the time to wonder where Guan Tong had gone. She needed to clean up the site quickly and reset the equipment.
On the other side, after the Consortium received the analysis results, everyone was astonished at the internal structure of the alien intelligence.
Until now, people had assumed it was some kind of special creature, an independent individual.
But the analysis showed that it was actually an “individual” made up of an enormous number of nanobiological organisms or nanorobots.
Humanity was not unfamiliar with the concept of nano; it had even achieved minor practical applications.
But integrating hundreds of billions or more nano-constructs into a single entity that possessed intelligence was beyond human capability.
This discovery also explained why it did not need to excrete. It did not swallow so much as it decomposed, and the decomposed life matter either dispersed into the air or provided energy for countless nanobots.
With this finding, technical experts also deduced that the spaceship it used was most likely made of nano-scale constructs as well.
That revelation offered humans an obvious hint: a development path could be borrowed—shift focus to the microscopic field and study how to fully control nano-constructs.
But many experts also knew that this road would soon run into a wall called “materials problems.”
Earlier, the alien intelligence’s answer to the energy question mentioned materials issues that limited human advancement in many areas; the microscopic field would be no exception.
So the discussion circled back to the earlier approach: humanity must rapidly develop space technology, at least thoroughly explore the plas in this star system, and try to locate the special energy material missing from Tianshui Star.
…
During the last two days of the Rule Period after the attack, the Consortium did not ask any more questions.
One reason was the insufficient number of parasitized forms, and the fear that enemies might repeat their old trick and hide more Ascendants inside ordinary parasitized forms. Even with rigorous inspections, a single oversight was possible.
Another reason related to the earlier questions.
The Consortium’s previous inquiries about the Doomsday Rules had caused chaos when the alien intelligence answered, but someone had posted information explaining its reply and the resulting anomalies.
Although the poster was anonymous, the Consortium all knew it was Shadow. The live stream and recording equipment at the scene had been damaged in the skirmish, and only he stayed behind to hear the answer.
According to later investigations by soldiers who reinforced the scene, they believed Shadow might have privately asked a question.
This was also the official judgment of various governments.
They certainly would not believe Shadow had gone to the scene without a motive.
As a result, governments also asked the Xisiya authorities whether there had been secret cooperation between them.
Xisiya denied this claim, but the truth was only known to a few.
In any case, the Consortium judged Shadow had no reason to lie.
Most importantly, the Consortium discovered the alien intelligence’s state was unstable. More precisely, it seemed to enter some enclosed or powered-down state and ceased activity.
When humans tried again to ask a “name” question, they found it did not decompose food and did not answer. That change made the Consortium worry continued prodding would be dangerous, so they stopped.
Thus Sigaochin waited on high alert at the Landing Site for two more days, and at the moment the Rule Period ended, the alien intelligence automatically returned to its spaceship, which then rapidly ascended and disappeared.
[Congratulations, you have passed the fifteenth Doomsday Rule]
The Fire Thief’s voice sounded in Sigaochin’s mind at that moment, and she exhaled, her tension easing.
“Finally over…”
Other soldiers also sat down where they were.
This level of pressure, with the whole world watching and a single mistake potentially catastrophic, was enough to exhaust body and mind even after a few days.
…
A border city of Xisiya.
Guan Tong and Uenoshi waited in the lobby of an abandoned mall when the Fire Thief’s voice chimed in their minds simultaneously.
[Congratulations, you have passed the fifteenth Doomsday Rule]
[There is no reward for this rule]
[The sixteenth Doomsday Rule will be announced in seven days]
“It’s over.”
Uenoshi glanced toward the lobby entrance, and Guan Tong’s gaze also landed there.
Standing there, Shadow kept holding the page.
Since leaving the Landing Site, Guan Tong had had Shadow hold that page the alien intelligence had “vomited” out—a page formed from part of its body.
He did not dare let it get too close to him. Although the chance of a sudden attack was low, it was not impossible.
During this time he had contacted Uenoshi and asked her to meet him.
They had waited here until the rule ended.
“The rule has ended, so it should be safe now, right?” Uenoshi asked.
“Not necessarily,” Guan Tong said. “Don’t forget the fog and the spore parasitized forms—these things remain on the pla after the rule ends.”
Uenoshi nodded.
At that moment Guan Tong suddenly paused, saying uncertainly, “Just now I heard the Fire Thief’s prompt… that page seems to have become an item.”
Uenoshi’s curiosity was immediately piqued.
Guan Tong then manipulated Shadow to bring the page over, and he took it.
Many things could be fabricated, but the Fire Thief’s prompts did not lie.
He had clearly heard the prompt:
[You have obtained: Nano Swarm]
Nano… swarm?
After he took the page, the related information promptly appeared.
[Nano Swarm]: This is a portion of a special nanobiological insect. When such organisms aggregate in sufficient numbers they can generate collective intelligence; in insufficient numbers they only possess basic shaping and decomposition abilities. This portion of the nano swarm produced a fusion effect while decomposing a certain special energy, and can be controlled by the bearer of that energy.
So that was it!
Guan Tong suddenly understood many things.
He looked at Uenoshi with curiosity in her eyes and, forming a team with her, shared the item information.
After reading it she exclaimed with sudden clarity, “That alien intelligence was a swarm made of many nanoinsects?”
“Seems so,” Guan Tong guessed based on the information. “A single nanoinsect or a few are useless; only when an enormous number aggregate into a massive swarm does intelligence arise… The portion in my hand obviously lacks the numbers to be intelligent.”
Uenoshi added, “The info says this nano swarm has shaping and decomposition abilities, like the alien intelligence’s shape changes and the way it consumed food—that was actually decomposition.”
Guan Tong nodded.
“So a part of its body became an item because it fused with a special energy. That energy came from you.”
“…I guess so.”
Guan Tong knew the special energy mentioned in the info referred to the Wordless Book.
Because he held ownership of the Wordless Book, this nano swarm fused with a page from the book and became a special product, which after the rule ended turned into an item belonging to him and was preserved that way.
“Congratulations,” Uenoshi said. “This item looks powerful, and it doesn’t consume Mind Power to use.”
“Yeah, so all the effort for this rule wasn’t in vain. But this thing…”
Guan Tong stared at the page in his hand, sensing its connection to him, and tried to make it transform.
The next moment it quickly changed into an apple—a pure black apple.
Guan Tong tried to change its color or make it larger, but he could not.
“This nano swarm has a limit on its maximum shapable volume due to the limited number of nanites; its color seems locked to black.”
“What about decomposition?”
“I’ll try.”
Guan Tong summoned several living dead and, imagining controlling Shadow, attempted to have the nano swarm move over to decompose them. But it did not move.
“This thing seems unable to act independently. Without intelligence it cannot be commanded like a summon.”
Guan Tong thought for a moment and found a way to use it.
The black apple immediately transformed into a glove.
He put it on his left hand, then pressed his left palm to a living dead’s head.
As he gave the command “decompose,” the part of the living dead’s head touching his palm instantly vanished.
Uenoshi’s pupils contracted at the sight. The instantaneous decomposition power, usable without consuming Mind Power, was terrifying.
But the flaw was obvious: it could not be used independently and must be carried and used personally by Guan Tong, in close contact.
“Let’s use it like this for now.”
Guan Tong looked at his pure black left hand wearing the Nano Swarm glove and felt it paired well with his right hand’s usual Small Space attacks.
As he looked at it, Guan Tong could not help recalling the nano swarm’s changes and responses when he had asked his previous question.
His memory was clear, still vivid.
After he asked, the nano swarm thirsted to decompose his Wordless Book. When he tore out a page for it to decompose, it transformed into a construct that looked like a ship.
God, starship, out of control, fragments.
These four words were the broken phrases the nano swarm had sputtered then. Were they connected?
Receiving that answer had only deepened Guan Tong’s confusion.
The only thing he could be sure of was that the Wordless Book’s origin was more special than he had imagined, hiding a huge secret and certainly related to his own crossing over.
“Captain, where are we going next?”
Uenoshi did not ask what the “special energy” was. She knew Guan Tong sharing the nano swarm info was a sign of trust, but trust did not entitle her to pry into every secret.
“I made an agreement with Xisiya’s Administrator Yelanka to get a chance to enter the Landing Site,” Guan Tong said. “After the rule ends, I’ll stay in Xisiya to provide her personal protection for a while.”
“…”
“The time shouldn’t be long. Once she secures her position as Administrator, the agreement is fulfilled. If you have no other plans, stay with me.”
Uenoshi nodded. “Understood.”
She had no other plans; staying anywhere was much the same after everything she had been through. Even if Sakura Prayer Country was her homeland, she no longer felt much attachment.
Guan Tong continued, “Also, I remember the Second Ascendant Challenge Tournament usually opens after the fifteenth rule. But this rule’s interval is only seven days—it’s unrealistic to slot a tournament in between.”
“You mean the sixteenth rule might be related to the tournament?”
“Yeah, so we should use this week to prepare.”
“How are your injuries?”
“I used recovery items earlier, I’m almost healed. Let’s get ready to go.”
Guan Tong then took out the phone he used to contact Yelanka from his storage ring and found several messages from her already.
He replied, “Send an address, we’re on our way.”
A few minutes later, Yelanka sent an address in Xisiya’s capital, and the two immediately set off.
…
Countermeasures Research Office, Rule Summary Meeting.
All information, data, and research about the alien intelligence had been compiled into documents and sent to every authorized scholar.
Zhang Minglu spoke at the meeting: “From the results, humanity still gained much from this rule. Methods to identify parasitized forms, knowledge of special energy materials, converting brain waves into digital signals, exploration of nano intelligence—these are valuable.”
“But these gains are all ‘infinitely deferred’ gains, didn’t Dr. Zhang notice?” Han Qiu said. “Mind work, special energy materials, brain wave-to-digital conversion, nano intelligence… do any of these have immediate, deployable applications?”
“…Although not immediately usable, at least we can confirm brain wave-to-digital conversion could be implemented within a year. Based on open-source tech from Suroma, our experts have predicted we can apply it in a year.”
“A year…” Han Qiu sighed. “In the Doomsday Rule era, a year is enough for so many things to happen.”
Another scholar asked, “Academician Han, are you pessimistic because the answer to your question wasn’t what you wanted?”
“That’s part of it. I’m naturally inclined to consider adverse outcomes first.” Han Qiu looked at Gao Liangwei. “Director, do you think this rule produced no adverse effects?”
Gao Liangwei was silent for a moment, then slowly said, “There are certainly adverse effects. Xisiya lost many elite soldiers, there was a large amount of online opposition to asking questions, parasitized forms united with the Fire Thief Worship Cult… these are all detrimental to humanity overall. But we will overcome each of these disadvantages in due course.”
Reviews
All reviews (0)