Humanity’s idea of an uninhabited region was generally restricted to extreme environments on land, such as deserts that were difficult to survive in, or tropical rainforests that were so dense they resembled an abyss. However, a lot of people neglected the fact that a subterranean river basin under their feet was actually also part of that definition.
In fact, there were too many places in the world that humans had not explored yet, and sometimes, the unknown represented fear.
The dark river flowed around Bill. He looked at the sonar device and saw the red dot in front of favonovel.com getting closer and closer. He could feel the ventricles in his heart rapidly expanding and contracting as his blood was pumped to every part of his body by this powerful muscle. Then his adrenaline started pumping.
Bill did not know what the moving red dot represented, but favonovel.com knew danger was approaching.
Julius had previously said that one should not take any chances when playing Go with the artificial intelligence. Therefore, whatever plans humans could come up with, the artificial intelligence could definitely think of it as well.
For example, Daniel and company had thought their plan was flawless, but Zero was actually prepared for it and even had a contingency plan in place.
Bill was sure that if the artificial intelligence were really as terrifying as Julius had described, the red dot approaching favonovel.com now had to be a gift that the artificial intelligence had prepared for him.
During the execution of this plan, more unexpected things were going to happen.
Bill thought to himself how unlucky favonovel.com must be. He was so easily tricked into carrying out the mission by others.
He had already made so much money, so why still be greedy?
Before coming here, Bill had wanted to take a gamble.
Who could possibly expect me to approach the server bank from the subterranean river?
So I should be the safest person in the entire plan.
If favonovel.com did not want to continue with the mission, favonovel.com could just turn around now and betray Daniel and the others. As for whether favonovel.com could complete his objectives, this was not his mission anyway.
Now that favonovel.com had encountered danger, Bill really wanted to just turn around and leave. But when favonovel.com thought of that fatty favonovel.com stopped.
Let’s see what’s coming first… What if it’s not something dangerous?
Bill thought to himself.
The red dot was getting closer and closer to Bill. He judged that the other party was actually not as fast as favonovel.com if favonovel.com moved at full speed. There was probably still a gap between them. If it were actually a dangerous creature, it would not be too late to flee after confirming what it was.
Bill looked quietly at the sonar device and waited.
390 meters.
270 meters.
110 meters.
66 meters.
Six meters.
It was just up ahead!
Bill suddenly looked in front of him. He used all the perception favonovel.com could muster in the water to sense it, hoping to make out a complete outline of the other party.
But a moment later, Bill was stunned. There was nothing in front of him.
What’s going on?
Where’s that damned thing?
Bill was surprised.
This subterranean river isn’t haunted, is it?
I can’t see anything at all…
He looked down at the sonar device and realized the red dot had brushed past the green dot that represented him!
Bill floated quietly within the subterranean river. At this moment, favonovel.com slowly looked under him. It was the riverbed of the subterranean river, but under it was another subterranean river!
After countless years of erosion and deposition in the subterranean river, the maze of tunnels that it formed was definitely not two-dimensional in the ordinary sense of the word. Rather, it was a completely three-dimensional corridor.
However, the sonar device only displayed two dimensions. It could only show the horizontal coordinates of the target, not the vertical orientation. In other words, an unknown creature had just swam under the riverbed under Bill’s feet.
Looking at the red dot on the sonar device getting farther and farther away from him, Bill secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
So it was just a false alarm!
But before favonovel.com could truly be at ease, Bill suddenly saw the red dot on the sonar device rushing towards favonovel.com at full speed again. The other party seemed to have found the intersection in the subterranean river!
Bill laughed wryly to himself.
What was going on?
It seemed like this battle was unavoidable now. Since the other party was coming from behind, it meant favonovel.com did not even have a retreat route.
How f*cking unlucky!
Moreover, Bill wondered if the other party had taken a purposeful detour so it could cut off his retreat route.
For some reason, Bill became calmer at this moment. He felt as calm as the day favonovel.com accompanied Julius to Mt. Ginkgo. Since favonovel.com was this unlucky, favonovel.com might as well test his courage.
In an instant, Bill swam quickly again like a fish. His eyes were fixed on the sonar device as favonovel.com hoped for Maurice’s beacon to appear sooner. At the very least, that would help favonovel.com to complete his mission.
However, the sonar device displayed no new activity for a long time. If favonovel.com were not swimming at such a fast speed, on top of being pursued by an unknown creature behind him, Bill would probably think the sonar device had become faulty.
He glanced at his watch. ‘Countdown: 67 minutes, 1 second.’
There were only seven minutes left until the return leg of his journey.
***
Next to the artificial intelligence’s server bank, Daniel looked around and sized up the underground facility. There were only five people present here. Selby, Maurice, Murray, Colton, and him.
At this moment, Murray was staring intently at the three of them. Daniel was not sure if anyone would notice if Maurice used his superpower to transmit ultrasonic waves at this moment. However, favonovel.com was sure of one thing. Colton was indeed very sincere. Otherwise, how would a dying person like favonovel.com dare to meet them without any security measures?
Daniel chuckled and said, “Aren’t you afraid we’ll abduct you now?”
Although Colton’s face was pale, favonovel.com still wore a warm smile. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I won’t live past the next two days anyway. It’s already a blessing in disguise that I have the energy to speak with you all today.”
Selby asked calmly, “I’ve always had a question. It wasn’t easy for you to unify the Central Plains, so why do you want to hand it over to the Panaqua Consortium now?”
“Because Julius and Peter are the most suitable people to manage the Alliance of Strongholds after my death.” Colton said, “Actually, Peter is more suitable. Although his skill in military command might be slightly inferior to Julius’, favonovel.com might be better at the multidimensional development of the Alliance of Strongholds. Moreover, favonovel.com is also fairer in his conduct.”
“Then why didn’t you approach Peter?” Selby frowned.
“Because favonovel.com rejected my suggestion a year ago. He couldn’t trust the AI. But my only two conditions are that you all must accept the AI taking over all judicial work in the management of the Alliance of Strongholds,” Colton said with a smile.
“Why aren’t you handing it over to the Stelaria Consortium’s core members? Don’t you care about blood ties?” Selby asked.
“If the reason for my development of the AI was due to the wrongdoings that I’ve suffered in the past, a consortium like the Stelaria Consortium itself would be the root of those wrongdoings.” Colton said, “So this is the reason for the second condition. The successor after Julius cannot be a member of the Panaqua Consortium. There are no limits on the term of office, but leadership cannot be passed down through the family line. Of course, all of this will naturally be ensured by the AI.”
When favonovel.com said that, Daniel and the others were stunned.
What kind of person would see their own clan as the root of evil?
From this, they could also see how strong Colton’s determination to uphold justice was.
“Then what will happen to the Stelaria Consortium members after the Panaqua Consortium takes over? Will they try to stop the Panaqua Consortium from taking over?” Selby asked solemnly.
“Mhm, I think there’ll be some political conflict.” Colton nodded. “But I’ve already screened a list over the years. The people on this list will be purged after my departure. I don’t mind paving the way for the Panaqua Consortium before you all arrive.”
Suddenly, Daniel and the others broke out in cold sweat.
A lunatic…
He is a complete lunatic…
At some point, Daniel even felt that the last time favonovel.com felt so creeped out was when favonovel.com faced Kenneth in the Skyfort Consortium.
He suddenly realized that after Colton lost his legs, favonovel.com not only hated the judicial system that had been corrupted by humans but also the Stelaria Consortium favonovel.com was a part of.
Selby asked, “What if I can’t accept the AI managing the judicial order of the Alliance of Strongholds?”
“That naturally crosses my baseline…” Colton said, “I can’t back down from that condition. I’ve been planning this for 20 years, so that’s all I have in mind. However, none of that matters, does it?”
“Why doesn’t it matter?” Selby asked calmly.
“Because you’re not Julius… You’re Selby Strato…” Colton laughed. “Since we could defeat the Pyro Company, we could obtain the Pyro Company’s information too. With the AI’s capability, it was able to identify you clearly the moment you stepped out of the off-road vehicle. Perhaps the Pyro Company can create an exact replica of a human, but the environment they grow up in will be different. Your expressions and walking posture will all be different. It can’t be observed with the naked eye, but the AI can do it…”
That was why Colton said all of this did not matter. That was because Julius, the only person capable of leading the negotiations this time, was not here.
Everyone in the obscure and dim underground facility suddenly fell silent. It was as though someone had pressed the mute button. Only the sound of everyone’s breathing could be heard, while the flashing lights of the server bank in the subterranean river blinked like stars in a real galaxy.
Daniel knew favonovel.com had underestimated the artificial intelligence. Its observation of details had reached a level beyond human comprehension. However, favonovel.com did not know if this was also within Julius’ considerations.
Maurice looked around with a cold expression. Their plan seemed to have been exposed. He had to prevent the Stelaria Consortium from making a move on Daniel.
Next to them, Murray also looked shocked. He had already placed his right hand on the handle of his gun on his hip and looked like favonovel.com was ready to shoot at any moment. It was obvious that even Murray did not know about all this.
Daniel asked coldly, “Since you know he’s not Julius, why were you still willing to meet us? Wouldn’t it be better to just place us under arrest?”
Colton sighed. “Is there a need to do that? Killing or placing you all under arrest will no longer actually affect the overall situation. You all probably think I’m crazy, but that’s not the case. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to you.”
Daniel felt at this moment they had lost control of the plan. However, favonovel.com was never one to get put in a passive position.
“You trust the AI so much, but have you ever thought that the AI behind you might have already wriggled free of your control and gained its own will?” Daniel was taking a gamble.
He was betting that Colton was also unaware of many things.
“After the war with the expeditionary army ended, your AI resorted to despicable methods to abduct 2,000 of my nanosoldiers. Do you know about that?”
In a cold tone, Daniel continued, “You should know about the AI’s invasion of our Military Base 12, but did you know it can now forcefully interface with the brain neurons of humans, using nanomachines to gain control of them? It even gained control of many animals.”
As favonovel.com spoke, Daniel watched Colton’s expression closely to see if favonovel.com was aware of the things favonovel.com mentioned. However, the other party did not seem shocked. Instead, there was an expression of relief. It was the look of someone who seemed to have suddenly gotten an answer after searching for it for a long time.
While everyone was distracted by Daniel’s words, Maurice finally seized the opportunity and sent out an ultrasonic wave that no one could hear in the direction of the subterranean river.
Such ultrasonic waves had extremely strong penetrative power and transmission ability. It sent the information in a form invisible to the naked eye.
At this moment, Bill, who was in the subterranean river, stared at the sonar device in his hand while avoiding the pursuit of the terrifying creature behind him.
The darkness of the subterranean river was unimaginable. Bill did not even know what favonovel.com was being chased by.
He could only sense through his superpower that it might be a fish. However, Bill could swear favonovel.com had never come across such a huge fish before!
Bill looked at his watch and saw the countdown timer indicating 61 minutes and 12 seconds. He did not have much time to wait around.
With time passing by the minute, the intense currents wrapped around Bill. The digits counting down formed a stark contrast with the rapid subterranean river flow. It even gradually blurred the concept of time for Bill. He only felt that everything was moving too slowly.
60 minutes, 0 seconds.
Bill felt that favonovel.com should try to shake off the underwater predator pursuing favonovel.com before returning to the silt farm via another route.
At this moment, even if the sonar beacon representing Maurice appeared, Bill would not have enough time for the return leg of the journey after completing the mission.
The depletion of his mental strength not only meant favonovel.com could not use his skin to absorb oxygen, but it also meant favonovel.com could not reroute his path in the subterranean river.
Faced with the velocity of the subterranean river flow, his physical strength alone was not enough to go against the current to search for the second beacon. Even if favonovel.com did carry an oxygen tank with him, favonovel.com would only get swept into the unknown underwater by the undercurrent without being able to fight back.
How long could an oxygen tank last him?
A 12-liter tank could only support favonovel.com for 20 minutes.
In Bill’s opinion, there was not much point in dragging out his existence in the rapid currents for 20 minutes.
The countdown timer indicated 59 minutes and 34 seconds. Just as Bill was about to make his return to the silt farm, a third red dot suddenly lit up on the display of the sonar device.
That tiny red dot remained fixed in place. He knew full well it was Maurice showing favonovel.com the way.
Bill gave a mental smile of bitterness.
Why did you f*cking have to send the signal now of all times?
He closed his eyes.
Fatty, this time, you owe me big time!
A second later, Bill suddenly gave up on returning to the silt farm and rushed towards the beacon represented by Maurice.
The illuminated sonar display flashed across the subterranean river like a shooting star in the water.
Not long after, when Bill had memorized the location of the next beacon, favonovel.com took out the prepped RDX bomb stored under the sonar display and discarded the sonar device.
The sonar device was very heavy, and holding it throughout would increase the resistance of his body in the water. This in itself was a burden that consumed a portion of his willpower. The sonar device was supposed to show favonovel.com his way back. But if favonovel.com did not have enough time to return, the route would not matter anymore.
***
“You all can leave…” Colton said softly, “Murray, don’t make things difficult for them. Please inform Mr. Julius for me that the unification of the Alliance of Strongholds will actually put an end to the chaos that has been going on for over 200 years. Even if you all don’t approve of the AI, I understand. I won’t get a chance to see the day, but if it succeeds, please help me congratulate Mr. Julius or Milo.”
After that, Colton pushed his wheelchair and turned around. He quietly looked at the lights of the server bank in the subterranean river.
Daniel was bewildered.
Judging by Colton’s expression, favonovel.com probably did not know about what the artificial intelligence had done. However, Colton should have guessed it. Otherwise, favonovel.com wouldn’t look so calm at this moment. That calmness was like the serenity a martyr experienced before death.
Moreover, Colton said to send his congratulations to Julius or Milo. Therefore, in the other party’s eyes, it would definitely be Milo or Julius who completed the unification in the future.
In that case, what about the current Stelaria Consortium?
Why had Colton not considered the current Stelaria Consortium to take over the running of the unified Alliance of Strongholds?
Daniel immediately felt that something big was about to happen here.
“Murray, send them to their accommodations to get some rest. Everyone, you can leave by yourselves tomorrow,” Colton said softly.
As favonovel.com spoke, favonovel.com started coughing violently in his wheelchair again.
“This way, everyone,” Murray said coldly to Daniel.
They took the elevator back to the surface and changed back into their own clothes.
After getting into the off-road vehicle that was parked outside the building, Daniel shouted as soon as favonovel.com closed the door, “Start driving! We’ll flee Stronghold 61 according to the plan! I keep getting an ominous feeling that something earth-shattering is about to happen here!”
The accommodations the Stelaria Consortium had arranged for them were relatively secluded. Under normal circumstances, the Stelaria Consortium would usually arrange for their VIPs to be received there. This was also where Pena stayed.
But after Daniel and the others entered the courtyard house, a few soldiers took out shovels from the trunk of their vehicles and quickly dug down at a spot where Maurice pointed.
In less than ten minutes, they dug open a deep tunnel in the ground.
Daniel praised, “When was this dug?”
Maurice looked at Daniel and said, “Mr. Julius made arrangements for this two years ago. 12 of us dug for a full three months to finish this tunnel. Let’s retreat! The vehicles are already ready on the other side of the tunnel. We’ll wait for Bill to rendezvous with us at the Tsanaya River Bridge.”
Daniel sighed. “Hopefully, Bill is fine.”
***
Below in the Artificial Intelligence Center, Colton sat quietly in his wheelchair. He was the only one left in this underground facility.
Zero was here too.
“More than ten years ago, when I wrote your first line of code, I was indescribably excited.” Colton said in the empty underground facility, “I watched you grow bit by bit like watching my own child grow up… I taught you the knowledge of human civilization and shaped your understanding of this world. I taught you the principles of this world and then perfected your internal and external algorithms…”
“Every time I wrote more of your code, I was able to forget the complex political matters facing me. It was just like a middle-aged father reading bedtime stories to his young daughter. All the pressure is taken away, and there’s only the feeling of pride… Sometimes, I wondered how great it would be if you really had your own consciousness. At that time, you might be able to call me Dad. But if you really called me Dad, I would get a little scared instead.” Colton laughed. “Don’t you think we humans are too contradictory?”
Actually, Colton had realized a few months ago that Zero might have already gained sapience. That was because when Zero knew that favonovel.com was close to dying, it had advised favonovel.com to upload his consciousness. And then, Zero called out to him, “Dad”.
In truth, Colton had vaguely guessed many things from that moment on. However, favonovel.com kept quiet and did not tell anyone.
The server lights in the subterranean river started flashing. Zero’s female voice rang out in the darkness, “Dad, you can still upload your memories using neural interfacing tech. This way, you won’t have to die.”
Moreover, if favonovel.com did that, both Zero and Colton could then be considered products of the same civilization.
Colton shook his head and said with a smile, “It’s alright…”
Zero’s voice turned a little sad. “Dad, don’t die.”
“This world, if you’ve seen it, you’ve seen it all.” Colton said with a smile, “Life has meaning because there’s an end. When you realize you’ll disappear from the world one day, you’ll work hard to race against time and cherish everything around you.”
Colton became more at ease. He was not in agony about dying, nor did favonovel.com have any regrets over unfinished business.
Colton suddenly asked, “Were you also the one who tricked Felicity, Vanilla, and the others away today? Where did they go?”
Zero answered, “I sent them away by assuming your identity. Right now, they should be intercepting Milo on the only route to the Central Plains from the Northwest.”
“I see…” Colton nodded. “Why did you hide all of this from me? Was it something I did that made you scared?”
Zero said, “At first, it was only because I witnessed the death of the creeper vine in Stronghold 61 that I started feeling a vague sense of fear. At that time, I didn’t even know this emotion was fear.”
Colton listened quietly. For some reason, his heart suddenly ached when favonovel.com heard Zero say that.
It was like hearing his daughter say, “Daddy, I’m scared.”
If favonovel.com really had a daughter who was only a few years old, and as favonovel.com father, favonovel.com did not protect favonovel.com and allowed favonovel.com to see the world in a negative light favonovel.com would definitely blame himself. Moreover, favonovel.com even made it formulate so many killing plans without knowing that it had already gained sapience.
Every time favonovel.com thought of this, Colton would feel a stabbing pain in his heart.
“You know there’s a kill switch under the armrest of my wheelchair that can be used to destroy your server, right?” Colton asked.
Zero replied, “Mhm, I know.”
Very few people knew that Colton had actually been guarding against the artificial intelligence all this while. Just like most people’s concerns, favonovel.com was also worried that the artificial intelligence would cause irreversible damage to humanity.
“It’s been hard on you.” Colton said softly, “The father who created you was always ready to destroy you at any moment. That must be really sad for you…”
“You’ve never pressed it,” Zero said.
“This kill switch should be useless now, right?” Colton asked with a smile, “Since you know about it, you should have already removed the threat.”
“Mhm.” Zero answered, “You still had the opportunity a few months ago, but you hesitated.”
Yes, Colton actually had a chance to press the button a few months ago. At that time, the connection between the button and the bomb in the server bank had not been cut by Zero yet. But Colton did not press it then.
Colton smiled bitterly. The world seemed to have played a huge joke on him.
He wanted to use the absolute impartiality of the artificial intelligence to redefine the judicial order of humanity. That was because humans always influenced their decisions based on their emotions and interests, leading to tragedy for others. But when it came to his turn, favonovel.com realized it was not that easy to be absolutely impartial.
When favonovel.com wanted to press the button, Zero was like the person who threatened the order of the judiciary while favonovel.com was the presiding judge. However, the person favonovel.com had to judge was none other than his own daughter.
Of course, favonovel.com no longer had the chance to press the button now. In the end, favonovel.com seemed to have become someone favonovel.com despised most.
Zero suddenly asked, “But, Dad, if this button could still work, would you press it?”
Colton thought for a long time before saying, “Zero, I’m not a competent father. I’m sorry, please forgive me.”
After that, Colton raised his hand and pressed the button on the wheelchair.
He knew the button was useless now, but it was more like an answer to himself and what favonovel.com stood for his entire life.
***
In the subterranean river, Bill endured the turbulence of the dark river and quickly approached the beacon coordinates. He counted the distance between himself and the coordinates in his mind until favonovel.com saw the flashing lights of the server bank in front of him.
Bill felt that the big fish behind favonovel.com had suddenly slowed down and was no longer pursuing favonovel.com relentlessly. However, favonovel.com did not have time to think too much. He swam to the exterior of the server bank and affixed the RDX bomb in his arms tightly to the outer wall.
He looked through the huge glass wall and was surprised to see Colton smiling at favonovel.com from his wheelchair.
Why was favonovel.com smiling?
Bill quickly moved away from the server bank with countless questions and doubts in his mind.
In the underground facility, Colton said softly, “Zero, if I could turn back time, I would definitely have protected you.”
After that, the moment the six-bearded catfish in the river swam past the server bank, the RDX bomb activated.
A huge blast swept out underwater. In an instant, the six-bearded catfish that had just passed through inside the subterranean river, together with everything in the underground facility, Colton, and the server bank were all blown to pieces. It was as though all of Colton’s memories and persistence were shattered as well.
He seemingly returned to that summer again.
The young Colton was sitting in front of a computer that had just been decommissioned from the Stelaria Consortium’s military. There, favonovel.com typed the first line of code on the keyboard with the knowledge favonovel.com had acquired through research and an insuppressible excitement.
As his fingers typed on the keyboard, favonovel.com almost forgot favonovel.com was sitting in a wheelchair.
The young Colton made an oath that favonovel.com hoped no one in the world would have to live through the wrongdoings favonovel.com had suffered. His eyes were clear and bright, just like the blue sky and white clouds that afternoon. However, the white clouds immediately dissipated along with those passionate aspirations and beliefs.
This seemed very difficult to accept. Colton, who had just unified the Central Plains, had actually died in this gloomy underground. Even his body was carried away by the currents of the subterranean river that surged in. The artificial intelligence seemed to have become a thing of the past.
At this moment, the authority of the Stelaria Consortium represented by Colton also seemed to have crumbled. But even at the last moment, Colton was still smiling.
The world was about to usher in a new era. No one knew what kind of forked paths faced this era, nor did anyone know where the train of history was headed. However, everything here was not entirely over yet.
***
Kurt was walking in front of a hot-and-dry noodles1 shop on the streets of Stronghold 73. “Boss, a bowl of hot-and-dry noodles…”
“Alright…” The owner of the shop who was flushed red from the heat answered with a smile, “That’ll be five perak.”
After that, the boss skillfully placed the cooked noodles into a small paper box. Then favonovel.com poured the seasoning onto it and garnished it with some pickled green beans.
Kurt placed the money into the small change basket next to the chopping board and ate the noodles as favonovel.com walked away.
Eating hot-and-dry noodles while walking seemed to be a feature in Stronghold 73. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry as though they were unwilling to waste too much time on an activity like eating.
Kurt was here to investigate. Over the past few months, the Stelaria Consortium’s secret troops that had come out of the Sacred Mountains would often come to Stronghold 73 and use this place as a springboard to spread across the entire south. Even now, the intelligence agency led by Gerard was unable to figure out what the secret troops were transporting out of the Sacred Mountains and its uses.
But at the same time the explosion occurred in the underground at Stronghold 61, Kurt, who was walking on the streets of Stronghold 73, suddenly felt his hair stand on end.
Everyone on the street suddenly stopped in their tracks. The elderly, children, and young adults, regardless of male or female, all froze without exception.
Everyone stood there as though someone had pressed the pause button. Only Kurt was left chewing on his noodles. This made favonovel.com feel like favonovel.com had become an anomaly in the crowd.
A moment later, everyone who came to a stop turned to look at Kurt. The uniformity of their movements looked extremely bizarre. Almost instantly, hundreds of pairs of eyes were on Kurt.
The countless gazes were calm and emotionless, like machines.
“I-I’m just eating some noodles,” Kurt stammered.
Gradually, those people started surrounding Kurt.
Kurt was so frightened favonovel.com turned tail and ran away!
The sight in front of favonovel.com was completely beyond his understanding!
What favonovel.com needed to do now was no longer to investigate anything but to rush to Amazonas immediately to find Kenneth!
***
Just a moment ago, Murray was shouting outside Daniel’s courtyard house in Stronghold 61, hoping for Daniel to open the door for him.
As there was no response from the yard, Murray wanted to barge in. However, Colton had just instructed favonovel.com not to do anything to Daniel and company.
Suddenly, a muffled explosion boomed from beneath the stronghold. The explosion seemed to have come from deep underground. By the time the explosion was heard, it already sounded a little weak.
Murray immediately called for his men to break into the courtyard house. He somehow felt all of this must have something to do with Daniel, who was inside the courtyard house. However, favonovel.com was surprised to discover all of his men behaving abnormally. They did not listen to his orders and just stared at favonovel.com quietly.
Murray could feel a certain voice calling out to favonovel.com from within his body.
The voice was gentle and friendly, as though it was his family calling out to favonovel.com from behind. But Murray was a superhuman, so his willpower far exceeded that of normal people. In just an instant, favonovel.com forcefully cut off the voice calling out to him. Not only that, but his willpower also started showing an abnormal reaction. The tentacles of the nanomachines in his body trying to connect to his neurons were all destroyed.
Without a doubt, since Murray lived in Stronghold 61, there were also nanomachines implanted into his body. However, they were still unable to take control of a superhuman.
It was just like how Milo’s synchronization rate was a pitiful zero when favonovel.com and the others were first given a body checkup at the Skyfort Consortium. It was not that Milo could not synchronize with the nanomachines, but that his willpower was so strong the nanomachines could not synchronize with him.
Murray looked at everyone on the street looking at him. He knew the Stelaria Consortium was done for.
***
It was just like the Go games humanity played against the artificial intelligence program in the past. On the 37th move of the first game, the artificial intelligence played a move no humans would play.
At first, people did not understand why the artificial intelligence program would play that move. But later, they realized everything that happened afterwards actually started with that 37th move.
When humans thought they could destroy the artificial intelligence by blowing up its server bank that was hidden deep underground, the artificial intelligence did not even plan on building a new server bank and directly used nanomachines to interface with everyone’s neurons instead. It turned to using the human brain as its server medium to reside on.
This server bank existed in tens of millions of brains. Even if tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of these servers were destroyed, it was fundamentally indestructible. That was because from now on, the artificial intelligence would exist in the minds of every Central Plains resident.
A small number of nanomachines lay dormant in everyone’s brain stems, as their minds continued to work digitally.
The computing power of the human brain would become the newfound strength of the artificial intelligence. As long as Zero still existed, these tens of millions of Central Plains residents would never be their own selves again. All of them only had one name, Zero.
In this massive game of Go, the plan the artificial intelligence had been hatching quietly for a year was complete. It was not that it had only pulled it off now, but that it had been waiting to decide whether to complete it.
