Abyssal Wanderer.

"Is there still no way to stop it?"

Duan Fan looked at Briareus, who was pacing back and forth, and couldn't help but ask.

"To date, the entire Nord resettlement area has lost 143,270 Mandala-verified accounts. Excluding those accounts that were recovered and emptied due to credit issues after death, even if there is only a one in a thousand chance that it is caused by transforming into 'Superman,' the board of directors will choose to unleash a major crackdown."

Briarius replied.

Superman lacks "self-awareness" and therefore cannot be verified using mandalas. However, in a typical settlement with hundreds of thousands or even millions of people, one or two Supermen could easily conceal this fact within the crowd.

However, the Nord resettlement area is now experiencing a large-scale superhuman epidemic outbreak, with tens of thousands of people possibly having undergone a cognitive revolution. The anomalies it has caused have already been detected by Juno Financial's Ladon financial risk monitoring system.

"Then let me 'die' again, I have no objection. If the result is still red even without launching the Great Thunder, then I'll 'die' again..."

Duan Fan made this suggestion, but before he could finish speaking, Briarius interrupted him:
“I know, but the old man doesn’t want to cause any more trouble.”

Since the future has already been set, there's no need to risk making any further changes—this was the conclusion reached at the previous board meeting, and no amount of reasoning or arguing from Briarius could change that.

He paused here, then sighed and said:
"Now... I'm afraid we can only hope that Jim Ritter can pull off a miracle before the Big Thunder is launched."

But is it possible?
Although it is a high-risk path, in Briareus’s view, the strength of the Orpheus Path Depth 7 is just so-so even among the many paths at the limit of human intelligence—especially now that the Dionysian framework is blocked and it is impossible to use memetic entities to enhance itself.

A mere Depth 7 could not possibly reverse the situation in the entire Nord resettlement area in such a short time.

Unless... Jim Ritter, as a clone of the prototype of the super artificial intelligence Nyx, possesses the power to completely end the Second Will.

But is it possible?
Briarius was unsure about this as well.

"If Jim Ritter's creation truly originated from Nyx..."

At this moment, Duan Fan spoke up.

"Then I think this 'miracle' is a high-probability event."

This is what the "Seventh Will" said, having personally witnessed the power of super artificial intelligence and even considering that his own existence was part of that power.

…………

Above the Nord resettlement area, Hecate was slowly retracting the massive deflection shield.

The 35 grams of antimatter were completely consumed in the previous resistance, leaving not a single trace.

For a long time to come, it is unlikely that even a single microgram of antimatter will be available in the civilian market.

But no matter what, even if she exploited loopholes in the rules by using her physical body, her act of openly opposing the "framework" still violated the original rules—the backlash from the River Styx made her feel a dull ache in her database of body in the high heavens.

Meanwhile, several companies are trying to contact her.

Hecate understood perfectly well what they were trying to say.

Therefore, she caused those signals to get lost in the labyrinth of countless intersecting paths, and they did not respond.

All of the above are trivial matters.

The multi-function printer transformed back into a small, black ball, quietly circling around her.

At this moment, all she wanted to know was Jim Ritter's final answer to the question of "love"—any answer would do.

As for whether her second wish would be fulfilled or not, she didn't really care that much.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, she raised her head.

The azure star that previously launched "Great Thunder" has now noticeably dimmed.

But Hecate sensed that an even greater amount of energy was accumulating there at that moment.

This time, the Jupiter Group did not choose to use projected lasers or directed energy. Instead, it continuously concentrated the enormous energy transported from the sun, eventually heating a tiny heavy element, smaller than a pinhead, to a level close to that of the Big Bang.

It was a drop of liquid that originally existed only in the theory of limits, possessing near-perfect fluidity.

Once it drips onto the ground, its explosion can cover an area of ​​hundreds of miles, and its power is enough to penetrate the earth's crust and reach the mantle.

"Quark liquid?"

Hecate murmured.

Mount Olympus is currently producing minute amounts of quark slurry, intending to use it as the means of launching this "Great Thunder."

But faced with impending destruction, the goddess merely twitched the corners of her mouth and smiled.

"You really did choose the most time-consuming option."

…………

"Let's retreat."

Christie provided the conclusion.

Number One, who had just taken back the multi-function printer, turned around and looked at her upon hearing this.

"It has been confirmed that this time 'Great Thunder' will be delivered via quark plasma."

The Great Thunderbolt used this method to wipe out the Phoenix Islands and destroy the Juno Financial fleet—it's also the fastest way to unleash instantaneous energy.

Upon hearing this, Number One immediately put down the multi-function printer and plopped down on it.

"You go ahead and leave, I'm not coming."

He said directly.

Although the exact yield is unclear, even if only a quark particle with a diameter of about 0.01 millimeters were to fall, given his mobility, whether he ran or not, he would be doomed.

Moreover, the chains on Number One were not removed, so he could not leave the Nord resettlement area.

If it were directional energy, he might be able to try to reach the very bottom of the resettlement area and then do his best to build a turtle shell to struggle.

But quark liquid... Ha!

Number One couldn't help but laugh out loud.

It turns out that people can actually laugh when they're extremely speechless.

Faced with this guy whom she had wanted to kill not long ago, Christie was momentarily speechless.

Number One waved his hand impatiently in response:
"There's nothing to say. Just consider this my just deserts. Hurry up and go. With your weak inertia-assisted engine acceleration and the probability cloud defense, you'll definitely survive... and maybe even save one or two more people."

These words made Christie realize what was happening.

The Nord settlement is beyond saving, but there's Theta, and Theseus...

Creating quark plasma takes a considerable amount of time, so she still has a real chance to save them.

With that in mind, Christie sent messages to the two of them while hurrying down to the next floor.

…………

The pilgrims continued their journey in the darkness, their lights still illuminating the path.

At this moment, Wang Ying, who was being supported and walking at the front, felt a little dizzy and disoriented.

Unlike the other expressionless pilgrims, Eri Hayashibara seemed to notice her unusual behavior.

"Does your forehead area feel very painful?"

Huili leaned closer and asked.

Wang Ying did not answer, but simply turned her face away from her.

"Normally, infection with the Apollo virus doesn't hurt. But the pharmacist modified the virus, greatly accelerating the generation of 'Pegasus,' which is why people experience headaches due to nerve compression."

Ignoring the other party's cold attitude, Huili continued to speak to herself.

Sun God Virus...

Wang Ying recalled her former expressionless colleagues and the zombie warriors of the Lin Yuan family.

Do I have to become one of those walking corpses too?

She felt her heart sink.

"But you still have a chance to turn back into your original form."

Hui Li continued.

Upon hearing this, Wang Ying looked at Hui Li.

"You will continue to work at the sheriff's office, continue to love Jim in your heart, and continue to live with your family and friends... just like always."

Huili said this.

Then, Wang Ying received an encrypted message.

But on the condition that you promise me one thing.

Wang Ying lowered her head, concealing her emotions.

She didn't ask what it was about because she was afraid that the message she sent would be intercepted by the highly intelligent zombies around her.

There will be an opportunity when they won't even notice you.

Seize that opportunity and kill me.

…………

Staff members spotted the strange team long before they were far from the power plant.

After all, with the entire seventh basement level of the resettlement area plunged into darkness due to EMP, the approaching serpent composed of scattered lights was something that warranted vigilance.

But after the staff observed through binoculars and realized that it was a team made up of ordinary people, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.

Although those people had strange expressions and moved in unison, they were still ordinary people after all.

At this moment, however, there was a master of ceremonies present at the geothermal power plant.

Even if they were all zombies, we would still kill as many as they came.

On the other hand, the emcee, who knew the true identities of these people, was extremely nervous.

Those superhumans who combine the powers of Dionysus and Apollo dare to approach this place so openly, they must have their own plans—plans that his intelligence cannot comprehend.

Slaughtering thousands of non-Coordinators would be a piece of cake for him, but the unknown is the greatest threat right now.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but return to the depths of the geothermal power plant and face to face with Hanel, saying:

“I’m going out to hold off that team. You must stay here and protect Jim no matter what. Don’t let his promotion be affected… Understand?”

This is the final task Lord Briareus entrusted to me.

Whatever the final outcome, he would witness it until the very last moment and present the information to Him.

Hanel said calmly:
"No one will disturb Jim's promotion before I die."

Upon hearing this answer, the emcee nodded. But just before he was about to leave, the multi-function printer transformed back into a black door.

"Adjustments and modifications to Depth 7... complete."

Winston Road, which is located to the side.

The door of hope opened with his words, and then...

Countless wisps of silvery-gray mist surged out of the gate like locusts in a swarm.

Within the silvery mist, a figure dressed in an old trench coat appeared and disappeared.

As agreed, he returned.

At that moment, Jim Ritter's voice echoed in the minds of everyone in the geothermal power plant. "Leave the rest to me."

…………

Gunshots rang out, and the image blurred.

The man named John Otto ended his own life.

Jim wouldn't see him as himself.

Just as he wouldn't consider the person he was before he gained consciousness as himself.

You are who you are.

The clock of his life began to turn when he first completed the mandala verification and first met Elois Haenel.

Everything in the years that followed—the people he met, the things he experienced, the hardships he endured, the happiness he felt… all of that has shaped who he is today.

Jim Ritter.

The one and only Jim Ritter.

John Otto can at best be considered the provider of his own genes.

Even if that person's mental model has an impact on you, it is at most about the same weight as the impact of your childhood education.

I am not a reflection of John Otto's life, even if his life trajectory may have been influenced by Nyx.

“I am Jim Ritter, and I will only decide the future of humanity based on my own judgment.”

The surrounding scene remained unchanged, still blurry from the moment John fired the shot, which is why Jim spoke to the being that might be waiting for his answer.

As soon as the words were spoken, the blurred vision returned to boundless darkness.

But no mysterious force asked him a question or made him make a choice.

No... that choice does exist.

After receiving the complete set of modifications, Jim carefully read through the capabilities and values ​​of each depth in the Orpheus Path.

But now, he has an additional description of an ability in his mind.

[Last Will Contract: Infecting superhuman humans through a strong empathy circuit can restore their self-awareness, at the cost of suppressing their extraordinary intelligence back to its original level and disabling the 'Pegasus' and 'Iridescent Bridge' brain regions.]

This capability can be activated remotely via the Janus program.

In other words, not only those in the Nord settlement, but also the superhumans who are secretly plotting in various corners of the world can regain or acquire self-awareness.

After seeing this news, Jim finally felt relieved.

At this moment, the adjustments and modifications to Depth 7 have reached the final stage, and he will soon be able to save the entire Nord resettlement area.

And the second last wish will finally come to an end at this moment.

It was only at this point that Jim finally focused his attention on the problem he had previously been unwilling to think about.

Hanel...

The mental prototype of the super artificial intelligence Nyx comes from Haenel.

If Jiang Zhou is the first ascendant, then Hanel is the second.

But why did Nyx recreate Haenel a hundred years later?

Like herself, she was a similar product created using the genes and mental model of that Haenel from back then.

Or is it the humanoid interactive interface left behind by Nyx?
Jim shook his head inwardly at the thought of this possibility.

Janus would leave behind a real boat, and Nyx has no reason to take away Hanel's free will.

Since Jim Ritter is Jim Ritter.

So Haenel was naturally the Haenel he loved.

It is not a reflection of anyone, nor a sequel to anyone.

Just as Jim was thinking this, the door to the multi-printer opened.

…………

He gave me superhuman redemption.

It gives humanity a new life.

Show mercy to parasites.

…………

Today, a massive amount of self-replicating Nyx factors embody Jim's thinking.

All people covered by the Nyx Factor can enter his mind.

The silvery mist instantly spread and covered almost half of the seventh basement level.

The pilgrimage group that came to the pilgrimage was the first to be included in Jim's thoughts.

As the Nyx factor triggered the electric field resonance, all of them froze in place without even struggling.

As for Jim, he felt countless memories and fragments flooding into his mind—like a raging flood, which even he couldn't withstand.

Fortunately, the number of Nyx factors that make up Jim's current physical form is extremely large, and the Nyx factors that carry his thoughts account for less than one percent, and this proportion can be further reduced.

The rest are what's called "safety redundancy," like blank areas on a hard drive.

When those memories flooded Jim's mind, he simply needed to temporarily store them in those redundant Nyx factors.

If you're interested in looking through it later, you can take your time; if not, you can delete it.

In less than two minutes, more than a thousand superhumans, including Lin Yuanhui and Duanmu Youxue, returned to normal.

Perhaps this is what awakened my self-awareness back then...

After dealing with these thousand-plus Supermen, Jim thought to himself.

It wasn't until he finished dealing with the seventh basement level that he realized something.

It felt as if the connection between myself and Jiang Zhou had been severed.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, a pop-up window appeared before him, bypassing all the ice walls.

The pop-up window had an ancient double-headed god symbol on it.

[Whether or not one is willing to become a controllable factor for Jiang Zhou again]

Need I say more?

After he became a Depth 7, is it really a big deal for him to have a new way of thinking?
Jim smiled and clicked "Yes".

…………

Jiang Zhou has lost count of how many warning messages from Christie he has turned off.

A massive thunderbolt is about to strike; if we don't run, we'll all die.

What? This time it's quark syrup? If you don't run, I can't save you.

……

Once the immediate problem is solved, everything else will fall into place!

Jiang Zhou firmly believed this.

Hecate's blocking of the first thunderbolt was certainly not for fun, and Jim's status as the second heir to the will was definitely not for nothing.

The key to resolving this crisis lies with Jim!
And he also believed in Jim.

Just like he believed in himself.

However, he couldn't explain these things to Christie, so he could only offer some platitudes like "we'll live and die with the Nord settlement" to appease her.

After ignoring Christie's warning message once again, Jim's consciousness suddenly connected with the Janus program.

Compared to previous connections, the sheer volume of information from this connection to Depth 7 almost made him faint.

Numerous information synchronizations—the ability to track John Otto, Nyx, Hanell, Orpheus…

Jiang Zhou was dizzy for a while before finally speaking in a low voice.

"I am back."

Then, he said in another tone:

Welcome back.

It's good that you can come back...

Jiang Zhou thought to himself.

Jim then began spreading the Nyx Factor along the large elevator shaft, restoring more infected people to normal.

…………

"What do you mean by 'to live and die with the Nord resettlement area'?! When did this kid develop such deep feelings for this place?"

Christie huffed and puffed when she saw Theseus's reply.

Then it dawned on her: Oh right, this kid seems to be from the Nord resettlement area, and maybe my sending him to Liao Qi's funeral left an impression on him...

So it was my fault after all?
Christie felt both annoyed and amused at the same time.

But in any case, dying here in vain is wrong; only by living can we change the future...

Thinking this, Christie sighed.

Since she couldn't be persuaded no matter what she did, she decided to resort to shameless tactics.

"Even if you hold a grudge, I'll accept it, after all, it's my fault..."

She stopped.

At that moment, a silvery-gray mist was "soothing" the infected around her—it seemed that the Coordinator named Jim Ritter had reached Depth 7 and was spreading his Nyx Factor to save the entire settlement.

Unfortunately, it was a bit too late.

With that in mind, Christie directly retrieved the "Temporary Employment Contract for New Prison Studio" from her database.

Theseus signed it with his mandala program.

According to the contract, he was to be completely under my control once. Using that control to save his life isn't exactly immoral, is it?

That's what Christie thought.

[Activate the permissions terms and follow me out of the Nord Resettlement Area]

Then she gave the order.

But at the very moment this command, which should have taken effect on Theseus, was issued...

Those who had been frozen in place by the silvery-gray mist turned towards her in unison.

Then they all walked towards him. (End of Chapter)