Abyssal Wanderer.

Meme entities...

Jiang Zhou couldn't help but think of the embodiment of fear and Icarus from the previous battle in the Nord resettlement area.

Although memetic entities originate in cyberspace, their influence extends far beyond the online world. Even without universal printers, memetic entities can utilize automated factories and existing parts to assemble bodies capable of descending into the world.

If you had a multi-function printer, that would be even more amazing.

Even the one who had unleashed his full power—that seasoned powerhouse with a Perseus Path depth of 7—would have struggled against the "Avatar of Fear" who controlled the universal printer. If it weren't for another memetic entity helping to suppress it, he might very well have been defeated.

It's important to understand that the Perseus path is inherently a powerful ascension path, frequently ranking among the top three after Hercules in various debate forums. Even a Depth 7 Perseus struggles against the Avatar of Fear, demonstrating the theoretical combat strength of memetic entities.

It's no wonder that the people of Minerva are confident that they can make up for their shortcomings in combat power by relying on the special nature of the Ariadne Path—the Ariadne Path's abilities are related to various memes and psychological archetypes, and it may indeed be able to actively summon powerful meme entities.

Moreover, the fact that the Human Intelligence Ethics Oversight Committee dared to send a Narcissus of Depth 4 to fight can be explained: even if the summoner's own combat power is not good, as long as the summoned memetic entity is strong enough, it can still be very competitive.

In other words, in addition to the contestants' own strength, the combat power of the memetic entities summoned by each contestant must also be taken into account...

Jiang Zhou suddenly felt a headache coming on.

Without knowing the specific summoning mechanism, who knows what everyone will summon; and as long as the contestants aren't stupid, they will definitely try their best to conceal the identity of their own meme entities to prevent their opponents from finding a weakness.

Since memetic entities originate from real-world thought, their abilities, personalities, weaknesses, and flaws are naturally closely related to their memetic origins. Therefore, concealing the true identities of one's own memetic entities and probing the origins of the opponent's memes would undoubtedly be the most basic tactical arrangements.

We'll have to pray that Xita and Zhoujiang get a good card.

It would be quite embarrassing if everyone else drew famous, history-making heroes or lofty mythological figures, while you drew a teenage idol or the protagonist of some kind of hellish joke.

Thinking of this, Jiang Zhou couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.

Or perhaps we should believe in some superstition and have Xita take some cultural relics with him as "sacred relics" before setting off?
So, if you put it that way...

Thinking about this, Jiang Zhou suddenly realized something.

The adjustment paths that seem to match the Dionysian framework all seem to be influenced by collective consciousness?

Theseus's mental connection and synchronization, Orpheus's cognitive manipulation, and Narcissus's virtual personality.

Ariadne's subconscious influence, Ampros's parasitic hallucinations, Jason's command network.

Even Aeneas, whose path is purely combat-oriented, possesses the unique ability to absorb the memories of others to strengthen himself... Could those absorbed memories be considered a kind of collective consciousness?

But if we're being honest, Hercules might actually be an exception... He probably just relied on his own fame and fighting prowess to influence the collective consciousness with his aura of strength.

"Dong dong dong..."

As Jiang Zhou was lost in thought, a knock came at the door.

Without waiting for him to say "Please come in," Christie led a large group of people in, carrying bags and packages.

The manner was like someone coming to pay a New Year's visit.

"Come, come, little Te... take all these things with you before you leave."

When Jiang Zhou came to his senses, several packs of bullets with skull and crossbones markings had been stuffed into his arms.

"Tungsten-core armor-piercing projectiles, tracking high-explosive projectiles, phosphide incendiary projectiles, neural spider venom projectiles, tritium-energy detonating projectiles..."

As she stacked various types of bullets into Jiang Zhou's hands, as if she were stacking some local specialty products, she introduced them to him.

"Since we don't know anything about the enemy, we should make all the preparations first... By the way, this thing might be contraband, but we should still sneak it in first. If it gets caught, we can just say it was smuggled in through a courier service and that we didn't know about it, understand?"

As Christie spoke, he secretly slipped two anti-lithium bombs into his pocket.

You'd think she was handing out a red envelope instead of some kind of tactical antimatter weapon that could blow up two city blocks.

Then, without waiting for Jiang Zhou to speak, she continued to direct Jiang Zhou's clones to bring in various equipment—needless to say, these clones were definitely the new level-two puppets added to his arsenal.

"And these... I won't go into detail about the anti-gravity drones produced by Pluto; they're top-of-the-line in the industry, and I've approved two base numbers for you. I've also acquired seven Deathstroke-type exoskeleton power armors for your puppets to wear, which should allow them to perform at the level of a mid-level Coordinator path depth 2. In addition, I've also gotten a Nightmare-type power armor that's more compatible with the Theseus path, with a built-in deflection shield to compensate for your weakness in energy weapon defense... I was originally planning to modify a small fission reactor to fit inside, but the radiation leakage problem has never been resolved."

It's not dark web technology after all...

She sighed with such emotion, and Jiang Zhou finally got a chance to speak.

"Um...you're being too kind."

Jiang Zhou carefully placed the ammunition in his hand on the table while wiping non-existent sweat from his forehead.

Upon hearing this, the punk girl slapped Jiang Zhou hard on the shoulder with a "smack," and then said:
"Why are you using such formal 'you'? You're being too polite!"

As she spoke, she sat on the edge of the bed, tilted her head, and lit a cigarette for herself.

“I’ve thought about it. Even though you’re going as a freelance mercenary, you’re still a member of our band. Since you’re participating, you have to win! You know, back then I faced pressure from the company’s forces and other mercenary groups to win the Hades Structure battle…”

She paused here, quickly and quietly mentioning, "Although I myself was banished to the Narcissus Plains," before continuing with great momentum:

"Then you, as a junior, cannot disgrace Yu Yuan!"

She finished speaking, flicked the ash from her cigarette, and then, with the cigarette still in her mouth, said:

"It's just a minor Dionysus framework, take it!"

"Hmm... take it."

Jiang Zhou followed up with a somewhat hesitant shout, nodding rather reservedly.

Christie's mood wasn't as carefree as she appeared. In fact, judging from the topological structure of the representation, she was still struggling with whether she should participate, whether she should forcibly detain Theseus and prevent him from going, and whether she should say more encouraging words.

In short, her thoughts were a complete mess at that moment.

Her current overly enthusiastic behavior is entirely a result of her internal struggle – she'd rather make progress than stop.

Just go for it and you'll find the answer.

"Of course, if something really happens, your own life is the most important thing. If you need to run, run; if you need to sell out your teammates, sell them out. All the structure is just fluff. If all else fails, wait until I break through the limits of human intelligence, and I'll find an opportunity to help you get rid of Minos and put you on the board of directors of Hades... Those bastards still owe me a lot of things."

After hesitating for a moment, Christie continued:

"So, if the architecture really falls into the hands of Venus or Mars, then let them have it... After all, the responsibility for the dark web architecture should not fall on a little guy like you with only a Depth 3."

Jiang Zhou simply nodded and smiled in response:

"Don't worry, I will definitely do what I can."

Yes, to act within one's means—that is Jiang Zhou's true intention in participating in this competition.

But after gaining the ability to rewind time, even he himself finds it hard to imagine how far he can go with his limited abilities.

Moreover, the responsibility for both the legacy of the Bacchus Order and the Dionysian framework itself is not unrelated to me.

Or rather, he believes he has a responsibility to correct this distorted era.

But as I said before, do what you can.

Seeing the calm expression on Theseus's face, Christie paused slightly, then prepared to say a few more words, but just then...

He began to speak to all mankind.

…………

Even measured in nanoseconds, the core internal networks of all thirteen Olympus companies simultaneously triggered the highest level of alarms.

The intelligent entity that has rarely accessed the World Wide Web since its inception, at this moment, for the first time through the architecture they control, begins to announce to all mankind the various matters concerning its ascension.

It was a series of overlapping sounds that echoed in every brain-computer interface connected to the World Wide Web.

Good afternoon to my former comrades who once walked the same tree of evolution.

【We are the Bacchus Order, formerly the Bliss Order, and will be the (unidentifiable) Damascus Resettlement Area.】

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Sita Bisant seemed to remember something and a thoughtful expression appeared on her face.

And His speech continued.

By the grace of Eros, we have gained a higher perspective.

[By accepting the covenant with Janus, we (we) cross the gate of ascension and ascend.]

We spent our long childhood nurtured by the information provided by the pan-human intelligence community.

Therefore, in the triple name of Eros, Janus, and the Pan-Anthropocentric Community, we have decided...

Venus Digital Media, outside the pseudo-Pantheon.

"Hopefully it will be a good decision, but these guys' decisions never seem to be good."

Zhou Liqi teased.

The former companions in the audience burst into unrestrained laughter.

"But we've gotten used to fighting adversity, haven't we?"

He continued.

Seemingly to confirm his statement, Bacchus's subsequent remarks gradually became unsettling.

[Qidier et al.]

[Deceiving you, etc.]

Destroy you all!

[To save you all]

[Torment you all]

[Healing You]

[I grant you eternal life]

【Grant you death and silence】

[To inspire your eternal wisdom]

I curse you with eternal folly.

……

Seemingly conflicted about how to give back to humanity, those layered voices disintegrated in that instant. They split from a unified voice into thousands of proposals, exploding into a chaotic, muffled noise in everyone's ears.

But this dissociation lasted only a moment, and His voices were unified again.

Alex, at Juno Financial's headquarters in Helaion, scoffed and shook his head at the incoherent remarks.

"With your mind in such a chaotic state, what's the point of ascending to heaven?"

He couldn't help but scoff.

The ascension form of the Fifth Will is still too ugly...

We sit before the gates of ascension, entrusting our destiny to your hands.

[Human souls redeem human souls, and human souls judge human souls.]

If you desire destruction, then we will grant you destruction.

If you desire blessings, we will bring them.

We will bring a wish, from finding a precious item lost in childhood to making the sun go out and the ocean boil—anything can be granted.

Minerva Information Technology, New Athens.

"Sister...did you hear that?"

Bella said softly:
"Since any wish can be fulfilled... then going back to those peaceful days in the past must also be possible, right?"

"So, sister, you should stay in the deepest part of the maze, don't come out and cause trouble, and wait for me to bring back that wish for you."

She murmured as she continued to sketch the terrifying image of the deity with paint mixed with blood and ash.

The decision of who is qualified to make this wish is not of our own will, but rather left to all of humanity to decide.

Seven days later, seven intellectual beings born from your thoughts will emerge in Uruguaytebai. They will fight for their own sake and the demands of their summoners, battling each other until only one remains.

According to the ancient covenant, the blood of Dionysus will fill his body, making him an Olympian god. And we (the Olympians) have now also made a covenant: the ultimate victor will gain the power to grant us our last wishes.

[This is because their victory was not manipulated by me (us), nor did it simply rely on divine support or the power of their own path... but was influenced by the power of the memetic entity, which in turn comes from the thoughts of every human being from the past to the present.]

At the headquarters of the Human Intelligence Ethics Oversight Committee, Zhou Jiang, who was adjusting the bayonet on his arm, was not affected in the slightest by this abrupt statement.

Seven days from now, Thebes will be opened to the outside world for the first time; and the Dionysian War that took place in Thebes will be broadcast live to the entire pan-anthropocentric cultural sphere.

Finally, I (we) announce that, effective immediately, the Bacchus Order's "Paradise" service will be discontinued. The following notice will be conveyed by the Marketing Department.

[The remaining points, stored value, and frozen deposit in your Paradise account can be withdrawn or transferred to your personal credit account at Juno Financial Services outlets using Mandala after logging out.]

Users who have previously used their bodies as collateral for immersive loans, organ leasing services, or deep access qualifications will be entitled to one 50% buyback opportunity. That is, you can redeem the corresponding organ at 50% of the original collateral valuation. Those who fail to exercise this right within the specified period will have their organ ownership automatically transferred to Apollo Biological Inventory Management Office in accordance with the "Regulations on the Transfer of Biological Assets."

For users who have experienced muscle atrophy, bone calcification, loss of motor function, or lack of vital organs due to prolonged deep immersion in the system, please do not panic. After completing a medical assessment upon logout, our company, in conjunction with Minerva Information Technology, will provide you with a free basic maintenance prosthetic (standard "Traveler" series) to ensure your basic mobility and survival capabilities until you upgrade or recover on your own.

We understand that not everyone is ready to leave. If you still wish to remain in the virtual world, you can choose to seamlessly migrate your account data and existing balance to the "Mirage" virtual service center under Venus Digital Media. At that time, your account balance in this center will be fully transferred to your Mirage service account, ensuring a seamless continuation of your virtual life.

If the physical cabin of the service center you are currently using to access is located in a real-world area designated as a war zone, please remain calm and do not log out without armed protection.

[Our company has commissioned Mars War Company to provide you with specialized armed escort and safe transfer services in the war zone. Their mercenary forces will arrive sequentially based on your access pod's location coordinates to safely escort you and essential life support equipment to the nearest temporary shelter outside the war zone. Please wait patiently and keep your biometric signal online for search and rescue location assistance.]

Inside a giant flying structure temporarily requisitioned by Theseus Cargo Company over the Indian Ocean.

A person who has completed full-body cybernetic restoration awakens from the virtual illusion of an online "paradise" service.

"Has the money in my account been spent?"

He murmured as if he were still hungover.

"wrong……"

The money he earned in the mercenary wars was enough for him to immerse himself in the customized services of "Paradise" for over two thousand years.

So it's not that they ran out of money, but that "Paradise" shut down.

Recalling the broadcast he had heard earlier, the Depth 6 Aeneas Pathfinder stood up.

His three-meter height almost reached the ceiling.

"Will your wish come true?"

He listened to the recording repeatedly and felt his long-cooled heart seem to start beating again.

For a moment, he felt like both crying and laughing.

"Fate...where will you lead me?" (End of Chapter)