People in Yu-Gi-Oh! The hyper-converged audience is also integrated

Chapter 326 Eternal Flame VS White Forest
Another scientist succumbed to the ravages of time and fell to his death.

In the ward, the life monitor emitted a piercing long tone, announcing the end.

In the face of time, everyone is equal.

Dr. Li walked forward expressionlessly, turned off the noisy equipment, and calmly looked at the old man on the hospital bed. Professor Alder, who had been causing him trouble every day since he came to the research center, was dead.

Without a doubt, whether at work or in life, Alder was a pedantic, rigid, and meticulous old man to the point of being obsessive. Over the past forty years, his highest evaluation of Dr. Li was "not bad" and "he only knows a little biology."

Several times we argued and got so worked up that we almost couldn't breathe.

With this person dead, Dr. Li should have felt a sense of peace, but at this moment, he felt no ripples in his heart. He simply stood quietly, watching this "old friend" with whom he had argued his entire life bid farewell.

As a doctor, he has provided more than one life-extending plan, ranging from gene optimization to cyborg modification.

Aled was initially genuinely interested, after all, the old man was terrified of death. However, after the mechanical modification, he discovered that his thinking and memory were failing him. Flaws in formulas that he could see at a glance before now required him to ponder for a long time.

In daily life, they can't even argue properly.

The old man couldn't accept becoming stupid, so he stubbornly dismantled all the modification devices.

This is also why Bai refuses to undergo any changes. Any deep intervention in the body could damage the brain, which is essential for their livelihood. That's how science works; if a single idea is not clear or an inspiration is not grasped, one may never be able to overcome that hurdle.

“Dr. Li…” Bai lowered his head, his voice hoarse like a broken bellows, “What you just said… about the future… is it true?”

His hand was still on Alder's cold arm, and he didn't let go.

"The Metaverse has been successfully built after thirty years of construction..."

"Then... should I hold on for another ten years..." he murmured to himself, his breathing suddenly becoming heavy.

"Take it easy," Dr. Li glanced at him. "Don't get excited, you'll be the next one lying down."

"Is it true?!" Bai suddenly looked up, her bloodshot eyes fixed on him, like a drowning person grabbing onto the only plank of wood.

Gilsu stood to the side, nervously giving Dr. Li a wink, his lips moving silently as if to say, "Quick, repeat what you just said, God who controls time and space."

Dr. Li sighed helplessly, "It will succeed, just hang in there a little longer."

This might be the gentlest lie he ever told.

What I just said was actually a sudden inspiration that came to my mind and just slipped out of my mouth.

The idea was also to let Ald have a good dream before he passed away.

It was a white lie, but who knew Bai would actually believe it?

He's a far cry from being a "god who controls time and space"; he's only just begun to understand it.

"Ten years... just ten more years..." The turbidity and despair in Bai's eyes vanished, replaced by renewed brightness.

He released Alder's hand, slowly straightened his hunched back, and turned to Dr. Li with a solemn expression.

"Please! Extend my life by ten years!"

For the first time, Dr. Li saw pleading in Bai's eyes. This man, hailed as a scientist of the century, also had such a humble moment of begging.

He was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "Fine, I'll keep you alive for the next ten years."

"Ten years from now, you can die in peace."

"Alright." Bai spoke slowly, his voice hoarse, as if making a sacred pact, "It's a deal."

The next five years were the darkest period for Elvira.

The funding chain has broken, core technology has stagnated, public opinion is criticizing them, and manpower is stretched thin. Four mountains are pressing down on them.

But strangely enough, the team's cohesion was stronger than ever before.

Because a prophecy was quietly circulating within: it was a prophecy personally made by the God who controls time and space, that the metaverse would be successfully built in 665 years, becoming the greatest project in human history.

All participants will have their names recorded in history books and on the wall of honor.

This prophecy was personally delivered by the team leader, the greatest scientist, Bai.

This prophecy gave a powerful boost to the more than 1,000 scientists who were groping in the dark.

In the spacious research hall, Bai stood on a high platform. Below him were more than a thousand faces, each etched with exhaustion and excitement. Many of them had white hair, hunched backs, and sunken eyes.

"Bai!" a voice rang out from the crowd, hoarse and urgent, "Is the prophecy true?!"

This statement is like a pebble thrown into stagnant water, creating ripples all around.

Will we succeed?

"Will our names really be written on the wall of honor...?"

"Ten years, is it really just a matter of persevering for another ten years?"

"Bai! Will we succeed?!"

Questions and doubts, mixed with suppressed expectations, echoed in the hall.

Faith is such a mysterious thing; for this group of scientists who hold logic and data as their guiding principles, they are the least likely to believe in God.

But without this "god who controls time and space," without that faint glimmer of hope, they really wouldn't have been able to hold on.

Bai's gaze met the more than a thousand burning eyes below the stage, and his aging body burst forth with a powerful shout.

"It will succeed!"

These four simple words struck everyone's heart like a thunderbolt.

One by one, the hunched and weary backs slowly straightened, and the cloudy eyes regained their bright light.

"Ten years from now, we will have completed the greatest project in human history!"

"The names of everyone present will be engraved on the wall of honor, to be admired by future generations!"

The venue was deathly silent.

One second, two seconds.

"Good," someone stammered, uttering the word "good" with a trembling voice.

Immediately afterwards, a man let out a wild roar.

"good--!!!"

"Bai! I'm going with you!"

"Follow me!"

"It's only ten years! Let's give it our all!"

All the scientists, who should have been the calmest and most rational people, completely abandoned logic at this moment. They roared and howled, and some excitedly took off their white coats and threw them into the air.

The repression, despair, pain, and self-doubt of the past twenty years erupted at this moment, only to be replaced by a crazy belief.

By the door of the lobby, Dr. Li watched this scene with a blank expression.

Gilsu, who was standing next to him, nudged him with his elbow and whispered, "The God who controls time and space."

"Will your name appear on the walls of honor and in the history books of future generations?"

Dr. Li didn't reply, but silently wondered if these lunatics would tear him apart ten years later when they realized they'd been deceived.

"A god who controls time and space," he casually joked.

"They'll slip away when the timing isn't right."

“So cunning,” Gilsu said.

Five years later, the Metaverse underwent its fifth internal test.

The main control room was deathly silent. Of the more than a thousand scientists, less than eight hundred remained. They were all emaciated, with sunken eyes, as if their life force had been drained, and they were only held together by a thread called "prophecy".

All eyes were focused on the central holographic projection, which displayed real-time brainwave data and vital signs of ten thousand experimental subjects. The green data stream was as smooth as a tranquil river.

"Thirty-second countdown."

"All data are stable."

"The emotional fluctuations of the experimental subjects were within the safe threshold."

"Fifteen seconds."

"The target scene 'new' rendering is 100% complete, with no signs of crashing."

"five four three two one!"

Time returns to zero.

All data streams on the holographic projection locked instantly, forming a stable green area with only thirty or forty small red dots. There were no major problems, only some minor bugs.

The first version was basically a success.

No one cheered, no one shouted; the hall remained quiet, so quiet that one could hear each other's heavy breathing.

"It's done, it's done!"

Bai stood in front of the control table on the high platform, his body swayed slightly, and was promptly supported by Gil Su beside him.

He stared at the peaceful green screen, panting heavily, his voice hoarse: "Five more years... to refine the details, and then it can officially launch..."

"Hmm." Gilsu responded softly, "Now that the preliminary version is finalized, we can start looking for sponsors."

These words immediately ignited the oppressive atmosphere in the hall.

"We can catch our breath now."

"After 25 years, we've finally made it!" "If we can secure sponsorship, we can upgrade our equipment."

However, reality always slaps you in the face quickly and loudly.

Gilsu traveled confidently to major financial groups around the world, but the responses he received were surprisingly consistent.

"Metaverse? Oh, that century-old scam?" An investor in a suit held up his wine glass, looking him over with disdain. "Bai's still alive? I heard that story twenty-five years ago, and he's still telling it now?"

“We already have a successful test version! Here’s the data!” Gilsu eagerly handed over the report.

The other party didn't even bother to glance at it, tossing the report over and saying, "Anyone who invests is a fool. Stop lying to people. Go back and tell Bai to retire peacefully and stop embarrassing himself."

Gilles went from house to house, only to be met with closed doors, merciless ridicule, and insults. Bai's reputation had long since changed from "the greatest scientist" to "the biggest fraud of the century."

A month later, Gilsu dragged his exhausted body back to the research center, his face ashen.

Without saying a word, he walked to the center of the hall, threw the thick stack of reports in his hand onto the table, and the papers scattered and fell to the ground like snowflakes.

Everyone's heart sank.

"How could this be!" An elderly PhD grabbed several reports, his fingers digging into them, his eyes filled with despair and confusion. "The first draft was a success! The data doesn't lie! Can't they understand it? Why don't they believe us!"

No one answered; the hall was deathly silent.

"Without sponsorship," another aged voice echoed weakly, as he leaned on the control panel, his body swaying precariously. "We..."

"Can we keep going?"

These past five years have completely drained them, burning them out in terms of both reputation and money.

Forget about wages, everyone here is paid to work, and a very few even take out loans to pay for their jobs.

"My loan is three months overdue..."

"I haven't been home for six months."

“I’ve put all my retirement savings into it.”

"Hehe." A young PhD student suddenly chuckled self-deprecatingly, "My wife divorced me. She said I was with a century-old liar."

Despair spread like a plague.

“How about…” a faint voice rang out, a female researcher with her head down, not daring to look at anyone, “we’ll just release this version…”

"What did you say?!" someone next to him immediately retorted, "Can't you see all those bugs?!"

"But I really... can't hold on any longer..." The female researcher's voice was choked with sobs as she finally broke down, squatting on the ground and sobbing uncontrollably.

Because of this, she developed a host of ailments and dared not go home, where she was met with strange looks.

The crying seemed contagious, with suppressed sobs rising and falling among the crowd.

The young researcher, initially distraught, slumped to the ground, muttering to himself, "Five years... the prophecy said ten years, there are still five years left..."

He raised his head, his gaze passing over the crowd and landing on the high platform.

"Five years from now, will it really... be successful?"

"How are we going to get through these five years?"

No one could answer this question, and even their last shred of faith began to waver.

Bai remained silent. The pep talk was no longer effective; the reality of being broke was too cold.

No matter how much enthusiasm you have, you can't create a negative cube.

Without sponsorship, it definitely won't be complete in five years. If it's not completed in five years, the 'prophecy' will become invalid, and the faith brought by the 'god who controls time and space' will collapse. Once this faith collapses...
By the door, Gilsu leaned against the wall, his face ashen. He looked at Dr. Li and said in a hoarse voice, "My Lord, your prophecy is about to fail."

Dr. Li sighed deeply, looking at the ceiling and muttering to himself.

"Another me, a god who controls time and space."

The God who controls 'creation' proposes a great plan.

A god who controls 'time and space' provides the plan with the support of faith.

The god who controls 'destiny' gently knocks on the door just as faith is about to collapse.

"Dong dong."

A crisp knock sounded, making everyone's bodies tremble.

A soft female voice came from the doorway, carrying a hint of uncertainty.

"that……"

Everyone stiffly turned their heads and looked in the direction of the sound.

A woman stood in the doorway, dressed in a well-fitting off-white dress, a stark contrast to the gray hall filled with the smells of sweat, despair, and burnt wires.

She looked clean and fair, like a snowflake that had fallen from heaven.

"I noticed you all seemed busy and didn't dare to speak," Bai Jian'an said somewhat embarrassedly.

Dr. Li, who was leaning against the door with a deathly pale face, felt a burst of joy the moment she saw who it was. Her eyes widened and her slumped shoulders straightened involuntarily.

The white paper on the left immediately commented: "Wow—she's still so beautiful, does she have magic?"

Bai, standing on the platform, was stunned. He gripped the control panel, his eyes somewhat dazed: "Jian An? Why are you here?"

Bai Jian'an smiled at him, bringing a glimmer of light to the heavy twilight.

“I heard the initial version of the metaverse is out, so I came to take a look.” She said, stepping in. “After all, I’ve been a fan for ten years.”

She looked around and finally fixed her gaze on the holographic projection device in the center.

"Can I be the first user and try it out? I've been looking forward to this for a long time."

"can!"

Bai blurted out, quickly walking down from the platform to personally greet him, "Of course."

That unwavering "yes" caused many people in the hall who had been hanging their heads to slowly raise their eyes, their pupils shining.

"Jian An."

"Could it be!"

Dr. Li immediately followed, walked to Bai's side, and lowered his voice, saying in a volume only the two of them could hear, "Are you sure there's no problem? Those bugs are still there. What if they damage her brain?"

"Why don't you usually care about others this much?" Bai glanced at him, her hands already expertly operating the equipment. "Don't worry, the issues of consciousness uploading and core storage have long been resolved."

In the hall, all eyes were on Bai Jian'an, eyes filled with a last glimmer of hope.

Her travel experience will determine their lives for the next few years.

Bai Jian'an sat down on the access chair, the only clean chair in the research center. She curiously examined the helmet she was about to put on, with a kind of clear, uninformed, and impressive feeling that only a layman could understand.

"Ready?" Bai looked at her.

"Ah."

The helmet was slowly pulled down.

【Metaverse】

[Connecting]

【connection succeeded】

【welcome】

On the main screen and in Bai Jian'an's field of vision, a gray stream of code flashed by, followed by a simple creation interface that popped up. 【Please enter your ID】

"Bai Jian'an."

Please enter your signature.

"Clean and white, simple and peaceful."

In the corner, a young researcher subconsciously read out the words, then froze: "She really is." The pen name and signature of the author of "Duel Fairy Tale".

"White and clean, simple and peaceful, shouldn't it be called Bai Jianping?" Bai Zhi complained.

Dr. Li immediately retorted angrily: "You're the one who's flat!"

The white paper stuck out its tongue: "Hehehe, I don't have any breasts."

[ID creation successful. You are the first official user and have been granted a unique privilege: 1 Prestige skin of your choice.]

A dazzling array of skin options instantly appeared on the screen: gods, dragons, mechs—each one radiant and exuding power.

However, the cursor simply skipped over them, eventually stopping in an inconspicuous corner.

A new image appears in the center of the screen: a little girl holding a book and wearing a monocle.

Asteria in the White Forest

Dr. Li stared at the choice, somewhat stunned: "How cute."

"Confirm selection." Bai's voice rang out in the quiet hall. "Mental access, begin."

The indicator light on the helmet changed from red to green.

The screen perspective suddenly shifted to first-person.

A pair of small, fair digital hands appeared below my field of vision, and my vision slowly lifted.

"Wow--"

A soft exclamation filled with surprise echoed through the laboratory.
Everyone in the hall, including Bai, held their breath.

"what happened?"

Is there anything unusual about your body?

"So beautiful," Bai Jian'an said softly, with a sense of wonder and satisfaction.

In the world on the screen, the sky is a warm orange-red, with glowing jellyfish-like creatures floating around. The white branches of ancient trees stretch endlessly towards the horizon, their leaves as clear as crystal, and a gust of wind will make a series of crisp wind chime sounds.

On the screen, Asteria tentatively took a step, and the ground beneath her feet rippled with a halo of light.

She paused for a moment, then let out a silvery laugh and ran through the halo of light, clutching the book in her arms.

"Wow--!"

"Hahaha--"

Pure, undisguised gasps of amazement and laughter echoed through the deathly silent research center. The laughter seemed to have a life of its own, washing away the dust and despair from every corner.

The researcher, whose face had become gaunt from overdue loans, straightened his back without realizing it. The young PhD, whose wife had divorced him, stared blankly at the screen, his eyes slowly reddening.

Gilsu leaned against the wall, the ashen look on his face gradually fading. He looked at the small, laughing figure running on the screen, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up.

Twenty-five years of torment, countless sleepless nights, all the ridicule and humiliation were washed away by this burst of laughter at this moment.

These past five years don't seem so difficult to get through anymore.

The immense joy of discovering a new world made Bai Jian'an laugh like a child, jumping around everywhere. Because it was a 'client' account, Bai secretly set it to unlimited DP in the background, so she could buy and play as she pleased. As long as she didn't violate the Metaverse Convention, there were no restrictions on the account.

At the end of the test, Bai Jian'an smiled with satisfaction, and the researchers also breathed a sigh of relief. The client seemed to have a good experience, and the money was coming.

Bai Jian'an didn't take off her helmet. She pursed her lips, feeling like something was missing.

After thinking for a long time, Huanran shouted, "We haven't tried a duel yet!"

"Is anyone here? Log in!"

"Bai, help me mount this deck." She took out the deck and handed it to me. "Can the metaverse really connect with spirituality?"

The spiritual cross-network duel was one of the major selling points of the metaverse when it was first promoted.

"There's still a few bugs in the duel, but it's not a big problem." Bai took her deck and attached it, then looked at the others, "Does anyone have a deck? I'd like to duel with Jian An."

"These are all test decks," the scientists said, bewildered.

The client, Bai Jian'an, made the following request: "Not one that's all normal monsters, but a normal deck, preferably—"

"We need a pro!"

This is a dilemma. They usually focus their energy on scientific research, and their combat strength is only so-so.

“I brought my deck,” Dr. Li suddenly said.

The scientists looked at each other blankly: "Who is he? What tectonic plate is he in charge of?"

Bai glanced at him in surprise and said softly, "Then you should test your skills with Jian An in a duel."

"Dr. Li, come on! Let's duel!" Bai Jian'an was eager to try.

Gilsu whispered in Dr. Li's ear, "They're from the client's side, so be considerate."

"I understand." Dr. Li fixed his gaze, attached the card set, and put on his helmet.

"duel!"

"duel!"

Two minutes later.

"I will upgrade the star rating of my level 2 [Eternal Flame Sage], level 3 [Eternal Flame Necromancer], and level 4 [Eternal Flame Demon]!"

"Ancient dragon slumbering within the ice barrier, unleash your power of ice!"

"Synchronic Summon!"

"Level 9, [Ice Barrier Dragon Trident]!"

"Activating the effect of [Trident Dragon] allows you to banish up to 1 card from your opponent's hand, field, or graveyard."

A colossal, ice-blue, three-headed dragon roared and took shape in the sky. Its terrifying power made the entire White Forest tremble. Glowing jellyfish scattered in panic, and crystal leaves wailed.

Bai Jian'an was startled, watching helplessly as a card in her hand shattered into ice. Her heart clenched: "[Sen'er]".

"Activate the [Eternal Fire Cannon] effect!" Dr. Li shouted ruthlessly.

"Send this card to the Graveyard to Special Summon [Infernal Necromancer] and [Infernal Fiend]."

"Activate the effect of [Infernal Demon] to add [Infernal Cannon] from your deck to your hand."

"The effect of [Infernal Necromancer] is to Special Summon [Infernal Sage] from the Graveyard."

"You're coming again?!" Bai Jian'an screamed.

"I'm adjusting the star ratings of Level 2 [Eternal Flame Sage], Level 3 [Eternal Flame Necromancer], and Level 4 [Eternal Flame Demon]!" Doctor Li was completely absorbed.

Let everything be reduced to nothingness!

"Synchronic Summon!"

"Level 9, [Ice Barrier Dragon Trident]!"

"Activating the effect of [Trident Dragon] allows you to banish up to 1 card from your opponent's hand, field, or graveyard."

A second, identical trident-shaped dragon descended, bringing the same oppressive aura, and activated the same effect once more. Bai Jian'an stared at the shattered ice of the [Legend of the White Forest], her little face contorted in distress.

"Activate the effect of the [Eternal Fire Cannon]!" Dr. Li shouted again.

Holding three cards, Bai Jian'an roughly guessed what was going to happen next, and looked at the man in front of her with disdain: "Dr. Li, has anyone told you this?"

"What?" Dr. Li stopped her procedure and asked, bewildered.

“Dueling you would be a very serious matter that could land me in jail,” Bai Jianan said.

Dr. Li: "."

The entire research center was deathly silent.

The white paper covered its mouth, not daring to laugh out loud. Gilsu had already leaned against the wall, his eyes vacant, and let out a desperate sigh.

Dr. Li is a devil, isn't he?

"You'll go first in the next round," Dr. Li chuckled awkwardly, his gaze suddenly turning serious. "But this time..."

"I want to have a good fucking!"

Bai Jian'an: "."

"Brother," Bai Zhi said disdainfully, "Is it appropriate for you to say that to a girl?"

After an hour of intense fighting, both were exhausted and panting heavily.

As for the outcome, it's a clean sweep: whoever attacks first wins, with absolutely no chance of a comeback.

"Phew—" Bai Jian'an let out a long breath, took off his helmet, and the others quickly cast questioning glances at him.

"How are you feeling?" Bai asked softly.

Bai Jian'an forced a smile: "Very good, the spiritual impact is very strong."

On the other side, Dr. Li, unaware that Bai Jian'an had logged off, shouted, "Where is he? Get ready! The final battle will last until dawn!"

Bai Jian'an gave him a meaningful look, smiled, and turned to Bai, saying, "Let's sign the contract. I can invest one billion."

These words caused an uproar in the entire laboratory. Dr. Li was startled and took off his helmet. As soon as he took it off, he saw Bai Jian'an opposite him, and his rationality regained its hold.

He couldn't help but blush.

"Was that the one who dueled with me just now?"

The white paper whispered in my ear, "That's right, brother shouted so loudly just now, we should stab her and have a good time."

"Everyone heard it."

"It's over, I can't stay in this time and space anymore." Dr. Li turned his gaze away, not daring to look at anyone.

“On behalf of Elvira, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you.” Bai nodded emphatically to Bai Jian’an.

“From now on, I’m a shareholder.” Bai Jian’an looked at the contract in his hand, smiled, and turned to Dr. Li. “We’ll have a duel another time.”

"Okay," Dr. Li replied softly.

The following day, "Duel Fairy Tale" updated with Chapter Thirteen, "A Duel Across Time and Space," sparking heated discussions worldwide.

One reason is that this novel has been serialized for eighty years, and everywhere you go you hear someone saying, "Grandpa, Grandpa, the novel you're following has been updated."

Every duel in "Duel Fairy Tale" is magical enough, the story is exciting and inspiring, the values ​​are very positive, and it doesn't include any names of people or places or involve politics. It can be used as a dueling textbook.

Every time a new chapter is updated, it instantly tops the trending searches.

However, this time it was even more special, not in the content of the update, but because the author, Bai Jian'an, rarely posted an 'Author's Note'. This was not part of the main text, but simply a few words from the author.

"I experienced the metaverse."

"The world is vast."

"The duel felt very real."

"like very much."

Twenty simple yet precise words completely ignited the internet.

The author of "Duel Fairy Tale" openly endorsed the "century hoax" metaverse, sparking ongoing discussions.

Bai's reputation has been almost completely depleted over the past twenty-five years, but Bai Jian'an remains pure and innocent, and her positive reviews are a strong endorsement of her credibility.

Within an hour, a group of wealthy businessmen with keen business sense flocked to Elvira, all expressing their desire to experience the metaverse.

On this day, the engineers who participated in building the Metaverse put down their work and became receptionists, teaching investors how to experience the initial version of the Metaverse.

The feedback received was basically the same:

"Wow--"

"Fuck!"

"You guys... you actually managed to make something like this."

"This is the new world."

The metaverse is something engineers see every day and are used to, but for ordinary people who are encountering it for the first time, it's really quite amazing.

With a gentle push on the gears of fate, Bai Jian'an set the world on a new turn.

The word spread like wildfire. Although it was only a work in progress, it was the result of 25 years of hard work by these scientists and was enough to shock the world.

The more intense the suppression in the early stages, the more dramatic the reversal in public opinion.

The hundreds of engineers, who had been under immense pressure, breathed a sigh of relief and announced that the Metaverse would open to the public on August 20, 655.

The next five years were their most confident, relaxed, and serious years.

After countless tests, bug fixes, equipment updates, public relations efforts, helmet pre-sales, and so on, the much-anticipated August 20th, 655, finally arrived.

August 20, 655, Elvira, main control room.

On the huge circular screen, each tick of the bright red countdown numbers felt like a heavy hammer blow to everyone's heart.

Thirty years, more than nine thousand days and nights, countless mockery, and incalculable despair and hardship will all come to a final judgment at this moment.

"Ten, nine, eight..."

No one followed along; the only sound in the space was the electronic synthesized voice, and hundreds of engineers stood ramrod straight.

"Three, two, one!"

"The Metaverse is now officially open to the public!"

Time returns to zero.

The red numbers on the screen disappeared, replaced by a green data stream indicating that the server was running normally. In the lower right corner, an inconspicuous number began to jump.

"1011"

"56920"

"347891"

Gilsu stared intently at the number, his lips moving silently.

“Currently, the number of people online... ten million.” He announced the first milestone in a dry voice.

Before the words were even finished, the number had already ballooned to thirty million.

"Fifty million."

"One hundred million!"

The control room remained deathly silent, save for the sound of numbers climbing and heavy breathing. When Gilsu shouted "one hundred million" in a trembling voice, a suppressed sob came from a corner.

An elderly engineer with white hair slowly slid to the ground, covered his eyes with the back of his hand, and his shoulders trembled violently.

"We've surpassed 100 million users..." Gilsu's voice was completely hoarse.

Ten years, twenty years, thirty years.

They have gone from being vibrant young people to middle-aged people with graying temples, and even the elderly.

"The system's data is stable, and there are no signs of a crash."

"Duel module is 70% loaded, requesting traffic offloading."

"The diversion request has been approved."

"Success..."

"We did it."

“I really did it.”

It's unclear who spoke first, but beneath the calm statement lay a volcanic eruption of emotions, requiring neither shouting nor embracing.

"Haha." Bai stared at the screen full of green data streams and shed a tear.

He stared at the rapidly fluctuating number of online users and muttered to himself, "So accurate! No wonder he's a god who controls time and space."

Meanwhile, parallel universes exist.

0748 lay on the operating table, surrounded by nine blue will-o'-the-wisps, only two of which remained.

Thirty years in one timeline, but only a few breaths in another.

(End of this chapter)