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

Chapter 327 The Curtain Falls (Part 1)

In a parallel universe, 0748 lies on the operating table, surrounded by surging heat waves, and will-o'-the-wisps keep those around him at bay.

"Boom—" The eighth blue ghost fire went out.

Dr. Li simply blinked, and the scene of engineers embracing and celebrating the opening of the metaverse instantly switched.

The saying "the world changes like the sea turning into mulberry fields" is sometimes just the distance between closing your eyes and opening them.

In the past few years, Metaverse has successfully surpassed one billion daily active users.

The surroundings were still familiar; it was Elvira, the forbidden laboratory where Dr. Li had spent most of his life.

But the atmosphere today is a bit off.

Outside the forbidden laboratory, a group of uninvited guests in black uniforms ruthlessly sealed off the main control room and core laboratory. They wore the Alliance's badge on their chests, their eyes were cold and hard, and they stood silently at the entrances to the various passages.

All the scientists and engineers who participated in the construction of the metaverse were required to remain at their posts and await further instructions.

At the end of the corridor, two young researchers whispered to each other.

"What's going on? Why are the inspection team here?"

"I heard it's about the agreement."

Which agreement?

"Which one could it be? The one that the founding team of the metaverse signed with the alliance. The monitoring team suspects that... someone in the team violated the agreement and privately created an account with permissions above those of the alliance."

"What do you mean?"

"It seems to be called... custom permissions."

As soon as they finished speaking, the two fell silent, and as if they had seen someone, they hurriedly walked away.

"0748? Ah, long time no see." A voice so familiar it was almost sickeningly sweet rang out.

Dr. Li turned around abruptly and was shocked to find that it was his old acquaintance, Immy. He saw her but did not react at all, as if he had not seen her, and walked straight back to his laboratory.

This woman, like Bai Jian'an, might possess 'magic'; decades later, she still looks youthful, like an ageless witch.

The difference is that over the decades, Immy has risen from the head of the special agent group to the head of the inspection group.

"Hey, hey, old friend, let's chat for a bit."

"Who are you?" Dr. Li said irritably. "And my name is Dr. Li, not 0748 as you mentioned."

“Oh dear,” Immy said with a smile, “how could anyone mistake you for someone else?”

"You are like a firefly in the dark night."

She looked at the white paper that Dr. Li had hidden in his robe, smiled, and said, "So bright, so outstanding."

"What exactly do you want?" Dr. Li didn't even lift his eyelids, continuing to organize the instruments on the operating table, his voice completely calm. "I'm not on your list of people to be interviewed, so I have no obligation to cooperate with your investigation."

“Indeed.” Immy paced around the operating table, her high heels clicking on the floor. She stopped beside Dr. Li, her gaze filled with scrutinizing interest. “I’m just a little curious, why didn’t Bai invite you to participate in the construction of the metaverse?”

"Is it strange?" Dr. Li said casually, his hands still moving. "Who in the whole of Elvira doesn't know that I've never gotten along with him? If he weren't still somewhat useful, I wouldn't have bothered keeping him alive for the past ten years."

“There’s no need to hang him now,” Immy said, raising an eyebrow. “If nothing unexpected happens, Bai has at most a few days left to live.”

"He should have died long ago."

“Yes, yes, yes~ After he dies, the highest position in the research center will be vacant.” Immy changed the subject, her voice carrying a hint of seduction.

"Dr. Bu Dong is quite good; I believe he can take over this position." Dr. Li didn't even look up, showing no interest in the topic.

"I feel you'd be a good fit too."

"You're joking. I'm just a doctor; I can't do the kind of leadership work."

"Don't be so quick to refuse. You should know that with my connections," Immy leaned forward slightly, enticingly saying, "plus your qualifications, getting you to that position would be absolutely no problem."

"As for Dr. Fudo, it's still unknown whether he can survive this investigation."

"Imi is that amazing?" Dr. Li finally smiled. He looked up at Imi with great interest. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get started. Give me a lift. I also want to be the emperor of Elvira, hahaha."

“Oh—you know me, when I help people, I usually have a little request.” Immy pulled two fingers apart.

"any request?"

Immy leaned close to Dr. Li's ear, her warm breath brushing against his earlobe, her voice alluring: "Tell them, who has the custom permissions...?"

Dr. Li laughed. After all that, it turned out this was where they were waiting for him.

He mimicked Immy, leaning close to her ear mysteriously and whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I'm telling you this, but don't tell anyone else."

"Ok?"

"Custom permissions are in my hands."

"Oh really?"

"Really." Dr. Li said sincerely, "How about this, you sleep with me for one night, and I'll tell you my account password. You know, ever since you were the head of the special operations team, I've really wanted to pin you down."

"Oh, you're so annoying~" Immy waved her hand shyly and patted Dr. Li's shoulder as if she had been burned, with that unchanging smile on her lips, "You old rascal."

After saying that, her face suddenly darkened: "Are you sure you don't want to tell me?"

“I already told you,” Dr. Li said with an air of utter indifference. “You sleep with me for one night, and I’ll tell you my account password.”

Unable to bear it any longer, Bai Zhi hesitated, then said, "Brother, you—"

"Fine, very well." Immy smiled insincerely. "Don't think I can't do anything to you."

As it turned out, she really couldn't do anything about Bai.

That's the nature of science; if you don't understand it, you simply don't understand it. The evidence may be presented clearly, but you still can't decipher those complex equations.

Some forms of power and worldly logic are completely ineffective in the face of cutting-edge technology.

They simply couldn't find the location of the custom permissions, so they resorted to coercion and bribery.

But clearly, neither coercion nor bribery worked on Bai, who was nearing the end of his life. Even the mysterious deaths of several other scientists involved in the project could not sway the old man.

On the contrary, public opinion has intensified, threatening to escalate into war.

The greatest scientist in history was suspected of creating 'theocracy' in his later years. He was interrogated for three consecutive days without food or water, and Elvira's anger was on the verge of breaking.

If Bai dies in the review room, the alliance will suffer an unbearable shock. In the worst case, the research center will break away from the alliance, declare independence, and declare war on the alliance.

He can die, but he absolutely cannot die during the investigation period.

“Even if you die, I will still dig up your account,” Immy said coldly, staring at the emaciated Bai.

Bai scoffed and offered no response.

"Withdraw." Immy said angrily through gritted teeth, turning around and leading his team away from Elvira.

The four-day investigation into the alleged violations has ended, and the tense atmosphere has eased.

Bai slowly walked out of the interrogation room, his face pale. Upon seeing him, Gilsu and the others reflexively turned and called out, "Li—"

“I’m here,” Dr. Li interrupted.

"Quick, look at the teacher!" Gilsu said anxiously.

Looking at the old man with lifeless pupils, Dr. Li thought that since the metaverse was built, this man seemed to have completed his mission. Without the support that kept him alive, his various organs suffered the backlash of being overdrawn in the early stages.

"He won't survive," Dr. Li said calmly. "Tomorrow, this body will suffer organ failure, and the heart will stop beating."

"Prepare for the worst, and choose a successor."

Upon hearing this, all the scientists in the room fell silent, a quiet sadness settling over them.

“Dr. Immovable.” Bai looked at a man in his forties or fifties, his voice aged, “Elvira, I’ll be relying on you from now on.”

"Yes." Dr. Fudo closed his eyes and nodded emphatically. "Thank you for your hard work."

Bai clapped three times and looked at everyone, saying, "Alright, let's go back to work."

"Dr. Li," he glanced at Dr. Li, "prescribe me some medicine later."

Dr. Li's pupils contracted slightly, and he replied, "Okay."

At 10 p.m., Dr. Li arrived at the abandoned biochemical laboratory without bringing any medicine. This was the place where he and Bai first met, and it used to be Karl's main laboratory.

Later, due to differing philosophies, Karl left Elvira, and the laboratory remained vacant, used to store miscellaneous items.

Bai sat on a dusty chair, quietly looking at the bottles and jars covered in dust around him, like a statue about to weather away.

"You called me here in the middle of the night to admire junk?" Dr. Li pulled over another chair, sat down casually, and the metal chair legs scraped against the cement floor with a screeching sound. "Let me make this clear first, I don't have any medicine to save you."

"Wait a little longer," Bai's voice was deep. "We're still missing one person."

"What's going on now?" Dr. Li frowned. "He's about to die and still making so many fuss over nothing. Who are we waiting for? Immy? If she comes, I'm leaving." Soon, he knew the answer.

"Knock knock!" There was a light knock on the door, and then a head peeked out. Bai Jian'an lowered her voice, like a thief, "I'm coming in."

She tiptoed into the laboratory and immediately spotted Dr. Li.

"Oh, Dr. Li is here too."

Just moments ago, Dr. Li was all prickly, but upon seeing the newcomer, she immediately pulled her legs back, sat up straight, and appeared somewhat awkward. "You, you've come too."

"We came secretly, no one noticed!" Bai Jian'an made a "shh" gesture, sat down in the third empty seat, and curiously looked at this strange "three-way meeting".

“I know,” Bai said. His senses were already connected to the entire Elvira system, and he knew perfectly well whether Bai Jian’an was being followed.

"What exactly do you want?" Dr. Li realized that things were getting increasingly out of control.

Unless it's something major, Bai Jian'an wouldn't have come here so secretly.

Bai didn't answer, but slowly took out two metal strips that looked like USB drives and pushed them onto the table in front of the two of them.

"This is where you customize permissions."

"You—you're giving this to me?!" Dr. Li exclaimed in shock. "Why are you giving it to me? Are you crazy? Giving this thing to me? You might as well give it to Immy; at least she can fulfill some of your requests."

Bai Jian'an was confused: "Custom permissions? What's that?"

"The highest level of authority in the metaverse," Bai said in a deep voice. "It allows us to bypass the Alliance and edit and define various functions of the metaverse."

"Ah—?!" Bai Jian'an knew immediately that this thing was extraordinary, and quickly stepped back, waving his hands wildly, "I, I don't understand."

“Yes,” Dr. Li chimed in. “Shouldn’t this be given to Dr. Bu Dong? He’s your successor.”

“Dr. Immovable.” Bai’s eyes deepened. “He’s also unstable, creating some very dangerous things.”

He looked at the two people in front of him.

"You two, one with technical skills and the other with charisma, are suited to become—gods."

"God? What nonsense are you spouting?" Dr. Li looked bewildered. "Looking for the two of us? A writer and a grumpy doctor? Your Alzheimer's is coming on faster than your organ failure?"

Bai Jian'an was speechless, feeling as if she had heard some incredible, earth-shattering secret.

"Tomorrow is my death day," Bai continued. "The Alliance will definitely try to force me. If they drive me insane, all three thousand laboratories around the world will go out of control, and I will unleash a devastating blow on the world."

"At that time."

"The metaverse will become an ark for storing the seeds of civilization."

"And you, who have the authority to customize, will be the gods of this new world."

"A devastating blow." Dr. Li exclaimed in astonishment, "You don't actually think you can break through this cage, do you?!"

"Perhaps, it's possible."

"What do you mean 'maybe'!" Dr. Li suddenly stood up, grabbed Bai's collar, and completely lost control of his emotions. "You're a scientist! What do you mean by 'maybe'!"

"What if it doesn't work? What will happen to billions of people in the world? Aren't you the one who loves this world the most! Biantana's greatest scientist!"

"What on earth are you thinking about!"

Bai let him hold her, her face expressionless, her eyes filled with a hint of despair: "Aren't you the god who controls time and space?"

He asked rhetorically.

"Then you should know very well."

"Biantana, there is no future."

"This is humanity's last blow."

Dr. Li's hand froze, his knuckles turned white as he gripped his collar, and his eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.

"What's wrong with you today? You're acting very strange."

He felt that the person in front of him was very unfamiliar, even more unfamiliar than when they first met.

The person who dedicated his life to the world is now going to disregard the common people and deliver a devastating blow?
“You’re acting strangely today, Dr. Li.” Bai chuckled. “I thought you would be very supportive of me.”

"You are—" "Have you come to like this world?"

Dr. Li's pupils contracted, as if a sore spot had been hit, and he was unable to refute it for a moment.

“You two…” Bai Jian’an looked back and forth between the two riddle-solving people, almost crying with anxiety, “What are you talking about?! Why did you give me this custom permission? I really don’t know how to use it…”

“He didn’t give it to the wrong person.” Dr. Li looked at Bai without turning his head, his tone complicated. “You are the most suitable person in this world to receive this thing.”

"Neither he nor I can do it."

"The more scientifically knowledgeable a person is, the less they should handle this thing; only those who do not understand it will not be corrupted by it."

After saying that, he picked up the USB drive on the table, turned around and left without looking at Bai again.

“If you lose control tomorrow,” Dr. Li glanced back slightly, her voice cold and resolute, “I will kill you immediately.”

The air in the room suddenly turned cold.

Just as he was about to walk out of the room, Bai suddenly said, "When I go crazy, you can't stop me."

"If it really happens, you and Jian An should take the person to the metaverse for refuge."

"Don't worry about me."

"Hmph, can't stop you? Who do you think you are?" Dr. Li sneered, and his figure disappeared into the darkness.

In the laboratory, only Bai's last hoarse whisper remained.

"I don't want things to get out of control either..."

"As long as Philina is alright..."

Philina, Bai's lover and assistant, has been with him for eighty years and currently serves as his bodyguard in Elvy.

This 'steel-willed' straight guy hasn't confessed his feelings yet, so he's planning a little surprise.

As long as the league doesn't cross his bottom line, given his gentle nature, he's still willing to believe the world is kind.

The next day was just an ordinary day.

Dr. Li walked on the way to the laboratory, his body seemed to have its own memory, and he moved directly at every corner and every step without needing his brain to give the command.

"Good morning, Dr. Li." A researcher wearing thick glasses walked by carrying a coffee.

"morning."

"Good morning, Dr. Li. Why don't you sleep in a little longer today?" another colleague, who was holding a data tablet, said.

"Ha—insomnia."

A young intern approached, his face full of admiration. "Dr. Li, I've been feeling discomfort in my lower back lately. What could be the problem?"

"Kidney deficiency."

"Ah? Miracle doctor, save me!"

"Drink more hot water and look at fewer girls." Dr. Li waved his hand impatiently, sending the man away.

These researchers are all physically weaker than the last, and their greetings are always the same few phrases, utterly boring. He could handle them with his eyes closed.

Finally, he arrived at the door of that exclusive, forbidden laboratory. After his access was verified, the metal door slid open silently.

He rushed to the monitoring station immediately and pulled up Elvira's external video feed.

The screen flickered with light, the images changed, and the situation was even more serious than he had imagined.

Elvira was surrounded by densely packed Alliance squads, who were there to issue an ultimatum, forcing Bai to hand over everything he owned, or to wait until he breathed his last before using force to storm in and search him.

Even with the prestige of the successor, Dr. Fudo, he simply couldn't control the situation.

Dr. Li stared at the screen, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the control panel, the words he had heard last night echoing in his mind.

"If it really happens, you and Jian An should take the person to the metaverse for refuge."

"Don't worry about me."

He took a deep breath, took out the metal strip that looked like a USB flash drive, looked at this thing that represented the highest authority in the metaverse, rolled up his sleeves, and pressed the metal strip against his forearm.

There was no pain, only a slight chill. A ring of eerie blue light shone from the edge of the metal strip, seeping into his skin in a strange way, eventually transforming into several extremely fine lines that circled his flesh before disappearing completely.

He clenched his fist. His arm was no different from before, but it was vaguely connected to something.

Dr. Li looked up at the time on the screen.

With his current skill level and the aid of medical equipment, he could completely predict when Bai's internal organs would stop working; he could live for at most six hours.

However, in the surveillance footage, the Alliance squadron outside Elvira resembled a flock of restless vultures, pacing back and forth and circling around.

Dr. Li let out a long sigh and rubbed his throbbing temples: "They wouldn't let anyone have a moment's peace in the last few hours."

However, this group of people did not dare to use force for the time being, and only dared to set up camp outside.

As for that great scientist Bai, what was he doing in the last few hours of his life?

He was playing with the cat.

More accurately, it was like putting an orange cat on a treadmill and trying to use principles of physics and biomechanical formulas to supervise its weight loss. This useless guy tried everything, but ultimately failed to get Tony to lose weight.

Not long after, Philina arrived.

The two walked out of the laboratory, looking as if they were about to go out and play for a while.

At this moment, there was still one hour until Bai's expected death.

In the last hour, I still want to put aside all my responsibilities and go shopping with the person I like.

But obviously.

The league will not allow him to leave the monitoring area.

The conflict still occurred.

A colossal, purplish-black dragon with a ferocious posture descended from the sky, its claws lashing out at the laboratory. Corrosive venom dripped from between its fangs, scorching craters into the ground. The Alliance leader hovered above the dragon's head, looking down down upon it.

The [Fierce, Hungry, and Poisonous Fusion Dragon] blocked their path. "This is driving me crazy!" Dr. Li cursed upon seeing this, immediately turning and leaving the lab to rush to the scene of the conflict.

It's not that we're going to save Bai; that madman is beyond saving.

He was going to rescue Filina.

As long as this woman doesn't get into trouble, Bai, a man whose very nature is tinged with depravity and self-sacrifice, won't truly lose control.

Dr. Li ran against the flow of people amidst the piercing alarm, the walls of the alloy corridor shaking incessantly, and the overhead lights flickering wildly, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.

"Dr. Li! What happened? The energy core has leaked?" An intern was shoved aside by him and still managed to ask loudly.

"Screw you!" Dr. Li cursed without turning his head. "If you don't want to die, find a turtle shell to hide in!"

He had no time to explain; the timer on his wrist was ticking wildly.

"Hold on a little longer..."

Just as he was about to rush out of the corner of the corridor, "Boom—"

A deafening roar, so muffled it was almost unbearable, pierced right through the body. A massive, deep red halo exploded silently in the sky, followed by a devastating heatwave.

The entire base's metal structure groaned and trembled violently. The researchers around them instantly went from bewilderment to terror, screaming and running away with their heads in their hands.

Before the first wave of impact had subsided, a second explosion followed.

"boom--!"

Another red halo spread out, and the metal walls on both sides of the corridor turned dark red at a visible speed. The wall plaster curled, peeled off, and turned into ashes, and the air was completely ignited.

"Ah—it's so hot!" the white paper cried out in pain as it struggled.

"Have they all gone mad?!" Dr. Li roared, his anger rising to his head.

He suddenly raised his right arm to protect himself. Beneath his skin, the hidden patterns came to life, and black armor-like material forced its way out of his flesh, quickly covering his entire arm and forming an irregular black shield.

He braved the scorching heat and charged forward step by step.

When he arrived at the scene of the conflict, it was all over, and the two red halos had long since dissipated.

He is late.

Looking around, the scene was a mess. The [Fierce, Hungry, Poisonous Fusion Dragon] was torn into several pieces, and the purplish-black remains were emitting wisps of smoke. There were also several unrecognizable dragon corpses nearby. The remains of the [Electronic Dragon - Infinite] and the [Raging Tyrannosaurus Rex] were scattered all over the ground, and the broken energy pipes were still flashing sparks in vain.

Meanwhile, the Spiked Dragon Queen pressed the self-destruct switch.

Only fragments remained, lying quietly in Bai's hand.

Bai knelt in the center of the ruins, his eyes empty and lifeless, clutching the fragments in his arms, as if he had lost his soul.

"Hey, you—" Dr. Li looked at Bai, who was kneeling on the ground with a hunched back, and was about to shout, "Calm down," but the words stuck in his throat.

The man who dedicated his life to the League and to the world.

In the end, the league drove the girl he loved most to her death.

What should I say, and what medicine should I use, to calm him down?

Bai suddenly moved.

He lowered his head and gently wiped the stains off the armor with his fingertips, his movements as tender as if he were caressing a lover's cheek.

Once, twice.

Then, a very soft, dry laugh squeezed out of his throat.

"Ah……"

The laughter grew louder and more out of control, eventually turning into a hoarse, maniacal laugh. He tilted his head back, his entire face contorting and splitting open in the laughter, with fine streaks of blood oozing out from under his skin in a gruesome manner.

"Haha...hahahaha—"

He laughed and cried, blood and tears mingling and sliding down his cracked face.

"Ah—!!!" Bai clutched his head and let out a monstrous roar.

"Boom—!" Immediately afterwards, a buzzing sound erupted from the depths of the earth.

The ground began to vibrate at a high frequency. Dr. Li tried to steady himself, and a tingling resonance came from his arm covered with black nail-like material.

"what happened……"

Before he could finish speaking, something unexpected happened.

The scattered mechanical debris on the ground began to tremble slightly, as if pulled by invisible threads, inch by inch breaking free from gravity and slowly drifting into the air.

"Then, what is that?"

"It flew up? The fragments flew up!"

The researchers, who had narrowly escaped death, screamed in terror. They had just escaped the scorching heatwave only to be met with this incomprehensible scene.

They looked up in horror and saw the metal pipes on the corridor ceiling above them groaning under the strain, rivets popping out on their own, the steel pipes twisting and struggling, and finally flying into the sky like snakes.

Panic spread like a plague. The work vehicle slid out of control and crashed into each other, both of them taking off into the air. The communicator, keys, and metal buckles on the researcher's belt all began to heat up as an irresistible force ripped them off his body.

"My prosthetic limb! My leg!"

"Quickly, remove all metal parts!"

Dr. Li ignored the wailing and howling; he stared intently at the center of the whole scene.

White.

He knelt amidst the ruins, head bowed, clutching a pile of cold shards in his arms. He didn't move, yet the metal of the entire base seemed to move because of him—no, perhaps not just this base.

Dr. Li realized something and quickly turned on the internet.

He was astonished to discover that it wasn't just Elvira, but the whole world!
Mechanical riots are happening all over the world; all metal is out of control and flying into the sky.

"Hey—" a researcher pointed to the sky, his voice trembling, "Look, there—"

"What is that?"

"God, God——!"

Following the direction he pointed, Dr. Li looked up at the sky, and her pupils suddenly dilated.

"This is--"

"What is that?"

An indescribable, enormous robot silhouette appeared above the clouds.

(End of this chapter)