Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

—'When a certain number of holders of A-rank or higher enhancements arrive, a boss battle will begin. The final winner will be determined from among the A-rank enhancement holders. The winner will gain the enhancement search function and the special skill of previewing the content of the next horror movie.'

As a result, the harmonious atmosphere among the special personnel that was just a moment ago vanished in an instant.

Instead, a civil war broke out among special individuals.

Section 42 Judgment

Lin Xi had no idea what the war between special personnel was like.

She didn't know the beginning, the content, or even the outcome. Because she had never paid attention to such trivial matters, and she knew her position didn't allow her to devote too much attention to them.

All she knew was that Alice often went out after work and returned at night in vehicles arranged by the Central State authorities. Time and time again, day after day. Sometimes she returned full of energy, sometimes weak. Clearly, Alice, too, was involved in the competition among the special personnel, and had both won and lost.

That's how it seems. Or rather, that's what everyone thinks. Everyone believes that Alice Margot Lloyd, like her thousands of peers, has little hope of ultimately winning. And no one pays much attention to the place she's in.

Alice won't win; that's only natural.

But the struggle among special personnel continues. Because this struggle has unknowingly transformed from the acquisition of 'leadership authority' into a testing ground for the classification and evaluation of all special personnel.

The administrators of Zhongzhou had visited her before, offering words of concern and care. Diplomats from Xihai had also come to visit her, trying to encourage her with money and talk of national righteousness—she responded coldly or brushed them off, then watched as these people disappeared from sight, looking smug and no longer appearing in her vicinity.

Everyone seemed satisfied with the outcome of the conversation, and it seemed that many people cared about her.

However, in Lin Xi's eyes, in those eyes that had that strange dream, she could easily read the subtle changes in contempt and disdain hidden beneath those kind smiles.

Ah, that's right. Even if 99% of your enthusiasm and sincerity contains a trace of contempt, it is still contempt.

Even if there is almost complete recognition and closeness mixed with a hint of disdain, then it is still disdain.

It's like adding one percent poison to a drop of water, and the water becomes poison. However, adding one percent water to a cup of poison doesn't change the fact that the poison remains poison. A thousand good things are less valuable than a single bad thing, and once that bad thing is detected, all the good things will instantly pale in comparison.

She knew, she certainly knew, that even the most approachable person in a position of power would always harbor a subtle air of reserve and pride. Even the most hospitable host would experience rare moments of weariness and annoyance when dealing with people. In this world, no one possesses emotions completely free of flaws or impurities. And as one of the ordinary masses, she should, in fact, be more tolerant of her fellow human beings with their complex and conflicted minds.

That's right. Logically speaking, that's how it should be. But even so, when she sensed a hint of malice within that good intention, she could still feel negative emotions growing wildly deep within her.

This was only a few negative feelings directed at Alice and her partner. She had only observed a little from an outsider's perspective, yet she felt she could no longer tolerate it.

So, what would happen if the same thing happened to her?

the answer is……

...Nothing will happen.

Because she didn't possess any world-destroying power, nor did she control any crucial secrets. The only thing she did was decide to remain silent before reporting the anomalies she had discovered to her superiors. She realized that her superiors didn't view her with genuine goodwill; hidden beneath that facade of respect and confidence was indifference that saw her as a puppet, and a sense of impunity stemming from their control over her sister.

She read these words aloud through the screen, so she kept quiet.

She ultimately decided to stay with Alice Margotrovid. Because only Alice was different from everyone else.

She couldn't sense Alice's emotions.

Sometimes, she even thought Alice had no emotions—that the elegant and aloof demeanor she usually displayed was nothing more than a facade. And hidden behind those icy blue eyes was an absolute indifference to everything in the world.

Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs.

—The sage is not benevolent; he treats the people like straw dogs.

When Lin Xi gazed at Alice, this thought would always surface in her mind.

How interesting. She's just an ordinary B-rank enhancement holder. She's just an ordinary person who dislikes socializing and has no powerful allies. Yet, Alice always manages to give her such assessments. And what's even more interesting is that she genuinely believes, truly confirms, that her own guess is true.

In the past, she might have reported this unusual sensation to her direct superior, letting the experts analyze the theory and arrive at an answer.

But now, she preferred to walk directly up to Alice and ask her questions.

“Miss Margot Lloyd. What do you think of this world…?”—She had intended to ask Alice tactfully why she had such a strange feeling. However, the words that came out were quite different.

"Saying one thing but meaning another"—this phrase resonated with her for the first time from a completely new perspective.

However, she still received an answer from Alice.

“I find this world very interesting.” When answering this question, Alice led her to the top of the light sphere fortress, which had been built to a height of three thousand meters. From there, looking around, the earth was vast and everything was tiny.

“Everything is developing, everything is changing. That’s good for me.” She opened her arms wide towards the distant sky, as if to embrace everything. And just as she made this gesture, Lin Xi saw several thin black lines rising from the ground at the horizon, piercing the sky.

Lin Xi knew what it was. A week ago, a personal terminal, resembling a monocle, was distributed to all special personnel and 'assistants.' When she looked at the black lines, the relevant information was displayed on her retina—it was a track elevator with a composite mass projector. The core technology came from the light sphere, but the design and materials originated from mortal thought.

Through it, mortals can transport materials to or from outer orbit at a rate of one million tons per day. Each construction base is guarded and assisted by multiple A-level enhanced holders. In a maximum of one week, more than a thousand orbital elevators will be completed, and within a month, the steel shell will cover the entire surface like a dome.

"Is anything that changes good?" Lin Xi asked.

“Yes, anything that changes is good.” Alice replied with a smile. “No matter what the subject of the change is, no matter what direction the change is heading, anything that changes is good to me. Because I have my own moral principles, I only recognize ‘change and development’ as good.”

“Many people will not be able to keep up…the dramatic changes in society, the restructuring of classes, the redistribution of interests. Many people will die as a result, and many people will be displaced,” Lin Xi said with some reluctance.

However, Alice just smiled gently.

"But what does that have to do with me? Just because I like the color of a flower doesn't mean I have to cultivate other flowers to be similar colors. If mortal civilization changes, I like it. If the community of demons changes, I like it. If the gathering of ghosts changes, I like it. If the kingdom of the gods changes, I like it. And the opposite is what I hate and despise."

She tilted her head and winked at Lin Xi.

"I decide what I like and what I dislike. I decide my own standards of judgment. I am a scale, and my standard is whether things are developing and whether they can bring new changes to this diversity and this world. It's not a big deal if I dislike someone; I won't kill them, hurt them, or do anything to them. Just like I would cherish a flower if I like it, but I wouldn't damage a flower if I dislike it. It's that simple."

Lin Xi had a feeling that what she said wasn't as simple as it seemed. Because an ordinary, normal 'person' wouldn't casually spout concepts from the 'multiverse' or compare themselves to a 'balance scale'—if anyone else said that, even an A-level enhanced user, Lin Xi, while not verbally objecting, would inwardly consider it a case of delusional immaturity. But in Alice's words, she didn't feel unworthy of such praise.

“But you’ll abandon them.” Lin Xi frowned, her tone becoming inexplicably serious. “Don’t you think that’s a little…unfair to them?”

"Do you think this is unfair? But I don't think so." Alice gently shook her little head. "My criteria are so simple and clear. What's developing and changing is good, and what's not is bad. Those that meet the criteria stay, and those that don't are discarded—I can't possibly force myself to carry flowers I don't like with me, which would not only affect my mood but also risk getting pricked by their thorns sometimes, can I?"

"That's absurd." She held up a finger and shook it in front of Lin Xi.

“You can’t just try to change the scales because you don’t want to change yourself. And…” She reached out and patted Lin Xi on the shoulder. “…You don’t actually think that the world will suddenly change if there’s one more or one less of me, do you?”

Lin Xi was speechless.

Alice then walked past her and went downstairs.

"In short, this is my view of the world. For now, it's quite interesting, worth looking forward to, and worth continuing to pay attention to. Of course, if it stops changing and stagnates, then I will naturally look away. But that's not really important, at least not to you—you should probably think more carefully about this yourself than dwell on my thoughts..."

"...And what are your views on this world?"

Her figure gradually disappeared at the bottom of the descending stairs, and soon the observation deck at the top was empty again, with only one person remaining. Watching the direction she had gone, the girl named Lin Xi gently bit her lower lip.

view?

What are her views on the world?

she does not know.

She really doesn't know.

Confused and disoriented, she left the rooftop of the base. Little did she expect that less than ten minutes later, she would be summoned by her superior for a remote reprimand—it turned out that their conversation on the rooftop had been monitored from the very beginning by relevant agencies. The entire conversation was quickly analyzed by experts, who provided a comprehensive explanation based on various factors.

The experts concluded that there is a minuscule probability (less than seven decimal places) that Alice Margotrovd is a mysterious force from beyond the stars, and that she is related to the appearance of the light sphere. The remaining possibility is that she developed some kind of irrational delusion due to excessive mental stress.

Clearly, from a mathematical, rational, or logical standpoint, the former is a negligible matter with an extremely low probability. The final conclusion accepted by the relevant agencies responsible for these 'special personnel' was that Lin Xi's dereliction of duty led to the abnormal loss of human combat power... Although it may only be a tiny fraction relative to the overall situation, loss is loss.

As a result, Lin Xi was held accountable. She received a disciplinary action; although she retained her position, her internal performance evaluation was significantly lowered. Meanwhile, Alice's salary was also slightly reduced because she was deemed to have diminished potential.

Change... can this be considered a manifestation of change?

Perhaps so, but that has nothing to do with Lin Xi. Because at this moment, her mind is only focused on the question Alice had given her.

—What are your views on this world?

—What are my views on this world?

Lin Xi rubbed her eyes and looked up at the sky. In her vision, the emotions of all things surged like the tides.

Ever since that strange dream ended, her abilities have been steadily growing stronger. At first, she could only see the emotional changes of the person in front of her. Later, she could discern their thoughts and feelings even through a communicator or video call. And now, as soon as she opens her eyes, the entire city's sea of ​​emotions clearly manifests before her.

She could see them, but that was all she could see. She kept this secret because she had seen the many darknesses lurking beneath the earth.

She saw high-tech factories and fortresses rise from the ground. She also saw groups of residents who had lived on the original sites leave their homes. She saw powerful armies swaggering about, but she also saw layers of corpses and flesh beneath the ruins caused by the arrival of another world.

All of this originated from that sphere of light in the sky. All of this originated from the 'changes' brought about by that sphere of light.

Change always brings pain, and darkness is induced from that pain.

So……

She reached out and touched the darkness.

Section 43: The Current Situation

Alice watched Lin Xi walk away quietly, and in her eyes, beneath Lin Xi's exterior, the sleeping image of Xilin was reflected. Although she didn't quite understand how Xilin had gotten herself into this state, this development didn't conflict with her interests and goals. So she let it be, allowing the circumstances surrounding Xilin to change freely.

This is Xilin's business; she shouldn't, and doesn't need to, interfere too much.

Moreover, now is not the time.

She withdrew her gaze, averting her observation. She couldn't be bothered to care what level of darkness Lin Xi might encounter in this remote corner of the world—after all, it was just some old trick that only short-lived species could pull off. Only Lin Xi, who hadn't yet escaped the perspective of a short-lived species, would be slightly moved and feel something was amiss.

She couldn't be bothered with that kind of thing.

Because that kind of thing meant nothing to her.

Because she has stood high enough and seen far enough, and more importantly, because she is no longer the same person she was at any point in time after becoming a transcendent being.

All suffering—birth, old age, sickness, death, the origination of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path to the cessation of suffering—is to me like straw dogs and dust.

While I like you, it's far from enough to make me sway my stance.

She returned to her room, lay down on the soft sofa, and poured herself a pot of coffee. As she swallowed the rich, brown liquid, savoring the delicious taste that wasn't recorded in her memory, her empathetic perception synchronized with the thoughts of her many other incarnations.

—The incarnations are all progressing smoothly. This trial is progressing somewhat differently than she expected. She originally thought she would be ganged up on and beaten up by her teammates from their past lives. But she didn't expect that these slumbering old guys haven't shown much power so far.

They did not take any action, or rather, they took very little action.

She counted the directions of all her incarnations, and the final conclusion was that there was nothing unusual in any of them.

Leaving aside the Overlord, he, Zhan Lan, Ming Yanwei, and Patchouli are currently on the Terra world. His true form is there watching over them. Nothing unusual is expected for the time being.

The battle between Fenrir and the Overlord continues, a back-and-forth struggle. As the intensity of their conflict escalates, a massive Originium storm will soon sweep across Terra. At that time, the civilizations of the entire planet will face their final and initial test. Those who cannot survive will perish, while those who do will gain a ticket to space. And regardless of whether they survive, a victor will be determined.

I will participate in this war; I will cast a crucial weight on the scales as the final twilight arrives.

Alice's thoughts raced, and she left two pieces there. One was a Rhine Lab researcher named Luo Ai. Now, she had become a pivotal Originium technology research expert in Lungmen City, driving technological change in Lungmen... or rather, on Terra, while also maintaining a considerable personal relationship with the sisters Talulah and Chen Huijie, who had deviated from the original script. In crucial moments, even without her true form appearing, she could mobilize immense power.

The other piece is one's own physical body. Ah, yes, the transcendent species are indeed powerful. They can detach themselves from a single universe and even easily destroy beings at the true god level outside of a single universe, but the troublesome flaw of their physical body still exists. Therefore, the physical body needs to be properly protected, but while being protected, the physical body is also the place where bait is placed.

Alice's true form devoured an ancient power hidden in the deep sea of ​​Terra and usurped its place. This ancient being shares a similar stance with Saito Hajime's adversary, the ancient deity who wields the poison of language—undoubtedly, her true form is as conspicuous as a lit light bulb in that ancient being's eyes. Although the location of its battle with Saito Hajime is unknown, once the final battle on Terra begins and her true form takes action, it will inevitably participate in that battlefield.

It will definitely return. Since its true form has already occupied the position of its kind, as long as it ignores Hu Hai's surveillance and uses all its power, its true form will inevitably be able to find it through the connection between concepts. And in order not to be in a passive position, it will definitely strike first and weaken the Zhongzhou team's forces as much as possible.

[I wonder if it will be the Lord of Intellectual Pollution who arrives, or if the ancient quasi-saint, the Creator of Characters, will also be included. Ah... I hope Saito Hajime can at least hold out a little longer. Although I've prepared a plan for your failure, at least save me some work!]

Alice put down her coffee, and as the cup slipped from her hand, it rapidly dissolved and decayed. It mutated into the form of a corrupt, three-headed giant, then loudly chanted an unknown song—a terrifying power, when fully unleashed, enough to blast a gaping hole in the very dream of the universe. Then, she reached out and, as if disciplining a disobedient brat, snapped the twisted coffee cup back to normal.