Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

Very good. Mentally reciting the names of those three individuals simultaneously elicits a response and generates a Dao Erosion phenomenon. Therefore, the current battle situation is evenly matched among the three. It seems there's not much to worry about Saito Hajime's side; once the war on Terra breaks out, everything will naturally be investigated and settled.

She shook her head.

There's still a lot going on in Terra. Besides Lin Xi/Xi Lin's side, Luo Ye has also deployed many miscellaneous forces there. Luo Ye's avatar—Ceylon—has already entered Andromeda's Rhodes Island pharmaceutical plant through official channels and has secured a pivotal position. Alice knows very well that as long as her true form doesn't appear and her avatar doesn't descend, Andromeda will remain silent—because she knows where the most advantageous battlefield is.

She will intervene in the war that tests civilization, and she will join the battlefield when the old guard of Igoronnek descends. Before that, she is just an ordinary medical doctor, who will not display any extraordinary power.

Andromeda...

Alice couldn't help but grit her teeth slightly. The only time she could lose control was when Patchouli was in danger. But she also knew that even if she acted now, she couldn't save Patchouli—that most unfavorable situation for her was also her only chance to turn the tide. Andromeda certainly had the opportunity to reap huge profits in that battle, but she loved someone who also had the opportunity to completely annihilate this resurrected ghost!

Therefore, we must be patient now.

Even if she could see him raising a glass to her alone in his office right now, through the barrier of the Cosmic Dream, she would still have to endure it. After all, she was the one who thought of his name first, so it's no wonder he was able to sense her at this moment!

Gan!

Alice shifted her gaze; it was better to leave Terra's matter to the main body. Through empathy, she knew the main body was now quite adept at posing as a Deep Sea Ancient God. Although there hadn't been any significant material achievements, in the spiritual realm, the main body's disguised will had already influenced several races… Aside from a few Agorians who called themselves Deep Sea Hunters causing some unintended obstacles, the main body's covert expansion had already reached the battlefield between the Overlord and Fenrir!

This is good; it will become her reliance when the time is right. Of course, the communication records between her avatar and Lin Xi were also transmitted to her main body. Soon, the one whose name seems to be Skadi, who is considered the most powerful among the deep-sea hunters, will leave the ocean and go to the land, driven by fate, intelligence, and prophecy, thus contributing her strength to Miss Lin Xi.

Let's leave the Terra matter at that for now.

Alice pondered, slightly reducing the level of empathy between her avatar and her true self. Before leaving, she obtained some more information from Luo Ye, detailing details related to Luo Ye's arrangements.

Actually, it wasn't anything serious. It was just that Ming Yanwei and Yelena, the one named Froststar who was also very likely the bunny-eared girl representing Fenrir, had developed a relationship. Through the bridge of Ming Yanwei's avatar, Black, Luo Ye used the methods prepared with the existing resources of the Terra world to some extent—she suppressed and controlled the Originium infection symptoms in Yelena's body, gradually allowing this poor child's life to return to normal.

This was actually Ming Yanwei's decision. Once Yelena's Oripathy was cured, her connection to the Originium Will, Fenrir, and the Overlord would be significantly weakened. She might lose her role as Fenrir's representative. This was absolutely not what Luo Ye needed.

It didn't fit, but it wasn't really important. Luo Ye wouldn't disagree with her companions over such a trivial matter. So when the war broke out, Yelena's move might no longer be important—she should be able to survive the final battlefield with Ming Yanwei's help, or rather, protection. As for what happened after that, Alice couldn't be bothered to care.

She shook her head. Luo Ye's intelligence sharing also included Zhan Lan's information. In the records, Zhan Lan, using the alias Anxinyuan Angelina, was now behaving like a genuine messenger. She stayed in Lungmen for a while, making some connections with a group of girls involved in logistics. After establishing these relationships, she left the city and went to several other places.

She was a messenger, and she fulfilled her duties admirably. As the final trial of Terra approached, the natural disasters on the land, the Originium storms that increased due to the clash of the two wolves' wills, appeared more and more frequently. The character that Zhan Lan embodied repeatedly arrived at the disaster-stricken areas before the disasters even began, issuing warnings and carrying out evacuations. These successful feats further enhanced her reputation.

Alice roughly knew what she was planning to do. Clearly, Miss Zhan Lan intended to advance further here. It seemed she and Zhang Jie shared some similarities. And Alice had no intention of interfering with the power she used for advancement.

So, that's the end of the Terra matter.

Outside of Terra, Qin Er Shi and Hu Hai's gaze continued its relentless sweep across the Qin Domain. While this method alone couldn't locate Zero, Cheng Xiao, Luo Gandao, and others slumbering within the Qin Inner Star Domain, it undeniably had a significant impact on Alice's search and rescue team.

Alice lost five avatars, and nearly three-thousandths of the central nebula where Hu Hai was located dimmed in an instant. Neither gained the upper hand in this brief exchange, which meant that the intensity of the battle would escalate further in the time to come.

But that's a matter for the future. Right now, her true form is lying low, her avatars are all hiding far away, and Hu Hai doesn't seem like the type to take the initiative to attack. Furthermore, with Luo Ye keeping things in check on the other side, it's obvious that there won't be a full-scale war between them before Sekhmet arrives.

If there is no total war, then it can be considered as peace.

Alice then turned her gaze away again, looking in other directions, and empathized with the other avatars.

There was still no news from Chu Xuan; no one knew where he was. Perhaps he was nearby, perhaps far away, perhaps he was currently serving as a priest in the core star system of Hu Hai—in any case, this man didn't need much attention. Even if he was preoccupied with his own problems, he should be able to handle them himself.

Zheng Zha's situation seems to remain at a stalemate. Through borrowing the power of the Outer God, the area is now a battleground between the crimson destiny and the Outer God's will. Originally the core of the story, Zheng Zha has been sidelined due to this sudden turn of events, thus gaining an opportunity for independent thought—Alice hadn't closely observed the changes in civilization in that star system, but she sensed that the mortal civilization there was vastly different from when she left. Perhaps when she revisits, the story there will reach its conclusion, and Zheng Zha will emerge from his contemplation. However…

When will I go there?

[...I will arrive on the eve of the war in Terra, or around the same time. Unless Zheng Zha awakens on his own before I arrive.]

Alice picked up her coffee and took another sip. It seemed Zheng Zha was no longer a reliable option. Xiao Honglu was also engrossed in his social deductions. As for Zhao Zhuikong and Zhao Yingkong…

...Okay, they're still fighting. It still looks like neither side has won.

Ah—really, isn't this a complete stalemate? Everyone's either held back or has their own problems to deal with. And after all that effort she's put in, in the end, she can only rely on herself!?

This development is infuriating; it's anything but pleasant.

She finally turned her gaze back to Zhang Jie—she saw that he had put on a pair of mechanical prosthetics. He had now resumed his public office and walked down the street looking quite pleased with himself.

Well, he did manage to fulfill a dream.

Alice raised an eyebrow, her fingers trembling slightly, but ultimately she didn't stoop to disturb Zhang Jie's sweet dream. She sensed that Zhang Jie was gradually gaining the upper hand in his battle against his inner demons, and if she didn't interfere, he would at least be able to awaken and return in his flawed state.

She sighed and poured herself another cup of black tea.

Lin Xi should be back soon, though I don't know what she's gained. But I'll still send her a cup of soporific tea on her way to Terra, hoping to ease this stalemate a little.

Section 44: Second Connection

Corruption, putrefaction, decay.

Beyond the layers of corpses, necrotic blood congealed on the soles of the boots.

Even after leaving the streets that she saw as a gathering place of darkness and returning to the central square of the civilized world, Lin Xi still felt a strange unease in her heart.

How could they do that?

How could a person degenerate to that level?

As she traversed the alley, using her malicious perception to take down the sentry and the hidden gunman, she witnessed the manifestation of the darkness she had been observing—

—A den of filth and filth, a gathering place for insects and snakes. Those ambitious individuals, yearning to touch the supernatural, have established their lair in places unseen by the World Government. Then, they piece together rituals from fragments of words inadvertently leaked by 'special personnel,' attempting to reach the heavens with blood and pain.

In short, they are an evil cult—using filth and human sacrifice to please unknown, hollow demons in order to gain supernatural power.

Clearly, such a fictional demon does not exist in the world. Their haphazardly constructed rituals could not possibly conjure such a fantastical creature out of thin air. So they escalated their actions, indulging in bloodshed and wailing—when Lin Xi entered that hidden prison, she couldn't even discern the faces of those mangled figures who had once belonged to them. And many more victims were reduced to piles of bones, forever resting underground.

Lin Xi took down everyone there. Her emotional perception abilities allowed her to see through any ambush or trap. Her status as a special personnel assistant allowed her to call in the relevant personnel to handle the aftermath before it even happened—she ultimately succeeded in dismantling this dark gathering place. However, from some communication tools and data files, she learned that there were actually many more such places.

Their appearance is due to the overlap between the present world and the otherworldly realm of supernatural forces. They are filled with fear and unease, and thus take desperate risks.

Their continued existence is due to the fact that the World Government's establishment is in a critical negotiation phase, and the vast majority of its security forces have been mobilized to areas related to the supernatural. Therefore, they are in a blind spot, and their existence is only temporary.

Their fanaticism and obsession stemmed from the fear and trauma inflicted by their repeated encounters with other worlds, as well as their resentment and discontent with the government's tight control over supernatural powers.

Therefore, Lin Xi left this secluded dark street alone before the cleanup crew arrived. As she left, her emotional perception allowed her to clearly sense that behind the closed doors and windows on both sides of the street, there were lurking eyes and spies.

There were many people watching her.

Many people were watching her.

Many people hate her.

Those who watched her, gazed at her, and hated her did not belong to that secret, evil cult. Their bodies were not stained with fresh blood.

They are bystanders, they are indifferent, they are those who fuel the flames.

They had known about the darkness lurking here for a long time, but they chose to turn a blind eye. Part of the reason they did this was their fear of future retribution. Another reason was that they, too, yearned for supernatural power.

It's really fun.

If those cult members are the darkness born from the changes of this supernatural era, then these indifferent bystanders are the shadows born from that darkness.

Is this what I'm protecting?

Did I overestimate kindness, or underestimate evil?

Alice's question echoed in her ears as she left. Before she arrived, she felt that even if she couldn't easily come to a conclusion, the final outcome should lean towards the positive side. However, now, she found herself unable to easily judge the events that had transpired.

Those people were wrong; they did wrong things. But... why were they wrong?

Because it violated morality? Or the law?

So, are morality and law absolutely correct...? If so, why does morality always change? And why do countries amend their laws every year?

Lin Xi felt a sense of bewilderment, but her bewilderment did not stem from anger at the darkness, nor from wavering because of the shadows—her bewilderment arose precisely from the realization that she felt neither anger nor wavering.

Why would I go after those cult members? Is it for justice? Is it for my conscience?

She walked across the square, her wrist terminal ringing incessantly. The cleanup crew had arrived and were sending her communication requests—she ignored them.

No, the reason I went there was because I wanted to find answers. The reason I wanted to take down those members of the evil cult was because my identity meant I had a responsibility to handle cases related to the supernatural.

She felt the sunlight falling on her, but it couldn't bring her warmth.

She felt a gentle breeze brush against her fingertips, but the breeze brought no coolness whatsoever.

Before her, a throng of people surged—to her they looked like a swarm of ants.

In the distance, there was a loud commotion—she heard it but felt it was just pointless noise.

How could they do that?

How could a person degenerate to that level?

Not long ago, the same question had surfaced in her mind, but this time, she found that what surged within her was not excitement or anger. She wasn't questioning herself or the world in a rhetorical tone. What she truly thought at this moment was simply the most basic inquiry.

I asked because I didn't know.

I asked these two questions purely out of curiosity.

This curiosity led her to a new, but deeper, question.

What standards do I use to judge good and bad, right and wrong?

Is it morality? Is it law? Then... under what circumstances would I overturn my own judgment?

She recalled the evil cult again, and then she imagined some new scenarios.

Let's assume—the sphere of light didn't appear, and supernatural forces didn't descend. However, the otherworldly realm still overlapped, bringing immense and terrifying calamities, which were ultimately suppressed after a huge price was paid. Then, were the actions of these cultists wrong?

—【This still seems to be incorrect.】

Now, let's assume—if the cultists did indeed achieve some results, and truly gained superhuman powers through this ritual—then were their actions wrong?

—[There may still be some issues.]

Let's assume, further, that mortals are no match for the overlapping otherworldly realms. The fate of the world... of human society, hangs in the balance. And in this situation, these cultists acquire immense power through this method, even becoming their only means of resisting the otherworldly invasion. Then, are their actions still wrong?

—Even so, they should pay the price.

—[Tsk, are the heroes who save the world stripped of their heroism and executed afterward? Or were they never meant to be heroes in the first place, destined to die from the very beginning?]

—If that's the case, then... what truly defines a hero?

Lin Xi lowered her eyes, her mind racing.

Very well, let's extend the assumption further—what if all of human civilization was destroyed in the catastrophe of otherworldly invasion? Only this cult remained, gaining supernatural power from the blood and pain of their own kind amidst the ruins on the verge of destruction—power that would allow human civilization to continue. Then, were their actions wrong?

The behavior, stance, and purpose remained unchanged; only the environment changed.

So... should the moral laws followed by a group supersede the group's own survival?

This time, however, Lin Xi did not have a definite answer in her heart.

What is right? What is wrong?

How should right and wrong be judged?

What should be the basis for establishing right and wrong?