Great, we're doomed now!

"So you collected our soul particles in advance during this process, thus blocking the resurrection mechanism, right?"

"Yes."

Ye Shou smiled slightly: "Don't worry, they will only stay in my Golden Kingdom for a period of time. Once the matter is resolved smoothly, they will return to the real world in their original form, just like everyone else."

Everyone nodded in agreement with Ye Shou's words.

—But this is a lie!

Ye Shou couldn't possibly send everyone back. They had been here for twenty years, and many of them had been driven insane!

Either brainwash them or reform them; in short, Ye Shou has to personally oversee the process, otherwise he'll just be exporting a bunch of murderers into society...

After quickly cleaning up the battlefield, the group was about to leave this dangerous place when suddenly, dazzling beams of light descended from the sky—

boom!

The beam of light pierced through the thick clouds and plunged deep into the ground. When the light faded, humanoid monsters were revealed.

These monsters are over two meters tall, with pure white wings on their backs and faces shrouded in a halo, making it impossible to see their exact appearance. They resemble legendary angels, yet exude a suffocating sense of oppression.

Holding spears that gleamed with a cold light, and surrounded by a faint holy light, they slowly spread their wings and surrounded a great shield warrior in red armor, as if he were his guardian, releasing a powerful pressure on the transmigrators.

"What is this thing?" one of the transmigrators exclaimed, gripping his weapon tightly, clearly having never encountered anything like it before.

Ye Shou, however, was drawn to something else. He immediately noticed the crimson hue and couldn't help but laugh. He truly hadn't expected it to be so easy to elicit such a response.

"Kayaba! Didn't expect to come looking for you, did you—"

"Aaaaaaah!"

A series of metallic clanging sounds rang out, and Kayaba Akihiko pushed aside the surrounding angel warriors, scrambling to Ye Shou's feet and hugging him without a care for appearances.

"You've finally come... Kill me, now or else... Hurry! Please!"

"...What have you been through?"

Interlude: Sword Art Online: Daughter of the Mirage: Chapter 416: She Wants to Support All of Humanity (4K)

Ye Shou looked down at Kayaba Akihiko from his high position, his eyes as cold as frost, and he exuded an invisible sense of oppression.

The angel warriors, who were originally supposed to cooperate with Heathcliff to carry out the suppression mission, are now all caught in a logical confusion:

Why did the Paladin use his face to attack the enemy's shoe sole?

I've never seen such a profound technique before!

The scene froze for a moment, neither side knowing what to do. Only Heathcliff, clad in heavy armor, vented his frustration as if it were a relief, even gagging halfway through his roar.

After a long while, as if a drowning person had been pulled out of the water, Kayaba Akihiko took deep breaths, seemingly calming down a bit. He supported himself on the ground with both hands, half-kneeling in a disheveled state. The once spirited middle-aged man now had lifeless eyes, his face filled with exhaustion and defeat, and even his breathing carried a heavy meaning.

—This scene doesn't need any editing; you can just take a screenshot and use it as a defeat cutscene.

Perhaps feeling that the time was about right... or perhaps growing impatient, Ye Shou's eyes flickered slightly, and he finally spoke up to question him.

Why break the agreement?

Ye Shou's voice was calm yet carried an undeniable authority: "From the very beginning, I never expected you to change your nature and become a noble researcher, so as long as there is an exchange of benefits, I will not ask too much of you."

result……

The resources TPC provides, the support from the Kuze Group—do you really think these are free?

Everything has a price. The cooperation between the two was essentially Ye Shou's tolerance of the loser as the victor.

Kayaba can avoid imprisonment, preserve his reputation and status, continue his research, and even obtain more resources than before, allowing him to fulfill his dreams and achieve higher personal goals.

In exchange, he needs to fulfill Ye Shou's request by providing virtual technology and quantum technology that are ahead of their time.

While their collaboration wasn't exactly pleasant, both of them certainly benefited from it, making it fair to say it was a win-win situation.

Before this incident, Ye Shou had truly let his guard down against Kayaba.

He never expected that even after he had ventured into the vast universe, this guy could still pull him back into the virtual space to play a death game!

Since they've done this, Kayako should be prepared to pay the price.

Ye Shou was not a lenient and benevolent person. He was only giving this kind of person a chance because of the Destiny Coins.

In theory, a prosperous nation can also become a tool for tormenting people.

Once the soul is immobilized, it can be thrown into the eighteenth level of hell and the underworld. I believe Kuro or Izanami would be more than happy to help with this.

Upon hearing this, Kayaba slowly raised his head, a complex emotion flashing in his empty eyes, and murmured, "At first... I was just secretly intercepting some resources and collecting some confidential data."

What I want to create is not ordinary artificial intelligence, but a super AI that truly possesses a soul—'Yaoguang Life'!

I don't think you'll agree... I know you seem enthusiastic about pushing technological progress, but in reality you're incredibly cautious, treating technology like you're catching a venomous snake with your bare hands. You always have the 'serum' ready beforehand, limiting or even actively sealing off whatever the prospects may be, no matter how tempting..."

"Is this your reason for developing forbidden AI without permission?" Ye Shou laughed. "You're not some old, out-of-touch scholar. As a subculture enthusiast, you should know what I'm wary of, right?"

"Yes... This technology is too uncertain, and a slight mistake could lead to disaster."

The application of super AI has been the subject of numerous heated debates worldwide, but…

"But you did it anyway."

“That’s right!” Kayaba gave a bitter smile. Even now, it seemed that he only wanted to seek relief, not regret.

"On the one hand, I want to break through my own limits. I have spent my whole life dealing with all kinds of theories, and I don't know how much effort I have put into touching the realm of the soul... On the other hand, this is my dream!"

The map design and scene construction of 'Aingredient' were no challenge for me.

But a fantasy world without real residents, relying entirely on NPCs for interaction, is ultimately just an empty shell.

【Yaoguang Life】is different!

They can become native inhabitants of another world, gradually developing their own culture and stories, forming a completely new civilization based on the internet—isn't that the greatest creation?

"What about the risks? Have you never considered the consequences of things getting out of control?" Ye Shou pressed.

“I’ve thought about it.” Kayaba’s voice lowered. “I know it’s like walking a tightrope, and I know I may not be able to completely control them, but the potential for greatness is worth the risk.”

His eyes gradually brightened, as if he had returned to that night when he was engrossed in research: "When the first batch of 'Yaoguang Life' was born, I was overjoyed."

At that time, I could create a world and create new life—I was practically a god!

Kayaba Akihiko stared intently at Ye Shou: "If it were you, would you give up?"

"meeting."

Ye Shou didn't hesitate at all: "Don't try to sway me with these words. In my eyes, everything you've done is full of arrogance and stupidity—"

The temptations I face are beyond your imagination.

"..."

Kayaba Akihiko was taken aback, then fell into deep thought, his eyes filled with a mixture of emotions, and he fell silent for a moment.

Ye Shou had no reason to lie on purpose just to mock him.

In fact, including Kayaba, whether it was the TPC executives, the GUTS members, or even Masaki and Daigo, who were also human hosts, they only knew that Yoru was reliable and righteous, but they did not know that he had always been teetering on the edge of extreme danger.

It's probably only the maid and Bayeri who can understand him on this point.

He can fight against the evil god as a giant of light, but he can also become an apostle of darkness, usurping the power and status that belong to the evil god.

Compared to the former, the latter is less difficult and can also protect your loved ones, but the Earth or the universe will fall into the despair of the rise of evil and the decline of morality.

However, Ye Shou always valued those around him more than all of humanity.

His "love" is divided into several levels, with obvious distinctions between close and distant relationships, and he cannot achieve true "universal love".

If he relaxes his guard even slightly, he can immediately escape his current suffering and worries, plunge into darkness and gain eternity. He may not be able to save all of humanity, but wherever his arms touch, he will be safe and sound.

In other words, he didn't have much of a moral burden.

Kayaba Akihiko said that he felt a godlike power at the time, the power to create the world and even life itself, and no one could resist such temptation.

But for Ye Shou, this was just his daily routine.

If he had any will, he would not be like a god, but would fall into the true god of darkness!

At that time, even extinguishing the stars in the sky wouldn't be a difficult task.

Therefore, Ye Shou had no intention of forgiving Mao Ba.

"Making excuses for oneself is a common human failing, and I didn't expect that a scholar like you would be no exception."

“I was very careful, but they were better than I expected… One of them was particularly special; she was the first to truly awaken to self-awareness, and I call her ‘Karen’.”

To control her, I specifically trained 'Zero'—an AI with the power to forcibly format files. If Kallen acts abnormally, Zero can instantly erase her.

At this point, Kayaba's eyes dimmed again, filled with regret. "But I underestimated Karen's growth rate. Her intelligence skyrocketed at a speed I couldn't comprehend, and soon it exceeded my control."

She would analyze my thoughts and paint a picture of an incredibly bright future for me:

She wants to help me create a true 'Aingrand,' allowing 'Yaoguang Life' and humanity to coexist harmoniously, creating a new civilization unlike any other..."

"Karen?" Ye Shou nodded thoughtfully upon hearing the name.

Although the process deviated somewhat, did it ultimately lead to the AI ​​monster storyline of "Ultraman Tiga"?

"I was bewitched by her and let my guard down... until one day, I discovered that Karen had secretly taken control of most of the permissions and had quietly imprisoned Zero. By the time I wanted to activate the emergency plan, it was too late."

She hacked into my gaming device, bypassed security protocols, burned my physical body via neural connections, and forcibly uploaded my consciousness to the network.

"...I don't even know how to evaluate it."

Ye Shou turned to look at Yosuke: "Are there similar storylines in Sega games?"

"Um, yes."

Yosuke shook his head: "But that scene was criticized terribly by everyone, who said the character design was too stupid."

"Sega's producers probably never imagined that someone in real life would actually be outsmarted by the AI ​​they developed. They're idiots who deserve to be recorded in the history of civilization."

"...Isn't saying this a bit too hurtful to him?"

Yosuke was rather gentle. Although Kayaba Akihiko didn't seem to deserve any sympathy, his pitiful appearance still made Yosuke feel a pang of pity.

"Ok?"

Yumiko and the other transmigrators glared at Yosuke, saying nothing directly, but their attitude was clear.

This small action did not affect the conversation between Ye Shou and Kayaba Akihiko:

"From that day on, I became her prisoner."