I, the final BOSS of the beta test server!

But when it confirmed the other party's firm attitude from Rast's serious eyes, it finally sighed.

Dean Yin knew Last's character very well. Once this guy really wanted to do something, he would never be fooled until he achieved his goal.

"Okay, okay... I get it."

"Let me think about it. There is a way to break through the legendary realm and become an angel."

"This is all knowledge that hasn't been used for hundreds of years. I don't know where in the maze of memory it's been placed. Let me look it over..."

Dean Yin looked like he was racking his brains.

After a long while, it finally spoke again: "To reach the legendary realm, you must break through from the sixth level to the seventh level..."

"If I remember correctly, the core of the legendary path is one's own long sequence."

"Each long step in the sequence corresponds to the embodiment of certain rules and authority in this world... The process of achieving legend is not only the transformation from human to non-human, a leap in the essence of life, but also a sublimation of the long step in the sequence."

"From being a user of certain rules and authority, to being a controller of these rules and authority."

Dean Yin's voice became slightly more serious.

"Therefore, if you want to break through the legendary level, you must return to the essence of the sequence and find a way to advance further in your own sequence level, so that you can further understand your own sequence and the corresponding rules and authority."

"For example, the moon itself cannot emit light; it shines because it reflects the light of the sun and other celestial bodies. Therefore, my process of finding a way to be with you, to feel and absorb the light of the human soul, is a further interpretation of the "Moon" sequence."

"For example, that old man who used the 'sun' as the leader of the Shore Guardians before you. If I'm not mistaken, he must have used his mental power to construct a complete model of stellar motion in his mind, projecting a real sun with his mind... That's why he was so formidable, able to fight four people at once without losing."

"And if it's Xiao Xia's 'Death God' sequence, to advance further, the method would probably be to establish a paradise for the dead, a kingdom of the underworld, and become the true master of death and the 'Death God'."

"This is why the old god of death secretly interfered, building a paradise in the underworld on his own corpse and making Xiao Xia the Queen of the Underworld... In this way, if He were to one day use Xiao Xia as a vessel and revive in human form, then breaking through to the legendary level after His resurrection would become extremely easy."

"Of course, that guy is dead now, which is a good thing for Xiao Xia... When Xiao Xia breaks through to the Legendary level later, it should be quite easy and she won't encounter any obstacles."

Dean Yin wagged his tail. "I don't know much about your 'Tower,' but if you want to break through to Legendary status, you definitely need to work on the 'Tower' sequence."

"Tower"?

Listening to Dean Yin's explanation, Last couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Unlike the long sequences of "Sun", "Moon", "Death", and "Chariot", which have relatively clear symbolic meanings, his "Tower" sequence is undoubtedly more abstract, and it is difficult to clearly say what kind of authority and rules it corresponds to.

but……

Rast couldn't help but recall the card "Gold Tower Rast" that he had seen in the "Fool's Library", which represented himself.

On the back of the card, there is a picture of a tower struck by lightning and engulfed in flames.

It corresponds to the ancient legend called "Tower of Babel" - in the distant past, people gathered in the wilderness of ancient Babylon and began to build a tower that reached the sky, hoping to use this tower to reach the heaven above the clouds where the gods lived.

However, people's behavior was soon noticed by the gods in the sky. The gods were angry that the ant-like humans dared to be on equal footing with them, so they brought down divine punishment.

A huge lightning struck down the Tower of Babel, and the gods forced people to speak different languages. From then on, people could no longer communicate with each other and went their separate ways.

This is a story about the wrath of God, the thunderous punishment of God, the broken Tower of Babel... a story that symbolizes "destruction".

The authority and rules held by the "Tower" are "destruction"?

That being said, it's no wonder that he awakened to the "Tower" sequence. After all, back in Deep Blue Harbor, Last had been on the brink of destruction countless times—not only the destruction of his body, but also the collapse of his mind and the extinction of his soul.

If it weren't for Xiao Ai and Canaan, his mind and soul would have collapsed long ago. Even if his body was still alive, it would be nothing more than a walking corpse.

So, if you want to break through the legend in the "Tower" sequence, you must destroy yourself first?

But I'm already dead, so what's the point of breaking through to the legendary level later?

"As for the characteristics of an angel, even beyond the legend..."

"Let me think about it, it seems to be 'Time Only'?"

Dean Yin's words interrupted Last's thoughts.

"Time only?"

"Yes, time is unique... No matter where you are in the long river of time, upstream or downstream..."

“Whether it’s the past, the present, or the future, only my own self remains.”

"This is the characteristic of an angel, and it is also the prerequisite for breaking through the seventh level and becoming an angel."

The past, present, and future...are they all unique individuals?

Last was slightly stunned. This description sounded somewhat similar to the description of his own "Origin of Destiny" skill.

However, just as he was about to open his mouth to continue asking, he found that Dean Yin had already covered his head in a frenzy.

"Ahhhh, stop asking. My brain is going to explode if you keep asking..."

"This is not something a ferret should endure... I desperately need to play games to relieve my out-of-control mental state."

As he spoke, the little ferret jumped off Last's shoulder and rushed straight to the computer desk where the virtual reality game headband was placed.

Seeing this, Last did not try to stop him or ask any more questions. It was already a pleasant surprise that he could squeeze so many secrets out of Dean Yin this time. It was enough for him to digest for a while.

Even when it comes to making money, we have to consider sustainable development, right?

"Oh my god, this game actually has a character called 'Last'. Hahahaha, he's quite handsome in your drawing. That little girl Gray beautified him so much in her memories... No wonder he ranked first in the game character popularity vote."

"No, what are all the posts on this player forum?"

"[Can] 1,000 giant combat mechas assigned to the shore defenders defeat the Iron Cross?"

"[Give Lust an antimatter sniper rifle. Can he solo the Gravekeeper? Will Sissel's leader avoid death in the Broken Shore battle?]"

"What the hell is this?"

Soon, Dean Yin's loud voice came from the other side of the room.

And Last also focused his attention back on his mind, on the constantly flickering light blue screen.

Soon, Rast's mind moved slightly.

Because he discovered that this night world mission was actually related to the virtual reality game that Dean Yin had been thinking about.

[Night World Quest "The Lost Angel of Judgment" has been opened]

[Historical Background: After the Battle of the Broken Shore, humanity rapidly rose under the leadership of Grey, the "Shore Keeper." They wiped out the remaining Iron Crosses and Beast Tide on the continent... The cultists also quickly vanished, ushering in a new era for humanity.]

Over the next two hundred years, under the leadership of the legendary leader Grey, human civilization rapidly developed, prosperous cities were built, and technology flourished. Those dark days gradually faded from memory, becoming a topic of conversation after dinner and even the historical background of popular online games.

[However, against the backdrop of great prosperity, the unexplained disappearance of leader Gray ten years ago, the virtual reality full-immersion game "Shore Keeper's Poem", and the birth of the "Artificial Angel" project...]

[However, there are also turbulent undercurrents, quietly brewing deep within this seemingly prosperous civilization.]

……

[The current historical reverberation type is "Epochal Reverberation", with no rank restrictions]

[Mission Objective: Completely experience the "Omnic Disaster" and successfully survive]

[Optional Mission 1: Participate in the limited-time event "Deep Blue Harbor Speedrun Challenge" in the virtual reality game "Poem of the Shorekeeper" and win first place in the game event]

[Optional Mission 2: Investigate the Artificial Angel Project and explore the origins of the "Intelligent Disaster" and the truth behind it]

Chapter 196: I Play Myself in a Virtual Reality Game? (Two-in-One)

The disaster of intelligent machines?

Last looked at the historical background introduction in his mind and fell into deep thought.

As a time traveler, he was naturally familiar with the term "Intelligent Disaster".

The historical echoes generated in the night world often correspond to a disaster that occurred in a previous civilization and use it as the historical background.

For example, the echoes of history he had experienced in the past correspond to the "Iron Cross Plague" that occurred in Deep Blue Port during the Steam Age and the "Vermillion Moon Mist" that occurred during the Dark Ages.

At this moment, Last is in the science fiction era of the near future... The disaster background is the intelligent machine crisis of artificial intelligence and mechanical rebellion, which is reasonable.

only--

Rast glanced out the window at the bustling and peaceful modern urban scene.

Obviously, the so-called "Intelligent Disaster" is still in the stage of secretly incubating and gradually accumulating, and has not yet reached the time point of a complete outbreak.

Just like the cycle that Last had experienced in Deep Blue Harbor, with a day consisting of 24 hours, the entire city was calm in the first twelve hours, and he could still play role-playing games and play the game of life as an ordinary person in the peaceful port town.

But in the next twelve hours, the situation suddenly changed. The Iron Cross Plague broke out, turning the entire Deep Blue Port into the Iron Cross Paradise... and Rast's gaming experience suddenly changed from "The Sims", "Grand Theft Auto" and "Cowherd Simulator" to "Resident Evil", "Dying Light" and "The Last of Us".

The historical echoes of this time should also be a similar development.

The world now seems calm, but there are turbulent undercurrents slowly surging and accumulating in the shadows, just waiting for the moment when disaster will completely erupt and arrive.

If you just want to achieve the most ordinary clearance, then you only need to wait for the "Intelligent Disaster" described in the background to come, and then find a way to survive the disaster.

If he just wanted to escape and save his life, Last thought it would not be difficult for him.

Perhaps for ordinary fifth- or sixth-level night travelers, this so-called "Intelligent Disaster" is extremely dangerous, but it is obvious that the civilization of the Sixth Epoch ultimately survived this disaster, which proves that this is not a dead end.

He also secretly tricked Dean Yin, a foreign aid, into coming in. In terms of life-saving ability alone, Last believed that there were not many people in the world who could surpass him.

However, the purpose of Last's trip is not only to pass through the night world - but also to explore the secrets behind it, including clues about Canaan, Xiao Ai, and his own true identity.

Thinking of this, Last turned his attention back to the "optional tasks" below the night world information.

Obviously, compared to simply surviving and passing the game, these two inconspicuous optional tasks can reveal deeper secrets in this night world.

"Explore the Artificial Angel Project's Mechanical Research Institute and uncover the truth behind the Omnic Disaster?"

"It seems the impending omnic disaster is inextricably linked to the artificial angel project... Artificial mechanical angels and an omnic rebellion certainly sound suspicious. The former might even be the cause of the latter."

"Exactly, why does it seem like there's something weird mixed in with the optional quests?"

Last fell silent for a long time as he looked at the line of text: [Optional Task 1: Participate in the limited-time event "Deep Blue Harbor Speedrun Challenge" in the virtual reality game "Poem of the Shorekeeper" and win first place in the event.]

"Poem of the Shore Guardian" is the name of the virtual reality game that is popular all over the continent.

According to Dean Yin's information, the virtual reality game "Poem of the Shore Guardian" and the artificial angel project are the last two things that Gray left for the Sixth Epoch Civilization before she suddenly disappeared after breaking through to become an angel.

Many players believe that these two things contain the secrets that Grey left behind for the Sixth Epoch Civilization... secrets related to the reasons for her own disappearance. After exploring all these secrets, perhaps they can find the whereabouts and destination of Leader Grey.

However, the Artificial Angel Project is highly confidential, and most people have no chance to participate in it. Therefore, they can only release their enthusiasm for finding the leader's trace in the game "Poem of the Shore Watcher".

Of course, to use Dean Yin’s words, perhaps this group of players are simply addicted to the Internet, but they insist on finding a plausible reason for their addiction.

However, this limited-time event, "Deep Blue Harbor Speedrun Challenge"...

If we ignore the extremely unlikely possibility of having the same name, then the only explanation is that this is the "Deep Blue Harbor" that I have experienced -

"Laster, come here!"

"I told you, I'm not playing this game for fun, but to help you investigate the Artificial Angel Project and Canaan."

"Look, I've found a clue for you! A way to get into the Mechanical Research Institute responsible for the Artificial Angel Project!"

Dean Yin's loud shouting came from the computer desk not far away, interrupting Last's thoughts.

When Last came to the computer desk, he saw Dean Yin squatting on the computer desk, typing frantically on the keyboard with his two little paws, almost dancing out a phantom.

On the huge surround screen, lines of text were being typed out rapidly, showing that Dean Yin was passionately arguing with someone online.

This seems to be a question-and-answer forum for game enthusiasts of "Poem of the Shore Watcher". People often ask questions, and netizens below actively answer them, which is very similar to the Hulu of Last's previous life.

Last sat with Dean Yin at the computer desk and read for a while. He found that most of the questions were about things like "If the shore guards of the Dark Ages were supplied with instant noodles every day, could they conquer the Western Continent within three years?" Moreover, most of the characters involved were shore guards from the Dark Ages after the Iron Cross Plague broke out hundreds of years ago.

And Last's own name has become a hot word with the highest traffic, and is mentioned and discussed repeatedly in these issues.

Last glanced at the search bar. Two-thirds of the forum's hot searches were related to himself, and the other third were related to Cecil and Grey.

Patapapapapap——

Dean Yin's little paws danced a dazzling phantom sword dance on the keyboard, and then finally stopped.

It took out a small cup tailored for its own size from its own secondary dimension, drank a sip of water, and then slammed the enter key on the keyboard, sending a reply beginning with "Thanks for the invitation, I'm in the watchtower."

"This group of people are actually arguing endlessly about whether the 'forgotten hero' Luster prefers cats or dogs... And their argument is that Gray, the heir to Luster's will, later got a cat. How ridiculous!"

"It's obvious that Rust prefers ferrets! Those slutty cats and dogs are not as cute as ferrets!"

Dean Yin angrily complained at the screen until he noticed Last beside him and stopped talking.

"Oh, you're here—"

"That's great. Tell me what you like better, cats or dogs?"

"My favorite is a cute, soft, and clingy ferret like Dean Yin. Are you satisfied?"

Last picked up Dean Yin and held him high. "Now, can you tell me what the clue was that you called me here for?"