Chapter 345: Player · Terminator
Chapter 345: Player · Terminator
"Has Skynet made any recent moves?" Qin Muye asked.
It had been six months since then. During this time, the territory had developed rapidly, with numerous Terminators and Skynet bases being unearthed and subsequently destroyed by Qin Muye.
After all, his method of digging up every inch of the ground was too ruthless. You could hide, but with the entire world being excavated, where could you possibly hide?
In contrast, his points had been rising steadily. Additionally, he had been mass-producing Golem-class mechs, aiming for each of his spirits to have their own mech. This, of course, greatly enhanced their combat power.
However, the gap between the 7th and 8th ranks was too significant. While they could handle 7th rank, they couldn't defeat 8th rank, especially when it came to elite units. If it were a hero unit, they could only defeat it through overwhelming numbers.
Indeed, now Qin Muye's spirits, equipped with Gargoyle-class armor and piloting Golem-class mechs, could surround and kill even a god like the Spirit Emperor.
The only exception was the Three Demons of the Spirit Realm, who might resurrect after death. Otherwise, it wasn't much of a problem, as long as there wasn't a sudden mutation like the Mechanized Emperor.
The Mechanized Emperor had died, but he had activated the Purification Protocol, dragging Qin Muye into a quagmire, almost costing him his life.
"There has been no movement. Even Zion has been relocated, and we've lost the Matrix world's signal. However, based on the traces left behind, we suspect that Skynet might be manipulating space," Black Hand reported.
"Manipulating space?" Qin Muye frowned. The spatial technology of the other side was clearly inferior to his own. Why would they even think of such a nonsensical idea?
A flash of insight crossed Qin Muye's mind: "Energy! Skynet can extract energy from lower-dimensional spaces."
That was the only possible explanation. Otherwise, it would be impossible to understand how Skynet could maintain such a vast virtual world even after its energy supply had been cut off. Did they really think that human batteries alone could sustain it?
But this raised another question: Why did Skynet keep humans and even let them live in the Matrix world?
"Did we have any news from the Matrix world before Skynet's withdrawal?" Qin Muye asked.
"Only the partial data that was uploaded earlier, without detailed information. We cannot bypass the Matrix's security to enter its internal systems, so the intelligence we have is limited," Black Hand said helplessly.
Spirits and humans were different. There was no way to blend in with the Matrix, as the species were different, and thus, they couldn't pass the Matrix's detection.
After all, the Matrix was monitored by Skynet, and it wasn't easy to infiltrate.
Spirits were not omnipotent, and neither was Qin Muye. Facing Skynet, they had their limitations.
"Wait, Master, the latest report shows a large number of Terminator signals," Black Hand said, intending to transmit the data to Qin Muye but suddenly noticed a surge in signal sources.
"..." Qin Muye didn't know what to say. It was clear to anyone that this was a trap.
Otherwise, how could so many signals suddenly appear?
"Handle it with caution. I suspect there might be a deception," Qin Muye said. He wasn't foolish; knowing it was a trap, he had to warn his subordinates. He wouldn't lead the charge, but his people would.
"Yes, Master. We will quickly gather data on these new Terminators; the radar is showing some anomalies," Black Hand said and hung up to notify the command room to dispatch troops.
"Is it that dangerous? Should I go instead?" Hercules, standing nearby, spoke up.
"Sure, if it's not dangerous, just observe. It's a good opportunity for them to test their skills," Qin Muye didn't refuse. It was better to have someone there to help.
Especially since Hercules' strength was enough to dominate the battlefield.
Qin Muye also wanted his spirits to gain more combat experience. Future enemies would be stronger, and the battles would likely be to the death. Opportunities for such assistance would be rare.
Hercules nodded and took his divine weapon, heading out. He was very familiar with Qin Muye's mage tower, having spent a long time there.
Soon, the battle footage was transmitted back, and Qin Muye immediately opened it to watch.
However, this time, the Terminators' appearance was different from what he was used to, giving Qin Muye the first impression of a rabble.
"That's not right, the Death Bell weapon system is malfunctioning?"
Upon noticing the difference, Qin Muye immediately detected the problem. Under normal circumstances, the endless abyss would activate the Death Bell weapon system, which would radiate and destroy the Terminators, turning them into pools of liquid metal. But this time, they were not only intact but also charged forward brazenly to fight the spirits.
However, the spirits, each piloting a Golem-class mech, fired a single shot that immediately stunned these Terminators.
"Players???" Qin Muye quickly figured out the details from the strange behavior and words of the Terminators, which left him quite puzzled.
"Skynet has solved the issue of the magnetic field rotation being suppressed by the Death Bell weapon system, but the cost is quite high." Qin Muye observed the chaotic players, noting their carefree and lawless nature, which was very true to form.
Of course, these players could not have been summoned from another world; it was more likely that they were the human batteries in the Matrix world, deeply immersed in the virtual world.
Their bodies were restrained, their souls immersed in the virtual world, and they were now transformed into players.
However, Qin Muye was still puzzled: Why transform them into players? Wouldn't an army be more suitable? Was it a side effect or a deliberate choice?
These were questions that Qin Muye needed to investigate further.
"Using 7th-rank Terminators clearly indicates that the losses have been heavy, making it difficult to produce more. It's also possible that the 8th-rank Terminators are not yet perfected and cannot accommodate human souls."
"Intriguing mechanism, connect me to the sensor in White Dove's mech."
Qin Muye wanted to understand how the resurrection mechanism worked, given that it was a crucial feature for players. The opponent could not possibly achieve complete resurrection like Qin Muye; it was more likely that they used virtual network technology to split or replicate the soul.
This might be the key to entering the Matrix world.
Soon, the mech sensor was connected via the magic network, and Qin Muye's senses were immediately linked, as if he were on the scene.
He would never go to the battlefield himself, of course. Although the enemies were weaker, there was always a risk. So, he stayed where he was, safely observing.
A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall. With his current status, why would he risk going to the battlefield? He could simply use the sensor to experience it firsthand.
Before arriving at the scene, Qin Muye quickly noticed something.
"Using highly active souls as an outer layer of isolation, no wonder the Death Bell weapon system is ineffective; it's being blocked."
"The technology is quite advanced, not just a simple soul barrier, but also a protective layer against the magnetic field rotation."
"The Skynet subprogram acts as the soul carrier, but this is not the main soul of the players; it's just a remote-controlled fragment of their soul. Got it, the resurrection mechanism is found."
"As for the spark core fragments inside, they act as servers. Skynet really knows how to play."
Qin Muye understood the specific situation of the player Terminators, but even with this knowledge, Skynet's technology was still very strong, leaving him with no other option but direct elimination.
"At least their strength is only 7th-rank." Qin Muye did not act immediately but instead pondered the fact that while Skynet had developed player Terminators and recovered some of its combat power, this was also a weakness.
Because once a Terminator died, the Skynet subprogram would carry the player's fragment soul back to the Matrix world. Even though it was just a fragment, it was still a part of the soul, and losing it would cause severe damage, ranging from headaches to memory loss.
So, Qin Muye thought about whether he could use the players' fragment souls to enter the Matrix world undetected.
However, upon further consideration, it seemed impossible. Since it was a fragment soul, it was smaller than a regular soul and under the constant surveillance of the Skynet subprogram, making it difficult to slip in unnoticed.
"However, since the souls are connected to the Matrix world, why bother sneaking in? I can just force my way in."
(End of Chapter)
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