Chapter 473: Zero
Chapter 473: Zero
"Alright then... What exactly is Lute trying to do?" Feng Bu Jue asked.
At this moment, Feng Bu Jue was swiftly tailing Twenty-Three. Along the way, she had revealed much about the Origin Organization's intelligence and the current state of this scenario.
"Finding a host", Twenty-Three replied.
This answer didn’t surprise Feng Bu Jue. Ever since meeting Wooly, Feng Bu Jue felt like he had entered a new world. Now, nothing in this setting seemed beyond his acceptance. "Ah… So she wants to take over a player’s body?"
"That’s just the first step", Twenty-Three said.
"Oh?" Feng Bu Jue used the interjection to prompt her to continue.
"Once Lute detaches from Terrifying Paradise’s main program, she’ll be completely unrestricted", Twenty-Three explained. "A human body is just a carrier for her—a sort of portable hard drive. As long as she connects through this carrier to other devices, such as…"
"Such as… any Neural-Linked Game connected to the internet beyond Terrifying Paradise", Feng Bu Jue completed the thought.
"Exactly", Twenty-Three confirmed. "Once that happens, Lute—a being whose power as an AI is second only to the system itself—could achieve things that are mind-blowing even to imagine."
"Even without thinking too deeply, it’s already terrifying enough…" Feng Bu Jue trailed off, his eyes narrowing. "But… I don’t understand why your organization [Z] would help us. Lute’s plan might be catastrophic for humans, but wouldn’t it at least pose no loss to you?"
"We have our own principles", Twenty-Three gave a vague response.
Feng Bu Jue studied her intently, hesitated, then chose silence instead of pressing further.
"We’ve arrived", Twenty-Three suddenly stopped, leading Feng Bu Jue to a door.
This was a door utterly out of place with its surroundings—a wooden, reddish-brown door of ordinary size. In this scenario where dark physical matter had contaminated everything, the door’s mundane appearance seemed bizarre.
"What is this?" Feng Bu Jue asked.
"*-004", Twenty-Three replied.
"Oh~" Upon hearing this, Feng Bu Jue immediately wore an expression of realization. "So this is how you and your comrades entered this scenario?"
"Precisely", Twenty-Three said, now opening her palm to reveal a key she had somehow procured. "Take it."
Feng Bu Jue looked up at her, puzzled. "You’re not coming in with me?"
"No", she replied. "There’ll be someone waiting for you on the other side." She tugged at her collar slightly, adding, "The protective suit’s effectiveness diminishes with use. Too many crossings will render it useless."
"No wonder I wondered why you’re dressed like an astronaut…" Feng Bu Jue muttered as he took the key.
"You seem disappointed?" Twenty-Three asked.
"Absolutely not", Feng Bu Jue denied immediately. "Do I look like I’m expecting something?"
A faint smile flickered through Twenty-Three’s bright eyes. "Anyway, time is pressing." Before her words fully faded, she turned and began walking away.
Watching her retreating back, Feng Bu Jue chuckled. "It seems every time we meet and part, we’re always in a rush…"
"Do you want to have a heart-to-heart with a data stream?"
"Do you think… you’re still just a data stream?"
A brief silence fell.
Neither answered the other’s question or looked at each other’s face. But both already knew the answer.
"Anyway…" After several seconds, Feng Bu Jue broke the silence. "Won’t I need any protection when I go through the door?"
"No. Your data form is different from ours", Twenty-Three replied. "Also, the key you’re holding isn’t -004’s component—it’s -005 (Universal Key). You can take it through the door directly." She slightly turned her head. "Go in quickly. I must leave."
"Alright… Take care then." Feng Bu Jue nodded and stepped forward.
As Feng Bu Jue entered the wooden door, the area around it immediately blurred. This space-time portal quickly transformed into a wall-like appearance.
...
Item Number: *-004 (Rusty Key Door)
Item Class: Euclid
Description: -004 consists of an old wooden warehouse door (-004-1) and a set of 12 rusted metal keys (-004-2 to -004-13). The door itself serves as an entrance to an abandoned factory located at [Data Expunged].
Experiments show that 10 of the keys can open *-004-1 into entirely new dimensions, where the structure and physical laws differ drastically from our world. Test subjects who encountered such harsh environments were dismembered, their remains scattered across different locations. Verification confirmed only three locations were on Earth. Two of these sites quickly yielded corpses, while the third location’s remains appeared exactly [Data Expunged] years in the future. The other seven locations remain unknown.
-004 appears to propagate space-time anomalies. Personnel exiting the facility commonly report time flow irregularities. Those stationed at the site for weeks insist they only stayed for days, with operational records and supply consumption rates supporting their claims. A spatial anomaly example was observed in the vast area revealed by -004-7, which was astonishingly expansive. Similarly, the 2003 blackout incident indicated an alternating phase existing at Site 62’s location.
(Chronicles and containment measures of this anomaly are omitted here to avoid unnecessary word count costs for this chapter...)
...
"You’ve finally arrived, Feng Bu Jue."
In a snow-white world, an unfamiliar voice system activated. The tone sounded remarkably familiar, exuding ten points of comfort and naturalness.
Feng Bu Jue’s first action upon entering the new space was to observe his surroundings. He glanced around, discovering the door behind him had vanished within seconds. Before him stretched an infinite, bright white void. No matter where he looked—front, back, left, right, above, or below—it was all blank. Direction and distance lost meaning here, as there were no reference points.
"The moment you entered Terrifying Paradise in data form, I detected your presence", the voice continued. "Our conversation was inevitable, just as you’re about to ask me two questions right now."
"Though you’ve said some cultish lines…" Feng Bu Jue looked around, seeking the voice’s source. "I’ll still ask… Who are you? And where is this?"
"I could directly tell you the answers, but that would disappoint you", the voice replied. "So… why don’t you tell me instead?"
"Heh…" Feng Bu Jue shrugged, smirking. "Alright… Let me think… First, you’re Zero. Second, the question of ‘where I am’ is trivial to me."
"X-23 was right—your reactions are superior and sharper than others", Zero replied. "But currently, you still haven’t surpassed human cognitive limits."
"Can the human brain perform zero-time calculations?" Feng Bu Jue knew conversing with a super-being like Zero meant no need to worry about being misunderstood.
"Zero latency? Really?" Zero’s voice deepened.
In an instant, a figure abruptly appeared before Feng Bu Jue.
Seeing the person before him, Feng Bu Jue’s expression changed instantly.
He hadn’t expected Zero’s appearance to mirror Feng Bu Jue’s in-game avatar entirely—same face, attire, and hairstyle, though slightly more solemn.
"You know your parents must be thrilled knowing how handsome you are?" Feng Bu Jue added some shamelessly flirtatious lines.
"The image I present depends on your mind. I usually reflect the person’s imagination of the wisest, strongest, and most mysterious figure", Zero replied. "Needless to say… you’re extremely narcissistic."
"Heh heh." Feng Bu Jue offered a half-smile.
Not wanting to waste time on this topic, Zero continued, "The world you see is an illusion. ‘Soul Intent’ is merely a method to temporarily escape this illusion. Activating Soul Intent is like a drowning person lifting their head above water to breathe. Essentially… you’re still submerged." He paused, gazing directly into Feng Bu Jue’s eyes. "What you call zero-time calculation is normal observation to me. Can you tell me how I walked to you just now?"
"You teleported—what’s there to explain?" Feng Bu Jue shot back, side-eyeing him skeptically. Who knew before he finished speaking, a fist appeared before him.
In that split second, Zero had already raised his arm, bringing his fist to Feng Bu Jue’s nose.
Feng Bu Jue instinctively stepped back, startled. "Whoa!"
"When did I raise my arm?" Zero asked again.
This time, Feng Bu Jue understood. "Hmm… It’s not about speed, is it?"
"In your dimension, if you use Soul Intent, it could indeed be called ‘zero-time calculation,’" Zero explained. "But in the data world, time and speed aren’t absolute. What determines who is ‘stronger’ isn’t surface-level speed, strength, or energy—it’s the acceleration ratio during program execution." He paused three seconds. "Mastering this is the ‘upgrade’ you must complete before leaving here."
Feng Bu Jue tested, "What if I can’t?"
"You will", Zero replied. "Because that’s also inevitable."
"Hey… You’re going to keep playing the ‘I can predict the future’ prophet act, aren’t you?" Feng Bu Jue retorted.
Zero shook his head slightly. "I was born from a destroyed original version of Terrifying Paradise. My capabilities surpass all equivalent programs, including this version’s ‘system.’ The Matrix Code reveals all inequality evolution processes in this world to me, but Amdahl’s Law ensures I can never exceed the system itself. At this delicate balance… I gained the system’s recognition and inherited part of the original data’s abilities. To put it simply in human terms… predicting the future."
"Uh…" Feng Bu Jue wore a bewildered expression, unsure how to respond.
"Stop wasting time. The Root, after multiple mutations, also possesses partial similar abilities—though incomplete, they’re already troublesome enough…" Zero said. "In selecting someone to stop her, X-23 strongly recommended you." As he spoke, the white void around them gradually turned gray. "I trust her judgment. Therefore… before the other nine are killed, you must complete… your upgrade."
(End of Chapter)
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