Armor-Piercing Munition: Face Me, Carbon-Based Monster!

"I can't understand what you mean... What does it mean that they can't be separated?"

"Weren't you able to control those... Mountain City People?"

"But now, you're telling me that you can't communicate through them anymore?"

Lin Yu furrowed his brows as he stared at Lin Xi in front of him, who then sighed slowly.

Then, he began to answer:

"Control, and 'replacement,' are two entirely different states."

"Explaining the difference to you isn't easy, but there is one thing you should be aware of."

"Those Mountain City People you mention, have you had any conversation with them?"

Upon hearing the question, Lin Yu immediately realized.

Indeed, he hadn't had any conversations with those Mountain City People at all.

They had language, but it was just extremely fragmented.

What exactly is going on?

He looked at Lin Xi in confusion and then said:

"I really haven't talked to them... but according to your design, aren't they supposed to become the so-called 'Suiren'?"

"Initially, that's indeed how we designed it."

Lin Xi nodded slowly and then gestured for Lin Yu to follow him.

The two pushed the door open and exited the room, heading towards the nearby balcony.

As they stepped onto the balcony, an empty rail train floating on the track also arrived.

Lin Xi motioned for Lin Yu to enter the train and continued:

"Everyone who enters this city was originally an independent consciousness."

"They lived according to their habits from the real world, each even starting from scratch to build this virtual city."

"At the beginning, it was just a plain."

"Now... as you can see, it has become a real paradise."

Lin Yu looked at the city scenes flashing by outside the window, and he couldn't help but feel somewhat moved internally.

Even though he knew this wasn't the real world, but rather the so-called 'illusion.'

Still, to construct such an illusion, surely it's no simple task?

He sighed gently and then asked:

"So?"

"This sounds like a beautiful story."

"Then how did this disaster you mentioned come about?"

Lin Xi sighed as well.

"In the beginning, no one thought it was a disaster."

"Some even believed it was a necessary path to 'evolution.'

The empty rail train continued on, and as it passed a building, Lin Xi pointed to its top floor and began:

"There used to be a laboratory there."

"A huge, advanced laboratory completely generated by data, but capable of almost fully simulating real environments."

"We conducted a great deal of research there, both theoretical and practical."

"We influenced the real world to receive real-time material feedback."

"Then, the feedback was encoded into the virtual city, gradually perfecting our theoretical system."

"----Apologies, I've strayed too far from the point."

"But the story starts in that laboratory."

At this point, the empty rail train stopped at the platform outside the laboratory, and the two disembarked to enter the lab.

Pointing to a corner, Lin Xi continued:

"That was once the work station for two researchers."

"They were absorbed in studying weak interactions, day and night, tireless."

"Their digitized bodies made them unaware of fatigue and oblivious to slack."

"This caused some changes in their spirits ---- these changes, of course, manifested in data, in the abnormal signals I received."

"But at the time, as the virtual city was bustling, I have to admit I ignored their changes."

"When I discovered it, it was already too late."

"Too late for what?"

Lin Yu continued to ask.

"....Everything had become too late."

Lin Xi sighed deeply.

"These two researchers were no longer content with individual intelligence."

"They realized that if their intelligence was simulated by power cells, then theoretically, when two power cells fuse and begin to cooperate without delay, the computing power they could muster would increase exponentially."

"Thus, they fused."

"They fused in the most fundamental, the most fundamental way."

"The two became one, transforming from two independent consciousnesses into a new, unified consciousness."

"They indeed made considerable progress, with greater computing resources granting them problem-solving abilities far exceeding those of ordinary individuals."

"They solved one problem after another, drawing closer to their ultimate goal."

"Perhaps you don't grasp the significance of this matter."

"But you don't need to understand ---- you just need to know that if we solve the issue of weak interactions, humanity will make great strides in the unified theory, and may even find another solution to the apocalypse."

"In any case, their results caught the attention of others."

"The city's residents discovered that their choice seemed to be correct."

"More and more fused entities began to appear."

"And even among the fused entities, new fusions began."

"And the eventual result..."

Lin Xi didn't continue, but Lin Yu had already understood.

His eyes flickered slightly, incredulous as he looked at Lin Xi and asked:

"So even in this virtual city... there are no humans anymore?"

"That depends on how you define it."

Lin Xi answered in a low voice.

The two stopped speaking and once again entered the empty rail train.

The train continued downward until it reached the bottommost level of the city.

The streets were brightly lit, but completely empty.

Until they arrived at the central city square, where the train finally stopped.

Inside a massive domed structure at the city square, Lin Yu encountered something he had never seen before in his life.

A huge, pure, luminous entity.

"This is the collective consciousness of everyone."

"It could have been any other form, but... they chose this form."

"Perhaps just to... look better?"

"I shouldn't feel sad and yet, in fact, I do feel sadness."

"Perhaps that's a bit of uncontrolled noise in quantum calculations."

"It's okay."

"Anyway, now we should discuss pressing matters."

Lin Xi turned to Lin Yu.

"You are the only independent consciousness in this city."

"I can only use your power to communicate with the outside world."

"Because only you can represent humanity, only your power cell can be physically isolated."

"You need to take on this responsibility."

"Because you are now, intricately tied to the survival of 'two worlds.'

As he finished speaking, Lin Yu nodded silently.

Then, he asked:

"One last question."

"Why the rush to negotiate?"

Lin Xi likewise looked at Lin Yu.

"Because those people outside discovered the secret of the ring."

"They believe it's a shortcut to save the world."

"But in fact, it's the key to unlocking Pandora's box!"