Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

No one.

No one.

Still no one.

Bai E advanced cautiously, treading as lightly as possible.

It was as if all the biochemical soldiers responsible for guarding had been drawn away by their comrades, leaving the passage to the mainframe room eerily empty and silent.

If there's really no one, I'm going in, meow~

Bai E carefully scanned his surroundings once more, ensuring this wasn't some trap set by biochemical soldiers to lure him into a jar, before sneaking in.

Before his eyes... a dismal green light.

Easily crossing the corridor that had previously stopped his teammates, Bai E had penetrated the innermost circular passage without alerting any enemies.

Unlike the other passages he had passed, which were enclosed in metal, the innermost was more like a hallway.

The oval hallway stretched forward, blurring into the dim, dismal green light...

Looking down over the edge of the corridor, he saw a huge circular space, hollowed out and tens of meters high. Rows of servers, akin to shelves filled with books, extended endlessly into the depths of darkness.

Only the most minimal emergency power supply meant that inside, only a few emergency lights weakly flickered green, and the dormant rows of mainframes twinkled with either eerie green or bright red lights.

Humanity from hundreds of years ago was not willing to easily give up this treasure of inestimable value, so they kept the lowest currents flowing, sustaining the self-checking capabilities of the machines.

[You are exploring the mainframe area of the target ruin. Current exploration degree: 71.5% (Unlock full understanding of the ruins after completing the exploration of the mainframe area)]

Should I go further inside?

The vast mainframe hall was shrouded in darkness, and the somber green light made the atmosphere here seem even more bizarre.

But it was undeniably safe here, at least Bai E didn't see any clunky biochemical soldiers.

Without orders, they were probably not allowed to enter.

This place... was devoid of people.

Bai E went down the stairs from the passageway to the mainframe hall, cautiously navigating between rows of mainframes, at least three or four meters tall each, as if wandering through an endless labyrinth of electronic systems.

Being inside, one couldn't see the end.

Occasionally, one could spot maintenance ladders tucked away in corners, presumably used by workers from a bygone era to reach the tops of the mainframes for maintenance.

Huge cables from the back of the mainframes disappeared into the ground at their feet, and the spacious area between the rows of mainframes appeared clean and tidy.

[You are exploring the mainframe area of the target ruin. Current exploration degree: 73% (Unlock full understanding of the ruins after completing the exploration of the mainframe area)]

[...75%...]

[...80%...]

[...85%...]

Simply by wandering deeper, the progress of unlocking the mission continuously increased.

Bai E walked straight ahead, and gradually the dismal, green haze before his eyes was dispersed by his gaze.

In the distance, a large blue-violet glow egg appeared...

It stood in the center, as if it were the absolute core of all the mainframes.

[You are exploring the mainframe area of the target ruin, and you have found the core of the mainframe cluster, which greatly increased the exploration degree. Current exploration degree: 93%]

[As expected, some serious black tech stuff...]

Upon seeing something unfamiliar, Bai E actually breathed a sigh of relief.

He had heard that the World Network Server in this world differed from his original world's concept of the internet. If it hadn't been different, he would have been unable to accept it.

It's just that... there seems to be a black shadow next to the "egg," doesn't it?

[Still missing 7% progress...]

Bai E quickened his pace, wanting to finish the exploration quickly and then make his way home.

By then, he wouldn't have any worries about whether to retreat or something else.

"Huff~"

"Huff~"

Like the bellows of a forge, the sound of breathing became clearer as Bai E neared, as oppressive as the somber presence of a prehistoric beast, thickening the air around him.

An inexplicable heavy pressure weighed on his heart, causing Bai E's steps to unconsciously slow and lighten, fearing to disturb some incomprehensible presence.

Was he being interfered with by some kind of spiritual energy on the mental level? But "Self-Restraint" hadn't issued any warnings.

Or... was it that black shadow up ahead?

Bai E paused for a moment, puzzled.

If he couldn't beat it, he could still run, right?

So, taking a bold step forward... just to take a look, just a single look.

[??? (Human/???) (Ally/Chaos) (Elite/Lord) — Using "Lucky Strike" to kill it will drop: definitely (Fresh Meat*1000, Biochemical Parts*50, 1,000,000 combat experience points); high probability (Expertise: Weapon Master, Trait: Resilient Mind); possible (Skill: Digital Domain, Trait: Biochemical Body (bound with "Trait: Three-Headed Pig"), Trait: Death Resistance)]

In a space that appeared pixelated like a mosaic, a black silhouette resembling a pixelated figure was quietly dormant within.

The figure silently sat next to the "egg," resting its forehead on its hand perched atop its knee, as if immersed in eternal and peaceful contemplation.

"Hello... future," he said softly.

[You are exploring the mainframe area of the target ruin and have found the core of the mainframe cluster, which greatly increased the exploration degree. Current exploration degree: 95% (The exploration progress of the physical part of the target ruin has ended)]

...

Lately, he's been having this dream frequently, a dream of blue waters and clear skies.

His wife, young and beautiful, his daughter, sweet and lovely.

They were also subjected to biochemical modifications by those scientists... Could they finally live eternally with themselves?

The food was delicious, the housing spacious, the streets clean, the pedestrians amiable, the sunshine warm, the city open...

Gently pushing the window open, the warm sea breeze rushed into the room along with the golden sunlight, filling the air with a sweet aroma.

There were no iron walls, no steel cannons.

The air was free of gunpowder smoke and the nauseating slime secreted by those bugs.

Those bugs... those bugs... how long ago was that?

The world was safe.

The world was at peace.

My combat squadron, which I led, had been awarded the highest military honor, the Skyhawk Medal, amidst the adoring gaze of the nation's people at the grand award ceremony.

The Emperor of the Empire, in his golden years, personally awarded me the medal, while my wife and daughter looked on proudly from the audience...

It was I... I who brought this world everlasting peace with my own hands, with my wars... wars... wars...

Only in the occasional nightmares did I return to the dark times before the war was over—

I've been dreaming frequently of late, my body aging day by day, my spirit growing increasingly frail.

Endless darkness crowded in overhead as though it was about to inject itself into my body, and my body seemed ready to burst at any time.

"You are the finest soldier in the army..."

"Your will is stronger than steel..."

"Only you can complete this arduous task..."

"We do not insist; no one knows what changes 500 years might bring..."

"...All for the sake of leaving something from this era as a gift for posterity."

These voices were only voices... without text, without images, without any associated memories or associations.

They often appeared like hallucinations.

So much so that it really made one believe it was a hallucination...

On the last afternoon before joining the army, I went to steal a glance at her.

I didn't confess my love.

I didn't have a wife...

...

"Hello... successor from a future world."

The black figure slowly rose, and the pixelated space fluctuated along with its movement, its pixelated body making it hard to discern the face, let alone observe expressions.

The other's voice was interspersed with pitch-shifting electronic noise, rendering the scene even more eerie.

"I am seldom awake; It has always been bombarding my life with an endless stream of data chaos... I have forgotten too much."

"Are... are you talking to me?" Bai E cautiously stepped back, eyeing the pixelated figure with wariness.

His right hand also rested on his pistol holster; two lucky shots were a definite source of confidence.

As for the unknown, the confusion?

The reality had already presented itself; Bai E just wanted to know the other's intentions.

Was he the electronic demon?

"Of course, I am talking to you. It is your arrival that woke me from the 'beautiful dream' It had carefully crafted for me."

With those words, the other fell silent for a moment.

Like someone waking from a great dream, trying to rapidly regain full awareness.

"I have waited for you all for so long..." the voice paused, filled with anticipation, "500 years of waiting... I thought I would never see you."

500 years?

Bai E's gaze narrowed, "It's been 439 years... it has been 439 years since the electronic demon's rebellion to the present."

He emphasized the term "electronic demon" in his tone, hoping to gauge the reaction of the other.

"439 years?" the shadow moved a step, as though wanting to come closer, but realizing its current form, it halted, "You... came early?"

"Yes! The situation outside is dire, so..."

"You are... explaining to me?" The voice sounded perhaps puzzled, only the interference of the electronic noise made it uncertain to Bai E.

The sickly green background light filtered through the pixelated space surrounding the figure, turning even the light into equally sized square blocks before his own eyes.

"Don't explain... no need to explain, remember, you never need to explain to your predecessors." The voice grew more fervent, the electronic noise unable to mask its intensity, "Plans always have variables, plans always fail! If all plans succeeded, we would have long stepped out of the solar system and into deep space! You have your own judgment, which is a delightful matter!

500 years wasn't for you; it was for me! I am ready! I will help you completely subdue that demon!"

"Subdue? A demon?"

Bai E remained cautious; everything happening before him contradicted the information he had received before arriving, two completely opposing pieces of information required his rational decision.

If the other party's stance was on his side, then what about those biochemically modified soldiers at the door?

If the other was the electronic demon itself or controlled by It, then everything said to him definitely had an ulterior motive!

But regardless of the possibilities, attempting to negotiate surely indicated a lack of confidence.

It was afraid of this invading squad!

"You can help us, subdue the electronic demon?"

"Yes! Completely annihilate it, and give you all a clean global network!"

Bai E was not easily swayed by the other's few words, maintaining a distance and inquiring, "The details? How do we cooperate?"