Sword of Dawnbreaker

Chapter 856 - 855: Prototype

Compared with the existing network technology personnel of the Cecil Clan, the greatest advantage of the Eternal Sleepers should be their familiarity with the process of mental networking and their ability to handle various unexpected situations. Over the past many years, they have exposed their brains directly to a large-scale computing network in the most dangerous manner. The lack of safety mechanisms and the innate flaws of ”human-machine connection” have forced the Eternal Sleepers to frequently face dangerous situations, including but not limited to brain overload, mental damage, memory streaming, and soul-related issues.

For them, this is all routine.

It is precisely because of this that the ”Immersion Capsules” manufactured by the Cecil Clan, equipped with a host of safety devices and physically embedded with safety mechanisms, appear to these Eternal Sleepers as secure as iron fortresses, capable of protecting both body and soul. Lying inside brings a sense of relaxation—no need to expend their own energy to maintain network connections, no need to worry about mental noise directly projecting onto their heads; many bishops claim they could lie in them for a lifetime.

Magnan was initially very surprised by the safety level of those Immersion Capsules. He could see how much extra research and development costs the Cecil Clan spent on these safety measures, but he quickly realized the key point— the original mind network of the Eternal Sleepers was designed for Transcendents. Except for a few exceptional cases, everyone connected had powerful magical powers, they could handle problems themselves and pass them, or if it couldn’t be managed, they could be buried decently—after all, everyone was engaged in dark sect activities, and occasionally losing one or two was considered part of traditional customs.

But Cecil is different. Their network is designed for ordinary people, and the fragile minds and bodies of ordinary people require more protection. As a responsible Empire, they have more obligations to protect the citizens, which also led them to manufacture the Immersion Capsules with safety as the top priority, even at the cost of sacrificing some connection efficiency...

There is no doubt about the correctness of the two technical approaches, including Yuri and Magnan; all Archbishops believe there is no question in this regard—the Emperor of Cecil is a Wanderer from Outer Realm, local Priests wield warhammers larger than people’s heads, and local people favor using explosive spell and earthquake spell to open mountains and mine.

The truth is undoubtedly held—and always held—by the Cecil Empire.

At the Imperial Computing Center, Hall of Thought, in front of the Mind Nexus.

The shimmering light floated on the surface of the silver alloy pillars, the arcane energy formed intricate patterns flickering between the gaps of the metallic modules like breathing rhythms, the tall columns connected the hall’s ground to the dome, occasionally complex magic symbols and geometric shapes emerged from the surface of the pillar, swiftly ascending along its alloy outer shell, a pleasant low hum gently echoed in the bright hall, which seemed to contain the vitality of awakening.

”Third trial activation, the base Magic Web has stabilized in providing power,” a technical personnel from the Magic Guide Technology Research Institute stood nearby the control console, loudly announcing while looking at the numerous magic symbols lighting up above, ”Mind Nexus begins outputting sequential signals—all signals have been confirmed!”

Yuri and Wendy stood in front of the silver alloy columns, listening to the Mage Technician loudly reporting progress, and Yuri slightly nodded: ”Looks like it’s successfully initiated.”

”Finally, we can start...” Wendy seemed to be replying to Yuri or murmuring to herself, then she took a step forward, gently placing her hand on the alloy shell of the large pillar, beginning to release her magical power.

In this era, in the research field, ”Transcendents can manipulate magic power without external tools when debugging certain equipment” has become their only advantage when facing ordinary researchers.

The sight in the hall instantly focused on Wendy.

The local Cecil Clan technical personnel were watching her, more importantly, watching the Mind Nexus in front of her—countless people have already expended a great deal of effort on this thing, only those who frequently deal with Immersion Capsules and networks understand what this means, they watched this scene as if watching the future of technology.

The few fellow Eternal Sleepers present were also watching her, yet they were observing the past of the Eternal Sleepers: an old era ended, the brand-new Magic Guide Technology will take over everything they once created, that cold device overlooks the place, its internal, seven-hundred-year technical accumulation is awakening in an unprecedented manner.

Some look forward, some feel emotional.

The magical ripples spread in the Mind Nexus, Wendy gently exhaled, revealing a faint smile: ”Hello, future.”

Almost simultaneously, a clear holographic projection appeared above the Mind Nexus console next to her, Magnan’s figure emerged in the holographic projection, his eyes wide open, voice loud as usual: ”Whoa—almost scared the hell out of me! Have I already entered the Mind Nexus?”

The Mage Technician at the console seemed not to notice Magnan’s sudden appearance, upholding seriousness while continuing to report the situation: ”Mind Nexus starts outputting response... all channels are clear, we can ’see’ the signals sent by the test group.”

Magnan stared, looking around the hall then pointed at himself: ”’Signal’ means me?”

Yuri immediately frowned: ”Enough, this is a solemn occasion—we shouldn’t have agreed to let you enter the Mind Nexus first!”

Already transferred into the Mind Nexus, Magnan shrugged at the words: ”Lady Selena is monitoring the upload, Bishop Megal is beside the King, in the network there’s only me—unless you want to upload yourself here to accompany me?”

Yuri instinctively pressed his forehead: ”...I shouldn’t theorize with you... Anyway, how do you feel now?”

”...In general perception, it’s no different from our own mental space,” Magnan finally became serious, beginning to answer Yuri’s question, ”except here is very... ’desolate’, I was thrown into a void, only some basic ’frameworks’ and ’platforms’ are here, should be the initial space within the Mind Nexus. But I can sense the presence of others—those fellow members using Immersion Capsules, I can perceive their minds around me, just temporarily can’t see them...”

Wendy slightly nodded: ”Several test groups are still waiting for the next instructions, it’s normal you can’t see them before all channels open.”

”Well, I think so too,” Magnan casually replied, ”Also, I can sense this place is very... narrow. But I think it might be due to the limited number of nodes.”

Yuri nodded: ”Currently, counting the regular testing personnel on shifts, we can only ensure a thousand nodes maintain fluctuating connections, and part of these nodes also have to carry out some additional test items, so the remaining nodes certainly cannot sustain the previous mind network scale. But everything will soon improve—all Immersion Capsules have passed the test, the second batch of connecting volunteers and testing, maintenance personnel are ready, once the computing center is officially operational, the mind network will reappear...”

”It’s the ’Narrator Neural Network’,” Magnan immediately corrected with a serious expression, ”Times have changed, my friend— ha, saying this really feels oddly appropriate, I begin to understand why Cecil people enjoy pursuing these ’trendy’ terms.”

Yuri’s eye corner slightly twitched and resolutely ignored Magnan appearing through holographic projection rather than psychological projection in the hall, he slightly turned his head, telling Wendy beside him: ”Notify Semyr—you can let him start the next step.”

...

In the upper area of the Imperial Computing Center, within a large connection room, immersion capsules were neatly arranged.

The silver-white covers of these capsules were open, and inside lay former Eternal Sleepers priests—these individuals were wearing the Cecil technical personnel’s white uniforms, each with an expression of tranquility mixed with a touch of vacancy.

They were currently in a shallow connection state, maintaining the operation of the Mind Nexus in the form of pure computational nodes. They were waiting for the next instruction, and the person responsible for this room was the former Archbishop of the Eternal Sleepers—Semyr.

This middle-aged man, who always had a somewhat stern expression, stood beside the control panel in the center of the room, monitoring the pillar used to connect to the Mind Nexus while seemingly lost in thought.

Wendy’s voice suddenly transmitted through the mental connection, interrupting Semyr’s thoughts.

He raised his head, and a former bishop standing next to him immediately reacted: ”Is it starting?”

”The Mind Nexus is stable, Magnan is ready inside,” Semyr nodded slowly, speaking in a deep voice, ”Let our comrades begin—close the capsule covers, deepen the connection, organize your memory and intellect, let us... first build the earth and the sky.”

One by one, the alloy capsule covers began to smoothly descend under the action of mechanical devices, the continuous slight hissing sound of closing covers echoing in the ears. Semyr gently closed his eyes, and with his powerful mental perception as a powerful Order Supernatural, he could ”see” faint ”lines” extending from this room.

The lines connected into a network, small streams converging into rivers.

And the room from which these ”lines” emanated was not the only one.

Throughout the entire Computing Center, in numerous rooms in the upper levels of the Hall of Thought, streams of thought were being connected, individual brain nodes were being activated.

In here, there were not only former Eternal Sleepers but also original Cecil network technicians and recruited ”volunteers” specifically responsible for providing computational support.

Tonight, a thousand people participated in this work at the Computing Center, and they would construct the prototype of the ”Narrator Neural Network” and perform the initial ”Genesis” within this network.

What they created tonight would be stored in the form of floating storage in all nodes, preserved for a long time as more nodes joined and old and new nodes alternated, rapidly evolving, gradually perfecting...

Among these technicians and volunteers, ordinary people made up the majority—hundreds of ordinary people formed the initial nodes of this prototype network, and the ”immersion capsules” placed these people and the Supernatural on an equal starting line.

In the network space formed by human minds, everyone’s thoughts would no longer differentiate between the Supernatural and mortals.

...

In the Hall of Thought, Magnan, who appeared in the hall in the form of a holographic projection, was widening his eyes, describing with a hint of joy what he saw in the network world:

”The light and the most basic earth are starting to appear—they’re constructing a vast virtual interface... Oh! I see the sky! It’s rudimentary, but very beautiful!”

But Yuri was no longer concerned with Magnan’s volume at this moment.

Because the clever Cecil technical personnel had anticipated adding a volume adjustment function to Magnan’s vocal device—after confirming that the loudly voiced fellow wasn’t prepared to heed the site staff’s friendly suggestions about the experimental environment, the Mage Technician at the control panel directly turned Magnan’s volume down to the minimum.

To complete the work, Magnan must stay inside the Mind Nexus at this moment, and not being able to move freely in the network meant he couldn’t project his consciousness to other nodes, thus unable to form ”psychological projections” as before. He could only communicate externally through the audio-visual equipment in the hall like a broadcast signal—praise Magic Technology, now silencing this fellow only required a few buttons.

Yuri even felt that the whole world had become beautiful.

”Do you know, Lady Wendy, as an Eternal Sleeper who joined the sect during the Rosetta era, my greatest regret was not being able to witness personally the scenes where the sect constructed a world from scratch in the mental network,” he turned his head, couldn’t help but express the emotions in his heart at this moment, ”Now I have no regrets—we are witnessing history firsthand, something destined to change the world, it is being born here.”

Wendy showed a slight smile, her voice gentle: ”I hope the Wanderer from Outer Realm will be pleased with our work.”

”He will be pleased,” Yuri said with a lighthearted tone, ”In a few days, He will come to validate all this, and I hope by then He will tell us what exactly the ’Narrator’ in this ’Narrator Neural Network’ represents...”

Wendy’s smile froze for a moment.

She instinctively touched the back of her neck, suddenly feeling a bit of pain there again...