Sword of Dawnbreaker

Chapter 1094: Chapter 1093: Analyzing the Gods

In the shadowy courtyard of Dark Chaos, Amoen the Giant Stag was carefully manipulating magic power, attempting to tinker with a nearby magic web terminal. Meanwhile, Goddess of Magic Milmina sat boredly to the side, her thoughts roaming as she gazed into the distance, at the sky filled with black lightning and chaotic geometric masses.

Of course, considering she didn’t actually have legs, her lower body being nothing more than what looked like a long skirt of mist, this so-called ”sitting” was more like compressing the mist, changing the shape of her lower half.

”So, it only broadcasted the parts where they took seats and the opening speech,” the former Goddess of Magic said, glancing at Amoen who was studying the magic web terminal, her tone carrying a hint of disappointment, ”Then it just turned into a bunch of ’guest scholars’ sitting in a room endlessly discussing and analyzing...”

”Actually, I think those mortals’ ’current affairs analysis’ sessions are quite interesting—you get to know how others perceive events that can change the world order,” Amoen shared his thoughts, ”They’re trying to get ordinary people to start paying attention to the changes in this world, and it seems to be working. Isn’t that fascinating?”

”Alright... the affair itself is quite interesting,” Milmina sighed, ”But what I really want to know is how far their meeting has progressed...”

”Such matters are impossible to broadcast publicly,” Amoen said in a deep voice, with a tone that suggested ”I know this well,” ”Moreover, their meeting will last several days or even more than ten days. They can’t possibly broadcast it continuously.”

”You only just started using the magic web communication, yet you sound so experienced,” Milmina couldn’t help but cast a glance at Amoen, ”By the way, have you figured it out? If you have, switch it back to the Magic Shadow Drama, I haven’t finished watching it yet.”

”How come I recall this magic web terminal is mine?” Amoen couldn’t help but quip, then curiously fiddled with some additional functions of the terminal using magic power, ”I’m trying to figure out how to switch on this neural network interface... It’s strange because there clearly is a function here, but when I follow your instructions, nothing happens.”

Milmina frowned slightly, then turned to look, speaking offhandedly, ”Let me take a look.”

A moment later, the former Goddess of Magic shook her head, ”Give it up. It’s not a problem with the magic web terminal; it’s that the upper node hasn’t granted us access—the neural network interface switch is used to change this device’s send-receive mode. Once it’s on, the terminal can do more than just receive public signals from the magic web; it can also allow us to access the neural network... Do you get it? This can’t be opened for us.”

Amoen seemed puzzled for a moment, ”Why can’t it be opened to us?”

This time, Milmina seemed very patient, ”Because once we enter the neural network, we can actively contact other users on the network, post information there, and even, with some signal conversion, it can allow us access to the consciousness level in the neural network, entering the ’Origin Space’ constructed by mental imagery.”

Amoen was not adept in the field of magic, but his speed of thought and comprehension were still powerful, and he had heard some of the terms Milmina mentioned. He quickly grasped her point, ”You’re talking about that network connecting the consciousness of many mortals? This device can allow us to enter it?”

”That’s right, the neural network,” Milmina nodded, ”The magic web is the physical foundation of the neural network, and the neural network is an application structure within the magic web, connecting many people from various places. I initially submerged to the edge of the consciousness sea through the neural network’s node, and used the non-directional thought trend there to wash away my own divinity...”

”...Then indeed, they can’t let us in,” Amoen sighed, ”To the neural network, our minds are a huge risk factor.”

The former God of Nature sighed, looking somewhat regretful, but Milmina suddenly fell silent, as if she had thought of something. Her eyes fixed intently on the magic web terminal not far away, quickly catching Amoen’s attention, ”What is it? Did you think of something?”

”This set of magic web terminal is custom-made so that you, who cannot move, can also control it. Fitting your massive body, every part of it was specially designed.”

A faint white glow floated in Amoen’s eyes, ”So?”

”So if Gawain Cecil really didn’t want us to access the neural network, if he didn’t want us to have the chance to send information outwards, he could have simply not included this function—installing the feature just to cut off the signal from higher nodes is rather contradictory, don’t you think?”

”Let me correct you, it’s not ’us’ they don’t want accessing the neural network. It’s ’me’—this device was what I requested. How did it suddenly become public property between the two of us?” Amoen reminded, clearly addressing Milmina who had been hanging around here for a long while. Yet he also admitted the logical point in her questioning, ”But what you said makes sense... If they truly didn’t want us accessing the neural network, they simply shouldn’t have provided this function.”

Milmina did not respond; she merely gazed quietly at the magic web terminal playing a news program not far away, pondering untold thoughts, before breaking into a light smile as she softly spoke, ”...He is indeed an interesting mortal.”

...

On the northern shore of Cecil City, within the Empire’s Computing Center shaped like a giant pyramid, a brightly lit hall was abuzz with tension. Numerous ancient magical devices and technical staff engaged in intense and busy work—at the center of the hall, the surface of the Mind Nexus flickered with lights, magic symbols surged, and within, a constant buzzing hummed. Around the Mind Nexus connected over ten immersion capsules in network state, and through the transparent covers, node apprentices dressed in white uniforms lay quietly inside. Further from the Mind Nexus were numerous control platforms with projections of images and numbers above them, and dozens of staff bustled about.

In addition, projected upon the walls of the hall were complex symbols reminiscent of the deep sea. Several psychic singers floated in the air above, accompanied by a brain protected within a crystal container. Compared to the larger ’wetware servo’ used on battlefields, this brain’s peripheral devices were considerably fewer, and its overall size noticeably smaller—this was a new device designed for indoor experimental environments, called a ’servo brain.’ It could provide additional computational power and magic power assistance for psychic singers like a larger wetware servo, amplifying the effects of the spirit song. Though its defense and stability fell short of military models, it fit perfectly within a lab environment.

Under the control of the psychic singers and the servo brain, low-frequency oscillations undetectable by human ears filled the hall, offering mental protection for everyone within.

A technician wearing a white robe with black trim moved from a control platform to the Mind Nexus at the center of the hall. The uniform bore a special insignia, resembling an eye surveying the earth, but between the eye and the earth-representing horizontal line lay two crossed daggers. Below this insignia, a line of prominent letters read:

Divine Analysis Laboratory, Researcher number 1175.

The technician, holding a clipboard, quickly approached the Mind Nexus. A middle-aged man, wearing a monocle and exuding an elegant and refined air, stood here, intently analyzing the parameters projected by a certain device. Noticing someone approaching, he turned around: ”What’s happening?”

”Yuri the Node Scholar,” the researcher immediately replied, ”The monitoring device on the special terminal just sent a signal; ’over there’ seemed to be attempting to access the neural network, but it has already been intercepted.”

Yuri—formerly one of the Eternal Sleepers, now holds the position of ”Node Scholar” at the Imperial Computing Center, a title given to senior researchers specializing in neural networks and brain-machine interfaces. Upon hearing the researcher’s report, he couldn’t help but adjust his monocle, showing a look of interest: ”It seems that merely watching shows can no longer satisfy the god on vacation... has he discovered the new functions of the Magic Web Terminal.”

”Perhaps... not just one god,” the researcher glanced at the clipboard, showing a somewhat peculiar expression, ”We’ve received several records of operation habits that are obviously different, and the activation device inside the terminal also detected undocumented Magic Power fluctuations. Clearly, more than one ’being’ is using that device.”

Yuri’s expression also turned peculiar, then he shook his head: ”Just as expected... It seems His Majesty’s prediction was correct, but to lure them out like this...”

”Should we intervene?” the researcher couldn’t help but ask, ”This seems to conflict with our initial thought.”

”...No need to disturb it. Just maintain observation and recording,” Yuri shook his head, ”This situation is also within the plans, although it’s considered a Plan B.”

He adjusted his monocle again, becoming serious: ”How are the sample feedback and filtered results?”

”The results currently meet expectations!” the researcher exclaimed with a hint of excitement, ”After ’filtering’ through the Non-directional Thought Trend, the mental contamination from ’over there’ showed a significantly noticeable weakening. Also, during the cross-realm transmission of the Magic Web signal, the Non-directional Thought Trend did not affect normal communication, and its own fluctuations have always remained at normal values. It proves that the ’Chaos’ data zone in the deepest parts of the neural network can effectively eliminate divine contamination without affecting the network’s safety!”

Yuri quietly listened to the report from his subordinate researcher. The expression on his face changed several times, but he eventually contained his excitement, keeping only a faint smile.

It’s too early to be overly cheerful now—but the current gains are certainly worth a smile.

A short time ago, Gawain ordered a set of Magic Web Devices to be sent to the depths of the defied Fortress. Ostensibly, this was to provide the former ”God of Nature,” now detached from divinity, a pastime during leisure. However, behind this, an extremely important project was indeed initiated: an attempt to operationalize the ”Non-directional Thought Trend” deep within the neural network, testing if it could be used to solve the mental contamination of gods, and even testing if it could serve as a controllable artificial tool to directly influence the divinity of gods!

This sounds exceedingly bold, yet it isn’t an unrealistic notion—essentially, this project tests whether the process Milmina, the Goddess of Magic, went through to shed divinity can be repeated and is operable. It is a normal scientific research project conducted with both a real-world case and a theoretical basis.

Yet the idea of using what gods have done as a reference and even using gods themselves as ”tool gods” for testing... Such a mindset has made Yuri marvel more than once in his heart—Gawain truly lives up to his name as a ”Wanderer from Outer Realm,” with such an open and bold mindset... indeed beyond the reach of ordinary people.

”Node Scholar, should we proceed further?” The researcher, seeing Yuri’s prolonged silence, cautiously inquired, ”We might now be able to perform more direct data reading from ’over there’. If the Non-directional Thought Trend can stably work, perhaps soon we could consider direct interaction with the Shadow Courtyard over there...”

”...Still a bit early, we need more data,” Yuri pondered and still shook his head, ”The mental contamination of gods sometimes manifests as nearly imperceptible, subtle changes, and compared to direct and intense corrosive mutations, these changes are more terrible and hidden—we need to establish a long-term observation group, and everyone working in this hall should be included in the records, confirming nothing is amiss before considering the next step.”

At this point, the former Eternal Sleeper could not help but think of the ”Supreme Narrator Contamination” that once spread beneath Orlandeau, a memory that still makes his neck chill upon recalling it.

The researcher, perceiving earnestness from Yuri’s gaze, nodded in agreement. After brief contemplation, Yuri added: ”Although it isn’t time for the next phase, given the current achievements, today we can try overlay filtering results into the test network to see the reactions... Is there an available observation window on the Immersion Capsule over there?”

”Immersion Capsule number three has just become available,” the researcher glanced at the clipboard, then looked up at the Psychic Singers, who were floating in the air and using the Spirit Song to protect the hall, ”However, if we perform overlay testing, it may be necessary to raise the hall’s protection level, as the power of the Psychic Singers might not be sufficient—the people might not be exhausted, but this Servo Brain is nearly at full capacity.”

Yuri also looked up at the ”lab protection team” floating in the air, focusing on the big brain immersed in a crystal container, with its tentacles dangling casually and looking serene: ”The Sorin Laboratory mentioned these ’Servo Brains’ as having excellent enhancement resistance... Push the frequency a bit higher; we’re only conducting a short-duration test.”

”Yes.”

The researcher promptly agreed, then turned to gesture at one of the Psychic Singers in mid-air. As the other descended, he instructed: ”Put the Servo Brain into overclock mode; we need high-grade protection for a short duration.”

The Psychic Singer, equipped with lightweight protective wear, gestured an okay sign and drifted toward the floating brain, casually retrieving a handful of candies from the tactical pouch of their suit. The previously serene floating brain immediately became animated, swiftly extending its tentacles toward the Psychic Singer’s candy-laden hand, while bubbles rose inside the semi-transparent crystal container, emitting a gurgling sound.

From the ground below, the researcher watching the scene above couldn’t help but mutter: ”...Honestly, it’s quite bizarre.”

”...Madam Beltira’s creations are always bizarre,” Yuri replied with a complex expression and couldn’t resist looking upward, reminding, ”Don’t push too hard! The blood sugar can’t take it!”