Chapter 762 — Suddenly Turning Back, That Person Was There... Holy Crap?
Blade of Dawn · Page 2 of 4
"They are constantly resetting and purging the contaminated regions, deleting the short-term memories of certain contaminated nodes—but these measures can only hold the status quo for now. They have also deployed something called a 'retarder.' It generates reverse temporal iteration, and it has succeeded in slowing Sandbox One's flow of time to match the real world. You could call that the most effective measure to date—otherwise, in a day or two at most, the contamination in Sandbox One would evolve to a point no one could control."
Listening to Daniel's answer, Gao Yang could not help but stare. "That's all?"
Daniel nodded. "Those are all the measures currently in place. Because they want to use my abilities in architecture and information security to solve the problem, they haven't concealed anything from me regarding these countermeasures. The intelligence should be authentic and reliable."
"They haven't tried to forcibly sever the sandbox from the main network?" Gao Yang was baffled. "I mean—in the real world, a forcible severance on the physical level."
"That would kill all the 'brain thralls' that constitute the sandbox world..." Daniel's expression seemed somewhat peculiar as he answered this. "At least half of the Mystic Pole Order oppose it... even the Pontiff has voiced opposition."
For a moment, Gao Yang even suspected he had misheard, and could not help confirming: "...They refrained from a physical severance because those 'brain thralls' would die, and not for some other reason?"
Daniel nodded. "That is the intelligence I gathered, at least."
Gao Yang was caught between laughter and tears. "You people... I mean, they—aren't they cultists?"
"...I was deeply surprised as well, but compared with the Church of All Endings, the Long Night Order really is a relatively... 'gentle' faction of the Dark Axis," Daniel said, his expression still peculiar, and growing more so as he spoke. "Of course, the very existence of 'things' like the 'brain thralls' can hardly be called gentle."
"...Perhaps it's because they judged the losses too great and were unwilling to expend enormous cost to 'produce' a fresh batch of 'brain thralls'—more or less the mindset of someone sparing their tools," Gao Cen said, unable to think of a better explanation, and so he brushed the topic aside offhandedly. "All in all, the Sleepers clearly have no better way to solve the problem right now. Is that so?"
"Yes, my lord," Daniel replied.
"Then do your utmost to help them find a way," Gao Yang said with a shake of his head. Though his heart was full of dissonance, he had no choice but to say it. "Safeguarding the mind takes priority. If it truly cannot be safeguarded... withdraw in time. I will find another channel to contact you."
"Yes, my lord..."
Daniel responded respectfully, but halfway through speaking, his expression froze slightly.
Gao Yang noticed the minute anomaly in the other man. "What is it?"
"I left a 'clone' in Phantom Pivot City to handle matters, and it has just received instructions," Daniel answered at once. "Another overflow contamination zone has appeared outside Phantom Pivot City, and this one seems rather strange. The Mystic Pole Order has ordered me and several other Luminary Orders to go and investigate."
"Then go," Gao Yan nodded. But just as Daniel was about to accept the order and withdraw, he suddenly had a bold idea. "Wait."
Daniel lowered his head. "Your command, please."
Gao Yi smiled. "I'll go with you."
"My lord?" Daniel was momentarily taken aback, but he quickly understood Gao Song's intent. "I understand. I will prepare a sufficient safety springboard for you."
Gao Yang grunted in acknowledgment, and Daniel could not resist reminding him: "Also, please be careful. Those accompanying me will be Sleepers of Luminary Elder rank, and there may even be the Pontiff's gaze upon us. They can easily detect anomalous fluctuations in the mind..."