Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 541 - 460: New World_3

The examination began.

While Huai Shi in the new world welcomed her own blissful life, Golden Dawn had a myriad of issues to discuss. The moment Huai Shi stepped into the testing area, all the authority Golden Dawn had left behind was ejected. The massive facilities remaining in the Current Circumstances lost their responsiveness, as if they had never existed to begin with, disappearing from the network of Nowhere. All the authority that Golden Dawn had there was severed.

When Matthes received the news, he stood there dumbfounded, his ancient face, with its lines like wood grain, set into an odd arch of eyebrows.

"What are you doing?" He instinctively flew into a rage, glaring at the original person in charge. "The last time, I gave explicit instructions. Did you download porn from the new world server onto the Current Circumstances again?"

"I did not!" the person in charge shook his head in bitter anger. "These days, we get our porn through smuggling channels from Green Day. Plus, after the last crash, weren't there a lot of things still unresolved?

"I have only just rewritten the interface program recently, and before I could address the issue, this whole big contraption suddenly disappeared. There's nothing I can do."

Even with the person in charge's repeated assurances, Matthes remained skeptical. It wasn't the first time this bunch had messed around with All Spectrum Heaven Sphere or abused the new world program for pornographic purposes. A massive Current Circumstances Simulator—using it merely for VR would have been one thing, but it was also being exploited for such unseemly activities. All sense of decorum was lost.

"It seems we must strengthen spiritual and cultural construction," Matthes murmured, chin in hand. "These matters should be handed over to Ye Zhi... Where is Ye Zhi, by the way? Where did he go again?"

At this, everyone shook their heads in confusion, clearly indicating the man had shirked his responsibilities once more.

"Shirking work again? Damn it," Matthes raged, a wave of despondency over the possible end of Golden Dawn rising within him. "This guy has composed a hundred thousand odes for Huai Shi, to what effect? Shirking every day, every damn day... It's embarrassing! Sooner or later, he'll end up hanged from that old crooked tree outside the Astronomical Society!"

Clearly, cursing at this point was futile. The problem still needed to be resolved. Moreover, it concerned the All Spectrum Heaven Sphere... Action had to be taken promptly.

Before Utopia split apart, All Spectrum Heaven Sphere was connected to sixteen supermassive computing centers and even came to be known as the Current Circumstances Simulator. It facilitated simulations and verification against special circumstances in the Current Circumstances at any given time. After Heavenly Kingdom was established, the facilities supporting the All Spectrum Heaven Sphere were dismantled, and their core machinery was utilized in the new world program, aimed at creating a world that could make one feel happiness and fulfillment, and incidentally, to test new members.

Once one entered, the new world program would harness the Ability of All Spectrum Heaven Sphere and evolve to create a world that was as real as it gets—a world that even the test subjects themselves didn't realize or long for. By then, appraising the stability of the whole world would easily filter out those who truly desired to make the Current Circumstances better. It would seek out those pioneers willing to sacrifice everything for their ideal kingdom from the multitude of living beings.

Even though after that, due to the divide and fall of Utopia, Golden Dawn collectively plunged into the Abyss, they never gave up on this precious asset. On the contrary, this had become one of the channels for Golden Dawn to recruit and screen new members, especially when it came to those potential candidates they valued.

You should know, under the simulation of All Spectrum Heaven Sphere, the entire world was essentially real and almost served as a reference for the Current Circumstances. The experiences of the trial participants were true reflections of their innermost desires for a better world, devoid of any cover-ups or lies. If Golden Dawn used their authority to intervene, they could unquestionably influence the trial subjects. Although they would not resort to lies and deceit to win the subjects' understanding, it still carried a strong contagion.

There might be a hundred thousand versions of the Truth in this world, each one credible and believable. Maybe there are also a hundred thousand truths, each one effective and workable. Golden Dawn did not fear others' refutation and opposition; they were more willing to show others everything they pursued, the world they desired. Perhaps it was precisely because of this fervent pursuit of Truth, reality, and the Utopia Kingdom that they qualified as Element of Destructive.

The new world they sought was indeed beautiful, but it would lead everything into the Abyss. Everyone instinctively rejects the ugly, but no one resists the instinctual pursuit of beauty within their nature. When this pursuit becomes fanatical, one is not far from falling into the Abyss. Even Utopia couldn't avoid its own ending, let alone the Sublimators who came to accept the trials.

Over the years, Golden Dawn has spared no expense in spreading this invitation from the Abyss. Whenever Sublimators obtained access cards, the immense gravitational pull from Golden Dawn would slowly permeate and manifest, guiding them to fixed locations through various coincidences, leading them into this new world.

Now, All Spectrum Heaven Sphere suddenly fell silent, causing Matthes to begin feeling a headache. You see, aside from the new world program, All Spectrum Heaven Sphere, as an event-record manipulation engine, also possessed many functions. Nowadays, they couldn't show their faces in the Current Circumstances. If it really crashed, who knew what the cost would be to recover from this loss.

"I'll go in and have a look myself."

After hesitating for a moment, he decided to project his Spiritual Body and enter for repairs. Soon, a Helmet connected to dozens of cables was brought before him. He lifted the Helmet and put it on, then closed his eyes.

An immaterial will was endowed with a temporary shell. Instantly, riding the waves of the Abyss's tide, it ascended swiftly. It jumped from one signal station framework to another, eventually entering the realm of All Spectrum Heaven Sphere.

"Here it comes!" Before he could steady himself, he heard an excited voice. "Here comes Golden Dawn's hikikomori, quick, help me pin down his hand—let your sister see if you've grown properly."

Before he could react, three shadows appeared in a flurry. An old man, a mysterious woman, and a young man with a weird smile all reached out towards Matthes simultaneously. A Triple-fold framework quickly engulfed him.

Matthes instinctively tried to counterattack, but his expression suddenly changed. Behind him, an illusory figure emerged suddenly, wielding a Dagger, which stabbed into his back. The Sharp Blade pierced through from the front of his chest, leaving him stunned on the spot.

Again? In the instant of impact, Matthes felt not rage or terror, but a wave of indescribable confusion. Why was he being backstabbed again? Why was it always him? Then, he realized—it was the Three Sages! Had the Frontier Darknet given up neutrality and sided with the Astronomical Society?

"Don't worry, this isn't the Astronomical Society starting a war again," the voice behind him chuckled softly. "At most, it's just an extension of the civil war within the Utopia Kingdom..."

The unfair battle of three against one officially began at that moment!

And Huai Shi awoke from a dream, as if she had faintly heard distant screams. But upon careful listening, it seemed like nothing but an illusion.

A dog barking?

He turned over in confusion and continued to sleep.

If you have a dream, you should live it, not wake from it.

He was still worried about how to come clean to his teacher tomorrow—about his decision to give up Cello Performance.