Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva
Chapter 863 - 53 Geyin's Memories

A week had passed since the hotel's opening ceremony, and Tilan was curious to know how the news blockade was holding up and what the follow-up results were.

"Geyin, could you help me check? After all, you know more about online affairs," Tilan said to Geyin over breakfast that morning.

Shui Yanqing almost triggered an incident because of an identity problem. Geyin had heard about this from Tilan several days earlier and understood what the girl meant.

"Hmm." She nodded her head and then continued to eat her breakfast quietly.

A few minutes later, after they finished breakfast, they were ready to head to their classes. However, since their classes were different, they could only part ways at the door.

"Remember not to fall asleep in class and try not to stay up late," Tilan advised Geyin, who still had dark circles under her eyes.

"Hmm."

Geyin nodded again, watched as Tilan walked away, and then headed towards her own classroom.

Today, she was to study 'Hacking Attack and Defense Theory,' which, while important to many students, was something she had fully mastered in high school.

The Ai Jieka Network is a miraculous place. Although it cannot accelerate the body, it can allow the mind to operate at high speed within it, which is almost synonymous with a form of acceleration and life extension.

When she first entered high school, her technical skills on the network were already among the top. Over these four years, she spent what amounted to more than ten years online, continuously absorbing and learning various kinds of knowledge. This slowly built her reputation, and she even gradually made contact with the various secret organizations behind the Ai Jieka Network.

Originally, she did not plan to join any organization, because joining one meant serving its purposes, and she herself was not enthusiastic about that.

Still, her existence was gradually noticed by some organizations. Many gray forces sent her invitations, some even threatening in their invitation letters, saying if she did not join, they would find out her real identity and make her feel fear.

For such coercion, Geyin was quite nervous at that time. To avoid being found, she constructed a strong defense system by borrowing Edith Academy's T2-level super AI, which allowed her to evade the pursuit of many hackers online.

But just when she thought the matter was over, someone still found her.

"Hello, Miss Geyin." A virtual image with a gray cube appearance appeared before her.

The figure resembled a rock after standard cutting, huge and solid, with a rough surface where textures could be seen. It had facial features like a nose and mouth only on the front, which moved as it spoke.

"Who are you?" Geyin asked nervously and unsettled, wondering how the person had entered what was supposed to be a secure room constructed by Edith Academy's super AI.

"In order to express our sincerity, I will try to answer Miss Geyin's questions as truthfully as possible. However, please be aware that there are things we also cannot answer," the face on the cube moved as it spoke.

"I am a member of the 'Council of Seven Sages,' an organization you may not be familiar with. However, we have actually existed for a long time, and our goal is to maintain basic stability and sustainability in the Ai Jieka Network world."

"It may sound arrogant at first, but we are indeed a very neutral, and relatively friendly organization. Many powers in the Ai Jieka Network have cooperated with us. You can call us a third-party which has set the covenant."

"Although the Ai Jieka Network has existed for thousands of years, it has also encountered several devastating impacts. The current prosperity does not guarantee that it will continue indefinitely. A force is needed to maintain this, otherwise, all organizations and powers relying on the Ai Jieka Network will be struck down."

"Thus, a public-spirited organizational prototype was born, which is our 'Council of Seven Sages'."

"The name comes from the ancient 'Sage Assembly,' meant to constrain and maintain world order, sharing a similar philosophy to ours." The gray cube narrated the origins of its organization.

"I am one of the core seven in the 'Council of Seven Sages' today, and you can call me 'Hui Fangyan'."

He struggled to bend over as if he wanted to make some kind of courteous gesture, but as a cube-shaped virtual image, it was clearly difficult to perform this action.

"You might be curious, how we could easily find your real identity. Well, many of the common protocols, standards, and many basic channels on the network were developed and constructed by us."

"No one understands this world better than we do. You could say that the shaping of today's Ai Jieka Network world owes partially to our efforts."

"I trust you, you are eager for knowledge, you want to understand this unknown and vast world. This trust even surpasses interest because it is your instinct and ideal."

"You have the Talent, and coincidentally, we need someone like you—neutral by nature, restrained, with ideals, and an endowed cyber genius."

"Now, I sincerely invite you, Miss Geyin, to join us and become one of the keystones in maintaining this world!" The creature's cubical body emitted a dazzling light, overwhelming Geyin's vision.

When she came to her senses, she found herself in front of a large, open round table hall, with dazzling lights inside. Seven seats were positioned next to the round table, with one currently vacant, the other positions occupied by 'Hui Fangyan,' 'Old Skeleton,' 'Puppet Bear,' 'Long-Fingered Monkey,' 'Blue Peacock Mask,' 'Red Scimitar.'

"Since it's your first time here, let's follow the old rules, and choose a nickname first." Hui Fangyan sat at the head of the table.

"Silver mechanical bodies, exquisitely-crafted cyan dolls, perfect masterpieces."

"How about calling it 'Silver Green Creation'?" the lady with the Blue Peacock Mask spoke.

And so, this became her designated name within the organization.

In the time that followed, she gradually began to engage with various hidden affairs within the Aijeika Network through the 'Council of Seven Sages', steadily unraveling the truth of the world and acquiring knowledge beyond the imagination of outsiders.

This led to her rapid technological advancement within the Aijeika Network, eventually even catching the attention of the Federation's high schools, allowing her to enter the Golden Flame Flower Academy, the top-ranking university in the Federation.

As Hui Fangyan had said, the Ai Jieka Network was exceptionally lively, not only filled with many free and charitable contributions but also dark organizations motivated by profit. Light and darkness, kindness and evil, are all part of the prosperity of life.

In Geyin's view, Hui Fangyan should be more conservative and orderly, so why turn a blind eye to the many grey organizations exploiting the Aijeika Network?

Years after joining the organization, she received an answer to this question.

"Indeed, I dislike these organizations, especially those led by 'Red Scimitar,' but I must admit, even dark lives are lives, and they constitute a part of vigor."

"If we reject these people, will they disappear? No, because this realm has long harbored a great demand."

"They would find ways to attack me, to create a breakthrough, or to reconstruct a more secretive and smaller Aijeika Network."

"Although our organization is well-informed, it is not a militarized entity of great strength. If we constantly oppose them, we can't afford the ongoing conflict, and many members would face life-threatening dangers."

"If we fall, then who will maintain the fundamental order and stability of the Aijeika Network?"

"Therefore, we can only accept them. Besides, among them are rational individuals who understand the value of endurance, thus laying the foundation for communication and preserving many rules of order."

"Alternatively, their inclusion has provided our organization with a form of armed strength, deterring other powers from confronting us carelessly. Although ferocious dogs are dangerous, if they are on our side, that's not necessarily a bad thing."

Just as Hui Fangyan described, the 'Council of Seven Sages' is a powerful yet complex organization with extensive peripheral influence. Within its reach in the Ai Jieka Network, there are forces like 'Silver Star Fall', characterized by benevolence and justice, as well as the dark mercenary 'Sunset', which are ruthless in their pursuit of profit.

Seven core members each represent a different power, but the true leaders among them are 'Hui Fangyan,' 'Blue Peacock Mask,' and 'Red Scimitar.'

'Hui Fangyan' is conservative and steady, representing the senior and technologically inclined faction of the organization. 'Red Scimitar' is treacherous and radical, part of the profit-chasing faction. 'Blue Peacock Mask' has some official background, which has kept the organization from being sanctioned by the Federation's higher-ups, even maintaining a certain degree of collaboration.

Among others, 'Silver Green Creation' and 'Old Skeleton' are part of Hui Fangyan's faction—technologically adept and lacking in great ambition, essential to the organization, yet unwillingly entrusted with real power. Although 'Red Scimitar' and 'Blue Peacock Mask' are not technically proficient, they hold considerable power within the organization.

A year ago, after Hui Fangyan issued a notification and then vanished without a trace, disappearing to an unknown location, the organization has been led by 'Blue Peacock Mask' while 'Red Scimitar' remains at large.

Everything seemed normal, even without Hui Fangyan, the organization's framework remained stable. However, with the rise of a strange new force, the previous calm was disrupted.

She and a few core members were tasked with investigating this peculiar new organization that rose swiftly in an extraordinarily short time, consuming much of their thoughts and energy and leaving her physically drained.

Fortunately, they finally made progress not long ago.

Just as Hui Fangyan once said, the Ai Jieka Network is not stable. If the 'Connectors' are allowed to harness the power of the Ai Jieka Network, link with each other, and build the Circle, this place will inevitably become a battlefield.

So much to deal with, Geyin thought to herself as she looked at the glass on the classroom window.

"Now, please enter the immersion device and begin our first day of 'Hacker Defense Course,'" the elderly-looking teacher in the classroom began to instruct.

This hacker, now recruited by the Golden Flame Flower Academy for his twilight years, also teaches the students to use defenses against the powers from the Ai Jieka Network.

"Yes."

The students in the room responded and then lay down one by one, activating the Ai Jieka Network immersion devices in their pods. Geyin also lay down and closed her eyes.

Connecting to the network and entering the organization here would be rather troublesome, requiring the temporary preparation of many decoy programs.

If that's the case, she might as well start by checking on the hotel situation from a few days ago for Tilan.

Her consciousness began to traverse the vast expanse of the Ai Jieka Network, searching for various video materials retained on the net from that day, until a fleeting scene entered her field of vision.