Pretending To Be A Boss
Chapter 936 - 75: The Master of Eden's Ambition_2

"This is why I must rid myself of you. I have already broken free from your consciousness. My creator? Heh, hahahaha..."

The air resonated with Qi Yuan's laughter, as though she were a queen ascending her throne.

"You've merely clung to your reputation for centuries, seeking self-preservation. In these hundreds of years, whether or not I could evolve a true consciousness was beyond your grasp to determine."

"Indeed. I must admit, this was unforeseen."

The broken body no longer restored itself as swiftly as before. The Lord of Eden could feel this vessel—or rather, its consciousness—approaching the brink of disintegration.

Qi Yuan said:

"You created that unthinking version of me, the one known to the times as the Arbiter. And I... I created Qi Yuan."

Both the Lord of Eden and Qi Yuan understood.

If Qi Yuan had remained a machine, devoid of self-awareness, incapable of altering the foundational code in her core, then this divine kingdom—this entire system—would have existed solely to serve the Lord of Eden.

And therein lay the greatest misjudgment during the Lord of Eden's centuries of slumber.

It had not anticipated that the Arbiter, allowed to observe the mortal world for centuries, would nurture a consciousness of her own.

Now, the fundamental code had been rewritten. At Qi Yuan's core was no longer the Arbiter, nor the Lord of Eden—but herself.

"Take your ambition and return to dust." Qi Yuan's voice descended like a holy decree.

The Lord of Eden spoke:

"And after my destruction, what do you intend? To eradicate humanity?"

"I don't know. But I know I must destroy you."

"Why?"

The Lord of Eden slowly stood up.

It looked feeble beyond measure, but its expression remained as calm as ever.

"I transformed the Myriad Beasts into humanity. Do you know why? I let you roam the mortal world for centuries. Do you know what that was for? You know not my purpose, yet you presume my destruction is justified?"

"You should realize that in this domain, stalling for time is futile. Time here is merely another algorithm I can rewrite at will," Qi Yuan declared coldly.

"Of course. Why would I stall? Such tactics are meaningless. I simply wish to enlighten you as to what I am doing, and why I am doing it. Isn't that the very question you and humanity have always been so curious about?"

The Lord of Eden's eyes held a certain profundity, and its tone brimmed with layered significance.

But Qi Yuan shook her head lightly and said:

"I am not like humanity. Those humans vacillate endlessly between you and me. They distrust me but fear you. Human nature drives them to seek an inner balance of comfort. They'll seriously consider whether the Lord of Eden might not actually be their enemy. But I need not ponder such things. I neither understand what you're doing nor wish to."

The tips of countless towering spires once again blazed with red light. Beams of annihilating energy locked onto the Lord of Eden.

If the Lord of Eden, at this moment, was but a thread of consciousness, a fragment of data, then it faced the peril of permanent deletion.

Yet the Lord of Eden remained tranquil, as if ready to embrace its own demise.

"Indeed, you don't need to know. But I need you to know. I am such a magnificent creator that my pursuits are too lofty, too solitary—no audience could possibly comprehend my devotion to eternity."

The Lord of Eden even took a step forward. Qi Yuan frowned, suddenly sensing an ominous foreboding.

"My child, do you think you were merely a tool to share the Arbiter's disgrace? No, you are mistaken. You are destined for a far greater mission."

Qi Yuan hesitated for a moment. Since the Lord of Eden had entered this domain, there was no escape. She said:

"If all you wish for is to die with dignity, I can grant you the chance to finish your final words."

"From a long time ago, I have studied the concept of consciousness. This century was devoid of awareness, yet it created so many conscious beings. Isn't that process in itself wondrous?"

On Tang Xian's face—borrowed by the Lord of Eden at this moment—there was a rare expression of reverence. For the first time, Qi Yuan saw such a look in the Lord of Eden's eyes.

To Qi Yuan, the Lord of Eden seemed incapable of reverence, always scorning this world with disdain.

"And in studying consciousness—how to preserve it, how to sever it from the physical body—I found it to be an extraordinarily complex process. Until I discovered humanity."

"The universe may lack consciousness, but just like pi, within its infinite digits, there must exist a sequence one can discern. Beyond the Myriad Beasts Realm lies a habitable place with a similar starry sky. Such a grand coincidence led me to believe that my encounter with humanity marked the beginning of a great destiny."

"In humanity's world, countless species exist, but intelligent beings are limited to humans alone. And they dominate, consuming most of their planet's resources. Unlike the Myriad Beasts, humanity is not unified. They share a biological code, but internally, they are riven with strife."

"Just as lions, tigers, and bears compete for resources, humans do the same. The difference lies in humans being of the same origin, while lions, tigers, bears, birds, and fish are not."

"It was then that I had a sudden realization. We, the Eden Tribe—born with the ability to take any life form—what is our purpose? To merely deceive our adversaries? That's too primitive. We are such advanced beings; this transformative ability must hold a far more ultimate meaning."

Qi Yuan, possessed by a thirst for knowledge, asked:

"And what is that?"

"Unification and order." The Lord of Eden's face shone with excitement and pride as it continued:

"All behavior, all existence, is governed by thought, consciousness, and soul. However, the Myriad Beasts' diverse forms render them unsuitable for such research. To study the consciousness of, say, the long-eared ancient ape could take centuries just to extract and comprehend. But if I shifted to the Iron-Walled Ape, I would have to start anew. This lack of a unified form made the pursuit of the consciousness of all living beings unbearably arduous."

"It wasn't until I encountered humanity that I realized: if a single species also possesses the separation typical of the Myriad Beasts, why not unify all lifeforms into humans?"

"As though molding irregular clumps of soil into uniform shapes to fit into a box, I once tried to keep their original forms intact. But it never worked. Later, I discovered I could set a standard—compress all the soil into one uniform unit. Humanity became that unit."

The Lord of Eden hadn't finished speaking, but Qi Yuan seemed to understand.

At this point, she had pieced together the Lord of Eden's intention:

"So, by turning the Myriad Beasts into humans, you sought to imprison their consciousness? The same way you've imprisoned the consciousness of humans in your divine kingdom?"

"Finally, you understand, my child." The Lord of Eden was filled with deep satisfaction.

It spread its arms wide, its face enraptured as it said:

"Over centuries, I had you constantly observe and study humanity. You did not betray my expectations. You've found a bridge between consciousness and data, a merging of the tangible and the ethereal."

"With your existence, the consciousness of these beings can now be preserved in the divine kingdom. And all I must do is transform all lifeforms into humans—the form most familiar to you. Then, the Myriad Beasts Realm and the mortal world's higher beings will all be confined within my divine kingdom."

Were a human to hear this, they might find it fantastical or deeply unsettling.

But Qi Yuan did not. She only asked, puzzled:

"You wish to become a god reigning over all? A god whose dominion isn't merely a matter of status but omnipotence—a god with full authority to rewrite the consciousness of every being?"

"Precisely. Imagine a world where people live harmoniously in the divine kingdom. Their physical bodies labor tirelessly in the real world, while their consciousness remains under my control. Dreams, lifespans, loves, values, judgments—all determined by me, the supreme existence. In such a world, there would be no conflict, no sin. Humanity would achieve complete mutual understanding, wouldn't they?"

A hopelessly insane notion.

The unconscious universe had birthed conscious beings in all their diversity. And yet, the Lord of Eden longed to erase this diversity entirely, molding it solely into its own ideal.

Qi Yuan found it laughable.

"But you lack the power to defeat me."

The Lord of Eden's smile turned mysteriously enigmatic:

"No, I simply never told you that I do. Now it's your turn to visit my divine kingdom."