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Chapter 570 - 567 - "...Don’t become the dawn itself.

Chapter 570: Chapter 567 - "...Don’t become the dawn itself.

Su Ming’an looked at the six TE hints.

He realized that the difficulty of the Ninth World might not lie in clearing the game but in beating the clock.

A ten-thousand-player instance, over ten thousand Perfect Pass routes, once someone finishes first, the remaining nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine players all fail.

He not only had to complete it but also be the quickest.

"Perfect ending" is a relative concept. For the world, a perfect ending might involve sacrificing an individual’s happiness. For an individual, a perfect ending could mean the destruction of the entire world. Different perfections target the "perfect" subject, and the degrees of difficulty vary.

And TE’s perfect ending often involved uncovering all the secrets of the world. Due to his role as the Ruler, he usually achieved a TE pass, mostly an SSS-rank pass, along with some extraordinary props, such as Nolia’s Red Rose, Xiber’s Tracking Compass, and so on.

He observed these six hint routes; TE2, TE3, TE6 were clearly character-based Perfect Passes, with key figures being Dong An’an, Che Kylstia, whom he had yet to meet, and his known assistant Treya.

The remaining three seemed more like world-based Perfect Passes, considering the whole scenario from a worldly perspective.

But he actually didn’t need to ponder over the choice of routes, as long as he followed the Ruler’s Quest step by step—searching for the Thing of Truth. He would surely achieve the most perfect TE.

He closed the interface, listened intently to the words AI Xike implanted in his mind.

Xike spoke rapidly, seizing these three minutes—three minutes without Dawn System monitoring.

...

[Doctor.]

[The Dawn System you previously modified has been invaded by "Ta Wei."]

...

Su Ming’an stared into the darkness, the lights were off inside, and he could faintly see the glowing blue dot in the corner, the position of the surveillance camera—it was watching him.

In the City of Measurement, the Dawn System had taken control of everything, with cameras everywhere, even satellite surveillance covering the entire map. No one’s act or expression could escape its gaze.

Everyone entering the City of Measurement had to be implanted with a Dawn Chip, which monitored people’s emotions through physiological conditions such as breathing, heartbeat, and blood flow, and assessed danger levels and personas in real time. People’s bodies were highly integrated with the chip, the Dawn System could even manipulate part of their movements.

—Naturally, that was good for suppressing criminals.

But what if the Dawn System itself ... made mistakes?

He believed that the greatest crisis of the Ninth World was not a mechanical intelligence crisis, nor the resistance of inferior personas—but the "Ta Wei invasion."

Parts of the Ninth World’s space had descended into chaos and disorder due to the Ta Wei invasion, with spatial turbulences and time-space rifts occurring. Aside from the small protected "Safe Zone," the "Danger Zone" could cause massive casualties at any moment.

Dr. Aceto modified the Dawn System, built the City of Measurement, essentially establishing a massive "Safe Zone." He also regulated humans with a type-eight persona, making people act strictly according to regulations and systems.

But ... now Xike said that the most orderly Dawn System had also fallen into chaos and disorder.

Then it had become the deadliest threat.

...

[Even though the Dawn System has brought us prolonged prosperity and peace, an unstable Dawn System cannot be allowed to continue its control.]

[Doctor, you need to find the "Dawn Code" to shut it down.]

...

Su Ming’an’s heartbeat accelerated.

The room’s camera still aimed at him, his expression unchanged, quietly listening to Xike’s voice.

...

[The "Dawn Code" was established by Dr. Aceto when he first modified the Dawn System, allowing free choice to [shut down], [destroy], or [restart] the Dawn System.]

[The code is known only to him. But without the original memories of Dr. Aceto, you cannot know the "Dawn Code."]

[Regarding this, I am powerless too, I can only ask you to try to find the "Dawn Code" by any means necessary.]

[The Dawn System has been invaded, and upon awakening, it might act irrationally.]

[Everyone in the City of Measurement had been implanted with the Dawn Chip, which monitored everyone’s emotions and behaviors, and even controlled some of their actions—but you were the only one not implanted with the Dawn Chip.]

[You are the only breaking point.]

[The Dawn System could monitor your actions, but it could not fully affect you.]

[Therefore, I hope that, after the Dawn System awakens, you could use your wisdom and independent thinking to evade its pervasive surveillance and find the "Dawn Code" to shut it down.]

[Please note, everyone in the City of Measurement—1.24 million people—has been implanted with the Dawn Chip, and you cannot trust any of them.]

[You cannot place your trust in anyone.]

[Your secret can only be kept by yourself.]

[Your real plan cannot be disclosed to anyone.]

[—Including me.]

[Because I, too, am part of the Dawn System. All AI belong to the control of the Dawn System.]

...

Upon hearing this, Su Ming’an really wanted to drag Doctor Aceto back and give him a bitter beating.

He knew that this was Doctor Aceto’s last resort when facing the invasion by Ta Wei, for only pure and cold data could resist the chaos of Ta Wei.

—But had Aceto not considered the consequences if the Dawn System ever malfunctioned?

Perhaps Aceto had thought about it, but he had no other choice.

Just like Su Ming’an in the World Game, hoping for a Perfect Pass. They could only place their hopes in their inner visions.

However, Aceto was luckier than Su Ming’an. At least he left behind the Dawn Code that could shut down the Dawn System and a chance for redemption when the ultimate crisis arrived.

Since everyone was controlled by the chip, Aceto had hidden the password in a place unknown even to the Dawn System.

Su Ming’an glanced at the live chat; the broadcast had been temporarily blocked, and the audience could not know what Xike had told him.

... Well, that settled it.

This really was a "secret known only to him."

"Beep, beep..."

A sequence of beeping sounds suddenly erupted from all directions in the laboratory.

Many researchers who had just fallen asleep immediately sprang up from their beds.

—"The Dawn System is awakening!"

—"That sound, has the Dawn System update completed?"

"Great, are we about to undergo another persona assessment? When will MAN be considered a High-Level Persona, I’ve been waiting for so long..."

All sorts of voices arose everywhere, both in the entire Underground City and in the laboratory, which were brightly lit.

Those of lower personas felt anxious, but most people were optimistic, as the awakening of the Dawn System meant a significant reduction in crime rates again.

And Doctor Aceto, who had modified the Dawn System, was deemed a god in their hearts for establishing all this.

—"Doctor!"

The doorbell rang, and outside the glass door, assistant Treya who had hurried over in a white lab coat was beaming with joy.

"Doctor, are you awake? The Dawn System is awakening!" Her face was almost pressing against the glass door, leaving a small lipstick mark on it.

She couldn’t see inside the room, as the glass door had a light-blocking film.

Su Ming’an heard the noise outside, but he ignored it.

With only forty seconds left until the Dawn System’s awakening, he was still listening to Xike’s final words of freedom.

...

[Doctor.]

[You must deceive the Dawn System—or rather, you must not be caught by it before you find the code.]

[Once it discovers your attempt to shut it down, even though you are the creator with the highest authority, it will still try to eliminate you.]

[But it is still bound by the three major rules of AI. First, do not proactively attack humans who are not threatening emotionally. Second, prioritize the survival of the majority of humans. Third, do not develop irrelevant emotions towards humans.]

[This is the circle you can draw within limited boundaries.]

[Doctor, after the Dawn System awakens, I will not mention any of this to you.]

[Time is almost up...]

...

Suddenly, Su Ming’an saw the lights in the room turn on.

The lights were automatic, and the Dawn System had control over them. It was announcing its awakening.

The bright incandescent light filled the room, and he could hear the researchers outside counting down excitedly, as if congratulating the arrival of a new era.

"Ten—nine—eight—!!"

Outside the door, the researchers counted down, eagerly anticipating the awakening of the Dawn System.

Inside the door, Su Ming’an sat on the edge of the bed.

Bright white light shone on his face—his features were those of mixed heritage, his pupils a deep gray, devoid of the blue electric light representative of chip implantation, but a pair of purely human eyes without mechanical fusion.

The only purebred human in the City of Measurement, uninterfered by the Dawn System, Dr. Aceto.

His face appeared young, even though there was still blood around his mouth.

He coughed, and the paper was stained with fresh red.

The room’s cameras began to rotate automatically, capturing everything, everyone lived under constant measurement and surveillance.

Sitting on the bed, Su Ming’an remained silent, his expression calm, as if he hadn’t heard any of Xike’s words just before.

He listened to the cheers outside, acutely aware of the fervor of a highly advanced technological era.

He had seen the fervor of different worlds, many groups.

Daylight Floating City, obsessed with fertility rates.

Terrily Town, obsessed with the exile ceremony.

White Sand Paradise, obsessed with the standards of a "good child."

Pulaya, obsessed with racial conflicts and the glory of Soul Hunt.

Qiongdi, obsessed with the "correctness of deities."

And now, the City of Measurement’s fervor in the Ninth World felt deeper to him—it was more terrifying than divine power, more real than science fiction.

Testing might not determine a person but often summarizes a person, extensive testing adjusts variances, fills gaps; this is the science of statistics.

Lies repeated often enough become truth, speculation accepted by the public becomes reality.

Emotional monitoring and the eight personality types are just such cases.

They are built on an enormity of knowledge books and extensive measurement data, making people trust in the statistics and results.

...A superstitious belief in technology and the Dawn System.

They treated data and evaluation standards as divinity—because it indeed changed the destiny of Doomsday City, saved generations, and brought prosperity to them.

"City of Measurement..." Su Ming’an muttered to himself.

The cheering outside continued.

"Three—two—one—!"

They counted down, like the first chime of the new year.

At the moment when the Dawn System officially awakened, Su Ming’an heard the last words of Xike, like a metaphor, like a warning.

[Doctor.]

[Do not become... do not become the Dawn itself.]

...

"Ding-dong!"

[Accept the main quest of Perfect Pass: Find the Dawn Code. (Tip: Conceal your identity, participate in the selection at Caius Tower—of course, you can also choose not to conceal your identity, if you don’t mind being attacked by those with inferior personas.)]

[Quest Reward: Occupation Progression Rights]

...

"Doctor, the Dawn System has awakened..." Treya pushed open the door.

Su Ming’an looked up, his complexion somewhat pale.

From now on, he could not trust anyone. This included his assistant Treya, who seemed to have a good impression of him.

Anyone could be a monitor for the Dawn System.

—Just like the players, constantly monitored by the organizers.

The chaotic and disordered Dawn System must be shut down promptly. Being uncontrolled by the chip, Dr. Aceto was the only one who could break through.

—Just like Su Ming’an, who had the ability to reset upon death. He was the game changer in the world game.

The similarities between them were striking.

The world replicas he had experienced... were they hinting at something?

...

[City of Measurement Outskirts · Battle Group]

In the noisy tavern, the aroma of wine and barrels permeated the air.

Mercenaries dressed in various mechanical arms, draped in red cloaks, clinked their glasses against one another, their actions displaying a sense of measure despite not being rough.

"—Che, care for a drink?"

A mercenary called out to a man at the bar.

The man turned around, revealing a handsome face. His distinct brow bones, thick eyebrows, and vibrant eyes exuded an aura of long-standing fight on the battlefield.

He wore a red short cloak that covered his back, like a blood-colored flag draped over him.

He was the leader of the Battle Group, Che Kylstia.

The Battle Group, a large resistance organization on the outskirts of the City of Measurement, was numerous and vast, mainly consisting of rejected personas with inferior ratings, a thorn in the side of the City of Measurement.

Their advocate was to destroy the Dawn System, breach Central City, kill Dr. Aceto and his researchers, and change the destiny of humans measured by machines.

"No more drinks, and you guys drink less. In a few days, we will participate in the selection at Caius Tower—we must infiltrate Central City and kill that man," Che said.

"Right! The leader is correct!"

"Damn the Doctor! I am not an inferior person!!"

As people were extremely excited, swearing to kill the Doctor.

Beside Che, a young girl with black hair draped over her shoulders and a thin electric sword hanging at her waist approached.

She was looking down, focusing on the mechanical game device in her hands, with digital figures hopping on the screen.

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