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Chapter 592 - 589: 【His City-State.】

Chapter 592: Chapter 589: 【His City-State.】

"Since I entered this city, I’ve heard many bizarre urban myths."

Su Rin’s hand pressed on a blue-light display, and with a slight electromagnetic sound, the cabin’s door creaked open automatically.

Even a house as primordial as this one still relied on technology for its security system.

"What kind of urban myths?" Su Ming’an asked.

"For instance... people tend to hear whispering at night, occasionally see strange shadows in the darkness, and even, some can see a different expression of themselves in the mirror..." Su Rin led him through the corridor. "It’s like a ghost story with a creepy twist."

Su Ming’an pondered.

... Could a world leaning towards science also encounter such bizarre occurrences?

He thought about the ’Ta Wei invasion’ and the blood-red demon patterns that appeared in the eyes of the invaded—this might be a fusion of the invading world with the current world, like a magical world invading a scientific one...

"Generally speaking, seeing such creepy situations can easily cause ’Emotional Overload,’ so, ’Sanctuary’ also manages a particular job—" Su Rin stood in front of a stark white door and underwent an iris scan:

"Like the drug industry."

"’Sanctuary’ is responsible for producing hallucination-suppressing drugs that stabilize emotions."

Su Ming’an looked up.

— As the door opened, a large underground facility, resembling a factory, appeared before him.

Light blue liquid tanks matched with isolation glass, immersion of special tissues in a luminescent green biochemical fluid.

Pipes crawled across the gray-black walls, occupying a large area in his vision. Semi-circular white foam churned like snowflakes, spreading in the pool. In the thin-toned large semi-circular windows, the shadows of steel frameworks could faintly be seen whizzing by.

Thousands of greasy, somber eyes cast their gaze in their direction. They were dressed in striking orange work clothes, with hoods and masks, eyes bloodshot under thick glass lenses.

— Su Ming’an and Su Rin stood on the corridor bridge above the large door, this vast spectacle unfolding below them.

"Is this... ’Sanctuary’s’ work?" Su Ming’an said.

Such an oppressive atmosphere.

No windows, no places to rest, continuous grating noises tormenting the nerves. Working here wasn’t much different from being in prison.

"— ’Any scientific prototype has its dual images: the ugliness of embryonic stages, and the beauty of budding moments.’" Su Rin stood by, "At least people have jobs, places to live, they can eat their fill, and they don’t worry about being hunted... Isn’t that reasonable enough?"

"Reasonable." Su Ming’an looked at those clad in orange, "... To survive, nothing is unreasonable. Since they have rejected the notion of coexisting with machinery, if they want to ’coexist’ with other factions in today’s era and society, finding other means is essential—developing drugs happens to be a reasonable one."

"Let’s go," Su Rin said.

The door closed.

On the way up, Su Ming’an watched Su Rin’s figure walking ahead.

... Su Rin had been a deity for so long, his knowledge and experiences were biased towards racial conflicts.

Yet, even upon entering such an unprecedented technological city, Su Rin did not seem out of place; in fact, he adapted well and even proposed ideas about ’technology,’ although borrowing from the sayings of great people.

But this was also a manifestation of extreme ’adaptability’... Such a person would likely do well in any world.

"New type of mental stabilizer, want to try it?" Su Rin suddenly turned back.

He tossed a small box to Su Ming’an: "It can effectively prevent hearing nighttime whispers. It’s already been tested, no problems, this is a ’sneak peek edition,’ I’ll give it to you."

Su Ming’an picked it up to see that it contained twelve white pills.

"If you hear whispering, take one. These drugs are not cheap, only those with resources can afford to keep them on hand," Su Rin said. "The freedom and democracy of the city-state today are indeed a lie. Why are those with lower personas so prone to emotional overload? Because they can’t even afford the drugs."

Su Ming’an clicked the medicine box shut; he was not affected by the so-called whispering for the time being, which likely would be a hassle in the later stages of the instance.

The longer they stayed in this world, the deeper these players could be ’assimilated,’ allowing the whispering to infiltrate them more easily.

That wasn’t right.

He suddenly remembered Noel’s situation.

If Noel had indeed heard whispering but hadn’t mentioned it... could that be the precursor to the blood-red in Noel’s eyes?

—Had Noel heard the whispering from Ta Wei, thereby his thoughts were influenced by Ta Wei and invaded?

How did this seem to relate to the rules of not to look, not to listen, not to understand? Direct encounters could influence the person and drive them mad...

He vaguely sensed something ominous.

Su Rin reached the top of the stairs, and after a scan of his pupils, the little door clicked open.

"—Ah, Su Rin, did you bring a newcomer?"

A lively voice came from inside.

It was a laboratory.

Several people in lab coats were inside. Upon hearing the door open, a young man with short hair, a round face, and almond eyes looked up. His face bore a childishness that didn’t quite fit his age.

"Is he our new colleague? Or a new student you’ve brought in? I heard you went to Luz Krabin Street in the Second Ring District, did you find a promising newbie...?" the handsome young man said, then caught sight of Su Ming’an who had followed Su Rin inside.

At that moment, Su Ming’an could almost hear the young man’s jaw drop with a "clang" onto the floor.

The handsome young man went silent instantly, recognizing Su Ming’an.

"Is he called Su Rin?" Su Ming’an looked toward Su Rin.

"I don’t like the names others give me," Su Rin explained indifferently.

...Oh.

Truly a proud former deity, he scorned even using the NPC name of his possessed character, insisting on his original name, Su Rin.

"This is Dong, who is often overwhelmed by emotions. He was about to be disposed of, but the Sanctuary uncovered his talent for making drugs, maintaining his mental state," Su Rin pointed to the childish-looking young man.

"Hello," Su Ming’an said.

"..." Dong stared at him, motionless.

...

[NPC (Dong) Favorability: 90+5]

...

Seeing this value, Su Ming’an was somewhat surprised.

Next to him, a researcher named Hang Qi spoke, his initial favorability was only 30 points: "Su Rin, you really are reckless," Hang Qi said, referring to Su Rin allowing Acto to enter the Sanctuary amid city-wide alerts.

"Mind your own business," Su Rin simply ignored him, continuing to point at people as he introduced them:

"Then, over here are Ming Zhi, Mo Ji, and Ying. This is Karlsa, all colleagues of mine—by the way, during the early establishment of the Dawn System, their parents were part of the conservative class that opposed the Dawn System, wanting to completely destroy it before its governance had even been established. However... as is obvious, they failed, leaving behind only this group of destitute children."

...Your introduction is quite blunt.

Su Ming’an glanced at the researchers beside him. Having their family backgrounds directly pointed out, there was no sign of embarrassment on their faces.

"It’s okay," said a researcher with raven-black hair, Ming Zhi. "At that time, Doomsday City was turbulent, and there indeed was a long-standing factional struggle between the conservative and innovative factions inside the city. But it was all resolved by you, the City Lord. We were too young then to harbor any hatred."

"The failure of our parents was expected. I had even advised my father not to get involved with the rebel army against Dawn..." The middle-aged man, Mo Ji, leaned against the wall. He seemed to want a cigarette but dared not light one, his eyes slightly weathered: "The transformation brought by the Dawn System was a step forward in time. It was impossible to stop."

...Truly a case of filial obedience.

Su Ming’an realized that these people indeed didn’t hate him; their favorability rating was all above 40, even though Acto had eradicated their ancestors.

If a new era were to replace the old, there would undoubtedly be bloodshed. In history, the rise of the hero Yasa Acto in Doomsday City was certainly not smooth. If Acto intended to replace the previous human governance and completely surrender humanity to the guidance of the Dawn System, a fierce backlash from the existing ruling class was inevitable.

...However, these former leadership groups clearly failed to resist successfully, vanishing beneath the wheels of history.

That era, that period of time... it must have been a fervently revolutionary era lived in blood and fire.

Human governance versus mechanical governance, changing of eras, keepers of secrets versus traitors, rule of city-states versus espionage from the outsiders, military versus factions... The period sacrificed and fostered countless idealists and heroes.

History is always written by the victors.

Yasa Acto won, and the governance of the Dawn System was successfully established. So the conservative class disappeared into the dust of history...

Leaving behind their descendants, generation after generation, integrating into the current life, no longer contemplating senseless resistance, they built up a harmonious and peaceful City of Measurement.

Such an epic piece of history.

It’s a pity that Su Ming’an is at a point in time where the City of Measurement has already been successfully established, thus he could not witness that most chaotic part of history.

However, his current point in time could also be considered a new "changing of eras," because now Yasa Acto is no longer needed.

He seems to be destined to become ’dust’ of history, just like the previous conservative class.

"But speaking of which, my age..." Su Ming’an muttered to himself.

The appearance of Acto had always seemed young, showing no marks of the passage of time.

If considering this timeline, this City Lord, who rose from obscurity, leading Doomsday City to defeat ten Upper Towns, and toppling conservatism internally to develop the City of Measurement to this point... His age must be quite considerable.

...Right, the "Dream Making" project.

At the start of the instance, Su Ming’an had discovered that Yasa Acto was the person in charge of the "Dream Making" project, which advocated extracting human DNA to free oneself from the physical constraints.

This meant that Acto must be a direct beneficiary of this project. He could live a very long time.

...That makes sense.

Meanwhile, Su Rin was requesting coffee from a robot.

"Two cups of coffee, both without sugar. Ah, Su Ming’an, you don’t drink coffee with sugar, right? I shouldn’t have misjudged your taste?" Su Rin said.

"...I am surprised by your keeping up with the times," Su Ming’an said, "You’ve started drinking coffee too."

"It’s a pity you’re a lightweight, otherwise I could have ordered you a drink. Karlsa’s rye whiskey is quite good, but you’ll probably never get to taste it," Su Rin said.

"Yes, it’s a shame not to enjoy such privileges, but the toy manufacturing here should also be decent. I could reserve a batch of differently styled Barbie dolls for you..."

"—Look outside," Su Rin suddenly said.

Su Ming’an turned his head and glanced through the window next to him at the world outside.

The city-state was engulfed in night, with the central building of the Core Area, a 132-story cubic structure, piercing the clouds. It stood tall among the deep gray mist, forming a cityscape with the corridor bridges and light rails.

Closer by, 26 unmanned light rails sped by, alongside six central broadcasting towers and the mechanical fist statues representing the City of Measurement.

High-hanging billboards cycled through advertisements such as "Sanctuary’s newly developed emotion-stabilizing agents," "Per-Click Reading Machines," "High-Profit White Refrigerators," and even more consumer-friendly ads like instant noodles, canned fast-food, home furnishings, and brand clothing...

Looking at such a City of Measurement,

—for a moment, Su Ming’an felt like he was back in Zhai Xing City.

Ignoring the massive machinery and the bionic people walking around, this city-state’s style resembled a modern Zhai Xing City, just with more corridor bridges and light rails, creating a deeply affable atmosphere.

...This is Acto’s city-state.

This is the modern city where people can survive, breathe amidst steel and concrete, and pursue personal values and happiness.

If one didn’t closely observe the heaps of trash in The Fringe, the city seemed immensely prosperous. People getting off the night shift boarded the light rail, white-collar workers picked hot drinks from vending machines, men and women came out for a smoke after dancing in bars, and unmanned drones carrying packages flew through the night sky...

"Whoosh—"

The light rail sped past, causing the shadows of the trees to tremble and sway.

"What do you want me to see?" Su Ming’an asked.

Su Rin sipped her coffee, "You see, this city is wonderful, most people have found happiness, you needn’t dwell on the suffering of a few—you are the City Lord now, the lives of all citizens have been saved by you, they belong to you, and any of your principles ought to be satisfied."

Su Ming’an squinted.

...Was Su Rin comforting him?

It seemed she had noticed his emotional condition wasn’t good.

Through the slightly reflective glass, he blinked and saw a flash of crimson in his eyes.

...

[Outside the City・Danger Zone]

A blond-haired young man stumbled through an area like a desert.

This was the Danger Zone, where turbulent layers thrived and bizarre scenes were common, the environment was extremely hostile, and people’s lives were constantly threatened.

Noel sped past several skeletons of travelers, ignored the survivors pleading for help, and kept moving towards the outermost area, advancing continuously...

Finally, after a long trek, he stopped.

He had reached the ’end of the world’.

"Ah." Noel stared blankly at the scene that unfolded before him.

He slowly stepped forward, his legs weakened, and he half-knelt down.

His shoulders shook violently, and moments later, he let out a stifled, almost collapsing sob.

"So, this world..."

"What to do, Su Ming’an, we..."

"..."