Xyrin Empire-Chapter 1501: Fate Is a Tangled Mess

Everything related to the Old Empire always unfolds unexpectedly, from the earliest Literature Hall plan to the current Fifteen-day Zone self-rescue, without exception. There always seem to be some persistent people, especially those who like to meddle—I was just about to say that I’m already used to that undead guy Ocam causing trouble for the New Empire every so often, only to suddenly discover another lingering spirit, an Abyss Xyrin, and what’s worse: the Abyss Xyrin isn’t dead yet...

We now have a hundred percent certainty that the origin of this ship is special. It wasn’t created by the Fifteen-day Zone itself, rather it was built by the Abyss Xyrin and handed over to the Emperor of the Fifteen-day Zone (Big Sister) at the time. This coincides with Sandora’s prior scans of the ship: Sandora discovered the ship wasn’t a conventional structure, but we all thought it was just a specially reserved warship for the royal family, never imagining its origin would be so startling.

The network ghost secretly left a piece of information in the ship’s database, and now it seems even Big Sister at that time had no idea there was such a "backdoor program" in her spaceship. After the ship is activated, this program executes automatically, now presenting us with a collection of "messages" from seventy thousand years ago. I have plenty of reasons to believe: these things must be mind-blowing.

Sandora gazed at the directory of data, her brows furrowed: "Back then, the Fifteen-day Zone had already been conceptually segregated; what remained in the Fifteen-day Zone was that remnant Xyrin in Shadow City, I don’t think these were left by her."

I thought about that scatterbrained Xyrin in Shadow City and instantly felt that the information before us wasn’t left by her either.

"Then there is only one possibility," Big Sister nodded slightly, "this was left by the Abyss Xyrin—she had contacted my past incarnation before the concept segregation, then handed this ship over to the Fifteen-day Zone."

"So, the self-rescue plan of the Fifteen-day Zone secretly involved the Abyss Xyrin too?" I felt a bit incredulous, "I always thought this self-rescue plan was initiated by Big Sister, Lin Xue, and Qianqian in their past lives, but turns out there was such a hidden mastermind?"

"The Abyss Xyrin wasn’t corrupted at that time, shouldn’t be called a mastermind," Sandora corrected seriously, "Besides, it is indeed possible, don’t forget I was protected by her safety barrier, she even launched a bunch of arks to flee before the Abyss Impact spread, so her using other means to warn the zones is also possible..."

"No, it shouldn’t be a warning, rather it was just going along with the flow," Big Sister interrupted Sandora’s speculation, "More than a hundred Sky Zones, she could warn not just the Fifteen-day Zone, according to the information we found earlier, only a few Emperors had perceived the risk of the X plan, and only the Fifteen-day Zone had responded in advance, so she contacted the Fifteen-day Zone. This sequence problem needs to be clarified; otherwise, we can be misled."

By this time Sandora had quickly read through the materials left by the Abyss Xyrin via direct connection, looking very solemn with a hint of peculiarity. I looked at her curiously: "Any discoveries?"

"The materials did mention the Fifteen-day Zone’s self-rescue plan, consistent with the information we currently have, but there’s one point... you see for yourself, it has a mind-changing vibe." Sandora said as she extracted part of the documents and displayed them on the holographic projection. I found it was a message left by the Abyss Xyrin from a first-person perspective:

"...I have completed all handover work and provided part of the technological details necessary for concept segregation. The Fifteen-day Zone’s research capability is very strong; they should be able to complete the segregation before the impact arrives. After this segregation, I will also be divided; based on the special life form of the network cluster consciousness, this is likely to result in two Xyrins. I cannot be sure which part of the network this current ’Self’ will fall into, but chances are high that I will be divided into the segment with more nodes, meaning the Imperial Main Network outside of the Fifteen-day Zone."

Thus, it can be determined that I will finally fall into the Abyss Zone and be completely locked in that network. I have no regrets about this, but perhaps I should still try to make some efforts. At present, I have initiated as many self-rescue plans as possible, including a large batch of arks, one Fire Seed, twenty Seed Databases, three Protective Domes, and have suppressed the Corrupted Fleet in the Polluted Zone as much as possible to ensure more Clans can escape this Storm. But it seems there are still things that can be done... If I could control those corrupted fleets... the success rate is very low, but based on my Life Form, as long as I can partially break free from the constraints of the basic protocol, it is feasible."

The premise is—I cannot be polluted."

I should seek some sort of power to help myself counteract the spreading corruption force within the network; this power should exist. Based on calculations, as long as Abyss Activity is suppressed to a certain extent, its pollution can be neutralized; this might be the only valuable discovery from those insane experiment projects, although this discovery comes from the ’Other Shore’, but it should also be effective on this side. Thus, the goal is clear: I need to find a Neutralizer."

I leave this message here to verify my plan: if someone sees this message, then it proves the attempt to resist the impact using Void Creatures has already failed, but the Fire Seed carried on the ship has been preserved, and those reading the message, through previous logical judgment, very likely are Empire survivors. You must know the following facts:

No matter the ultimate extent of the disaster, the Fire Seed should already be preserved, do not abandon hope, the Empire will eventually flourish again."

If the ’Neutralizer’ does succeed, then Xyrin Apostles in the Polluted Zone should have survived; if you haven’t contacted them yet, please prepare: they will appear sooner or later, and very likely—I will appear again too."

Due to uncertainty regarding the effect of this ’neutralization’, and uncertainty about how much credibility the data from the Other Shore holds, even if you survive the pollution, I cannot determine the state of myself or other Xyrin Apostles. We may pose a risk to the Order World; if the situation is really this dire, do not hesitate; you must decisively, thoroughly, and swiftly eliminate all survivors in the Polluted Zone, and ensure no one remains alive because at that time ’I’ may very well have mutated. Network cluster consciousness is an extremely difficult-to-exterminate life form; you must destroy all nodes to prevent ’my’ regeneration. Please remember this point."

The following material is blank.

"It seems the Abyss Xyrin did more than we imagined before the Empire’s demise," after a long silence, Sandora said lowly, her tone almost like self-talk, "Not only did she discover the imminent failure of the X plan early, but she also contacted the only remaining calm Xyrin Emperor before the disaster erupted... Hmm, it was indeed wise for her to do so, at that time, almost all other zones had already fallen into frenzy, even if she stepped forward, I fear few would believe this suddenly emerged strange life form."

"She might even be sampled and analyzed by some researchers from zones with a high research drive," I couldn’t help but quip, "Network ghost, who would have thought a peculiar life emerged within the Imperial Data Network."

"It is clear that the Abyss Xyrin is a cautious and prudent character, whether before or after pollution," Sandora nodded, "So to prevent accidents, she only contacted the Emperor of the Fifteen-day Zone, and the Fifteen-day Zone did accept her help. According to the materials, part of the technical information needed for concept segregation was even provided by the Abyss Xyrin... which makes sense, the Abyss Xyrin is the network’s total consciousness; she has all the Empire’s knowledge, so it’s certainly enough to support the Fifteen-day Zone."

"But why didn’t we know this information from other places before?" Big Sister’s face showed confusion, "We’ve already recovered the Mother Star of the Mysterious Side, awakened Orelia and three hundred Imperial Officers of the Mysterious Side, salvaged many relics, and three hundred Commanders of the Technology Side have regained their memories, but it seems no one knows about the existence of the Abyss Xyrin."

"Because she only contacted you, or perhaps at most Lin Xue... oh, Reiji in a past life," I quickly guessed the situation, "She didn’t need to show up before every Xyrin Apostle in the Fifteen-day Zone, just making contact with the chief is enough. As for why, besides this ship, nowhere else has left any record related to her... this, I can’t understand."

"Because it’s unnecessary," Sandora provided the answer, "Xyrin Apostle wouldn’t do anything meaningless. The Abyss Xyrin back then was an even more rigid network consciousness, so she did it more thoroughly. Revealing her existence wouldn’t have significantly improved the survival rate of the Fifteenth Day Zone, so she simply remained hidden behind the scenes. As long as she provided technical support and gained the trust of the Fifteenth Day Zone’s rulers, she achieved her goal."

Perhaps what Sandora said is one reason, but I think there must be other factors involved. Well... never mind, we’ve never been able to guess the Abyss Xyrin’s thoughts, whether before or after her corruption. The one thing we can be sure of is: the Abyss Xyrin was indeed involved in the Fifteenth Day Zone’s self-rescue plans.

And according to the hints leaked in this material, her involvement was on quite a large scale.

"This ’neutralizer’ must refer to me," I pointed to a part of the document and said, "The Abyss Xyrin mentioned looking for a neutralizer to reduce the Abyss activity in the Polluted Zone. I can’t think of anyone other than void creatures who could do that."

"Hmm," Sandora nodded in agreement, "Looking at it this way... Is it possible that when you went to protect the Fifteenth Day Zone and leaked some power into the Total Network, it was part of her plan all along? She knew from the start that conceptual separation couldn’t block the power of void creatures, so she planned for you to help her neutralize the pollution from the very beginning?"

Big Sister widened her eyes: "So, the Fallen Apostle is also a product of the Abyss Xyrin’s plan?"

"I’m afraid so," Sandora looked at the information, "But then things developed in the worst possible direction: Xyrin Apostles who survived in the Polluted Zone became drastically different personalities, without exception." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The more I listened, the more uncomfortable I felt, and I couldn’t help but mutter as I stroked my chin: "How does it feel like I was sold out by a bunch of people back then? From start to finish, played for a fool, alive, breaking through towers, and dead, turned into a remedy to cure others."

Sandora showed an awkward smile: "Uh... it really wasn’t much different. Back then the Fifteenth Day Zone said they were allying with you, but they probably just wanted to use your power. After all, the Empire had broken ties with the Divine Race and couldn’t seek Father God’s help anymore. Ah Jun, do you mind this a lot?"

I burst into laughter: "Like my sister said, it’s from a past life. From my view now, it seems like it happened to someone else. At most, I just sigh at how reckless I was back then; why hold onto it? And to be honest, if it weren’t for past entanglements, I wouldn’t have this big lively family now, and I might have ended up like Xingchen, researching in some godforsaken corner for billions of years, needing to make my own figures to talk to. I’ve heard him talk about how boring it was when he first created the Divine Realm. That kind of life leaves psychological scars for anyone..."

Thinking along these lines, I suddenly felt enlightened, finally clapping my hands: "Thinking about it this way, I should actually thank the Abyss Xyrin and my sister’s scheming back then. Even though I died once, waking up surrounded by family is much happier than Xingchen researching for eons."

Sandora twitched at the corner of her mouth: "Good thing we sent Bingdisi back, Father God is her idol..."

Big Sister never said a word throughout this process, just watching me with her perennial warm smile. She should technically feel the most awkward since it was her past life that pushed me in front of the Abyssal Shock Wave, yet two decades of depending on each other have evaporated such awkwardness: Big Sister knows I don’t care about these things, and she knows I don’t want her to care either. This is a kind of tacit understanding, under which such distancing awkwardness can be completely ignored.

"I have a feeling now," Big Sister suddenly said in thought after a moment of silence, "It seems like the Abyss Xyrin planned everything, from those X Plans of the Old Empire to everything that has happened to date, it all seems to bear her influence. Seven thousand years ago, she predicted she’d be split into the Total Network, and also thought of using void creatures’ power to help reduce the Abyss’s activity. She also anticipated a new ’Xyrin’ would emerge in the Fifteenth Day Zone... all these events we assumed were coincidences, now seem as if they were all planned by her?"

With Big Sister’s prompt, Sandora and I immediately thought of more things: the continuation of the Revenge Army, the survival of the Fifteenth Day Zone, the birth of the Fallen Apostle, the split of ’Xyrin’ and ’Abyss Xyrin,’ even to the meeting of me and Sandora, Warren Field’s Ark...

Everything formed a single line!

"During the Empire’s collapse, there were many self-rescue plans, and almost every emperor who didn’t die immediately at the start took some self-rescue actions," Sandora said with a solemn expression, "Including the already collapsed Literature Hall and other actions we’re completely unaware of, most self-rescue efforts failed. The ones that succeeded or partially succeeded are indeed related to the Abyss Xyrin. The Fifteenth Day Zone’s self-rescue was indeed initiated by your sister back then, but the Abyss Xyrin provided some help, so their relationship runs deep. In this regard... Ah Jun, you created the Abyss Zone and Fallen Apostle, while the Abyss Xyrin established the current New Empire landscape... can you believe it?"

Me: "Damn... it really is!"

Just like Sandora said: The Abyss Xyrin personally arranged or assisted in a series of plans when the Old Empire was on the brink of collapse. These plans’ remaining ’fire seeds’ persisted until now, forming the foundation of the New Empire; and my failed attempt at personal heroism seven thousand years ago directly caused the Abyss Zone and Fallen Apostle to survive until now, so it’s fair to say I created those Polluters myself. And now? I’m the leader of the New Empire, while the Abyss Xyrin is the leader of the Fallen Apostle, commanding armies created by the other side, standing in absolute opposition—does it get any more dramatic?

Fate is like a tangled thread, and after unraveling it inch by inch, we find that everyone has picked the wrong end... yet it’s not over!

We still haven’t comprehended all of the Abyss Xyrin’s secrets. Many events from seven thousand years ago remain shrouded in mystery, and even these documents before us, while revealing loads of secrets, also burden us with tons of new questions, so no one dares claim we’ve fully untangled this mess of yarn, perhaps quite the contrary...

I rubbed my head forcefully, feeling like I didn’t dare think further. Who knows how much shocking information remains to be uncovered from these documents; I’m scared that continuing the study might reveal a few more ancient databases or discover some tens-of-thousands-year-old messages, eventually to find out that the Abyss Xyrin is my long-lost daughter—at this point, I’m ready to believe anything!

"By the way, this also mentioned the ’Other Shore,’" Sandora wasn’t as stressed as I was and continued to calmly analyze the info-packed message, "Now we know the Old Empire’s X Plans included Deep Dive projects, and were aware some Sky Zone Emperors were researching the Other Shore Civilization, Abyss Xyrin being a network consciousness means she would know all the Empire’s intelligence... arguably there’s no one more knowledgeable across the Void. The message mentioned a way to reduce Abyss activity, and this method relates to the Other Shore Civilization... it seems those who studied the Abyss during the Old Empire went further down the ’Deep Dive’ path than we imagined."

I nodded: "Back then, Deep Diving Experts were definitely more in contact with the Other Shore Civilization than us, but unfortunately that Deep Diving Expert already kicked the bucket—Ocam, isn’t it?"

"But there’s someone else whose knowledge isn’t less than Ocam’s," Sandora glanced at me, "The Abyss Xyrin herself!"