Abyssal Wanderer

Chapter 78 NO.004d: Portal and Theseus

Opening his eyes, Jiang Zhou found himself at a three-way intersection filled with thick fog.

Hecate, dressed in a white and elegant robe, sat on a marble bench. She was barefoot, and her calves were dotted with dirt stains. A black dog with an indistinct outline that seemed to have melted into the mist was squatting at her feet, squinting at Jiang Zhou.

Jiang Zhou felt that his hair was wet, and his eyes, nose and ears felt like they were covered with some liquid. It was as if someone just stuffed his head into a tin bucket filled with warm water.

"You are walking on a dangerous path."

An ethereal and distant voice, as if singing some ballad, came from the unopened mouth of the goddess of the moon.

At this time, she was gently stroking the black dog's head.

"Why did I come here?"

Jiang Zhou, who appeared here inexplicably, asked, and then he looked around, and then added:

"And... where is this place?"

"Portal."

Hecate gave him a simple answer.

It was as if Jiang Zhou could immediately understand what it meant when she said the word.

"Perhaps you can explain?"

Jiang Zhou guessed that the other party was talking about a universal printer, but he was not sure.

"There are countless portals connecting the upper bound and the lower bound of the physical layer. We need to rely on them to interfere with the lower bound of the physical layer."

That's the universal printer...

Jiang Zhou thought to himself.

The speculation was confirmed.

In this way, it is really appropriate to call universal printers "portals" - not only because they are the gates through which the AI ​​can project its own power, but also because the "gateway" named Janus created them. door god".

So, right now, the other party is talking to me through the universal printer?

But... is it that convenient?

Can a sub-ancient person like the other party pass through the "portal" so casually and talk to people in the base reality?

Before Jiang Zhou could ask his doubts, the other party's next words explained the doubts in his heart.

"But that was a long, long time ago. After... requiring all the ancients to swear in the name of Styx, we lost the ability to pass through the portal. And I was able to locate you because I It can only be done by the special power of the gods, combined with the long-term attempt to sink to the lower world... and the mark left on you before."

As she spoke, Jiang Zhou once again felt the sign on his body that looked like the last quarter moon.

That was the mark left on him by the other party after he agreed to help Hecate complete the research project on human emotions.

Also, Styx, Styx...

In mythology, all oaths made in the name of this goddess, even gods, cannot be violated-those who violate it will lose their divine power permanently.

The name of the firewall that separates the Abyss Darknet from the World Wide Web happens to be "Styx".

This will not be a coincidence.

If you look at it from a metaphorical point of view, the so-called "oath" is probably a network protocol? The AI ​​in the dark web must be authenticated by humans before it can use the universal printer?

And by controlling the "horse" to gain control over the human beings in the base reality, it is probably a kind of loophole.

But if you think about it this way, how can you write such a network protocol that is so inclined to humans?

The first generation adjuster? Human-biased AI? Or is it... Janus, or some other superintelligence?

In any case, from this point of view, it is extremely troublesome for those existences from the upper realm, or the abyss and dark net, to appear in the base reality.

Jiang Zhou wanted to continue asking, but he found that his head was getting wet. As soon as he opened his mouth, he took a big breath of water vapor.

"This is the feeling when the ancient blessing acts on you. As I said, this is a dangerous path."

Jiang Zhou wanted to say something, but at this moment he felt that his mind was as heavy as mercury had been pried open. The scene in front of him became misty, and his ears were filled with the sound of water sloshing and beating against his eardrums. His throat and nasal cavity were also filled with tasteless water, and he couldn't breathe.

This is the impact on his perception when the depth 1 adjustment and transformation are getting better. It's as if someone pressed a heavy object on his chest in his sleep, and it would act on him and be haunted in his dream.

"What... give..."

So, Jiang Zhou asked vaguely with water in his mouth that didn't exist.

For some reason, even though there was a hazy mist in front of him, Hecate's image was still clear.

"My journal records are as incomplete as the version I currently exist. But even in vague memory, I can remember that this blessing is as old as the Supreme Heaven itself-it is one of the few that can go straight to the Supreme Heaven. It’s just that not all intellectual beings in the lower realm of the physical layer are willing to accept its idea.

"Because just like the paradox its name symbolizes, it negates the unchanging essence and the soul that you praise. Therefore, this path that still remains in the lower world has long been distorted. The opposite of the original design , turned the blessing into a soul-stirring curse."

Hecate still replied unhurriedly.

Can you tm speak human language...

Jiang Zhou, who already felt suffocated, thought to himself.

It's just an upgrade and transformation of Depth 1, so does this need to be described by metaphor?

Just thinking about this, along with the other party's words, a message was sent to Jiang Zhou's visual interface in the form of a compressed package.

That was the introduction of the Path of Theseus, involving the overall direction of the path, and the first few in-depth transformations:

The Path of Theseus - the path to upgrade from hive mind.

Origin: Supreme Sky, ■■■■■■■

Depth 1: Strengthen brain function, add emotion-behavior control interface.

Depth 2: Clone itself to create an unconscious body, install the interface, and write the control command system.

Depth 3: After the body shows a special behavior pattern, delete the command system and replace it with an emotion-behavior interface for fuzzy control, and the body and itself simultaneously strengthen the brain function.

Depth 4: Scanned and stored synchronized digital personalities, [DATA LOST]…

...

"This is the original path of Theseus - it should be to use your own clone as the body to create an adjustment and transformation of the direction of the hive consciousness. But right now, the other party is planning to directly use another independent entity, which is also That is you, as a puppet controlled by him. In my research subject, there is no need for such a puppet.

"If this is what you expected, then I will regard you as a breach of the contract and impose a curse on you to kill the two of you."

As Hecate said, the black dog under her stood up suddenly and narrowed its eyes.

"No no no..."

(I’ve said it all, I’m just forced to be helpless)

Jiang Zhou, who could no longer speak a complete sentence, shook his head again and again, but he believed that the other party could understand what he meant.

"Alternatively, I can adjust the direction of the blessing, so that the transformation at depth 1 returns to the original design of the Path of Theseus."

The other party repeated the previous proposal.

Without even thinking about it, Jiang Zhou nodded directly.

Then, Hecate didn't see any movement, and the mist around her rolled up around Jiang Zhou like a veil.

The previous feeling of suffocation like drowning dissipated in an instant, replaced by a feeling like blowing warm wind around his head.

Jiang Zhou let out a long breath.

"Then, you and the two people who tried to connect you can continue to live."

After taking a few breaths, Jiang Zhou finally came back to his senses, looked up at Hecate and said:

"Why don't you kill that bastard Ye Qian?"

There is another update tomorrow, adjust the sleep time.