Chapter 63: Dangerous Object S-001
South Mainland, Gaman City.
“What did you say? The Western Continent is sinking?”
In a luxurious bedroom, an old man rose from his bed. He was one of the actual controllers of the Southern Alliance.
“Yes, my lord.”
A voice came from within the shadows. After a moment, a thud sounded from the bedroom. The Western Continent was about to sink, and the Soul Crystals had been given away for nothing.
...
The light before Su Xiao’s eyes twisted. When his vision recovered, he was standing on a stone platform, surrounded by numerous researchers in rubber jumpsuits.
This was a massive warehouse covering several thousand square meters. The array on the central stone platform gradually dimmed. The Eclipse Organization used this method to transport Alliance soldiers to the front lines.
Su Xiao, Bubu Wang, Amu, Baha, and Liechao exited the massive warehouse. After passing through a forest path, they arrived at the southernmost part of Gaman City, where a stretch of low-rise buildings came into view.
A vehicle from the Execution Agency had been waiting for some time. Su Xiao got in and headed straight for the Agency’s headquarters.
When the vehicle stopped, Su Xiao saw a large pit in the courtyard of the headquarters. The pit was surrounded by bloodstains and shredded flesh. Several Transcendents had been cut to pieces here.
Entering the headquarters, Su Xiao saw broken glass everywhere, along with wounded personnel and medical staff. Xianji had forcefully broken in, then fought her way out.
“Belloc, besides S-005 escaping, what other losses are there?”
Hearing Su Xiao’s words, Vice Officer Belloc said seriously:
“The losses in the containment vault aren’t significant. The thief’s target was the data library. She stole some of the dangerous object files, including the data on S-009, recent intelligence on S-109, and…”
“Wait, S-109? The Gazing Eye?”
Su Xiao recalled that it was because of this dangerous object that he had entered this world. Previously, in the Real World, he had dealt with the Gazing Eye but hadn’t destroyed it. The dangerous object had been sucked away by a spatial force, leaving only residual ash.
“Yes, my lord. A few days ago, traces of S-109 were discovered in the Eastern Continent. Personnel have been dispatched to handle it. As long as its growth is suppressed in the early stages, S-109’s threat is minimal.”
Vice Officer Belloc handed over a file. Su Xiao glanced through it briefly and walked toward the inner part of the headquarters. He needed to enter the containment vault to see Dangerous Object S-001, known as “The World’s Listening.”
The origin of Dangerous Object S-001 (The World’s Listening) could be traced back to the Kingdom Era. Every era had traces of this thing.
In the Kingdom Era, Dangerous Object S-001 was a quill pen. In the Great Voyage Trade Era, it transformed into a compass. In the early Alliance Era, it became a fountain pen.
Now, with the advancement of technology, Dangerous Object S-001 had turned into an old-fashioned typewriter.
No matter the era, Dangerous Object S-001 could foresee the future, sometimes with 100% accuracy, sometimes 0%.
The way S-001 foresaw was this: within its rules, the future had infinite possibilities, and it could foresee one of them.
For example, take an apple. If someone took a bite, the apple would become nutrients in the body. But if no one picked it, the apple would rot under the tree, and its seeds would grow a new apple tree.
These were two different futures. S-001 could foresee one of them. Once it succeeded in foreseeing, starting from a certain point, the subsequent events would match the vision exactly. This was the terrifying aspect of S-001.
Was S-001 a treasure? The Atos family once thought so, so they actively used S-001, beginning to rewrite their own futures.
Everything came true. For instance, a member of the Atos family wrote in the Kingdom Era that he would obtain a future of 10 million gold coins. As a result, he suddenly did receive 10 million gold coins. But after that, every single gold coin he subsequently earned would vanish into thin air.
This was more like borrowing from the gold coins he would earn in the future. It seemed harmless, but it wasn’t. What if that Atos family member couldn’t earn 10 million gold coins in his lifetime?
Simple: he would make up the difference with his own life and soul. If his own weren’t enough, he’d use his family’s. If theirs weren’t enough, he’d borrow from friends. If friends weren’t enough, he’d borrow from those around him. If those around him weren’t enough, he’d borrow from everyone in the same world.
Everything had a price. Someone had once attempted to alter the future, and in that instant, all the residents of the city he was in died instantly.
The Ruge City sinkhole, the Doya Massacre, the Falling Star incident—these city-destroying tragedies were all attempts to cover up the consequences of someone using S-001 to alter the future.
Was using S-001 within limits safe? Not at all!
Human desires had no limits. The moment one touched S-001, their desires would expand like a bubble, eventually enveloping the entire world.
In Su Xiao’s view, S-001 had its limits. It could only affect this world, not others.
Under this premise, S-001 wasn’t an unsolvable existence. At least, that’s how Su Xiao saw it. His method of dealing with S-001 was simple: don’t touch it or actively use it.
The elevator operated, descending to the bottom. After a slight tremor, it opened, revealing an iron-black metal passage ahead.
Su Xiao took a badge from his collar. With a click, the badge adhered to the wall beside him, and the chaotic energy fluctuations ahead receded.
Turning a corner in the metal passage, Su Xiao saw a heavy metal table with a gloomy-looking man sitting behind it.
The gloomy man made as if to stand, but Su Xiao raised his hand. The gloomy man nodded and said nothing more.
After passing four guard posts and eight lift doors, Su Xiao finally entered the containment vault.
A floral scent wafted over, spreading sorrow through the air. It was Dangerous Object S-114, a plant that was also a drama queen.
Ignoring S-114, Su Xiao walked down the corridor. On both sides were metal doors, each with a number. The first underground level of the containment vault held A-class dangerous objects, the second level held most S-class dangerous objects, and the third level held S-class dangerous objects with sequences within 20.
After passing through over a dozen more checkpoints, Su Xiao reached the third underground level. There were only twenty rooms here, most of them empty. At the innermost part, a metal door was stamped with “001.”
Su Xiao placed his hand on the metal door. White threads spread onto his hand. After a moment, the metal door slowly rose.
This was a 5-meter by 5-meter room. Aside from the metal platform in the center and the old-fashioned typewriter on it, the room was empty.
Su Xiao walked up to the metal platform, lit a cigarette, and waited.
Click~
A crisp sound came from inside the old typewriter, indicating that Dangerous Object S-001 (The World’s Listening) had been activated. There was no risk in this situation.
A wave enveloped Su Xiao, Bubu Wang, Amu, Baha, and Liechao. After a moment, several crisp sounds rang out, as if a few invisible threads had been snapped.
S-001 couldn’t probe the futures of Su Xiao, Bubu Wang, Amu, Baha, or Liechao, because none of them were from this world. This was consistent with Su Xiao’s speculation: S-001 was not omnipotent.
It was as if a thread extended far into the distance, and a branch of that thread pierced into Su Xiao’s arm. S-001 was foreseeing the future of someone connected to Su Xiao.
The future S-001 foresaw was just one possibility, not something that would definitely happen. Or rather, it was one of infinitely many possibilities.
As the invisible thread tightened, it seemed an invisible hand began to strike the typewriter’s keys. The typebars struck one by one, and a piece of parchment emerged from the roller, with characters imprinted on it.
The first line on the parchment had only a few words: “The fate of the deep sea, Gewei.”
S-001 was indicating a future for Colonel Gewei, someone who had intersected with Su Xiao.
“I am Gewei. If anyone finds this pressure-sealed canister floating up from the deep sea and sees this letter, consider it my last words and record. I have been buried in the deep sea for the Empire. My life has had two moments of glory: first, following Lord Kukulin Bai Ye on the expedition to the Western Continent, representing the Alliance to suppress that calamitous object; second, this letter I have left behind.”
“I may… be on the verge of madness, or perhaps I am already mad. But believe everything I have written. My will as an Imperial soldier has never yielded to the terrors and vastness of the deep sea…”
...
At the same time, one kilometer from the Execution Agency headquarters, atop a building.
A woman in sportswear stood there, tying her hair up with a rubber band. From her gritted teeth expression, she was in a bad mood. She opened the World Contact Platform.
Juehai (Watchful Paradise): “Yoke City A-class dangerous object handling event, interested parties contact me. Perception-type preferred.”
Guangmu (Holy Light Paradise): “Healing-type, want to cooperate?”
Juehai (Watchful Paradise): “Welcome.”
Jiasike (Death Paradise): “Guangmu, is the Gaman City matter handled?”
Guangmu (Holy Light Paradise): “No~ I’m so stupid. With places like Yoke City and Gaman City, I was stuck grinding in the Western Continent.”
...
A flood of messages appeared before Heiqiangwei. For some reason, she smiled strangely. It was the kind of smile that said, “I can’t be the only one suffering.” She had to share the “good news.”
Heiqiangwei (Reincarnation Paradise): “Everyone, let me tell you some ‘good news.’ Bai Ye is back in Gaman City. Hahahahaha…”
[Remaining free posts for today: 1/3.]
As soon as Heiqiangwei’s message was posted, the previously lively contact platform suddenly fell silent. After a long while, a message appeared.
Guangmu (Holy Light Paradise): “I hate, cannonballs.”