The resonance within the pure white void lasted for nine heartbeats.
When the light finally subsided, a tiny starlight mark appeared on the surface of every glowing cube.
That was a temporary permission tag left by the oath of starlight, ensuring that this hidden data could be safely carried and read in its entirety.
“Copying progress complete.” The data stream in Leng Ningxue's icy eyes slowly retracted as she pulled up a holographic report.
“Totaling 7,429,631 independent data units, covering three categories: civilization evolution branches, historical truth records, and experimental intervention logs.
After volume compression, they can be stored in the dawn's core database, but...”
She paused for a moment: “We need a more secure storage and dissemination plan.
Once this data is exposed to a network where residual monitoring from the experimental system still exists, it may trigger cleanup protocol alerts.”
“Bring it back to the Nest of a Thousand Mirrors.” Zi Yuan's voice was decisive.
“The mirror system left by the Silent Observer is essentially an information carrier independent of the Council's monitoring. Using Mirror Abyss fragments as a medium, we can establish an isolated data echo network.”
The lightning in Garel's right eye flickered slightly: “But the residents of the Nest of a Thousand Mirrors... are they ready to face such a truth?”
“No one can ever truly be ready,” Aurora said softly, the sunstone in her hand emitting a warm glow.
“But the truth will not disappear just because no one is there to receive it. The Mirror Tribe once swore to reflect reality; this is their mission, and it is also their salvation.”
Bai Cheng did not speak.
Her gaze fell upon that black cube.
【Main Experimental Protocol - Alpha】
【Execution Status: In Progress】
That line of silver code was still flowing, cold and precise, like a countdown sword hanging over everyone's heads.
But at this moment, beneath that line of code, a line of extremely faint, golden small characters quietly appeared, as if they might dissipate at any time:
【Unauthorized data replication behavior detected】
【Source: ST-774321-Ω (Terminal Variable)】
【Handling Suggestion: Observe and record variable behavior patterns, update predictive models】
“They are watching.” A chill flashed through Lu Duo's emerald eyes. “Those observers beyond the veil... they know we are here.”
“But they didn't stop us.” Yu Nian's pure heart vine gently wrapped around Lu Duo's wrist, transmitting soothing ripples. “Why?”
Abraham pushed his wheelchair to the front of the black cube.
His withered fingers hovered above the code; he didn't touch it, just watched quietly.
“Because to the higher-level observers, our resistance... is itself a part of the experimental data.”
His voice was very calm, so calm it made one's heart turn cold.
“Irrational resistance driven by emotion, group cognitive adjustment after the impact of truth, civilizations attempting to find new ways out amidst despair—these are all precious behavioral samples.”
“If we succeed, they can analyze the mechanism of 'unexpectedly breaking through the preset framework' to optimize future experimental designs.”
“If we fail, they will record the complete process of 'emotional variables eventually leading to system collapse' as a case study to argue for the superiority of rationality.”
He withdrew his hand, the spark deep within his gray eyes flickering amidst the cold analysis:
“No matter what we do, in their eyes, we are merely adding new fields... to an even larger database.”
A deeper silence fell over the pure white void.
This time, even the rotation of those glowing cubes seemed to slow down.
“So,” Qing Niao punched a nearby fiber optic connection node, lightning exploding into tiny electric arcs on his gauntlet, “after all this effort, we still can't escape the fate of being lab rats?”
“No.”
Bai Cheng finally spoke.
Her voice was light, yet like a blade, it sliced through the congealed silence.
“What Sage Abraham said is the logic of the observers.”
“But our logic is different.”
She walked to the black cube and ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) reached out, not to touch the code, but to press her hand over the small golden characters.
“If they want to watch, let them watch.”
“Let them see how we rage, how we struggle, and how we still choose to move forward after knowing everything is by design.”
“Let them see how we turn this data, judged as 'invalid,' into the sparks that ignite the next era.”
“Let them see how we turn an experimental ground into a home.”
Within her silver eyes, the reverse-flowing galaxy began to accelerate.
“They think they are observing variables.”
“But variables... will learn to observe the observers.”
The moment the words fell, a wisp of undefined light surged from Bai Cheng's palm.
That light did not attack the black cube; instead, it flowed backward along that line of golden characters, like an invisible hand, gently knocking... within the observers' monitoring channel.
The code on the surface of the black cube flickered violently.
Beside the golden characters, a new, even smaller silver-gray annotation suddenly emerged:
【Variable behavior pattern updated: Proactive observation counter-measure attempt】
【Threat level assessment: Extremely low (Current technological gap > 7 stages)】
【Recommended response: Continue observation, record the growth curve of this variable】
“Look,” Bai Cheng withdrew her hand, a very faint curve hooking at the corner of her mouth, “they've updated their records.”
“This means our actions are changing their database.”
“Even if it's just a line of annotation, the change... has already begun.”
Zi Yuan's scabbard lightly touched the ground, letting out a crisp ring.
“Then let them keep recording.”
She said, though her long blade remained in its sheath, her Tide-Breaking Blade Intent had already spread out like an invisible tide, as if declaring sovereignty over this void.
“When we've scribbled over the entire experimental ground until it's unrecognizable to them... let's see if their database can still hold it all.”
“Agreed.” Leng Ningxue pulled up a new navigation star chart, clearly marking the path back to the Nest of a Thousand Mirrors, along with potential data security nodes along the way.
“We need to leave the Mirror Abyss within seven sky-island hours. The mirror permissions left by the Silent Observer are decaying; once the entrance closes, we will be trapped here.”
“Then let's go.” Bai Cheng turned, taking one last look at those countless glowing cubes carrying denied possibilities. “Let's take them home.”
The dawn slowly backed out of the pure white void, passing through the entrance of the mirrored sphere and re-entering the darkness of the Mirror Abyss's depths.
Those massive mirrored cubes still hung in silence, but now, in the wake left by the dawn, the same image briefly appeared on the surface of every cube.
It was not experimental data, nor monitoring code, but the figures of everyone standing side by side on the bridge of the dawn.
The image lasted only for a moment before dissipating like ripples.
