Chapter 737: Overflow

The sudden abnormal fluctuations in the psychic network stirred a flicker of unease in Gawain’s mind.

Though this psychic network was originally created by the Sleepers—one of the three major dark cults—and by conventional standards was considered “evil,” tainted with bloodshed and forbidden knowledge during its construction, one undeniable fact remained: Gawain still needed it.

Countless scientific projects in Cecil were deeply intertwined with it.

Of course, Gawain had long been pushing to make the psychic network harmless and independently developed. So far, some progress had been made.

On one hand, experts like Kamail had confirmed through a combination of immersion pods and arcane network technology Gawain’s initial hypothesis: the psychic network didn’t necessarily require “brain slaves” — sacrificial victims — to operate. At its core, it was essentially a “cloud network” supported by numerous nodes. The so-called “brain slaves” were likely a byproduct of another plan devised by the Sleepers. On the other hand, Cecil’s own immersion pods and the ever-improving arcane network were rapidly advancing. Sooner or later, when Cecil had enough nodes of its own, Gawain would be able to build his own psychic network, creating an origin space that didn’t rely on leeching bandwidth from the Sleepers.

But all of this would take time.

Immersion pods were cutting-edge imperial technology, still costly and difficult to mass-produce. Currently, only a few research departments in the imperial capital had access to them, with just over a hundred units in operation. According to Kamail’s calculations, at least two to three thousand “brain nodes” needed to be connected simultaneously to form a stable psychic network — one capable of generating a “mental image world” similar to the Sleepers’ Dream City. This was no small feat.

It was said that biochemical technology recovered from the Nest of the End of All Things might help break through the bottleneck in artificial neural cords, but… would the psychic network even last that long?

Perhaps it was intuition, but Gawain felt that this latest anomaly in the psychic network was no ordinary glitch. Something big might be about to happen.

“My lord,” Daniel spoke cautiously, breaking the silence with a hint of tension, “have you realized something?”

Gawain glanced at him.

Indeed, the psychic network couldn’t fail right now — if nothing else, how would Daniel maintain contact?

This old mage was a covert asset Gawain had painstakingly cultivated, playing a crucial role in his many schemes against the Sleepers and the Typhon Empire. Since the Southern Integration War, the original 25th Production and Construction Brigade had been disbanded and turned into a genuine production unit, but the 25th Office of the Administration Bureau still operated under military intelligence. Its main task was to analyze intelligence Daniel sent back and devise plans against Typhon and the Sleepers. Daniel was the core of this operation — this line could not be compromised.

“No matter what, the psychic network cannot disappear now,” Gawain said gravely, locking eyes with Daniel. “I need it.”

Daniel immediately acknowledged: “Understood. I will do everything in my power to ensure its survival.”

After all this time, the Sleepers’ network security chief was finally taking the network’s safety seriously…

“If I’m right, the Sleepers’ pontiff and archbishops will soon come to consult with you,” Gawain nodded. “You’re the security chief. Although I suspect this network issue stems from deeper causes, probably unrelated to external intrusion, your expertise in psychic network technology has earned the high council’s trust. They may call on you to resolve the problem. When that happens, do your best — but remember to send intelligence to me promptly.

“Also, keep a close eye on those cultists who have been connected to the network for extended periods and showed anomalies. Even if their exams say they’re fine, I have a feeling it’s not that simple. They may have suffered serious subconscious damage that hasn’t surfaced yet.

“Be careful while doing this. Don’t show enthusiasm beyond your rank — avoid raising suspicion.”

“Rest assured, my lord,” Daniel smiled confidently — the kind of assured smile only the undisputed king of the 25th Office could wear. “I’m very experienced in this.”

…

At the edge of the Dream City.

A translucent, blurry barrier shrouded a leaf-strewn district. From outside, this border area of the Dream City appeared peaceful and serene, separated only by a “pause access” shield. Inside, normal maintenance and reconstruction were underway.

But within the barrier, the distorted, abnormal scenery was starkly different from the nearby normal streets.

A clear, sunny sky was overlaid with a murky, chaotic haze, as if corrupted water and clouds floated above the city. The ground was covered with uneven hexagonal prisms, many stripped of color, their surfaces dull gray or unsettlingly black. Once grand palaces piled up at the district’s far end, balconies, corridors, and stairways twisted and tangled into blocky masses. Shadowy, indistinct figures staggered through the chaotic streets like ghosts.

A serene woman in a white gown trimmed with gold stood at the edge of this warped district, quietly observing the misassembled geometric shapes and distorted colors. The air was heavy and still, yet her hair fluttered gently, as if a breeze from another dimension brushed her forehead — or perhaps she was merely a phantom, her true self elsewhere.

Beneath her feet, a trembling ring of noisy waves expanded and contracted erratically, as if the surrounding warped space tried to encroach on her position but was held back by a stronger force.

A Sleeper in a heavy black robe, wearing an owl mask, approached. From beneath the mask came a muffled voice: “Archbishop Gelfin, the corrupted zone has stabilized, but the boundary has expanded outward by about one-tenth of the Dream City — forming a very strange street that cannot be approached for sampling.”

Selina Gelfin nodded slightly and looked toward the distance.

She could see the bizarre street at the edge of the chaotic district, with its strange architecture. Figures moved back and forth along it. Beyond the street stretched an endless gray void, yet carriages and crowds crossed the invisible boundary as if the street led to some unseen but real world.

Selina knew where that street came from — it originated from Sandbox World No. 1.

No one knew what was happening inside Sandbox No. 1, what was brewing in that closed-off world, or even how much time had passed within it — a thousand years? Ten thousand? Or longer…

The archbishops only knew one thing—

“Sandbox No. 1 is still overflowing,” Selina said softly. “These leaked data are contaminating the normal network… This area can no longer be repaired. It must be completely reset.”

“Yes, Archbishop.”

The owl-masked Sleeper took his leave to prepare the reset. Another figure materialized beside Selina — a young man in a white robe, tall and slender, with black hair and scholarly monocle, calm and bookish.

“Archbishop Selina,” the black-haired man spoke, “the reset of Overflow Zone No. 2 has been completed.”

“I’m about to start the reset here as well, Archbishop Yuri,” Selina nodded. “It can’t be fixed — this is the only option.”

“Pardon my frankness, madam,” the young archbishop called Yuri bowed slightly. Though equal in rank, he seemed less senior than Selina, so his tone was respectful. “Resetting these zones only provides temporary relief — we should find a way to stop Sandbox No. 1.”

“I know. The pontiff knows. But nearly all emergency shutdown methods have failed. Sandbox No. 1 is still running, even merging with all other sandbox worlds,” Selina sighed. “When we pushed the time iteration multiplier to the limit, Sandbox No. 1 sealed itself off within minutes. Perhaps in those brief minutes, something powerful enough to oppose us was born inside — and that thing… does not want its history erased.”

Archbishop Yuri hesitated, then said quietly, “Archbishop Magnum proposed an emergency fuse plan, which has been submitted to the pontiff.”

“I know, but the pontiff won’t approve it — it’s essentially the same as the sandbox segmentation plan, just with more brain-dead sacrifices. It’s useless,” Selina shook her head. “Besides… the situation hasn’t reached its worst yet.”

“You mean… the ‘Delayer’?”

“Yes. The Delayer has taken effect. By reversing time iteration, Sandbox No. 1’s speed has been slowed to normal flow. We’re now on the same level as that thing. We still have time to test safer, more stable solutions,” Selina’s tone was calm but carried an unshakable authority. “Since Project Zero began, we’ve invested too much in this. Neither the pontiff nor I will abandon it lightly before the final step.”

Suddenly, a strange hum echoed through the air, interrupting their conversation.

Selina looked up to see all buildings and ground surfaces rapidly overlaid with a grid. Twisted structures were deleted in chunks, corrupted ground quickly restored to flat planes. The sky’s water and clouds dissolved into chaotic light particles. Within seconds, normal houses, streets, ground, and vegetation began to regenerate swiftly.

The district reset was complete.

In the blink of an eye, the chaotic city area returned to order, as if nothing had changed. The deadly overflow data and network contamination were thoroughly cleansed.

Selina and Yuri stood silently at the edge of the restored district for a moment.

“I’m afraid a few more of our brethren will have some short-term memories erased,” Yuri sighed. “Resets always come at a cost.”

Selina frowned. “Let’s hope this is the last time.”

“Archbishop Selina, regarding the security chief I mentioned at the last meeting… what do you think?”

“Daniel…” Selina Gelfin pondered briefly, then nodded. “I’ve been watching him closely. He’s a very talented mage and scholar, with unique insights into psychic network technology and network operation concepts. It’s a shame his talents were almost wasted before our network went live.”

“The security systems he developed, along with network addressing and multi-database technologies, have proven extremely effective,” Archbishop Yuri agreed, nodding. “Some of these technologies have even been applied in Project Zero. Several archbishops and I believe this man could play a key role in the crisis we’re facing.”

“He’s currently a bishop, but was only recently promoted…” Selina mused. “However, for talented individuals, we need not be bound by rules. Archbishop Yuri, do you personally think Daniel is reliable enough?”

“I believe he’s reliable,” Yuri said without hesitation. “I’ve looked into his background. He joined the order twenty years ago and has solid credentials. His external dealings in the real world are clean and trustworthy. He’s a loyal scholar devoted to the order’s research. In fact, if he weren’t reliable, he wouldn’t be in charge of security—you know how important that position is, Archbishop Selina. From my personal perspective, Bishop Daniel is very dependable. He’s loyal to our cause, highly capable, and deeply committed to the Soul Network.”

“Good. Then you’ll be the one to make contact,” Selina nodded. “But don’t rush. Observe him for a full cycle first. After all… this involves Project Zero. We need to be prepared to promote Daniel to ‘Archbishop.’”

“I understand.”

(Recently, some readers have encountered so-called paid groups, internal groups, or VIP groups claiming that paying to join grants early access to chapters. Here I want to clarify: I do not run any paid VIP groups in any form. Any group charging fees is fake, and there is no internal group offering early access to chapters—I don’t even have that many chapters prepared in advance myself.)

(The End of This Chapter)