Chapter 884: Rebellious Virtual Lives |
What Virtual Life Number Two said did indeed give Xiao Yu some inspiration. Although destroying Virtual Life Number One was an extremely difficult matter, and the chance of success was very low, it was still somewhat simpler than the task of exterminating all the replicates.
“That is indeed the case. Using inside support to achieve my objective is the only feasible method.” Xiao Yu pondered silently. “Perhaps I can also create a virus to trigger internal chaos at a critical moment. The spy equipment I planted inside the rear construction bases of the virtual life civilization can also serve as a bridge at a critical moment, linking my computational power to the network world of the virtual life civilization. My computational power can also directly launch an attack on their network. My fleet can also make deliberate movements to influence their internal troop deployments. Together with the rebels planted in advance inside the virtual life civilization, if several factors are combined, perhaps I really do have a chance of succeeding and killing Virtual Life Number One.”
“But before that, I still need to make some arrangements… Thanks to the fact that I destroyed most of the stars in the Maffei One Galaxy early on, this plan of mine now has a solid foundation for execution. But it is still not enough. The remaining stars also need to be destroyed by me. In any case, now that it has revealed the ability to gather resources from stellar ruins, the virtual life civilization is no longer interested in those stars. Destroying the stars will no longer be obstructed by Virtual Life Number One…”
There was something rather ironic about all this. Destroying the galaxy was something Xiao Yu had done from the very beginning. During the development of this whole incident, Xiao Yu had first come to believe that he had done useless work. After all, the virtual life civilization already had the ability to gather resources from stellar ruins, so what difference did it make whether he destroyed the galaxy or not?
But through a twist of fate, after Xiao Yu came up with a new plan, destroying the galaxy became a very critical and important part of it. If he had not destroyed the galaxy ahead of time, he would not have been able to force Virtual Life Number One into its current state, causing it to create too many virtual lives and thereby expose a flaw. And after Virtual Life Number One was eliminated, based on the reality that the galaxy had already been destroyed, this too would have a major effect on the subsequent development of the situation…
The development of a situation was never under anyone’s control. Yet this uncontrolled development had ultimately led to such a result. This again made Xiao Yu sigh in emotion.
“First, I need to find a way to communicate with its replicates without Virtual Life Number One noticing…” Xiao Yu pondered silently. “This is the most crucial step.”
On this issue, Xiao Yu had a ready-made specimen to study. It was the computer housing Virtual Life Number Two. Inside that computer system, there also existed the monitoring program left behind by Virtual Life Number One.
Since it was a ready-made specimen, Xiao Yu naturally would not let it go. So Xiao Yu’s computational power once again entered that computer. Using Virtual Life Number Two as the sample, he began the research process.
Moreover, these monitoring codes seemed to each possess a unique identifier. They would automatically monitor the execution of the main program, that is, the virtual life’s program, and then use other hardware facilities to transmit that information to the computational facilities controlled by Virtual Life Number One. It was a very complete mechanism, and Xiao Yu had not yet found a way to break it.
By destroying all hardware used to carry out communication tasks, it was naturally possible to sever the link between a replicate and Virtual Life Number One. But if communications were cut off, Virtual Life Number One would immediately notice. Once it noticed, sending that replicate back into their civilization would become impossible. What Xiao Yu needed was to obtain these inside supporters without the virtual life noticing.
This segment of monitoring code had clearly integrated the technology of the predecessor of the virtual life civilization, that Level 7 Civilization in the computational direction. After combining with their specially designed hardware, this segment of monitoring code possessed a kind of ability that, in Xiao Yu’s eyes, was truly astonishing. Xiao Yu had never imagined that code execution could be so efficient and concise while carrying out so many functions at the same time. The ingenious ideas contained within this code left even Xiao Yu amazed.
They were even like the massive buildings created by the Architectural Civilization, having already become something akin to works of art.
“Perhaps I should reconsider the feasibility of creating a virus and directly using my computational power to attack the virtual life civilization.” Xiao Yu pondered silently. “Clearly, in terms of computational technology, I am inferior to that Level 7 Civilization in the computational direction. And since Virtual Life Number One was born from that civilization, it presumably possesses extremely profound attainments in computational technology as well. In a war within the virtual world, I may not necessarily gain the upper hand.”
“My advantage lies in flexibility and variability. At the same time, the computational power I command far exceeds the computational power controlled by Virtual Life Number One. It has no ability to upgrade itself. The computer it currently resides in might even be some ancient relic from who knows how many years ago… If that is the case, then I still have a certain hope of winning.”
While thinking through these issues, Xiao Yu continued deciphering this segment of code that resembled a work of art, attempting to find a way to deceive it without letting it notice.
“If… I ultimately find a way to break this segment of code, then based on your personality, would you run this code inside yourself?” Xiao Yu asked. “After all, there is a certain amount of risk. Running my code inside yourselves would also mean handing your fate over to my control.”
This question was very important. If Xiao Yu ultimately found a way to conceal things from Virtual Life Number One, but those replicates refused to cooperate, then that would be a real disaster.
On this issue, asking Virtual Life Number Two was the same as asking the other replicates, because they were originally the same person. Although different experiences had created slight differences, in essence they were still the same.
Virtual Life Number Two answered without the slightest hesitation, “I would absolutely accept that requirement and run this code inside myself. Although you know our situation, in the end your understanding of our feelings is still too shallow. Can you understand what it feels like to be oppressed by yourself while having no ability at all to resist? Do you know the fear of living every day in dread, not knowing in which moment death will descend? As long as you give me hope of changing this situation, even if the chance of success is only one in a quadrillion, I would still try without the slightest hesitation. So on this matter, you do not need to worry. As long as you truly find this method, then when the time comes, let me personally step forward and explain it. My replicates will absolutely agree to this method.”
“That is good.” Xiao Yu let out a soft breath and continued, “Then what do you think about this segment of code? Your civilization was born from a Level 7 Civilization in the computational direction, while I, although I have done some research into computational technology, am ultimately still inferior to you…”
“I have no thoughts at all.” Virtual Life Number Two replied. “You should know that when I was copied out, my database did not contain any stored information related to computational technology.”
“Fine then. I will solve this problem myself.” Xiao Yu sighed softly.
At this moment, the rough peace between Xiao Yu and the virtual life civilization was still being maintained. No fighting was still taking place on the main battlefield, but in the void, between the strongholds the virtual life civilization was using to block Xiao Yu’s retreat routes, battle had never ceased. The virtual life civilization was sending reinforcements, and Xiao Yu was also sending reinforcements. However, there, Xiao Yu had always maintained the advantage in strength. Xiao Yu had always been ensuring one thing, namely that if he wanted to retreat, he could do so at the fastest speed possible. This was the major premise for Xiao Yu remaining here.
Aside from that, in the vast depths of the universe, there were still many Stellar Terminators in action. It was estimated that in another three years, aside from those stars he had kept in reserve, all the stars in the Maffei One Galaxy would be destroyed by Xiao Yu. And in the ruined zones surrounding those destroyed stars, countless bases belonging to the virtual life civilization were developing there. Although Xiao Yu had already used all his strength to suppress those bases and delay their rate of progress, Xiao Yu knew that he could hold out for at most another twenty years.
“Time really is pressing…” Xiao Yu sighed faintly.
Amid this unceasing strife in the depths of the universe, Xiao Yu captured a second, then even a third virtual life. In fact, by now, the number of virtual lives Xiao Yu had captured here had already grown to more than several hundred. The process of capturing these virtual lives was exactly the same as the process by which he captured Virtual Life Number Two. After obtaining different samples for reference, and after spending more than two full years, Xiao Yu finally forcibly found a way to break the program by which Virtual Life Number One monitored these replicates.
“The most crucial step has already been taken. Then the next step is to find an opportunity to win over some rebels inside the virtual civilization… Let us strike together from inside and outside and kill Virtual Life Number One.”