Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

"Does Beatrice know about these things?"

“She knew part of it, or rather, she ‘understood’ it in her own way.”

Gorkunda replied with a disdainful tone: "Her conclusion was not resistance, but a more insane 'destruction.' She considers everything in Kivotos to be corrupt, including the system itself that feeds on that corruption. She is entrenched in the ruins of the Arios branch campus, which is now her base for carrying out 'nihilistic terrorism.' High-pressure rule, thought cleansing, forging her so-called 'weapons' with fear and despair."

Black Clothes added, “Without the resources that our Secret Society regularly provides through clandestine channels, Arius would have collapsed years ago due to internal strife and scarcity. We maintain its existence partly because of its sample value, and partly because we need a sufficiently strong ‘disturbance source’ to observe the system’s stress response and repair capabilities. Beatrice is a ‘virulent virus’ that we’ve put into a petri dish.”

"What exactly is she doing in Arius now?"

"She attempted to artificially ripen the halo, causing it to emit a specific fluctuation similar to that of a 'ripe fruit' even before it reached the standards of natural ripening. We suspect that she was trying to use this method to actively 'fish out' color, or at least attract the attention of color. This is an extremely reckless act that could lead to consequences beyond our control."

With this exchange of intelligence, much of the core mystery has become clearer.

What are your plans next?

“Continue to observe. Beatrice’s experiment will be a crucial turning point. We will remain hidden and record all the data. As for you, your actions are our most important research topic in themselves. Miss Saintia’s move to bring you into the inner circle of Trinity is very interesting.”

Lin Yi nodded, indicating that he understood.

The figures in black and Gorkunda began to fade, like ink dissolving in water, disappearing from the edges.

"Then, we look forward to your next 'performance.' May you reveal to us how this system reacts when faced with a power that truly transcends its framework." The black-clad figure's last words echoed in the air, and then the two vanished completely, along with the white porcelain tea set, as if they had never existed.

It was late at night, but the dormitories of Trinity College were still brightly lit.

Unlike ordinary schools, Kivotos's education system is based on a unique self-study model.

Students rely on a CD-ROM-like teaching software for knowledge acquisition and skills training. This system, reportedly developed by Millennium Science Park, is capable of efficiently imparting knowledge from basic theory to practical skills.

This is why Lin Yi has never seen a "teacher" in the traditional sense since he entered Kivotos – when individuals can improve themselves through standardized procedures, a "mentor" who may bring uncertainty seems superfluous, or even a constraint.

Lin Yi's gaze swept over the hands of the antique wall clock in the room, calculating the time in his mind.

Based on his analysis of Shirasu Azusa's behavioral patterns and the real-time monitoring of biosignals transmitted from the terminal, the girl should have begun to take action.

Lily Garden Saintia did indeed provide a meticulous plan, detailing how to use Shirasu Azusa as a thread to gradually lure the hidden forces of Arios, especially Beatrice, to the predetermined battlefield.

The plan is meticulously crafted and logically sound, demonstrating Saint Asia's exceptional strategic planning capabilities.

But Lin Yi was not prepared to follow that plan completely.

The reason is simple: Saint Ya's plan is based on too many "ifs" and "assumptions," spans a long period of time, and involves many steps.

It is like a precision clock with tightly meshed gears; however, if even one gear cracks or gets stuck, the entire system may stop or even collapse.

In Lin Yi's view, such an overly complex plan essentially relies on luck and the stupidity of the opponent for success. It is no different from a mountain of shit code, with high maintenance costs and endless hidden dangers.

He believed in only two kinds of strategies. The first was an open strategy that discerned and propelled the overall situation, leaving the opponent aware of your intentions but powerless to counter them, forced to watch helplessly as the predetermined outcome unfolded, just as he did when dealing with the Sphinx forces in the previous world.

Secondly, it abandons all formalities and concentrates absolute superiority at critical moments to strike the vitals, just like those classic decapitation operations in history, which are simple, brutal and efficient.

Planning that drags on for too long often means the accumulation of variables and the loss of initiative.

The light from the terminal screen shone on Lin Yi's face. The light spot representing Bai Zhouzi's location was moving, leaving the safe zone of the dormitory area and heading towards an area marked "Abandoned Commercial Pedestrian Street Backup Alley" on the edge of the college.

A tiny, bionic mechanical insect, barely visible to the naked eye, hovers in the shadows about twenty meters behind Shirazu Azusa with an extremely high synchronization rate, transmitting high-definition images and sound back in real time.

Bai Zhouzi appears particularly vigilant in the picture.

She wasn't wearing the conspicuous Trinity uniform, but rather a set of casual dark clothes that allowed for easy movement, covered by a hooded windproof jacket.

She frequently looked back and listened intently, her fingers never leaving the buckle of the gun.

This professional demeanor is completely different from her usual quiet and almost aloof image in the tutoring center.

She eventually turned into a narrow alley.

Located at the end of the pedestrian street plan, this area is deserted during the day and completely silent at night due to problems left over from early construction and insufficient lighting.

Weeds grew in the cracks between the broken paving stones, the wall plaster was peeling off, and the air was filled with a damp, musty smell and a faint smell of garbage.

For students accustomed to the glamorous environment of Trinity's main campus, this is indeed an uncomfortable corner.

Bai Zhouzi leaned against a relatively intact brick wall, his body slightly tense.

She looked up at the night sky, which was cut into a narrow slit by the buildings on both sides. The sparse moonlight barely outlined the shape of the surroundings.

She raised her hand to her lips and whistled three short, sharp whistles.

The sound echoed in the empty alleyway, carrying a deliberate sense of rhythm.

Then she fell into a state of waiting.

His right hand hung naturally, with his fingertips only an inch away from the gun handle on the side of his thigh.

Five minutes passed in silence, with only the faint sounds of the main campus from afar and the whistling of the wind blowing through the alleyway.

Two incredibly lifelike bird calls came from the shadows at the right end of the alley.

Bai Zhouzi's gun was drawn almost the instant the birdsong began, its dark muzzle steadily pointing towards the source of the sound.

Her movements were fluid and without hesitation, demonstrating the muscle memory she had undergone rigorous training.

But she didn't pull the trigger; she simply maintained her aiming posture, her breathing steady to the point of indifference.

The moonlight seemed to brighten a little at that moment, barely illuminating the four figures slowly emerging from the shadows.

They were all dressed in dark combat uniforms suitable for nighttime operations, with a uniform style and matte fabric. They wore tactical masks that covered their mouths and noses, leaving only their eyes visible.

The leader was a tall woman whose distinctive long blue hair, tied into a neat ponytail, was visible even in the dim light.

“You were slow to react, Zi.” The woman with long blue hair spoke, her voice muffled through her mask, but her tone was calm, without any hint of blame, more like stating a fact.

“We were in position a minute ago. If this were Arius’ training ground, we would already have your warning bullet holes at our feet. The warm breeze at Trinity seems to really make people complacent.”

Bai Zhouzi lowered the muzzle of his gun slightly, but did not put it away.

She paused for a few seconds before replying in a low voice, "Captain Saori. Different environments lead to different standards of judgment. In Trinity, unnecessary gunfire will attract unnecessary attention."

The blue-haired woman known as Captain Saori, Saori Jimae, swept her sharp gaze across Shirasu Azusa's entire body, seemingly trying to glean more information from her posture and eyes.

"Report the situation. Target's movements, defensive vulnerabilities, and the reasons why you haven't taken action yet."

Bai Zhouzi took a deep breath and began to briefly describe the information she had observed: the atmosphere within Holy Trinity was subtle recently, and there seemed to be signs of coordination between the Tea Party, the Sisters' Order, and the Knights of Salvation; the power vacuum left by the sudden collapse of the Caesars Corporation was being rapidly filled... Her report was clear and concise, highlighting the key points, which was in line with the qualities of an excellent undercover agent.

However, when Saori Tsubaki pressed her on why she didn't follow the original plan and take advantage of the chaos or create an opportunity to attack Hiuya or Nagisa, Azusa Shirasu's eyes flickered for a very brief moment.

It wasn't a guilty conscience or fear, but a deeper sense of bewilderment.

During her time in Ariana, she was instilled with a complete worldview: the Holy Trinity was the source of corruption and hypocrisy, and the culprit behind Ariana's decline.

Hatred and the belief in "purification" are the spiritual pillars that support her in completing rigorous training and carrying out dangerous missions.

But when she actually stepped into Trinity and lived as an ordinary student for a period of time, those black-and-white dogmas began to crack.

The students she saw were not all spoiled and arrogant young ladies; there were also simple people like Hifumi who were obsessed with harmless hobbies, ordinary girls like Koharu who were impulsive but hardworking, and even outcasts like Urawa Hanako who rebelled against the system by exiling herself.

She saw that within Trinity there was infighting and hypocrisy, but also people striving to maintain order and trying to do something. More importantly, Saintia of Lily Garden was not sitting idly by.

This sickly prophet seemed to have already glimpsed Shirasu Azusa's existence and mission through the fragments of fate.

Instead of resorting to brutal elimination, she exerted her influence in a more subtle way—arranging a "chance" encounter so that Shirasu Azusa "accidentally" overheard another version of Arios's history and came into contact with deliberately buried archives.

These fragmented pieces of information, like drops of water, continued to drip down, eroding the wall of hatred that Arius had built in her heart.

The scales in her heart were swaying.

But she couldn't tell Saori these things, nor could she tell anyone in Arios.

That would mean betrayal, it would mean the complete negation of her life up to this point.

So she suppressed this moment of confusion deep in her heart and used a pre-prepared excuse: "The target's defense level is higher than expected, and the academy is currently on high alert due to external variables. Solo action is too risky, with a success rate of less than 30%. Forcing the mission could lead to its complete failure and expose our side."

Saori stared at her for a moment, and Shirasu Azusa tried to keep her expression calm, but her heartbeat involuntarily quickened.

Finally, Saori looked away, seemingly accepting the explanation.

"The situation has changed, and the plans have been adjusted. It's really difficult for you to accomplish anything alone."

She turned her head to signal, and six figures dressed in the same attire quietly emerged from the shadows behind her.

Their equipment was clearly superior to that of Saori's team, with two of them even carrying long, rectangular equipment bags that appeared to be anti-materiel weapons.

“This is the reinforcement team, and you will be in command for the time being.” Saori’s tone left no room for argument. “Lady Beatrice’s patience is limited. The chaos within Trinity must escalate to create opportunities for our subsequent actions. Their attention is currently drawn to the outsider and the mess left by Caesar, which is the perfect time. Within three days, I want to see at least one key figure incapacitated, or a major facility substantially damaged. The specific objectives and methods will be determined by you based on the situation on the ground. Contact will remain the same.”

Bai Zhouzi's gaze swept over the six silent reinforcements, and he felt the pressure on his shoulders suddenly increase.

She nodded, asked no further questions, and simply replied, "Understood."

With the handover complete, the spinning machine seemed to have no intention of lingering any longer.

Saori waved her hand, signaling the three team members behind her to prepare to evacuate.

However, just as she turned around, her movement paused slightly.

She abruptly raised her head, her wary gaze like a searchlight, quickly sweeping over the towering walls on both sides of the alley, the broken windows, and the shadows of the clutter piled in the corner.

"Captain?" A teammate next to her noticed something was wrong and asked in a low voice.

Shazhi didn't answer immediately. Her brows were furrowed, and her intuition, honed through countless life-or-death trials, was now issuing a vague but undeniable warning.

A feeling of being watched. Not from the alleyway or above, but something more elusive, as if it came from the shadows themselves.

There was no sound, no breath, no heat signal, but the chilling feeling of being "observed" lingered clearly in her mind.

She slowly moved her gaze, which finally settled on a particularly dark area in the middle of the alley.

There was a recessed area where the two buildings met, completely blocking out the moonlight.

She couldn't see anything, but her intuition told her that there was "something" there.

"Saori?" A softer female voice rang out. The voice belonged to another of the four who had been relatively silent. She was slightly shorter than Saori and had a well-proportioned figure. Even with her face mask on, one could sense that she was following Saori's gaze, her eyes revealing a look of inquiry.

The spinning machine did not respond to its companion's question.

She stared into the darkness for a full five seconds, her right hand already silently resting on the hilt of the tactical knife at her waist.

Her breathing rhythm changed, and her body turned slightly to the side, assuming a posture that was ready to erupt into battle or dodge at any moment.

However, the shadow remained unchanged.

There was no movement, no sound, not even the slightest disturbance in the air; it was as if it were just an ordinary patch of darkness.

Is it an illusion? Or is it some kind of unknown surveillance technology from Trinity?
The yarn weave before spindle spinning cannot be determined.

But her intuition has never been seriously wrong.

This place is not a place to stay for long.

"It's alright." She finally spoke, her voice regaining its calmness, but her pace quickening. "The mission has been assigned. Retreat. Return to the rendezvous point via alternative route two. Stay alert."

She stopped looking at the shadow, turned around decisively, and led her three teammates to quickly disappear into the darkness they had come from. In the blink of an eye, they vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed.

Shirasu Azusa and the six newly arrived Arius soldiers remained in the alley.

She also sensed Saori's unusual tension in the moment before she left, and her gaze involuntarily drifted towards the shadow, her mind filled with doubts.

But she had no time to delve into it; the six silent soldiers before her were awaiting her orders.

She quickly gathered her thoughts and began to give instructions in a low voice: "Infiltrate separately, breaking into smaller groups. Use the old warehouse on the southeast side of the dormitory area as a temporary base. I need detailed records of Trinity's recent internal patrol route adjustments, especially during nighttime hours. At the same time, focus on monitoring several locations frequently visited by the core members of the tea party. Information gathering is the priority; no one may act without orders. Understand?"

The six nodded silently, their movements perfectly synchronized.

Then, like ink drops dissolving into water, they quietly dispersed in pairs in different directions, disappearing into the depths of the intricate alleyways.

Shirasu Azusa took one last look at the darkness that Captain Saori had been staring at, and a strange chill ran down her spine.

She tightened her coat, turned and walked in a different direction from the soldiers, her steps quick, her figure soon blending into the complex shadows of the Holy Trinity building at night.

The alleyway returned to its deathly silence.

Only the pale moonlight continued to paint the broken walls and the potholed ground.

The heavy shadow that had been firmly locked between the two buildings by the spinning yarn rippled slightly.

Several dark silhouettes slowly emerged from the shadows, tracking the direction in which Saori and the others had retreated.

On the fourth floor of the old library, Lin Yi turned off the terminal screen.

He picked up the coffee on the table, which had gone cold, and took a sip.

“Weaving before the spindle… my intuition is right,” he muttered to himself.

The fact that the opponent could sense being spied on while the Shadow Legion was so well hidden demonstrates a level of combat intuition and danger perception that is truly befitting of the captain of Arius's elite squad.

However, it's limited to just sensing.

As for Bai Zhouzi... her confusion was within his expectations.

It seems that Baiheyuan Shengya's "dripping water wears away the stone" strategy has clearly worked.

But this only complicates the situation further.

A spy whose convictions waver makes his or her actions more unpredictable.

She might back down, she might completely defect, or she might take even more extreme actions under pressure and conflict.

Now that Arius has sent reinforcements and given clear orders to sabotage,

This means that the peace within Trinity is about to be broken, and Beatrice is already getting impatient.

The childish game is over. Now that we know the enemy's base, there's only one thing left to do: strike at their heart. (End of Chapter)