The copy has 0 error tolerance, and the last words on the ground are all wrong for me.

Chapter 571 The Origin of the Flesh Monster

Worried that Wu Chang might not be able to understand the principles behind the Great Dream, Professor Eugene introduced an electronic blackboard and began to explain it to him.

The Great Dream is not a simple hypnotic dream that numbs people's minds.

There are two main reasons for bionet dissolution. First, the bionet itself is damaged under high load.

However, if the damage is only to the biometric identification network itself, replacing the damaged part or installing a new biometric identification network is not technically difficult.

The real challenge lies in the second point: the high-load operation of the bio-recognition network can also damage the brain and nervous system of the modified individuals.

This part is further divided into physiological and psychological aspects.

Physiologically, the damaged brain and nervous system are partially integrated with the bio-network; dismantling the original bio-network would aggravate this damage.

The reason why bioreticulosis is irreversible lies in this part.

The psychological aspect involves identity dissociation disorder caused by the bio-recognition network. This psychological condition amplifies the perception of one's own defects, intensifying and worsening the symptoms of dissociation disorder.

Therefore, the first thing to address when treating bionetosis is the dissociation disorder.

If this psychological condition is not resolved, the patient will continue to increase their stress, leading to a continuous deterioration of the condition.

The existence of the Great Dream is achieved through Mary's depiction of a perfect world, combined with Nelson's writing, to allow people to accept their current selves and believe that this is a perfect state.

In the grand dream, people can reconcile with themselves, accept reality, and eliminate barriers to identity dissociation.

After entering a great dream, patients use the dream as a medium to construct a collective of collective thoughts. Their biological networks are connected through the dream, transforming from a local area network into an internet state.

Problems that cannot be solved due to physiological damage to the brain and nervous system can be addressed through a consciousness-based system, similar to using cloud computing to overcome the limitations of individual hardware, allowing patients to regain their abilities to some extent.

As long as a suitable ratio is maintained, everyone can recover their health to some extent.

When Eugene first discovered bioreticulosis, he also considered similar solutions, but the human nervous system is far more complex than a network, and he could not connect people's minds while allowing them to retain their true selves.

But the appearance of Mary and Nils helped him solve his biggest problem.

Their talents, stimulated by the biological network, unleash unimaginable abilities, achieving with simple and brutal extraordinary power problems that would otherwise require decades or even centuries of research to solve.

This is why Eugene took the risk and decided to contact the Jacques City Self-Rescue Group to realize his grand dream through force.

If his plan succeeds, this technology will not only work on patients with bioreactivity disorder, but also, once it is widely adopted, it can also attract healthy modifiers.

Their presence not only enhances the dream's abilities but also reduces the probability of developing bio-recognition network dissolution syndrome.

Most importantly, the core of the great dream is in the hands of the reformers themselves, and they are not subject to the Civil Rights Party or the Conservative Party.

If all the modified beings unite, they will be able to stand up to the entire Federation and fight for their rights.

After listening to Professor Eugene's explanation, Wu Chang gained a basic understanding of how the Great Dream works, but new questions arose.

Based on the information he has gathered so far, the dimensional rules of the Sleepless Night instance should only reduce the physical attributes of those who enter to those of ordinary people. No matter how strong their physical attributes are, they will need to live like ordinary people.

This is why a gamma-level instance on the verge of going out of control possesses extraordinary power that is used to manipulate machines. Apart from Nils and Mary, it is rare to see modifiers possessing the pure extraordinary power found in other instances.

Dimensional rules are usually a whole.

It is meant to regulate the operation of planes, not to erase all existence.

Based on this, whether it's the biological network taking over the human body and turning the modifiers into fleshy monsters, or people turning into monsters when they fall asleep, both conflict with the rules of the plane itself and don't seem to be products created by the same rules.

In other words, these changes should all be attributed to the Light of Collapse.

However, he couldn't discern the problem from Eugene's description.

"I have a basic understanding of the great dream, but I don't understand which link went wrong and made Jacques City the way it is now."

"Why did the white light flash on the day of the incident cause all the cyborgs in Calais to go out of control, and the cyborgs in Jacques City to turn into flesh and blood monsters?"

At this point, Eugene fell into a brief silence, a look of self-reproach on his face.

"The current situation in Jacques City is related to the hasty activation of the Great Dream that night, but the main reason is that my design was flawed."

"In past experiments, Nils and Mary's abilities, combined with the Sky Tower and Tranquilizer, were sufficient to construct a complete and magnificent dream. Every consciousness that enters the dream is both an experiencer and a creator of the dream, which can help them share the pressure."

"But that's under ideal conditions. I overlooked the immense pressure they would face the moment the grand dream unfolded."

"Under normal circumstances, the Great Dream will take shape in the Central Research Institute. The modifiers in the institute are all relatively stable patients, and long-term use of tranquilizers will not put too much pressure on the Great Dream."

"On the day of the anomaly, a large number of modified individuals poured into the Central Research Institute, including many military modified individuals who had not taken tranquilizers. They were still in combat mode, with strong but unstable consciousness. The influx of these outsiders into the embryonic form of the Great Dream would cause the pressure to increase dozens of times the moment the Great Dream opened."

Eugene took a deep breath and said:
“I had actually sensed the danger and shouldn’t have allowed Niels to activate the Great Dream, but success was right in front of me, which made me lose my composure and thinking, and I wanted to take a gamble.”

"This time, I lost my bet."

"The powerful impact of their will exceeded the limits of what Niels and Mary could bear, turning the great dream into an out-of-control, tyrannical one."

"The modified individuals who enter the dream will be affected by the battle in the research institute, becoming aggressive and destructive. They should believe that they are in a perfect state and fall into a state of stability in the dream, but the out-of-control dream amplifies their obsession and makes their emotions go to extremes."

"Moreover, out-of-control dreams are more effective than orderly, grand dreams. These extreme and fanatical beliefs were manifested in reality by Mary's abilities, turning them into flesh-and-blood monsters."

Wu Chang frowned, pondering what Eugene had said, while mentally connecting with the raven to ask if everything was correct.

In other words, the involvement of military modifiers caused the dream to spiral out of control, turning a magnificent dream into a destructive one.

The terraformers, who were supposed to present a peaceful and tranquil image in the grand dream, had their inner darkness and obsessions amplified in the dream of destruction, turning them into madmen.

For example, Javier, the owner of a food truck, is obsessed with creating the perfect meat sauce that can conquer the appetites of all diners.

This obsession consumed him, leaving him with only meat sauce, destructive desires, and the urge to control his appetite.

The combination of these three elements transformed him into a food truck monster.

If that's the case, then everything makes sense. No wonder that after becoming flesh and blood monsters, superhumans can break through the limitations of dimensional rules and truly control superhuman power. It turns out that they projected their out-of-control dream selves into reality with the help of the power of dreams.

Entering the city of Jacques to sleep will turn you into a monster, because once you enter a dream, you will be attracted to the dream of destruction and corrupted by its out-of-control and violent nature.

Therefore, one can only take short naps, not deep sleep. If one is affected for a long time and truly enters a dream of destruction, the out-of-control self in the dream will be projected into reality, turning one into a monster.

Having grasped the key point, Wu Chang said:

"So, the reason Nils regained consciousness after hearing the howl and transformed back into a human from a flesh monster was because Mary, in order to save him, seized ownership of the entire dream and kicked him out of it?"

Eugene nodded and said:

"I'm afraid so. The out-of-control dream is already causing her pain, and she has also taken on the pressure from Nils. She must be in great pain right now, waiting for us to correct the dream."

At this point, Eugene looked earnestly at Wu Chang and said:
“Mr. Peace, please allow me to borrow the power of you and His Majesty the Eternal Light behind you to repair this disaster that I brought and save everything.”

As Eugene finished speaking, Wu Chang's "perfectionism" shone through.

Hidden Side Quest: Help Eugene fulfill his grand dream and reverse the disaster in Jacques City. There is no penalty for failure. Accept the quest?

"Note: This is a special mission. Once accepted, the player's faction will be forcibly changed to the Jacques City Self-Rescue Team. Once a faction is chosen, it cannot be changed. The second main quest will also change accordingly." Wu Chang had been waiting for this moment. Without hesitation, he immediately accepted the hidden side quest, saying:
“Professor Eugene, my Lord gave me this revelation so that I could help you end this disaster.”

"This is not your request, but the will of the gods, so I will naturally not refuse."

Upon hearing this, Eugene became emotional. With the help of peace and the gods behind him, Eugene, who was almost in despair, regained hope. His mind became clear, and even his fragile willpower became much stronger.

Without further ado, Wu Chang said:
"I can't help much with research, but if you encounter any problems outside of research, I can try to help you solve them."

"However, I would prefer clear requirements, not vague instructions."

Eugene looked up at Peace. He knew what Peace meant. This man, who was over two meters tall, didn't look like a researcher.

However, he is enough for scientific research. What he needs most is the violence and divine power that Heping possesses. It's just that he is unsure to what extent Heping's violence can go.

He tentatively said:

"If possible, I would like to have a more complete laboratory."

"There are three main towers in Jacques, each with a fully equipped laboratory. You've already seen one of them, in the Central Research Institute. The second one is at Jacques University, which is the stronghold of the Democratic Party. Although the facilities there are quite complete, there are too many problems."

"The third one is in the northern district of the city. I have been to the vicinity a few times and found that there are many flesh monsters roaming around. With the current manpower of the Jacques City Self-Rescue Team, we cannot deal with so many flesh monsters."

"Mr. Peace, I would like to ask you to help drive away those flesh monsters so that I can complete my research there..."

"Faction Main Quest 1: Clear out the flesh monsters near the Sky Tower in the North District of Jacques City and ensure the North District Sky Tower Laboratory remains intact."

"Note: The condition and functionality of the laboratory will affect the time and extent of the restoration of the Great Dream. Please treat this with care."

Wu Chang interrupted Eugene, saying:

"There's something I need to confirm."

Professor Eugene thought the request was too difficult and quickly said:
"It doesn't necessarily have to be the main tower of the Sky Tower. The Bates Biological Laboratory in the western part of the city has a very good environment and there are fewer flesh and blood monsters around it."

Wu Chang waved his hand and said:
"I wanted to ask you, is the Sky Tower at Jacques University better than those in the North City District?"

Eugene nodded and said:
"Because Calais is a place where the socialized terraforms have abandoned their work, Jacques, as the capital of Calais, is famous for its biological network of the University of Jacques. In terms of supporting facilities, it is much better than the Sky Tower in the North City, second only to the Central Research Institute that was not destroyed."

After listening, Wu Chang nodded in satisfaction and said:

"Saving Jacques City is a major undertaking and cannot be taken lightly. Since Jacques University has excellent research facilities, let's go and take it over."

Eugene looked troubled and said:
“But that area is controlled by the Civil Rights Party. It's not just home to the Jacques city police and military, but also Mason's private army. We…”

Wu Chang raised his hand to stop Eugene from saying the rest of his sentence, and said:
"Leave the things outside of technology to me. And some things that seem difficult may be simpler than you imagine once you actually start doing them."

"You just need to tell me when you want to enter Jacques University."

Eugene looked up at the Tree of Miracles that covered the entire factory, choosing to believe in Wu Chang's abilities, and said:

"There are two simulations running in the lab, and the results won't be available for at least three days."

Wu Chang accepted the first main quest of the faction and inquired:

"Three days should be enough. Is there anything else you need during these three days? If so, please let us know."

Right now, Eugene can only rely on him. Instead of going through the motions and completing tasks one by one, it would be better to do what the military does: have Eugene make a list and complete each item one by one.

In the instance, different factions have many overlapping needs. For example, Eugene and the Civil Rights Party, like the military, also hope that Wu Chang can find the Howler, or rather, Mary.

They also hoped that Wu Chang would bring the instruments from the tenth floor of the research institute and help him collect some parts necessary for the restoration ceremony.

In addition, Eugene has a somewhat unique faction-based main quest.

“Mr. Peace, after my research these past few days, I have discovered the loophole in the Great Dream and the method to adjust the pressure on Niels and Mary. The direction of the modification lies in the layout of the eighth floor of the Central Research Institute.”

"Unfortunately, I heard from Niels that the eighth floor of the research institute was completely destroyed by the mutated flesh monsters on the day of the incident, and all the data and related parameters at that time were lost."

“If I go through the parameters from scratch, it will take a month, and I’m afraid Mary’s condition won’t allow her to maintain that long.”

"If possible, I would like to ask you to escort me to the eighth floor of the research institute. Perhaps I can find something there to speed up the process of repairing the Great Dream."

Wu Chang looked surprised and said:
"Wait, Professor Eugene, don't you have the data for the eighth floor of the research institute?"

Eugene said helplessly:
“I am in charge of the Lullaby Protocol, but the entire Lullaby Protocol is a very large-scale research project. It is impossible for me to personally confirm every department and every link and understand its relevant parameters.”

“These tasks are distributed to the lab supervisors at each level. I only solve the problems personally when they encounter problems they cannot solve.”

Seeing Eugene's serious expression, which didn't seem like he was hiding anything, Wu Chang couldn't help but hiss.

Amidst the collective resentment on the eighth floor of the research institute, he saw Auriel copy down the data from the eighth floor and, taking advantage of the chaos, hand it over to Dylan, who then took it away from the institute.

Judging from Auriel's behavior at the time, she was well prepared and clearly knew that someone would attack the Central Research Institute that day, so Wu Chang always thought that Auriel and Dylan were members of the self-rescue group.

But now it seems that the data copied by Auriel was not handed over to the self-rescue team, and they don't seem to be on the same side.

He couldn't help but ask:

"Professor Eugene, haven't you seen Director Auriel recently?"

Professor Eugene paused for a moment, then asked:
"Mr. Peace, have you seen Auriel? Is she looking for me?"

“Auriel happens to be the director of the eighth floor of the research institute. She is very serious about scientific research. If we can find Auriel, it will be of great help in repairing the Great Dream.”

"Faction Main Quest 4: Escort Professor Eugene to the eighth floor of the Central Research Institute, or find Director Auriel."

"Note: The experimental parameters on the eighth floor of the Central Research Institute are extremely important; please treat them with care."

Wu Chang nodded and said:

“I’ve heard about Manager Auriel before, I’ll try to find her.”

Auriel was hard to find, but he knew where Dylan, who was on Auriel's side, was.

It seems that after taking over Jacques University, I must find an opportunity to talk to Dylan.

Compared to the self-rescue team, who had rested peacefully under the Tree of Miracles all night and were refreshed and full of energy, the Civil Rights Party was not so lucky.

It wasn't until dawn that Jason and Xianyu, who had been busy all night, returned to Jacques University with the remaining dozen or so players.

Under Mason's command, they split into groups of three and dispersed to seven areas, patrolling the area throughout the night and keeping watch for any possible appearance of Professor Eugene.

They didn't get to see Professor Eugene, but they did encounter quite a few flesh monsters. After a night of activity, they were not only exhausted and injured, but three players were also completely stranded in a corner of Jacques City.

When faced with Jason's report, Mason simply lowered his head, said "Oh," and dismissed everyone with a "Go on, continue tonight."

As they left Mason's office, Jason and Xuan Yu exchanged a glance. They both knew they couldn't continue like this.

(End of this chapter)