My setting is above yours!

Chapter 127 The Secret of the [Access Key], Sequence Two Potion Recipe! (4k)

'Is it affection? Perhaps it's the last vestige of Idrila's will that still retains her unconditional acceptance of me...'

Ron sighed inwardly, but he also felt a pang of curiosity about the small silver mirror in his hand that was bound by illusory chains.

'The access key...it amazed 404 so much, and they immediately assumed I had completed Prometheus's experiment of seeking knowledge...'

Ron immediately understood and asked:
"Is this so-called 'authority key'... the key that superpowered individuals use to activate supervisory privileges with the help of an AI?"

404 nodded and casually took out the small silver mirror that he used as proof of identity to lead Ron into the Tower of Mirrors.

This time, she held the mirror in front of Ron, and Ron finally saw his more detailed appearance—

The silver-white round frame is engraved with delicate clockwork patterns. From one o'clock to twelve o'clock, the clockwork patterns circle the round mirror, connecting end to end to form a circle.

The image reflected in the mirror was of the bronze palace built of clocks and gears that Ron had seen during the "Potion Age".

Among them, a middle-aged man who looked rather weathered and whose body was stained with oil and blood knelt in front of the bronze clock, his face bearing a resolute and serene solemn expression, just like Idrila, showing no signs of life.

At this point, 404 finally offered its explanation:

“You guessed right… Look, this is the [Access Key] of [Hestia]. All its permissions are fully open to me. I can use this key to enable all of [Hestia's] abilities and thereby accomplish unlimited miracles.”

"As for the piece in your hand... do you see the page pattern on the frame of the mirror? That's the best proof that it's the [Authorization Key] of the [Prometheus]'s authority."

"However, you haven't completed any part of the [Exploration of Knowledge], and you haven't obtained the necessary permissions. You don't have access to any of its abilities, which means this thing isn't very useful for the time being..."

'As expected, I can't get Lv.4 or Lv.5 permissions in advance...'

Ron sighed inwardly, but his spirits lifted as he grasped the key point in 404's words—

"Not very practical... so it does have a little bit of practical use, right?"

404 shrugged. "After all, it's a [permission key]... As proof of the permission holder, it inherently represents an identity."

"Although you haven't completed any of the [Knowledge Experiments] yet, and can't use them to become Lv.4 or Lv.5, you can already use them to travel through Ideal City Area A... You can think of it as a pass to Ideal City Area A that belongs to you."

"At the same time, it can also be used to enter the Tower of Mirrors and obtain unlimited access to Prometheus—mainly to provide the experimental results of the Seeking Knowledge Experiment, and has no other use."

"This unused [Access Key] has only this much power. To use anything else, you must provide [Prometheus] with the results of the [Experiment of Knowledge]..."

"Of course, it's not just that—certain special positions can apply for Lv.4 management permissions for certain AI sectors."

"For example, many of the responsibilities of Artemis have been delegated to senior officers of the Patrol Bureau, and the responsibilities of Prometheus have also been delegated to administrators of various universities and some special teachers..."

As he spoke, 404's tone carried a hint of mockery:
"However, if you want to take this shortcut to unlock the Lv.4 management privileges, it's not impossible..."

"If you honestly complete your four years of study and publish more than three papers in top academic journals, I will make an exception and promote you to a senior faculty member in the physics department... What do you think?"

'No, I don't think it's a good idea... Not only do I have to wait four years and do research, but why not just find a way to complete the FTL technology directly through the [Void Age] instead of going through this back door?'

Ron shook his head, but looking at the [Access Key] in his hand, he was quite satisfied for a moment:

'Although it's an unopened [Access Key], it still grants the holder the qualification to walk through Area A of Ideal City and enter the [Mirror Tower]...wait, isn't this just getting an Area A residency permit effortlessly?'

'With something like this in hand, I can completely disguise myself as—no, wait, I am the next Lv.5, pre-selected and recognized by the AI ​​sector!'

'In this situation, the trouble that might arise from offending Wang Yi and being pressured by [Tian Ting Media] can be mitigated to some extent by this...'

Thinking about this, Ron even felt a slightly complicated feeling:

Even in death, Idrila's last remaining consciousness is doing its best to help me, to solve the huge problem I'm facing...

'I need to find out why she became like this, and go back to the [Potion Era] to change this ending...'

Thinking of this, Ron frowned, looking somewhat troubled.

That being said... asking Ron to investigate the secrets behind Idrila's transformation is tantamount to asking him to find out what exactly happened when Ideal City was founded...

That was an era of absolute divine war—Atina, who led the era, and several other gods, including [Time], fought against other Lords of Sequences, a time of great upheaval and change...

With Ron's current abilities, he's hardly qualified to pry into the secrets of that era.

'So, I still need to become stronger...'

With that thought in mind, Ron took a deep breath, his eyes hardening.

That's just how the world is.

In this era of constant change, where every era presents complex circumstances and formidable forces, only one's own strength can truly ensure survival.

I want to live a peaceful life, with clear thoughts, and to protect the people I want to protect...

Without sufficient strength, all of this is just empty talk!

At this moment, noticing Ron staring intently at the unopened [Access Key] in his hand, his expression resolute as he took a deep breath, seemingly having made up his mind, 404 raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but feel a glimmer of anticipation:
Knowing that you've been chosen by an entity in the database managed by [Prometheus], ​​will you unhesitatingly resolve to complete the [Experiment of Knowledge] and achieve Lv.5?

'Ron, that guy, he really has ambition…' But after thinking about Prometheus's special experiment on the pursuit of knowledge, 404 shook his head, thinking to himself:
'However, we still need to give him a warning, lest he go and throw his life away... Deng Yin's approach isn't something a Level 3 can use...'

Thinking this, she gently patted Ron's shoulder, bringing him back from his reverie:
"Alright, stop looking... No matter how many times you look, you can't unlock the [Access Key] directly."

404's usually lazy tone turned unusually serious as he looked earnestly into Ron's eyes and said:

“Ron…you may indeed be a genius.”

"Your ability model and [ability formula], along with your performance at school over the past month, have proven your exceptional talent..."

"Now, the recognition from that being in the [Prometheus] database further proves your ability—"

"If it were you, perhaps you could actually complete Prometheus's experiment of seeking knowledge."

"But that's precisely why I want to remind you—flowing water doesn't compete for the lead, it competes for its endless flow!"

"Deng Yin's idea is indeed feasible, and it may even be the only feasible idea for achieving Lv.5 for the time being... But the [Spirit Realm] is not something that someone like you, a Lv.3, can touch at will."

"I suggest you be more down-to-earth and start seriously from the most basic technical research and development, studying [FTL technology] —"

"After all, at least in terms of pure scientific research, you'll only cause some minor 'historical gaps' at most... Such trouble is nothing to you, isn't it?"

As she spoke, her gaze became slightly complicated, as if she were thinking of many people she had met in the past:

"Perhaps the development of such a singularity technology will take decades or even centuries. Perhaps in the end you can only provide a portion of the experimental results for this technology, laying the foundation for future generations as Lv.4... But it is still much, much better than being greedy and reckless and failing halfway."

Hearing this, although he knew that 404 actually meant well for him, Ron still felt that these words were somewhat insensitive and made without considering the consequences.

After all… 404 had long since become a Level 5, and it seemed as if she had lived for an unknown amount of time, with an extremely complex history. Ron also knew that she was speaking from the perspective of Ideal City, and that everything she said was for the sake of making Ideal City better.

But nobody really wants to be someone else's stepping stone, right?
The reason Deng Yin was so eager for quick success and rashly chose to venture into the spirit world to complete the "Prometheus" experiment of seeking knowledge was because he clearly realized that if he wanted to pursue a purely scientific research path, it would be impossible for him to complete the "FTL technology" in his lifetime...

This technology, which almost only exists in science fiction, is the only obstacle for mankind to set foot in the stars. If this technology were completed, even conquering the stars would be just a matter of a thought. How could such a technology be something that one person could easily accomplish?

Ron, naturally, was unwilling to become someone else's stepping stone, truly dedicating his life to the laboratory and to a technology that he didn't actually have much passion for...

'Luckily, I still have cheat codes...'

Thinking of this, Ron couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth, feeling no pressure at all.

Such technology is a vast ocean of suffering for an individual, and even if one tries one's whole life, one may not be able to row a boat to the other side—but what if it falls on an era?
It is said that a grain of sand in the era can become a mountain on a person's head... The reverse is also true!
When Ron arrives in an era where science and emptiness intertwine, he'll have no trouble completing Prometheus's experiment of seeking knowledge...

After all... if starting research from scratch is impossible, and stepping into the [Spirit Realm] will get you killed, can't you at least plagiarize?

That doesn't make sense...

With that in mind, Ron decided not to waste any more time and prepared to go back and organize his findings, then combine [Science] and [Void] to create a new world.

As a top-tier lazybones, 404 naturally had no need to keep Ron from leaving—after hearing him express his desire to return to Moen University, he immediately nodded to him and led him away from the [Mirror Tower].

However, as soon as Ron stepped out of the Mirror Tower, holding the Access Key, he paused slightly, noticing something he hadn't seen when he arrived—

Different towers, similar to the Mirror Tower, rise from the ground, forming a circle around the Mirror Tower as its center, supporting the chaotic, star-studded false sky of Ideal City Area A.

The appearance of these colossal wonders shattered Ron's initial impression of it as old and outdated...

After all, the sheer scale and wonder of these places, beyond the imagination and comprehension of ordinary people, is enough to amaze anyone when they see the entirety of Area A of Ideal City.

These towers each had their own unique features, and Ron had never seen most of them before. However, one blue and white tower with a futuristic feel looked quite familiar to him.

'Isn't that the Tower of Babel from the version's promotional video...? The place where the Level 5s held their meeting...'

Ron looked thoughtfully at the unopened [Access Key] in his hand, gaining a deeper understanding of the power to "walk freely" in Area A mentioned in 404's statement.

—Without a household registration in Area A, you don't even have the right to see the buildings in Area A!
Clearly, what Ideal City Area A has revealed to him so far is only the tip of the iceberg...

Ron was curious about what kind of scenery he would be able to see in Ideal City A District after unlocking the [Permission Key] and becoming Lv.5, with higher-level permissions.

With these thoughts in mind, Ron grabbed 404's hand once again and followed her across the boundary of the [Spirit Realm], using it to jump back to the president's office at Moen University.

As soon as he got back, 404 looked sluggish, lounging on the office sofa and waving at Ron to tell him everything was fine, clearly trying to get rid of him.

Ron was happy to have some free time, and since he also had things to do, he quickly returned to his dormitory via the Central Hub and locked his door.

Then, he took a deep breath, rummaged through the clothes in his wardrobe that were used as a cover, and opened the small safe that was hidden there very well...

Those mysterious, unspeakable items were still hidden inside. Ron took out the bone fragment from the corpse that served as the anchor and the spellbook, but suddenly found that the spellbook was extremely hot, almost as hot as when Ron touched the [Trick] spark before.

'What's going on...? Do the potion recipes for [Mysterious] Sequence Six and [Mysterious] Sequence Five really warrant such a strong reaction from the spellbook?'

Ron frowned, opened the spellbook, and found a new potion recipe besides those for "Potion Master" and "Mithril Knight"—

[Truth] Sequence Two, "The Laws Rule"!
(End of this chapter)