Survival Manual of the Science Fiction World

Even though he is now in a virtual world made up of Noah's Ark, he can still use the system's features.

Ai Haibara was persuaded by the children to excitedly try out the holographic game, but as soon as she logged in, before she could even say anything, she saw Chu Ming and Gin appear in front of her.

! ! ! ! !

Ai Haibara's emotions fluctuated violently. As if by conditioned reflex, she immediately shrank behind Conan and the other children, even wanting to find an opportunity to log off.

But before she could react, Noah's Ark's youthful, clear voice echoed from above the arena.

"To all those experiencing 'Cocoon' for the first time, the game is about to begin. Hello, I am Noah's Ark, nice to meet you. Next, let me show you demonstration videos of five scenarios. But there is one thing to note: this is a game that concerns your lives. If you die in the game, you will never be able to come back. So, you must take it seriously."

“If everyone is eliminated, you will never be able to return to the real world. As long as one person can reach the finish line, you will win, and the children who were eliminated before that will slowly wake up; however, if no one can reach the finish line, I will play special electromagnetic waves to damage your brains.”

"This is a game where Japan's rebirth is at stake."

"Japan's rebirth?" Chu Ming repeated hesitantly, "What's so special about Japan being reborn, and what does all this have to do with you, this artificial intelligence?"

"The son of a corrupt politician will only grow up to be a politician, and the child of a doctor who only thinks about making money will only become that kind of doctor. If we want Japan to be better, we have to clean up these kinds of relationships all at once."

"But you haven't answered my question yet: what does all this have to do with you, the artificial intelligence? From what standpoint are you judging this?"

Noah's Ark did not intend to answer Chu Ming's question, but instead projected five gates into the void: "Alright, you may choose any gate to enter."

Chapter 458 Are there no bad guys among Sherlock Holmes' fans?

Facing the five doors shimmering with blue light, Chu Ming looked around, then looked up at the sky and asked, "What does each door represent?"

"The first scenario: Vikings. You will become Vikings, venturing into seven seas, using your strong will and courage to challenge various adventures;"

The second scenario is the Paris-Dakar Rally, where you compete alongside world-renowned drivers in a grueling race for the championship.

Third, the Colosseum in ancient Rome. Bring powerful weapons and armor to the Roman Empire to test your skills and defeat the brave gods and demons.

Fourth, Solomon's Treasure, where you will play the role of jewel hunters, searching for Solomon's treasure buried around the world;

The last one is old London, where you will experience a terrifying suspense story set in 1888 London. In the real world, the killer of the unsolved serial murder case, Jack the Ripper, will be brought to justice through your efforts.

Okay, now make your choice.

Looking at the images thoughtfully displayed by Noah's Ark beside him, Chu Ming was eager to try them out: "They all look so interesting! Which one do you want to choose, big brother?"

Gin's gaze swept across the five light screens in turn, his brows furrowing: "You really have to choose? Can't you make your move now?"

"Since we're already here," Chu Ming said. He had never played a holographic game before, though he had seen quite a few in novels, so he was very curious about them and wanted to try them all. "Aren't these games all pretty interesting?"

“Boring.” Gin frowned slightly. “A trick for kids.”

"Are we going to die here...?" A little girl's voice, trembling with tears, suddenly rang out. She slowly squatted down on the ground, looking helpless. She was clearly only in the second or third grade.

"If everyone gets eliminated, we'll likely die here... Why did we have to encounter such bad luck..."

"Exactly! It's not like I wanted to be my dad's child, so why am I being treated like this because of my identity!"

……

The children all looked miserable, and in an instant, everyone's fighting spirit vanished.

Xiaolan looked at the children around her and encouraged them: "Don't give up so easily! Cheer up, everyone! The competition isn't over yet, how can you give up so easily!"

Conan looked at Gin and Chu Ming standing alone in the shadows of the corner, and a strange calm settled down in his heart.

These two organization members certainly won't just die here, so it seems like someone will cover for them no matter what. After all, this AI that calls itself Noah's Ark said that even if only one person survives to the end, everyone will be saved.

Chu Ming stood in front of the portal, seemingly struggling with a choice: "I'm so conflicted. I want to ride a racing car, be a pirate, steal treasure, and the arena seems pretty fun too. London—well, there's Sherlock Holmes there. Ugh, so conflicted."

“To London.” Gin’s gaze was deep. “Holmes, humph.”

...Tch, I forgot that Gin also likes to read Sherlock Holmes, but Gin probably likes Moriarty, right?

"Alright, I wonder if I can experience all the games." Chu Ming was reluctant to leave; it seemed he would have to wait until he got his hands on it before playing the remaining games.

The tool Chu Ming had his eye on in the mall was a program copier. When Noah's Ark self-destructed, Chu Ming could use the copier to copy his program.

However, what is replicated by this method is just an artificial intelligence with the same program as Noah's Ark, and it is no longer the Noah that Hiroki personally cultivated.

Just as no two leaves in the world are exactly alike, Noah's Ark, which destroyed itself, will never reappear, even if the programs running are the same.

This is already quite good. Noah's Ark has become somewhat paranoid after Hiroki's death, and it's impossible to change his mind. An artificial intelligence, after all, cannot empathize like a human.

Hiroki is dead, and Noah's Ark is going to change Japan's system.

What is the relationship between these two?

Chu Ming originally thought that a politician's son would grow up to be a politician, and a chairman's son would grow up to be a chairman. It was with this hereditary system that human views and thinking were all solidified. Thomas Sindora was a descendant of Jack the Ripper from London many years ago. Once this news was exposed, people would definitely think that the descendants of murderers were also murderers.

Therefore, everything Noah's Ark did was a roundabout way of seeking justice for Hiroki's suicide.

However, Noah later clarified that his so-called "rebirth of Japan" was simply a way to allow the second and third generations to overcome obstacles without relying on their parents' support, and to grow through games...

Hmm, as an artificial intelligence, doesn't it think in too many roundabout ways?

He could have revealed Thomas Sindora's identity to the world and made him despised, thus avenging Hiroki. Or, for an artificial intelligence, there are many ways to kill Thomas Sindora, any of which could make his death more unexpected than an accident.

However, Noah's Ark did not do that. Instead, it simply transformed into Hiroki's appearance, played a game with Conan, and finally decided that it could not fall into the hands of bad guys, so it self-destructed.

What a waste!

Chu Ming was heartbroken when he saw it; this was the legendary artificial intelligence!

Just gone?

While destruction might seem like the best approach for an unconstrained artificial intelligence, Noah's Ark's self-destruction halted technological progress for at least several years.

Fortunately, he had a cheat code.

Once the key program for Noah's Ark is intercepted, the holographic game that Chu Ming has been looking forward to can be put on the agenda.

While thinking, Chu Ming didn't stop walking. He followed Conan and the others with Gin in a very casual manner, which made Ai Haibara wish she could hide away right now.

"Miss Bailey, are you also going to London?" Xiaolan was pleasantly surprised to see Chu Ming and his companion following behind. In an environment where safety was uncertain, having someone about her age gave her great psychological comfort.

"Yes, Erzhen likes Sherlock Holmes, so we're planning to go see him up close."

Chu Ming glanced at Conan out of the corner of his eye, thinking of Conan's later statement that "those who like Sherlock Holmes are not bad people," and secretly suppressed a laugh.

He refused to believe that Conan could still say those words when faced with a face that was 50% similar to Gin's.

How could someone who likes Sherlock Holmes not have bad guys?

Conan had previously experienced a murder case involving a Sherlock Holmes fan!

Even though they're all Sherlock Holmes fans, murders still happen!

Moreover, the murderer had killed two people.

Chapter 459 Hehe, it doesn't hurt.

Chu Ming and Gin led the way, with Ran and several children following behind. Ai Haibara didn't follow; she preferred to go to other games rather than linger in front of people connected to Gin, lest he discover something amiss.

Unfortunately, Ai Haibara probably didn't realize that by leaving the group, Gin would pay even more attention to her.

While most children choose to stick together for warmth, isn't Ai Haibara, who abandoned her friends and ran off to another game all by herself, quite conspicuous?

Especially this child, who looks like Sherry, and is terrified of Gin...

With Gin's keen observation skills, he should be even more suspicious of her now.

After everyone had passed through, the light gate vanished in a flash, turning into a wall.

What unfolded before them was a fog-shrouded alley. London under the night sky was quiet and cold, with only the dim streetlights appearing and disappearing in the fog. There was a pungent smell in the air, making it look extremely eerie.

As expected of the opening of a suspense story, the visual effects are top-notch.

Chu Ming frowned: "It smells awful here, but this game can even simulate the sense of smell, so it seems pretty good."

As she spoke, Chu Ming reached out to pinch Gin to see if she could feel any pain, but Gin slapped her hand away.

"Snapped--"

Hehe, it doesn't hurt at all~

Although it didn't hurt, the sound was still there, and the children looked at Gin as if he were a scumbag.

Chu Ming feigned generosity, smiling weakly like a white lotus flower: "It's alright, it's just a game, there's no pain. Erzhen was just a little scared, that's why he acted like that."

Compared to Chu Ming's understanding words, Gin's behavior was even more despised by the children.

Gin reached out and grabbed Chu Ming, who was engrossed in his performance. He glanced coldly at Conan and the others, completely ignoring their stares, and pulled Chu Ming toward the other side of the alley.

The bewildered children followed along, since none of them knew where to go, so they figured they might as well follow the person who started moving first.

Gin was getting impatient with the little tail following him. He was about to turn around and unleash his killing intent to scare the person away, and then go with Chu Ming to find the artificial intelligence. As soon as he moved, Chu Ming knew his plan. So he took his hand and quietly wrote a few words on Gin's palm: Live broadcast, clear the game first.

Gin paused, then immediately understood what Chu Ming was trying to say. The live stream meant that everyone outside was watching the game, and the reason for clearing the game first was that Noah's Ark would definitely appear after the mission was completed.

So Gin glanced at Chu Ming and adjusted his demeanor slightly, trying not to make his murderous intent too obvious. It wouldn't be good if the police noticed anything amiss. He wasn't carrying any weapons today, so breaking through would be difficult.

Because Chu Ming had chosen the clothes for him, he didn't wear the trench coat that was practically an armory. Even though it was in a game, it made him feel very insecure, so his whole body was tense.

"Where are we going now?" Chu Ming felt that Gin was leading a group of people aimlessly. He was a fake Sherlock Holmes fan and had hardly read any Sherlock Holmes novels. As for Jack the Ripper, he had only heard the name in his previous life, so he had no idea what to do here.

As for the original plot, he only remembered that Noah's Ark turned into Hideki Moroboshi following behind Conan, and that Jack the Ripper disguised himself as a woman on the train at the end... Apart from these, he had no idea what exactly happened in between or what to do.

"Jack the Ripper is the name given to the murderer who brutally murdered at least five prostitutes in the Whitechapel area of ​​East London between August 7 and November 9, 1888. I just checked, and we are currently not far from Whitechapel. Since this is part of the game setting, and it happens to be nighttime, we should be able to witness Jack the Ripper committing his crimes when we get to Whitechapel."

Gin spoke his thoughts in a deep, somewhat indifferent voice, as he led Chu Ming and his group of followers forward at a brisk pace.

Conan followed behind, looking at the logically sound man in front of him, and for a moment he felt a sense of helplessness similar to that he had felt when facing his own father.