Am I the only one streaming Sword Art Online on the entire internet?

It was a very spacious, square room. Several oil lamps hung on the walls, their flames glowing with a warm hue. There was nothing else that resembled furniture, except for a heavy wooden door on the front wall.

The other three walls connected to more than ten corridors similar to the one they had just encountered. Solin peered into one of the adjacent corridors and saw that it also had the same staircase and small door at the end.

"It looks like this is a shelter, and these passages lead to the shelter, which is why she just said that the discovered passage must be abandoned."

As Sorin speculated, he saw the mysterious young woman behind them turn around and point her wand at the corridor. With a deafening roar, the walls on either side of the corridor pushed outwards one by one from the depths and then joined together. In just a few seconds, the ten-meter-long corridor was completely sealed off, with the panels extending from all sides coming together, leaving only the walls in sight. As for the corridor from before… it had completely vanished.

"Now it's time to talk, mysterious lady. Would you mind explaining... why you've summoned us here?"

Divergence point

"The temporary link is complete and we are now connected to the Cardinal System. We await further instructions."

The speaker was a gentle-looking young girl. She looked at the person dressed in a maid outfit on the other side with her dark eyes and asked for permission.

“Talk to him directly, Disruptor. Explain our plan to him regardless of his current state,” the agent said without hesitation. “If he has regained his memory, it will save us a lot of trouble. But in any case, we can’t wait any longer.”

"Can't we wait any longer? Why?" the Disruptor asked, puzzled. "On paper, we still have plenty of time. At least that human mercenary squad hasn't advanced to a particularly crucial position yet, and Zero and Vector are also stopping them."

"The reason is simple. Zero and Vector can't hold them off for long, and as for the remaining combat power of the research institute... it's basically zero. If we don't take action soon, I'm afraid they'll hand over these research data to the United States ahead of schedule."

The agent pondered for a moment, then gave an answer that greatly surprised the interferer. Clearly, the interferer also looked incredulous upon hearing the agent's reply.

"How could this be? According to the data in that order... Zero should be stronger than all of us here. What exactly do they have?"

“You need to understand, this isn’t a complete replica of the timeline we’ve always lived in. In other words, there are still many variables here. These variables are beyond our control,” the agent said without hesitation. “According to my and Blank’s calculations, the trigger for World War III in this world is likely not the Northland Island incident, but what these people are currently fighting over. You can imagine what the situation is like right now.”

"I don't have that much imagination. Should I send out my team?"

"It might not be in time, but you can try sending the three of them there, consider it my order... Honestly, I'm never needed for these kinds of decisions before... And when did we have to take on this unfortunate job of being saviors..."

The disruptor ignored the agent's subsequent complaints; she simply stood there silently for a while before hanging up a communication.

"Hunter, lead your team to the designated location and await orders. Follow Zero's instructions for subsequent operations."

Next, she once again immersed herself in the machine in front of her, moving herself from the cold command room to the temporary shelter located beneath the central cathedral.

------

Sorin hesitated for a moment, looking at the young-looking girl before him. They had already been talking for some time before she led him to a place she called the Great Library, which she said contained records of all the history of this world since its creation, the structural formulas of heaven and earth, and system commands known as divine arts.

"Who exactly are you?" Solin asked, puzzled.

"My name is Ka..."

The girl was about to answer, but just as she finished speaking, she suddenly paused strangely. Sorin and Eugeo stood to the side, watching as the girl's eyes flickered for a long time before finally regaining their composure.

At this moment, the girl gave them a different feeling. Originally, she had the air of an elder who, though seemingly cute, exuded a dignified air; now, she seemed more like a gentle girl next door.

“I don’t know if I’ve introduced myself before, but since the staff here has changed, I’ll say it again.” She subconsciously straightened her clothes, then looked at Eugeo beside Solin, “Um… Mr. Mo, could you please ask him to excuse himself for a moment?”

“Wait a minute, you’re from over there…” Sorin said instinctively, then quickly pulled Eugeo over and whispered in his ear, “Let’s leave for a bit, what’s coming next really isn’t something you should hear.”

"But... things have come to this point, what are you still hesitating about?" Eugeo asked, puzzled. "We've already..."

"No, or perhaps you just think you know everything about me. Listen to me, if you overheard our conversation, I'm afraid something might happen to you. After all, what's coming next is something you could never possibly understand."

Sorin's tone was very calm; he genuinely didn't want Eugeo to hear him discussing matters of the real world with the unknown person opposite him, fearing that Eugeo would break down because of it. But Eugeo was unusually firm and stubborn at this moment, showing no intention of avoiding the topic.

“Just say it here, Sorin. I think I can handle it, no matter how surprising what you say.”

“Alright… since you insist.” Sorin sighed helplessly, then turned to look at the mysterious girl who seemed to have changed her identity once again. “You see, madam, my companion… is rather stubborn. Just say what you have to say.”

"Alright, I am SP914: I***uder [Interferer], from Ironblood Manufacturing, and I am currently your teammate. Your daughter Zero... that is, Ivy's mobile suit, was created by us."

Seeing that Eugeo hadn't left, she didn't intend to waste any more time there and went straight to the point, "I hope to gain your trust here, since we don't have much time. First, I'd like to know if you've regained your memories."

"..." Solin nodded silently, then looked at her again, "Just say what you need. I know I need to go to the top of the Grand Cathedral first, and then use the communication channel there to get the next mission objective."

“This should be an order from Blank. We’ve spoken with him before, and he agreed to speed up the plan as much as possible.” The Disruptor nodded and continued, “You need to take Alice to a place called the ‘Altar at the End of the World.’ This mission will be issued again later through the control room at the top of the Grand Cathedral, because you do need to go there to make contact. I’m just contacting you temporarily to confirm your current situation.”

"Wait, who is Alice, and what is the Altar at the End of the World?"

After listening to this confusing string of words, Suolin was about to ask more questions when he saw the girl in front of him freeze in place again, before recovering after a moment.

“My name is Cardinal, the Coordinator of the past world, and now just a librarian of this Great Library.”

Compressed Startup

At this moment, Sorin had no time to pay attention to the little girl who had turned back into Cardinal. He belatedly looked at Eugeo and saw that Eugeo looked completely bewildered, as if he didn't know what to do or say.

"Hey, hey, hey, Eugeo, are you alright..." Sorin shook Eugeo's upper body vigorously, her tone sounding somewhat resentful, "I told you not to listen, not to listen, and now look what's happened, you're completely dumbfounded... Can you at least say something to me?"

"Aaaaah!" Eugeo cried out in pain, half-squatting on the ground, after being shaken by Sorin for quite a while.

"No way... Is your mental resilience that bad? You could remember if you thought about it for a moment. I've hinted at it to you more than once before." Sorin squatted down next to Eugeo helplessly and gently stroked his fur. "That's my world, the world I've always lived in. It's not fundamentally different from here."

"But...but...was I produced by you? Just like everyone else here?" he asked, trembling.

"I'm not entirely sure about the specific principles either, but..."

Sorin hesitated, wanting to comfort Eugeo, but didn't know how to say it. Just then, the little girl who called herself Cardinal suddenly walked over, her hands shimmering with a mysterious purple light.

The faint light enveloped Eugeo, and his previously agitated emotions instantly subsided, though his gaze towards Sorin and Cardinal still seemed somewhat bewildered.

“Let me answer that question for him.” Cardinal thought for a moment, organized his thoughts, and then said, “As for this person… you can wait a bit, because I think you probably have many questions too, and I can answer them for you, as long as it’s something I know.”

"Okay, I do have some questions I want to ask."

Solin nodded. The girl who called herself the Interferer had only come over to tell him about the upcoming mission objectives and hadn't done anything else. As for his long-standing doubts and the confusing mission objectives from earlier, he would probably have to wait for Cardinal to explain them to him.

------

"This time we need to airdrop at a designated location and then assist Zero in the defense. Due to the vast disparity in numbers between the enemy and ourselves, and the special nature of the battleground, we should avoid using any oversized or over-the-top weapons..."

The Disruptor stood solemnly before her three team members, but only the expressionless Scarecrow and the hunter, who was suppressing a laugh as he watched the Executioner's antics, were truly listening. As for the Executioner... she was currently performing acrobatics with her large knife, seemingly oblivious to the Disruptor's presence.

"Executioner! I'm talking to you! Don't use the Fog Moon Execution method carelessly, it's a ship!" the disruptor shouted, unable to contain himself any longer. "If you smash the ship, the mission will fail! Do you hear me?"

"I feel like even the gentlest older sister would be driven crazy by a mischievous little sister like the Executioner, don't you think, Disruptor?" The Hunter watched as the Executioner stood obediently for a while, then continued to suppress a laugh as she spoke to the Disruptor, "But I'm curious, logically speaking, if you don't want that technology to be used for military purposes, you can just smash it. Why bother with so many things? Do we need to consider the thoughts of those ambitious humans?"

"The specific reasons are a bit complicated. The agent just told me about it, but I didn't quite understand. Basically, you can understand it as several people who are very important to Zero being on that ship, and they hope to use this technology to treat Mr. Mo..."

"How important is it?" the executioner suddenly asked, raising his hand.

“Something like Lyco, to her.” The Disruptor quickly gave an example. “Anyway, let’s get going now, we don’t have much time anyway. Scarecrow and Hunter will fly the helicopter, Executioner, you and I will prepare the airdrop equipment. I’ll explain things to them first.”

"Okay." The scarecrow's reply was brief as always, and then the hunter pulled him toward the helipad. Meanwhile, the disruptor took four sets of paratrooper equipment and some tactical tools from a transport vehicle that drove up from the side and put them into a large black box.

“I say, does the disruptor need to be so cautious? The other party is just…”

“I hope you think about our painful defeat in Manhattan before you say that. It was also humans who defeated us and forced us to start all over again in cold Siberia,” the Disruptor interrupted the Executioner, speaking seriously. “And that was a long time ago. I hope you can at least think about how to act cautiously instead of being blindly arrogant here.”

“I understand…” The executioner lowered her head helplessly, it seemed that the experience had indeed left a deep shadow on her. “Well, I need to know what we have to face.”

“Unfortunately, it’s still unclear. On the surface, they’re just a small mercenary team, but even Blank found them a troublesome target. I don’t think they’ll be that simple.” The Disruptor explained succinctly to the Executioner, then connected to the communicator at hand. “This is SP914 Disruptor. We will arrive at the designated location in half an hour and would appreciate your assistance.”

"I'm sorry, but if it's half an hour later, there probably won't be anyone to help you. Ivy is very busy right now... Oh, and there's that too!"

Ivy's previously low voice suddenly became excited, and the interferer could hear that Ivy seemed to be fiddling with something beside her, but it was unclear what it was.

"The robot that will assist you with your landing is a rather peculiar little fellow. You might even see the fruits of human intelligence in it... I won't keep you in suspense any longer. In short, it's an assistance robot, and it doesn't have AI on it yet; it'll probably be remotely controlled. Will you follow Ivy's instructions?"

“Sure, actually you’re our superior too, Zero…”

"Don't call me Zero! It sounds cold. Wouldn't it be better to call me Ivy Xin? Or do you have a problem with this name?"

The girl on the other end of the call sounded a little angry, while the interrupter could only smile helplessly, inwardly complaining about why it was always her turn to do this kind of child-rearing work.

"Alright, Ivy, that's settled then. We'll continue communication after landing and await your next instructions. Over."

Stroke dead end

"So now that everything that needed to be said has been said, it's time for the real man to climb the tower."

Sorin strolled leisurely through the tower, seemingly unafraid of the Integrity Knights who might appear at any moment. Eugeo followed closely behind him, cautiously watching areas Sorin couldn't see, fearing that someone might suddenly leap out from some corner shouting "Demacia!" and rush towards them.

“There’s absolutely no need to be so cautious, Eugeo. You’ll understand later.” Sorin remained remarkably calm, comforting Eugeo beside him. “These are just minor troubles. I’ve been through countless battles and seen it all. Which Western country haven’t I been to?”

“I’ve heard you say these strange things before, but I didn’t understand them. Now that I think about it… these are the kinds of words you only use outside,” Eugeo said with a hint of reproach. “You underestimated me before. How could I be scared by such trivial truths?”

“If it were the old you, who knows, buddy,” Solin replied with a smile. “Now our goals are truly aligned. I had thought before that there would definitely be a key point in this world, but I never expected that the key point would be Alice. That really surprised me.”

The corridor that stretched straight out from the door was shorter than the two had expected. As they strolled and chatted leisurely, they found themselves in a large, rectangular room. In the center of the right wall, an astonishingly wide staircase connected the upper and lower floors.

The ceiling was nearly ten meters high, and the staircase had more than twenty steps just to the middle platform. On the left wall was a double door surrounded by a Sphinx statue. As the two walked here, Sorin suddenly stretched out his right hand to stop Eugeo, then pressed himself against the wall, carefully observing the dimly lit hall.

"There's nobody here. This was supposed to be an armory, but there's not a soul in sight. I really overestimated the security measures here."

After carefully observing for a while, Suolin finally emerged from behind the wall, uttering these words of complaint. Logically, this was indeed a very important place, but the hall was eerily silent, devoid of any human presence; even the sunlight streaming in from the grand staircase on the right seemed tinged with a cold gray.

"Thinking about it carefully, it actually makes sense. Who would come here to steal something?"

Sorin nodded thoughtfully, ending his pointless rant, and quickly ran out, crossing the deserted hall. The armory door had reliefs of the goddesses Sorus and Tiralia, but no keyhole, as if declaring that the undevout could not open it.

However, Sorin had never believed in such fancy things. He gripped the doorknob and pushed forward with all his might, and the door opened easily without even the creaking of the hinges. From the gap, less than half a meter wide, a cold wind, as if it had been condensed for hundreds of years, flowed out, making Eugeo shiver.

At this moment, Sorin, whose natural cold resistance was already exceptional, slipped inside without hesitation, so he could only hurriedly follow behind. The heavy door closed behind them, plunging the surroundings into complete darkness.

"Can I have an A1 high-shine one? Please!"

Sorin continued to instruct Eugeo in strange words, and Eugeo immediately understood Sorin's meaning, naturally reciting the incantation for the sacred spell. The pure white light that emerged from his right palm dispelled the darkness, and in doing so, completely dispelled the last bit of hesitation in his heart.

"Wow~ Wow~ Oh~ Wow~"

Upon seeing the entire place, Thorin exclaimed in Anduin's voice. He had heard it was an armory but hadn't imagined how large it would be, but now he realized it was far from that. This place was almost as big as the venue where the two of them had taken their final exams at the Imperial Sword Academy.

This space, surrounded by smooth stone walls, reflected rays of light from Eugeo's palm, scattering them into various colors in the air. On the ground, neatly arranged armor stood on humanoid support frames. Some were jet black, some pure white, and others shimmered with dazzling colors like copper, silver, and gold.

Simply put, if I weren't a chemistry major like Senior Mo, I probably wouldn't be able to describe such a gorgeous array of colors.

The armor came in a wide variety of styles, from light armor made of delicate chains and leather to plate armor made of thick steel plates tightly bound together; there were all kinds, and the number of armor pieces was no less than five hundred. The high walls were also densely covered with every weapon that could be found in the world.

Swords alone include everything from single-handed straight swords to sickle-shaped swords and other various types, as well as single-edged and double-edged axes, spears and lances, from warhammers to whips to clubs, and even bows and crossbows, which are not considered conventional weapons.

"Well, perfect landing spot, looted a bunch of loot, fully equipped and in the circle, that's pretty awesome." Solin looked at the dazzling array of weapons and equipment in front of him. Even someone as knowledgeable as him had never seen so much stuff piled up in one room. He couldn't help but sigh, "Here's the problem, they say the rich deliver packages while the poor eat chicken, we're all loaded up, let's just make sure we don't end up getting instantly killed."