Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"I can go offline, but there is no need. I have entered the 'untouchable box' and am in crystal stasis to control this alchemist. When the deconstruction furnace in this machine eats, it means I eat. So I said I'm adapting to this life."

"Wait, so you won't enter the Nutshell World by self-destructing?"

"Why do you want to self-destruct? Even if your internal organs are broken, you can transplant someone else's, but after all, your own body is the best, right? Because your own body has no rejection reaction. The same is true for consciousness and containers. You can use your own body as a container Of course, it is best to stay still, so that if you want to come out later, you can also come out temporarily - but, every time you come out, your life will start counting down."

"Ah, I understand." Shangluo nodded, "So your plan is to stay at home and not go out, because the timer will start when you go out?"

"We retain the opportunity to occasionally go out for fun - as long as the body does not die. After all, it is very important that our nation still needs to reproduce, and we cannot give birth to new offspring in a stagnant state. Our children also need to grow , they cannot grow up in the refrigerator. Well, this is our method. It is so enviable to be immortal like a deity, but the second best option is to freeze yourself. "

"So, have you chosen a place?"

"This is the matter of the Bone Hidden Group." She looked at Phaethon.

"Yes, the whole set of related technologies is handled by the Bone Tibetan Group. In theory, I am responsible. But..." Phaethon touched his head, "Actually, I am only one of the people in charge. The history of the Bone Tibetan Group has never been bigger. It started before the Age of Sail, and the earliest mission of the group was to go to the New World to find the Golden Kingdom and the Fountain of Youth. Because according to the law of contamination of the three arcane laws, immortal qualities can be transferred from the immortal spring to people."

"What about the end?"

"In the end we discovered that it was actually the spring of one of the great rivers of Styx. In fact, after soaking it, it looked like Achilles. You know Achilles' heel, right? We now have a troop using similar technology. Similar to yours The Hydra troops I’ve seen.”

"They also have an 'Achilles' heel'? Then why not soak it all in?"

"I don't want to, but the principle is like this -" she explained, "the principle of immortality is: the person who falls into the Great River Styx is considered dead, but if you grab the heel, the place where the heel is is not dead. . People who have been soaked will be in a superposition of life and death. You cannot kill someone who has died once. You can only come back if your heels have not been soaked. If you soak them all, you will die."

“Wouldn’t that mean the heels will still age?”

"Yes, so the limitation is here. And after soaking, the whole person will turn black and white! It will only appear black and white everywhere. It is useless except that it cannot be killed, because the heels will still age, and It is easier to die if one's vitals are revealed. The cause of Achilles' death was that the last Achilles' heel belonging to a living person was hit, so he died on the spot."

"Then it's really useless."

"We have found similar methods nowhere in our long history, but none of them can lead to true immortality. But after taking into account all the discoveries and inventions, the current 'untouchable box' is a compromise. Although it is still You will die, but your life will be extended.”

"Approximately how long can it be extended?"

"Well" Phaethon shook his head, "It's hard to say. This actually depends on the quality of the 'stasis life' itself."

She pointed at Victoria: "In her current situation, it's hard to call her a high-quality life."

"Eh? I think it's not bad." Victoria replied.

"That's because you just entered." Phaethon looked at her, "This alchemist's costume will make people feel unbearably cold. It may have been modified now, but I couldn't stand it after wearing it for almost a day. Because there is no breathing, no heartbeat, and no real senses. If you don't want to go crazy, you have to come out every few days - the most ideal state is just to extend the life span to 200 years, and the next few years Ten years of life has no quality at all, because the aging body simply cannot withstand repeated stagnation and thawing.”

"Then why are you enabling it now?"

"Ah," Victoria covered her forehead, "you've touched upon the topic we're negotiating this time. Since you've already mentioned it, I can talk about the part you mentioned - we believe that we can wait in this way. Because we have always believed that the Aurora Plan is the future, which can enable all of us to reach the state of demigods. So we are willing to initiate this temporary plan to prolong our lifespans and wait for the opportunity to come. The specific details will be discussed at the meeting, as well as the exchange provided to Aurora. And..."

She looked at Shangluo—but she wasn't talking to Shangluo, she was talking to Apollonia: "And, Apollonia's state is what we ultimately want to achieve. Because although this body is not suitable for us, for Apollonia, she can completely transcend this cold shell. So, don't worry about me playing for too long, I won't be able to bear it after a while."

[Ah, okay then. You can stay here for a while. 】

"Hey, hey, I haven't agreed yet, why did you agree?"

[Then I beg you to agree? 】

"Fine."

【It’s still the same. Oh, by the way, tell her for me that I have a request if she wants to stay. If you can't do that, go back alone. 】

At night, Shangluo put on his pajamas and sat on the bed.

Victoria's "head" rested on the bedside table like an alarm clock. It was Apollonia's request that only the head should live. Since it only has the head, it doesn’t matter where you put it.

"Wow! Is this your bedroom? It's so small! It feels so safe!"

"Thank you so much for complimenting me so much. By the way, what time is it now?"

The screen on the bedside changed to a clock, and Victoria's head stuck out from the corner of the screen to look: "It's past nine o'clock now."

"Then why don't you sleep? Can you sleep here?"

"Jet lag, jet lag. It's still afternoon for me, and I'm still energetic. What about you..."

"Good night." Shangluo turned off the lights and entered sleep mode in just one second.

"Tch." Victoria on the screen shook her head, "Why are you always avoiding me?"

[Because he has realized it. Victoria, is this really you? In other words, are you really awake? This is nothing like your normal self. ] Apollonia also appeared from one end of the screen.

"Ah, you discovered it, right?" Victoria shook her head, "I'm dreaming. I'm talking to you in a dream, so my emotions are completely exposed."

[Is this the latest technology? 】

"Well, using dreams as an intermediary layer is a way to adapt to this alchemical body. Because dreams do not have complete senses and will not receive images. Moreover, they will be forgotten after waking up, and the influence will not last. But , although forgetting itself is a defensive measure, I don’t want my memory to become a daily disposable type. What’s the difference between that and dying once a day? I don’t want to sleep yet, I want to experience it for a while.”

[You should say it directly, don't hide it, otherwise he will definitely not think you are sleepwalking. He doesn't want to talk more because you don't remember it. But if he knows your situation, he will definitely talk to you more. Well, just wait a moment and we will order takeout later. But I didn’t expect that one day you would also enter the screen. Now that you are in this state, how about we play games first? I recommend you to play this alloy egg head. Come on, let's get in touch. 】

Chapter 667 Box

Opening your eyes, a transparent cage loomed in front of you.

"Who am I? Where am I? Shouldn't I be in the palace? Wait, why is Shangluo in front of me? I was kidnapped by him! Guards! Guards!"

[Don't call me, you are in Cathay. No guards will come to save you if you break your throat. What is it called? I only slept for ten minutes. 】

"Apolonia? Are you also an accomplice? Why do you lock me in a small box! Let me out!"

"Ah?" Shangluo woke up over there, "What's the matter?"

"You! Why kidnapped me! I obviously want to entrust everything to you, why are you in such a hurry? We obviously still have a long, long time! Why do you do this!"

"Huh?" Shangluo looked at the machine head on the bedside inexplicably, "What's going on? Is there a bug in Victoria?"

[Alas] Apollonia sighed, [伱, hold her in front of the TV. Just put it on the coffee table in front of the TV and show it to her and she will know. 】

"Okay." Shangluo was still a little confused, "Is she awake? I knew she was dreaming last night."

[You are half right. She was indeed dreaming last night, but she didn't wake up now. Before she fell asleep, she asked me to read it to her when she wakes up and she will know. 】

Shangluo reached out and picked up the machine head on the table, with the screen facing outward, and walked towards the living room.

"Wow! What are you doing! Where are you taking me! Why is this cell so cramped!" Victoria tapped the invisible screen, "Someone! Someone! Guards! Where are the Griffin Guards!"

【Don't scream. You are not in the box at all, so the TV opposite is the villain in the box. 】

With that said, the TV turned on. The image on the screen depicts a man in black standing in front of the door and knocking on the door. The man in black knocked for a while, started to make a call, and then raised his hand to the door to say hello:

"BONUM VESPERUM (Good evening)!"

"Wait a minute. I remembered. Am I dreaming?"

【right. You are inside the Alchemist. In order to resist the void and void within the Alchemist, you technically use dreams to replace the middle layer to fill in the areas that perception itself cannot cover. You are still in a dream, so calm down and think about how you got in. Although you won't remember what happened yesterday, your memory before entering this alchemist should be clear. 】

"Ah, yes, it is indeed like this. I found it, the exit key is here. Phew." She breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart suddenly rose again because she was strongly demanding to stay on the screen——

"Just put my head on the bedside table and I'll tell you a joke!"

——On the screen, Victoria was dancing and talking.

"Ah!!!" Victoria held her head, "Did I say this! Did I say this! Why would I say such a thing! Then the reason why I am at your bedside is..."

Shangluo nodded: "It was your own strong request. You strongly asked to squat there like an alarm clock and tell me a bedtime story."

"Then what did I say? Did I say any nonsense?"

"Don't worry, I sleep well. I didn't ask you to tell me anything."

"Huh." Victoria breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh my god, it's only the first day. Why is this alchemist so scary?"

On the other side of the sofa, Phaethon, who was wearing pajamas, shook his head: "I told you a long time ago, this is very dangerous. You'd better go back."

"No. I remembered, I'm here for a meeting."

"Then just wait until the meeting begins! Are you here so early just to have a meal? Don't you have anything else to do?"

"I do have something to do, but I have many secrets that I cannot tell. I must be under the supervision of the elders and relevant personnel before I can tell the secrets of the corresponding level. Just like radar, electric detection and sonar."

Shangluo shook his head: "You already said this last night, and you also said that you came to send alchemists to Apollonia. And you also said that the Romans decided to use the alchemists to show off, but you We still need to study it. And from your performance last night, we know that the alchemist has considerable limitations, because human rituals cannot face the huge void of the alchemical body at all, and can only fill part of it with dreams. "

"Wait a minute! Isn't that what you already know?"

"Ah" Shangluo touched his forehead, "I guess you stay for two more days and reveal a little bit like a colander every day. We will know the full content of the meeting before the meeting. So you came with a plan to ask for help, right? You yesterday You said you also brought a price? For example, hand over another ten or eight golden branches or something."

"No, no, only 5."

[Your quotation was swindled by him! You didn't even say that yesterday! 】

"Ahhhh!" Victoria held her head in pain, "Nightmare! Nightmare! Let me fall asleep! I want to forget what happened today! Can we do it again!"

"Ah, is there any way to wake her up?" Shangluo has fully realized the limitations of this alchemist. This is really not suitable for people to use, or for making decisions. Victoria was completely devoid of reason when she was dreaming, and her tender self was completely exposed.

[She is sleepwalking. You cannot wake her up at this time, otherwise it will leave her with psychological trauma. Let me call you back and ask the Brechenay Palace to wake you up manually. 】

5 minute later.

"Cough" The image of Victoria sitting behind the desk appeared on the TV screen.

"Thank you all for what happened just now. Now that I'm awake, I still vaguely remember what happened just now. But as for you and me, just forget about it." She sat behind her desk, the desktop The large silk covering hangs to the ground like a toga, and its pure purple color shows the emperor's majesty. Sitting behind this table, even a panda looks like it has hundreds of years of blood in it.

"However." She changed the subject, "It's a little strange. When I tested here, the Alchemist actually did not have any malfunctions. This is not the first day of testing. I have tested here several times before, and every time The whole day is smooth, and it is also controlled by dreams. Why do things go wrong when I get to your place?"

[Poor child, her daily routine has not changed, so much so that even her sleepwalking is within that framework. The side says that seat can be occupied by someone who is sleepwalking. 】

"Miss Apollonia, whose side are you on?"

【I'm telling the truth. Didn't you become upset after going out? 】

Chapter 668 Taboo

"It doesn't matter what I think in my heart, it doesn't matter at all." Victoria said seriously, "My personal desires are not important at all. I sit in this seat, and I can't live just for myself. Apollonia, You should know the foundation of our country."

【mysticism. 】

"Yes, my Lord Apollonia. So you should not expose my shortcomings. I carry a heavy taboo, and someone must keep it secret. If you break through my psychological defense, the consequences will be disastrous."

[Okay, okay. Oh, by the way, I suddenly remembered. You talked so much like a colander yesterday, including the fact that you even revealed the reserve price of 5 golden branches just now. Why didn't you trigger 'silence'? 】

"What is that?" Shangluo asked.

[It’s like getting a ticket for breaking the rules. These Roman nobles had sworn an oath, and if they were detected leaking secrets, they would automatically enter a state of silence and be unable to speak. The ban cannot be lifted until you go to the oracle and go through the questioning and refereeing process. But even after Victoria said so much, it didn't trigger. 】

"Huh?" Victoria behind the desk was a little surprised, "Yes, why."

"How is this mechanism triggered?"

"If I tell you the principle of this mechanism, it will trigger silence, so I can't say it. But... eh?" She pondered for a moment, "Is it because of this? Wait... Shangluo, look at me."

"Well, I'm looking at you."

"Listen to me." She took a deep breath, "Stephen the Shepherd is still alive!"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

[Isn’t it triggered? You leaking secrets to him doesn't trigger the trigger? 】

"So what exactly is that?"

[How about you continue talking to him? Give it a try. I remember that if I keep talking, the level of mystery will continue to increase. 】

"You may have heard of such a story." Victoria said, "When Emperor Justinian I was building Hagia Sophia, a bright light fell on the construction site. At that time, all the other craftsmen went to dinner, and there was only one named Stephen. The apprentice was still there. Stephen was horrified, but the light said 'Do not be afraid, my son. Where have all the others gone?' Frightened Stephen asked the name of the light. 'Your light blinded me,' he asked. Dear Spirit, who are you?'."

After speaking, she paused, touched her face again, and then continued after finding that nothing was wrong:

"The light said: 'I am the Archangel Gabriel. I am here to tell you that the construction of this church must be completed immediately and the craftsmen must come back immediately. I will wait for your news here.' - Then, Stephen informed the Emperor Justinian of the news. The emperor immediately ordered that he be sent to Asia Minor to be a shepherd. From then on, he was never allowed to set foot in the cathedral. From then on, the Archangel Gabriel has been Wait' wait there."

"Good boy! Are you guys stuck in a bug?"

"This is the mystery, the taboo, and the power itself. The Archangel Gabriel guards Hagia Sophia and saves us time and time again. As long as He waits there, Hagia Sophia will not be destroyed, and the Roman Empire will not fall. Even the invasion of 1453 failed to shake the Archangel's power. But correspondingly, as soon as Shepherd Stephen returns to the church, the Archangel will leave."

"He can't let you all go before he leaves! It's almost 1500 years! Sun Wukong is only 500 years old."

"So, he must not come back - we call him by the code name of 'Shepherd Stephen'. Because he made an agreement with the angel, he was bound by the oath, and he is still alive and under the care of the Oracle. And what I mentioned above All this is a level 4 mystery, one of the top secrets that only the 13 consuls of the Senate, the two prophets of the Oracle, and the think tank chief of the Muses Palace can know. Those who know this secret, As long as Stephen is brought to Hagia Sophia, the Roman Empire can be destroyed immediately. And you are obviously not among the legal insiders."

"Then I am"

"I just remembered - you are the King of Rome! Although it has not been measured or recorded, your mystery level should be 5 like mine. This means that your confidentiality level is the same as mine."

"Wait a minute," Phaethon reminded, "he didn't sign at all."

"..." Victoria was stunned for a moment, "Wait, there seems to be something wrong. Our power is given through agreements and oaths. There will be corresponding taboos when swearing and signing. And after taking the oath, that will There will be authority granted. But you have not signed at all. You are the king of Rome through a ceremony. Does this mean that you have no taboos now? "

"Is that so? I can know anything?"