These things are...
The sudden movement startled Booker. Immediately, he looked around at the colorful data light groups, and the database installed in the brain-computer interface automatically started comparison:
Extreme energy storage (small).
"Gift of Minerva" subcutaneous plastic steel armor.
Sickle-footed mantis knife.
Trapper Nanonet Rope Gun.
…
Database comparison identified the names and brief descriptions of these technological blueprints.
All of them have depth 2 level printing permissions—including even the ultimate energy storage device that the Icarus organization needs most at the moment.
Although the limitations are huge, this thing can barely replace the fission furnace and meet the energy needs for starting the multi-purpose printer.
So...this is probably "explosive equipment"?
There are many ways to dive into the abyss of the dark web to salvage technology, and the simplest and most direct among them is to defeat those wandering malicious programs and obtain the technology buried in them.
However, Booker had never thought before that killing the trial object casually created by "Paradox" would reveal the corresponding technological blueprint.
And there are so many more...
But what does this mean? Didn’t their trial fail?
Thinking of this, Booker turned around and looked at "Paradox" standing in the middle of the hall.
The vague human form made of countless color blocks remained silent.
He seemed to have all the patience in the world.
But when he saw himself turning around again, "Paradox" faintly repeated:
"You two are unqualified."
There is neither joy nor sorrow in His voice.
"Sorry, Mr. Paradox, I just..."
Under this pressure, Booker lowered his head anxiously and planned to explain.
But what else is there to explain?
If his previous reaction hadn't been as timely as Liao Qi's, and if he hadn't gone all out from the beginning, they should have been able to pass this trial.
After the battle, Booker could feel that the trial designed for them by "Paradox" was just stuck at the standard that they could pass with all their strength.
But at this point, Liao Qi did it, but he didn't.
For this reason, the young man is dying here.
Thinking of this, Booker looked at Liao Qi, who was covering his belly and coughing up blood.
Booker didn't know what he should say.
It’s impossible to ask yourself what the punishment is for failing the trial, right?
"Mr. Paradox... cough cough cough... may I ask, what is the punishment for failing the trial?"
At this time, Liao Qi struggled to ask.
Well, this guy is always so stubborn.
This made him start to wonder if everyone who chose the path of advancement like Icarus was like this.
Paradox didn't even look back at Liao Qi, but replied in a slow and logical manner:
“Punishment and reward are all in the next trial, and then the next trial.
"Until the end of the trial, or, death."
After hearing this, Booker finally plucked up the courage and asked:
"But may I ask, what is the intention of a being like you doing this?"
He didn't understand why a being like him, who came from the "super abyssal layer" and could single-handedly turn the super corporations under the Olympus order upside down, would come to someone like them who came from the bottom of the settlement area. Little people.
To this, the other party’s answer was simple:
"You know the reason, otherwise you wouldn't take the initiative to come here again, right?"
"You plan to make us your steeds?"
Booker's heart trembled.
Did Liao Qi really guess it right? The other party wants to ride their bodies, cross the Styx Firewall and step into the base reality?
"That's what you call it."
The other party replied like this.
"But why us? Compared to you, we are too..."
The other person said the word for him.
"Weak?"
Although it was very slight, Booker could still hear the patient smile in the other person's tone.
Then "Paradox" continued:
"Strong and weak are always relative terms. The stronger you are, the more fragile everything around you is. In your world, I can't grab anything because my hands will destroy them immediately. Therefore, I need Something that can carry them, and they need to be somewhere between strong and weak.”
It is between strength and weakness for Him...
After hearing this, Booker silently added in his heart.
You must know that even those mercenary kings who have exceeded the limits of human intelligence and have the confidence to be independent from the Olympian order have only reached the level of the "abyssal layer".
According to the information I learned, the "paradox" in front of me is suspected to come from the existence of the "super abyssal layer".
His understanding of the concept of "between strong and weak" probably far exceeds his own understanding.
But this is also an opportunity for myself!
Booker clenched his fist in his heart.
He had heard the legends among the Abyss Wanderers - some people were selected by powerful beings in the Abyss Dark Web to become "horses", and soon after, they gained enough terrifying power to compete with the enterprise.
And then... well, those people either had their mental index deteriorated and went crazy and were rounded up, or they became new members of the corporate order.
But most of these are nothing more than urban legends.
But even in the wildest urban legends, no one has made up the idea that beings from the super-abyss choose their own "horses" in the base reality.
After all, at that depth, even the fourteen super corporations under the Olympus Order only dared to explore with extreme caution.
For fear of activating some of the horrible things Janus left behind.
And if the "paradox" in front of us really comes from the super abyssal layer, it might be Janus, or other indescribable things created by super artificial intelligence...
For me, this is both a threat and an opportunity.
Booker knew very well how unrealistic the goal set by Icarus was - it was said to overthrow the entire Olympian order, but now they couldn't even do it underground in the Nord settlement area.
Even the temporary government of the resettlement area, which is regarded as a pet by super corporations, is a behemoth that is difficult to bring down.
But if they can get help from a being from the ultra-abyssal layer...
Even if it's just indirect help.
It's not even help, it's just the same behavior of attacking the Pluto Deep Diving Company's firewall, just a few more times.
It's all a great help.
"I see."
Booker took a deep breath and replied.
So what do you understand?
Jiang Zhou looked at the other party's extremely firm eyes and felt a little puzzled.
At the same time, he was also a little worried - he didn't know if his previous words had frightened the other party.
Booker continued:
"Mr. Paradox, if I can pass all your trials in the future, I will be honored to be integrated into a part of you and become your horse galloping in the basic reality."
Even then, my self-awareness will become a spectator of the body of "Booker Irwin" instead of a controller.
Booker thought so.
No need to be so exaggerated... In fact, I can't control your body. You are not my "controllable factor" like Liao Qi.
On the other side, Jiang Zhou complained silently in his heart.
"As long as you can give me true power."
Booker added.
Hearing this, Jiang Zhou finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
Pretend to be a wolf with a big tail and fight successfully!
In this way, when he encounters danger in the abyss dark web in the future, he can justifiably pull Liao Qi and Bu over, and call it "part of the trial".
Of course, the risk of betraying the gang was very high - in fact, if he hadn't been calm enough and resisted the urge until the last second, he would have been exposed.
But he can't be so lucky every time. In other words, this can only be regarded as a last resort in emergency situations.
But even so, as a native walking in the abyss and dark web, having a depth 1 and a depth 3 guy as a last resort gives me a little more confidence.
Therefore, the next step is to send them away.
After all, Liao Qi's stand-in is almost dead now...
…
After Booker finished speaking, he looked at the other party very anxiously.
And "Paradox" didn't answer, but just spread his right hand.
Countless tiny pieces of color were formed in His hands, eventually turning into a constantly rotating tetrahedron of stars.
"Mr. Paradox, what exactly is this..."
Liao Qi, who had a lot of air coming out but little air coming in, asked angrily.
"Paradox" still didn't reply, but let the star tetrahedron wander around the entire hall silently.
It captures those floating printing rights and eventually returns them to the hands of "Paradox".
Then, he raised his hand and waved several data balls, which symbolized printing authority, directly into the body of Liao Qi, who was already dying.
Once again, without being authenticated by the mandala, they were directly submerged into it - demonstrating the absolute control of "Paradox" over them.
The two men immediately floated back up.
"Well, see you next time."
Before Booker's consciousness returned to his body, he heard Paradox's final farewell.
…………
Jiang Zhou looked at the swarm drone hovering in his hand - that is, the "star tetrahedron" that Booker saw earlier, thinking that he would have to write some special cognitive filters in the future. .
in addition……
He once again opened the visual interface via eye tracking.
The signal showed that the first breadcrumb mark was not far from where he was at the moment.
…………
As if experiencing a long dream, Booker and Liao Qi stood up from the recliner at the same time.
Both of them were sweating profusely.
"I actually survived..."
Liao Qi touched his abdomen with some fear, which had been pierced three times by predator spiders.
"Thanks to you."
Booker also said with a scared look.
With that said, he turned over and jumped out of the recliner, unplugged the data cable from the brain-computer interface and said:
"Are all the printing permissions placed in your body by 'Paradox' previously real?"
Jiang Zhou didn't expect that after returning to basic reality, the other party's first question would be this.
But he still nodded and replied:
"It's all real. We just need to provide energy and materials, and printing can be completed now."
Booker did not speak when he heard this, but took out the cigarette case from his breast pocket. He knocked out a cigarette and held it in his mouth, then touched the end of the cigarette with his index finger and lit it with the microwave.
"If I remember correctly, there are two print permissions in there, exactly what are needed for the Depth 2 Icarus path."
He said this after exhaling two streams of white smoke from his nose.
Jiang Zhou nodded.
For the Icarus Path of Depth 2, a total of six printing permissions are required:
Any model of lightweight subcutaneous armor, any model of Mantis Knife, Talos-type power skeleton, bioelectronic lungs, broad-spectrum energy core, multi-purpose magnetic wax control system.
The Depth 2 transformation of the Icarus upgrade path, while continuing to enhance the adjuster's melee combat capabilities, also adds the ability to control magnetic fields within short distances - although it is not as exaggerated as stopping bullets with bare hands, but for machines without electromagnetic protection capabilities It is completely possible to paralyze him with a wave of his hand.
"Except for those two transformation authorities, the organization only has Talos-type power skeletons and no reserves."
Booker said so.
In other words, now that he only needs to collect the last modification authority, Liao Qi can try to carry out depth 2 adjustments and modifications.
Jiang Zhou nodded.
"Moreover, He also gave us an extreme energy storage device that allows us to activate the multi-purpose printer."
Booker continued.
The extreme energy storage device is an ultra-high-energy battery with an unknown principle, which can store an extremely exaggerated amount of energy - enough to start a multi-purpose printer.
Looking at those printing permissions, he always felt as if everything was planned by the other party.
Jiang Zhou on the side naturally understood what Booker meant, but he couldn't say that this was really just a pure coincidence, so he had to change the topic.
"Then the question now is, where does the energy to start the multi-purpose printer to print out the ultimate energy storage device come from?"
Jiang Zhou said this.
Booker fell silent for a moment while holding a cigarette in his mouth.
So "paradox" is not so "exhaustive", right?
Jiang Zhou thought.
After a long while, Booker flicked the ashes of his cigarette and said:
"I will find a way to do this... In addition, the printing permissions that 'Paradox' gave you previously..."
"Do I need to turn it over to the organization's reserve?"
Jiang Zhou asked.
In response, Booker shook his head repeatedly.
"Of course it's impossible, otherwise how should we explain it?"
Then he continued:
"This matter is a secret between the two of us. It's best not to tell anyone. As for the printing permissions, except for the extreme energy storage that needs to be used to activate the multi-purpose printer, the rest are temporarily left to you to keep. After all... He always chooses to hand things over to you, which may be related to the fact that you have the permission to use the multi-purpose printer."
Although he said that, Booker still did not express his somewhat selfish thoughts.
It would be great if "Paradox" could decipher your mandala code, but please don't stuff things on me after that...
He wished that the other party would not find him.
Jiang Zhou nodded and said:
"Then if you need to print something, just tell me directly."
After all, the gains from killing the Arachne II Stalker earlier were quite large, and it was impossible for him to use all those things.
The two of them tacitly refrained from continuing the topic of "paradox".
Jiang Zhou didn't want to talk about this, or didn't know how to talk about it; while Booker wanted to clarify the whole thing before talking about it.
It was also at this time that Booker discovered that his communication channel had been blown up by the person in charge of the corporate liaison room.
"Leader Erwin, the guest said that if you don't arrive within ten minutes, she will give up this negotiation."
Jiang Zhou, who was also in the communication channel, also heard this sentence. He asked curiously:
"Who is the guest he is talking about?"
Booker raised his head, his expression full of anxiety:
"Pluto Deep's executive, Perse Fanny...we need to leave quickly."
