Chapter 966: The Confrontation of Order and Authority
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 966: The Confrontation of Order and Authority
Of the three branches of authority, the one I valued most was naturally the external one.
Their internal authority, in terms of effect, was similar to my Tree of Great Knowledge, while Artificial Domination was the one I valued least.
Because of my Domination Totem and Order Shaping, I didn't actually need the intervention of a concept like "authority." At most, I could use it as a reference to spark similar inspirations.
But if you were to ask what held the highest value to me right now... it was undoubtedly the authority of Artificial Domination.
Because... once the channel for Artificial Domination was cut, it would be equivalent to severing the control the Game Architects and even the members of the Supreme Council held over the Terminal of Myriad Worlds at its very root!
Unfortunately, as of now, I still couldn't completely sever the opponent's primary authority.
However, taking over temporarily and opening a few backdoors for myself was certainly doable.
"Hmm? Interesting...!"
When I formally began the operation, I was somewhat surprised to find that these three branches of authority were mutually restrictive.
In other words, the three authorities were originally concepts within a single system, merely forced into three different directions.
"Hmm... is it because the Supreme Council has twelve people, or because those twelve are divided into three interest groups?" I speculated.
Regardless, if that were truly the case, I would die laughing!
If the Terminal of Myriad Worlds didn't have a clear master to take over all authority, then it was a piece of junk.
What is the most ruthless thing a group can do?
In-fighting, of course!
One must never underestimate the baser instincts of humanity.
Just as I was temporarily taking over the primary authority, the Supreme Council received a warning.
At this moment, there were no scapegoats and no disputes. The opponent had already reached for the supreme authority they guarded as if it were their very lives.
All they could do... was issue a warning!
Simultaneously, intense warning sirens blared throughout the Myriad Worlds Space due to the activation of supreme authority.
Accompanied by flashing red lights, figures descended one after another.
"They react quite fast..."
I remarked idly, but my hands didn't stop. The Order transformed from Power of Knowledge was "eroding" the opponent's Order in a way I could understand.
At the same time, I gained insight into the self-check function of the Terminal of Myriad Worlds.
Admittedly, their self-check function was incredibly powerful; after all, it was a core authority capability.
But since it was a self-check, there were bound to be loopholes.
The speed of their descent didn't give me enough time to set up my original ideas. Especially after understanding the terminal's self-check system, I shifted my approach on the fly.
I planned a dual-track probe. Overtly, I would leave traces of Power of Knowledge erosion to see how deep their self-check capabilities reached.
Covertly, I would bypass the self-check system to take over authority, testing to see if they had any means other than the self-check to root out my hidden hands.
The worst-case scenario was that these guys would clear out all the measures I left behind.
If that happened, this probe would essentially yield zero progress, other than a deeper understanding of the internal structure of the Terminal of Myriad Worlds.
In that case, I would have to change my strategy—shifting from virtual to reality and launching a direct assault.
When I invaded the Terminal of Myriad Worlds again, I would have to probe for their headquarters' physical location in reality.
After all, for the powerful, "to discover is to destroy." That was no joke.
If the Terminal of Myriad Worlds was truly rotten to the core, then I would use it to gradually dismantle the game-based social order they were so proud of!
"Calamity Witch! You see us here, yet you still won't stop!"
"Oh... are you members of the Supreme Council?" My tone was quite flat.
Though, in a sense, this was my first time... talking face-to-face with them?
However, their emotion-laden interrogation made me look down on them even more.
Bringing emotions into a confrontation is a taboo—unless it's an act intended to make the opponent underestimate them.
But my Heart Sense's understanding of the Five Senses was enough to bypass layers of obstruction and analyze their thoughts. If I had to use a metaphor, it was like a psychological observation technique integrated into my very instincts.
"Indeed, Lady Calamity Witch." At this point, another figure stepped forward to restrain the first speaker and addressed me: "May I ask for what reason you are attacking us?"
With the Supreme Council appearing in person, they naturally wouldn't lack vision like those Game Architects. Their priority was to figure out why the opponent was invading the Terminal of Myriad Worlds. If they didn't clarify the reason, were the lords of the Supreme Council supposed to guard the terminal themselves?
Who would want to do that!
So, their primary goal was communication. After all, in their eyes, the Calamity Witch was an outsider similar to the Wizard Apprentices they had dealt with before.
Although there were irreconcilable conflicts between the two sides, it didn't mean they couldn't play a game of checks and balances.
More importantly, the Wizards no longer had a way to exchange Tech Cores with them for the Terminal of Myriad Worlds.
But the Witches could. Conversation is the prerequisite for all cooperation.
If they were willing to accept the protection of the Wizards and choose their Void faction before, they could just as easily turn around and throw themselves under the protection of the Witches!
Even if the rumors about Witches were terrifying and their reputation was poor, there was a high probability that it was slander from other races. After all, they had never had real contact with the Witch race.
While they hadn't had much contact with Wizard Apprentices, they had dealt with other transcendent races, and from their observations, none of them were any good.
"Hmm?" I tilted my head toward the arrivals.
They all appeared as faceless silhouettes, seemingly afraid to reveal their true appearances.
"Did I not express myself clearly? Then let me briefly repeat: Lady Calamity Witch, why have you invaded and hacked our Terminal of Myriad Worlds for no reason?"
This member of the Supreme Council kept his tone as peaceful as possible to show their willingness to talk.
"Because it's fun," I said casually.
As soon as I finished speaking, the already silent Myriad Worlds Space seemed as if it were on the verge of shattering.
Upon hearing this answer, the members of the Supreme Council subconsciously clenched their fists, their brows furrowing...
A nameless rage swirled in the hearts of everyone who heard those words!
They had lowered their posture, shown such grace, and asked such a momentous question so peacefully, only to receive this answer?
This was a provocation!
She didn't take them seriously at all!
"You are courting death!"
At that moment, a nearby councilor flew into a total rage, but this time, no one stopped him from venting his fury.
Because the others were equally incensed. This Calamity Witch completely disregarded them, so what was there left to talk about?
"Authority: Combat Prohibited, Plot Mode," I commanded.
However, this level of authority domination only resulted in a pop-up window for the opponent to confirm. After all, they held supreme authority. He only needed to set pop-ups to default, and such operations would become ineffective, unable to affect him at all.
"Supreme Authority: Plot Skip! Combat Mode Locked!"
Indeed, for players whose reaction speed didn't match their combat power, these default operations were the standard choice.
And that was exactly what he did.
"Authority: Auto-battle, Pop-up Application."
"Authority: Auto-battle Settings Reset, Normal Attack Locked, Special Skills Prohibited, Charged Skills Prohibited, Combat Platform Deployment Prohibited."
I raised my hand again for two more authority operations, which were then passed by the opponent's default pop-up.
"Damn it! Are you trying to annoy me to death?! Supreme Authority: External Modification Application Prohibited!"
"Supreme Authority: Rescind two authority modifications, restore original default settings!"
After he completed this operation, he was met with my heartless laughter.
"What are you doing? Are you trying to kill me with laughter? Hahaha~ Haha~"
I mean, what kind of idiot sets a restriction and then immediately rescinds it?
This fool had restored his own initial authority settings to default, and of the two authorities I had pushed through, he only rescinded one.
With this kind of combat awareness, I could kill him back and forth several times and still have time to host a Witch tea party.
As for why I didn't take the opportunity to kill him?
This was a virtual space, after all.
I couldn't actually kill him here. Moreover, there was no external source tracing—like Luck—so I couldn't lock onto his location in reality to finish him off.
It was better to just mock him and deal some mental damage.
"Enough! Haven't you embarrassed us enough?!"
"I'm embarrassing us? What about you all! You're just going to stand there and watch? What right do you have to talk to me!"
Watching these people start bickering among themselves, I silently enjoyed the show.
The absolute suppression in terms of authority made things difficult for me right now. That brief clash just now was built on the opponent's lack of experience; one cannot always expect an opponent to leave openings.
Fighting such enemies for a long time would only lower my own combat level.
Furthermore, this didn't seem like a simple internal feud.
No matter what, these were the people or representatives of interest groups who decided the direction of this world. Even if being in high positions had blurred their vision, they shouldn't be such useless hacks.
Just as they were about to continue their dispute, another pop-up appeared.
[Authority: Music Playback]
Accompanied by a sound that felt completely out of place within the Terminal of Myriad Worlds, the group stopped what they were doing.
"What are you doing? Such clumsy acting... are you stalling for time?"
As my words instantly pierced through their intentions, the awkwardness lasted only a second or two.
They were indeed stalling for time. The ultimate killing move structured by the Terminal of Myriad Worlds, the "Custom Dungeon Space," was a measure that required massive authority to activate.
Since invoking authority was their way of dominating Order, in order to obstruct and intimidate the Calamity Witch before them, they had to use thunderous means to execute her!
Even though this was a virtual space within the Terminal of Myriad Worlds and not reality, the authority required to invoke Order was still very real.
Or rather, to the Terminal of Myriad Worlds, virtual space was not "fake." It was only virtual to individuals and life forms, but the power was real. Power and Order constructed this place, and the price to be paid would not be any less than in reality.
"Since you already know, then there's indeed no need to act. So, what about you? What will you do?"
"Me? I'll just lie in bed and sleep, of course. What does it matter if the virtual me dies? Or do you... think this can intimidate me?" I said with a tone of utter disdain.
After all... they were waiting for their ultimate move, but wasn't I doing the same?
"You don't think this is enough to harass us? There is only one of you. Between the game and reality, can you handle both? Or do you plan to abandon that little 'house-playing' association you've integrated?"
"Don't trouble yourselves. I just think it's fun to watch you all crawl out of bed in the middle of the night every few days to stop me from invading the terminal. Threats... anyone can make those."
"Then it seems the conflict between us is irreconcilable..."
"Hasn't it always been? How boring... pray that I don't follow the network cable and wipe out your whole gang!"
The moment I said this, cold sweat broke out on the backs of everyone present!
They had overlooked the possibility that the opponent had a way to lock onto them in reality through their characters...
Realizing this, the figures vanished instantly. After all, compared to saving face, their lives were more important!
This wasn't cowardice; it was a strategic withdrawal, a cautious decision to deny the opponent even the slightest possibility of a decapitation strike.
"They ran just like that?"
I looked at the empty space with contempt, where only the background music from before still held some presence.
But only their descended virtual characters had logged out; the supreme authority was still being actively controlled, leaving me not a single chance to seize it.
Just as I was starting to feel bored, a system prompt echoed through the Myriad Worlds Space.
[Supreme Authority Activated: Indiscriminate Expulsion Self-check]
"It's already started?" I frowned, suddenly feeling a wave of pressure on my virtual body.
First, an indiscriminate expulsion, then a terminal self-check—a double sweep intended to completely erase my existence and any traces I had left behind.
At this moment, the things hidden under the authority I dominated were no longer concealed.
Transcendent Pixels!
The essence of Transcendent Pixels was Transcendent Energy Pixels.
Currently, the pixel concepts covered by the Terminal of Myriad Worlds fell into three categories: Virtual, Energy, and Matter.
Everything constructed here consisted of virtual pixels, including the concepts of space, matter, and energy.
But one thing remained unchanged: the power that constituted all of this. It was a real concept.
It followed a certain law that even Order could not distort.
And that was... the Ritual.
At this moment, a Summoning Ritual Rune formed beneath my feet.
This was both the trump card I had prepared and an opportunity I wanted to test.
The Reverse Summoning Ritual, interfaced with my main body, was already unfolding.
Next, I drew a blade from the Book in the Box. It held great significance for reproduction, as did the strike it once delivered.
Using the Reverse Summoning Ritual as a medium, I engaged in the confrontation of Order once more!
This time... I am crossing worlds to send you one more slash!