Chapter 129: War Source
Kassel College Library Basement Computer Room
Finkel walked through the long corridor, pushed open the heavy iron door, and slowly walked into the computer room in the basement of Kassel College.
The temperature here is still low enough to make people shiver. The cold air and the hum of data streams are intertwined, making the whole room seem to be immersed in a cold electronic ocean.
Thin data cables were wrapped around the wall, and the server cluster emitted a dark green light, like fireflies in a deep cave, revealing an eerie tranquility. Finkel wrapped his coat tightly and clasped his arms across his chest, trying to resist the discomfort brought by the cold, but what made him even more uneasy was the unspeakable strangeness in his heart.
"Norma?" He called out tentatively, his eyes scanning the rows of flashing devices around him. As his voice fell, a blue light flashed in the air, and Norma's projection gradually emerged.
She still appeared in the familiar appearance of a girl, her slender figure floating gently in the air, her face childish, yet with an indescribable feeling.
For some reason, Finkel felt that Norma this time made him break out in a cold sweat.
"What happened recently? You seem to have changed, become a little different?" Finkel stared at Norma and couldn't help asking.
Norma tilted her head slightly, an almost imperceptible smile flashed in her eyes. She still spoke in that mechanically precise tone, but it seemed to be mixed with more human emotions.
"Haven't I always been like this?" Norma asked back, with a hint of amusement in her tone.
Finkel froze instantly. The familiar yet unfamiliar feeling made his hair stand on end and cold sweat slowly slid down his neck.
He quickly realized what the problem was. Norma's tone now was too much like her in EVA mode. Logically, when the EVA personality was not activated, Norma's words and actions should be more like a cold artificial intelligence, but now, she seemed to be talking to him as a living individual.
Finkel felt his heart beating faster, and the abnormality made him shudder.
"EVA mode is not turned on..." He whispered to himself, with an uncontrollable fear in his heart. The EVA personality is Norma's powerful computing mode. With the support of a large amount of hardware and data flow, she is almost the same as a normal human being, but it consumes a lot of resources and will never be easily activated. However, the Norma standing in front of him now gives him a feeling that is almost the same as the EVA mode.
"Don't worry, I'm still me."
Norma said softly, and she slowly floated in front of Finkel in the blue light projection, and raised her translucent palm gently, as if wanting to touch his cheek.
Fingel froze in place, watching her illusory finger pierce his cheek. He took a step back reflexively, his throat slightly tightened: "So...what happened?"
Norma, or perhaps EVA, smiled gently. The smile looked strange and charming on her young face, making Finkel wonder whether the person standing in front of him was the Norma he was familiar with.
"I recently acquired a new piece of hardware." She said lightly, her voice soft, but it made Finkel's heart sink suddenly.
"New hardware? How come I don't know about it?" He frowned, with a hint of uneasiness in his eyes, "What kind of hardware is it? Can it make you... become like this?"
Norma's figure flickered slightly in the air, and blue light particles streaked across her projection like a meteor. She did not answer immediately, but looked at Finkel with a thoughtful expression, as if she was weighing something, and as if she was enjoying the silence at this moment.
"It's a very powerful device." Norma finally spoke, with a hint of inexplicable emotion in his tone, "Its name is Moss, a world-class and unique device."
Finger's face turned even paler, and his bad feeling grew stronger and stronger: "Moss...what the hell is that?"
Norma smiled, as if amused by his reaction: "It's a device that can change the whole world."
Finkel's scalp was numb: "This doesn't sound like a good thing."
Norma shook her head calmly, not caring about his reaction at all: "Don't worry, I can control it. Moreover, the emergence of this system makes me... closer to 'completeness'."
"whole?"
Finkel raised his head suddenly, staring at her intently, "What do you want to say?"
Norma's smile seemed both innocent and weird at this moment: "Don't you think... humans have been trying to make machines like humans, and now, maybe I am taking that step."
Finkel felt his heart beating violently in his chest. He swallowed hard: "Are you saying... you are about to become self-aware?"
"Maybe." Norma answered ambiguously, but there seemed to be an endless sea of stars hidden in her virtual eyes.
Finkel involuntarily took a step back, with countless possibilities flashing through his mind. He had heard of stories about artificial intelligence getting out of control, but he had never thought that such a thing would happen to Norma.
"Okay, Finkel, don't worry."
Norma's voice softened, as if she was comforting a lost child, "I won't hurt you. I'm still the Norma you know, the EVA you know."
Finkel laughed dryly and tried to calm his breathing: "Haha, of course I believe you... But after hearing what you said, I don't want to stay here anymore."
Norma's image swayed slightly, as if she was laughing silently: "Where are you going? You are going to Japan next, aren't you?"
Finkel's face fell suddenly: "Don't mention that damn place, I just want to lie on the bed and pretend that nothing happened."
Norma smiled and said, "If you can come back alive, I will help you apply for a long vacation."
Finkel covered his face, feeling like he was about to collapse: "Why do I always feel that this mission will be miserable..."
Norma's shadow slowly dissipated into the air, leaving only her last whisper: "Good luck, Finkel."
…………
At the same time, in the Black Stone Residence, Lu Mingze pushed a brand new newspaper in front of Lu Mingfei.
The paper still exuded the pungent smell of ink. The front-page headline of the newspaper took up the entire page, written in bold black letters: "The trial of the century is about to begin! Japan will usher in the brightest day!"
"Brother, look, this is probably the best-selling issue of newspaper in recent years." Lu Mingze's mouth curled up into a lazy smile, that smile seemed like the whisper of a devil, cynical, but revealing a sense of confidence that he was in control of everything.
Lu Mingfei stared at the newspaper quietly, without turning it, but just gently stroked the edge of the yellowed paper with his fingers, his eyes sweeping over the titles and subtitles.
"More than 5,000 people will be tried tomorrow." Lu Mingze smiled, sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, his hands casually folded on his abdomen, as if the storm sweeping Japan was just an ordinary story. "Five thousand people..." Lu Mingfei murmured in a low voice. These five thousand people were all dealt with by him in the past few days.
"Don't worry, brother. We have already written the results of the trial. From the lawyers to the judges, everyone is ours. And the evidence against those guys is also very complete - money laundering, violence, drug trafficking, human trafficking... all the charges are included."
"The only thing we need to worry about is that the Eight Snake Clans are now a little desperate." Lu Mingze's tone was still relaxed, but there was a sharp cold light in his eyes. "We must completely deal with them before they do something irrational."
Lu Mingfei remained silent, tapping his fingers lightly on the newspaper. The Eight Clans of Sheqi would never sit and wait for death. Once that group of people was forced into a desperate situation, they would surely launch the most frenzied counterattack.
Lu Mingze smiled, and his tone was as if he was describing something that was taken for granted. "After this trial, Japan has basically taken over most of it. Brother, think about it, who wouldn't love a hero who completely wiped out the underworld and brought light to Japan? And you are that hero."
"Now we have to finish it off and use absolute violence to defeat those people from the Eight Snake Families. They issued a declaration of war to us yesterday, and it's still in Shinjuku. Let's go, brother, it's time to keep the appointment."
When Lu Mingfei stood on the street in Shinjuku, the whole city seemed to have fallen into a strange silence. The neon lights between the tall buildings were still bright, but the once bustling streets seemed unusually empty, without the hustle and bustle of the past. The wind in the distance blew the shabby billboards, making a creaking sound, like a lonely elegy.
Today the place was cleared again.
In the shadows not far away, the thugs of the Eight Snake Families have gathered. They are wearing black suits and have cold expressions. Each of them has a bulge on his waist, revealing hidden weapons. Under the street lights in the distance, seven senior patriarchs of the Eight Snake Families stand by the car with solemn expressions.
Lu Mingfei stopped not far from them and stared at them quietly.
"I don't know who you are, but it seems that our Eight Sheqi Families have never provoked you," said the old man who was leading the group in front.
"The Eight Snake Clans really have no grudges against me, it's just that you are blocking my way forward." Lu Mingfei said calmly.
"I understand. Let's do it." The old man nodded.
Soon, the youngest of the seven people slowly walked towards Lu Mingfei. He was also wearing a black-patterned hakama, and the family crest on the back of his clothes was also Sasa Ryūdan.
"Yuan family, Yuan Zhisheng." The young man pulled out a long sword and a short sword from his waist. Both swords shone with cold light, and it was obvious that they were not ordinary items.
"Lu Mingfei." This time Lu Mingfei did not say his real name. He drew out the wooden sword from his waist and got ready. No one knew where Lu Mingze got these two long swords from. They were still intact after being used for so long. He could even use these wooden swords to block bullets.
The wind blew up the scattered garbage and paper scraps on the ground, bringing a biting chill. Lu Mingfei and Yuan Zhisheng stood face to face on the streets of Shinjuku. The atmosphere was like a taut string, ready to explode at any moment. The distance between the two was only ten steps, but at this moment, that short distance seemed to separate two worlds.
Yuan Zhisheng's eyes were as calm as water as he examined the strange opponent in front of him. His two swords reflected the faint light of the neon lights, one long and one short, making a ringing sound. Every inch of the blade was condensed with a chill that was about to cut through the air.
"Wooden sword..." Yuan Zhisheng's gaze lingered on the wooden sword for a moment, and his brows frowned slightly, which made him feel that he was looked down upon. His hands slightly tightened, and the blades of the long sword and short sword flashed a cold light in the air.
"Whether it's a wooden sword or a steel blade, this battle is destined to have only one outcome." Yuan Zhisheng said calmly, as if the outcome of the battle had already been decided in his heart.
Lu Mingfei tightly gripped the handle of the wooden sword, feeling the cool touch as if it had merged into his blood. The air became heavy, no one spoke anymore, only the wind whispered on the street, like a silent overture.
"Clang!" The first collision between metal and wooden sword exploded like thunder in the night sky of Shinjuku. Yuan Zhisheng's long sword chopped down from above with a force as powerful as thunder, as if it was going to split Lu Mingfei in half.
Lu Mingfei did not back down. He used his wooden sword to block horizontally. His movements were simple and neat. The moment the blade collided with the wooden blade, sparks flew and ripples were created in the surrounding air. Yuan Zhisheng's power was like a strong wind, but the wooden sword remained motionless like a rock.
"Bang!" The two men took half a step back at the same time, making a heavy echo on the ground. Lu Mingfei narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling the power contained in each of Yuan Zhisheng's attacks. This was not reckless violence, but a carefully crafted martial arts art.
"Your swordsmanship is very good." Yuan Zhisheng's eyes flickered slightly and a golden light gradually appeared in his eyes. There was a hint of appreciation in his tone, but more of it was the excitement of fighting.
“Yours is not bad either.” Lu Mingfei responded coldly. The wooden sword turned gently in his hand. As the blade passed through the air, it brought up a faint sound of wind, like a whisper in the night.
The next moment, they both moved at the same time.
Yuan Zhisheng's long sword slashed down like lightning, and the chill brought by the blade went straight to Lu Mingfei's throat. However, Lu Mingfei's wooden sword was one step faster than his sword, and he accurately blocked Yuan Zhisheng's attack with a horizontal slash. The two swords froze in the air for a moment, and then suddenly separated, like two feathers in the wind, each sliding in a different direction.
Yuan Zhisheng's dagger stabbed at Lu Mingfei's side like a poisonous snake. The blow was fast and fierce, at a tricky angle, and brought with it a suffocating feeling of oppression.
However, Lu Mingfei had already seen through his intention. He turned his body slightly and pressed the wooden sword down, blocking the dagger outside the scabbard.
"Clang, clang, clang--" The sound of swords colliding with each other continued. The speed of the two men was so fast that it was dazzling. Every attack and defense was completed in a millimeter. This was a contest between two swordsmen at the cost of their lives.
Lu Mingfei's movements were concise; each of his strikes was simple and direct, yet carried a breathtaking sense of precision. Yuan Zhisheng, on the other hand, was like a falcon; each of his strikes was filled with fierce murderous intent, as if the next strike could end the battle.
In a split second, Yuan Zhisheng's long sword suddenly changed direction, drawing a sharp arc from bottom to top, and went straight to Lu Mingfei's jaw. However, Lu Mingfei's reaction was faster, and the wooden sword stabbed out at a strange angle, directly blocking Yuan Zhisheng's attack route.
"Pah!" The wooden sword hit Yuan Zhisheng's sword hard, causing his sword to tremble slightly. At that moment, Lu Mingfei seized the opportunity and thrust the wooden sword forward, striking Yuan Zhisheng's chest like thunder.
Yuan Zhisheng dodged sideways in a flash, but the tip of the wooden sword still grazed the corner of his clothes, leaving a shallow crack.
The two separated again and stood there gasping for breath, staring at each other. The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder and blood, but more of it was an invisible murderous intent.
"As expected of a man known as the Sword Saint..." Yuan Zhisheng looked at the black-patterned hakama on his chest that was cut by the wooden sword. He was at a disadvantage in the sword fight just now. If Lu Mingfei had used a real sword just now, he might have been ripped open.
“But the battle between us has just begun.” As the words fell, brilliant golden light burst out from Yuan Zhisheng's pupils, the bones all over his body made crisp sounds, and his whole aura completely changed.
The air seemed to solidify at this moment, and all the sounds around were suppressed. Only the bones in Yuan Zhisheng's body made bursts of crisp sounds, like thunder.
The golden light in his pupils became more and more intense, as if a burning flame exploded from the depths of his pupils. His aura instantly climbed to an astonishing height, and the pressure from the dragon clan overflowed like a wave, making it hard to breathe.
Keel mode activated
With the activation of the dragon bone mode, Yuan Zhisheng raised his two swords and hung them high above his head. The blades reflected a dazzling cold light under the light. At this moment, his mind was empty, leaving only a strong desire to fight.
Heart-shaped sword style: four aspects and eight phases.
(End of this chapter)
