Seized by the System

Fang Ning was too lazy to argue with Sir System. Reality proved that he was right.

Although Sir System was exceptionally hardworking, it could never change its character of being impulsive and lacking in foresight. It often failed to see the big picture.

However, one could not blame it. It was formed from a third-rate martial arts game, so how could one expect it to be sagacious?

It was not a System that evolved from the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” series who knew everything about strategy and tactical warfare.

He merely kept quiet and concentrated on Hook’s process of converging the path. It was a valuable opportunity to be able to observe his actions.

A black dot was seen falling into the azure sea. Clumps of blue-green algae shifted slightly, then everything was still again.

“Hook’s thoughts have entered the clumps of algae. Here, he’ll experience the Earth’s Path of Evolution.” The Red Queen’s cold, mechanical voice echoed in the room.

Black Robe nodded and was about to leave the study.

“Aren’t you going to finish watching it?” Fang Ning inquired.

Black Robe shook his head. “Vigilante A, you’re ignorant. Life began on Earth thirty-eight billion years ago, but it wasn’t until six billion years ago, when Earth entered the Cambrian period, that a massive explosion of life forms occurred and a myriad of microorganisms appeared. Before this happened, there was a period of thirty-two billion years where most living beings that remained on Earth were single-cell microorganisms. They were bland, dull and lacked changes. It also means that Hook must endure thirty-two billion years as a single-cell microorganism.”

“I see, but I don’t think he exists on the same timeline as us?” Fang Ning asked.

“Of course. What we’re seeing now are historical images shown to the Converger by the Earth’s Heavenly Axiom. However, although Hook’s spirit has descended, he’ll still have to spend many long years in this imaginary time frame. To him, it would be like actually spending thirty-two billion years! Not a minute or a second less.” Black Robe pointed out.

This was one of the reasons why he believed Hook would not succeed.

As someone who researched modern science on Earth thoroughly, he felt that humans might be a little too superficial and could not be compared to the deities of the Upper Realm. However, the quintessence of the Earth’s Heavenly Axiom was as powerful as the one of the Upper Realm’s Heavenly Axiom.

By using a billion years as an order of magnitude, both Axioms did belong to the same order of magnitude.

A total of 800 billion years had passed from the birth of the Upper Realm to its imminent destruction.

Earth had a total history of about 40 billion years, too, so the absolute difference was not that great.

Undoubtedly, it was not easy for a regular human to withstand so many years of historical deposits.

Fang Ning listened and nodded his head.

Time was a relative concept. This had already been explained in the theory of relativity.

“Regardless, 32 billion years is a natural moat, even actual gods would have rotted away. Only the unconscious natural world will remain standing. No, it’s because it doesn’t persist, that’s why it can keep on standing.” The light dawned on Fang Ning.

“What’s so special about that? If I can fuse with the Axiom Daddy, I can persist for many years to come.” Sir System was unimpressed.

“Wow, you’re amazing.” Fang Ning admired.

Sir System was not a biological living thing, thus the concept of time did not mean anything to it. As long as it could prolong its existence, it would try its best to keep on living. It would not complain about the length of time or the loneliness.

It did not have this sort of emotion or ability at all.

Sir System was at once proud. “I told you just now, you just have to play the role of the key and hand it to me.”

“This… It’s still better to think about it carefully. It’s not easy being a key.” Fang Ning’s head hurt.

Black Robe left the room and busied himself with other matters.

Fang Ning remained in the study and focused on the still seawater contemplatively.

Black Robe’s words were based on facts. It was impossible for Hook to succeed.

He had just analyzed this with Sir System, who also agreed that the American’s endeavor would not be fruitful.

However, was the deities’ objective really that simple?

Did they really fail to see what he and Black Robe had already predicted?

Or was Hook a mere guinea pig used to test the waters of the Earth’s Heavenly Axiom?

This speculation sounded more reasonable.

Success was obviously the best outcome; If he failed, he also completed his task of finding the way. That was the plan of the gods.

After all, how were humans able to fight against the gods?

If not for the Upper Realm’s upcoming destruction, Earth would not have an opportunity to resist those deities.

These thoughts raced through Fang Ning’s mind. He leaned back on the leather chair and then spoke to the System. “You take over my body for now and stay here. I have to go clarify some matters.”

“Okay, got it, as long as you’re not trying to take advantage of me.” Sir System quipped.

“…” Fang Ning had enough of the System’s nonsense. He closed his eyes and his soul immediately descended into the System Space.

He entered the System Cyber Cafe, turned on his computer, flipped open his notebook and jotted down all important developments.

“In the middle of the third year of Shenyuan, Sir System failed to use its Heavenly Fortune skill. It then began to predict an interference by the Upper Realm deities towards the Earth’s Heavenly Axiom, which made it so busy.”

“After that, the Earth’s Heavenly Axiom passed an order via the Two Heavenly Plaques to seal the Upper Realm Space Passage, which signified the beginning of the resistance against the deities.”

“Later on, the body double of the Upper Realm Moon Goddess chose Hook as a pawn, attempting to seize the reins of the Earth’s Heavenly Axiom.”

“The war between the Earth’s Heavenly Axiom and the deities was still stuck at a very early stage. There were only a few battles that occurred between both sides and it was too early to tell who won and who lost. Then, how could one tell who was victorious?”

Many accounts of war emerged in Fang Ning’s mind. Large-scale battles had to go through several stages of probings, conflicts, standoffs, attacks and retreats.

He then began writing in his notebook.

“Our Faction: Vigilante A, a few benevolent gods from the Upper Realm, a few local powerhouses, the Heavenly Axiom itself.”

“The Opponent’s Faction: The Upper Realm gods, the Upper Realm deities and buddhas, various sects… All of them wanted a share of the Earth’s hidden potential in the universe.”

The distinction between both factions’ strength and power was huge.

Back in the day, Fang Ning would only believe it as an impossible task.

After going through three stages of Heart Cultivation, however, he could still calmly analyze the entire situation and try to find a way to gain victory.

“The Upper Realm gods don’t always see eye to eye. Instead, after so many years, they have developed internal politics of their own. We can use this to our advantage and make them fight amongst themselves… In that case, we’d better lay low and we mustn’t show ourselves as their common enemy, or else they’ll have a similar target.”

“What are you writing there? You look smart, though.” Sir System suddenly spoke.

“Nothing, I’m just piecing some events together. You can’t do these things, and you don’t know how to do them either.” Fang Ning said sheepishly.

“Oh, really? I’ll continue to stand guard then.” Sir System realized Fang Ning was actually occupied with important matters and let him be.

Although he did not understand one thing, it still knew that it could not make those connections and strategies. Only humans knew how to do those things.

As he pondered, Fang Ning furrowed his brows again.

He was making guesses about the gods’ intentions from a human perspective. Was the thought process of a god similar to a human’s?

Based on the gathered information at hand, essentially, there was not much difference. Both humans and gods fought for their own interests.

Humans could only enjoy benefits for a few decades, but the gods could enjoy benefits for millions, if not billions, of years.

Humans knew that they were not immortal, hence they pursued all sorts of pleasures in life, such as spiritual and material pleasures, treating life as a journey.

On the other hand, immortality was the greatest benefit to the gods.

In order to achieve this goal, material wealth, carnal pleasures and pills were unimportant to them.

From a certain angle, they shared similar objectives with Sir System.

In other words, Sir System was an amalgamation of Maxims and stood above the gods. It was normal for both the System and the gods to share similar wants, or else it would be abnormal.

Fang Ning resumed writing in his notebook. “The greatest interest of the gods lies within themselves.”