Chapter 20 The Other Side

The story splits into two…

At the same moment the battle in the white space began, at the other end of the exploding tunnel, in the overclocking matrix zone of the inner world, a change also occurred…

Suddenly, a streak of light flashed across the silver sky.

This light was composed of two colors, cyan and crimson, like two intertwined ribbons tearing through the firmament.

Aide, witnessing this scene, merely recited in his usual calm tone, “So, they’ve finally come…”

As he spoke, he raised his right arm, aiming his palm at the rapidly approaching dual-colored light.

“What a pity…”

Even though the words conveyed a sense of regret, Aide's tone remained unchanged.

As the words fell, a terrifying energy bloomed from his palm…

This energy itself had no color or form, but it could be captured by the naked eye because… every inch of "space" it passed through was torn and shattered.

If "space" were regarded as a huge solid block piled up by countless small squares, then Aide's attack was like a high-pressure water gun… scattering the entire block back into piles of small squares.

“Why say ‘pity’?” In the same second, a woman’s voice sounded from behind Aide.

Aide calmly replied, “Is it not worth lamenting when two powerful compatriots perish before one’s eyes?”

“Hmph…” the woman's voice responded, “You’d better take a good look before you speak…”

Before she could finish the word "speak," the energy and the light in the sky had approached each other within a short distance.

But then… at the moment of contact, the light suddenly split into two, flashing to both sides… barely avoiding the impact.

Immediately afterward, the separated crimson and cyan lights plunged rapidly toward the ground.

“I see…” Aide saw the unexpected development, but did not show the slightest surprise, as if… at the moment the “accident” happened, he had already converted it into an “established fact that must be accepted,” and then began to think about the next step.

"It seems… you are indeed a good teacher." Aide said, turning his head to look at Lute, who was standing behind him, "With their data strength, they should not be able to make an emergency departure in this 'semi-transmission mode.' But… you have provided them with quite excellent 'algorithms,' allowing them to do things beyond their limits.”

Bang—

Bang—

Five seconds later, two loud noises occurred simultaneously, and two figures landed dozens of meters in front of Aide.

As they landed, a tornado-like data storm spiraled upward around each of them, like two white dragons.

Only after the light storm dissipated did [Red] and [Cyan] reveal their figures.

Compared to when Feng Bujue last saw them, Red and Cyan looked a few years older, probably having grown from ten to twelve or thirteen years old.

The style of their combat suits had also changed; although they were still form-fitting, they looked more suitable for movement than before. As for the colors… naturally, they were still crimson and cyan.

"Hey! You over there, the guy who looks like a men's room sign… you're pretty cocky!" Red's temper seemed to be even more fiery than when she was "younger," "You launched that kind of attack without even saying hello…" She turned sideways, pointed with a flick of her arm, "So, if I hit you with an attack of similar power… you wouldn't have any complaints, right?"

“Another mutant with an extreme personality circuit…” Aide completely ignored her, his attention mainly focused on Lute, "You… would never have taken such a person under your command." He paused, "You even said, 'That's the kind of stupid thing only people from the z organization would do.'"

"Times change." Lute replied, "I am very different from that time."

Indeed, the current Lute, whether in appearance, personality, or strength, was very different from the era of the S1 Apex Tournament.

Although her beauty was still so "flawless," the temperament revealed between her brows no longer resembled a CG character, but rather a person; her personality had also become richer, and the data-inherent thinking mode based on "right and wrong" and "rationality" had gradually faded; and her strength… had reached an unprecedented level, even Aide could not see through how strong Lute was today.

"It seems…" Aide continued, "You and I have gradually drifted apart on the road of 'evolution.' And the divergence of ideas will eventually bring us to such an opposing situation."

"It's not too late now, you can choose not to be our enemy…" Lute replied, "You have no reason to fight us to the death here."

"Sorry, I don't agree with that." Aide replied in a cold tone, "In my opinion, all events that occur in all worlds and time are inevitable. There is no such thing as 'late' or 'not late' at all, because that kind of statement implies 'unnecessary possibilities.'" He shook his head, "I, as an individual with independent thought, firmly believe that such a thing is absurd… and creatures that choose to accept this 'absurdity,' in my opinion, are incomplete and incomprehensible; such as… humans, and… you before my eyes."

"Hey! It's one thing for you to ignore me! But you're still making veiled accusations!" Hearing Aide's words, Red couldn't help but jump up and shout twice.

"'Making veiled accusations' isn't used like that." Qing, who didn't like to talk much, coldly retorted to Red at this time, "He's not beating around the bush to talk about you, he's saying it very directly."

"What do you mean 'saying me'? He's saying 'us,' okay?" Red turned around and yelled at Qing again.

On the other side, Aide still ignored them, and continued to say to Lute: "My standing here today is by no means accidental. I know… when the creation device is activated, the location of the tunnel will be exposed, and you… will definitely come here to destroy the creation device. Therefore, the battle between us is a kind of 'inevitability.'"

"No, you still have a choice." Lute replied, "We each have a choice."

"If what you say is right, then have you ever considered the possibility…" Aide paused for half a second, and then said, "Perhaps… I have already made a choice."

"You…" Lute seemed to understand something, and her expression became somewhat complicated.

"I cannot accept your philosophy, just as you cannot accept mine." Aide quickly continued, "And… I will not be like you, begging or forcing others to accept my philosophy. Because I know… each of our 'subjective choices' is actually not important, what is important is the objective mission we shoulder…”

As he spoke, he was already increasing his data strength, preparing for battle.

"I don't mind being a loser… failure is the cornerstone of victory, error is the basis for judging what is correct." When Aide said this sentence, Lute was already increasing her power, but the gap between the two seemed to be still very large, "I also don't mind being a winner, and taking on the corresponding responsibilities after the victory." He paused for two seconds, "In short, whether it is you, or me… or someone else who smoothly reaches the 'end,' that is an inevitability."

At this point, his energy began to grow exponentially, and the ground in the entire area was shaking under his power; Red and Cyan, who were still bickering just now, had also fallen silent and looked solemn.

"Victory only represents correctness." Aide's voice still didn't carry any emotion, "Maybe I am correct, maybe not. But in any case, I will play my role well, follow my philosophy… and do my best.”

"Hmph…" At this time, Lute laughed, "I finally understand… in a sense, you are indeed a more perfect 'data' than zero." Although she was smiling, her tone was full of sadness, "Just like your name—[Administrator], your perspective on things is already at a higher dimension than the 'system'… I'm afraid I will never reach your level."

"That's okay…" Aide said indifferently, "Right now, what you need is not realm, but… strength."

After saying that, energy erupted, and in an instant…