Chapter 48 Decision

"So everything before, including the train system upgrades, was fake, right?"

[I can only do my best to issue a warning, but dealing with the accident in the space-time tunnel has already exhausted most of my energy, and what I can do is very limited.]

The soft child's voice became low, carrying with it an indescribable regret and loss.

After sending dreams to everyone, I used my remaining energy to bind you. This was a random choice, and also because I detected that you were one of those who believed in the prophecy of the end of the world.

…

Jiang Qian listened silently. After knowing the origin of her adventure, she felt more at ease than before.

The voice in my head continues.

"Life No. 7 shouldn't exist. My mission here is to completely eliminate it. I disguised myself as the train operating system to collect crystal cores for this very purpose."

"With your current level of technology, you can't completely eliminate Life No. 7. Even if you incinerate it, some residue will remain. That's why I'm collecting all the magic crystals that contain Life No. 7."

Life-Seven feeds by absorbing the life force of living organisms. Once they leave a living organism or their host's life force is depleted, they fall into a deep sleep. However, upon contact with a new life form, they awaken again. While they slumber, the energy stored in the magic crystal serves as their energy source.

[It was only later that the interstellar people discovered that this energy could be harnessed. The current train, including my own various activities, is powered by the energy converters developed by the interstellar people related to Life No. 7.]

[In Interstellar, due to the complete extinction of Life No. 7, this type of energy converter has become obsolete, so I've taken it and salvaged it. All items in the mall require crystal cores to redeem, which is also for the purpose of collecting and processing magic crystals.]

"So everything before, including the train system upgrade, was fake? You were just collecting magic crystals?"

Jiang Qian had a headache after receiving so much information at once.

She was not a very smart person to begin with, and she was even more helpless when faced with such a big thing.

"Everything you said before was a lie, so can I still believe you now?"

[Not all of it is fake. I created the train system based on common settings from your existing online literature, but I do need magic crystals to provide energy when upgrading the train and opening interstellar space tunnels to transport various materials.]

Although the relationship between our train operation system and the host is fake, I believe our ultimate goals and interests are the same.

We are all here to solve humanity's predicament and create a better future for humanity. If you find this unacceptable, you can still treat me as the train operating system. Nothing I've set up before will change.

'How is that possible? How can they be the same?'

Jiang Qian murmured.

She thought she was just a lucky person who was chosen by accident, but now she knows that this is not the case at all.

Knowing such complicated things, and feeling that they had the mission of saving humanity on their shoulders, no one could remain calm again.

"You just said that energy converters are products of the interstellar age, and there are also time tunnels. So do you have a way to contact the future?"

"Yes, when I have enough energy, I can open a space-time channel to exchange materials with the future. In addition to the materials needed to upgrade the train, the items you see in the mall were also delivered through the space-time channel."

"Can I tell others about your existence? Tell others what you told me? Don't you want to collect magic crystals? Isn't it too slow to collect them with just one train? If I tell the country about your existence, with the power of the entire country, we should be able to complete the task faster, right? And the disaster will end faster?"

Jiang Qian felt that she could not bear such a heavy responsibility, so the first thing she thought of was to hand it over to the country.

Compared to an ordinary person like me with average IQ and everything else, of course I have to find a smart person to discuss such an important matter as cooperation with Interstellar Era.

Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the system in her mind.

"If you'd like, you can tell others everything I've told you. But are you sure that those who know about the magic crystal won't be tempted if it's revealed?"

After hearing this, Jiang Qian's heart, which had just been lifted up, sank again in an instant.

She couldn't be sure and didn't dare to guarantee it.

From ancient times to the present, countless wise emperors, ambitious and capable in their youth, ultimately perished after taking elixirs seeking immortality. Even in the interstellar age, despite such painful lessons, some still refused to cease their research on Life No. 7.

So what now?

If the secrets of the Magic Crystal and Life No. 7 were known to the world, would those who knew truly not be tempted? Could they resist the allure of longevity, or even immortality?

The current situation is already chaotic enough. If the secret about the magic crystal is leaked again, will this disaster ever end?

Jiang Qian shook her head subconsciously.

No, she couldn't do that, and she didn't dare to do that.

If her decision plunged humanity into a deeper abyss...

He is to blame for all his crimes.

These words suddenly popped up in Jiang Qian's mind.

She shuddered.

"So in the end, we're all on our own, right?"

The system did not respond.

…

At a coastal biological research institute, a person wearing heavy protective clothing typed the last key on the keyboard.

The next second, an investigation report was transmitted to a small conference room not far from the laboratory.

In the conference room, three old professors with half-gray hair were looking at the big screen in front of the room with gloomy faces.

A few days ago, bad news came from a research institute far away in the northwest.

The old colleague in charge of researching this project entered the laboratory and never came out again. Before losing consciousness, he only left a warning prohibiting further research on blood cells.

But when the laboratory door opened again, what appeared before everyone was a mindless monster.

But the experiment had more implications than just that.

Even though the Northwest Institute later immediately sealed off the laboratory at that time, within a day, the remaining people in the institute began to mutate one after another, and their mutation process was even much faster than that of the previous experimental subjects.

The remaining researchers did not have time to conduct further research on the cause of their colleague's mutation before the situation became uncontrollable. They only had time to send out the newly obtained research data.

Regarding what happened, other research institutes that received the information could only guess that the blood cells contained a high concentration of zombie "virus".

But guesses are just guesses.

To prevent a further disaster, the military had no choice but to seal off the entire research institute. All relevant experimental data and results were transferred to their own facility. The remaining conscious researchers at the Northwest Research Institute were also imprisoned and restricted.

Because of the old professor's last words, other research institutes did not dare to continue studying the blood cell before making sufficient preparations, and only studied the zombie corpses.

Looking at the experimental report on the big screen, the old man on the far left raised his hand to support his glasses.

"...The cells discovered by Professor Liang were not found in the zombies' tissues or blood. How could this be possible?"

The old man frowned as he looked at it. "If that thing is the cause of human mutation, how could it not be in the zombies' bodies?"

"It's indeed unusual," said the old man sitting on the right side of the conference room. "But the appearance of zombies is an unusual thing in itself, so this result is not surprising."

Since the zombies appeared, the higher-ups have assigned tasks to the various biological research institutes. Over time, they've made some discoveries. However, given the Northwest Research Institute's experience, no one dares to touch the most crucial part.

The old man on the left said: "The report from the Southwest Research Institute came in this afternoon. Their findings are similar to ours."

"If you ask me, if you really want to know the key to the change, you have to go deeper."

The words were not said explicitly, but everyone knew what it meant.

"Old Zhao, it's time to apply to the higher authorities. If this continues, this research will not produce any results." The old man sitting on the right continued.

"That's right. I understand their concerns, but scratching the surface will never get you where you need to be. If you want to achieve results, you have to make some sacrifices." The old man on the left also said, "The kids are still young. Let me go into the lab when the time comes."

"If anyone wants to go in, I'll go in first." The old professor on the right snorted.

"Why?" The old man on the left was dissatisfied.

"I'm two years older than you. According to the order, it's my turn to be taken away by the King of Hell first. It's not your turn."

…

Everyone knew that once they went in, they might have no chance of coming out, just like Lao Liang, but even so, no one backed down.

Listening to the quarrel between the two sides, the old man in the middle with completely white hair finally turned his eyes away from the report in front of him.

"Let's study it this way first!"

The old man called Lao Zhao sighed.

Didn't he also want to study the blood cells that seemed more critical?

Even though he was well protected in the research institute, he was not unaware of the situation outside. A quicker research could save more lives.

But as the person in charge of this research, he couldn't just focus on the research results. He also had to consider the safety of the researchers and the negative impact of the collapse of the institute.

It is easy to conduct research, but if it is not under control, it will eventually be shut down like the Northwest Institute, and the losses will be too great!

"Send us some more test subjects, at all stages of development. Perhaps we can compare and see something." He said to the two people beside him, "Even if we want to study blood cells, we have to thoroughly study everything else first!"

…

In the empty airport, just after dawn, Jiang Qian got up with dark circles under her eyes.

After learning so much about the inside story yesterday, she tossed and turned all night and couldn't sleep. After thinking about it all night, she finally decided to just treat it as a train operating system, just as "Zero" had said.

As for the secrets of Life Number Seven within the Magic Crystal, she was prepared to keep them to herself. Perhaps she would change her mind in the future when she had no choice, but for now, she didn't want to tell anyone.

【Author’s words】

This chapter is complete, there should be another 1,000 words, I will update it tonight or tomorrow morning, you can read it when you wake up tomorrow. This chapter is 48, as usual, I will give everyone red envelopes!