Chapter 77 The Soul of the Doll

There was a brief drizzle in the second half of the night, and the next morning, the air was still filled with the scent of moist rain.

Rong Le came to Uriel's house again. He was determined to solve Alice's problem completely. According to the current situation, he needed to take drastic measures. His character mission 2 had not been completed yet, and Uriel could not delay any longer.

It seemed like a long time had passed since I last saw Alice.

For the doll girl, no matter what happens outside, her world is still, and her time is forever frozen on the day her lover died.

From then on, I was stuck in the same place and couldn't move forward.

The first time Rong Le came into this room, she noticed that there was a record player in the corner of her room.

"Long time no see, Alice. It seems that you have changed during this period of time." He put his hands on his knees and sat on the other side of the bed.

Alice didn't ignore him this time. She said softly, "...not for long."

This was in response to his previous sentence, that they just hadn't seen each other for a few days.

"Yes, not much time has passed, but a lot has happened in these few days."

He recounted what had happened during this period as usual.

The studio gained new members. The dolls he bought had their own names and he made good friends.

The pet ran away from home and got hurt by violence, so he brought it back from the chaotic neighborhood overnight and raised it carefully.

He also witnessed a pair of silly lovers confess their feelings to each other and walk a long way together from then on.

Rong Le told the story slowly and steadily, and Alice's attention was drawn to his story, and she listened attentively.

"...That couple is very similar to you, also a combination of a human and a doll. The atmosphere between the two of them seems to be completely inaccessible to a third person."

Alice was lost in thought and asked for the first time, "Are they together?"

Rong Le: "Probably? It's obvious, the doll's eyes were very straightforward. I was too lazy to stop and listen to the couple's sweet talk, so I just walked away."

Alice looked a little dazed: "Does he really understand the love of the doll?"

“That’s a good question.”

Rong Le said gently, "The emotions of bionic dolls have always been a topic of great concern in society. No one can understand the origin of these emotions or whether they truly exist, just as people still cannot distinguish between dolls and humans."

"Or perhaps no one is willing to admit that a puppet capable of feeling emotions is any different from a human being?"

He asked casually, "Alice, can dolls also have love?"

Rong Le's question hit Alice's heart like a hammer.

The maintenance engineer was keenly aware of her uneasiness. After just a few meetings, he tore down her barriers during their conversations and forced her to face reality.

The mechanic didn't stay long this time and quickly left the room.

Growing up is so painful. Alice curled up in bed, hugging herself tightly, as if this could bring her the long-lost sense of security.

Rong Le went downstairs and met the waiting housekeeper.

Uriel did not appear in the hall this time, and it was unknown whether he was still in the mansion.

Rong Le: "This is probably the last course of treatment. If Alice still can't get over it, maybe we should consider other methods."

He didn't say what the other methods were. The old butler understood his subtext and nodded slightly.

"If Alice's condition improves, we will certainly express our sincere gratitude to you."

Rong Le completed the task in the contract. When she walked out of the mansion gate, she turned around and looked at the second-floor window where Alice was.

There, one can faintly hear the melodious songs coming from the record player.

Through the clear floor-to-ceiling window glass, Alice dances with her imaginary lover in the sunlight.

With her fluttering and complicated skirt and the body temperature that can never be touched again, she will forever embrace the figure of her departed lover and reach eternity in the sea of ​​illusion.

"Alice, you are the most perfect muse in my heart."

The man's gentle words are still ringing in my ears: "I love you."

Can dolls also have love?

The bionic limbs produced on the assembly line, the cold metal skeleton, the scalp wrapped in a hard metal skull, they have no heartbeat, their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are all driven by the chip at the back of the neck.

Even the puppet itself cannot tell whether the emotion affecting it at this moment is a program written by humans or its own feelings?

Rong Le turned around and continued walking forward, gradually leaving the mansion behind.

Can soft love grow from a cold mechanical heart?

Perhaps Alice doesn't have the answer to this question either.

…

The organization Bionic Man No. 1 frequently appears in Rong Le's life, and its presence is so strong that he cannot ignore it.

The information collected and presented by the Archives was very detailed, but the Mechanical City was, after all, an independent city that suddenly appeared in everyone's sight, and even the major organizations found it difficult to collect more inside information.

"The rebel forces, led by the Bionic Dolls... The leader's information is unclear, but they seem to have a strong hostility towards the Central Building. There seems to be something hidden."

"It's clear that the living environment for puppets in the Mechanical City, now ruled by the Central Building, is not optimistic. What impact will this organization have on this module?"

Rong Le put his finger on his chin and pondered. According to the intelligence from some time ago, Bionic Man No. 1 attacked the central building and divided the Book of the Dead into three parts. As a result, the puppet factory was unable to produce the most critical energy chips to support the actions of the bionic puppets.

The Book of the Dead is obviously the key to everything. If you master it, you will master the problem of driving the energy of the bionic doll.

According to the conversation he heard, a cult had already contacted the Puppet Factory, trying to obtain the Book of the Dead through cooperation.

The Mother Goddess Church, the Society of Truth... and even the Archives are all trying to stir up trouble in the Mechanical City.

Rong Le's target was also the Book of the Dead. As for how to further tamper with this module, he already had a vague idea in his mind.

"It seems we must contact Bionic Man No. 1. While participating in the main storyline, this organization must also have the whereabouts of the Necronomicon."

In order to obtain the Book of the Dead, Rong Le will inevitably confront other organizations in the Mechanical City.

The only difference is that they are both screening allies for cooperation. The cult chose the Puppet Factory, while Rong Le prefers Bionic Man No. 1.

Bionic Man No. 1 is obviously closely related to the main storyline of the module, and Rong Le's identity as a mechanic and his actions during this period of time must have attracted the attention of some interested people.

If nothing unexpected happens, Bionic Man No. 1 will come to you soon.

There was a barely perceptible smile in Rong Le's eyes.

This was a trap set up from the very beginning. He only needed to wait quietly. No matter who came, the information would be delivered directly to him.

…

Rong Le was walking on the street when she suddenly noticed something and stopped.

Not far away on the deserted street, a familiar figure appeared before him.

The young man was thin and no longer wore a white coat, but a simple and neat windbreaker, with only half of his face exposed from under the brim of his hat. Although his attire and temperament were completely different from the one Rong Le was familiar with, he still recognized the person in front of him at a glance.

Tang Qiu, bionic technology guide at the Science and Technology Museum.

The seemingly ordinary science and technology museum guide, who was once a genius, hides an astonishing secret.

Ever since that first glimpse, Rong Le had sensed a startling sense of incongruity about him.

He never saw Tang Qiu in that state again after that.

But at this moment, he was sure that the Tang Qiu in front of him was definitely not the Tang Qiu he knew.

Rong Le: "Who are you?"

Tang Qiu said calmly: "Are we sure we want to talk here?"

Rong Le looked at him with a bit of scrutiny, and after a moment, she curled her lips and said, "You're right, this is not a good place to have a conversation."

The two walked towards the increasingly deserted streets.

Rong Le: "I'm surprised. After all, you didn't show up when I went to look for you before."

Tang Qiu was standing a body length away from him. Hearing this, he chuckled softly and said, "That was indeed an accident. I didn't expect you to come back so suddenly."

Rong Le: "What about this time? Why did you suddenly appear again?"

"Maybe it's because they noticed you're different from the others." Tang Qiu said, "Recently, many strange people have appeared in the city, and they all seem to have their own motives."

"But...some people are just weak ants, while others are jackals trying to bite and steal food."

Tang Qiu's tone was a little playful.

The audience who had been paying attention to the live broadcast room, their attention reached its peak when Rong Le and Tang Qiu met, and they felt mixed emotions at this time.

"Today, the players have no sense of presence either."

"An ant caught between the module boss and the cult, right? It's so real that it makes me cry."

"I feel very complicated. There's a reason why the player's death rate has always been so high. The player's disguise is meaningless in the eyes of these overly perceptive mod characters."

"Is Tang Qiu really the boss? I always thought he was an ordinary person!"

Many viewers were stunned by this reversal.

Rong Le accepted his appearance well, or rather, she had expected it. She asked with a smile, "So, your goal is to crush the ants and drive away the jackals?"

Tang Qiu replied: "As long as the ants don't block my path, I have no interest in them. If the jackals want to tear a piece of flesh from my body, of course they must be driven away. To do this, I need allies."

At this moment, his attitude is very clear.

Rong Le asked knowingly, "So, you plan to make me your ally? Putting aside our respective positions... before that, perhaps you should introduce yourself?"

The smile on Tang Qiu's face seemed like a carefully carved arc, perfect and precise, and that delicate and gentle face was covered with an incongruous coldness:

"That makes sense. Then let me introduce myself. Nice to meet you. I'm Tang Qiu, the leader of Bionic Man No. 1."

The barrage suddenly exploded.

"Tang Qiu is actually the leader of Bionic Man No. 1, and he got UR in the blind box?!"

"What kind of character is this? The module's boss is disguised as so ordinary. I really thought Tang Qiu was just an ordinary person at first!"

"Is this the difference between me and the boss? Rong Le's actions clearly show her care for Tang Qiu, but I completely ignored this character. I'm simply a useless piece of shit who can't even get through the game with a God's perspective."

"I heard there was a pioneer who entered this module. He used the simple scenario and was always doing odd jobs for the nobles, encountering only minor monsters. Back then, he was doing quests and running errands and was envious of the safe environment of the Science Museum. Now thinking about it, it was a close call!"

"If he were really under the boss's nose, I'm afraid he might be killed one day just because he's an eyesore."

The rising popularity of the barrage has no impact on reality at all.

Tang Qiu and Rong Le stood on the deserted street, the air still mixed with a slight chill from the rain.

Rong Le: "I trust my own judgment. The guide, Tang Qiu, is indeed a simple man. It's impossible for him to have such a brilliant disguise... Does he know of your existence?"

Tang Qiu said emotionlessly: "This question seems to have nothing to do with our conversation today."

Rong Le stated calmly: "I am asking this question as a friend."

Tang Qiu's eyes were as deep as a pool of stagnant water. After a moment, he smiled. "He knows of my existence and even takes the initiative to facilitate my actions. I am a second personality born after the explosion. He doesn't know what I'm doing and never explores my secrets."

This young man, who was even a bit weak in character, did not know that his other self was actually the leader of the resistance armed forces.

The Central Building never imagined that the leader of the Bionic Man No. 1 who was against them was actually working as a free tour guide in the Science and Technology Museum.

The truth is so absurd it's laughable.

...But is the truth really that simple?

Rong Le also stared at him deeply, and Tang Qiu's expression was impeccable.

But he knew that there were still many secrets behind all this that had not yet been explored.

Why is there such a big gap between him and his main personality, and why did he create Bionic Man No. 1 to oppose the Central Building?

The explosion gave birth to this personality and caused the tour guide Tang Qiu to lose his memory. Was it an accident or man-made?

Rong Le didn't understand Tang Qiu, nor could he see through the underlying logic of his actions. He knew that these problems came from a lack of intelligence.

But now is not a good time to pursue these things. The leader of Bionic Man No. 1 appears in front of him, proving that everything he has done before is not in vain.

Meeting Tang Qiu now means that he has passed the test.

The system prompt sounded.

[Identity recognition: 100%]

[Role Mission: 2, Increase the module characters' recognition of your identity as a mechanic. Completed.]

Role Mission 2 is completed, and Mission 3 will be released soon.

[Role Mission: 3, rescue the puppets from their predicament and make them serve you.]

[Current progress: 1/3.]

As soon as Character Mission 3 was released, one-third of it was automatically completed. Rong Le clicked on the details and saw Zero's name shining in the list.

...What a cute kid who doesn't need his old father to worry about him.

"Thank you for your honesty, but how do you know that cooperating with me will not drive away the wolves, but will only invite them in?"

Rong Le: "To some extent, I am no different from those people. It's just that we have different positions. You should also be aware of the organization behind me."

"I don't mind helping you, but we also need to get the benefits we need."

Tang Qiu: "This is why I plan to cooperate with you. You are a mechanic and naturally understand the plight of bionic puppets better than others. Everything you have done for the puppets has earned our trust."

"As long as you help us, you can study the Necronomicon we have. Once you seize the other two, they will also be yours."

The leader of Bionic Man No. 1 made no secret of his ambition to seize the Book of the Dead.

The energy method recorded in the Book of the Dead is the key to driving the puppets. As long as the central building controls it, the puppet factory will be able to produce puppets continuously, and the freedom that Bionic Man No. 1 expects will never come.

"You handed the Book of the Dead to me. Aren't you afraid that I might use it to do something harmful to the puppets?"

"Perhaps, after I obtain that part of the Necronomicon, I will betray you and cooperate with other organizations. After all, no one can guarantee that you can obtain all the Necronomicons."

Rong Le's provocation did not arouse Tang Qiu's emotions. He said calmly: "You are a smart person. If you had chosen to join forces with another sect from the beginning, I would not have come after you."

"I know very well that the Necronomicon is not something that Bionic Man No. 1 can possess alone. We cannot compete with the entire world. After completing the plan, we must find a shelter."

"You are the only opportunity I can see, so no matter whether the result is good or bad in the future, I will accept it."

Tang Qiu: "You help us destroy the puppet factory, avenge the Central Building that oppresses us, help us fight against all the cults that covet the Book of the Dead and the power of androids, and liberate the unequal fate. In turn, we will be at your disposal and become your loyal force."

The conditions he offered were a luxurious gift package that would make any organization in the world crazy about it.

As long as there is enough benefit, people will be driven to take risks.

As Tang Qiu said, Rong Le is their best choice.

He is a mechanic who can understand and tolerate the puppets. When the opposing situations in the Mechanical City are broken, Bionic Man No. 1 faces countless covetousness and the vast and profound world outside the city.

They need allies who can protect them and support them in completing their plans.

Tang Qiu is not alone, and he inevitably has to consider the future of other bionic dolls.

At this time, Rong Le came into his sight. All his conditions were perfect, so he did not hesitate at all and met with him to negotiate an alliance.

Tang Qiu's reason convinced Rong Le, and he nodded slightly: "I accept your invitation for cooperation. The Collection Museum is willing to provide assistance."

"Fuck, boss is awesome!"

"The module boss has surrendered voluntarily, so the next plot is that the Collection and Bionic Man No. 1 will join forces to fight against the Central Building and the Pagan Organization?"

"Is this a scenario that a normal player can play out?!"

"Upstairs, do you think Rong Le is a normal player? The pioneers are all contacting him for help. Our country's pioneers have made their presence felt in front of him and are clinging to this golden leg. From now on, all pioneers will be protected by the Collection Hall... Help! Do you know what a behemoth the Collection Hall is in the later stages?!"

"It will bring countless benefits, and the death rate of pioneers will be significantly reduced!"

Just thinking about it is scary. Rong Le has just experienced two modules. Although the Collection Hall is a new organization that has just emerged, judging from the performance of the Polish special module, the Collection Hall has developed into a judge who enforces the law all over the world.

Just carry those three inscribed spells with clear functions, and you will have the ability to protect yourself.

Not to mention that this thing can also be used for human wave tactics.

Long before Rong Le obtained the three sealing spells, someone copied all the information about the spells and analyzed their usage.

The final conclusion is that these three spells are extremely terrifying. They are sealing spells with extremely low lower limits and infinitely high upper limits.

Someone found the record of the Archives observed by players from a massive amount of information. A player once saw several senior prosecutors working together to use a sealing spell to seal an S-level criminal.

Since then, the Collection Hall has become famous and has become an emerging force that can challenge top religious groups.

Just thinking about it makes me sick for those pagan organizations in the future. They can’t be defeated, and if we’re not careful, they will quickly grow stronger and become terrible opponents that can threaten the old organizations.

In short, audiences all over the world are watching this live broadcast room and witnessing the rise of this organization.