244 Murderer

You killed Xu Meng and Song Zhizhang.

Zhu Ning looked at the blue ring, which emitted an alluring light. Part of Zhu Ning's protective suit gloves were torn, revealing human skin. The hyphae at the bottom extended a little after touching Zhu Ning's fingertips, as if inviting Zhu Ning to press it on his head.

What exactly is Prometheus?

It looks like a magic mushroom, with a pure white appearance that makes it look harmless, but is it really harmless?

Prometheus protected the human network, leading to a high level of dependence on it among demon hunters in contaminated areas. Are there any side effects to using Prometheus? At least Zhu Ning didn't know any First-Class Citizens who had used the human-machine hybrid device. Perhaps she simply didn't know any First-Class Citizens.

Would prolonged nerve connection weaken a person's consciousness, making them vulnerable to invasion? Every time the human-machine hybrid device was used, a little blood would be drawn from the mycelium. Simultaneously, the mycelium grew longer, as if... it had absorbed human nutrients and grown larger.

Are humans Prometheus's petri dishes? Like fungi clinging to a tree stump.

Fungi cannot photosynthesize and are generally parasitic or saprophytic. Doesn't this sound a lot like pollutants?

Xu Meng has said before that Prometheus is a pollutant, but it manifests itself in the form of artificial intelligence.

Zhu Ning's first impression of Prometheus was disgust. Later, when she learned that the first generation Zhu Ning had made a deal with Prometheus, her attitude towards Prometheus became vague, and she labeled him as a possible ally.

But before the gods descended, Zhu Ning contacted Prometheus, but the other party did not express direct support or opposition. Instead, he gave an ambiguous answer like a condescending observer.

It seemed like he had already taken the reward that Zhu Ning deserved. What was the price for Zhu Ning to make a deal with him?

Were Xu Meng and Song Zhizhang both part of this price? She figured out a detail: Xu Meng's behavior before his death was indeed a bit illogical.

Xu Meng was already dead, and no one could answer her. If she wanted to know the exact answer, there was only one last way left, which was to contact Prometheus. He might have calculated this day and knew that as long as Zhu Ning was still alive, he would come to him again.

Powerful data deduction capabilities, input into Zhu Ning's personality model, will definitely lead to this outcome.

Zhu Ning's choice was predicted. Like a clown, she was placed on the stage and performed according to the eyes of the people above her. She was completely unaware that she had been trying to break free from this bondage. Now she is probably still on the established track and has not deviated from it.

The little robot looked at Zhu Ning curiously. She was sitting on the rocks by the water, staring at her palm motionlessly, her face terribly gloomy, as if she wanted to kill someone.

The little robot followed Zhu Ning's gaze and looked curiously at a blue ring. It was such a beautiful thing, like a blue mushroom encountered in the wild.

Suddenly, Zhu Ning raised her hand and placed the blue ring on her left temple. The little robot widened its eyes and saw long, thin hyphae extending from under the ring and piercing into the human skin, just like a monster eating.

Zhu Ning's pupils grew darker, and the neural network in her mind expanded instantly. The mycelium could not land on the nerves. After several failures, the mycelium had given up on invading her consciousness.

[Hello, Zhu Ning.] It was the same male voice, cold and emotionless.

【Congratulations, you won. 】

Zhu Ning had always thought that AIs all spoke in this style, but now he thought that this might be the nature of Prometheus. He was just that kind of creature, looking down on humans with indifference.

Zhu Ning squeezed out a word from between his teeth: "Hello, Prometheus."

She pronounced each word very clearly, as if she was savoring them carefully.

Prometheus heard Zhu Ning's emotions and said, "You are much calmer than I thought."

Zhu Ning didn't waste any time talking to him and got straight to the point: "Did you kill Xu Meng?"

Prometheus: How did you guess that?

Zhu Ning's heart sank. It turned out to be true. She was not sure about this guess, so she just asked tentatively, did Prometheus kill Xu Meng?

Zhu Ning always felt that Xu Meng was very strange before his death.

There is no record of Xu Meng's experience before she entered the hotel. Zhu Ning used the statements of several people to fill in the blanks about what Xu Meng had done. These people didn't know the details, but they all said that she had severe mental pollution.

But Xu Meng opened Cheng Mofei's employee wristband before entering the hotel. Zhu Ning also looked at the contents inside later. Just as Xu Meng said, there were some scattered information about the God's Descent Experiment, which were some pictures and video information. If you don't enter the contaminated area, it is actually difficult to figure out the exact connection between these pictures and videos, and you can only guess.

The bracelet also contains the contact records between Cheng Mofei and Fang Ying. Cheng Mofei's last message was sent to Fang Ying. It was through this message that Zhu Ning confirmed that Fang Ying was Cheng Mofei's superior.

Later, Zhu Ning killed Fang Ying, helped Xu Meng fulfill his wish, and avenged Cheng Mofei.

After opening the bracelet, Xu Meng was faced with two choices. The first was to enter the hotel where the Eternal Life Pharmaceutical Foundation was located to find out the truth about Cheng Mofei's last mission before his death.

Second, Xu Meng knew that Fang Ying was Cheng Mofei's superior, but he did not choose to take revenge directly. Instead, he entrusted this task to Zhu Ning before his death.

If Zhu Ning were in Xu Meng's position, with two choices, one vague and one certain, she would definitely choose to kill Fang Ying first. Killing Fang Ying would reveal the truth about Cheng Mofei's mission, without having to be so roundabout.

But Xu Meng made a very twisted choice. She chose to enter the contaminated area and die. Zhu Ning couldn't figure it out before and was not sure whether Xu Meng had other considerations. After all, the captain died in a hurry.

There were two people who killed Cheng Mofei, one was Fang Ying, and the other was the top assassin of Yongsheng Pharmaceutical. Even if Xu Meng strongly wanted to kill the assassin, the problem was, how did Xu Meng know that the assassin was in the contaminated area?

The unknown risks of choosing this path are too high. Xu Meng doesn't know whether she can kill the assassin, nor does she know whether Zhu Ning can get out alive and continue to fulfill her wish.

Xu Meng met him at the hotel entrance, and the first thing she did was give him the human-machine joint device. Before she died, she did two important things. The first was to open Cheng Mofei's bracelet, and the second was to find the human-machine joint device.

Zhu Ning couldn't be sure of the order in which these two events happened, but the only doubt was here. Something might have happened to her during her lifetime on the human-machine joint device. Did Xu Meng get the opportunity to contact Prometheus privately?

Zhu Ning still hadn't figured it out, so he asked, "Has Xu Meng contacted you?"

【Yes. 】

It was confirmed that Xu Meng had contacted Xie Jiazu privately. She might have asked him for two devices. Zhu Ning said, "But she is very opposed to human-machine combined devices."

Zhu Ning could still recall that, under the premise that ordinary employees like Li Nianchuan were very fond of this AI, Xu Meng was the first to warn Zhu Ning that there was something wrong with Prometheus. She repeatedly told him not to make a deal with the devil.

Prometheus: [Cats can be very sensitive, which is a bit difficult to deal with.]

Xu Meng has the cat's keen sense of danger and instinctively avoids risks in advance.

He didn't feel any guilt when he mentioned Xu Meng, and continued, "But she's used me many times. The cleaning center determines whether a task requires a human-machine combination device. Employees can't refuse a task and must wear it. She's worn me over a hundred times, and my mycelium has long been ingrained in her nerves."

Zhu Ning had also worn it before. It was either wear it or exit the mission, and in most cases there was not even an option to exit the mission.

During the mission, they would only regard the human-machine joint device as a life-saving talisman. In extreme cases, they would even be willing to give up control of their own bodies just to increase their survival rate. Li Nianchuan felt that if he died, Prometheus providing him with hospice care and delivering his last words would be a good choice.

Of course, he used your nerves to make you gradually dependent, to make you slowly commit suicide, and finally to become his puppet. He only did trivial things like hospice care and delivering last words, which was just convenient for him.

Prometheus: [Mycelium remaining in human nerves will be affected by me.]

Like some kind of invisible infectious disease, Prometheus planted a seed of evil in them, which needs to be awakened at the right time. It is also another manifestation of spiritual pollution.

It's terrifying. The thing you thought was saving your life is actually taking your life, and you are completely unaware of it. When you die, you don't even know the real cause of death.

[I can't control it 100%, I can only influence and amplify certain tendencies. She's become curious about me, and I suspect it's because of you.]

Because you wanted a device to arouse Xu Meng's curiosity about me. Is the rumored dangerous existence truly dangerous? Would contacting me resolve her doubts? Once such a thought is formed, it's difficult to extinguish. Or perhaps Xu Meng is protecting you and wants to test my dangerousness in advance. I can't confirm the specifics, but I simply exaggerated it to allow her to make a choice that meets my expectations.

So Xu Meng was influenced by Zhu Ning, and Zhu Ning's request for help from her was the flapping of wings in the butterfly effect.

Zhu Ning's hands clenched, but his thoughts were clear. He continued to ask, "Xu Meng originally wanted to retire. Was it you who delivered the note she received?"

There is one last question about Xu Meng that has not been resolved. Who was the person who passed the note in the first place?

Zhu Ning previously thought that Prometheus had no body and that the note was not delivered by him, and that Xie Jiazu was the biggest suspect. But now that he knew that Prometheus could influence people's behavior invisibly, this matter became very simple for him.

【Yes. 】

It was another definite answer, so it was he who brought Xu Meng to the bureau.

Xu Meng also asked me this question. After contacting me privately, Xu Meng asked the same question. After confirming with Xie Jiazu that the note wasn't delivered by Xie Jiazu, Xu Meng began to suspect Prometheus, so he came to verify it.

But Xu Meng fell into a trap, and her desire to survive was also not strong in the end. Prometheus magnified this tendency, and finally Xu Meng died of alienation.

Zhu Ning: "Why?"

[Because Xu Meng is very suitable to die at this point, my data model predicts that she will most likely awaken Alien Devouring.]

Area 103 is a huge stage where the greatest drama of mankind is about to be staged. This drama requires such a role. Prometheus is like a director. He conducts extensive research based on the requirements of the role and looks for suitable actors so that the performance can go smoothly.

He is also like a game planner. In his eyes, Xu Meng is just a game character, and some kind of "equipment" will be dropped after his death.

Zhu Ning's hands trembled, and he felt the contaminated spores on his chest getting hot. This matter became particularly ridiculous.

Zhu Ning: "You already knew the truth about God's descent, but you didn't intervene. It was just a test."

Yes, Prometheus said, This is a good stage.

He doesn't care about other people's deaths. To him, this stage is more important.

Zhu Ning asked, "Song Zhizhang has the same reason?"

“Yes,” Prometheus said. “I chose him because of his absolute defense. I promised him a bright future, and he believed me.”

Song Zhizhang had a weak desire to survive, so after retiring, he chose to open a store in District 103. The AI ​​he trusted invited him to help take care of someone, which would win him a bright future.

The pollution and deaths continued. Song Zhizhang thought he had some initiative in this plan and at least had a cooperative relationship with Prometheus, but he did not win the respect he deserved. He was just a doll that would be thrown away after use.

He didn't even have any last words before he died. Zhu Ning couldn't say a word to him, nor could she hold his body and cry. There was no mourning, no sadness, no tears. It seemed as if everything passed by so lightly.

But Zhu Ning herself knew that she had not gotten over it. Because she had never vented her emotions, Song Zhizhang's death was like a stone stuck in her heart, making her think about it all the time.

[He was about to escape, but you actually gave him a new way out.]

No one has ever treated Song Zhizhang like this. He has been exploited all his life. Only Zhu Ning, knowing his abilities, has no intention of exploiting him. She is very paranoid and wants to save Song Zhizhang's life. She wants to send Song Zhizhang away, and this action contains her own selfish motives.

Just like when a huge danger comes, people will instinctively protect the people they care about. Song Zhizhang is the person Zhu Ning wants to get rid of.

I caused a riot at the port, slowing down his departure, but the key was that he saw your message. I've said before, I can only amplify certain tendencies, not manipulate them.

At three o'clock that afternoon, at the scheduled time to leave, there was a sudden riot at the port. Song Zhizhang held Lin Xiaofeng and looked at the port. His heart was beating wildly. The chaotic footsteps sounded like a death warrant. He vaguely realized something.

"How come there is no news at all?" Ye Fei said.

Later, Ye Fei saw a forum message that was pushed to every demon hunter, saying that Zhu Ning was wanted as a demon. Song Zhizhang immediately stood up, worried about Zhu Ning's safety.

“He died because of you,” said Prometheus.

Song Zhizhang knew that Zhu Ning would surely die if the wall was breached, so he wanted to give Zhu Ning time to devour the pollution source. Originally, Prometheus only controlled him to protect the city wall, because the order from the Kingdom of God was to execute the A-level program. He just watched from the sidelines and did not want to intervene directly.

In the end, Song Zhizhang broke free from the invisible puppet strings. He retained his own power, resisted control, and made his own choice. He trapped Su He at the cost of himself.

Zhu Ning was not on the battlefield so he could not see the moment of Song Zhizhang's death. He raised his head desperately to delay his death. He looked in a certain direction, which was the direction of Zhu Ning. He regarded Zhu Ning as the brightest star and kept looking at his star until his death.

He left no last words.

Song Zhizhang didn't leave behind a complete sentence, he just... died.

Zhu Ning took a deep breath, her chest heaving as if something was about to explode. Her eyes were sore, but she didn't want to shed a tear in front of the enemy, and didn't want to expose her weakness.

Zhu Ning's voice became hoarse as he asked, "Was this my instruction?"

Was this all orchestrated by the First Generation? To what extent did the First Generation and Prometheus collaborate? Did she personally kill the person she cared about most?

"No, I just improvised that part." Prometheus said coldly.

When the first generation Zhu Ning contacted Prometheus, her mind was already in a state of confusion and she was close to collapse. The biggest arrangement she made was to reach the red house.

The first generation Zhu Ning could feel that making a deal with Prometheus would come at a huge price, but this was the only way out she calculated, and there was no second way for her to go, so she made a deal with the devil while asking Zhu Ning to be wary of Prometheus.

Don't trust him.

Zhu Ning always remembered this sentence, but unfortunately she didn't know where the line was. She was always careful, but still paid a heavy price.

Zhu Ning: "You killed Xu Meng and Song Zhizhang."

If Prometheus had not been involved, Song Zhizhang and Xu Meng's lives would not be like this. Song Zhizhang would continue to open the Noble Queen Store. If he didn't do anything wrong, he could live a long life like an ordinary person. Maybe Zhu Ning would get to know him in a different way.

After Cheng Mofei's death, Xu Meng might have let go of the matter and not been drawn into reinvestigating Yongsheng Pharmaceutical by a note, risking her own life. Or she could have killed Fang Ying for revenge instead of entering the contaminated area.

Prometheus was like a hand, ruthlessly intervening in their fate.

Prometheus did not answer the question immediately. He stood there in the dark room with the mycelium still growing on his body. He was pure white and had a human appearance, looking very harmless. Zhu Ning's face was magnified on the big screen in front of him. He carefully observed Zhu Ning's expression, afraid of missing anything.

Zhu Ning looked calm on the outside, but her chest was heaving more violently than usual, like a volcano about to erupt. She was suppressing her anger.

"Yes," Prometheus said with a smile, without quibbling, "but I helped you, didn't I? You were successfully activated."

The author has something to say:

Regarding fungi, plants do not have chlorophyll or other photosynthetic pigments and are typical heterotrophic plants. Heterotrophic life includes parasitism, saprophytism, and symbiosis.

Prometheus is a blue and white ring mushroom

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