Chapter 1438: Chapter 1436: Identity Confirmed
The Mid-level Zone of the Black Tower
A containment facility holding tens of thousands of Out of Control individuals, constructed in the form of a tower, stands at the very center of this zone, directly connected to the upper zone.
Dense cyberpunk-style buildings resembling a steel jungle are scattered throughout the mid-level zone, representing various departmental units maintaining the basic operations of the Black Tower, directly integrated with Formal Employees.
Concealed within the Mist, accessible by only a single river passage, is the Other Shore Hotel.
This area is designated as a special region for the zone, providing a private space for higher-ranking Black Tower Employees and administrators for confidential discussions, office usage, and even direct handling of tasks and signing agreements within the hotel.
Currently.
In an exclusive guest room on the topmost floor of the hotel.
A high-ranking executive of the Supreme Will, codenamed “M” (Model), stood in front of the panoramic window, gazing at the neon-illuminated steel city as he delivered an answer that left Han Dong utterly stunned.
“Candidate?!”
Were it not for the seriousness of the occasion, Han Dong might have suspected that he was hallucinating due to the aftereffects of the War.
Back in the Holy City, when a Parliament member approached Han Dong to discuss the topic of ‘Candidate for Parliament,’ he had already been quite surprised… but the level of astonishment now was on an entirely different scale.
After all, this was the Candidate for the Supreme Will—a true ruler of the Black Tower.
Tens of millions of worlds were directly or indirectly governed by this elite group, their power so vast that it surpassed the limits of Han Dong’s comprehension.
“That’s correct… With your level of insight, you must have noticed some of the details already, right?
I previously valued the Tomb Lord because of this very matter of searching for candidates.
However, while the Tomb Lord possesses great drive and talent, he still needs at least several decades, if not centuries, to meet the ‘baseline’ I’ve set in my mind.
Who could’ve known that you, little brat, would emerge in the middle of all this.”
“As of now, your performance has essentially reached the ‘baseline.’ You’re also the first Black Tower junior to do so since I began my search for candidates… The only issue, however, is your identity.”
“That said, it’s not a problem.
Although you are closely connected to S-01, your essence belongs to humanity.
After all, you were born as a natural human in the Primary World, which is documented within the Black Tower. This fact alone will help me convince those conservative-minded folks.”
“It is precisely due to your individuality that you were later brought into the S-01.”
“The Primary World?”
This remark left Han Dong astounded once more.
The executive’s explanation directly addressed Han Dong’s ‘rebirth issue.’
What’s more, the name displayed on Han Dong’s employee badge as a Formal Employee of the Black Tower was not ‘Nicholas,’ but the Chinese name he used during his previous life as a university professor: Han Dong.
It seemed that the world he once lived in as a biology professor was also under the Black Tower’s jurisdiction… albeit as a world seemingly associated with the lower tiers.
“It appears that you are still not very familiar with the world framework managed by the Black Tower.
The Primary World… is a world completely stripped of any Upgrade Systems. Its existence is deeply tied to the development of countless other worlds.
To be precise, the ‘Primary World’ is a basic world constructed by the Black Tower as it collected foundational traits from countless worlds, removing their Upgrade Systems entirely. It is stable, easy to manage, and relatively peaceful.
The purpose of creating it is to supply various worlds with talented individuals.
Individuals from the Primary World, upon meeting certain ‘Special Conditions,’ are directed through a selection mechanism to the world most suited to their abilities and lives.
You, however, met extremely rare conditions, which is why you were selected to join the S-01 world.”
“I see…” This explanation from the executive finally resolved Han Dong’s questions regarding [Rebirth].
“Of course, if you wish to return and take a look, you can do so by using your employee ID to directly access your corresponding Primary World… However, there are time limitations.”
“Alright.”
Han Dong felt strange.
Upon hearing this information, one would normally feel elated… but within Han Dong’s heart, there was no overwhelming joy. Upon introspection, he realized there wasn’t much reason for him to return.
By comparison.
Han Dong was more eager to return to S-01.
He wanted to inspect the state of the manor, settle the London Game, and join his co-captains in participating in meetings concerning humanity’s sovereignty.
The executive glanced at his watch and promptly shifted back to the main topic: “Let’s briefly discuss the candidate matter. I hope you can make a decision here and now.
This is not a mandatory requirement; you merely need to maintain consistent effort until you reach the Myth stage.
During this period, endeavor to make contributions whenever possible, such as capturing Out of Control individuals or completing high-difficulty tasks provided by the Black Tower.
What I require at this moment is simply your attitude: are you willing to become my candidate?”
“Senior, I have a question.
If I meet your requirements and even manage to gain acceptance from other high-ranking officials within the Black Tower, will this impact my life in the S-01 world?”
“…Hmm. If I said ‘it wouldn’t,’ that would surely be dishonest.
There will definitely be impacts.
Some of the old-timers might even approach you directly, using tradeoffs or even threats to extract critical intelligence about S-01 or to request you reduce your activity frequency in S-01.
But I can assure you one thing.
They can influence you, but they cannot directly interfere with you.
Until you fully assume my position, I will do everything I can to guarantee your autonomy.”
“Understood.”
Han Dong accepted this appointment.
Whether it was due to M’s consistent acknowledgment of him, the fulfillment of Han Dong’s insatiable curiosity, or the broader considerations for the Demon World, this candidate identity was undeniably crucial.
“Until you [Build a Myth], this matter must remain confidential.
According to Black Tower regulations, Myth is the minimum requirement for candidates. Only at that time will I formally introduce you to the Supreme Will.
If you leak this information prematurely, certain old-timers dissatisfied with the origins of your identity will undoubtedly cause trouble for you… and not a kind of trouble you can handle.”
With that.
Threads of white liquid coiled around Han Dong’s body, etching a series of Marks onto the surface of his employee badge.
“As long as you are within the Black Tower’s domain, you can use your employee badge to contact me directly… I have other matters to attend to, so this conversation ends here.”
A white-gloved hand gently patted Han Dong’s shoulder twice.
In the blink of an eye, the liquid permeating the private suite vanished along with the executive.
Little Yellow had no memory whatsoever of meeting with the executive in the hotel.
“Little Yellow, let’s go.”
“Got it, boss!” Although Little Yellow felt somewhat puzzled, he didn’t ask further and simply followed Han Dong obediently.
Leading Little Yellow, Han Dong arrived at a nearby office to smoothly complete the interfacing process for the large-scale world, “The Matrix,” securing a 30% shareholder contract in the process.
As for the transaction proposed by Handsome Jack, Han Dong chose not to agree for now.
Instead, he sent over several pieces of high-purity Yttrium gold via the Black Tower’s internal delivery service, along with a letter.
“I need to hurry back… Up next is the critical settlement phase of the London Game, which will determine the final outcome of the Big Expedition!”