Fallen Chronicles

Chapter 222 Chapter 222: Phantom Dream Zero and the Old World

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Eileen was left in disarray, while Renji's thoughts returned to Tia's earlier words.

A three-piece set.

Renji had guessed that Kael Technology would use "Branding Technology" as a lifeline when he first met Tia.

In the game, the Branding system was a key development system comparable to the 'equipment' of Eclipse, often greatly enhances the combat power of Eclipse. A good set of Brandings could lead to a qualitative change, where one plus one equals a hundred in effect.

Take Eileen's previous state with the Branding [Raise a Glass]for example. In her 'Annihilation' state, she could infinitely stack her attack power as long as there were enemies. It was the chemical reaction of her skills and Branding that allowed Eileen to send Maria, who was many levels higher than her, flying with a single punch.

Kael Technology's research on the basic theories of Brandings is sound, and Renji is well aware that although there are excellent single and two-piece Brandings, the truly powerful ones are always the complete three-piece sets. Separates can never match the power of a full three-piece set.

Considering the number of Brandings in the game, as someone who had completed the entire catalogue, Renji knew there must be hundreds of sets. These are sets, not solo pieces, and if counting solo Brandings, there could be thousands.

In the game's perspective, he could see each Branding's name, its rightful position, and its corresponding attributes and effects.

But obviously, the people of the later world do not have this ability. Renji could tell at a glance if two Brandings belong to the same series, but for Kael Technology, they might have to try one by one among hundreds or thousands of Brandings, like finding a needle in a haystack.

'No. There must be other methods; otherwise, the efficiency would be too low. Perhaps through the comparison of similarities in patterns or from the historical background of the Brandings?'

'This might be why it's connected to "Ancient Studies"'

Even so, Renji could imagine what a complex and massive computational workload this was. Kael Technology's attempt here is not as simple as in the game, where you just put them together. They might spend weeks just trying one combination, replicating a Branding and then engraving it in the corresponding position. So, Renji affirmed Kael Technology's ability to present a complete three-piece Branding set, and he was also curious about which set it might be.

After Branding technology appeared in the Holy Kingdom, Renji saw little of it in the Dragon Nation, thinking most of it had been lost. However, he was surprised to discover it being utilized so prominently at Kael Technology.

Of course, while Renji affirmed Kael Technology's achievements in Branding, he noticed they were still trapped in some misconceptions.

For instance, a scholar from Sin City asked Tia, "Can this Branding system be applied to living beings?" While the question was about 'living beings,' it was clear that they were actually referring to humans.

Imagine the implications if such powerful abilities could be applied directly to humans. Wouldn't everyone potentially become superhuman beings, comparable to Eclipses? However, Tia firmly shook her head in response.

"Unfortunately, after many experiments, we have found that the likelihood of applying Branding technology to living beings is nearly zero. If a living being forcefully receives a Branding, and the combination is incorrect, it would cause severe and irreversible mutations and mental contamination, transforming them into Tainted monsters. Even using known Branding combinations, we have yet to find any host body that can withstand the pressure of Brandings, even among Eclipses who volunteered for experiments from confinement prisons."

Tia added a note afterward.

Although the whole world holds a negative view of Eclipses, different countries have specific attitudes towards them. For instance, the Holy Kingdom has zero tolerance, considering Eclipses as extremely dangerous peoples. In contrast, Dragon Nation doesn't allow ordinary people to become Eclipses but turns a blind eye within the military, using the new term "Relic Users" as a substitute.

In the Sin City and the Mechanical Alliance, due to their more developed and humane approach, discovered Eclipses are often confined to solitary cells or prisons for treatment.

This is because these two countries are the most likely to produce Eclipses, as Miasma originates from mental and emotional states. The Sin City is known as the city of freedom and desire, while the Mechanical Alliance faces conflicts between cybernetic bodies and humans. The higher the level of cybernetization, the greater the risk of rejection reactions, mental disorders, and insanity. Some people go mad, while others become Eclipses.

From Tia's words, Renji discerned that Kael Technology had attempted multiple times to pair Brandings with Eclipses. However, given Tia's definitive tone, they had universally failed, leading to the conclusion that Brandings cannot be applied to living beings.

Renji gave a reassuring look to Eileen, who glanced over nervously.

Additionally, applying Brandings to weapons was something not seen in the game before, opening a completely new avenue.

'It seems that people five hundred years later are not just relying on old achievements'

However, speaking of relying on the past, Renji then asked Tia, "Miss Tia, so are these Branding models all discovered in [Dream Zero]? Could you share with us the progress Kael Technology has made in [Dream Zero]?" This time, without waiting for anyone else, Renji himself took the initiative to inquire.

Renji hadn't forgotten his purpose in coming to the Mechanical Alliance, which was to find a way to enter 'Zero's Dream'.

So, when Tia brought up [Dream Zero] while introducing the Branding technology, Renji paid close attention.

"You're correct, all Brandings were incidentally discovered by our company while maintaining [Dream Zero]. As for the progress in [Dream Zero] you're asking about, I'm sorry, but that's confidential information that I'm not authorized to disclose."

Though Renji received a vague explanation, it didn't matter. His real goal was to steer the conversation here and then...

"So what exactly is [Dream Zero]?" As expected, not all Sin City scholars were familiar with the term, and some younger ones showed confusion when the term reappeared.

"[Dream Zero] is the largest and longest-lasting dream network that exists to this day. Due to its enormous size and content, we prefer to call it the Old Dream World, or the Old World."

"The Old World?"

Tia nodded to the puzzled scholars: "Yes. The genesis of this dream comes from the Mechanical Alliance's creator, the most advanced artificial intelligence entity in history, 'Zero'. The dream simulates 'Zero's' memories, depicting the apocalyptic Old World engulfed in Miasma five hundred years ago."

"The Old World is filled with Miasma pollution, natural disasters, and countless monsters. More deadly, as I mentioned earlier, this dream, under the powerful computation of 'Zero', creates a high level of realistic immersion. This means that, unlike other dreams, death in [Dream Zero] results in the death of one's psyche in reality. There have been numerous bloody cases to prove this fact."

"To prevent further tragedies, the Mechanical Alliance, including Kael Technology, established a formal law a hundred years ago to completely block access to Dream Zero, strictly prohibiting citizens from entering. Any unauthorized access without permission is illegal. The supervision and maintenance of Dream Zero are now entirely managed by us."