Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

"Should we capture her and bring her back?" the black-clad guard asked with an icy tone.

They had been in the vicinity of Blackwater City for more than a day, but in search of Primary Number Zero, they had spread their forces to various gatherings on the city's outskirts to gather intelligence, all for this very moment.

"No rush," the doctor deliberated briefly, then raised a hand to signal a halt.

Perhaps he could cover the sky with one hand in Grey Iron City, but in Blackwater City, it was impossible to wield the same level of authority.

The locals' regard for his stature was uncertain, let alone for someone who was merely pursuing a "defector" whose factuality was still in debate.

Even if the people of Blackwater City recognized his significance, whether they would obediently find and return the desired target was even more doubtful.

All these uncertainties made it preferable to conduct covert inquiries rather than rely on the people of Blackwater City for assistance.

Primary Number Zero was inherently uncontrollable, a trait determined by her natural characteristics.

As long as she was here, she was bound to leave traces.

Now that Primary Number Zero's presence here was confirmed, everything else was no concern.

Since Primary Number Zero couldn't be destroyed, it was better to first observe the core reasons behind her defection and identify the forces currently sheltering her.

Even if it did come down to drawing on the city's power, with more intelligence at his disposal, he would have greater leverage during negotiations.

"Continue monitoring the area where Primary Number Zero has appeared."

"Yes!" The black leather-clad guard responded with vigor.

The doctor, also dressed in a black leather trench coat, adjusted his black gloves, put on sunglasses and a hat, and strode toward the area reported to have sightings of Primary Number Zero.

To be able to "subdue" Primary Number Zero, even if only temporarily or to gain her trust, one must possess some abilities.

'Let me see, what kind of person is capable of taking away Primary Number Zero?'

...

With tonight's cautionary events, Bai E decided not to make Nova a regular member of Black Street's defense force like Xu Ruoguang.

He didn't even plan to assign her any formal duties. Until the complications surrounding her were fully resolved, Bai E intended to position her as Black Street's final line of defense, only to be deployed in situations no one else could handle.

Or perhaps... to serve as a mentor in Spiritual Energy for the players?

He had a unique advantage over other natives in that he truly understood the player community.

The stronger the players guided by him, the better, and if their level of Spiritual Energy could quickly reach the second stage, they would be the ideal candidates for exploring higher-dimensional spaces.

But clearly, Gong Yan and Gu Lan, who ranked amongst the top players, were still a significant distance from reaching the second stage of Spiritual Energy; depending on them was not a viable option for now.

And with just him teaching, he could impact a limited number of players. Mobilizing more formidable natives to provide opportunities for progression to the players was another matter he needed to consider.

Of course, this was contingent on first resolving the crisis with Nova.

Furthermore, he must remain vigilant... The title "Children of the Demon" attributed to players wasn't unfounded. The reasons behind those who transformed into formidable demons through contact with players remained unclear.

Bai E wouldn't abandon his approach out of fear. Even if there were cases of transformation into demonic elect through contact with players, it didn't justify completely severing communication with them.

After all... he hadn't experienced it personally.

Was it an absolute exception, or were there subtleties or characteristics he hadn't yet detected?

That remained to be verified.

He always had to try. Events occurring close by were easier to observe and control.

Bai E's visit to Black Street this time was specifically to settle Nova's presence.

Having made a decision and arranged everything properly, Bai E headed straight back to camp.

Even when idle, high-level physical training always brought steady attribute improvement; in this era, one needed to race against the torrent of time, not wasting a single minute or second.

...

"Captain!"

However, upon returning to the camp, Bai E was immediately greeted by the already waiting You.

"Minister Eric has something to discuss with you, but it seems... it's not very urgent," You informed with a calm tone, merely delivering the message.

This kind of thing had happened before during the previous rest period; Bai E could choose to attend or not, usually being invited to observe whatever new discoveries were made.

It was good if Bai E could learn something or contribute some creative ideas, but not going was of no consequence to either party.

When there was serious business, Bai E naturally declined; now that he had some free time, he could afford to maintain the relationship.

"Hmm... I'll head over now."

"Good, the vehicle is waiting for you in the west area."

The regular mech pilot squad had returned from morning training, but Bai E's figure was nowhere to be seen.

As the time for afternoon training approached, Bai E usually made it back around this time.

You, familiar with Bai E's habits and informed of this information, had already made arrangements and anticipated Bai E's response.

After interacting with Bai E for so long, she had grown into the role of a considerate little secretary.

Only Rose stood beside You, watching Bai E's retreating figure and clicking her tongue, "Tsk~ really busy."

"Mm~" You responded softly, her eyes slightly lost in thought as she watched that upright figure, "The captain is indeed very tired..."

Every minute... Every second.

...

The vehicle slowly drove through the city; the Scientific Research Institute, although not in the city center, still belonged to the inner city.

Bai E watched the streets passing by on both sides of the road, everything seemingly no different from his previous life... only the occasional black crevices in the buildings revealed the real depth of this metropolis.

The underground city, extending deep into unknown depths, was even more a core part of this city.

The outside world was far too dangerous, and the cost of expanding the city walls wasn't justified by the benefits, so digging downwards naturally became the only option for the ever-expanding urban population.

Perhaps even the city's absolute ruler didn't know how deep the lowest parts of the city had reached. Experience more content on My Virtual Library Empire

In every crack passed on the surface, it seemed as though countless unknown eyes were observing everything above ground...

"Knock, knock, knock~"

Gently knocking, Bai E stepped in on his own accord.

The staff in the machine room showed no reaction to Bai E's arrival, and Minister Eric, who was chairing the meeting, just glanced over with a light smile, continuing his speech––

"Regarding the special message that was transmitted from the internet root server, what are everyone's thoughts?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a researcher abruptly stood up, "A purely virtual world that exists outside of the network? I think it's impossible!"