Chapter 4 Opportunity?!
A young man dressed in black was seen in a daze, sitting at a hidden corner of the plaza. Because of his dark outfit and the shadow, most people would not notice his existence.
Even if someone noticed such a person was sitting there, they would later ignore him.
At this moment, the young man's face was filled with ecstasy.
In his mind, he continued to hear the voice giving various prompts.
[Ding!]
[Wyd System had rebooted successfully.]
[Attempting to reconnect with the Sord Interdimensional Network...connected.]
And as expected from an advanced AI support system. It can immediately detect the discrepancy between the original world and this world.
[Ding!]
[A change in world setting was observed.]
[Analyzing Host's position...determined.]
Hearing this prompt, Ceid was immediately excited. Finally, he can know where he was thrown out when the transmission failed.
But the given result dumbfounded him!
[Continent's coordinate: No database records;
Planet's coordinate: No database records;
Star's coordinate: No database records;
Galaxy's coordinate: Mky-1023;
Star Field's coordinate: SRF-2203.]
[Checking for suitable reference model of world's setting...undermined.]
No records? Undetermined?
What does that mean? Is this world a remote and undiscovered planet?
He tried to reread the system log again and again. But no matter how many times he read it, it would still see the same analysis result.
Continent's coordinate: No database records.
This would mean the system had no information on his specific geolocation.
Planet's coordinate: No database records.
This would mean the system could not judge which planet in which star system it is located.
Worse of all,...
Star's coordinate: No database records.
This meant that even his location within the Mky-1023 galaxy could not be determined!
Does any of this make sense?
His supposed destination was a planet known to be on the verge of entering the interstellar age. He would have plenty of support from nearby star systems to back him up should the need arise.
As someone who had just graduated from his training, it was supposed to be an easy task for him to accumulate experience.
But Wyd is telling me there was no record of this planet or star system?
What is the Sord Network?
The Sord Interdimensional Network, commonly known simply as Sord Network, is a universe network that connects all consciousness integrated with an AI support system. As an intergalactic internet, it allows users to connect regardless of distance. As such, it provides a massive database in its library.
It should have recorded all the explored galaxies in the universe.
If this world were not included in the database record, it would mean that this galaxy had never been explored.
This would represent both a great opportunity and risk for Ceid.
He could continue performing his duties and tasks in this new world.
But his actions here would not only expose him to great danger; should he fail with his task in this world, he would receive a heavy penalty. Depending on the severity, he could even be sentenced to death.
Of course, should he do his task splendidly, he would be rewarded generously.
While worrying about his gains and losses, he lamented how unlucky he was. Once again, he was inadvertently sent and stranded in an unknown and unfamiliar world.
The only comforting news for Ceid was knowing that Wyd could connect with the Sord Network.
This would suggest he wasn't stranded in any secret realm or world in space cracks. He was thankful for that because should he become stranded in such places, he would probably stay there forever.
Because he knows that before one can escape from any secret realm, one needs to meet certain conditions.
Some required them to find the exits within a limited time. If they fail, they need to wait until the next time the exit opens.
Others required them to reach a designated cultivation level before ascending (exiting) from the secret realm.
In some rare cases, great beings were controlling the entrance and exits. Thus, one needed to gain permission from the controller or defeat it before one could escape from the secret realm.
In short, many peculiar and strange rules existed governing these secret realms. It would spell disaster for a newbie like him to adventure into them unprepared.
-
Wait! Wyd, what is the Centralized Geo-Processing Unit?
How much would it cost? Is it free?
He was tempted to request help from Sord Network. But he knew that many advanced functions of Sord Network are paid on demand.
As expected, it was expensive.
Even though Ceid had accumulated over 10,000 Energy Coins in his account, he still felt reluctant to spend more than 10% of his net worth merely to determine his location.
Deny.
At the moment, it was an unnecessary expense for him. On the other hand, it would be better if he could use local sources to get the needed information.
Wyd, could you conduct an all-around Wide Area Scan?
Since it was an uncharted territory, Cied had to learn something about this area at the very least.
[Ding!]
[Determining Host's mental strength...confirmed]
As he heard Wyd's words, the corner of his mouth slowly turned into a smile. His furrowed eyebrows eased as his mood improved.
Confirm.
-
Soon, a Wide Area Scan encompassing a 10-kilometer radius was conducted with Ceid's location as its center. The subtle mental pulse that proliferated around was so subtle that it did not alert anyone or creatures.
As Wyd sent out the mental pulse, Ceid's mind, which had just recovered, became weak again. The throbbing pain in his head enlarged as his headache worsened.
Suddenly, he regretted his decision.
This headache was an indication that he had overused his mental strength. The pain was enlarged since his mind and consciousness were still injured.
He quickly meditated to recover as much of his mental strength as he could. Otherwise, he would lose his connection with Wyd once more.
Worse, the Wide Area Scan would fail, and his effort was wasted.
Thankfully, his connection with Wyd remained stable. A few moments later, a 3D model image appeared in Ceid's mind.
The image mapped the entire region of the surroundings. Since the park he was at was located near the city wall in the suburbs, 40% of the map showed the area outside the city wall.
Distributions of soils, trees, and various plants were distinctly mapped.
On the other hand, the mapped buildings inside the city were clearly shown in 3D images. He could zoom in on each building and understand the structure of said buildings.
Even static images of those inside the buildings could be seen.
(cough...cough...temporarily, we'll leave the statement as is. Please forgive the author for not being able to find a suitable detailed explanation that overcomes the privacy issue in this scan. Readers are welcome to suggest in the comments how to interpret the 'static images' without infringing privacy issues.)
The 3D image also mapped the EM wave spectrum and various other parameters. These include temperature distributions, humidity, oxygen levels, and so on.
Wyd, could you hack into this world's network?
Hey, hey, hey. Don't you underestimate me, Wyd.
I don't need to temper with any data. I'm here to conduct my duty fairly and legally. Why would I use such an underhanded approach?
<...>
Ahem. Then please access the network to get as many details about this world as possible.
And please find a way for me to obtain a valid identity in this world.
"..."
This time, it was Ceid who became speechless. He suspected that Wyd was retaliating against him, but he had no evidence.
Is Wyd such a petty AI system?
Regardless, he could only sigh and close his eyes to rest. Taking advantage of the peaceful evening, he took out several pieces of Energy Crystals. Soon, he quickly entered the meditation state.
He doesn't know how long he has been meditating.
Several Energy Crystal had crushed and became dust one after another.
As the evening deepened, the sky became dark. Soon, the crowd had retreated into respective rooms and houses. Only the guards were seen patrolling around.
But no one noticed the man sitting in a hidden corner of the plaza. He did not move as if he was a statue.
As Ceid continued his meditation, immersed in his world, soon, the night was ending.
As the final Energy Crystal turned into dust, dawn was approaching.
At this moment, Ceid finally ended his meditation state. As he opened his eyes, an electric light flashed deep into his eyes before it was quickly hidden.
A new day had arrived!