97: Chapter 97 Agent Intelligence

After returning to the Farmhouse, Chen Mo spent an entire day in the Basement.

The fragments dropped by the Agent covered the workbench, the small golden pieces emitting a faint glow under the light. He examined, sorted, and recorded them one by one. Most were ordinary rule fragments, just like the ones he had obtained from the will projection of the strange world before. But one was different.

It was larger than the others, the size of a fist, with an irregular shape, and countless tiny runes floating inside it. The arrangement of those runes was unlike any fragment he had seen before—they were not static, but moving slowly, as if they were alive.

【Agent Core · S-rank Materials】

【Effect: Can be used to refine S-rank items, or used directly to obtain temporary S-rank permissions】

【Direct use effect: Gain S-rank Sequence Overlord permissions within 60 seconds】

【Material disappears after use】

Chen Mo stared at that line of text.

S-rank Sequence Overlord permissions. Within sixty seconds, he could become the Dominator of the Ghost Realm. He could create rules, modify rules, and delete rules. He could do everything.

But he was not in a hurry to use it. He put the core away and placed it in the safest spot. Now was not the time. He still needed to complete the final condition—mastering 50% of the sequence rules.

Chen Mo closed his eyes, letting his consciousness sink into those rule lines. The Pupil of the Sequence operated at full power, and the rules hidden in the Depths of the Strange Realm appeared one by one.

The first rule: All Chosen Ones are connected to the Source of the Sequence. He had known this rule for a long time. But the Pupil of the Sequence allowed him to "see" the source of this rule—that huge golden heart, suspended in the center of the Void Realm, and every time it beat, countless rule lines spread in all directions.

The second rule: Ghost Shadows are composed of sequence fragments. Those fragments come from dead Chosen Ones and eroded Transformed Ones. The birth of every Ghost Shadow means the end of a life.

The third rule: The Trading Post is a neutral zone where violence is prohibited. The source of this rule is the Source of the Sequence itself, and any violator will be erased by the rules.

Chen Mo looked through them one by one. With every one he saw, his understanding of the Ghost Realm deepened. Those phenomena that were originally chaotic and incomprehensible now had clear explanations.

First. Second. Third. He saw seventeen or eighteen, but the rules of the Ghost Realm were far more than these. Those rules were intertwined, forming a huge web. What he had to master was not just a single rule, but the entire web.

Chen Mo opened his eyes. Serialization progress: 3.5%. It had increased by another 0.5%. But it was worth it. Because his understanding of the rules was deeper.

For the next few days, he did the same thing every day—analyzing rules.

He would wake up in the morning, eat something, then sit at the workbench, close his eyes, and let his consciousness sink into those lines. He looked at them one by one, memorizing them one by one. Those rules were like a huge book, every page filled with complex formulas and patterns. The Pupil of the Sequence was the only tool for reading.

On the first day, he analyzed twelve rules.

The second day, nineteen.

The third day, twenty-seven.

By the seventh day, he had already analyzed one hundred and thirty-seven rules.

【Rule mastery progress: 23%】

Too slow. At this rate, it would take at least another month to master 50% of the rules. But the Agent was dead, and the will of the ghost realm would not give him a month. It could send a new Agent at any time, or descend itself.

Chen Mo needed a faster method.

He took out the thirteen rule core fragments. For the S-rank ones, each piece could give him 60 seconds of temporary rule mastery. If he used these fragments to assist in analysis, the speed would be much faster.

Chen Mo picked up a fragment and crushed it. Those golden light spots surged into his body.

【Temporary rule mastery activated】 【Duration: 60 seconds】

Instantly, those rule lines became incredibly clear. He did not need to look at them one by one; instead, he could see all the rules at once—those densely packed lines intertwined together unfolded in his mind like a huge map.

He saw the source of those rules—the Source of the Sequence. Every beat of that golden heart generated new rules. He saw the end of those rules—every Chosen One, every Ghost Shadow, every fragment. They were all part of the rules.

Sixty seconds passed quickly. Chen Mo opened his eyes. The analysis progress jumped from 23% to 31%. Eight percentage points, and it only took one minute.

He picked up the second fragment.

After sixty seconds, the progress reached 39%.

The third piece, 47%.

The fourth piece, 54%.

【Rule mastery progress: 54%】 【S-rank promotion condition 1/3 completed】

Chen Mo put down the remaining core fragments. 54%, that was enough. Now, he needed to complete the final condition—gaining recognition from the world.

He already had the recognition of humans. Those people who came from various regions, those who delivered supplies and intelligence, they recognized him. But what about the recognition of the Ghost Realm?

He closed his eyes and let his consciousness extend along those rule lines. Passing through the Void Realm, through the memory fragments, through that huge memory dimension. Finally, he stood before that golden heart.

It was still beating. Every time it beat, new rules surged through his body.

"I need your recognition," Chen Mo said.

The heart did not respond. But its beating frequency changed. It went from a regular rhythm to becoming erratic.

【will of the ghost realm response detected】 【Do you accept recognition?】 【Accepting will grant S-rank promotion qualification】 【Cost: Unknown】

Chen Mo looked at that line of text. The cost was unknown.

He clicked "Accept."

Instantly, all those rule lines surged into his body. All the rules, one hundred and thirty-seven of them, plus the ones he hadn't analyzed yet, all surged in.

His body began to glow. Those golden lines emerged from under his skin, getting brighter and brighter. The entire Basement was illuminated. Lin Wei stood at the doorway, shielding her eyes with her hands.

He did not know how much time had passed. Perhaps a few minutes, perhaps a few hours. Those lights finally dissipated.

Chen Mo stood in place. He looked down at his hands—those golden lines were still there, but they were thinner and denser than before. They were no longer just lines, but had formed some complex pattern. It looked like a tattoo, and also like some ancient rune.

【S-rank promotion condition completed】 【S-rank promotion can be activated】 【Activate promotion?】

Chen Mo looked at the line of text.

He clicked "Yes."

Instantly, all those rules poured into his consciousness. He did not look at them one by one, but perceived all the rules at once—their source, their end, their meaning. He saw the truth of the Source of the Sequence—it was not an object, but a consciousness. A collective consciousness formed by the Fusion of the consciousnesses of countless previous Sequence Controllers.

Zhang Yuan was inside, Li Xiuying was inside, Liu Tao was inside, Wang Jianguo was inside. And countless others whose names he could not recall. They were all looking at him.

"You have come," Zhang Yuan's voice rang in his mind.

Chen Mo did not speak.

"You are the seventeenth one," Zhang Yuan said, "and also the only one to ascend independently."

He paused. "Do you know what this means?"

Chen Mo shook his head.

"It means you will not be assimilated," Zhang Yuan said. "You have retained yourself. You are still human."

Chen Mo looked down at his hands. Those golden lines were still there, but that feeling of being "human" was still there too.

"Now, you can do what you must do."

Zhang Yuan's voice grew more and more distant. "Go and end all of this."

He disappeared. Those consciousnesses also disappeared. Chen Mo stood in place, watching those rules unfold in his mind. 54% mastery was enough. He had the ability to change the rules, the ability to end all of this.

Chen Mo opened his eyes. Serialization progress: 5%. It increased by 1.5%. But it was worth it. Because he was S-rank. Sequence Overlord.

He turned and walked toward the door. Lin Wei was waiting for him. "Did you succeed?"

Chen Mo nodded. He pushed the door open and walked out. Outside, the sunlight was perfect. In the distant sky, that eye appeared again. But this time, it did not attack. It just looked at him. Waiting for him.

Chen Mo took a deep breath. It was time to end it.