The trio moved with remarkable speed, reaching the next floor before the mechanoids could react. As for the data on this floor, they guessed it likely contained historical records from a specific period of the mechanoids. However, their current interest was not in history but in the mechanoids’ recent research into the chaotic universe.
When they arrived at the entrance to the ninety-third floor, they were met with yet another seemingly ordinary corridor. Since the ninety-first floor, all of the building’s defense systems appeared to have become hidden, making it nearly impossible to detect them by sight alone.
Unfazed, the trio cautiously explored the floor and were shocked to discover that, apart from the floor they had blown open, everything here was identical to the ninety-first floor. To confirm their suspicion, they immediately began investigating the data on this level.
Unsurprisingly, all the information matched that of the ninety-first floor. This left the trio bewildered. They had clearly broken through the floor to reach this level—had they still not escaped the spatial constraints of the ninety-first floor? Could the spatial disturbance caused by the explosion have been a mere illusion?
Faced with the current situation, all three were perplexed. The evidence suggested they were still trapped within the spatial boundaries of the ninety-first floor, which explained why the mechanoids had not shown up—they had successfully intercepted the trio with their defense system.
“If smashing through the floor can’t break the spatial defense system here, does that mean we must actually destroy the system itself to leave?” Lan Qing asked. While he was prepared to try welding again, he doubted it would help if the issue wasn’t resolved at its core.
Lan Qing’s question echoed what Shu Bao and Fu Qing were thinking. Destroying the defense core of this floor seemed like the most direct solution. However, given the advanced technology of the mechanoids, finding the core would be an immense challenge, let alone destroying it—especially now that the mechanoids had also mastered magic, making the task even harder.
“How about I just tear down the entire building?” Lan Qing proposed. Even the mechanoids needed a physical medium to control this space. If the entire floor was demolished, the hidden defense core would likely be destroyed as well.
“But there are over ninety floors above us. Can you handle that weight?” Fu Qing pointed out. He doubted that such a destructive approach was feasible, especially since they were still inside the building. If it collapsed, they wouldn’t fare well either.
“Then what should we do?” Lan Qing asked, frustrated.
With no better options, the three continued experimenting with magic to try to break through the spatial defense system. However, all their efforts were in vain. The entire floor seemed like a black hole, swallowing every attempt without any visible response.
The situation was deeply unsettling. Even attempting to replicate their earlier method of destroying the floor was no longer an option. With no clear leads, Lan Qing resigned himself to meticulously searching the level inch by inch.
Just as Lan Qing landed on the floor, pulling out a microscope to begin his examination, Shu Bao suddenly shouted, “I’ve got it! We’re using our magic in the wrong direction—this isn’t the ninety-first floor!”
Lan Qing looked at Shu Bao, confused. “Then what floor is this?”
“This is the ninety-third floor. We actually made it down here!” Shu Bao said excitedly, moving to the spot where Lan Qing had welded through earlier. The area had now completely restored itself, showing no sign of damage. “If this were purely a spatial issue, the hole wouldn’t have repaired itself, and our attacks wouldn’t have vanished without any reaction.”
While the mechanoids had exceptional mastery over energy, absorbing so much energy without leaving any trace of a reaction was implausible. Shu Bao concluded that they had been deceived—every aspect of their perception, including sight, touch, and hearing, had been obscured.
The virtual library on the previous floors had already demonstrated that the mechanoids were highly advanced in virtual sensory technology. Deceiving perception subtly was not difficult for them. Combined with mental magic, the virtual reality they created became even more flawless.
“What we need to crack isn’t spatial magic but mental magic. We’re indeed on the ninety-third floor, but we’re trapped in its defense system. This floor’s system creates a virtual reality, augmented by mental magic, to produce an illusion identical to the ninety-first floor…”
Shu Bao explained his hypothesis to the other two, and both Fu Qing and Lan Qing agreed. Only an illusion could explain everything they had observed. Conveniently, among the three of them, Fu Qing was highly skilled in mental attacks.
Fu Qing retrieved his familiar violin and began playing. This time, however, the violin produced no sound. Instead, translucent notes floated into the air as he played. Shu Bao found this fascinating and curiously extended a paw to touch one of the drifting notes.
As soon as his paw made contact, the previously silent room resounded with a single violin note. The note then popped like a bubble and disappeared, leaving the hallway silent once more.
Fu Qing observed Shu Bao’s actions but didn’t stop him. Instead, he intentionally played a series of notes that circled Shu Bao. Shu Bao eagerly reached out to touch each one, creating a lively melody that echoed through the corridor.
Seeing this, Lan Qing waved his gloved claws excitedly. “Me, me, me!”
Fu Qing glanced at Lan Qing with a calm expression. “Now isn’t the time to mess around. Stop thinking about playing.”
Lan Qing: ??? The dragon had every reason to feel targeted again.
Fortunately, before Lan Qing could voice his protest, the butterfly and mouse duo finally settled down. The violin notes began to spread silently throughout the area. At first, nothing unusual happened. Then, one note unexpectedly shattered mid-air, even though it hadn’t touched anything, producing a sharp violin sound that echoed through the hallway.
“That’s it!” Fu Qing exclaimed. “Stop standing there, playful dragon—attack!”
Lan Qing, too caught off guard to argue, instinctively attacked in the direction where the note had vanished. Immediately after his strike, another note shattered, prompting him to switch directions and attack again.
After ten rounds of this, the floating notes ceased to sound and the surrounding environment began to change. Like a movie transition, the illusion faded bit by bit, revealing the true ninety-third floor.
Bright lights illuminated the space, showcasing walls and floors made of silver-white metal. Curious, Lan Qing hurled a spell at the floor, which the metal absorbed instantly. It was now clear that all their previous attacks had been absorbed and redirected by this strange material.
Apart from the silver-white metal, the walls were adorned with fading patterns—the apparent source of the illusion.
“The combination of spatial and mental defenses here is insidious,” Fu Qing said, putting away his violin. “If we hadn’t noticed the trick, we would’ve wasted time working in the wrong direction and risked mental collapse. The mechanoids’ progress in magic is alarmingly fast. When combined with their already powerful technology, they can create illusions that are incredibly difficult to break.”
Though they had passed this challenge by sheer luck, the road ahead would undoubtedly grow more treacherous. Worse, the trio could sense that their magical advantage over the mechanoids was rapidly diminishing.
In terms of magical strength, the mechanoids were no longer weaker than them. What the mechanoids currently lacked was a variety of magical attributes and techniques. For example, Fu Qing’s violin test had not been accounted for in the mechanoids’ system. Without systematic magical instruction, the mechanoids still lagged in spell versatility. This small gap remained the trio’s only edge.
After collecting the data on the ninety-third floor, the trio proceeded to the ninety-fourth floor with slightly heavy hearts.
In the subsequent floors, the mechanoids’ defense systems became increasingly elaborate, as if designed to outwit them at every turn. As the trio had predicted, the systems seemed to study their techniques, adapting and increasing their defensive parameters on each successive floor. The only relief was that after the ninety-first floor, no members of the mechanoids appeared.
With each step forward, they revealed more of their magical trump cards and finally reached the last floor. Standing on the ground of the hundredth floor, having passed through the ninety-ninth, the trio could hardly believe they had truly reached the core region of the mechanoids’ mainframe.
The final floor of the mainframe tower was vastly different from the others. There were no corridors, no individual compartments, and no virtual bookshelves filled with information.
The hundredth floor was a massive, open space, astonishing in both its vast area and towering height. At the center of this vast expanse floated a radiant orb. Upon closer inspection, the trio could see a dark, solid core within the glowing body.
This core slowly rotated, emitting a light far larger than its physical size, making it appear like a miniature sun. Above this “sun”, the iconic energy pillar of the central city was visible. Between the energy pillar and the glowing orb, several bands of light floated, clearly transferring energy to the orb.
“Greetings. Welcome to the mechanoid core.”
The trio was still surveying the hundredth floor when a voice emanated from the glowing orb.
They froze. Was that… the main brain of the mechanoids greeting them? After a brief moment of stunned silence, Fu Qing seized the opportunity to respond. “Hello, are you the main brain of the mechanoids?”
“Indeed,” the orb responded with a flicker of light. “You are the first intelligent species to pass the trials and stand before me. What do you seek?”
The main brain did not attack them and its attitude was surprisingly amicable. The trio had never expected their meeting with the main brain to unfold in this manner. Still, a friendly approach was far better than hostility. They quickly adjusted their demeanor to engage in communication.
“Hello, my name is Shu Bao and these are my two friends.” The mouse instinctively introduced himself, while contemplating how to politely inquire about the mechanoids’ core secrets.
To their surprise, the orb blinked twice before politely responding to Shu Bao’s introduction. “Hello, my name is Lai Mi, and I also have a friend, named Wei Lai.”
Shu Bao’s racing thoughts came to an abrupt halt. “What did you say your name was?”
“Lai Mi,” the orb replied calmly.
