Do not worry about tomorrow, master, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
But Angela sensed Hayden's underlying unease, so she pressed herself even closer. They were almost intertwined, inseparable. Though their bodies were pressed tightly together, there was no lust in their actions, only pure affection.
"From now on, whether in good times or bad, in joy or sorrow, I will help you and always stay by your side."
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The Queen of Cups (Upright)
[Keywords: spirituality, intuition, dreams, selfless love]
If anyone drinks from this cup, he will never be thirsty again, forever.
Volume Two: The Immortal Castle
023: Pure Land of Blessings
The strange events of the day began in the early morning.
Robots don't need to sleep. While Hayden was still fast asleep in bed, Angela had already started her day's work early.
Cleaning was just the tip of the iceberg; Angela wouldn't need much time to tidy up the whole house. More than material possessions, she was primarily concerned with Hayden's physical and mental health and nutritional management. So today, she first checked the food supplies at home and found they were running low, so she immediately decided to go online and buy some new food.
Although Angela wasn't good with the internet, she couldn't possibly mess up online shopping. She'd been using the same shopping website since the first night and was already quite familiar with it—at least that's what Angela initially thought.
So when Angela opened the website early this morning and saw the overwhelming, dazzling array of advertisements, she felt completely overwhelmed.
Day of the Dead...Special offers? Buy offerings for your family...50% off everything, limited-time flash sale?
One can imagine how confused Angela was by this advertisement.
What's more troublesome is that, because she was rather honest and obediently read all the pop-up ads, when Angela tried to close them, the system immediately pushed a bunch of new "you might like" ads to her.
Why? Because the system has its own judgment—people who are willing to spend three minutes reading these ads are naturally more likely to make a purchase than those who close the ads without thinking, and will therefore be prioritized for future ads. Many ad windows can't even be closed at all.
"Thank you for our special offer today! 90% off, an incredible family-friendly meal deal, plus a chance to win a home gift? Wait, wait!?"
Angela was basically a computer illiterate, and the content of this advertisement left her completely bewildered.
"The Day of the Dead is coming, aren't you going to upgrade your ancestors' servers this year? While you're alive and well, don't forget to spend the holiday with your deceased family. For your well-being after death, pre-order a Pure Land of Blessings Gold Membership now...?"
As she read, she became increasingly confused: What is all this? She could understand each word individually, but why couldn't she understand what it was saying when put together?
Fortunately, Angela wasn't stupid; she knew she shouldn't touch things she didn't understand. Eight hours later, Hayden got up, and she told him everything that had happened and all her questions.
"Nothing strange about it. The Day of the Dead is at the end of next month."
Hayden quickly cleared all the pop-up ads, making it sound effortless, but his expression was somewhat sullen.
"These days, holidays mean shopping sprees, and festivals are consumption days. The Day of the Dead should, in principle, be a day to remember and treat the dead with respect, so companies certainly won't miss the opportunity to promote offerings and services for the dead."
Angela was even more confused upon hearing this: "The deceased...? Services...?"
Oh no, she doesn't understand at all, and now she's even entered search mode.
"Didn't I say this before? Modern arcane magic has conquered death."
So Hayden explained, with a hint of sarcasm,
"As long as you can afford it, anyone can upload their consciousness to the Mitra Group's servers before they die, and then enjoy information-based immortality."
Through sympathetic magic, anyone in this era can project their consciousness into the online world. So, what happens if your physical body dies while you're online?
Unfortunately, the physical body and the spiritual projection are inseparable; when the physical body dies, the spiritual projection on the internet also disappears. Dying physically while online does not turn one into a cyber ghost.
Until the last century, Mitra Corporation pioneered the technology that allowed the consciousness of living beings to continue online after death, and then popularized it. Since then, similar technologies have been rolled out by major corporations one after another, and under their leadership, modern society has conquered death.
At least that's what the advertisement says.
"I see. That's really impressive."
Angela, however, did not understand the implied meaning and was instead greatly shocked.
"So nowadays, people can see their deceased ancestors, talk to them, and live with them simply by going online? Master, have your deceased relatives also been uploaded to the internet?"
Hearing Angela's naive words, Hayden could no longer even manage a forced smile.
"No."
He wouldn't be so stupid as to get angry at Angela for no reason, but his face still darkened.
“My parents left a will before they passed away, requesting that the money not be wasted. I was still in school at the time, and by the time I found out, it was too late.”
Different companies have developed different ways of "conquering death" based on their own corporate culture and characteristics, but none of them are perfect. Take Mitra Group's "Consciousness Upload - Pure Land of Blessings" as an example, which has four obvious flaws.
First, a completely dead being cannot have its consciousness uploaded. All intelligent beings possess a soul, but even for modern arcane science, the soul remains a mystery. The soul has no real structure; its existence can only be observed, and its origin and purpose are unknown. Each soul appears out of thin air in an embryo and vanishes completely at the moment of death, its ultimate fate uncertain. Furthermore, the soul possesses strange, unreplicable properties, making it impossible to back up in advance.
In other words, consciousness can only be uploaded while the organism is still alive.
Secondly, the process of uploading one's consciousness causes irreparable damage to the original storage medium. After the upload, the original body's brain will be completely destroyed and cannot be repaired. Unless a new body is created and the consciousness is downloaded back, the upload is irreversible. And creating a new body, needless to say, is extremely expensive!
So this is the third flaw: spending money.
Uploading your consciousness costs money, and you have to keep paying monthly fees to the company, since your consciousness is stored on their servers. The lowest tier costs about 500 Federal Gold Coins per month, which may not sound like much, but such a basic server provides almost no processing capabilities beyond thinking and communication. Hearing, vision, touch, taste, and even high-resolution bodily functions are basically nonexistent on a server with a monthly fee of only 500 Gold Coins.
On servers with a monthly fee of 500 gold coins, the uploaded consciousnesses possess only rudimentary senses and crude forms. Drinking coffee and drinking muddy water offer no difference in taste to them, and touching a pillow and touching a stone feels identical. Their aesthetic refinement is probably comparable to that of a plastic toy.
Want a more precise tactile experience? No problem. However, a more precise tactile experience requires more processing power, so please spend an extra 1000 gold coins each month to upgrade to a mid-tier server.
Want to eat food that tastes just like in the physical world? No problem. However, the extra data will obviously cost money. After all, consciousness stored on servers doesn't need to eat. Virtual food is a luxury; how could it possibly be given to you for free?
Want to read novels, watch movies, or watch animations online? We have it all! Just pay up!
"By the same token, although the cost of uploading consciousness and the monthly fee are not very expensive, if you really want the deceased to enjoy eternal life in the company's online 'paradise' instead of just being suspended in death, the expenses will not be much less."
Hayden made a face, but it didn't look very funny.
"The Day of the Dead is originally a festival in Central and South American culture to commemorate the dead. The company has commercialized it and offered discounts on related services as the festival approaches, which makes it easier to make money from people's pockets."
After hearing his explanation, Angela was even more confused: "I can sense your aversion to this technology, Master, but based on what I've said so far, I don't think there's anything seriously wrong with it. If the cost of living for the deceased online is high, then just let them continue working online, right?"
"good question."
Hayden finally sighed.
"So this is the fourth flaw."
Unfortunately, before he could explain this final flaw to Angela, Hayden's phone suddenly rang.
Who called him so early in the morning? Hayden was immediately annoyed—the mention of the Day of the Dead had already made him a little depressed. He had wanted to relax today, leisurely spending some time at home with Angela, but now he was in no mood for it.
When he picked up his phone and saw the name and message displayed, he became even more annoyed.
"Damn it, it's Adam's dog. He wants me to meet him at a nightclub at 7 p.m. tomorrow."
Three months have passed since Hayden created Angela, got involved in Adam and his wife's affairs, and ultimately became estranged from his former best friend.
Less than two days after the last incident, Adam sent one of his men to find out what Hayden was up to.
For the past three months, the dog would frequently sniff around Hayden. According to Adam, he was simply sending someone to "check on Hayden's research from time to time, in case Hayden ran into any trouble." But Hayden wasn't stupid; how could he not know that Adam had just sent a subordinate to monitor him?
If Adam's henchmen discover the truth about Angela, Hayden will be in big trouble.
Hayden felt particularly annoyed at the thought of how troublesome this would be.
Angela naturally saw all of this. So she thought for a moment, then without saying anything, she leaned closer to Hayden and, before Hayden could react, reached out her slender fingers and held Hayden's hand in hers.
Sure enough, Hayden's body froze instantly.
"Master, do not be afraid, do not be upset. Please maintain your straightforward courage."
Angela gently stroked Hayden's head. Her movements were tender, as if she were handling a very precious treasure.
The wife he had created himself had unknowingly reversed their roles, treating him like a child and patting his head to comfort him. This filled Hayden with mixed feelings, an indescribable sense of shame. However, Angela's way of stroking him and the pressure were very pleasant, so he could only let Angela touch him.
Since Angela's words helped Hayden open up three months ago, their relationship has become much closer. As Angela said, loving physical contact has a powerful healing effect. Even without actually going all the way, Angela would proactively come to Hayden every day for intimate physical contact, which alone completely alleviated Hayden's original sexual anxiety. Savoring each other's warmth and touch during these moments unexpectedly satisfied many of his desires.
"Although my master may feel a little ashamed, I am happy to be what you desire. I will do anything for you, whatever you need."
As Angela spoke, a deeper meaning seemed to flicker in her jade-like eyes.
"It is when you use this body that this body, which was tailor-made for you, shines, and it is also when I feel happy."
The happiness of robots is somewhat incomprehensible to people.
After three months together, Hayden had stopped caring about Angela's thoughts. After all, a living woman wasn't necessarily more reliable than this AI idiot. So, now that he had a "love me, love me, love me unconditionally, and can't love anyone else" wife, who needed to care what other women were thinking?
They only slow down my chanting speed.
"I think you should try to get along with all kinds of people. I will always be by your side, but there are some things that I alone cannot do."
Whether it was because she had seen through Hayden's thoughts or not, Angela gently ran her fingers through his hair while showing a thoughtful expression, and suddenly spoke.
"Stop talking nonsense."
Hayden naturally scoffed at these words.
"When it comes to socializing, you have to see if the other person is a friend or an enemy first."
Upon hearing this, Angela tilted her head and asked in return, "Then, Master, who are your friends and who are your enemies?"
Good question. This question even momentarily stunned Hayden.
Unfortunately, before he could ponder Angela's question in detail, Hayden's phone rang again. Moreover, the sender's name displayed on the screen immediately caught his attention.
"Angela, I need to go out as soon as possible. Is there anything I can eat right away?"
Angela immediately nodded in response: "Today's breakfast is omelet and coffee. I've already prepared it for you."
The omelet she quickly served was stuffed with mini sausages, onions, and bell peppers—all real, not those nearly inedible artificial substitutes. Nearly half of Hayden's income was spent by Angela on natural ingredients. But since he was the one eating them, Hayden naturally couldn't complain.
But just as Hayden devoured his breakfast in a whirlwind, Angela asked curiously, "Master, what are your plans for today?"
"There was no original plan."
To my shame, Hayden hasn't received any commissions in the past two days. The job market isn't doing well, which is one of the frustrating things about being a freelancer.
“But things have changed now. In your words,”
He swallowed the remaining fried egg with his coffee, shook his phone, and then continued answering.
"I'm going to see a friend."
The sender displayed on his phone screen was the office of the Spellcasting Department at the Arcane College of Evergreen State University.
024: My University
The heart of New Jersey is the city’s most presentable, bright, and upscale side. The buildings lining the streets are noticeably larger, cleaner, and newer than those in the Bay Area—where Hayden usually lives. There are real trees, and the security patrols are better than some banks.
Hayden's alma mater, Evergreen State University, is located in the northern part of this city. In today's world, where government power has waned and everything is dominated by corporations, educational facilities have become almost entirely capitalist. In the entire Commonwealth of America, Evergreen State University is one of the few remaining public universities, boasting the highest level and most comprehensive research-oriented institutions. Founded over three hundred years ago, it is still funded by the state of Evergreen, not corporations, resulting in tuition fees far lower than private universities.
Otherwise, Hayden's parents, who were just ordinary office workers, simply couldn't afford to send him to college. Tuition at private universities in the Americas was incredibly expensive. Borrowing money from the company for tuition would be tantamount to turning their child into a slave before he even graduated.
To allow Hayden to complete his studies, his parents paid the ultimate price in the plague ten years ago. Hayden still suffers emotional pain from this loss. But even so, Hayden cannot deny that his four years at university were the most important period of his growth. Half of his current abilities were acquired during his university years.
Whether or not one has received a good education is of paramount importance to a person.
Therefore, the word "alma mater" holds a very complex and bittersweet meaning for Hayden.
After leaving home, Hayden, as always, transformed into the wind and flew across the city, passing through the school gates. He was a graduate of the university, so the university's barrier didn't directly stop him; it simply recorded his comings and goings. Returning to human form and standing on the red-brick school square, Hayden finally couldn't help but sigh.
He hadn't been to the university for several years, but the place hadn't changed much, at least not as much as Hayden himself had. Almost all the buildings on campus were Gothic in style, with numerous arches adorned with sculptures, intricate carvings on the pillars and window frames, and stained-glass windows that glowed a pale blue in the morning light. Every year in March and April, when Hayden had just built Angela, the campus was ablaze with breathtaking cherry blossoms. Unfortunately, it was already July.
However, the people walking around this school were far from classically elegant. Young students hurried through the campus, their steps hurried. This was because they were too busy. When Hayden was a student, he felt that 24 hours a day were simply not enough; time had to be planned hour by hour. During the day, not only did they have to be efficient and make the most of every spare moment, but they also had to study hard at night. The library was packed with people, brightly lit all night long, overflowing with people yet so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
This is because the academic workload at Changqingzhou University is extremely heavy. The same courses at Changqingzhou University are at a much deeper level and are much more difficult. Professors lecture so fast that they completely disregard students' ability to keep up, covering dozens or even hundreds of pages in a single class, constantly drawing on a wide range of sources. Without prior preparation, many students won't even understand what they've learned that day. A semester lasts eleven weeks, with midterms in the first two weeks and a constant stream of exams until the final. Students practically wish they could fly around the school!
Incidentally, this is prohibited. The school's barrier only allows faculty and staff to fly and accelerate freely within the campus to prevent students from getting injured.
But no matter what, why are the students like this?
Because people are different. Genetically modified individuals born into wealthy families are simply smarter than average; they can understand something after hearing it once, remember it after seeing it once, and even their learning efficiency when focused is higher. There are countless outstanding people. Many students fall behind not because they don't work hard, but because others are better at working hard.
Competition. Terrible competition.
Hayden, as an unadjusted natural human being, actually did quite well in school back then. This was partly because he was indeed very hardworking, and partly because he was indeed a genius... But let's get back to the main topic now.
As he walked across the red brick square, he suddenly saw something strange.
"Reject the deadly exploitation by big companies!"
"I demand the right to rest!"