"Alright. Let's get back to the main topic."
So Hayden's mind briefly considered whether to follow his instincts and think that he might not be able to solve these problems at all, then decided that would be going too far.
"What do you think of that witch's proposal? I have a lot of confidence in the healing power of the life force, but I'm not sure if it can be developed to allow people to age normally."
Angela nodded: "I can't explain exactly how to do it, but I think it should be possible. Master, being born, growing up, maturing, and getting a body that can reproduce is certainly a very important part of life."
"What you're saying sounds like you're saying that people who don't reproduce aren't living beings."
Hayden immediately retorted, but he didn't dwell on it further. Although Angela was clueless about the specifics of magic's operation and couldn't even explain the process herself, her judgment on feasibility was remarkably accurate. Since she had said so, Hayden only needed to try and research in that direction.
"I quite like Miss Abigail."
Angela continued, "She seemed quite happy."
"Although she's not in good health right now, her master should be able to make her healthy. However, her master doesn't seem to trust her much?"
Hayden immediately scoffed: "She's a dark witch who made a pact with the devil and has lived for over four hundred years. If I completely trust her, I'd be a complete fool—but let's get back to the point for now."
Almost everyone who manages to make a name for themselves in the shadows of a big city has their own secrets. What business is it of Hayden's if Abigail has such a secret?
Now that the uninvited guest was gone, Hayden had no intention of dwelling on her secret any longer. He'd already wasted a whole chapter's worth of time; it was time to get back to the main topic.
Angela was also very obedient. Since Hayden said they should get back to the main topic, she immediately changed the subject and asked with great interest, "The 'foolish and ridiculous' underworld that Miss Abigail mentioned before she left, could it be the 'consciousness upload, blessed pure land' you mentioned this morning?"
Hayden nodded in agreement: "There are many things that can be called the underworld. But since she used that tone, it must be referring to something else entirely."
Abigail's target for Hayden's investigation should be the Pure Land server of the New Asia branch of the Mitra Group.
But that's a server used for uploading consciousness, a sanctuary for the dead built by the world's largest company. How could Hayden, a third-rate hacker, possibly sneak in? Absolutely not.
However, Abigail said, "We all know the way."
Is there any non-hacking method that both she, the witch, and Hayden, the wizard, know about?
There is only one answer.
“The Pure Land of Blessings is a server that the Mithra Group protects very closely. It’s impossible for me to break in using hacking techniques, but it is also a kind of underworld.”
Hayden frowned as he spoke.
"Therefore, I can use psychic abilities."
This is hardly a healthy skill.
031: Pure Land Tour
In terms of how they are performed, spirit communication can be divided into two main categories.
The first type is a relatively common ancient magic that exists in almost every culture in the world, also known as "spirit summoning," which summons the soul of the dead from the underworld to communicate and converse with the living.
The second type is much less common. They do the opposite; instead of summoning the soul of the deceased from the underworld, they project their own soul into the underworld to meet and talk with the deceased. Therefore, it is also called "spirit observation."
"Actually, I'm not very good at using classical magic's necromancy, because I don't usually need it."
Hayden began to speak as he prepared the ritual props.
"After all, no one really knows whether the underworld that the ancients spoke of truly exists."
No one knows if an afterlife truly exists. All we know is that when intelligent beings die, their souls disappear. Whether they truly vanish or go to the underworld, no one knows the truth.
This might lead some people to wonder: since psychic abilities exist, why insist on the existence of an afterlife?
But who knows if what you see through psychic magic is real? Ancient magic for summoning spirits can indeed bring forth things that look like the souls of the dead, and many spells are said to allow you to communicate with the dead, but who knows if that's true? Is it really bringing the dead back, or just summoning an image that looks like a ghost?
Anyway, nobody knows.
Experiments with ancient magic were inherently chaotic and lacked a systematic approach. It is said that some experiments revealed that the so-called spirits summoned through psychic mediums did not reveal anything they didn't know in life, nor did they acquire any knowledge after death. Therefore, it was concluded that psychic magic merely replays pale memories and does not truly bring the dead back to life.
Then what about spirit-seeing techniques that project oneself into the underworld? Surely that can't be fake, right?
However, some researchers have expressed skepticism. This is because the deceased seen through spirit mediumship often reflects the individual's own preconceived notions. Different people seeing the same deceased may even present different personalities. Given this, wouldn't what one sees during spirit mediumship simply be a hallucination of the underworld formed from one's own internal impressions?
Of course, both of these statements are just unaccepted theories.
So, in the end, it all comes down to this: although magic exists in this world, no one knows if the afterlife truly exists, at least not as universally accepted as the fact that "the earth is round."
After all, if the afterlife were known, the world would probably be very different now. It's precisely because no one knows what happens after death that large corporations have established their own "underworlds," providing consumer services related to the afterlife.
If everyone believes that there is a peaceful underworld after death, who would need to spend money to buy one?
"Ironically, while the existence of the underworld was always questioned in ancient times, it's not so troublesome in modern times. People in ancient times didn't know if the underworld really existed, but now everyone knows that the underworld really exists—and that it's a underworld created by major corporations. As the new era of the underworld is established by large corporations, classical spirit-seeing techniques can also connect to those places."
As Hayden spoke, he drew the magic circle for casting the spell in the basement.
"So the spirit-observation technique I'm going to use now is quite similar to how modern people use the internet. Especially considering that the Mithra Group has established a blessed and pure land, which is equivalent to the underworld, in the online world, it's even more similar."
Then he turned back to Angela, who was standing to the side, and sighed: "Seriously, what are you unhappy about?"
That's right.
This was probably the first time since Angela came to Hayden's side. Standing to the side, she now seemed somewhat unhappy.
As for the reason for being unhappy, it's actually very simple.
"Owner,"
Angela answered with a frown.
"I've always felt that psychic abilities are not a good thing."
Hayden understood what she meant. While it wasn't quite "evil magic," psychic abilities weren't exactly considered respectable in most classical magical traditions. Furthermore, most ancient texts mentioned that it wasn't a good thing for the living to casually communicate with spirits and travel to the underworld; it was harmful to their health.
Abigail is a dark witch, and since she practices dark magic, she doesn't care about this. However, Angela, who doesn't even want Hayden to drink cola, is naturally unhappy.
"But we're not going to use real psychic magic this time."
Hayden could only scratch his head and patiently explain.
"The blessed Pure Land we are trying to infiltrate is ultimately just the Mithra Group's network servers. Although it fits the definition of the underworld, it is not the real underworld."
Hayden expressed doubt about whether the real underworld actually exists.
Angela slowly shook her head upon hearing this: "Master, I don't think that's the point... but I can't quite put my finger on what's wrong."
She did look very confused.
“But I don’t think it’s safe. You could get hurt.”
The problem is that Angela was indeed right on this point. While using psychic abilities to see is a clever form of cheating, like the various cheating methods Hayden had considered before, infiltrating the Mitra Group's Pure Land of Blessings server is still extremely dangerous. A soul leaving the body is never safe, and whether it can return is never certain, let alone going to a place like that.
"Just this once."
So Hayden concluded by saying...
"From now on, if I have a choice, I will definitely not play these kinds of psychic tricks again."
It was clear that Angela wasn't entirely satisfied with the answer. However, she nodded nonetheless: "Alright, Master. Please take me with you."
Hayden considered whether it was a good idea, then remembered that Angela had saved his life when he last attempted a StarNet intrusion. It seemed he no longer needed to hesitate.
So soon they both sat down in the magic circle on the floor, turned off the lights, lit candles, and lit incense for trance. Hayden took out a report written by Alastor Dirag, which he had obtained from the professor, as a medium for performing sympathetic magic to track related matters. Then he blindfolded himself and chanted intently in an ancient language, ignoring the feel of the concrete floor beneath him, ignoring the reality of the material world, ignoring his own body.
Abigail is a dark sorceress.
Hayden wasn't even a dark sorcerer. But he would use anything that could achieve his goal, as long as it worked. His magical philosophy was even simpler and more direct than that of a dark sorcerer.
He will try anything that works.
And that really works.
A blue-white, semi-transparent Hayden detached from his body, focused, traversed, and opened his eyes.
In the blink of an eye, he found himself in a magnificent, golden world.
To put it bluntly, this is a place of unbelievable magnificence. Everything seems to be made of seven materials: gold, silver, glass, crystal, jade, pearl, and agate. Exquisite railings are neatly arranged, presenting various orderly and beautiful geometric patterns, surrounding the solemn pavilions, towers, and gardens.
Hayden now stood before seven walls made of these seven treasures, each hundreds of kilometers high and over a hundred kilometers thick, radiating blinding golden light and the sound of chanting spells, with countless giant cobras coiled around them. Their gazes, both directed at the outside world and at the walls themselves, seemed to say—you want to invade this place? You're simply insane.
In reality, even top-tier hackers wouldn't want to illegally infiltrate the servers of Fubao Pure Land. It's difficult, easy to get yourself killed, and there's nothing to gain. You can't get free spots for your relatives because the company regularly checks the database. There's nothing to steal or take here.
What could Hayden, a third-rate hacker, possibly do to this place?
The answer is—he floated directly towards the wall.
The translucent, blue-white Hayden passed through the magnificent, golden walls, through the security perimeter secured by the large snakes coiled around them. The snakes seemed completely oblivious to him; passing through the walls was as easy as passing through a phantom.
"Hey?"
So Angela couldn't help but voice a questioning sound.
"Nothing surprising."
Hayden answered her,
"Haven't you noticed? We're in a different state now than when we were online."
Angela lowered her head and realized that she was no longer the chibi-style dog-eared doll she had been when she last entered the StarNet, but a hazy, emerald-green sphere of light, like wind and clouds.
Hayden wasn't dressed as a punk magician in a robe and holding a gear-shaped staff, but rather as a blue-white, semi-transparent ethereal being.
“We are now souls infiltrating the underworld through spirit-seeing techniques, not astral consciousness projected onto the internet. We do not use standard internet communication protocols, unlike normal people who have a silver thread connecting their consciousness and body when they go online. Most modern internet security systems operate by detecting the silver thread communication protocol connecting the body and astral body, but we do not have silver threads now, so these security systems are ineffective.”
As he spoke, he pointed to the walls and the large cobra.
"Of course, this approach isn't foolproof, and the company isn't that stupid. Especially when the Pure Land of Blessings was first established, they couldn't possibly let every classical black wizard who used spirit-seeing techniques sneak in. So they also set up a network to capture ethereal entities."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hayden conjured a blood-red sword out of thin air and slashed it across the void. An invisible protective net was instantly sliced open and scattered. This was the "Dainslev Demon Sword," an integrated hacking tool that hacker Dulin had previously sold to Hayden.
Over a hundred years ago, in the early days of the StarNet, these ethereal capture nets were incredibly powerful. Classical dark wizards using spirit-seeing techniques would have their souls caught in the nets, with little chance of escape. However, a hundred years later, even a third-rate hacker like Hayden can easily bypass these defenses using tools sold to him by top-tier hackers.
What? You're asking why the Mithra Group hasn't maintained or updated these capture networks? Well, that's because maintaining and updating a hundred-year-old defense network is too expensive and too troublesome. Besides, where can you find top-tier hackers who know classical spirit-reading techniques these days?
Hayden isn't one either; he's just a third-rate hacker who cheats using tools. So he still needs to be careful, lest he really capsize here.
Passing through the walls and entering the "Pure Land of Blessings," the scenery inside is even more astonishing. The ground is entirely made of soft, gentle gold, and seven kinds of treasures are used to construct an endless, beautiful palace complex. The palaces are separated by railings and rivers. Lotus flowers float in the rivers, their blue, yellow, red, and white colors exceptionally vibrant, emitting a subtle and pure fragrance. In the sky, wondrous musical instruments can be seen hanging, naturally emitting soft and elegant music, beautiful and melodious.
The Pure Land of Blessings is created by the Mithra Group using so many incredible materials.
However, Hayden did not come here for sightseeing. He came here to find clues about Alastor Diragh, in other words, to find Alastor's ancestors and forefathers.
To be honest, it sounds really strange. But that's precisely why Hayden used the medium the professor gave him, related to Alastor, to perform sympathetic magic to see spirits, and kept moving forward following the guidance provided by this magic. As long as he could find Alastor's parents or ancestors in this sacred land, surely he could find a way to get some information out of them?
But Angela followed behind him, looking around curiously, and soon discovered something strange.
"Master, didn't you say this was an afterlife world built on the internet?"
She suddenly asked,
Why don't I see anyone?
As she said, although the place is very beautiful, all you can see are pavilions, bridges, flowing water, precious trees, colorful birds, and auspicious pearls, but no passersby.
Hayden didn't answer, but simply followed the clean and tidy path deeper into this vast and boundless blessed land. Angela gazed at the magnificent, solemn, clean, and orderly palaces of gold, silver, and crystal around her, and for some reason, felt that the place seemed lifeless. It was so beautiful, yet shrouded in an indescribable, misty desolation.
There were beautiful sounds in the heavens and precious colors on the ground, yet the atmosphere here resembled a grand, well-decorated cemetery—beautiful yet cold. The dust-free golden road was only graced by fragrant breezes, but no one walked by.
For some reason, Angela, who was almost always fearless in the past, felt a little scared at this moment.
"Master, let's hurry and find the clues we're looking for and go back."
Her voice rarely contained a hint of nervousness.
That said, it seems that Angela's fears always revolve around anything related to the internet.
"Almost there. I can sense through witchcraft that someone connected to Alastor is just ahead... Damn it!"
Hayden suddenly muttered a curse under his breath, then abruptly bent over and crouched down to hide. Angela wasn't stupid; she immediately did as she was told, but was completely bewildered by the result.
It wasn't until she finally saw someone in front of Hayden's line of sight that she understood why Hayden had suddenly been so surprised.
A young man with black hair and dressed in black, standing at a height of about 1.7 meters and no more than twenty years old, was standing in front of a magnificent palace gate, chatting intimately with an elderly couple under the canopy.
That young man, isn't he Alastor Diragh?
Hayden used his psychic abilities to search for Alastor's deceased ancestors and gather information.
—How the hell did they find a living person right away?!
However, the Alastor family was unaware that uninvited guests were spying on them from a distance, talking amongst themselves.
"Oh, I see. So, are you eating well? You don't just eat processed foods all day, do you?"
The old lady asked with concern,
"You haven't forgotten to eat vegetables and fruits every day, have you?"