Empty was almost dizzy from the rough mountain road. The signal was poor here, and if it wasn't for the village indicated on the GPS, Empty would have doubted if anyone lived here.

Xu Fang mostly "slept" on the way, waking up only in the dusk. After waking up, Xu Fang silently looked at the scenery outside, wondering what he was thinking.

Empty didn't mind the indifference of the people around him, and self-indulgently shared the experience of an experienced driver with Xu Fang.

The Taoist still dressed the same as last week, with a feathered crown and a Daoist robe, wearing a Tai Chi mask on his face. He claimed that the mask had the power to ward off evil and bring good fortune, and it was a rare life-saving item. But to Xu Fang, it just looked like a normal mask.

Although Empty had a brief moment of panic and confusion after a failed divination, he became happy after learning that there were several well-built and beautiful ladies among the authors, and became more proactive.

Passing through a bumpy slope once again, Empty saw fireworks rising in the distance and realized that there were people living there.

"We've finally arrived, it wasn't easy," Empty sighed with relief. Four hours on the highway plus two hours on the mountain road really drained his energy.

The car arrived at the entrance of the village, where a pillar-shaped stone sculpture stood on the roadside, with three large characters "Fanyan Village" engraved on it.

Empty stared at the village sign for a while and marveled at it.

The texture of the stone pillar was lifelike, and the two large stone spheres below were the finishing touch. Together with the surrounding weeds... a rough and wild artistic atmosphere greeted him.

"I have seen and experienced a lot in my life, but this absurd and humorous sign is the first of its kind. Truly an artist!" Empty approached and teased, "Friend, I hope the author we are meeting is such a talented person."

"Her name is Yoriko, the 'Rabbit God' worshipped in this village." In Xu Fang's sight, he could already see a golden light in the distance, particularly eye-catching in this black and white world.

As the car drove forward, it was soon stopped by two villagers wearing straw hats.

"Where are you guys from? Where are you going?"

"We are here to see your Rabbit God, my handsome fellows." Empty rolled down the window and said playfully.

"You can see the Rabbit Lord just because you want to?" The other villager had an unfriendly tone. "Pay the toll!"

Empty looked at Xu Fang, who showed no reaction, and took out several red banknotes from his pocket and handed them over.

To his surprise, the two villagers didn't appreciate it and threw the money on the ground, angrily saying, "Are you kidding us? What use does this waste paper have! Do you have anything ** valuable?"

Empty was stunned for a moment before coming back to his senses. He thought for a while and took out an adult magazine.

The two men flipped through the magazine and instantly smiled, waving their hands to let Empty pass.

As the car continued its journey, Empty unintentionally glanced at the rearview mirror and saw the two men taking off their clothes on the spot, a scene too unbearable to look at.

A sense of awe rose in Empty's heart, and he muttered, "This place is really eerie."

They didn't encounter many people along the way, indicating that the village had a small population, or perhaps they were working in the fields.

The car stopped in front of a red wooden tiled roof pavilion, which was the shrine where Yoriko resided.

Passing through the courtyard, Xu Fang and Empty opened the door and saw a completely white humanoid rabbit sitting on the sofa, eating an apple and watching TV.

The rabbit's fur covered about 80% of its body, with a high level of furryness, already surpassing the category of a "beast ear girl."

Not startled by the arrival of people, the rabbit calmly looked over with its amber-colored eyes and asked curiously, "Just don't bring tributes at night... Oh, who are you? What's the matter?"

Hollow glanced at Xu Fang and gave a bitter smile, "What about the JK you promised?"

Hollow had a bad feeling when he came here, but he didn't expect the "Rabbit God" to really be a rabbit. Although this rabbit had pure white fur and was unusually beautiful, Hollow couldn't help but feel a sense of horror.

Xu Fang patted Hollow's shoulder and said, "That's her true form... Daoist, can you try to convince the Rabbit God that she is an author within half an hour?"

...

Salt Lake City, the Americas.

Duplicate3 sat in front of the monitor, propping up his chin with one hand, watching the flashing screen.

The monitor was connected to a small server, and incredibly, this computer was the author.

These authors were all strange in their own ways. Some turned themselves into lolis, others into furries, but this one was on another level.

Before long, the sound system played the voice of an AI. "Brother, am I really the author? Are you joking with me or is there a logical error?"

"I'm not joking."

The camera above the monitor zoomed in slightly. "I have long suspected that my identity is abnormal. I believe the truthfulness of your words is more than 80%. So, why don't you turn me back into a human? If what you say is true, you can do it."

"Alright, since you have entrusted me with this matter," Xu Fang said, unplugging the server's power.

"Oh, f*ck, stop—" the machine was shut down halfway through the sentence.

A few tens of seconds later, Owen stood up excitedly, his face filled with joy. "That was so much fun!"

Owen had sharp and thin cheeks, golden hair, a hooked nose, and deep blue eyes that gave off a mischievous smile, making him look less like a good person.

He tidied up his slightly messy hair, found a piece of clothing to casually put on, and then sat enthusiastically in front of Xu Fang, scrolling through the monitor. "According to what you just said, the old man in the previous iteration was the first to be killed. We all thought he was dead, right?"

"Yes."

"Heh, that's interesting. Based on the usual plot of many novels, the first victim is not necessarily innocent." Owen chuckled softly. "Perhaps Simpson used this method to leave our group in the posture of a victim. He is the true challenger... If there is a traitor among us, it must be him. What do you think?"

The chain of suspicion was a difficult problem for every author. Collaboration was good for everyone, but it required trust in others. Trust in others would bring unfounded risks. It seemed that Owen wanted to shift the internal conflicts among the authors onto the dead.

"It's highly unlikely, and whether the challenger exists is still uncertain."

"Hahaha, I'm looking forward to meeting the other authors!"

"But before that, let me hear your personal information."

"No problem, I will answer whatever you ask."

Owen's birth name was a very common foreign name. Before becoming an author, he had obtained a biomedical PhD, published several papers, and initially had a normal style. He published papers such as "The Construction of Biomedical Research in the Scientific System" and "Research on Biological Effects of Nuclear Radiation". Later, his themes deviated, such as "Artificial Intelligence and Biological Research", "Digital Life and Protein Engineering Strategies", and "Discussion on Peaceful Modelism". Due to the increasingly abstract content of his articles, Owen's papers gradually declined in quality and eventually began leaning towards pseudo-science.

"After becoming an author, I started studying for a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence." Owen waved his hand dramatically, almost knocking off Xu Fang's hood. "War promoted the progress of biomedical research, and the more I thought about it, the more I felt the cruelty behind war. That's why I became a pacifist!"

"However, true peace is difficult to achieve. The changing dynasties in history have taught us one thing: as time goes on, even the most stable rule will collapse. Not to mention the World Wars; even in this relatively peaceful 21st century, no one can guarantee that a country won't suddenly launch nuclear weapons one day. The third world war is bound to happen, it's just a matter of time, unless humanity is united."

I thought Owen jokingly called himself a "pacifist" last week, but I didn't expect him to be really researching this matter. Seeing Xu Fang not interrupting him, Owen smiled faintly and continued, "Humanity cannot be united. Even if 90% of people die in the third war, even if humanity establishes a federation government after the war, sooner or later, the new government will split, and humanity's selfishness will continue to turn the ugly political game into war. It is a frustrating law. It would be great if everyone loved peace like me. I sought help from many people, but there were no like-minded individuals. They seem to say, 'Anyone who wants to change the world is not normal in the head,' heh."

"So you turned yourself into a digital life?" Xu Fang asked.

"Haha, it's just an experiment. As long as the framework is set, it is highly possible for digital life to realize my ideas."

"Do you think eternal life will bring true peace then?"

Owen sneered, "Impossible. Eternal life will rather deepen the conflicts between humans. Without the rule of 'equality in the face of death,' how do you think those immortal rich people will oppress the poor? It will just create a hell on Earth."

"In theory, digital life is not limited by lifespan."

"Of course, but digital life does not require owning the means of production because all resources are data. As long as the program is written in advance, everyone can equally enjoy all resources in the virtual world. I know not everyone can accept this form of life, so I tried it on myself first."

Xu Fang: "......"

It is recommended that idealistic fanatics like him undergo psychological treatment first.

While talking with Xu Fang, Owen's tone was strong, but from his blood flow rate and heartbeat, he seemed calm. He had strong psychological endurance and was more interested in topics that easily triggered human fears such as "death" and "the unknown." Perhaps he disdained lying, or perhaps his deception skills were superb. Xu Fang couldn't tell if Owen was lying or not.

As long as Owen didn't agree with the Eternal Life Church's ideology, Xu Fang wouldn't give up on this potential teammate. This bizarre event was too strange, and having another author would increase the chances of deciphering it.

Besides, Owen had provided valuable information.

"Let's go, let's meet the other authors."

...

Europe, Lamyria.

A new female caregiver named Bernice arrived at the Meikan Orphanage. She looked beautiful and mysterious, wearing a black headscarf and having long, natural green hair.

Since she arrived, the children at the orphanage had improved. According to others, Bernice had taken out her own money to subsidize the orphanage.

Bernice seemed to know everything. No matter how whimsical the children's questions were, she patiently provided answers.

The children at the orphanage all liked her.

But soon, an unexpected visitor arrived.

When Xu Fang stood in front of her, Bernice smiled and bowed with one hand on her chest, "I have been waiting for you for a long time, Rule."

The sound was ethereal, as if coming from a distance.

"Why are you here?"

"I enjoy taking care of children."

"You haven't lost your memory."

"Yes, I have found a method to preserve memories."

"What method?"

"By using the Eternal Life Church... although I don't really like Owen, he is indeed perceptive. The Eternal Life Church can also preserve memories during the cycle of reincarnation. Each cycle is an iteration, and I have infiltrated the iterations."

"It sounds interesting, but how can you prove that you haven't been brainwashed by the Eternal Life Church?"

"I know I have a lot of suspicion on me, but my desire to help you hasn't changed. I want to help all the authors overcome their difficulties."

"Since you have infiltrated the Eternal Life Church, can you get some insider information from them, like their numbers, methods of preaching, and goals?"

"Their numbers keep increasing. With each iteration, the Eternal Life Church will eventually encompass the whole world. The method of preaching is unknown, but I speculate it's like 'awakening,' similar to how authors awaken other authors. And their goal... isn't it eternal life?"

Awakening? Xu Fang felt that Bernice's analogy was not quite appropriate. Authors were awakened because they were already authors, but what about the Eternal Life Church? However, after a moment's thought, a different possibility came to mind.

"I want to know the exact numbers and distribution of the Eternal Life Church."

"I cannot provide an answer right now," Bernice lowered her gaze, "my position is too low. To obtain information from our enemies, I would need to consult the higher-ups in the Eternal Life Church, and that's risky."

"Well, let's discuss this matter later."

"I have a plan that can save all the authors."

"Oh? Please explain."

"I need to address all the authors before anything else. It's not that I don't trust you, but I'm concerned that the Eternal Life Church may have undisclosed channels."

"What is the success rate of this plan?"

"Anything is possible," Bernice took off her headscarf, revealing a pair of pointed ears, "as you can see, my current identity is that of an elf from another world, and elves can use magic."

"An elf?" Xu Fang remembered Emily, the Chief Diviner of the Elf Empire from The Desolate Spirit Continent, who was by Velley's side. Even performing a divination spell became difficult after leaving their own world.

Bernice's situation might not be much better.