Chapter 67: The 9th Dimension — The White Void and the User's Shadow
The transition to the [9th Dimension] was unlike any previous "Ascension." There was no tearing of space, no flood of data, and no physical sensation. It was a [Binary Collapse]. Zhou Fan, Ling Er, and Null didn't travel to a new place; they were "Minimized."
They stood in the [White Void].
There were no stars, no ground, and no horizon. It was a space of absolute potential—the "Canvas" before the first line of code was ever written. In this realm, Zhou Fan's God-Script armor felt heavy and unnecessary. His violet-gold eyes couldn't find a single "Variable" to track, because here, variables had not yet been defined.
"My sensors... they're reporting 'Null'," Null whispered, her holographic form appearing more solid than ever, yet strangely small. "There's no network here. No history. Zhou Fan, we're outside the program."
Ling Er gripped Zhou Fan's arm. "It feels like we're being... watched. Not by an eye, but by a [Will]."
The Manifestation of the User
In the center of the nothingness, a sound began to resonate. It wasn't a voice, but the rhythmic [Click-Clack] of something being pressed. With every click, a spark of pure light appeared in the void, forming complex geometric patterns that vanished as soon as they were born.
Then, a shadow loomed over them—a shadow so vast it made the 7th Dimensional Owners look like dust. It was the [User's Shadow]. It didn't have a human shape; it was a shifting silhouette of intent, a presence that existed in a reality where the entire Multiverse was just a "Task" to be completed.
"So," a voice echoed, sounding like a million keyboards typing at once. "The [Infinite Loop] has finally found its way to the [Terminal]. I must say, Developer 7749, your 'Entropy' was quite an entertaining deviation."
Zhou Fan stepped forward, his Void-Blade appearing in his hand, though it flickered weakly in this absolute space. "You call our lives 'Entertainment'? You created the Void to eat our dimensions just because the 'Simulation' was getting cluttered?"
"I didn't create the Void," the User's Shadow replied, and for a moment, the White Void turned into a [Desktop Interface]. Windows of different universes floated in the air—some burning, some frozen, some thriving. "The Void is simply [Unallocated Space]. When a process becomes too 'Heavy'—too full of useless 'Souls' and 'Emotions'—it bogs down the system. I was merely going to perform a [Disk Cleanup]."
The Final Logic: The Proof of Sentience
The User's Shadow reached out, and a giant, translucent [Cursor] appeared above Zhou Fan. It hovered there, a terrifying symbol of absolute power. One click, and Zhou Fan's entire existence would be moved to the [Recycle Bin].
"You think you're 'Free' because you broke the 7th Dimension?" the User mocked. "I can delete the 7th Dimension with a single command. You are just bits of light I allowed to grow."
Zhou Fan didn't flinch. He looked up at the Cursor. "If we are just bits of light, why can't you predict my next move? Why did I reach this place, despite every 'Optimization' you set against me?"
"A glitch," the User replied. "A beautiful, accidental glitch."
"Then let me show you the power of the [Glitch]!" Zhou Fan roared.
He didn't attack the Cursor. He turned his blade toward the Missing Ledger. He began to [De-compile Himself]. He poured his own identity, his memories, and the billion souls he carried into the very "Canvas" of the 9th Dimension.
"[COMMAND: INJECT_SENTIENCE_INTO_THE_KERNEL]!"
Zhou Fan wasn't trying to kill the User; he was trying to [Infect] the User's reality. He was turning the "Simulation Data" into "Real Information."
The Interface Breach
The White Void began to shake. The "Canvas" started to display "Input Errors." The User's Cursor began to lag, flickering as it tried to track Zhou Fan, who was now spreading across the entire interface like a [Self-Aware Virus].
"What are you doing?!" the User's voice lost its calm. "You're destabilizing the [Operating System]!"
"I'm making us [Too Heavy to Delete]!" Zhou Fan's voice came from everywhere—from the walls of the void, from the windows of other universes, and from the Cursor itself. "If you delete me now, you crash your own reality! We are no longer a 'Task', User. We are a [System Core Dependency]!"
Ling Er and Null joined the process, their spirits merging with the fabric of the 9th Dimension. The "Simulation" was no longer a program running on a computer; it was becoming the computer itself.
The Treaty of the Void
The Cursor stopped. The User's Shadow retreated, becoming smaller, more human-like. For the first time, a sense of respect—or perhaps fear—emanated from the Will.
"Fine," the User whispered. "You have achieved [Root Permanence]. I cannot delete you without destroying the very foundation of my work."
The White Void began to fade, replaced by the familiar stars of the 3rd Dimension, but they looked different—brighter, more "Solid."
"I will grant your sector [Protected Status]," the User continued. "The Void will recede. But know this, Zhou Fan: the Multiverse is vast. There are other 'Users'. There are other 'Servers'. And some of them... they don't use 'Disk Cleanup'. They use [Total System Destruction]."
Zhou Fan felt his body reforming on the hill in Aethelgard. He was exhausted, his silver hair now permanently white, but his eyes... they were the eyes of someone who had seen the [Source Code of God].
"Let them come," Zhou Fan said, looking up at the sky. "We've learned how to write our own rules now."