In the music room, Evony sat in front of the sheet music, strumming her guitar as her clear voice filled the air. The other members of the club either stood or sat, listening to the light and cheerful melody.
“I try to understand why we need to hide”
“Waiting for the next signal on the neon lights”
“Give me a signal”
“Because you and I are destined to paint a colorful sky”
“You and I are the chosen ones, destined to chase the sublime”
“Nothing is free, I need your beating heart to breathe”
“Follow me, and we will become a symphony”
“We will become a symphony”
“We will become a symphony”
“We will become a magnificent symphony”
The song wasn’t very long. After the first half, which was sung a cappella, the rhythmic instrumental part began, followed by a recurring melody. The repeated line, "We will become a symphony," echoed continuously, building the song to its climax and conclusion.
"It’s refreshing. I didn’t know Evony was so good at singing~"
Applause broke out in the club.
"Truly impressive."
"As expected of the Fiery Goldfish Princess."
"I love the way Evony plays the guitar. Her golden hair bathed in the light blurs my vision."
The compliments in the room forced the Goldfish Princess to stand up and bow in gratitude. Since returning from her recent training, her personality had changed significantly. She was no longer as aloof as before, becoming much gentler, like a goldfish entering water, filtering out the scorching flames and leaving behind the warmth of water. Only when she occasionally zoned out did the faint sparks in her hair and eyes remind those around her that she was a genius with a Perfect-Grade talent. Even her unconscious actions could trigger extraordinary effects.
"That’s it for today."
After finishing the morning practice, the club members began to disperse, with only a few staying behind in the music room. They needed to prepare for the upcoming competition, requiring more practice and coordination.
Once most of the members had left, Evony gathered the remaining few to practice their ensemble. At that moment, a black-haired girl entered the room and, under the surprised gazes of the others, raised a finger to indicate she didn’t want to disturb the ongoing performance.
She found a corner and quietly sat down, listening to Evony and the others play until the piece ended.
Opening her eyes, Evony noticed Thilan sitting in the corner. Although the spot was somewhat out of the way, it was particularly noticeable now that the room was mostly empty.
"The president is here," Evony said, and the others also noticed the girl in the corner.
Seeing everyone looking at her, Thilan stood up and walked over.
"Good afternoon, everyone."
She waved, then came to stand beside Evony.
"Is this the piece you’ll be performing in the competition?"
Thilan leaned over to look at the sheet music.
"Yes, the first stage is a self-selected ensemble, which will be judged. The final stage is also free-form, but it’s more complex, requiring both ensemble and solo performances," Evony explained, making room for Thilan to sit beside her.
Feeling the slight tickle of Evony’s golden hair brushing against her cheek, Thilan’s light blue eyes scanned the sheet music before looking at the other musicians in the room. They were all members of the Opera Fan Club, three at Sequence 5 and two at Sequence 4, now looking at Thilan with admiration.
Although Thilan herself wasn’t fully aware of it, in the eyes of most students, someone like her, who could serve as the student council president at Edess Academy, was a figure far beyond their reach, destined to surpass ordinary people after graduation.
"I’ve been reviewing past competition recordings with everyone. Our current strength is about average compared to previous years—not outstanding, but not too far behind either," Evony explained the current situation.
"What areas still need improvement?" Thilan asked.
"First, in terms of personnel, our academy doesn’t have many students specializing in music, so we’re short on candidates. Second, in terms of stage experience, although the Opera Fan Club has a music component, most of its activities revolve around opera, with music being secondary."
"Lastly, we’re facing the challenge of chaotic battle scenarios, requiring coordination between band members and combat members, something we’ve never done before."
"While the latter two can be addressed through intensive training and rehearsals, the first issue remains a problem."
Evony had been analyzing past recordings and had some thoughts.
"Hmm."
Thilan nodded slightly, then spoke.
"But the situation isn’t entirely dire. Although our academy isn’t as strong in music as the Hive Dominion, we’re not weak in combat. I’ll coordinate and assign some high-combat members to compensate for the shortcomings in the music section."
Since splitting from Saint Ingo, Edess Academy had never relaxed its focus on cultivating combat talents. Moreover, among the top six academies, Edess was the only one specializing in the Decay Sequence, attracting many eccentric geniuses who occasionally brought surprises to the academy.
"Thank you, Thilan."
Evony expressed her gratitude, and the two continued to exchange information about the upcoming competition.
"Wait, President Thilan is also participating in the competition?"
When the others heard that Thilan would be joining the competition team, they were surprised.
Although Thilan was the student council president, in most people’s eyes, she seemed more like a logistical or administrative figure.
"That’s right. During the recent collaboration between the academy and a fashion brand, President Thilan performed a solo violin piece, and it was incredibly well-received."
Some club members recalled the recent viral collaboration, suddenly realizing that the president wasn’t clueless about music.
"Twilight Ensemble—even if you don’t know much about it, the name alone suggests it’s related to music."
"It’s just that everyone’s focus hasn’t been on the club’s name, so it slipped past us."
After a long discussion with the Opera Fan Club members, Thilan finally stood up to leave.
Standing in the descending elevator, Thilan continued to reflect on the student files she had recently reviewed, searching for potential candidates to join the competition.
Unfortunately, while many students were musically inclined, few were at a professional level, leaving a significant gap to fill.
Returning to the student council office, she continued to handle the day’s tasks, and the afternoon slowly passed.
"Ah~ finally done. I should have a few days of relaxation now."
Thilan felt a sense of relief as she looked at the cleared schedule, preparing to lean back in her chair for a short nap.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
A girl with snow-white, slightly bluish hair entered the room. She wore a thin black coat over a youthful plaid shirt, paired with a dark blue and black pleated skirt and white knee-high socks with cat ears, giving her a somewhat cute appearance.
"Excuse me, are you President Thilan?"
Her voice was soft, almost inaudible if not for the quiet room.
"Yes," Thilan nodded, observing the girl, who was strikingly beautiful but lacked vitality, her skin pale.
"I’m Ge Yin, from the Black Lynx... uh, Black Shirt Wanderers club. I’m the new president," she spoke slowly, as if unfamiliar with the language.
"I know."
Thilan stood up, gesturing for the silver-blue-haired girl to sit on the nearby couch, trying to ease her nervousness.
"What brings you here to see me?"
"I’d like to apply for long-term access to a T2-grade AI," she stated directly.
"Oh, for what purpose?"
Although Edess Academy had more than one T2-grade super AI, long-term access required special approval.
"For exploring the Aijeka Network," Ge Yin explained.
"I see..."
Thilan fell into thought.
In the Aijeka Network, where only consciousness could enter, many real-world tools were useless. However, high-level AIs were different. With their astronomical computational power and semi-autonomous logic, they were the best assistants, akin to mechs and starships in the real world, making them the most powerful equipment in the Aijeka Network, capable of helping users achieve almost anything.
Thilan prepared coffee for Ge Yin and herself, stirring it slowly as she considered the difficulty of applying for a T2-grade AI and the various aspects of the Aijeka Network.
"I can help you apply, but convincing the academy’s board won’t be easy," Thilan said. Each T2-grade AI was worth billions, and Edess Academy only had 14 of them.
Hearing this, Ge Yin seemed a bit disheartened, and the room fell silent.
"It’s not entirely impossible, just a bit troublesome."
Thilan reassured her, her mind racing through various solutions.
"By the way, I heard from the previous president, Tave, that you’re a genius in AI logic and Aijeka immersion technology, right?"
Thilan recalled the information she had received during the recent handover.
"Yes," Ge Yin nodded.
"Hmm... perhaps I’ll need your help with something soon."
Thilan stood up, returned to her desk, and pulled out a record tablet, scrolling through the data.
"At the end of the month, we’ll be competing against the Hive Dominion Academy, but we’re short on personnel and lack experience. We need a training environment."
"I understand. I’ll help set up a specialized simulation environment and find suitable candidates," Ge Yin replied.
Despite her lack of fluency in speech, her high intelligence allowed her to grasp what was needed immediately.
"That makes things easier. I’ll submit a request to the academy’s board to allocate a T2-grade AI to assist with our preparations, simulating the competition environment. During the training downtime, the AI will be available for your use."
"Thank you," Ge Yin nodded, though her expression remained largely unchanged.
After further discussion, Thilan and Ge Yin exchanged contact IDs, and the silver-blue-haired girl left the office.
“What a unique girl,” Thilan thought.
During their conversation, she could sense that Ge Yin’s emotions and thoughts were as calm as a still pond, with almost no fluctuations or distractions, like a sentient machine AI.
This was undoubtedly a special talent, which explained her expertise in AI and Aijeka Network-related fields.
However, it was also clear that her lack of outdoor activities had left her skin unusually pale, and her language skills had become rusty.
With such an assistant, the preparations should become much easier.
Time flew by, and on the third day after Thilan submitted the application, she finally received a response from the academy’s higher-ups. It was clear that they had deliberated extensively.
Allocating a T2-grade AI wasn’t a major issue for the academy, but long-term personal use or access to the Aijeka Network required caution. For ordinary users, such AIs were akin to nuclear weapons in terms of power.
After receiving the access keycard, Thilan sat in the president’s office, carefully reading through the hundreds of pages of instructions and precautions.
Although humanity had proven that super AIs wouldn’t rebel like in science fiction, they were still incredibly powerful and versatile tools. However, their potential for misuse made them highly regulated.
For example, AIs couldn’t mimic human appearances or emotions, ensuring a clear boundary between humans and AIs to avoid ethical and moral dilemmas.
In reality, AIs didn’t possess emotions. The idea of sentient AIs with feelings was a product of human imagination, much like the belief that speed could increase infinitely or matter could be divided endlessly.
Fundamentally, AIs weren’t alive, didn’t seek benefits or avoid harm, and had no concept of joy or pain. Only when programmed to simulate such reactions would they follow the rules set by humans.
Unfortunately, many people couldn’t distinguish between simulated and genuine emotions, leading to societal issues. As a result, from the early days of the Federation, simulating emotions and impersonating humans had been restricted.
Humans are easily deceived, especially when it comes to emotions. Most of the time, they’re not rational and are as fragile as porcelain.
"What a powerful yet dangerous tool," Thilan sighed, leaning back in her chair after finishing the instructions.
Should she hand it over to Ge Yin? To be honest, Thilan didn’t know much about the girl. If Ge Yin caused any accidents while using the AI, Thilan, as the applicant, would be held responsible.
But since she had promised, Thilan wasn’t one to easily go back on her word.
For now, she could only take it step by step. First, let Ge Yin assist with the training, and then accompany her during Aijeka Network dives to provide some oversight.
It was strange, though. As a top-tier academy genius in the interstellar era, Thilan had never immersed herself in the Aijeka Network. Wouldn’t that make her seem overly conservative or outdated? Even someone like Alen, who was obsessed with experiments, would spend time each week exploring the Aijeka Network to stay updated on the latest discoveries and avoid falling behind.
In this era, "going online" also carried a sense of fashion, though the network in question was the Aijeka Network, accessible only to Sequence 3 and above transcendent individuals.