Chapter 473 Upgrading the Game Podcore
What Sterl held at this moment was a leather briefcase with a rope loop and several lines of crimson text.
[Top Secret Document — Rhonda Byrne]
This was clearly a creation from a bygone civilization.
As for who Rhonda Byrne was, Gloria could only shake her head in confusion. At this moment, she was slumped in Sterl's arms, making her look quite adorable.
According to Gloria, the briefcase contained a dimly glowing silver orb.
However, Sterl discovered that it was not an orb at all, but rather a string of code! Yet, it was a string of code that operated extremely slowly, resembling a desiccated snake skin.
The code lay lethargically in the briefcase.
It was strikingly similar to the golden code that had previously created the Frost Giant!
But the silver code showed no signs of trying to escape.
Sterl was somewhat surprised to find that, aside from himself, it seemed that no one else could see the code. Even though Gloria had been in close proximity to the silver code for quite some time, she still only perceived it as an orb.
At this moment, Sterl remained composed and did not plan to share his discovery with Gloria; he pretended that he could only see a glowing orb.
However, while he could perceive the essence of the silver code, he was unable to manipulate it in any way. Through his cheat ability, Sterl sensed that the energy within the code had already been depleted, and he could not wield it as Gloria did, simply by holding it in his hands.
He would have to find a way to replenish the code's energy.
As for the specific application of the code…
Sterl sensed that the game podcore hidden in the small world was restless, eager to integrate this object. So, he simply tossed the briefcase into the small world…
Instantly, the silver code was swallowed by the sphere.
The game podcore, which had yet to complete its fusion with the golden code, now received an additional layer of code.
To Sterl's astonishment, the two types of code began to resonate with each other.
Illusions of two colossal dragons, one golden and one silver, were outlined above the sphere, intertwining and dancing around one another, making the game podcore extraordinarily remarkable!
At this point, all Sterl had to do was wait…
He had a premonition that the upgraded game podcore would bring him a great surprise!
Next…
Sterl helped Gloria sit up.
"Thank you for your trouble, Master."
The goddess's body was soft, like water, as she lay against Sterl's chest.
"Did you live here before?"
"Now that we're on our own, would you like to come to my base?"
Sterl thought for a moment and decided to reframe the story about the Newborn Sprout of Creation.
He explained that due to various fortuitous circumstances, he had obtained this item, gaining purification abilities. As for whether the Newborn Sprout of Creation in his possession was the one that had been taken from Gloria, Sterl claimed he didn't know.
Gloria had no doubts about this at all.
Instead, she expressed joy, stating that for her master to acquire the Newborn Sprout of Creation was indeed a sign of great fortune! Truly befitting for a heir of the Starry Clan and the human race.
To be fair, Gloria was quite good at compliments, providing a considerable amount of emotional support.
"Even though the radiation here is relatively low, it's not as thoroughly evolved as my base. Would you like to live with us?"
Sterl extended the invitation.
Gloria immediately replied, "No problem, Master. I will reside at the base to serve you from now on."
"Although sometimes I will need to come back here to organize a few things."
The two continued their conversation.
Sterl spoke in a gentle tone, refraining from any further punishment. This made Gloria feel somewhat flattered, causing her to become even more submissive and mild-mannered…
Sterl silently nodded to himself; it was a success! The refining of the radiant-level deputy star had completely won Gloria's loyalty, transforming her into a devoted companion.
Before leaving, Sterl recalled that Lala had mentioned something earlier, specifically about the information regarding world integration, part of which Gloria had learned through the hints from [Transcendence].
"How did you receive that hint? Was it because of your divine-level strength?"
Sterl inquired curiously.
Seeing her master speak, Gloria quickly replied, "It's because my game pod is somewhat special."
The goddess seemed a bit anxious, feeling that she had overlooked key information and was worried about facing punishment again.
Sterl gave Gloria a meaningful glance.
He wasn't really angry; he was just putting on an act…
Continuing to train Gloria.
Then, somewhat nervously, Gloria led Sterl to a giant room beneath the Reawakening Council, where a colossal game pod, resembling a pale skeleton, stood tall.
Sterl noticed that the game podcore in the small world was once again pulsating with excitement.
Gloria introduced it, saying, "Master, this is the most primitive version of the [Transcendence] game console."
"Back in the day, we members of the Reawakening Council all logged in using this machine."
"This machine is quite troublesome to log into; every time you enter or exit, you have to wash your clothes."
"However, since it's the original version of the console, it is said to contain some code from [Transcendence], which processes part of the game information locally."
"So it can activate the early hint function of [Transcendence]."
"Back in the day, we even researched whether we could unlock more features through the original game pod, and accidentally discovered a few times the gathering and legion functionalities."
"But those were triggered by unstable bugs that couldn't be replicated."
"The only function of this early game pod is the occasional hints it provides."
"It allowed me to gather some extra information, but the efficiency of retrieving information was very low and unstable."
"The information would randomly refresh from the public chat bar, and our council speculated that maybe the code for this information system had been altered to that of the chat window, which resulted in a bug that would trigger from time to time."
"To be honest, I might not even come across an extra piece of information in a year."
"The game pod doesn't provide any boost to combat power."
"I forgot to mention that earlier."
Gloria appeared extremely anxious.
"Master, if you want a similar game pod, I can take you to the warehouse."
"Hmm."
Sterl nodded slightly. So, before heading back to the base, he collected a bunch of primitive game pods in his small world.
Listening to Gloria's words, he felt not disappointment but excitement.
He had stored some code from [Transcendence]!
That could possibly lead him to discover numerous backdoors and loopholes!
Moreover, performing local computations on some of the [Transcendence] data??
That was an extremely crucial point; many games from Sterl's previous life before his transmigration had become rampant with cheats precisely because they moved some data to local computations!
Now, he felt that the primitive game pod was of immense value.
It was akin to those hard-cracked game consoles.
Many backdoors and exploits could only run on this type of machine.
Sterl not only decided to use the primitive game pod himself, but he also took all the game pods from the Reawakening Council.
His expression was one of joy; this was a bountiful harvest.
Sterl further resolved—
If the girls at home were willing to log in using this type of device, he would let them help him gather any potential information.
If they were unwilling, he wouldn't insist.
After all, using the primitive game pod was quite unpleasant; it would cover the user in a special nutrient solution, making it very uncomfortable.
Later, he planned to use his blessing ability to control several puppets and have them use the primitive game pod as well.
After bringing Gloria back to the base, Sterl briefly shared the information about the primitive game pods.
One by one, Teresa and the others eagerly volunteered, clearly eager to help relieve some of Sterl's burdens…
Then, Sterl simply introduced Gloria's situation to them.
He didn't hide anything about the deputy star.
In the midst of curious yet respectful gazes, Gloria was easily accepted, as there was no doubt about the loyalty of Sterl's deputy star.
The girls, led by Rosalie, began to prepare a welcoming feast.
Rosalie had returned to the base earlier and started the preparations, even though the resources at the base weren't overly abundant.
However, there were vegetables and fruits that had been grown.
Not a trace of "radiation" was in them; even Gloria, who had savored all kinds of delicacies, couldn't help but feel emotional as she tasted the flavors of Earth's past civilization, nearly bringing her to tears.
Moreover, there were plenty of delicacies that Sterl had brought from the game to reality, specifically for pampering Linna and Rayna.
During the feast, everyone was in high spirits.
At first, the numerous girls were a bit shy around the goddess, much like when Rosalie first arrived at the base; everyone was afraid of her.
Fortunately, Gloria's social graces overshadowed everyone, having lived for nearly a thousand years.
With just a few casual words, she bridged the gap in relationships.
"Mistresses Linna, Mistresses Rayna."
"No, no, no, you're too polite; we can't accept such titles," Linna and Rayna quickly waved their hands, trying to refuse.
"There's nothing to refuse; perhaps the master is a great being born to face calamity."
"But I've heard stories of his past, and if it weren't for your mutual support, perhaps the master alone wouldn't be able to sustain his life, which would be a tremendous loss for the entire world."
What Gloria said sounded like flattery, but it was incredibly sincere, her eyes revealing a strong sense of belief.
No one could claim she was lying just to curry favor.
"You may have unknowingly saved this world."
"Ah? Really?"
"Hehe, actually, we're just a family living together, striving for a better life."
Linna and Rayna's faces turned slightly red.
Hearing Gloria's words, they felt as if they were indeed quite remarkable.
"Miss Teresa…"
Then, Gloria approached another person.
"Are you the one in charge of managing this base?"