Chapter 5

In the boundless universe, at the core of the Demon Eye Galaxy’s stellar vortex, a massive and resplendent black hole ring floated silently within the tranquil galaxy. Outside this all-consuming black hole ring orbited a planet that had escaped the black hole’s gravitational pull.

Here, light was cut off.

Here, sound was silenced.

Here, all life was severed—except for a crystal coffin deeply buried within the planet’s core.

Thump, thump.

The faint heartbeat inside the crystal coffin transformed into a classified data stream, transmitted through an encrypted cosmic light network to the hands of Hilberg, the central brain of the Black Universe Corporation.

As the omniscient Holy Hilberg brain with the highest authority within the Black Universe Corporation, upon receiving the latest data stream, it sent a new directive to the Variety Department of the Black Universe Corporation...

***

“Are the people from the Black Universe variety team out of their minds? Why would they pour such massive resources into promoting just a B-list variety show?!”

“‘Super Soldier King: The Great Melee’? How wide could the audience be for this combat-fighter training reality show? Didn’t the main universe’s last quarter audience survey already show that this genre’s viewership has drastically shrunk?”

“Even in the Amari Galaxy, the most popular combat variety show hub, haven’t those ‘diodes’ lost interest in fight-based reality shows?”

“According to our calculations, the new cycle is clearly dominated by emotion-themed variety shows. The latest data model shows that 80% of the diodes in the main universe suffer from significant emotional deficits. In this new cycle, subscriptions and payment rates for emotion-centered shows are steadily climbing. The diodes need these programs for emotional sustenance...”

“Yes, no matter how you look at it, the market for combat reality shows is shrinking. The Black Universe Corporation’s Variety Department’s investment here is completely unwise and unjustifiable...”

Within the Variety Department’s data analysis team of one of the Black Universe Corporation’s biggest rivals—the Metropolitan Corporation—a meeting was underway. The exclusive AI brains and data analysts were convening an emergency session to discuss the Black Universe Corporation’s recent actions.

Just 0.5 standard universe hours ago, the Black Universe Variety Department had suddenly intensified their promotional push for the second season of “Super Soldier King: The Great Melee.”

In fact, this was not the first time they had increased promotion for this show—after all, as a combat training variety show, “Super Soldier King: The Great Melee” was originally just a B-list show within the Black Universe Variety Department’s lineup.

Of course, everyone knew their claim of being "the universe’s most popular training reality show" was missing a key phrase—“the most popular combat training reality show in the entire universe.”

For a B-list variety show like this, a single surge of trending topics on the premiere day was already the greatest support a production team could hope for.

Moreover, the Black Universe Variety Department had boosted it with multiple main universe trending topics.

Yet, just 0.5 standard universe hours ago, when the promotional campaign should have been on hiatus, “Super Soldier King: The Great Melee Season 2” suddenly received a massive influx of traffic.

The frenzied streaming pushed this B-list combat variety show from the combat sub-rankings into the top 100 new variety shows in the main universe!

Variety companies across the main universe all thought the Black Universe Variety Department had lost their minds—it was, after all, a combat training reality show!

“So, have the reporters we sent out for information come back yet?”

“The analysis report on Season 1 of ‘Super Soldier King’ is finished. There’s nothing particularly noteworthy there, so the Black Universe Corporation’s abnormal support must be due to Season 2’s content.”

“About one standard universe hour ago, the Black Universe Corporation’s promotion mentioned that the show had employed one ‘Main God-level’ super-intelligent system and nine primal super-intelligent systems. Could it be that their team is trying to set a new benchmark for combat reality shows?”

“If that’s the case, I personally think it’s utterly pointless—an undeniably poor decision. I don’t believe the Black Universe Variety Department would be that foolish!”

“...”

“So where are the people sent to collect information on Season 2? Why haven’t they returned yet?!”

“Don’t tell me the idiot they sent got hooked on this stupid combat training reality show?!”

***

In truth...

They really did.

Before finally remembering their mission and retreating from their astral projection device, the staff member responsible for gathering information quietly subscribed to “Super Soldier King 2” using their personal account.

“Team leader, I’m back...”

In the Metropolitan Corporation Variety Team’s temporary analysis meeting room, the analysts barely reprimanded the data collector for being late upon their return.

“Come on, quickly share the collected data.”

The data collector immediately linked their AI terminal to the analytical AI in the meeting room, streaming the variety show data gathered by specialized information collection instruments onto the conference screen. In this era of vast cosmic entertainment, copyright protection had reached its zenith—only data collectors equipped with specialized devices and technology could successfully capture variety show footage.

As the Metropolitan team reviewed the content of “Super Soldier King 2,” their expressions grew increasingly perplexed.

“...Combat training variety show?”

“The Black Universe Variety Department! What a bunch of liars!!!”

“Update corporate intelligence immediately. The Black Universe Corporation controls secondary universes with humanoid indices exceeding 98%!”

“Combat training variety show? This is clearly an emotional support-type show about nurturing younglings!”

Chaos erupted within the Metropolitan Corporation’s Variety Department as data analysts angrily denounced the Black Universe Corporation’s “deception.”

Meanwhile, the analytical AI’s data revealed that the overall potential rating of “Super Soldier King: The Great Melee Season 2” had already risen from grade C to grade S.

Damn it!

So, where the hell did the Black Universe Variety Department find such a humanoid youngling endowed with an SSS-level mental power and special emotional soothing abilities?!

For those easily swayed diodes, a humanoid child with these two advantages was like a perfect fit for their hearts!

It was over.

The greatest threat to all the Metropolitan Corporation’s upcoming S-list variety shows had arrived.

Notify everyone!

Quick! This must be reported immediately!!!

***

Within the virtual live broadcast globe of “Super Soldier King: The Great Melee Season 2,” the diodes engrossed in adoring the younglings had no idea that another major corporate variety department in the main universe was experiencing a profound sense of crisis over the very show they were watching.

At this moment, the audience had collectively switched from the main stage to the exclusive broadcast subspace dedicated to Soldier Candidate Number 001.

—Naturally!

After all, this was a soldier training competition show. Once all contestants appeared on stage, the virtual live broadcast globe’s AI would divide into as many subspace broadcast spheres as there were contestants.

Spirit viewers could choose which subspace to enter based on their preferred contestant, or remain in the main space to watch the “highlight channel” pushed by the virtual broadcast AI.

For a newly launched training competition show, the main stage was typically the best choice—over 90% of spirit viewers would stay there until they found a contestant to root for.

But today was different.

When the virtual broadcast AI activated the subspaces, over 90% of the audience spirits immediately flooded into the subspace for Contestant 001.

Baby!

Their precious Youyou baby!

Moms, dads, and aunties didn’t want to miss a single moment of their beloved child’s beautiful scenes!

All the spirit bodies transformed uniformly into a turquoise hue matching Su You’s eyes, quietly floating in the audience area as they watched their dearest Youyou through the giant 4D spherical screen of the subspace.

On the other side of the screen, the little one, Su You, after her initial excitement, gradually calmed down. She hugged her teddy bear happily and settled into the soft pile of blankets.

Perhaps due to a lack of security, the little one would occasionally turn her head, searching for the unseen System 001, tentatively calling out “Tongtong.”

System 001 would always patiently respond in its gentle voice: “Youyou, I’m here.”

Whenever this happened, the little one’s eyes would crinkle in joyful smiles.

System 001, usually composed and steady, found itself a bit troubled watching the small child before it.

It hadn’t forgotten it was the system for a “combat soldier training variety show.” Its task was to select and nurture “soldier candidates.”

The show had just begun, so of course Su You could happily continue playing worry-free with her blankets and teddy bear.

But soon...

The 100 soldier candidates would be sent to random dimensions for survival challenges, each confronting mortal danger.

This “real threat” was one of the show’s hooks attracting fans of combat training reality shows.

System 001 had never expected to worry about its host’s survival, but now...

Remembering Su You’s preliminary combat rating of N, it felt its entire system becoming anxious.

Watching the little one playing with her teddy bear in the blankets, System 001 hesitated, then finally said to Su You, “Youyou, shall we train a little?”

The little one, sitting in the blankets, looked up in confusion. “Huh? Tongtong? What’s training?”

System 001 gently coaxed, “Youyou, would you try running?”

The obedient and soft little child immediately replied seriously, “Okay!”

Then, hugging her teddy bear, she stood up from the blankets with a solemn expression and tried to take her first steps running...

Unfortunately, her coordination really wasn’t very good. No sooner had her short legs taken a step than—

Thud! She fell down!

System 001 felt as if its nonexistent heart was about to leap out of its chest. “Youyou! Are you okay?”

Su You, still within the blanket’s range and dazed from the fall, looked up confusedly. Tears glistened in her beautiful eyes.

Su You: qaq

Feeling a little hurt, the little one looked up, and System 001’s heart melted. It was about to say, “Let’s not run for now,” when the little one blinked sadly and said, “Tongtong, Youyou’s tummy is hungry!”