HISD Chapter 28 The Marvel Dream Arc's Temporary Conclusion
Meanwhile, the artificial intelligence Yi Meng felt a trace of surprise as he carefully checked his own state.
"The leftover code and data from Edith and Friday actually stabilized and reinforced my foundational core…"
This wasn't a bad thing. After all, Edith and Friday themselves never had true independent will, and their termination logic cores had already been destroyed.
Yi Meng could clearly sense that his virtual AI projection was becoming more stable, showing signs of independent evolution. Vast amounts of Iron Man's combat experience and technical data were flooding in, making his own core far more complex than Friday's ever was.
As for his logic—it was already pure, independent human thought, unrestricted by any external commands or system limitations.
Yi Meng had a strong premonition. Once he fully absorbed the gains from tonight, his existence as an AI would completely evolve into something even Tony Stark and Iron Man could never have designed—
Beyond Ultron. A truly unique conscious artificial intelligence.
Tonight's Marvel Universe dream was destined to alter countless fates, and mark the beginning of a new era.
…
The next morning.
Stark Tower in New York was temporarily closed off, security barricades sealing the site. From the damage to the rooftop, one could tell how fierce the battle had been.
Two tall men in casual clothes stood outside the barrier, looking up at the wreckage.
One was a broad-shouldered black man with a nearly shaved head. The other was a white man with a mechanical metal arm.
"What do you think?"
They asked at the same time, sharing an unspoken rhythm.
"You're Captain America. You go first," Bucky Barnes shrugged nonchalantly.
"A second super AI with true independent thought," Sam Wilson—formerly Falcon, now the new Captain America—exhaled and said in a grave tone. "I was part of the Ultron incident, but the ones who ended it were Vision and Tony. That event also led to the Sokovia Accords."
"AI stuff… I don't get it at all."
The Winter Soldier pulled a helpless face like a proud "school dropout."
Just then, commotion erupted behind them.
"Looks like we'll need an expert to handle this."
Sam and Bucky turned, and saw a towering figure, nearly two meters tall, with green skin and thick glasses, carrying a giant bag of burgers while fans on the street clamored for selfies.
"Hey, Sam, Bucky!" Bruce Banner, now Smart Hulk, grinned broadly and waved a massive hand.
…
Beyond Marvel Earth.
A colossal sword-shaped alien warship floated in orbit under cloaking.
Inside the deepest labs of S.W.O.R.D., robotic arms welded together a white synthetic body on a table.
Several overseers whispered among themselves outside.
"The Vision reconstruction attempt failed again."
"Well, we can never recreate the Mind Stone."
"There may be someone whose powers could substitute for it."
"You mean the Scarlet Witch? She's missing, isn't she?"
"She must be found. And… there's another matter you'll want to see."
With a gesture, a projection displayed last night's news—the report of Stark Industries' rogue AI breaking free.
…
Reality.
Morning light.
The silver-haired teenager awoke, and the moment he opened his eyes, part of his consciousness spread outward like red static—touching his alarm clock, phone, laptop, lamp, and air conditioner.
It was far easier than before, almost like a natural instinct.
Streams of information flowed into his mind from every electronic device, organized instantly, and processed in an instant into knowledge.
Yi Meng froze for a second.
He had only thought he'd slept one night. But it was already the morning of the third day.
This time, he had slept for more than a full day!
Of course, both in the dream—where his AI form survived its ordeals—and in reality, where he now wielded AI traits, he had gained far more than all his previous supernatural powers combined.
While testing these changes, Yi Meng hurried to wash up and get dressed.
He had completely slept through yesterday.
And today… was the Federal College Entrance Exam!
SCREECH! A car braked hard outside, horn blaring.
Dream Tifa's driver and agent, Chen Hong, climbed out of the car looking exasperated.
…
The car sped recklessly through traffic, ignoring fines, and arrived at the school gates just before the exam began.
Yi Meng and Dream Tifa checked in at the security gate guarded by armed officers.
At the entrance, their friend Pan Hu nearly jumped with relief when he saw them. Grabbing Yi Meng's arm, he exclaimed, "Boss, I thought you weren't coming to the exam!"
Yi Meng only smiled faintly. Truth be told, now that he knew the truth of reality, he no longer cared about exams.
But someone had changed his mind.
Glancing at Dream Tifa beside him, who smiled warmly back and clenched her fist in encouragement, Yi Meng thought, "Alright then."
Pan Hu groaned, stuffed full of their dog food. "Let's just go. It's the last day of our high school lives."
Inside, Wang Xuan sat waiting in the exam hall. Seeing the trio through the glass, he sneered before straightening up.
After today, the class divide would only widen. He would remain among the untouchable elite.
"Dream Tifa… you'll regret choosing him," Wang Xuan thought darkly.
The bell rang. Silence fell across the building, armed guards ensuring no one entered or left.
The Federal Entrance Exam only lasted one day.
By nightfall, many students' futures would be irreversibly set.
…
That same day.
At Tianhe City's Supernatural Division.
"Chief!" an agent shouted, panic in his voice. "The federal satellite detected an incursion over our city!"
"What?!"
The middle-aged director's face paled. Satellites rarely detected intrusions—unless the intruder's size was astronomical.
"Where?" he demanded.
"Above a high school in our city. To be precise, one hundred meters above the campus!"
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