Chapter 577: A Rational Race

Chapter 577: A Rational Race

Jie Ming did not waste any time.

The moment he escaped the virtual space, he immediately opened a mental link and transmitted his discovery, the information beings’ plan to use the contract backlash to wipe out the entire expeditionary force, to all the high-tier wizards present through spiritual power.

“What?!”

“Using the contract…”

“Damn it!”

“So that was their plan!”

Shocked spiritual fluctuations exploded throughout the crowd.

Martin’s face instantly turned ashen.

As an eighth-ring wizard, he understood the terror of that contract better than anyone.

It was a rule branded deep into the soul of every wizard, personally established by ninth-ring wizards and backed by the entire wizard civilization.

Once the backlash was triggered, everyone present, including himself, would have their lives stripped away in an instant.

Even if he had revival methods, he would absolutely not escape.

Because it was a judgment from ninth-ring wizard power, which would seal off all possibilities of resurrection.

Cold sweat slid down Martin’s forehead.

It wasn’t just Martin. The seventh-ring and sixth-ring wizards around him all turned deathly pale at this moment.

Some subconsciously took a step back, while others reached up to touch their own heads, as if to confirm whether the contract inside their souls and spiritual seas was still there.

The news quickly spread throughout the entire expeditionary force.

Afterward, every wizard who learned of it could not help feeling a wave of lingering fear.

Or rather… terror!

Then, that terror transformed into extreme rage.

“Slaughter them!”

“Leave none alive!”

“Damn things!”

Countless roars rang out simultaneously.

Gray flames, twisted information, violent elements—various attacks instantly gathered momentum, ready to pour down upon the dense swarm of information beings.

At that moment…

A majestic voice suddenly rang out in this space.

It was exactly the same as the one Jie Ming had heard in the virtual space—without emotion, without fluctuation, only absolute calm. But this time it did not echo directly in their minds. Instead, it spread throughout the entire Information Plane and entered the ears of every wizard.

“We surrender.”

“We are willing to become your subordinate race.”

All the wizards’ movements froze at the same time.

Jie Ming was stunned.

He looked toward the sea of information light and at the countless information beings.

They no longer retreated, nor did they attack. They simply floated there quietly, as if waiting for fate’s judgment.

They surrendered?

So quickly?

But after thinking for just a moment, he understood.

Information beings were extreme rational existences by nature.

They had no individual consciousness—only collective interest.

Emotions such as anger, hatred, and pride did not exist for them. Only the optimal solution existed.

Previously, after gathering intelligence on the wizards, they had planned to use the contract backlash to annihilate the enemy and preserve themselves.

Now that the backlash had failed and the enemy had reached their doorstep, the information beings, who understood the wizards’ power, knew that continued resistance would only lead to the complete destruction of their entire civilization. Surrendering was instead the most rational choice.

Martin was silent for a moment.

The anger on his face gradually receded, replaced by a calm expression.

That calm was eerie, like the sea after a storm—appearing tranquil on the surface, yet hiding something unfathomable in its depths.

“Fine… since that’s the case, I accept your surrender.”

He spoke.

Everyone also understood their commander’s decision.

Jie Ming subconsciously glanced at the wizards around him.

The wizards who had just been roaring in anger, preparing to slaughter the information beings to the last, now had subtle changes in their expressions.

Their anger was fading, reason was returning, and the ferocity on their faces gradually turned calm.

No one opposed Martin’s decision.

No one even showed any surprise.

A strange feeling welled up in Jie Ming’s heart.

“How should I put it… this is what wizards are like…”

If this were an army from another civilization, facing an enemy that had just tried to wipe them all out, they would never stop immediately even if the opponent surrendered while they held absolute advantage.

They would at least kill some to vent their anger, at least take revenge, at least make the opponent pay a price, or use it to establish dominance and ensure the opponent would not resist again—even if the enemy was an absolutely rational being.

But wizards would not.

Because they were too rational.

Rational to the point of being almost inhuman.

The anger was real. The fear was real. The impulse for revenge was real.

But all these things had to yield before “maximizing benefits.”

After confirming the characteristics of the information beings, the wizards present unanimously agreed that accepting the surrender, incorporating this race, and obtaining their technology and resources was the optimal solution.

Revenge?

That would only make the benefits slip away.

Jie Ming was silent for a few seconds, then let out a soft sigh.

“Looking at it this way, these information beings are truly very suitable as subordinate races for wizards.”

He murmured.

They were equally rational, equally inhuman.

The only difference was that the information beings were born this way, while wizards cultivated it.

The magic network terminal suddenly vibrated.

Jie Ming looked down and saw that the expeditionary force command had issued a series of new tasks.

[Task List Updated]

[Task 78-001: Assist in receiving the information beings’ surrender and tally individual numbers]

[Task 78-002: Participate in parsing the information beings’ social structure and researching the principles of their entropy reduction cycle]

[Task 78-003: Station in the core region of the Information Plane and establish a long-term observation post]

[Task 78-004: …]

Densely packed tasks ranged from simple to complex, from low-risk to high-risk.

Each task was marked with corresponding military merit rewards.

Having gone through similar situations several times before, Jie Ming casually opened one with practiced ease.

[Task 79-015: Assist the information beings in redeploying their outer defensive network]

[Task Details: Establish a joint defensive system in the outer region]

[Requirements: Logistics wizards preferred; experience in array construction required]

[Reward: 80,000 low-level military merits]

Jie Ming raised an eyebrow.

It looked like an easy job.

He clicked accept.

[Task Accepted Successfully]

[Please report to the core area of the outpost camp within three days]

Jie Ming put away the magic network terminal and looked up toward the distant sea of information light.

The information beings had already begun to move.

They were redeploying, adjusting positions, and waiting for the wizards’ arrangements.

Throughout the entire process, there was no chaos and no dissent, like a precise machine executing preset programs.

The wizards also naturally began directing and instructing the information beings’ actions. Both sides showed no trace of the fact that they had been trying to kill each other just seconds ago.

If beings from another civilization saw this abrupt and bizarre scene, they would probably feel instinctive fear.

But Jie Ming simply withdrew his gaze with practiced familiarity and turned to walk toward the outpost camp.

There was plenty of work to do in receiving a civilization.