The Anti-Addiction System's design was simple: anyone fully lost in the Akasha—those who mistook its virtual scapes for reality and refused to come back—would be limited to four hours of free time per day.
For those who merely used the Akasha to study and learn? No limits.
It wasn't forced on anyone, either. It was opt-in—but anyone who cared about you could file the request: family, friends, classmates, colleagues. If even one person still worried for you, the protocol would flip on and keep you from vanishing into a world of make-believe.
As for those already adrift in real life—rootless, goal-less—no safeguard could fix the emptiness they'd return to. Pulling them off the Akasha would only leave them staring into a deeper fog. For them, the answer was stricter watch through the 360 Security Suite—a shameless guardian to make sure that, at the very least, they didn't spark bigger disasters.
With these two modules installed, the Akasha's worst-case futures could be blunted. In the original track of events, Nahida had feared the Akasha would harm more than help and shut it down entirely. As for Idris—Grand Sage and "villain"—he preferred to keep it alive, to magnify Sumeru's gains… and, perhaps, coax a few more rewards from his own mysterious System.
After reading both specs, he stood and flicked his fingers. "System, deploy the 360 Security Suite and the Anti-Addiction Protocol across the Akasha."
"Also publish a notice citywide: from today, anyone may apply Anti-Addiction measures on behalf of their loved ones."
"And begin a full vulnerability sweep. Every hole in the Akasha—find it."
A chime answered in his ear.
[Scan complete. 132 security vulnerabilities located in the Akasha.]
[101 were planted by an individual identified as the Fatui 'Doctor'.]
[31 were created by assorted criminals within Sumeru seeking profit.]
[The Security Suite has traced the 31 domestic actors. Forward locations to the Matra?]
"Good." Idris's lips curved. The world's most shameless software—bar none—had gone to work, and the results spoke for themselves.
So the Doctor had smiled and shaken hands… while burying a hundred backdoors and malware hooks. No wonder he could hijack minds through the Akasha and puppet anyone who wore a Terminal. Well—not anymore. Years, maybe decades of quiet sabotage, scrubbed out in a sweep.
It was… satisfying.
The backlash would come. Il Dottore would notice. But if Idris meant to sit the Grand Sage's "villain" throne, he'd clash with that man sooner or later. May as well be sooner.
"And since the Suite can unmask those planting malware," he added, "send every identity except the Doctor's to General Mahamatra Cyno and the Matra. Let them make the arrests."
Orders given, Idris rolled his shoulders and headed for a late meal before the rest of the day's work. The 360 Suite's first battle had gone well. Next, he'd see how the not-quite-Blue-Star version of Anti-Addiction played in Sumeru.
It would take time to settle into this 'villain's' seat.
—
Elsewhere, General Mahamatra Cyno received a ping—an official notice pushed straight from the Akasha, along with a list of more than thirty names. He paused.
"…This is from Grand Sage Idris?"
The sender field said it plainly. Yesterday, Idris had left the yard bloodied; half a day later, he had somehow clawed through the Akasha's filth and fished out the rats.
You could dislike the man's character. But he was working for this nation.
"Move out," Cyno said, lifting his spear. "We're making arrests."
He stepped into the light with the Matra at his back. Without realizing it, a thread of respect—and something like trust—had taken root.
Perhaps, under this Grand Sage, Sumeru might one day stand shoulder to shoulder with Liyue.
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