Mini World Game Console-Chapter 688 - 689: Digging a Hole and Filling it In
"Look, this shovel is so big and beautiful. Look, this soil is so soft and loose. I'll scoop, you'll scoop, and we'll dig a beautiful big pit. Then we can bury ourselves in it."
After moving Ren Xingmei and Dong Chengling to the sofa, Ren Suo looked at the Black Armor before him with complex emotions.
In "My Life is Not Your Game," Ren Suo was like a virgin bride, forced onto the bridal sedan for the first time, compelled to proceed with the wedding ceremony and enter the bridal chamber with no room for resistance. The vast power of the Mini-World Game Console suppressed him ruthlessly, as if to say, 'If the cuckoo does not sing, what then? Kill it.'
In "Night of the Hunt," Ren Suo was no longer a newbie but an experienced combatant. He had been dragged by Gu Yueyan into The Dark Side of the Moon, from which he could not leave. Moreover, as a citizen of the Mysterious Country, Ren Suo naturally possessed traditional virtues like 'make the best of a situation' and 'since you're already here.' He had to resignedly go along with Gu Yueyan in The Dark Side of the Moon. Not to mention the significant benefits of playing character roles. Ren Suo reached the Third Rank Peak in just seven days; it was a huge gain. It was as if to say, 'If the cuckoo does not sing, what then? Lure it.'
This time, in "Light and Dark Traitor," there was no coercion, no temptation. The Mini-World Game Console simply placed Ren Xingmei and Dong Chengling before him with an attitude of 'take it or leave it,' as if to say, 'If the cuckoo does not sing, what then? Wait for it.'
Oh, how bitter Ren Suo felt inside!
What was this? First, they strong-armed him; second, they tempted him with small incentives; and third, they offered nothing, expecting him to take the initiative?
What did the Mini-World Game Console take him for? Some frequently used escort?
Mini-World Game Console, I'm telling you, I, Ren Suo... even if... I definitely will not...
After silently swearing and fuming hundreds of times in his heart, Ren Suo glanced at Dong Chengling and his sister. Both were exhausted and weak, their eyelids heavy. Suddenly, he remembered a phrase—"Every man for himself, or Heaven and Earth will strike him down!"
Ren Suo, oh Ren Suo, you can't be silent when you shouldn't be, weak when you need to be brave!
You cannot be weak any longer, to be bullied by others!
In an instant, Ren Suo's heart hardened with determination—he resolved himself, being tough on himself.
The phrase "Every man for himself, or Heaven and Earth will strike him down!" means that if one does not cultivate oneself, one will be spurned by Heaven and Earth.
Ren Suo sighed and silently equipped himself with the "A Different Life" ability. He had used this ability to disguise himself as Bai Ji before, so it had always been in the reserve slot. Now, it was convenient to switch, as if he had been prepared all along.
Touching the cool Black Armor, he activated the second effect of "A Different Life": "Empathy"!
It was like an electric shock. Ren Suo felt a dense stream of information flow into his fingertips, penetrating his mind and reaching his very thoughts!
Countless scenes flashed through his mind: a solemn father, a despairing mother, humble servants, luxurious rooms... reckless arrogance, the smoldering intent to kill born from enduring humiliation, and endless desires... Lanaya, Lorifes, Nok Tu Nal...
"WAH!"
Ren Suo knelt on the ground, retching several times. Saliva dribbled out, his eyeballs looked as if they would burst, veins bulged on his wrists, his entire body tensed, and he trembled uncontrollably.
"Suo?!" "Brother!" "Big Bro, what's wrong with you?" "Suosuo!"
Seeing so many people concerned when something happened to Ren Suo, Zhao Zili sighed sourly and said, "He's fine. Don't touch him. Let him sort out his thoughts."
It took Ren Suo several seconds to gradually calm down. He wiped the corner of his mouth and painfully began to sort through the information in his mind.
Ren Suo finally understood why "A Different Life" only allowed him to have one Record Body he could transform into at any time. Apart from possibly being a limitation of the ability, it was also because he simply couldn't accommodate the memory, soul, and body information from more than one such Record Body at a time.
If the brain had active memory, it had always been underutilized because Ren Suo had only ever run the 'True Self' series of game programs. Now that Sony's memory and soul information had been crammed in, it was as if Ren Suo was running a new 'Sony' game program in addition to the large 'True Self' program. This directly caused a memory overload!
If Ren Suo dared to add another Record Body, the memory might burn out. Alternatively, he would have to shut down parts of the 'True Self' or 'Sony' programs. This could even lead to 'True Self' and 'Sony' missing critical files and ultimately merging into the same game.
After a period of 'program not responding,' Ren Suo finally stabilized 'True Self.' He waved to the others to indicate he was alright and began to check Sony's memories.
The 'True Self' and 'Sony' were clearly distinct. Although Ren Suo had just been bombarded to near dissolution by Sony's memories, 'A Different Life' helped him shut down all of Sony's processes once he regained his senses. Then, Ren Suo could directly access the catalog to selectively extract effective intelligence. This way, he could avoid an existential crisis from Sony's overwhelming surge of memories.
Ren Suo quickly understood the danger of this ability: he couldn't run the 'Ren Suo' and 'Sony' programs simultaneously, as their data would intermingle. As for what would happen if they did mix, Ren Suo did not know, nor did he ever want to find out.
Upon activating the corresponding memories, Ren Suo recalled a majestic figure seated on a throne, "This is a Capture Cartridge with the effects of the Bloodline Ambition Aura, Annihilation Traversal, and Morag's Hammer. You will use this cartridge to mark the Different Dimension Coordinate. If you can bring that Different Dimension Coordinate back yourself, then keep the cartridge. If any problems arise, you must mark the Different Dimension Coordinate no matter what."
With a mix of resentment and awe, he (Sony) had replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Then came a fawning figure, "Your Highness, the space within a large area around the location of the Different Dimension Coordinate is incredibly stable, so the other warriors can't attack that region. However, His Majesty has enhanced your and Knight Lanaya's Traversal Cartridges with Menelus's Razor, so the two of you can directly traverse to that location. When Your Highness returns, you will naturally become a Bloodline Great Law."
He (Sony) had sneered indifferently, his heart unconcerned, "Hmm."
Next, a red-haired man appeared, but this time, it was himself (Sony) speaking, "Yisu Great Law, I, Sony, seek your assistance as commanded. I need knowledge support from the Mora Grand Duke to swiftly lock onto the Different Dimension Coordinate."
The red-haired man nodded, sticking two fingers into his (Sony's) eyes. Instantly, light flooded his vision. A girl beside him explained, "Your Highness, your Eyes of Divine Descendants have been strengthened. However, they need external Spiritual Energy to activate, and you cannot maintain it for long. So, it is set to automatically search every time you actively use a cartridge. Once it finds a Different Dimension Coordinate, your Eyes will emit a red light to mark them."
This was followed by a scene at Dong Chengling's home. Looking at Ren Xingmei and Dong Chengling before him, he (Sony) was surprised and bitter to see Different Dimension Coordinate markings on both of them. Your Majesty, this time no one can stop you anymore. The Spacetime Coordinates have even appeared; the Door of Annihilation will be immensely stable.
Finally, he recalled the moment Ren Han tightly gripped his wrist and he knelt on the ground. He took advantage of the dissipation of the Spiritual Power Barrier to automatically cast a Potent Purification Spell. He finally regained his senses for an instant and immediately looked towards the nearby Different Dimension Coordinate.
Although I'm not sure of the background of that native man cursing me as trash, this time I've truly fallen in this backward Different Dimension.
Your Majesty, though I die today, I will never fail your expectations.
Your Majesty, I have long been prepared to sacrifice for you. Let this broken cartridge repay your kindness in raising me.
Your Majesty, I still resent you for secretly commanding servants to poison Mother to win the trust of the Grand Duke; the scent of Galingen in that soup was truly pungent... I also resent that you let others lead me into a life of degeneracy and pleasure so the other Great Lords would rest assured. Although I deeply resent the ways of Morag, Namira, and Sangkien, I was nevertheless helplessly seduced by their corrupt pleasures.
Your Majesty, I know I am but a pawn in your ambition, and your kindness towards me is all a facade. Yet, it does not stop me from truly believing in and loving you, Father.
After accessing key information, Ren Suo immediately shut down the 'Sony' program, took a deep breath to clear his thoughts, and prevented his 'True Self' from being contaminated by Sony's lingering affections.
For Ren Suo, those memories were no different from watching a movie. Although they were touching, they were not enough to alter his stance towards Didra or Xides.
However, it was enough to make Ren Suo cautious. If he immersed himself too deeply in Sony's world, he wasn't sure he wouldn't be tainted into another Sony.
While playing the game, Ren Suo had thought Sony knew nothing of Xides's view of him as a son. But now, from the memories, it was clear Sony had probably long been won over by Xides's "ambition."
Or perhaps, it had nothing to do with the brainwashing effects of Xides's "Ambition Aura"; Sony might have simply been willing to sacrifice everything out of love for his father.
But no matter what, Sony had already been turned into tomato paste.
Ren Suo might be moved by an enemy's feelings, but he would never let it change his position; his loyalties lay firmly with Earth's humanity.
Ren Suo looked down at Dong Chengling and Ren Xingmei and said, "The two of you are locked by a force from a Different Dimension. This includes effects such as 'Sure Hit,' 'Automatic Traversal,' 'Spatial Anchor,' 'Weakening Physique,' and 'Suppress Extraordinary Abilities.' So, for now, your lives are not in danger, but you cannot move."
"Zhao Zili, is there any way?"
Zhao Zili patted his Gatling, "My solution is just this: if words fail, blow them up! Haven't you found any information on how to remove this status?"
Ren Suo shook his head. "No, this is an item crafted by the most powerful being in a Different Dimension, equivalent to Ren Han's taunt ability. There's no clever way to resolve it other than forcefully dispelling it."
The disposable cartridge Xides gave Sony integrated powerful effects like the Ambition Aura, Annihilation Traversal, and Morag's Hammer, and it elevated the priority of these effects to the level of a Bloodline Cartridge.
Having battled a Bloodline Great Law several times, Ren Suo knew that even a Bloodline Great Law couldn't purify the effects of other Bloodline Cartridges; they could only endure them.
"Big Brother, since we won't die, Sister Ling will be okay, right?" Little Jiu's nine tails wagged back and forth as she urgently asked.
Ren Suo shook his head with a bitter expression. Looking at Ren Xingmei and Dong Chengling, he said softly, "Besides being unable to move and unable to use Supernatural Abilities, in a few minutes, you'll be automatically transported to that entity's dimension. They want to capture you alive."
Ren Han, the Truth Seeker, and Zhao Zili had all appeared. Moreover, Ren Suo himself would never lie about something so serious, and their physical weakness was clearly no illusion. Therefore, Dong Chengling and Ren Xingmei immediately accepted this fact. They believed Ren Suo must have some way of obtaining information from the dead.
However, neither of them showed any signs of despair. Ren Xingmei asked, "Brother, why do they want to capture us?"
Ren Suo hesitated for a moment but still spoke the truth, "Because you are essential components for an interdimensional invasion."
"The other side wants to break through the dimensional barriers to invade Earth. They intend to seize Earth's Spiritual Energy to nourish their own dimension. The key to dimensional invasion is to completely connect the two dimensions. To do this, they need to capture Earth's Spatial Coordinates as tools to perfectly anchor Earth and transport their armies."
"And you two are Earth's Spacetime Coordinates."
At this point, even Ren Suo's tone was filled with disbelief, "Chengling, you are the Spatial Coordinate, and Sister, you are... the temporal coordinate."
Different Dimension Coordinates, and they are even divided into time and space!
But upon further consideration, Ren Suo felt it made some sense. Yes, all dimensions exist within the Azure Silver Time-River; naturally, they are divided by time and space. Time is a concept that arises from the motion of objects, and space is a concept that arises from the existence of objects.
It made sense that Dong Chengling was a Spatial Coordinate; Ren Suo had suspected as much when he saw Sony. After all, Dong Chengling's Awakening Technique was a Space Series ability. She was also currently the strongest Space Series cultivator on Earth, so it was logical for Earth's Spatial Coordinate to reside in her.
But he hadn't expected his sister to actually be the temporal coordinate!
Ren Xingmei had also awakened, but her awakened ability was passive, directly enhancing her cognitive abilities—that is, 'A Thousand Miles in a Day.' But now it seemed, could the 'mental enhancement' manifested by Ren Xingmei's Awakening Technique actually be 'time acceleration of thought processes'?
Ren Suo had once tried using 'The Demon King Returns' to enhance 'A Thousand Miles in a Day' while playing a game. It felt like he could think through details more clearly, understanding things he hadn't understood before. He thought his own Comprehension had increased. But could it be that whenever he didn't understand something at first, he simply thought about it a thousand times in a short period? Was that how he gained Insight into everything?
Perhaps it was like the saying, 'even a fool may sometimes hit on a good idea after much thought'?
But none of these matters were important anymore.
"How much time do we have left?" Dong Chengling asked calmly.
"About 200 seconds," Ren Suo replied, turning his head to Zhao Zili. "Can you ask the Three Gods to intercept this spatial transfer?"
Zhao Zili said, "I suggest you ask others to think of a solution, but it's likely futile. Whether it's the Truth Seeker, Ren Han, or the Handsome Monkey King, their spatial attainments won't exceed the current level of Spiritual Energy Spells. However, their enemy possesses spatial technology capable of transferring people across dimensions, conducting dimensional wars, and anchoring dimensions. This technology is clearly several levels higher than our Spiritual Energy Spells here."
"We are very strong, but we are not omnipotent. And Ren Suo, you should... have another solution, right?"
Ren Suo was slightly taken aback, furrowing his eyebrows and sighing deeply.
Dong Chengling suddenly asked softly, "Xingmei, do you trust Teacher Dong?"
Ren Xingmei was startled for a moment, then immediately replied, "I trust Teacher Dong."
"Good," Dong Chengling said. "Suo, if we really do get captured by the enemy, I'll immediately assess if there's any possibility of escape. Then, I will try to rescue Xingmei and send her back to Earth."
"If it's impossible to flee back to Earth, I'll assess the enemy's war potential and military level. If the enemy completely outmatches Earth, I'll find a way to commit suicide and kill Xingmei to prevent war. Otherwise, I'll voluntarily become a prop to open the dimensional passage. I will wait for the day you and Earth's forces break into the Different Dimension to rescue me."
"But if the enemy tries to violate me, I'll commit suicide immediately. In that case, I won't be able to care for Xingmei anymore," Dong Chengling said softly. "I don't care what happens after death, but in life, I will never allow myself to be defiled, unless it's by you."
Ren Xingmei blinked, weakly saying, "Teacher Dong, whatever decision you make, I will follow you, even if it is death."
"Sister Ling, Sister Ling, don't go!" Little Jiu transformed back into a little girl and rushed forward to hug the frail and powerless Dong Chengling, crying loudly. "Big Brother, don't let Sister Ling go! I don't want Sister Ling to go!"
Luna thought for a moment, then hugged Ren Suo from behind and whispered, "Suosuo, the well-endowed one often fed me tasty things, and the other one... she was also quite nice to me; she'd help me groom."
Ren Suo turned his head to glance at Luna. "Speaking of which, why do you have clothes on?"
The moment Luna transformed, Ren Suo noticed her problem.
She actually had clothes!
And not just any clothes, but the very set of snug, custom-made, Plain White Robes of the Moon Chanter!
He had been too busy before to mention it, but now that Ren Suo had come to his senses, he felt a surge of frustration—he had been deceived by a cat!
Yes, the Mini-World Game Console's stinginess was only directed at Ren Suo. It made sense for his clones to appear without clothes. But Luna was now considered an alternate soul-body of the Moon Chanter and akin to something like a semi-game character. Surely the Mini-World Game Console wouldn't treat her poorly?
Luna blinked her eyes, suddenly transformed back into a cat, jumped onto the coffee table, tilted her head, and meowed cutely.
It was then that Dong Chengling suddenly asked, "That's Moon Chanter Luna, isn't it... How come, when she met you before, she wasn't wearing any clothes?"
Ren Suo's body jolted. She's supposed to be immobilized, so how are her ears still so sharp?
He quickly changed the subject, "I have a plan!"
"What plan?" everyone asked in unison.
Ren Suo waved his hand, dismissing Zhao Zili.
"I'll go with you to the Different Dimension," Ren Suo said in a relaxed tone.
Ren Xingmei was stunned before quickly responding, "Brother, there's no use in you coming! If possible, it'd be better if Ren Han or the Truth Seeker came with us to the Different Dimension. Won't the Fairy Palace protect us?"
"The people of the Fairy Palace can't stay in this world for long," Ren Suo said with a wry smile, shaking his head.
Dong Chengling, however, did not try to dissuade Ren Suo. Instead, she looked at him thoughtfully, gradually showing a serene smile, and calmly said, "Have you made up your mind?"
"I have."
"Then I support you," Dong Chengling said. "Whether the decision is right or wrong, since you've made this commitment after careful consideration, I trust you, even if it means sharing life and death as fellow prisoners."
"No, Chengling," Ren Suo said, covering his face with his hands, his eyes seeming to shine like morning stars.
Did he feel resentful? A little. Was he annoyed? A little. Was he angry? A little. But beyond that, there was curiosity, a sense of responsibility, confidence, and... anticipation!
Perhaps it was his good quality as a hardcore player kicking in, making him eager for a Pilgrimage to the Sacred Land and to see the bonus content that hadn't appeared in the game. Maybe humans could indeed be trained; after going through games like "My Life is Not Your Game" and "Night of the Hunt," Ren Suo was no longer afraid of becoming a character in a game.
Though the character's profile and ending seemed to be somewhat problematic...
Ren Suo looked at Dong Chengling and Ren Xingmei, earnestly saying, "We won't arrive in the Different Dimension as prisoners, nor will you be captured by the enemy... You'll only be captured by me."
Dong Chengling said, "Hmm."
Ren Xingmei asked, "Huh?"
