A thought was on the verge of bursting out of Ethan's mind.

Unless they implant an idea in Lindong's mind.

Draw her in, make her believe she is one of them, a designer of the project team, with a complete and detailed identity. For those seasoned designers, creating a fictional character and making her seem real is as easy as pie.

No longer the "God" controlling the subconscious world, but a flesh-and-blood human being.

But the key question was, who should implant this idea into Lindong?

This person must have enough courage and experience to handle all sorts of unforeseen incidents, and find Lindong's location in this chaotic plane before being knocked away by a suddenly appearing train.

... This seemed like an impossible task.

So the project team members looked at each other in dismay.

That person must be the one who knows Lindong best. All the "abnormal planes" are the projection of Lindong's mind, and only by being fully aware of her mental state can one navigate these subconscious attacks safely. Moreover, that person must have an extraordinary imagination and a glib tongue.

The concept of implanting an idea sounds simple, but it is essentially a lie.

An enormous lie, enough to pass off the fake as real.

Then, everyone's gaze converged on him spontaneously.

If one had to say who could accomplish this impossible task...

This wasn't a question, and Ethan didn't need to find answers through questions, because in the fragments of Scarlet's memory, Merlin had already revealed the answer— that person succeeded. Before them, there was another, or a group of people, who came here. They successfully met the master of the subconscious world and implanted an idea in her mind.

However, even Merlin, as an internal personnel of the company, did not know the specific identity of that person.

At this moment, the ancient question reappeared in Ethan's ears.

Master, what is your occupation?

Heading to Siwalant to confront the King of Gold, Ethan realized that there seemed to be an important piece of memory missing from his mind, so he asked himself, and now the question seemingly had an answer.

At this moment, the concept of time and space became blurred.

The world in his eyes twisted together, as if his consciousness briefly drifted elsewhere. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

He returned to the familiar office, no longer surrounded by people in white lab coats, replaced by a black-haired female office worker holding milk tea. She held in her right hand the pearl milk tea she had just bought from across the street, while on the table was a design draft she had recently completed. She was uncommonly nervous, and could only cover her anxiety by constantly sipping through her straw.

What about him?

He was sitting at the table, reviewing the content of the design draft.

"This is a world system based on the Victorian Era, integrating steampunk and extraordinary elements. I have designed corresponding deities for each path... 'Old Gods,' how do you find this name? Does it carry a touch of Cthulhu?"

Celestial Father, Bazatous.

Ethan saw a familiar name on the design draft, and on the densely packed design manuscript's right side, there was the image of Bazatous—of course, unlike the mysterious artist female they later encountered with nine eyes and a dress made of buds, this Old Ba appeared to be more... fundamentalist.

Yes, they were designing a game.

Once this game is successfully launched, it will bring a revolutionary change to the entire world.

That would mean the concept of virtual reality had become a reality, and here, there was no study involving the brain, no girl in a coma due to an accident. The work atmosphere was quite relaxed; every day at lunch break, they could buy a cup of milk tea from across the street. If working late, the business street near the company had BBQ shops, ramen restaurants; the aroma of grilled meat and fried rice on the night market wafted from afar...

Their biggest enemy was only a boss who might shoot down their design draft, nicknamed "Baldy."

It's a minor annoyance every adult would encounter, nothing monumental. After going home and getting some sleep, it could be forgotten.

"Why the Victorian Era?"

Ethan asked.

"... Personal preference."

The black-haired co-worker's answer seemed a bit unsure as well. With apprehension, she asked, "What do you think?"

"I think it's great."

"Really?"

She raised a smile, "Then I'll submit it. If Baldy gives the nod, tonight I'll treat you to BBQ for a celebration!"

"Having BBQ without me? Interesting."

A mournful voice came from behind the desk.

...

"Ethan, Ethan!"

Soft pads tapped on his face, pulling him back to reality.

He looked into a pair of big red eyes, as a petite white ragdoll cat tilted its head, curiously examining him.

"What are you thinking about?"

The cat asked him.

"Thinking about having BBQ tonight."

Ethan blurted out. Instantly, an intense sense of unreality surged in his heart, followed by an irresistible impulse. He heeded the call of his heart, hugging the white ragdoll cat tightly. The cat, startled by his sudden action, instinctively let out a "meow" sound.

The soft touch was real, accompanied by the fruity fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose.

Everything felt so familiar.

Then, Ethan saw the cat, unusually, lowered its head, shyly burying its face in his arm—since their relationship had deepened, Lindong had adopted an offensive approach, rarely showing such a shy expression anymore.

.........

Meanwhile, Zhuang Xiao's emotions gradually stabilized.

She walked with Merlin on a ruined street.

"We can't stay above for too long."

Merlin reminded her.

Just now, she remembered something about the con artist Zhuang Xiao. She wasn't a character conjured up on a whim; you could find her birth certificate in the refuge. She was born in 2047, back when their world hadn't been destroyed. She was also one of the first batch of members to enter the refuge, having an apartment in area C. The advent of doomsday never made her turn a new leaf; rather, she worsened exponentially.

The con artist Zhuang Xiao had a bad reputation in area C. The elders there would often whisper about her, warning their grandchildren to stay away.

The identity of the King of Gold as a tomb raider could naturally be traced to corresponding clues, and even the people in the refuge believed they truly existed.

Yet, Zhuang Xiao had many doubts, "Why go to such lengths?"

She thought that maybe she hadn't fully recovered from the aftermath, having stayed in the treehouse too long, her thoughts had been assimilated by that side.

Merlin chuckled upon hearing this.

"Because implanting an idea is so difficult... Colonel Zhuang Xiao, what kind of lie do you think could pass off as truth?"

Zhuang Xiao bowed her head, immersed in contemplation, her spirit slightly dazed at this moment.

After a pause, Merlin said, "That's when even the liar believes it. This matter concerns our future, with no room for any missteps."

Indeed, she took it as true, hence her brain remained in a shutdown state.

When that iron gate opened, Zhuang Xiao felt as if her knowledge, like the world above ground, collapsed. The beliefs and cognitions she had built over thousands of years turned into illusionary bubbles.

This, consequently, led to many new issues emerging, the most troubling being the "fated person" who stood before her.

Former project leader, pioneers who entered that world earlier than them, successfully implanted an idea into the Goddess's mind.

Zhuang Xiao firmly believed in this.

"Who exactly is that person?"

"Which person?"

"Ethan."

"I don't know."

The answer halted Zhuang Xiao, leaving her in a daze.

"Colonel Zhuang Xiao, this was never important."

Merlin continued walking in the direction they came from, walking further and further, his voice becoming distant and uncertain, "What matters is, he will become one of us, our comrade."