The person from Yao had finally awoken. As Yao's chief attendant, he was regarded as Yao's most trusted confidant. He woke up, his face covered in stubble, with no time or desire to shave. After hastily munching on some food, he hurried to the control room, only to find Leo had already arrived. It seemed this fellow had risen early.
"We can begin now," he stated as he walked over.
Leo Parker waved him off, "Not yet. Her world hasn’t ended yet."
The attendant's face darkened. "What's going on?"
"How would I know? I set it to high speed, yet here we are, and she hasn’t finished yet," Leo grumbled. "I suspect she’s stalling on purpose. It’s not the first time she’s done this."
A dark gun barrel was pressed against Leo's temple. Sweat instantly broke out on Leo’s brow. "Easy now! Let’s talk it out!"
"Tell her to hurry up!" The attendant, though he had just woken, looked sleep-deprived with bloodshot eyes, frightening to behold. He added, "Also, she can't do anything else until my Duke is revived!"
"Even if you have a gun pointed at me, it won’t change the technical issues at play," Leo gulped. "Every time I work with your lady, her brainwaves spike to dangerous levels. I have to get her to lower those readings. Look, if you want to consider her expendable, that’s on you, but whether your Duke comes back to life hinges entirely on her. You need to handle this yourself."
"Make her take a break." The attendant was unconvinced.
Leo rolled his eyes. "If you don’t understand the technical side, don’t spout off. This is a brain, not a muscle. If she doesn’t interact with any external stimuli, her brain has no sense of time. If I let her rest for a year, her brain will still be stuck in that state, utterly useless."
The attendant’s bloodshot eyes seemed to darken further as he clenched his hand, pressing the gun tighter against Leo's head.
"Stay calm! I'm telling you the truth!" Sweat pooled on Leo’s forehead. These brutish types only knew how to wield guns! Idiots! Could technical matters be resolved with a weapon?
The attendant observed Leo's expression and realized he was not lying. He holstered his gun but his voice remained cold. "Get in there and urge her on."
"I’m not going!" Leo rejected vehemently, hastily adding before the attendant could explode in anger, "She's an SS-level psychic. It’s too dangerous for me to go in there."
Noticing the attendant’s face, he quickly added, "I just checked the progress. It's been over a decade, and now it's operating at high speed. It should be done soon."
As the attendant and Leo were conversing, neither of them knew that at this very moment, Han Yanyan's spiritual form had a direct connection with the psychic source of an SS-level esper. Even though this contact lasted only 0.000000001 seconds in real time, it was more than enough.
For the brain had no sense of time, and the psychic source completely ignored it.
This instant connection allowed her to exchange any information she needed.
Just as Leo's words faded, the system's alarm blared. It had sounded several hours prior, and now it blared again, feeling all too familiar.
"Damn it!" Leo leapt into the control chamber.
...
"So, I’m dead?" the man asked.
Han Yanyan felt as if she was standing on the soft surface of water, with heavy mist shrouding her head. Between the water and the mist, a deceased figure stood before her.
The deceased's image was far different from what she had imagined as the "Old Master." He was tall and robust, his appearance handsome. The straight black military uniform and broad-brimmed hat gave him an imposing presence, and the golden epaulettes on his shoulders showed the meticulous craftsmanship.
Everyone has an appreciation for beauty. Even though his physical form had perished, in the projection of his psychic source, it naturally reflected his peak appearance.
"What a difficult question to answer," Han Yanyan struggled before finally responding, "Yes, you are dead."
Moreover, he would soon die a second time.
Feeling a pang of guilt, Han Yanyan noted that the deceased was not just data; he had once lived. Even as he stood before her, she couldn't fully wrap her mind around the fact that he no longer had a body.
"I’m sorry," she said. "Someone has awakened you for reasons unknown. I can't tell if it’s an enemy or related to military secrets. If you’re willing, you can share your name. If I ever find a way out, I'll inform your family, and they might seek vengeance for you."
"You think too much," the man sneered.
"Eh?" She responded, slightly puzzled.
With a cold smirk at the corners of his lips, he said, "The only ones capable of this would be my unworthy descendants."
"Ah?" Han Yanyan felt a bit stunned. This was completely different from what she had been speculating.
"But this will lead to your complete… that is to say, why would your family do this?" she asked, feeling perplexed. Ever since reading "The Leo Chronicles," she had been puzzled over why Leo received so many requests to awaken the dead. But the content of "The Leo Chronicles" was subjective, primarily reflecting Leo's own biases, and thus could not provide her with the answers she sought; the self-aggrandizing nonsense was also hard to believe.
"What else could it be?" The man’s mouth twisted slightly. "The last memory I have from my life is taking a nap in the living room. I must have suffered a sudden death. I left no will, and my unworthy descendants certainly wish to awaken me for the sake of inheriting my wealth. To them, I’m already dead."
Is it really for such absurd reasons? Han Yanyan was speechless. She had previously speculated about things like national secrets and enemies from battlefields, thinking they were grander justifications.
Leo’s already low stature in her mind plummeted further; earning money in such a manner felt beneath even a "wild path scientist", making it utterly lowly in comparison!
“Han Yanyan,” the man suddenly called her name, asking, “Who… are you?”
Looking down, Han Yanyan responded, “I am an ordinary person, kidnapped by a man named Leo, to become a builder, creating simulated worlds to awaken the deceased and the dead.”
“Leo?” The man fell into contemplation. “Is he Leo Parker? I’ve heard of him, the awakener of the dead.”
“It should be him. I was forcibly brought into the simulated world and never directly met him,” Han Yanyan replied, unable to help but ask, “I still don’t understand. Even if your family wants to redistribute the property, what good would it do to awaken you? You are already dead.”
The man raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing her. “I can’t sense your psychic power… are you from a backward place?”
“Yes. I only learned about psychic power after I was kidnapped. My world… hasn’t yet developed to that level,” Han Yanyan admitted.
“Almost all important matters require psychic power. All essential machines and devices rely on it for activation and operation,” the man explained calmly. “A will, when made, is of little consequence whether it was before or after death. As long as it bears the mark of psychic power, the law recognizes it.”
So that’s how it is, Han Yanyan finally understood. In the world she constructed, the application of psychic power had not reached such depth.
Her gaze toward the man changed.
He raised an eyebrow, “What does that expression mean?”
As a deceased, he had already separated from the world. Han Yanyan felt no fear of him and directly said, "Though I admit this sounds cruel, I really don’t feel inclined to sympathize with you."
"Oh?"
"Children look at their parents, and unruly children often have unruly parents. Unworthy descendants often have cold parents. If they are unworthy, it stands to reason much can be traced back to you," she said bluntly.
“Tang Ke,” the man responded.
“Ah?”
“Tang Ke Barnett,” he clarified. “You may call me Tang Ke.”
It sounded nearly indistinguishable from “Tang Ke,” yet Han Yanyan was keen enough to realize he was showing a level of intimacy by omitting the surname. With a composed demeanor, she followed suit, “Honestly, I really want to know what kind of person you are, Tang Ke. This world is constructed by me, yet you completely twisted it. The strongest and weakest in the world were redefined due to you.”
Tang Ke chuckled, “That’s the question I should be asking. Han Yanyan… what kind of woman are you?”
Han Yanyan stared at him.
Tang Ke took a step closer, looking deep into her eyes. “Your entire life has been manipulated by ‘Tang Ke’. Even in the end, he believed he broke free. But that breaking free was also under your design. He thought he was controlling the little fairy, but in truth, the little fairy is also you. His life has been played with by you.”
Han Yanyan remained humble, “Because my understanding of the world has transcended the confines of that world, I am not bound by its logic.”
Tang Ke studied her, “Even so, you possess a great insight into human nature. This ability belongs to you and is unrelated to this world.”
His gaze bore the unmistakable heat of a man assessing a woman, and the moment Han Yanyan caught on, she stepped back.
Tang Ke laughed, “Are you afraid? You’re not the least bit afraid of ‘Tang Ke’. Wasn’t it fun to toy with him?”
“The ‘Tang Ke’ in this world was constructed by me. Yet you, you appear quite distant from him, almost more like Han Jun,” she noted. “That’s right, Han Jun was also your projection. Your influence is so strong that it has nearly completely redefined him.”
“Compared to ‘Tang Ke’, you evidently preferred Han Jun more. If that’s the case, why are you retreating?” Tang Ke stepped closer once more.
Han Yanyan took another step back.
“Han Jun is my father, standing behind me,” she warned uneasily, “You are standing opposite me, steadily closing in.”
Tang Ke looked her over. “You are certainly an interesting woman. Tang Ke has never acquired you, fostering a strong obsession for you. Even now, that obsession lingers in my consciousness.”
Han Yanyan sneered, “You’ve been reduced to nothing but consciousness, your flesh and body turned to ash. What do you mean by ‘acquire’? I can neither feel heat nor cold, not even breath. You seem to have wholly exited the simulated world, existing solely as pure awareness. What significance does it have for you to do anything to me here?”
Tang Ke smiled and reached out a hand toward her.
This time, Han Yanyan did not shy away. Just as she had stated, they were both entities of consciousness; what meaning could it hold?
Tang Ke's fingertips brushed her lips lightly, like a dragonfly skimming across water. A brief touch, he withdrew.
“You're naïve,” he remarked.
A wave of pleasure surged through her, coursing through every cell in her being. It was a pure, intense sensation, entirely free from external interference.
Han Yanyan had never experienced anything like it.
“How… how could this happen?” she trembled from the sensation.
Tang Ke elegantly withdrew his hand, as if he hadn't just crossed a line.
“Do you know where you are right now?” he asked.
Han Yanyan had a general idea. “In your psychic source.”
“How much do you actually know about psychic power?” Tang Ke questioned.
Han Yanyan paused for a moment before answering, “Everything comes from 'the world.'”
Tang Ke had also spent time in that world: “That world is exceptionally backward, with knowledge about psychic power largely limited to basic education before ninth grade.”
This confirmed Han Yanyan's suspicions; the system's attempt to enrich the world was indeed quite limited.
“Psychic sources are an esper’s absolute domain,” Tang Ke explained. “Aside from those who are absolutely trusted, espers rarely allow anyone to touch their psychic source throughout their entire lives. For instance, if you had an ounce of psychic power right now, I would have likely shredded you long ago.”
Is that why Leo was so hesitant to enter the world? He could roam freely in Qiao Wenxing’s world because Qiao Wenxing was just a spoiled young master with weak psychic power. It was for that reason Leo felt fearless. In Yao’s world, he had only appeared when Ding Yao was away. At that time, her psychic connection with Ding Yao had likely been very thin. Meanwhile, Yao Chen had rarely left her side, hence, Leo had never shown up.
“But for someone you trust, the connection between psychic sources is a concept you should have just experienced,” Tang Ke said, smiling at Han Yanyan.
Indeed, Han Yanyan had just gone through that experience. It was a connection… closer than any carbon-based life form could achieve through physical means!
It was simply incredible; although Han Yanyan enjoyed science fiction, she never imagined she would have the opportunity to experience such advanced intimacy.
But Han Yanyan was adept at focusing on the important details.
“So, what you touched just now was… my psychic source?” Her eyes glimmered with anticipation. “I once teetered on the brink of unleashing psychic power. Can you determine why it didn’t burst forth?”
Tang Ke replied, "The only thing that can suppress psychic power is an inhibitor. Usually used on criminals to prevent riots. It may also be used during interrogations.”
After pausing, he added with amusement, “I’ve heard some rumors about Leo Parker; he’s wanted in multiple countries for crimes including kidnapping, detention, and forced servitude. So, the formidable Han family matriarch, who dominates the world, is actually a kidnapped and detained slave without personal freedom?”
Having commanded the world for forty years in her own right, Han Yanyan was unaccustomed to having the veil lifted, revealing her true nature beneath. A wave of embarrassment coursed through her.
She inhaled deeply, forcing down her emotions and asked, “Does your world truly mirror the one I constructed?”
“From my perspective, roughly,” Tang Ke replied.
Han Yanyan pondered for a moment before saying, “I’d like to inquire after someone. Leo Parker is facing difficulties with a troublesome client. It was because of this person that I was kidnapped to become his slave. He is a member of some imperial family, the fifteenth descendant of the founding emperor, a duke. He is currently the leader of an anti-government rebel faction aiming to overthrow the empire of his homeland. Do you know of this person?”
“Tao Yao Kalan, Duke of the Yaming Empire?” Tang Ke expressed surprise. “He’s dead?”
Yao…
Han Yanyan was certain it was this individual.
“The Yaming Royal Family regards him as a traitor. I’ve heard he faced assassination attempts several times, and it seems one finally succeeded,” Tang Ke remarked. “If it’s him, you might be powerless to assist.”
Han Yanyan scoffed, “You seem to forget, I have the ability to awaken even you.”
Tang Ke fell silent, simply watching her.
Han Yanyan hesitated for a moment, suddenly realizing the attitude she had exhibited earlier… it was the voice of the matriarch, Han Yanyan.
Two rounds, forty years. All those years as a young lady, an heir, the matriarch, and an esper were nothing but illusions. Her body imprisoned, her spirit shackled, she was merely a slave.
Han Yanyan was overwhelmed with a bitter taste in her mouth.
“What… is your name?” Tang Ke asked, gazing at her intently.
“My true name holds no meaning for you. Just call me Han Yanyan,” she replied.
“Then, Han Yanyan,” Tang Ke inquired, “are you content with this?”
Han Yanyan lifted her gaze to meet his. Her eyes were deep and dark, flames flickering within.
So beautiful.
Tang Ke gazed at her, saying, “I can lend you a hand, but what will you offer in return?”
Han Yanyan was silent for a moment, the flames in her eyes burning with intensity.
“Everything I possess, everything you can take,” she stated.
Tang Ke smiled, reaching out his hand to touch her cheek.
A tidal wave of sensation surged toward her, shattering everything in its wake.
Colors swirled wildly, clarity fading and returning. One moment felt like she was on the clouds, the next, she was submerged in the deep sea. Her body solidified and vaporized, fragmenting and recomposing, screaming in madness, dying and then living again.
Until Tang Ke was satisfied, a thin strand of his psychic power shot forth like a serpent or whip, howling toward Han Yanyan!
In that instant, Han Yanyan felt as if she were struck by ten thousand volts, the pain exceeding the limits of what any human could endure.
The 0.000000001 seconds of contact came to an abrupt end!
Han Yanyan abruptly opened her eyes!
Dim and murky.
With a gasp, bubbles escaped her lips. She was submerged in liquid.
Instinctively, her hands reached out, touching the walls of the closed space. Was this… a healing chamber?
The healing chambers in the mech world had masks covering the mouth and nose, supplying oxygen. Here, there was nothing. As soon as Han Yanyan opened her mouth, liquid flooded in. For a split second, she thought she was drowning.
But she did not die. The liquid that entered her lungs directly exchanged oxygen with her cells. This liquid was rich in high oxygen content; human lungs could directly extract oxygen from it.
This technology was far more advanced than that in the mech world.
Because she had transcended the world! Because this was reality! Because the eyes opening belonged to Han Yanyan, her true body!
For decades, Han Yanyan had waited for this moment!
As her hands reached for the hatch and water flooded into her mouth, she activated her hidden powers with a fervor. Two rounds of experience, decades of memories etched into her very bones and blood! The trajectory of her psychic power's movement!
Whether it meant spending her life or causing her body to explode, Han Yanyan desperately urged the power lying dormant deep within her! She knew she possessed that power! She had once felt it!
She needed that power!
An alarm rang sharply. A needle suddenly shot out from within the chamber, piercing Han Yanyan’s body. As the inhibitor flowed in, it clutched the power on the verge of eruption tightly.
Han Yanyan forsook everything, shutting out her five senses, pouring her entire life into a singular explosion.
Boom! It felt as if a new universe exploded within her mind! Cooling! Condensing! Expanding! Contracting!
The liquid in the chamber churned, resembling boiling.
Cracks appeared on the hatch and spiderwebbed outward like ice fracturing!