Chapter 880: In the end, was she actually a notch below?
Chapter 880: In the end, was she actually a notch below?
“The thing that attracts them? What is it?”
I asked in confusion.
“Can’t you guess, Little Han? Clearly, the answer is very easy to guess.”
Cheryl asked with a smile, not giving the answer immediately.
“That... [Transcendent Knowledge] that was made into the Myriad Worlds Terminal?”
I guessed, for I could think of nothing else worth their fighting over.
“Correct, that's the one. Curious why, aren’t you?”
“Mhm, why? It’s just a portion of [Transcendent Knowledge]. I know such things are precious, but it hasn’t reached the point of being fought over yet, has it?”
“Just?”
Cheryl repeated the word from my speech, her tone somewhat exaggerated.
“You’re acting a bit too much with that, aren’t you? Haven’t you thought about the [Transcendent Knowledge] in the Main World? Before long, many people will fight until their heads bleed for it. Your so-called knowledge of its value... that is your perspective, but for those who do not have it, its value will be raised infinitely.”
“Really...?”
I took a sip of Fool’s Dream Drink to sort out my thoughts and reconstructed my values regarding [Transcendent Knowledge].
“Naturally it’s true. However... your intuition seems quite accurate. If it were ordinary [Transcendent Knowledge], it might indeed not achieve this effect, but the one in the Game World... it is different.”
“Different? Just because it is a fully developed portion of [Transcendent Knowledge]? But if it lacks a massive civilized population base, this ability wouldn’t exert much of an advantage in a single person’s hands, right?”
After all, I had already defined the [Transcendent Knowledge] of the Game World as the “Fourth Calamity.”
Although its characteristic might be the pixel concept, its usage and concept cannot be generalized.
“No, no, no it’s not because of that, but the issue of the potential of this [Transcendent Knowledge].”
“Potential?”
“Right [Transcendent Knowledge] is also divided by potential. Do you know, Little Han? Some [Transcendent Knowledge] cannot be utilized, but some are very easy to utilize and develop.”
“I know that.”
I nodded repeatedly.
After all, Big Sis Bai had given me a science popularization on this, so I naturally wouldn't forget.
Some [Transcendent Knowledge] cannot be utilized.
For example, among the witch teams researching [Transcendent Knowledge] in the Witch Academy, a considerable portion are unable to produce a Grand Spellbook.
They research this [Transcendent Knowledge] only to better understand its characteristics, plus the secondary Grand Spells derived during the research process.
As for what a secondary Grand Spell is, it is something similar to having the characteristics of a Grand Spellbook but without the tier and completeness of a Grand Spellbook.
If I had to give an example, it was roughly similar to the “Reverse Summoning Spell” derived from Mentor Ji Niang’s research.
A spell with an extremely heaven-defying effect, but a very abnormal usage.
After all, no matter what spell it was, none could achieve crossing the Void at such a small cost, jumping back and forth between two worlds.
“You only need a general understanding. The characteristics displayed by that Myriad Worlds Terminal in the Game World are extremely ridiculous. First is the basic characteristic, similar to 3D pixels; it can achieve near-infinite subdivision. This involves a breakthrough on the fundamental level of the Transcendent materials field.”
“Following that is the fact that it also involves the power of Destiny. It can utilize Destiny to achieve extremely precise things. You should know what this represents. It represents that this [Transcendent Knowledge] has achieved an effect similar to the derivative ‘Great Knowledge Sharing Technique’ of your Great Tree of Knowledge: the foundation for communicating between worlds across the Void! Even if the medium for this communication is Destiny, it is still extremely ridiculous.”
“Then there are techniques for utilizing soul-substance and various other things; those are all just extras.”
“Looking at it this way... it truly does seem very precious.”
I also nodded and acknowledged its value.
I had to say, its value even made me look on with a bit of greed.
“So... you want it too, right?”
Cheryl suddenly added this sentence after I responded that way.
“Yes, its value has stirred my greed, but that doesn't hinder me from recognizing a fact: I cannot get it right now.”
“Really? Wouldn't it be fine if you just took a trip to the Game World?”
Cheryl said with a smile.
“……”
Hearing her words, I suddenly fell silent.
“So, this is the... stage of mine you've been laying the groundwork for all this time?”
“It is a stage to showcase yourself.”
“……”
“You... don't like showcasing your martial force to others... do you?”
After seeing me fall silent, Cheryl realized something in an instant.
That silence, which I didn't even bother to conceal, made Cheryl realize the key to the problem all at once.
Cheryl reacted.
The perspective she had been putting herself in had overlooked those ordinary students.
She realized that the little witch before her didn't seem to be such an arrogant existence.
Those so-called trump cards she had witnessed were not for so-called showcasing, but more of an urgent need for acknowledgment.
Acknowledgment of what?
Letting those who could influence her acknowledge her perspective, acknowledging that the things she did were within a controllable range.
But what about her peers?
Did they truly have enough of an understanding of this little witch?
No, they didn't.
What she revealed were only her track records; ordinary students hadn't even heard of her high-end track records.
Because those track records were to shut up those who annoyed her, not to make her famous.
The current cognition those students had of her remained stuck on the things she disclosed: Self-generating Magic Power, unknown domains, and the Grand Spellbook.
Many people even forgot that what the little witch before them was best at were spells, and... derivative spells.
And now, at this timeframe, many students naively felt that if they obtained that Great Snow Throne Spell, they could possess power comparable to this little witch.
Did she truly like showcasing?
“I don't. That feeling is just like being treated like a performing monkey for others.”
“Others treat you like a monkey only when you are weak. When you are strong... you see them as monkeys. If you cannot accept this viewpoint... then it shows you have not yet detached yourself from the identity of a weakling.”
“Perhaps. After all... from having nothing to the present, it has only been a year or two. The transformation of mindset is not something that happens overnight.”
“Then take a strong dose of medicine and treat this as a trial. You've just been suppressed too hard by that fellow Mei; you haven't realized exactly how much of a right to speak your power has endowed you with.”
As Cheryl finished speaking, both of us fell silent.
Cheryl could see that I understood many principles clearly, and I understood that the time for some matters had not yet arrived.
Only, at this moment, Cheryl didn't know how to make me put the principles I understood into action, and I wasn't clear on when the things I wanted to do would be considered the right time.
“What are your arrangements next?”
In the end, it was Cheryl who broke the awkward atmosphere.
It seemed the silence just now made her understand she had applied her strength in the wrong place.
She didn't continue the previous topic but instead tried to ask me basic questions from my perspective.
“Helping the Fool's Dreams become true lives.”
“Are you certain?”
“I am about to obtain extremely pure Dream-state Soul-substance.”
“……What do you mean?”
Cheryl paused again and inquired with some embarrassment.
“I want to ask you a question. Have you ever personally created a brand-new living race?”
“Of course not. I don't have that kind of free time. I might not even be able to personally make a single friend.”
“What a pity.”
After all, I had originally wanted to ask exactly what kind of life is a recognized life.
In my past cognition, life ranged from single-celled to multi-celled, further divided into countless subdivided genera and species; all were types of life.
But now, this cognition has instead become a shackle trapping my perception of species.
I had a feeling that I wasn't sublimating the Fool’s Dreams into a concrete life; everything I was doing was bringing the non-existent Fool’s Dreams into reality.
And exactly at such a moment.
I suddenly realized something.
My main body in the experimental area seemingly had a new breakthrough regarding the Nightmare purification method.
“Sorry, I may have to excuse myself. My main body has some matters over there; my primary consciousness will be leaving now.”
“Primary consciousness leaving? Then... What will you become? Do you need me to take this clone of yours somewhere?”
Cheryl wanted to say something more but was interrupted in her rhythm by these words of mine.
However, she only felt a slight regret for a moment before sorting out her mood and inquiring about other things in passing.
“There is no need, because I am not an ordinary clone.”
Yue spoke.
“……Mhm, you’re gone?”
Cheryl looked at the normal figure before her, unable to even feel any sense of discordance.
“Mhm. I am Yue now.”
“Then... Do you think you are Yang Yuehan?”
Cheryl hesitated for a moment and asked.
She had always lacked an understanding of Yang Yuehan’s clones, because they exceeded the definition of spells.
This wasn't a spell effect, but a living “person” with flesh and blood.
“A boring question. I am a clone; do not doubt it. Even if I had the thought of rebelling against the main body, then that would certainly be the main body’s doing.”
Yue seemed to know what Cheryl was worried about and spoke fully all at once.
“Then... how do you face your main body? What if she asks you to self-destruct?”
Cheryl continued to ask.
In her view, this technique of clones had already broken the limit of individuals between people and challenged the definition between a main body and a clone.
If this was a hidden danger, she didn't mind detonating it early to help Little Han.
“Watching with eyes wide open this feeling is quite miraculous. Furthermore, I am not a true life; I don't fear death. Would you argue with yourself over who is actually you because you played a role in a preset script? That’s split personality.”
“Then... can this thought of yours be changed, be... hypnotized, rewritten?”
“This testing of yours is very dull my main body even envisioned: if she granted me true life by way of creating life for this clone of mine, then who would be the real Little Han.”
Hearing Yue’s description, Cheryl’s pupils instinctively shrank, but she quickly returned to calm and spoke, “Then in that case... who would be the real Little Han?”
“Naturally it would be her. If I truly became a life, then I should be an independent individual. I would acknowledge that I inherited everything of hers, but I would not be her.”
“Then who... are you?”
“Me? I am Yue. The main theme of Little Han granting life to the Fool’s Dreams is giving them freedom. Even regarding me, it is the same. I don’t have to become her; I only need to become me.”
“Then would this hope... turn into your obsession and transform into hate at the moment you are destroyed?”
“Your way of misrepresenting the situation is quite skilled freedom is the freedom granted to life. I am not a life; I cannot understand freedom. It’s just like how a normal person cannot grant freedom to a character preset in their own head. Are you sure you aren't creating a split personality?”
Yue was already made somewhat speechless by Cheryl at this point, but she could understand.
After all, she was a clone.
“Then if Little Han gets split personality...”
“Then it’s a disease and needs to be cured. Additionally... facing a serious person like you, Little Han wouldn’t explain much to you. Even in the worst case, Little Han wouldn’t fear another self who completely hates her, because she firmly believes she can overcome this fool whose head is full of obsessions.”
Listening to the words spoken by this clone without any reservations, Cheryl fell silent.
After these final words were spoken, she knew she had no more need to test.
Not fearing oneself... even she couldn't completely achieve that.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have developed this mindset of worrying for Little Han.
So... in the end, was she actually a notch below?
***
Laboratory.
I looked at the two portions of Nightmares made into experimental specimens within the Primal Dream State.
One portion was still somewhat turbid; this was the purification method summarized with the Information Deposition Method as the philosophy.
And the other one...
At this moment, the “Nightmare” was as pure as dream-state matter in a fantasy.
And this was the Nightmare “cultivated” using the Gestation Purification Method.
The Gestation Purification Method was the most special method among all those I had abandoned before.
Different from methods under conventional dream rules, the Gestation Purification Method utilized the very special Soul Depiction technique.
Performing Soul Depiction on a portion of Nightmare without “consciousness.”
And the purpose of doing so was to simulate the process of a life’s birth, to “purify” away all negative concepts within the Nightmare except for “Dream-state Soul-substance.”
To tell the truth, this idea borrowed the concepts of the “Metamorphic Incubation” spell and Academy Head Mei’s Metamorphic Incubation.
This was not a conventional purification method, but one using that order of giving birth to life, plus the Soul Depiction technique to filter out the things I didn’t need.
And now, I obtained a portion of... pure and flawless “soul-substance.”
A portion of “Dream-state Soul-substance” so pure it was about to give birth to life.
This was my first time wanting to use “fresh” to describe a material that was not yet a life, but unfortunately, it could never become a true life.
Because... even until now, I have no way to understand how consciousness is born.
Therefore, I cannot give birth to life out of thin air like this.
But instinct told me this would be the best carrier for the Fool’s Dreams’ consciousness—the soul carrier.