Intelligence

"Restricted Superhuman, Number 1002—Ji Minghuan. The Instructor is visiting. Prepare to undergo questioning as soon as possible."

The Young Man in the patient gown's eyelids trembled faintly.

The sounds echoing through the room filtered into his dream. It was like winter, when an icicle hanging from the ceiling of a stalactite cave suddenly melted, cracking open with a snap before falling and shattering across the ground, fragments carrying icy dust fluttering everywhere.

Ji Minghuan forced his eyes open and stared motionlessly at the silvery-white ceiling.

The traces of the dream faded. The horn-shaped broadcast device was repeating its cold command, eventually dissolving into faint static. Other than the Footsteps coming from the corridor, nothing could be heard. Deathly silence once again enveloped the Imprisonment Room.

"The Instructor is here..."

Ji Minghuan murmured softly, wrinkling his nose slightly. Sure enough, he caught that familiar scent of disinfectant.

He was about to sit up when an intense tearing pain suddenly erupted from deep inside his brain. It was like a nail had been driven into his skull, forcibly punching a hole through it and making even his brain matter tremble.

Then, that low, hoarse notification sounded by his ear once more.

Complete Split Mode has now been activated. You will simultaneously possess the perspectives of the Main Body and all Game Characters.

Notice: If you are unable to adapt to Complete Split Mode, you may enter a Game Character's System Panel and disable the option.

Ji Minghuan drew a quiet breath, steadied his heartbeat, and lay still on the bed.

At that moment, two completely different scenes appeared before his eyes.

Gu Wenyu abruptly opened his eyes in a dim room in Li Capital, China. Like an android, he stared blankly at the ceiling in the darkness. The clock on the wall read 06:05 in the morning.

As for Ji Minghuan himself, he calmly gazed at the dome of the Imprisonment Room. Rows of cold-colored fluorescent tubes were reflected in his dark pupils. They were somewhat dazzling, but he did not even blink.

The dark ceiling and the silvery-white ceiling overlapped endlessly in his vision, as though two mirrors had been placed face-to-face, reflecting infinite duplicate images that seemed to stretch all the way to the end of the world.

Fortunately, the tearing pain in his skull did not have much of an effect on Ji Minghuan.

—He had adjusted "pain perception" in the game settings to the lowest level beforehand. What he felt now was nothing serious, about the same as being flicked on the forehead with a finger.

Ji Minghuan controlled Unit 1, "Gu Wenyu," and had him close his eyes and continue sleeping.

After that, the first Game Character's perspective became a pitch-black darkness where he could not see his own hand, and Ji Minghuan was no longer troubled by the confusion of overlapping perspectives.

He temporarily withdrew his consciousness from Unit 1's body and sat up from the hospital bed in the Imprisonment Room.

Instinctively, he touched the collar around his neck.

The signal light shone against the side of his index finger. Looking down, he saw that it was still blue, meaning the collar remained in a state of "no Superhuman ability use detected from wearer."

Ji Minghuan let out a breath and rose from the bed.

When he turned his head, the iron doors at the entrance were opening one after another.

The Instructor was still wearing his usual white lab coat. Its hem swept over the metal threshold as he strolled in with his hands behind his back.

Ji Minghuan did not look at him. Without even raising his head, he asked, "I haven't seen that military officer uncle for several days now. Are you not letting him come anymore?"

"No. There's no point anymore." The Instructor shook his head.

Ji Minghuan got out of bed, walked barefoot to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

"Hah... I actually thought it was pretty nice when he came by now and then to physically punish me. At least it gave me some exercise, so I wouldn't end up lying here like a dried corpse."

He paused, looked away, and mocked, "Anyway, he doesn't dare do anything. All he can do is raise his voice and put on an act."

The Instructor took a sip of tea and looked up at Ji Minghuan. "We plan to let you interact with the other children."

"The other children?" Ji Minghuan froze.

"The other children being held here. You should become very good friends."

"Why?" Ji Minghuan raised an eyebrow, unsure what the Instructor was plotting again. "Aren't you afraid we'll join forces and plan an escape or something?"

Then he added inwardly, Or perhaps... those kids are actually people you arranged.

"That's nothing to worry about." The Instructor smiled. "We know the circumstances of every child here very well." He paused. "...Except you."

Ji Minghuan found that perfectly natural. "I don't even know much about myself, let alone you people."

He propped his cheek on one hand and tilted his head carelessly. "Come to think of it, didn't you promise yesterday that you'd tell me about the other two Superhuman Species?"

"Yes. That's why I came today—to introduce these two factions to you," the Instructor said. "Our people have begun to suspect that you are not a Superhuman, but an Anecdote Envoy, or an Exorcist."

He paused for a moment. "Unfortunately, neither Superhuman genes, nor the embryonic form of an Exorcist's Heavenly Drive, nor an Anecdote Envoy's Anecdote Codex has ever been detected in you... That is what confuses us most."

"Exorcists, Anecdote Envoys?"

Ji Minghuan picked out those two names from the other man's words.

Key Intelligence System unlocked—The more intelligence you obtain regarding the "Superhuman Species worldview," the higher the probability of obtaining Game Characters with stronger starting attributes and greater potential.

Current world development progress for the "Superhuman" branch: 40%

Current world development progress for the "Exorcist" branch: 5%

Current world development progress for the "Anecdote Envoy" branch: 1%

Note: Increases in "development progress" depend on the importance of the intelligence obtained.

It seemed I was right not to create a character directly. Otherwise, I would've missed too much... If I build a Game Character after getting everything I can out of the Instructor, I might even roll one or two especially rare Character Files.

Ji Minghuan thought this without betraying anything on his face. His gaze swept over the panel before he carefully observed the Instructor's reaction.

The other man did not seem to notice anything unusual. Instead, he twisted the lid of his thermos and asked, "Which one would you like to hear about first?"

"Anecdote Envoys. They sound more interesting," Ji Minghuan answered without hesitation.

The Instructor interlaced his fingers and began slowly, in the tone of someone telling a children's picture-book story. "A long, long time ago, there was a whale in this world. Hidden inside the whale's belly was..."

Ji Minghuan frowned and cut him off. "Could you change your tone? Speak normally. Do you think you're telling a bedtime story to a three-year-old?"

There'll be another chapter later. Please vote more, everyone.