Chapter 162

Isn't this just like me back then?

Shi Lei couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. He sat down on a rock chair, his back to the red-haired Sarkaz, and said:

"You've been paired with this Reine des Neiges for many years now. How much of what you've learned from this Flame Greatsword has become your own?"

"Ah?"

Surtr paused, not understanding the significance of the question:

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you mean."

"I, cough, I have a friend."

At this point, Shi Lei glanced at her somewhat guiltily. Seeing that she showed no sign of anything amiss, he added:

"He possesses very powerful weapons, just like you. Although he is often like a whirlpool, always getting involved in all sorts of things, fortunately, he is able to keep his life safe."

He also hoped this weapon would last until the day he died of old age. However, this weapon was notoriously unreliable. It might suddenly disappear one day and never reappear.

Surtr, upon hearing that someone possessed a weapon as powerful as her, became immediately interested. But she had never imagined that Reine des Neiges would one day abandon her.

"Huh? You can do that?"

"Yes, he doesn't know if that weapon will always be reliable. So he's trying to use the advantage it provides to get what he wants. That way, even if the weapon suddenly disappears, he can still live comfortably."

Through his continuous exploration, he discovered that money can be spent, and power is an illusion. Even the networks he built would gradually crumble once he lost his weapons. Only friends who were like family to him, and the knowledge he accumulated over time, truly belonged to him.

Surtr gaped, speechless. She had traveled the Terra before, never imagining that Reine des Neiges would abandon her and run away.

But now, Surtr is wavering.

Reine des Neiges was a powerful weapon that had been by her side since she regained her memories. It was as if she had formed some kind of Master and Servant contract with it before she lost her memory.

The more I think about it, the more something seems off.

Surtr knew her own limitations perfectly well; she was just an average person. However, her undefeated record against Reine des Neiges had made her gradually overlook several crucial issues.

Why would such a powerful weapon recognize an ordinary person like itself as its master?

Did the two parties sign something like Master and Servant contract?

If not, then Surtr couldn't guarantee that Reine des Neiges wouldn't leave in the future. The tragedy of her male friend could very well repeat itself. What would she do if Reine des Neiges left?

"How could this be..."

Surtr licked his lips, still processing the incredibly shocking news.

After a moment, she slowly raised her head. Her beautiful purple pupils reflected the other person's face:

"Excuse me for asking, but is your friend's weapon still missing?"

Shi Lei shrugged, looking completely unconcerned. It seemed he really did have a friend who was facing a similar predicament to Surtr:

"I don't know, probably not yet. But he doesn't know when the weapon went missing either."

"Then let me ask you another question, what's the name of your friend's weapon?"

"Hedgehog Cat".

Shi Lei wasn't worried about being exposed; he could cover it up by pretending the weapon had another code name.

"That unreliable sword is called Hedgehog Cat."

226 Ah yes yes yes (3K)

"Huh? Hedgehog Cat?"

Surtr searched his memory carefully, but found no recollection of this divine weapon.

Moreover, the name is too strange.

Could it be a sword covered in hedgehog quills and with Feline features?

She felt like the other person was joking, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

The law is certain. For a moment, his expression turned extremely puzzled:

"Does a sword really have such a name?"

This was the first time Shi Lei had mentioned the Hedgehog Cat to anyone from Terra. As for divine weapons, that was complete nonsense, so he quickly glossed over it in a few words.

"Hedgehog Cat was the sword's former name; I don't know what it's called now."

He talked to the red-haired Sarkaz about 'external things' because he saw a reflection of his past self in the other. So he used 'a friend of mine' as an excuse to express the worries buried deep in his heart.

Although this system has been quite reliable so far—it hasn't been unreliable or overly talkative— Hedgehog Cat's unreliability is notorious. Shi Lei wouldn't have this concern with any system from a certain platform like Douyin or Lu Xun.

It's always good to be prepared.

Shi Lei had already mentally prepared himself, anticipating that the system might unbind and run away at any time. Ideally, this wouldn't happen, allowing him to enjoy the game from beginning to end. But if it did, he wouldn't panic or lose his composure.

"Why."

Surtr sighed, the youthful and vibrant girlishness gone from her face. She seemed to have thought of something terrible, her expression unusually grave.

If Reine des Neiges is destined to leave her one day, then some kind of opportunity will surely arise before that day arrives.

Over the years, Surtr has been exploring this land based on various flashbacks that suddenly appear in his memory.

Whenever I arrive in a new place, I cross out the content that corresponds to my memory in my notebook.

In these memories, she was in completely different geographical locations and had completely different interpersonal relationships.

Looking back now, could it be that Reine des Neiges followed him all this time because he was looking for something?

Such a bold idea is like accidentally stumbling upon 18+ adult content. Once it takes hold, it's like...

Leeks are soaring in price that it's impossible to stop the price increase without cutting them down.

Why would Reine des Neiges follow someone as ordinary as himself?

It is because it cannot fly on its own, so it needs a host to act as a vehicle.

The weaker the vehicle, the better; an ordinary person like Surtr would be an excellent choice. This way, if conflicts arise between the two sides in the future, Reine des Neiges will have the upper hand.

Perhaps one day in the future, it will use its own walking vehicle to find what it wants.

Once a blind person regains their sight, the first thing they do is discard their ever-present cane. It wouldn't be surprising if Reine des Neiges abandoned her if he achieved his goal.

What should I do then?

Seeing her unusually serious expression, Shi Lei was puzzled as to the reason and asked:

"What's wrong with you?"

Upon hearing this, Surtr grinned wryly and said:

"I'm very distressed and confused. I don't know how to describe how I feel right now. In short, I feel like my head is about to explode and my thoughts are all jumbled up."

Shi Lei used Reine des Neiges as an example simply to indirectly express his thoughts; he had no intention of spreading any conspiracy theories.

As a transmigrator, there are some things he can't say to close friends like Texas or Mudrock. So, the red-haired Sarkaz, whose name he didn't even know, became the person he confided in on a whim.

"Is it because of Reine des Neiges?"

"That's right..."

Shi Lei Reine des Neiges with Rock Element and placed it in the living room, not in the bedroom. Even if it could understand human speech, it wouldn't be able to hear conversations from such a distance in a sealed environment.

"If you don't know how to describe it, just say whatever comes to mind. I'm not sleepy right now, so I can be a good listener."

Since he doesn't need to sleep or rest anyway, chatting with Red-Haired Sarkaz a bit more is just a way to pass the time.

"Okay, thanks for listening to my rambling."

A thought flashed through Shi Lei's mind, and he released the restraints on the other man. Surtr sat up naturally, staring at the man's back:

"My name is Surtr ..."

She first introduced herself, then explained that she had developed a memory and cognitive impairment. Unlike ordinary memory loss, this was a period of multiple memory confusions.

Over the years, Surtr has traveled all over this land, searching for the scenes from his memories.

She wants to visit every address recorded in her notebook before she dies. Exploring her memories while traveling – what could be better?

But now, Surtr is wavering.

If Reine des Neiges finds what she needs and truly leaves, then what was the point of all her experiences along the way? Was it just a life experience as a vehicle?

Surtr's distress stemmed from the realization that she had lost the meaning of her life.

Even if she ignored everything she heard today and continued traveling with Reine des Neiges, the seed in her heart could never be undone.

From then on, whenever Surtr arrived in a new place, he would wonder: Is there anything Reine des Neiges wanted here? Has my journey come to an end?

If it still hasn't found what it wants, a serious disagreement has arisen between the two sides. Will Reine des Neiges simply abandon her and go looking for a new vehicle?

When I return to being an ordinary person, where will I go? Where can I go? Without Reine des Neiges's help, what can I do in the future?

Surtr poured out all her worries and anxieties in fits and starts. The topics swirled around, sounding very much like rambling.

Fortunately, Shi Lei often takes notes while reading.

It can extract important information from complex data.

One thing in particular bothered him.

According to Surtr, she sometimes suddenly receives a jumble of memories, placing her in completely different locations and having completely different relationships.

This symptom of memory flooding sounds a lot like the 'clone' trope in online novels.

"Surtr, may I interrupt? The situation you just mentioned, where memories of different places and relationships pop up from time to time, feels like a kind of clone ability."

"A clone?"

Surtr, who had absolutely no prior knowledge of online novels, looked utterly bewildered.

What is that?

"Just think of it as a novel setting in a novel. I just happened to think of it and thought I'd add something for you, so don't take it too seriously."

A clone refers to a person who, after cultivating to a certain level or by using external forces, separates a part of their self-awareness to form a new self.

These clones may look the same as the original, or they may look different. The clones are part of the original, but not entirely the same. They may scatter to other places and live completely different lives.

Your ability to receive the memories of other clones indicates a special connection between them. However, your current strength is not outstanding; perhaps you are a clone with higher authority left behind by the original body a long time ago.

Shi Lei made a rough analysis based on the information he had. After all, time travel is unscientific enough, so having an amnesiac time traveler clone isn't surprising.

Glancing back at Surtr's surprised gaze, he feared that continuing would overheat Surtr's CPU. He stood up, preparing to leave the bedroom.

"Forget it, it's just a setting from movies and novels, don't take it seriously."

There's no need for her to wear the bindings made of Rock Element. Shi Lei doesn't sleep at night anyway, so he's not worried that Surtr can sneak out without his knowledge.

"What else do you know about clones?"

She had a clear sense of right and wrong and could tell for herself whether what the man said was true or false.

A peerless expert capable of subduing Reine des Neiges with one hand must possess considerable experience and knowledge. It's not surprising that he would know ancient secrets that are difficult for ordinary people to access.

Although he repeatedly emphasized that the clones were fake, those descriptions explained the principle behind the illness.

Is it because the 'clone' ability belongs to ancient times, and they're afraid she'll leak it and cause trouble? Is that why they used the excuse of it being a novel setting to save face?

Surtr's memory and cognitive impairment had been brewing for some time. She had searched the entire Terra, seeking medical help and treatment everywhere she went.

Among the renowned doctors and medical experts who had won countless awards, none could pinpoint the cause of the illness. Only this man pointed out, with uncanny accuracy, that it was a clone.

Even if the other party is unwilling to admit it, it still opened a completely new door for her.

Clone, original body, memory transfer...

Surtr seemed to be going through a brainstorming session, with all sorts of information beginning to flood her mind.

If the technique of creating clones that can separate consciousness truly exists on this land, then all of Surtr's doubts can be definitively answered.

Surtr was chosen as Reine des Neiges's master, possibly because she is an avatar of the original. Given her largely missing memories and her current very young body, it can be inferred that Surtr is an avatar created by the original during her childhood, and her weakness is to be expected.

Reine des Neiges's purpose is obvious.

What it sought through Surtr was the original body that created the clone.