Mental Ocean (Six Thousand Words)

Drug test subjects, singularity, World Will, Mysterious Guidepost...

As Xiao Xiao walked out of Mister Ye's "office" and slowly took off his protective suit, he gently rubbed his temples.

I came here hoping to resolve some long-standing questions, but I never expected that now that this question has been resolved, even more questions have arisen.

He knew what the Old Chairman and Mister Ye. Ye had done and could understand them, but he was even more confused about what the Dante Organization and the Hell Organization had been doing for so long.

They had no idea what the previous two generations of test subjects, who existed before them, were doing, or what their identities were in this world.

Mister Ye couldn't answer these questions, because he was just as confused.

He had already abandoned his physical body and existed in the purest form of perception of spiritual power, but he still couldn't understand what these people were thinking!

As Xiao Xiao left the gloomy, dark building, he was still thinking about the last words Mister Ye had said before he left:

"Mr. Xiao, the most mysterious thing is not monsters from higher dimensions or the spiritual world."

"It's the human heart..."

"..."

From the very beginning of his acquaintance with Mister Ye, Xiao Xiao noticed Mister Ye's unwavering loyalty to the Old Chairman's Noah Project. His loyalty differed from Yang Jia's. Yang Jia, with her multiple identities and the control exerted by the brand, harbored only a strong desire to escape. Mister Ye, however, was utterly loyal to the Old Chairman. He had only one goal: to implement the Noah Project, seizing every opportunity and willing to sacrifice anyone or anything to achieve it.

Now, Xiao Xiao vaguely understands him.

Perhaps, given how things have developed, the only thing he can truly yearn for is the moment when Noah sets sail and reaches the singularity.

"Ding-a-ling..."

Just as Xiao Xiao arrived at the road outside the building, pondering whether to take a taxi or use his ability to transfer flesh and blood,

He suddenly felt a slight discomfort, as if a muscle inside his body was being torn apart.

He abruptly looked up in one direction, and just seconds after this feeling arose, his phone rang in his pocket. Yang Jia's voice sounded somewhat nervous:

"I can sense it! My mentor has arrived in Black Gate City!"

"..."

"They've arrived now?"

Xiao Xiao Xiaowei felt something was strange. Lin Bo had said earlier that if Yang Jia got into trouble, it might alarm her teacher.

But the reinforcements didn't arrive in time, and it was only after he had already helped Yang Jia solve the problem... Of course, in other people's eyes, he was the one who directly untied Yang Jia, and then the reinforcements appeared.

Considering Yang Jia's constant nervousness, he asked with slight curiosity, "I remember you only mentioned one teacher before?"

Yang Jia once told Xiao Xiao very seriously that the Old Chairman of Black Gate City was her teacher.

However, according to the rules of the Dante Organization, she should also have a mentor within the Dante Organization, just like Lin Bo and others.

But Xiao Xiao really didn't remember Yang Jia telling him or describing this teacher.

"I've always been reluctant to call him my mentor."

When Yang Jia heard Xiao Xiao ask this, he paused for a moment and said, "Because the Old Chairman was always trying to teach me something, while Doctor Anti... he only tried to make me do something."

"When I first joined Dante Organization, I was very grateful to him because he picked me out as a new member and taught me how to survive, how to fight, and how to strengthen myself."

"But I always felt I couldn't understand him. I had told him about the troubles the power of the brand brought me and my desire to leave this strange world and return to my original world, but he would just scoff at me."

"At that time, I felt that the power of the brand was dangerous. I didn't want to use the power of the brand, and even subconsciously rejected it."

"But he strictly demanded that I not reject the power of the mark, but rather use it frequently, even in every battle."

"..."

At this point, Yang Jia seemed to feel a little reluctant, paused for a moment, and said, "I have to admit that Teacher Anti was also very good to me."

"At least, if he hadn't taught me how to understand and trained me to use the power of the Mark, I might not have been able to overpower the others and seize the position of commander at this gathering of all the Branders."

"..."

"Looking at it this way, your teacher really screwed over Mister Du..."

Xiao Xiao couldn't help but think to himself, "Of the forty-odd Branders, many of them are key members and experts from other organizations, yet they chose someone like you... to be the commander."

What are you thinking?

Yang Jia suddenly asked, "Are you talking badly about me in your heart?"

"Ah?"

Xiao Qi was taken aback. How could women sometimes be more perceptive than those who were insightful?

I can't even read people's minds through a phone signal...

He hurriedly replied, "I'm just curious, what kind of person is this teacher of yours?"

"I could sense that he had just arrived in Black Gate City, and judging from his manner of coming here, he doesn't seem to be a very good-tempered person!"

"..."

"He has a very bad temper."

Upon hearing this, Yang Jia was also taken aback and said, "Moreover, he is very powerful, so we'd better not get into a conflict with him."

"To be honest, I was a little surprised that he was willing to give up his research and come to Black Gate City to find me this time... and I was also a little grateful to him."

"..."

"Research..."

Xiao Xiao didn't follow up on that question. Instead, he suddenly shifted his focus to another topic and asked, "So, what does your teacher usually research?"

He had been curious about this question since his conversation with Mister Ye.

Mister Ye. Ye was very confused, and so was I.

But now it seems that the Dante Organization and the Hell Organization undoubtedly have the most understanding and control over this world.

However, since he entered this world, he has never been able to figure out what these two organizations, which hold the most secrets, are doing.

The Dante Organization seems to be doing some bizarre research every day.

And the Hell Organization... is busy playing cards?

... Of course, robbery, murder, or simply watching the spectacle are also part of their main business.

"I've never really figured out what exactly I'm researching."

Yang Jia looked puzzled when asked, and said, "As I just said, he only teaches me to understand and use the power of the mark, or assigns me a task. He rarely takes me to do any other research..."

"Everyone in Dante Organization has their own research project, even someone like Lin Bo."

"..."

When Lin Bo mentioned this, Yang Jia's frustration was quite evident. She said, "But I've never had any contact with them. I only know that Instructor Anti and the others seem to have been researching things in the unknown space."

Xiao Xiao felt a slight stirring in his heart when he heard her use that word.

He had occasionally heard people mention this word before, but at that time he lacked a basic understanding of the world, so asking about it was useless.

At this moment, a sense of curiosity immediately arose. "What does 'unknown space' refer to?"

Yang Jia paused for a moment. She was used to seeing Xiao Xiao solve problems in a way that was hard to understand, which made her feel that Xiao Xiao seemed to know a lot. It was only when she asked him such common sense questions that she realized that he was a newcomer.

"The unknown space is the Mist Sea."

"..."

Yang Jia Jiawei pondered for a moment and said, "For us, the Mist Sea seems to refer to the area outside the city, that area that is always shrouded in mist."

"But for someone at Professor Antichrist's level, they don't seem to think that way. Occasionally, I've heard some of my colleagues in Dante Organization say that ordinary people think the Mist Sea is horizontal, a large area outside the city that is shrouded in fog all year round. But from the perspective of the Mysterious Source, the Mist Sea is actually vertical. It refers to the places in our world that have not yet been explored and where the logical chain is lacking..."

"However, if I combine this with the secrets and knowledge I have recently glimpsed, I will give you a new explanation."

"..."

Xiao Xiao noticed something strange about Yang Jia: she seemed to have new ideas constantly coming to mind while she was talking.

I vaguely guessed the reason: she was digesting Mister Du's authority and the knowledge that came with that authority.

It was this knowledge that allowed her to occasionally have a flash of inspiration and come up with new explanations, even when she was talking about things she already knew.

Because that knowledge is melting into her mind.

Of course, this requires using one's brain. Xiao Xiao even felt a little sorry for her. It must be a lot of pressure to make such a reckless person use their brain.

"Our world is far more than just a few cities and a group of strangers."

During that brief pause, Yang Jia had already clarified his thoughts and continued, "If we describe our world, and the spiritual world of all people, as a vast ocean..."

"Therefore, the places where normal humans live are only the uppermost layer of this ocean, a few islands."

"The area below the sea level, down to the seabed, belongs to the human spiritual world, but it is not a spiritual world that ordinary people can see."

"I think if I were to accurately describe the unknown areas that my teacher and the big shots in Dante Organization studied, it would be certain areas or phenomena in this ocean."

"..."

"The ocean of the spirit..."

Xiao Xiao immediately made a connection. "If the uppermost layer of this ocean is the real world where ordinary people live, and the middle layer is an unknown and mysterious area, then what is the bottom layer?"

Yang Jia paused for a moment, then said, "You've already seen it."

The image of that black, mysterious door immediately flashed into Xiao Xiao's mind, and he took a deep breath.

He asked the most practical question, "In that case, how good is your teacher?"

Yang Jia's voice immediately became serious. "It's best not to get into a conflict with him."

"Their strength is difficult to measure with points, and it's not appropriate for us students to inquire about it."

"But if I had to describe it..."

"..."

She paused slightly and said, "Do you still remember me when I was possessed by the Mysterious Source and fought you in the end?"

"Although my will had been distorted at that time, my memories were still there, so I was quite certain that even back then, I wasn't very confident in fighting this teacher."

"..."

"That exaggerated level?"

Xiao Xiao gasped in surprise.

He quickly calculated in his mind that the Mister Du he killed this time seemed to be a secondary Mysterious Source, which meant that even among Mysterious Source, he was already rare.

Before he could actually fight him, his strength had been weakened in several ways.

Being trapped in Black Gate City meant he was weakened once; being devoured by the Hell Legion weakened him again; and finally, he was forced to imprison himself in Yang Jia's body and fight against himself. The low compatibility between the two weakened him once more.

Even so, he was still the most terrifying opponent he had ever seen, at least SS-level, right?

Yang Jia, this teacher, really that powerful?

Although he felt there were many things he should ask, Xiao Xiao glanced at the somber city and sighed softly, "No matter what, I have to see him."

"Do you want to come with me? I can hide you away in the city."

"..."

"I think I'd better not go."

Yang Jia took a deep breath and said, "Normally, as long as I don't want to be seen, no one will see me when I'm with you, just like when we went back to the city before."

"But I don't want to take that risk with Teacher Anti."

"Even if you go to see him, it's best not to confront him directly. It's not that I'm worried you'll suffer, but I just have a feeling that right now, it's best not to let him see either your secrets or mine."

"..."

"I see."

Xiao Xiao hung up the phone and walked slowly along the dimly lit road, a plan gradually forming in his mind.

He suddenly picked up his phone, made two calls, spoke to two different people, and then made a third call to Lin Bo.

Without a doubt, Doctor Anti had already arrived in Black Gate City, but hadn't immediately tried to find him or cause any trouble, so he must be with Lin Bo.

"His phone call..."

At the same moment, Lin Bo heard the phone ring. He was startled, glanced at the caller ID, and timidly pointed to the phone at the gloomy-faced old man in front of him.

"Connect it!"

Doctor Anti's voice was cold and impatient.

In his fury, he didn't immediately do anything. While Xiao Xiao's first thought was to call Yang Jia to ask what kind of person he was, he also inquired with Lin Bo. After all, Lin Bo rarely visited the real world and had no experience logging into forums, so he knew almost nothing about Xiao Xiao, a newcomer who had only awakened less than a year ago. But he didn't expect that the results of his investigation would be increasingly surprising.

"What the hell is this?"

At the very beginning, when he heard Lin Bo describe how ruthless, unreasonable, and eccentric the leader of the Black Gate City was, including killing people and dancing, he immediately frowned.

But then Lin Bo mentioned that Xiao Xiao had only awakened his powers for half a year before being promoted to the position of the leader of the Strangers Guild in Black Gate City. His eyes flickered slightly, and he instinctively realized that there might be something wrong with this.

Then, he heard Lin Bo recount how the Hell Organization attacked, and how Xiao Xiao communicated with them, then wagered on them, and then used extremely insidious, shameless, unethical, and utterly despicable methods to win against the Hell Organization and the pitiful, innocent, and enthusiastic Lin Bo's group in the same wager. As a result, Black Gate City gained fame and reaped great rewards from this opportunity. Even the Hell Organization was very surprised to recognize the result of this wager and listed Black Gate City as a forbidden zone of Hell.

Doctor Anti was already somewhat surprised. "Does the Hell Organization have some other sinister plans now?"

"I don't know then..."

Lin Bo shook his head, saying helplessly, "What's most incomprehensible is his later journey to Night's End City to search for the Fourth Element..."

Doctor Anti's expression remained somber, but he still carefully inquired about Lin Bo and his companions' journey to Night's End City, how they single-handedly confronted the hostility of the entire city, and how they obtained the Fourth Element, interrupting them several times in the process.

Finally, his face tightened, and he remained silent for a long time.

Just then, Xiao Xiao called, and Lin Bo pointed to the phone, asking him for instructions.

"Okay!"

Noticing that Doctor Anti was in a bad mood, Lin Bo immediately answered the phone and said loudly, "President Xiao, I am issuing you a serious warning: the Dante Organization is extremely dissatisfied with what you have done this time!"

"You actually killed one of our Dante Organization's rising stars... although I understand you really didn't have any other choice at the time."

"But that doesn't mean we can forgive you. Yang Jia is our colleague, and now her teacher has arrived in Black Gate City..."

"Doctor Anti is a very remarkable person, very terrifying... but he is still reasonable."

"Reasoning with him is useless. Yang Jia was his student, and you killed his student... Even though you proposed before you killed him, that doesn't mean Doctor Anti is your father-in-law!"

"We have a good personal relationship, but I still want to give you a serious warning!"

"This time, we..."

"..."

Lin Bo's voice grew louder and louder, almost shouting, before he was suddenly interrupted. He awkwardly put down the phone and said to Doctor Anti, "Um, Chairman Xiao said he wants to invite you to dinner... as a junior, to welcome you!"

Doctor Anti had a cold expression, and Lin Bo's heart was pounding.

He subconsciously looked at his teammates, only to see that they were all squatting to the side, pretending not to see him.

Just as his heart was pounding faster and faster, as if it were about to leap out of his chest, he suddenly heard Doctor Anti speak in a deep voice, "Where shall we eat?"

Lin Bo was immediately taken aback.

Judging from the anger Doctor Anti exuded when he first arrived, he didn't seem like the type to sit down and have a meal with anyone...

He awkwardly hung up the phone, stood up, and prepared to lead the way. When the team members heard the word "dinner," they also cautiously got up and prepared to walk towards the Iceberg Bar.

But Lin Bo stopped them, saying cautiously, "We won't go to the bar for lunch this time."

"They said they'd go to a fancy restaurant..."

"Its name is: Minghe Hotel!"

"..."

"..."

Doctor Anti didn't know where the Minghe Hotel was, nor did Lin Bo and the others. They had never received such high-level treatment since they arrived.

But when Doctor Anti heard the name, he silently raised his dark cane and gently tapped it on the ground. Immediately, a sound of flesh tearing apart echoed from the solid ground.

Then, the hard stone slab ground turned into soft flesh and blood, which was then torn open in the middle, leaving behind a trail of fine black shadows that intertwined and overlapped, forming a black staircase that was deep, winding, and led to an unknown place deep within the crack.

Doctor Anti stepped onto the steps first. Lin Bo and the others looked frightened, but after exchanging glances, they could only follow him inside.

As they forced their way through Black Gate City, a surging power seemed to emerge from the city's deepest recesses, like a black tide, rippling through their minds.

Enduring and uninterrupted.

Those inside Black Gate City could not feel the tremor, but they vaguely sensed an invisible pressure creeping into their hearts.

At the same time, after Xiao Xiao hung up the phone, the road beneath his feet turned into flesh and blood, melting rapidly and then rising up again, outlining bustling streets and crowds.

Minghe Hotel!

The place where all of this began appeared behind him.

A large crowd thronged around him, flowing past him in a rush, yet no one noticed the unusual thing that had happened to him.

"Mingming I understand these mysterious phenomena better now, and I no longer naively believe that this world is an illusion, why..."

Xiao Xiao couldn't help but think, "... Does this world seem even more unreal to me now?"

Unable to shake off the feeling, he could only shake his head slightly before turning and walking into the hotel. He booked a small private room with the front desk and went upstairs alone. Thinking about the important person he was about to meet, his heart grew heavy.

"Xiao Xiao?"

Just then, a very unexpected voice rang out, interrupting Xiao Xiao's thoughts, and he turned his head in surprise.

He saw an unexpected face with a warm smile, "It really is you! What brings you here for dinner?"

"Jiang Cheng?"

Xiao Xiao even had to use his Mind Burst ability to suddenly remember the owner of that face.

"Yes, I often eat here."

This was indeed Jiang Cheng, his high school classmate of Yang Jia, and the person he met for the first time at a class reunion after staying in his bedroom for four years.

At first glance, it seems bizarre, but it also seems quite reasonable.

Jiang Cheng has always enjoyed spending money at this hotel, which is why he chose it for his last classmate reunion.

"I didn't expect to see you here. We haven't seen each other since the last class reunion."

Jiang Cheng appeared enthusiastic, put his arm around Xiao Xiao's shoulder, and asked with a smile, "How have you been lately?"

"Last time I saw you leave with Yang Jia's car, you two..."

"..."

Xiao Xiao stopped, looked at him, nodded, and said, "Yes, I've already proposed to her."

I'm busy today, so I'll post 6,000 words. Tomorrow I'll post over 10,000, and then try for a while.