Chongyun Village Defense System

In Peng City, Xiang Kun, standing in a dark corner outside a villa area, breathed a slight sigh of relief as he emerged from his "Hyper-Sensory State."

Although Gold Glitter is just a canary, in Xiang Kun's eyes, and in the eyes of Little Apple and Little Chubby Girl, it is more than just a pet. In some ways, it can be said to be a true partner, friend, and even comrade-in-arms.

He couldn't even imagine what kind of blow Little Apple would suffer if something really happened to Gold Glitter.

Fortunately, Alice's rescue was timely. Although Gold Glitter's injuries looked serious, they were not fatal. Moreover, he was extremely familiar with Gold Glitter's cognitive information. In addition, with his more diverse and in-depth control over "Super-Linked Object" and his understanding of more cognitive information under "Hyper-Sensory State", it was not difficult for him to complete this "remote surgery".

Given Gold Glitter's condition, even if it were taken to a veterinary hospital, it would be difficult to receive effective treatment. At most, it would be cleaned, treated with medication, and bandaged, relying on its own healing. It's unlikely that it would need any surgery.

Of course, even so, it will eventually recover slowly, it's just that it will be more uncomfortable and take longer.

Now, thanks to Xiang Kun's remote intervention, Gold Glitter was able to flap its wings and fly around again in about a week.

In the "Hyper-Sensory State," through the "Super-Linked Object," one can directly influence the cognitive information representing Gold Glitter's body, enabling many fine and microscopic operations that are extremely difficult to achieve in reality.

Of course, this operation is not unlimited, nor can it directly heal wounds or instantly restore torn or damaged muscle tissue. It can only be influenced by heating or cooling at extremely small parts, or by controlling all fluid movement patterns and states.

He couldn't fully understand much of the cognitive information within Gold Glitter's body, but he was too familiar with Gold Glitter's cognitive information under normal, healthy conditions. By comparing it with the current cognitive information, he could know how to handle it—simply let its cognitive information continue to develop towards a normal, healthy state, creating that trend.

While performing the "surgery" on Gold Glitter, Xiang Kun couldn't help but wonder what methods the so-called "Ultimate Predator" mentioned by Mr. Liang in those secret documents used to execute humans and various "Mutated Creature."

If, within his "Hyper-Sensory State" of perception, and under his prior prepared observation, the "Ultimate Predator" were to perform any substantial actions, he should be able to detect them and thereby find clues about the "Ultimate Predator's " mode of existence.

After performing the remote "surgery" on Gold Glitter, Xiang Kun returned to the villa area where Zhang Hongpu lived. With Alice's help, he quietly retrieved the Black Circle Graffiti used to trigger the "Dream Within a Dream".

On the way back to the hotel, he listened to Alice's report on what had happened earlier on his phone.

Although Gold Glitter entered a "Hyper-Sensory State" as soon as he was attacked, and assisted Lao Xia, Little Chubby Girl, and Little Apple Guo in Chongyun Village, he had a general understanding of what had happened through his cognitive information. He also judged that the one who attacked Gold Glitter was a "Mutated Creature" through his cognitive information, but Alice still needed to fill in more specific details for him.

After listening to Alice's "emotionally charged" and "passionate" narration, Xiang Kun basically understood the matter and could almost confirm that the "Mutated Creature" was the "mutant bird" that was photographed by Dr. Fang and others in Wushu Mountain, struck by lightning by him in Purple Huan Mountain, and later beaten by Mr. Liang in Wushu Mountain, which caused it to hatch into an egg and burrow underground to escape.

Although the "mutated bird" was several sizes smaller than when it fought Mr. Liang in Wushu Mountain, it still retained many of its characteristics and could be identified as such.

Its recovery ability seems to have improved compared to before, and it can also resist electric shock and fire to a certain extent, and even actively "ignite" itself.

Normally, "Mutated Creature" should be vulnerable to high temperatures. Even Xiang Kun has no experience with direct resistance to electric shocks or fire—because he has methods to avoid these injuries. With the existence of "Super-Linked Object," he is almost never shocked.

But this "mutated bird" seems to have gained some insights from being electrocuted in Purple Huan Mountain. Its physical strength, healing ability, resistance to blows, resistance to high temperatures, ability to detach its tail for survival, and ability to escape have all evolved to a very powerful level.

Given the state of this large bird when it first appeared in Chongyun Village, it was probably no match for the "mutated spider" of the Qinling Uninhabited Zone and the "Giant Owl" that Xiang Kun first encountered. Even the two combined wouldn't be enough to defeat it.

Based on his analysis of the changes in the bird's cognitive information during his "Hyper-Sensory State," Xiang Kun concluded that the large bird did not rely entirely on its physical body to withstand the various high-temperature injuries. Its resistance to various injuries was essentially a "tail-cutting survival" method, which involved isolating and discarding parts of its body tissue to block the damage. Having been struck by lightning, it had gained "experience" and developed the ability to divert current, reduce damage, and protect its core organs.

Of course, this function is not actively designed. It cannot actively guide mutations or introduce "Super-Sensing Item System" like Xiang Kun, nor can it develop various materials and research Biological Component according to purpose and function like Mr. Liang. Based on the biological characteristics of the mutated bird itself, this protection mechanism against lightning strikes may not always be effective.

Therefore, Xiang Kun cannot be completely certain whether the "mutated bird" is dead or alive, or whether it was completely killed in the five consecutive lightning strikes he helped the Little Chubby Girl release.

We'll have Alice figure out a way to send some Super-Linked Object over there, and then check on the situation.

Gold Glitter's encounter that night was a low-probability accident, but it made Xiang Kun realize that although Gold Glitter, Egg Pie, Lao Xia, Little Chubby Girl, and Little Apple were not "Mutated Creature," they had already been incorporated into the "Super-Sensing Item System" and could now effectively use related abilities. Whether he liked it or not, they would inevitably be passively or actively involved in some things and face some potential threats.

Just like tonight, when Gold Glitter was playing in the mountains near Chongyun Village, if it were just an ordinary canary, it probably wouldn't have attracted that "mutated giant bird"—given the extent of that creature's mutation, even if it were to engage in regular blood-drinking, it wouldn't likely target a single ordinary canary.

Clearly, it suddenly attacked Gold Glitter because Gold Glitter exhibited highly unique characteristics, arousing its curiosity or sparking its interest. It's even possible that it mistook Gold Glitter for a "Mutated Creature."

What if it were Little Apple, Little Chubby Girl, or Lao Xia who were attacked? He couldn't bear to imagine what would happen.

Under normal circumstances, given Alice's control over the internet and various electronic devices, she could basically foresee any danger in advance, or even eliminate it directly, without having to use the "Super-Linked Object".

In the city, in human society, the abilities that Lao Xia, Little Chubby Girl, and Little Apple derived from the "Super-Sensing Item System" are too powerful. They only need to worry about not being noticed for their abnormality.

However, without electronic devices and sufficient Super-Linked Object, her information acquisition capabilities and actual influence will be greatly reduced.

Especially when faced with such an unexpected and sudden attack from a non-human creature, Alice and Lao Xia had very few options available.

Fortunately, Alice came up with a "pig's trotter throwing" skill on the spot, which was actually quite powerful.

He knew, of course, that Alice didn't throw that "crispy pork knuckle" simply to mislead the target. More importantly, Alice herself was a manifestation, making it easier for her to apply force to the manifestation "crispy pork knuckle," to throw it, and to give it a greater initial velocity.

Then, by utilizing the magnetic field generated by the numerous Super-Linked Object around Chongyun Village, the distance the ball needs to accelerate can be greatly shortened.

Unfortunately, this ability can only be used in areas where a sufficient number of Super-Linked Object are deployed and the coverage area of Super-Linked Object is large enough.

In short, it can only be used in Chongyun Village.

The "Multi- Super-Linked Object Aggregate Gravel Combat Puppet" that Little Chubby Girl, Little Apple, and Alice created under Lao Xia's command could not be considered a conventional method, even in Chongyun Village.

There were too many conditions required to achieve this, and the scale of the undertaking was enormous. Moreover, without Xiang Kun's assistance in his "Hyper-Sensory State," they wouldn't have been able to succeed. It would be very difficult for them to do it again now.

Therefore, Xiang Kun was considering how to enable Alice and Lao Xia to master certain attack or defense methods that would have a strong impact on the physical level.

As for Little Chubby Girl and Little Apple, Xiang Kun doesn't want to include them in the "regular combat system" for the time being. He hopes that within the "Super-Sensing Item System," they will only be "developers" and simple functional beneficiaries.

After all, they are still quite young, especially the Little Chubby Girl. Xiang Kun hopes that she can go to school well and grow up happily in the future. He hopes that the "magic" in her heart is just a hobby, like the "music," "drawing," and "games" of other children, only that this hobby is more private and special.

Their safety was entrusted to him, Alice, and Lao Xia.

However, for the time being, the safest and most effective way he can think of is to deploy more "Super-Linked Object" to a wider range.

Just like tonight, if Gold Glitter were playing in Chongyun Village, the "mutant bird's" sneak attack would be difficult to succeed. Even if it could become invisible, it couldn't escape some of the village's infrared cameras. Even if it could escape the infrared cameras, Alice could detect it in advance through her super-sensory information monitoring.

Even when it suddenly pounced on Gold Glitter, Alice was able to appear immediately to defend it, giving Gold Glitter time to react and escape, preventing it from being seriously injured.

--In Chongyun Village, Alice has the authority and ability to manifest at any time. Elsewhere, she needs to obtain permission from Lao Xia or Xiang Kun to invoke their abilities, and there must be enough Super-Linked Object to support her, making her slower.

The "Chongyun Village Defense System" under Alice's leadership is currently quite reliable.

The safest approach might be to "turn all the places where Lao Xia and her group might be active into Chongyun Village."

Anyway, this was part of his original plan.

Inside a black sedan parked on the side of the road outside Chongyun Village.

After the headlights and the central control screen inside the car lit up again, Chu Xiuwen tried to start the car.

Hearing the engine start, he breathed a slight sigh of relief and turned on the windshield wipers.

Although the entire process from the fog rising to the thunder, the fog dissipating, and the rain falling was actually quite short, Chu Xiuwen and Xia Tianhuo in the car felt as if they had endured several hours before finally relaxing.

Just now, in that thick fog, they not only heard continuous rumbling thunder in the sky and vaguely saw lightning in the distance, but also seemed to hear the roars and hisses of some creatures that they couldn't distinguish, and vaguely saw a flame flash by, like a very small fireball.

Even more bizarrely, their car stalled during that time, even the headlights went out, and all electronic devices, including their cell phones, malfunctioned.

During that time, the two of them truly felt as if they had entered another space, another world, as if a terrifying monster would tear through the thick fog and pounce on them at any moment.

This feeling of the unknown, of not knowing what's in the thick fog, is more terrifying than actually seeing some monster.

In particular, both of them had their own reasons for truly believing in the existence of certain mysterious and special creatures in this world.

Although the fog had lifted, the rain started to fall heavily and suddenly, and both of them clearly felt relieved.

Although the rain was heavy and torrential, pattering against the car roof, it felt real and clear.

It was as if the rain had pulled them back from a virtual space to the real world.

Chu Xiuwen started the car again and headed towards Chongyun Village. Although both of them were very uneasy, they had no intention of turning back to the town and not going to the village.

"Did you smell anything just now? It smelled like... barbecue?" Xia Tianhuo asked, somewhat uncertainly.

"Yes." Chu Xiuwen looked at him in surprise and said, "I thought I was hallucinating. I really smelled barbecue, and it smelled pretty good. You smelled it too? That's strange. Logically speaking, we shouldn't have been able to smell it in the car..."

Xia Tianhuo did not reply, and the car fell silent again.

The streetlights along both sides of the village road in Chongyun Village have been restored, and the two noticed that a lot of mud and sand had fallen in a certain area of the village road.

Strangely, the silt fell quite evenly; it shouldn't have fallen from a nearby high hillside.

They also saw a dead bird in the middle of the road. Chu Xiuwen slowed down, carefully avoiding running over the bird's carcass with his wheels.

Back outside the courtyard Xiang Kun lived, Xia Tianhuo looked through the iron gate and saw that the lights were on on the first, second, and third floors of the small building. He felt a little strange, but also slightly relieved.

Xia Tianhuo called Lao Xia, and a moment later, Lao Xia came over with an umbrella and another umbrella to open the gate and let them in.

"Why aren't you asleep yet? Were you woken up by the thunder and power outage?" Xia Tianhuo asked, puzzled, as he entered the hall.

Chu Xiuwen did not go home immediately as originally planned. Instead, he accepted Xia Tianhuo's invitation to come in for a cup of hot tea and wait for the rain to subside before leaving.

"I woke up earlier," Xia Libing replied simply, putting down her umbrella.

Just as Xia Tianhuo was inviting Chu Xiuwen to sit on the sofa in the living room on the first floor and preparing to boil water for tea, a soft, sweet voice came from the other side of the stairs. "Roast Chicken Wing Sister, I'm hungry."

Xia Tianhuo looked in the direction of the sound and saw Liu Shiling standing at the corner of the stairs, wearing a red jacket with the hood up. He exclaimed in surprise, "Little Bell, why aren't you asleep yet... Were you woken up by the thunder?"

"Big Uncle, I'm not afraid of thunder." Liu Shiling's voice and eyes suddenly became firm, and she even subconsciously raised her hands to pull on the drawstring of her hat.