Dream Begins
Knowing that Lao Xia and Nana were asleep and could be awakened in their dreams, Xiang Kun nodded.
Now we're just waiting for the "big fish" to take the bait.
Alice, standing next to Xiang Kun her hands behind her back, stood there for a while, but soon became restless and started wandering around, looking left and right, up and down, like a foreman inspecting a construction site.
In reality, she doesn't need to use the "eyes" of her manifested body to observe her surroundings. She can learn about everything around her through "Little Radish" and the various "Super-Linked Object" deployed underground, just like Xiang Kun. Her wandering around like this, with her patrolling demeanor, is purely for fun.
After wandering around for a while, Alice returned to Xiang Kun's side, leaning against his leg and occasionally looking up at him.
Xiang Kun sensed Alice's request to re-emerge, but he ignored her because he knew that the little one wanted to re-emerge so she could stand on his shoulders.
This little guy clearly doesn't need a higher position to improve his view, but he just likes to stand high, and he especially likes to stand on Xiang Kun's shoulders. I don't know how he developed such a preference.
Seeing that Xiang Kun ignored her request to re-manifest, Alice was not discouraged. She grabbed Xiang Kun's belt and then his sleeve, and began to climb up to him like climbing a tree, clearly intending to climb onto Xiang Kun's shoulder.
Xiang Kun was both amused and exasperated; how did Alice develop such "monkey-like" traits?
Helpless, he raised his hand and pressed down on Alice's head to stop her from climbing up, giving her a stern look—if she misbehaved again, he would cancel her manifestation. Only then did Alice quiet down and stay obediently to the side.
Xiang Kun also knew that Alice's behavior was a bit like ADHD; she was excited and agitated.
Alice was involved in the entire process of the "Ultimate Predator" project, from information gathering and model building to operational simulations, plan refinement, and modification. She truly lived up to her title of "assistant." There were many steps that Alice Xiang Kun complete herself, saving him a lot of trouble and significantly improving efficiency.
So, as the plan reached its most crucial stage, it's understandable that Alice was quite excited.
Suddenly, Alice herself disintegrated and vanished without warning.
Xiang Kun opened his eyes, looked at the big tree that Mr. Liang was leaning against not far away, smiled slightly, and then closed his eyes again.
From an ordinary person's perspective, there's nothing on this hilltop except for Xiang Kun standing all Zero Zero One.
Although the temperature dropped rapidly and the wind picked up a bit after sunset, nothing around us changed—no trees, grass, or soil—it was all perfectly calm.
But Xiang Kun knew that the "Ultimate Predator" had arrived.
Without the roar of tigers and the cry of dragons, without the darkness of the sky and the shaking of the earth, this "Mutated Creature" that can affect the life and death of billions of creatures and may have existed even earlier than the birth of humankind "descended" in a way that ordinary people could not detect at all.
Or more precisely, it was "activated" within Mr. Liang's body.
Xiang Kun did not erase the special factors and extrasensory information left by the "Ultimate Predator" in Mr. Liang's body. He left them there so that the "Ultimate Predator" could "descend" and devour Mr. Liang at this moment.
If the "Ultimate Predator" were a human, Xiang Kun might use a different plan, engage in a little battle of wits, or even pretend to erase the special factor from Mr. Liang's body, and then let Mr. Liang be "accidentally" infected by the special factor.
But after understanding the operating mode and characteristics of the "Ultimate Predator" special factor, he knew that when Mr. Liang completed enough phase transformations, and when a "bloodline" that met the conditions of the "Ultimate Predator" was born, he had no other choice but to step into it, even if he knew it might be a trap.
Because Xiang Kun has already analyzed special factors and special extrasensory information, and established a "stage transformation model" by analyzing the changes in extrasensory information during the multiple transformations of Mr. Liang, John, and others when they devoured "Mutated Creature," he has found the reason why "Mutated Creature" have stage limits, as well as the progressive relationship between the stages of the stage limits, and how to judge the degree of stage transformation through the extrasensory information of "Mutated Creature."
It was precisely because he had mastered these things that he was able to accurately calculate the required "blood source" for each stage of Mr. Liang's transformation, and through the "Super-Linked Object" scattered all over the world, he was able to determine the location of a large number of "Mutated Creature" and have Alice help analyze their extrasensory information in order to find the appropriate "blood source" for each stage.
Using the same method, Xiang Kun knew that once Mr. Liang completed this blood-drinking and this stage of transformation, his transformation level would meet the requirements for the "Ultimate Predator" to devour.
Why is it believed that even if the "Ultimate Predator" knew it was a trap set by Xiang Kun, it would still inevitably fall into it?
Xiang Kun knew that the "Ultimate Predator" had actually reached its stage limit long ago, but it used this method of breaking down into smaller parts, grafting and hiding in the bodies of countless organisms, and always being in a semi-dormant state to temporarily delay the collapse trend brought about by the stage limit.
Therefore, when it discovers that there is a "blood source" that can meet its stage of transformation needs, it will inevitably be unable to restrain itself. This is the instinct of the "Mutated Creature", or rather, it is driven by the "High-Dimensional Factor" in the body of the "Mutated Creature".
Based on the deductions he had made with Alice, Xiang Kun calculated that the "Ultimate Predator" would target Mr. Liang, but the timing of its attack would vary, with several possible points in time.
From the current perspective, it still chose the earliest node, which is also the "best" node from an objective point of view— Mr. Liang's body has just finished devouring the previous "Mutated Creature," the stage limit has just been broken, the transformation is basically complete, but it has not yet awakened from its slumber, and its subjective consciousness has not yet fully awakened—that is, the state of the previous arthropod-like "Mutated Creature" hidden in its shell and buried underground.
If Xiang Kun hadn't been there, this would have been a story of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, with Mr. Liang becoming a stepping stone for the "Ultimate Predator" to cross its stage limits without any resistance.
Of course, without Xiang Kun, even if Mr. Liang had completely completed his transformation and remained conscious, he would still be meat on the chopping block of the "Ultimate Predator," unable to resist. For most creatures on this planet, the "Ultimate Predator" is an invisible and even unconscious adversary; they will not understand what happened until their lives are taken away and they are devoured by it.
Xiang Kun entered a "Hyper-Sensory State," using cognitive information to determine the movements of the "Ultimate Predator."
Previously, Xiang Kun could erase the special cognitive information left by the "Ultimate Predator" in other organisms by sensing them in his "Hyper-Sensory State." So, although he could easily erase the special cognitive information of the "Ultimate Predator" around him, he was unable to analyze or understand it.
However, with the support of the already relatively complete "Super-Sensing Item System" and Alice's assistance, Xiang Kun naturally has plenty of ways to circumvent the restrictions.
Just as the ability to "die upon sight" can be bypassed by using mirrors or electronic imaging, Xiang Kun also bypassed the ability to eliminate upon perception through Alice, obtaining the special cognitive information of the "Ultimate Predator" through Alice's indirect perception.
The same method is still used now to confirm that the "Ultimate Predator" has activated the special factor in Mr. Liang's body. Like a seed, it is rapidly sprouting and growing in Mr. Liang's body, forming a structure that can bear the ability to devour Mr. Liang. The energy and materials consumed all come from Mr. Liang himself.
When Xiang Kun sensed that the "Ultimate Predator's" devouring structure had taken shape and was about to begin devouring Mr. Liang, he immediately sensed the "Emotion-Infused Object" beside Mr. Liang, triggering his dream.
Because there is a strong connection between the main consciousness of various organisms and their own High-Dimensional Factor, the ownership of High-Dimensional Factor is marked by consciousness. The mutual devouring between "Mutated Creature" is also a struggle for control of High-Dimensional Factor. Because of the special devouring method of the "Ultimate Predator", when it deprives the control of High-Dimensional Factor at this moment, the "consciousness" itself is regarded as one with Mr. Liang, and is thus also pulled into the dream.
As soon as he sensed the dream, Xiang Kun immediately put Alice in full control.
This takeover could only last for a moment, but that moment was enough. Xiang Kun immediately used Lao Xia's Dream Within a Dream method to quickly sense the "Emotion-Infused Object" around Lao Xia, Tang Baona, Yang Zhen'er, Liu Shiling, and Little Apple. Each time he sensed someone, he used Alice to temporarily take over and "suspend" the dream. In this way, one after another, he pulled all five people into the dream.
Then Xiang Kun took over Alice's job, providing the underlying support for the entire dream and stabilizing it. Alice then began to build the framework of the entire dream system according to their previously planned schedule.
Xiang Kun himself is not afraid of the "Ultimate Predator". The "Super-Sensing Item System" has an overwhelming advantage over its construction method in terms of level. When "Super-Linked Object" are everywhere, it is only a matter of time before they are all wiped out.
However, the "Ultimate Predator" has existed for too long and has infected almost all living things. Xiang Kun's global deployment of "Super-Linked Object" will take time, and if it is to be launched ahead of schedule, other methods are needed.
This method involves figuring out how the consciousness of the "Ultimate Predator" exists and the communication pathways between all the special factors.
Xiang Kun knew that the overall consciousness of the "Ultimate Predator" was constructed through High-Dimensional Factor, but he did not yet understand how it was constructed. He needed to understand the system structure so that he could influence and destroy it, paralyzing its ability to activate special factors without completely erasing all special factors, thereby indirectly eliminating the possibility of it hijacking other creatures.
However, Xiang Kun could not obtain this information through the special factors within any one or a few organisms, because at that time its consciousness was scattered and not concentrated on one point. Only when undergoing a phased transformation and engaging in blood-drinking and devouring could Xiang Kun be 100% certain that the consciousness of the "Ultimate Predator" would focus on this point.
In order to complete the absorption and control Mr. Liang's High-Dimensional Factor, it is necessary to mark him with his consciousness, regardless of the form of his consciousness.
Xia Libing looked at the familiar living room in front of her; this was the house they lived in in Chongyun Village.
She saw a girl with a high ponytail sitting at a round table in the restaurant, sipping hot soup.
This girl looks exactly like her.
She suddenly heard the sound of typing again, so she looked over and saw another girl, just like her, sitting on the sofa, typing something on a laptop.
Then, one after another, she appeared. Some were cooking, some were looking at their phones, some were sitting in a daze, and some were dozing off.
Xia Libing tried to raise her hand to touch her face, but suddenly realized she couldn't do it. Then she realized she couldn't even blink. It seemed she didn't have a body at all, but was just a conscious entity that could move, sense, and observe everything around her.
She knew she was dreaming to help Xiang Kun fight the "Ultimate Predator." The bottom layer of this dream was built and supported by Xiang Kun and his "Super-Sensing Item System," while the next layer was based on Mr. Liang and the "Ultimate Predator." She, Tang Baona, Yang Zhen'er, Little Apple, and Little Chubby Girl were on the top layer, while Alice was responsible for controlling and coordinating their dreams to ensure they functioned properly.
Xiang Kun didn't tell them exactly what to do, because at that time he didn't know what they could see in their dreams. They were free to explore and help Xiang Kun understand the consciousness structure, thought system, and perception system of the "Ultimate Predator".
Looking at the situation before her, where many versions of herself existed, but the conscious entity was nothingness, Xia Libing thought for a while and realized that this must be the influence of the "Ultimate Predator." The "Ultimate Predator" was using her own thought patterns to influence her dream.
Xia Libing observed these "selves" and knew that this was an amplification of her confusion about self-awareness; she needed to find the right shell to reset herself.
Judging from their appearance, figure, and movements, they are all her, and there is not a single flaw in their identities.
Indeed, since she constructed herself according to her own subconscious, how could she possibly see through the facade?
Xia Libing pondered for a moment, then suddenly had an idea. The top of the entire building was blown off, the surrounding walls collapsed, and all the furniture disappeared. At the same time, dozens of "Xia Libing" appeared, standing on the empty ground. The "Xia Libing" who was sitting on the sofa typing on the keyboard fell to the ground, and the "Xia Libing" who was sitting and eating also fell hard, but they all dusted themselves off, stood up, and then looked around.
Suddenly, fireworks exploded overhead, dazzlingly beautiful, each burst revealing a different pattern: cartoon cats, chicken legs, cakes, and even Coin.
All the "Xia Libing" looked up at the sky, and then countless cakes appeared in the void, splattering down on their faces.
Some of the "Xia Libing" fans got cream all over their faces; some raised their hands to cover it, while others dodged it in time.
One of them, after having cream smeared all over his face, just stood there grinning like an idiot.
That's her.
Xia Libing's true form moved towards that "Xia Libing" and entered it.