Saitan

At that moment, he stood in an unusually broad underground tunnel. There were forty or fifty vehicles just like the black sedan he had ridden in, forming a long black dragon along the tunnel.

Two rows of armed soldiers stood on either side of the tunnel, holding cold, forbidding submachine guns. They stood ramrod straight, their faces expressionless-clearly well-trained special forces.

He also noticed that one or two young men and women around his own age seemed to be getting out of every sedan. All wore casual clothes, and their looks and bearing suggested they were students. Guided by several soldiers, they were heading toward a number of brightly lit circular passageways beside the tunnel.

At a gesture from the square-faced man, Ding Yu followed several young men and women toward the nearest circular passageway.

Apart from a row of small white lights overhead, every surface of the circular passageway was exceptionally smooth, as though it were made entirely of metal.

Before long, Ding Yu and the others disappeared into the passageway.

Only then did the square-faced man and the other men in suits turn around and get back into their sedans, driving out of the tunnel one after another.

Two hours later.

Ding Yu and more than a hundred other young men and women gathered in an enormous hall, all looking at a man in his forties on the raised platform ahead.

The man wore loose casual clothes. His appearance was unremarkable and his hair disheveled, but as he pointed at a blurry photograph on the enormous screen behind him, words poured from his mouth like a rushing river.

"...This enormous celestial body, which we on Blue Star have named 'Saitan,' is not a planet in the true sense, but the projection of a passage from another world. Take a close look at these black spots on Saitan. Magnified countless times, they are actually enormous artificial structures. At the same scale on Blue Star, they would measure some ten thousand li across. Moreover, this is not Saitan's first appearance on Blue Star. According to certain secret records and corroborating evidence, it has appeared no fewer than four times throughout history, remaining for more than a month each time. Its earliest appearance can even be traced back to the dawn of human civilization."

As the middle-aged man spoke, he tapped the screen with a finger. The image changed to a primitive drawing on a white stone wall.

Although the mural was crude, two suns, one large and one small, could clearly be seen in the sky above the many little black figures. The smaller sun was marked with yellow spots, while the larger one bore red spots.

"According to the secret records, the intervals between Saitan's appearances have grown shorter each time, while it has grown larger. Its last appearance was only two hundred years ago, when it still looked about the same size as the sun. Based on our scientists' research and deductions in recent years, it may appear again in a few decades, or even a little over ten years. When it does, it may no longer be a projection, but a true passage between worlds. It might even cause the two worlds to begin gradually merging. To prepare for this, the nations of Blue Star signed a secret agreement ten years ago to address it at any cost. That is also why you are here," the middle-aged man concluded solemnly.

"Dr. Chen, what could something like that have to do with us? We're still in school." Although everyone was dumbstruck, someone could not resist asking.

The question voiced the doubts of most people present, and many chimed in.

"This student... no, I should say everyone invited here, you all came here for one common reason. Last night, when Saitan appeared, you all had 'dreams,' and those dreams all involved people from the Otherworld," Dr. Chen replied from the platform with a smile.

"Dreams? Dreams about people from another world?"

"How did you know?"

"What exactly is going on?"

A stir ran through the crowd below the platform. Ding Yu, too, was left openmouthed.

It turned out he was not the only one who had had that strange dream last night. So many others had experienced it too.

"Quiet down, everyone. Your strange dreams last night were indeed connected to the Otherworld, and I will explain everything to you in turn. As a representative of the government's special affairs department, I have only one request: that you enter another dream of that world with the assistance of our equipment. This dream may last somewhat longer, but we guarantee that your lives will not be endangered. The government will also provide generous compensation, such as monetary rewards or assistance with future employment. All you need to do is learn as much as you can about the other world in your dreams, then tell us everything exactly as it happened when you wake, so that we can gain an accurate understanding of that world. Before that, however, we need to conduct a simple test..." Ignoring the commotion below, Dr. Chen continued speaking calmly from the platform.

Standing among the crowd, Ding Yu sank into thought.

Not long afterward, hundreds of meters underground.

Rows of silvery-white metal sleeping pods filled a heavily guarded white hall.

Ding Yu and the others lay inside the pods, their eyes closed and their expressions peaceful.

Beside each pod stood a staff member in white, holding an instrument the size of a mobile phone and continually recording something on it.

On a raised platform outside the hall, Dr. Chen and several people who looked like officials observed the occupants of the sleeping pods through a transparent glass window. From time to time, they exchanged a few quiet words, their expressions grave.

The following morning, in a room resembling a classroom, a silvery-white sleeping pod stood at the front.

Ding Yu and the other young people sat at individual desks, listening intently to a white-haired elderly man beside the pod. However, only a third of the original group remained-roughly thirty people.

"...After investigations by countries across the globe, we were surprised to discover that everyone capable of connecting with Saitan and entering dreams this time was within Kyoto in our country. Although other governments had also put screening measures in place beforehand, they found no one else capable of dreaming their way into the other world. There is something else you may not know: you were all born on the same day. More precisely, even the hour of your births was identical. This may be why only your brain waves can connect with Saitan. Our scientists will study this more deeply in the future..."

"Combining your dreams of the other world last night with earlier records of Saitan, we have drawn the following broad conclusions: it is a world with less advanced productive capabilities than ours, containing different countries and extremely vast regions. The people we know of there show no obvious differences from us in either appearance or physiology as people of East Asian descent. Most aspects of their food, clothing, housing, and transportation, and even their writing and calendar, bear some resemblance to ancient Huaguo. We therefore cannot rule out the possibility that they share a common racial origin with us. However, mysterious supernatural powers appear to exist in that world. Last night, one student who possessed a person there personally witnessed a 'Human-Faced Fish' capable of human speech. Searching for mysterious supernatural powers in the Otherworld will be your primary task..."

"You are the final candidates who passed the tests. Not only can your brain waves connect with Saitan once you enter a dream, but they are also stable enough for you to use this Zero-Type sleeping pod. The Zero-Type is one of the greatest inventions of this century. Its key components are made from a new material that is exceedingly rare on Blue Star. Only a few hundred units exist worldwide, and all those allocated to our country are already here at this base. With nutrient solution alone, the Zero-Type can allow someone to sleep safely inside for years. Every unit is equipped with a subsystem of Taiyuan, Blue Star's most advanced intelligent computer, which can monitor your health at any time and amplify your brain waves to the greatest possible degree. This will let you remain in the other world longer after entering a dream, and may even help you influence the behavior of the person you possess at critical moments. How much influence you can exert depends on various factors and differs from person to person. Next, I will teach you step by step how to call upon Taiyuan in your dreams and use her assistance..."

"The people you enter through your dreams have different identities. Most are ordinary people, but a few have special backgrounds. Please remember that the specific identity of the person you enter is strictly confidential. You must not exchange that information privately..."

On the evening of the third day, inside the white hall.

Only thirty-odd silvery-white sleeping pods remained where the hall had once been filled with them.

Ding Yu stood beside a sleeping pod, staring blankly as several uniformed staff members made their final adjustments. When he shifted his gaze, his eyes happened to meet the nervous gaze of a young girl beside the neighboring pod.

The girl had fair skin and delicate features. When her eyes met Ding Yu's, a trace of shyness appeared on her face, and she gave him a slight nod.

Ding Yu forced a smile and nodded back, then instinctively glanced at the newly attached silver nameplate on her pod. Two black characters clearly spelled out "Xu Ting," presumably the girl's name.

A little while later, with the staff's assistance, everyone lay down in their sleeping pods.

Once the transparent outer glass cover closed, Ding Yu took a deep breath, feeling uneasy. Dr. Chen's clear voice still came through inside the pod:

"In one minute, the sleep-inducing gas will be released. Before then, I will repeat the three most important points. First, protect your own consciousness after entering the dream. If the person you enter loses their life, your body on Blue Star will not die, but the synchronization of your consciousness may result in mental damage. Second, you will remain in your sleeping pods for as long as Saitan is present. Based on past data, this should be approximately one month. However, time in the dream may flow at a different rate from reality, and that rate may change. If anyone remains in the dream for more than a month, do not panic. Once the time is up in reality, we will wake you ourselves. Third, during this journey into your dreams, focus on investigating the mysterious powers of the other world. The more detailed the information, the better. Ideally, you should use the person you possess to learn directly how to control that power. Now, finally, I wish you all a successful journey to the other world. I will be waiting here for you to awaken."

"Releasing sleep-inducing gas. 10, 9, 8, 7..."

As the countdown ended, streams of white mist sprayed into every sleeping pod. A sweet fragrance washed over Ding Yu's mouth and nose, and he soon lost consciousness.

Ten minutes later, pale green liquid filled each sleeping pod.

On a raised platform separated from the white hall by a wall, Dr. Chen stood with an imposing man in an immaculate military uniform. They talked as they watched the hall on an enormous screen.

"Dr. Chen, can doing this really avert that future catastrophe on Blue Star?"

"General Xu, I don't know either. This is the only result Taiyuan calculated. You know how Taiyuan came into being. We can only put our faith in her," Dr. Chen replied solemnly.

The military man nodded silently.

Just then, a mechanical voice suddenly rang through the hall:

"Unknown energy has arrived and is affecting the entire base. The base's three layers of protective shielding have been penetrated. Electromagnetic fields in the surrounding area are being affected..."

"This is bad! Taiyuan, activate the base's emergency defense system immediately!" Dr. Chen's expression changed drastically. He grabbed a microphone and shouted.

But by then, the sleeping pods in the white hall had begun to tremble. Arcs of electricity wreathed them one after another, sparks flying in every direction. Some even burst apart...

Half an hour later, Dr. Chen and the uniformed man appeared in the white hall. Their faces were ashen as they surveyed the devastation and listened to the staff's reports.

Eight or nine out of every ten sleeping pods in the hall were billowing black smoke. Some of the people who had only just gone to sleep inside were being helped out, looking bewildered.

"Report: only three Zero-Type Sleep Pods are still operating normally. All the others have developed various problems to differing degrees. They must be repaired before they can be used again."

"Bring in other intact sleeping pods immediately and send the people who woke up back into their dreams," Dr. Chen ordered urgently.

But before the staff could carry out his instructions, a pleasant female voice rang through the hall again:

"Doctor, we have just confirmed that the unknown energy came from outer space. That energy and Saitan have now disappeared simultaneously."

"Outer space? Saitan has disappeared already?"

"That's impossible!"

This time, Dr. Chen and General Xu cried out together. They exchanged a glance, both wearing expressions of disbelief.

At the same moment, in the deepest part of the underground base, a cold mechanical voice echoed through an enormous unmanned computer room protected by more than a dozen thick layers of armor:

"Base database records being lost... being lost... subsystem sequence incomplete... initiating replication and reconstruction immediately... reconstruction in progress... reconstruction in progress... missing subsystem replication complete... repeating self-check... problem resolved..."