In the Land of Dead Silence, the two stared at the golden-orange phantom that appeared out of nowhere.
Han Xiao gripped the resurrection coin, sensing its vibrations as he asked curiously:
And what are you?
"I am the consciousness of the Netherland. Simply put, I am the steward of this Secondary Dimension. You can call me by my name, Onicelu."
It was actually a dimensional consciousness! I thought that even if there were any consciousnesses in such a dying Secondary Dimension, they would have already been annihilated... Han Xiao was secretly amazed.
Only a very small Secondary Dimension give rise to dimensional consciousness, which is equivalent to having life, transforming inanimate objects into living beings; the Fel Energy Aggregation is one such example.
The dimensional consciousness entity is at a higher level, representing the successful ignition of the spark of wisdom in the Secondary Dimension. In comparison, the Fel Energy Aggregation is merely a beast.
This dimensional consciousness can control and manipulate all the energy of the Secondary Dimension. In the eyes of some, it is similar to the existence of gods. Some sects regard the appearance of dimensional consciousness as a god and worship it. This is one of the mainstream forms of gods in the main universe.
According to Han Xiao's understanding, the function of a dimensional consciousness can be basically equated with that of a land deity, which makes the explanation much simpler.
No wonder we couldn't sense their presence. Although this is a decaying Secondary Dimension, it's still their territory. The dimensional consciousness is this space itself; if it doesn't want to show itself, others simply can't detect it.
"What is the Netherland?" Han Xiao had a vague guess in his mind.
As expected, the dimensional consciousness calling itself Onicelu glanced down at the black floating island beneath its feet and calmly said, "As you can see, this Secondary Dimension heading towards decay is the Netherland."
Han Xiao understood.
The Land of Dead Silence is what the Void Lord Kirkmond calls it; it seems the Netherland is the official name for this Secondary Dimension.
He brandished the resurrection coin in his hand, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "So, you discovered us a long time ago? Since you react to the energy within this coin, why did you only show yourself now?"
"Just to confirm your purpose." Onicelu's mental fluctuations were very gentle.
As soon as Han Xiao and his companion entered the Netherland Dimension, Onicelu discovered them and silently observed them until they helped her regulate the internal environment. After confirming that they meant her no harm, she decided to reveal herself.
On the other hand, Onicelu also needs to determine whether the two individuals carrying the resurrection coins are friends or foes of the creator, which is very important to her.
Han Xiao wanted to ask more questions, but Onicelu interrupted him, saying slowly:
"I know you have many questions, but I've answered enough. I won't answer any more until you tell me about your relationship with the maker of these two coins."
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao remained silent, secretly weighing the pros and cons.
The fact that Hila and her sister have an energy connection to this Secondary Dimension is already strange, but now that this dimension has consciousness, it becomes even more intriguing.
According to Hila, this dimension is an obstacle to her connection with Aurora, and it has been silently absorbing the energy they transmit. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the other party's intentions for the time being, and he does not know whether he should be honest with her.
However, since there is a dimensional consciousness entity, it must know the ins and outs of all this, so Hila doesn't need to speculate. The only problem is to confirm that the other party is not lying.
Just as Han Xiao was pondering, Ames, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke up:
She is my student.
Onicelu turned to look at her. "Can you prove it?"
Ames looked at Han Xiao and gestured with her eyes.
"Alright, since you've said it, I don't need to think about it anymore..." Han Xiao shook his head helplessly and used virtual technology to release some of Hila's information.
"It really is the Power of the Dead..." Onicelu's mental fluctuations seemed to ease, revealing a kind smile, "She has an older or younger sister who possesses life abilities, so they should be related by blood."
"... That's right." Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and he nodded.
Onicelu the two of them a deep look, clasped her hands together, and her tone became serious:
"I have a request; I hope you will bring them to me as soon as possible... The Netherland needs new successors!"
The Heir?
Han Xiao and Ames exchanged a glance, both looking puzzled.
"What exactly happened? Tell me everything you know, and I'll pass it on to them. But if you don't tell me, I can only suspect your intentions and try to stop them from coming," Han Xiao said in a deep voice.
The title of successor sounds good, but Han Daji and his teacher are afraid that this is something like the "Meow King," and they are worried that it might harm Hila, so they must find out the truth.
"Since I've decided to show myself, I have no intention of hiding it from you."
Onicelu shared a memory through mental fluctuations, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of "listening to her mother tell stories of the past":
"The story begins with the exploration history. During the long war, the first batch of Beyond Grade A were born, known as the First Ones. Among the First Ones were two sisters who were not related by blood but whose supernatural abilities complemented and harmonized each other: Nigos, the ' The One Who Controls Death,' and Aios, the ' Mother of All Things.' They used their abilities to create this Netherland Dimension..."
"Initially, the Netherland Dimension was just a prison, used to hold the souls bound by Nigos and to store the followers subdued by Aios. But as the two founders' abilities continued to grow, the Netherland Dimension gained a new function: to serve as a sanctuary, providing a world where the consciousness of the deceased can remain forever."
Since you are a mechanic, in your words, it can be understood as those who die physically, having their memories and spirits transformed into data and uploaded to the virtual world, achieving a different kind of immortality. The Netherland Dimension is like a server, storing the souls of countless life forms. Many powerful explorers chose the Netherland to rest here after death... Therefore, Nigos and Aios created me, making me manage the Netherland and become Netherland guardian."
"The two founders were exceptionally talented and never stopped growing. Nigos's ability prevented souls from decaying in the Netherland, while Aios used her power to create temporary physical vessels, giving souls a new body. Then, using the special energy fused from both, they could briefly restore the target's former combat strength until their life force was exhausted. Even if the physical vessels perished again, their souls could still return to the Netherland. The two used this ability to build a powerful legion... The Netherland Dimension was, for them, a vast military camp!"
Listening to Onicelu's explanation, Han Xiao's lips twitched, and a strong sense of déjà vu surged up.
Holy crap, is this Impure World Reincarnation + Valhalla?!
Those two older sisters really know how to have fun!
Ames had previously mentioned that the Hila sisters' abilities were quite similar to those of the two the First Ones, so Han Xiao had also looked up their information and knew that the Mother of All Things was not as weak as Aurora. She had a huge following and summoner-like abilities. Now, this was the first time Han Xiao had learned the details of their abilities.
So, the Netherland holds the souls of countless powerful beings. Through life energy, death energy, and the revival energy resulting from their fusion, it's possible to perform "Impure World Reincarnation," transforming these souls into a massive army. And according to this dimensional consciousness, the Hila sisters seem to be potential successors to the Netherland...
Doesn't that mean they inherited the legacy of the two the First Ones, a windfall from heaven?!
--It seems like good things always happen when you're with Fording.
Just as he was overjoyed, Onicelu abruptly changed the subject, her tone turning sorrowful:
"Unfortunately, after the deaths of the two founders, the Netherland Dimension lost its energy supply, gradually withered away, all souls fell silent, and even I fell into a long slumber."
How did they die?
Han Xiao was curious, because the information didn't mention the cause of their deaths; it only said that they had disappeared without a trace.
A whole host of conspiracy theories flooded his mind, but Onicelu's answer was unexpected.
"They committed suicide."
Han Xiao was slightly taken aback. "This... you're perfectly fine, why?"
Onicelu sighed, "They kept developing their abilities, and one day, they suddenly had an epiphany. All along, they considered themselves the controllers of life and death, yet they had never truly experienced what death and rebirth were. In their view, only by walking this path could their powers reach a higher level. So they decided to actively walk towards annihilation, to seek the true meaning of life and death..."
"Before they died, they told me not to be sad, that destruction was only the beginning of new life, and that this was their destiny... On that day, I watched with my own eyes as they left behind their physical remains, their natural instincts taking flight, and thus ended their lives."
Han Xiao looked completely bewildered.
No, what kind of enlightenment can a dead person gain?
Could these two be ultimate seekers of the Dao, having achieved the ideal of "hearing the Dao in the morning, one can die content in the evening"?
Perhaps only by possessing this mindset can one become one of the first great individuals in the entire universe to break through the Beyond Grade A boundary; perhaps this is the meaning of the First Ones."
As if understanding Han Xiao's expression, Onicelu shook her head and said softly:
"I understand your doubts. Before their consciousness completely vanished, there was a brief moment in a superposition of life and death. It was at that moment that I received their last message: they said they had finally found the true meaning of life and death."
"What is it?" Han Xiao's curiosity was piqued again.
"Inheritance," Onicelu said softly. "They say that passing the torch from generation to generation is true perpetuation, forming a complete cycle within the vast life system."
Han Xiao was speechless. Isn't this a common-sense principle? Did you really learn this by risking your lives? You died for nothing!
However, although he really wanted to complain, he also understood that knowing the principle was one thing, and experiencing it firsthand was another.
Often, the key to reaching a higher level is that sudden flash of inspiration, like opening up one's meridians—this is the origin of enlightenment. The more powerful one is, the more important this feeling becomes.
Onicelu continued, "Their deaths were not in vain; they passed on this profound understanding to the next generation."
Han Xiao was startled, somewhat incredulous. "Could Hila and Aurora really be the reincarnations of the two the First Ones?"
Upon hearing this, Ames, who was standing to the side, also looked surprised.
However, Onicelu shook her head.
"Reincarnation? That's not it. They're dead, utterly dead. Their souls have vanished, and their physical remains were decomposed by me to replenish the dimensional energy. Apart from this Netherland, nothing remains. They left all their experience within their supernatural abilities; it's the supernatural abilities that are passed down."
"I still don't understand..." Ames said, puzzled.
Onicelu patiently explained, "After they died, they left behind the seeds of life and death powers. These are neither physical entities nor energy bodies, but rather higher-dimensional Information State. I don't know why this happened, but I know that if I preserve them, no one in the entire universe will ever awaken life and death powers again."
Therefore, to fulfill the entrustment of the two founders, and also to save myself, I sent these two seeds, entangled in information, back to the main universe. I know that one day in the future, they will blossom and bear fruit in two new life forms...
At this point, Onicelu and the book paused, then smiled:
"Do you really think it's a coincidence that two sisters with the superpowers of life and death have appeared in the entire universe?"
Upon hearing this secret, Master Han felt his young heart was shocked.
So, Hila and Aurora have no direct relationship with the First Ones sisters; they were simply chosen by the Information State power seeds to become the life and death power users of this generation.
The two sisters the First Ones possessed their own insights into the Information State seeds of their special abilities. As a result, later awakened individuals received the inheritance of these experiences and memories in a subtle way, which indirectly enhanced the talents of their descendants.
--No wonder Hila learns new skills and specialties so easily. One generation plants the trees, another enjoys the shade. This superpower of hers comes with its own development guide!
This isn't called a "seed of superpowers" anymore; it should be called the "source"!
"Information State..." Han Xiao couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.
He also remembered one of his species ascensions, during which an evolutionary option called [Multidimensional Shadow] appeared, which seemed to be related to Information State.
Before he could ponder it, Onicelu spoke again, in a low voice:
"That's all I know. After the two founders died, the Netherland gradually withered, unable to maintain its isolation from the outside world. Its area shrank, its spatial walls crumbled, and one soul after another fell into slumber. I could only store them all in the dimensional core to prevent them from disappearing, but I also grew weaker and fell into slumber as well. When the Netherland completely perishes, these souls will also disappear."
"The source energy of the Netherland is the energy of life and death powers, and not long ago, I was finally replenished. I unconsciously absorbed the energy of this generation of sisters, which barely roused me from my long slumber, and then I voluntarily stopped absorbing it."
Han Xiao pondered to himself:
'Not long ago, it must have been when Hila and Aurora developed their life connection. No wonder the energy they were transmitting was absorbed. That makes sense. So, the Netherland Dimension is actually the medium for the two sisters' life connection, acting as a conduit for their energy...'
At this moment, Onicelu shook her head and calmly said:
"The remains of the two the First Ones sustained me for a long time, but they've long since run out. The Netherland desperately needs long-term, stable energy suppliers. Please bring them here as soon as possible. I don't know how much longer I can hold on."
As soon as he finished speaking, Han Xiao received a mission notification.
[You have triggered the quest [Netherland's Successor]!]
[Mission Brief: The Netherland is the legacy of the previous generation of beings with life and death abilities. The dimensional consciousness Onicelu senses her own decline and hopes that Hila and Aurora will become her new successors.]
[Task Requirements: Help Hila and Aurora inherit the Netherland Dimension]
[Rewards: 50 million experience points, Onicelu's favorability +20, Character Card x1]
[Additional Quest Requirement: Restore the Netherland Dimension to its former glory]
[Bonus Reward: Onicelu's Affection +40, [Netherland Brand]]