Split Personality disorder? Paranoia? Or is it feigned?
Everyone looked at him strangely; was this guy crazy?
Han Xiao said in a deep voice, "Psychic Parasite."
Upon hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed Fording's eyes; he hadn't expected Han Xiao to be able to see through the truth so quickly.
"I didn't expect you to be able to see through it." Fording suddenly realized why Han Xiao had suddenly attacked; it turned out he had discovered Morning Star's secret.
But he was immediately puzzled. Why would this mercenary named Black Star lend a helping hand? They were not related, and mercenaries were not known for their meddlesome nature. He must have something on his mind.
"So it's Psychic Parasite..." Volga Third Brother suddenly realized and immediately explained to the others. He was also a telekinetic practitioner and knew this secret technique.
Just as martial artists hone their physical bodies, telekinetic practitioners refine their minds and souls. The powerful can separate their souls and consciousness from their original bodies and reside in the brains of other life forms, thus gaining a second life.
This method is generally only used when the body is severely injured and there is no way out, because the process of separating the soul will cause irreversible damage, and there is only a 0.3% chance of success. If it fails, the soul will collapse and the person will die on the spot.
Unless forced into a corner, most people would not want to abandon their original body and replace it with someone else's. Morning Star is an example. How could a woman possibly want to replace her body with a man's? The external devices wouldn't even be compatible!
A psychic would never choose a target with a stronger mind than themselves as a host. Once Psychic Parasite, it can basically seize control of the body. The original owner's consciousness is like being trapped in a cage. They can experience the body's senses, but cannot control the body. They are like an immersive bystander, as if they have become two personalities who know of each other's existence.
Morning Star was severely injured and her consciousness was very weak. She could only recuperate in her brain, so Fording naturally took over her body, and Morning Star became the bystander.
Han Xiao took action to see Fording, and injuring Morning Star's consciousness was the most direct way. Fortunately, he had Hila's character card, which allowed him to accurately deal with the mind without having to severely injure Fording's body... although his injuries were not minor either.
Volga Third Brother explained the principle of spiritual possession in a simple way, and the others understood.
--No wonder Morning Star acted so femininely; she's actually a woman.
Melos asked curiously, "When were you taken in as a foster parent?"
"You mean when was the last time I controlled my body?" Fording shrugged. "Four years, nine months, fourteen days, eight hours, and twenty-three minutes... oh, it's twenty-four minutes now."
"About five years ago..." Sylvia had already woken up and, after hearing the conversation, exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't that the day Morning Star debuted?"
"Yes... My home planet is in a remote star system in the Shattered Star Ring. I didn't like the home planet, which had been so thoroughly transformed, so I voluntarily migrated to a desolate semi-colonial planet. It was a place where the poor lived, and in the eyes of others, it was a place of exile. But I felt it was more vibrant than the cities surrounded by steel... I lived in the wild, farming and hunting for a living, and everything was so harmonious. One day, a spaceship crashed in my vegetable garden. Inside sat a severely injured and unconscious woman. That was Morning Star. I rescued her and bandaged her wounds, but she was too badly injured. On her deathbed, she took over my body and continued to live on using my body. She even became a star. That's the whole story."
Fording's tone was calm, seemingly not angry about having his body taken away. Five years had long since allowed him to adapt, smoothing out his initial resentment and anger.
Han Xiao nodded secretly. Although Morning Star was completely powerless against his attacks, it was because her mental power was severely damaged during the soul separation. Her strength level was once very close to Grade A, but due to the change of body, her strength plummeted and she almost dropped to Grade C. That's why she needed to collect sacrificial items to restore her strength.
Morning Star isn't a main character, but Fording is!
Moreover, his luck is even stronger than that of a minor protagonist like Melos; his Lucky Halo is clearly high-level!
A powerful figure suddenly entered my mind, a perfect fit for a protagonist, except that in other people it's an old man, Fording it's a young lady. People are just different.
Without Morning Star, Fording, with his laid-back, old-fashioned nature, would never have actively sought out his hidden talents and would have remained an ordinary person. Although Morning Star temporarily took over his body, it also led him on an unknown journey. Otherwise, Fording would never have discovered his vast and boundless talent. His predicament was only temporary. Although Han Xiao didn't know the exact time, Fording later turned the tables and suppressed Morning Star.
Fording's story can be expanded upon to tell a personal coming-of-age tale—[The Legend of the Singer]!
How awesome is a protagonist with a high-level aura? Let's put it this way: Fording at his peak was on par with Hila in terms of awesomeness. His singing voice went straight to the soul, not needing air to travel through; it resonated directly in the heart.
The ethereal singing washes away the anger, restlessness, and hatred in souls, like the misty wind passing through the forest or the water droplets rippling the surface of a lake. All the turbulent waves eventually return to calm, leaving only the peaceful joy of seeing tender grass stubbornly breaking through the soil.
A song averted an impending interstellar war!
This is precisely Fording's famous story!
Furthermore, Fording did not keep his knowledge to himself; he publicly taught his telekinetic techniques. Esper Class players could learn from him how to use their voices to unleash their telekinetic abilities, forming a distinct school of thought. Fording was essentially a high-level Esper Class mentor.
When Han Xiao thought of this mission, he had already made a complete plan. If he could get the Mission Settlement Card, he would temporarily refrain from provoking Morning Star and focus on advancing his cultivation level. However, if he failed to get the completion card, he would trigger this storyline along the way. Players who had done the [Find the Statues] mission in their previous lives naturally did not know Morning Star's secret. It was only much later that players learned that this character had a storyline event, but unfortunately, no one was able to trigger it at the time.
Although Han Xiao didn't know the outcome of triggering this plot at this time, he decided to give it a try. He wasn't completely ignorant; he knew about Fording's later behavior and personality and could roughly guess some of the process. He wouldn't say he was 100% certain, but he was sure there would be something to gain.
"I can help you take control of your body and expel the guest from your mind. Otherwise, once she recovers, your body will belong to him again," Han Xiao said.
Fording remained unmoved. "What do you want? I don't believe this is free help."
"... Morning Star is very rich. You and she are twins, so you must know her account password. I want her savings." Han Xiao thought for a moment and said this.
Morning Star is indeed very wealthy and a lucrative target, but that's not Han's primary objective. However, he can't simply say he's after Fording's potential; that wouldn't convince Fording. The explanation of being after money is more convincing and will lower Fording's guard.
After all, the body still belonged to Fording, and he preferred to let Morning Star control it rather than take any risks.
Fording immediately believed it. Mercenaries making money was perfectly legitimate, and this behavior didn't count as kidnapping. On the contrary, it was helping a hostage and didn't violate the mercenary agreement.
Fording thought it was a good idea—although Morning Star earned the money, he used Morningstar's body, so he had no qualms about spending it.
"Sounds good... but if you want the money right away, I'm afraid I can't help you."
Pointing to his head, Fording gave a wry smile. "She just threatened me that if I touched her savings, she'd kill me and me. So, I can't afford to pay her until I've dealt with her problem."
Han Xiao's eyes lit up. When he made this request, he had already guessed Morning Star's possible reaction. This result was exactly what he wanted, and he was secretly delighted. He nodded and said, "Then you must stay by my side so that I can help you suppress Morning Star's counterattack at any time until we find a way to completely get rid of her."
Fording and the book paused, then said, "I hope I don't harm her life. She was forced to reside in my body; she didn't use it for anything reckless. For the past five years, although she found me annoying and blocked my voice in her mind, I've seen all her memories. She's a pitiful person too."
If an ordinary person had their body stolen, they would probably want the host to be completely destroyed. However, as a protagonist, Fording's personality is obviously extraordinary. The fact that he could still consider Morning Star in this situation surprised everyone.
"Good."
Han Xiao nodded, appearing confident, but in reality, he didn't know how to deal with the Psychic Parasite. No player had triggered this plot before, so he could only figure it out on his own, but that didn't stop him from agreeing first.
"Now that we've reached an agreement, we need you to resolve our current predicament. If you step in, our arrest warrant can be dropped."
"No problem." Fording smiled gently, glanced at his bruised and swollen face in the mirror, and said, "But you need to take care of the injuries on my face first, otherwise it won't be convincing at all."