Hitchhiking Passengers
[So that's how it is... This is what they call "Omniscient Vision"!] Su Ming's heart was filled with unprecedented novelty and shock. He finally experienced firsthand the sense of control that allowed him to see the whole situation.
No wonder that in every match, no matter how he sets traps or uses feints, the scholar can always see through them easily and accurately predict his next move—relying on his all-encompassing perception system!
However, when the amount of information he perceived suddenly increased exponentially, Su Ming immediately felt as if his mind was an overloaded machine, unable to bear the burden, and his mind was violently shaken.
[Zijin, this information flow is too massive, I can't keep up with your level!]
[You've done exceptionally well.] Zijin's thoughts were ethereal and peaceful, carrying a hint of soothing. [I was forcing things.] She admitted, [It took me a long time to gradually adapt to and master the Omniscient Vision. Come, try slowly narrowing your perception range...] She began to guide him meticulously, teaching Su Ming the techniques for control.
Guided by the Zijin, Su Ming felt the overwhelming pressure of the information suddenly lessen.
[Okay, keep this up.] Zijin continued to the next step, [Now, focus your mind and explore those "existences" hidden on the edge of your cognition, overlooked by daily habits—they are right there.]
Su Ming tried to clear his mind and immerse his highly focused perception in the deeper depths of his Omniscient Vision. Soon, he "saw" the existence that Zijin was trying to show him: countless dark blue, firefly-like points of light, drifting lightly, covering every corner of the giant ship, silently shuttling and lingering.
A warm realization rose in Su Ming's heart: these were the deep longings of the dead, maintained by the Zijin Pact. They had never left, always silently surrounding this place.
The core of the White Bone Fortress is never a cold pile of skeletons, but a palace built of abundant longing.
But then, Su Ming keenly sensed something amiss. In this tranquil ocean of pale blue light, there were many distinctly different points of light! They were of various colors—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple—and appeared more lively and dynamic, with vastly different behavior patterns.
Unlike the diffuse and floating original Thought Entity from another world, they seemed to have a special fondness for the cold, metallic objects on the ship, especially gathering in the engine room—around the roaring steam boilers, the rotating drive shafts, and the pulsating propulsion core, hovering and pulsating like invisible guardian spirits.
An indescribable sense of closeness, originating from the depths of the soul, emanated from these strange points of light, silently touching Su Ming.
Driven by intense curiosity and a desire to explore, Su Ming tried to focus his perception on a ball of orange-red light that was merrily dancing beside the steam boiler.
The next moment, shock and disbelief overwhelmed his consciousness, jolting him out of his mental connection with Zijin!
His consciousness returned abruptly, Su Ming abruptly opened his eyes, staring somewhat dazedly at the dimly lit room before him, and at the figure sitting quietly at the foot of the bed— Zijin.
No, what's with this physics unit?! And those other differently colored light spots, could they also be...?
"The name of this ship has always been just a code name." Zijin's voice rang out, carrying an ethereal and clear quality, as if she had just withdrawn from transcendent perception. "In the process of you tearing apart dimensional barriers countless times and establishing contact with your distant homeland, these special 'passengers' have already silently... hitched a ride."
Zijin had previously noticed that the anomalies causing dimensional repulsion and ripples always occurred on old equipment originating from Earth.
This mystery had been lingering in Zijin's mind until she successfully optimized her "Omniscient Vision," finally exposing these lurking "smugglers."
A tremendous wave of emotion surged within Su Ming, an overwhelming sense of awe that defied description. He had never imagined that the forces of the physical world could be so unscientific!
With these special "guardian spirits" silently maintaining order, it's no wonder that the ship's equipment always operated stably and rarely failed during this perilous journey to another world!
From the very beginning of this journey to another world, he was never alone.
****
The deep fusion of their consciousnesses had severely exhausted both of them. Neither Su Ming nor Zijin noticed when they closed their eyes and drifted into a dreamless slumber.
When Su Ming slowly woke up, the light streaming through the cabin window showed that it was already eight o'clock in the morning. He sat up and his gaze subconsciously swept to the foot of the bed—there, on the bedding, was a clear, shallow indentation left from lying down for a long time.
A faint, delicate fragrance seemed to linger in the air, like the scent of the first snow of winter.
[Good morning, Zijin.] He established a spiritual connection.
"[Good morning.]" Zijin's response came on a mental level, unusually tinged with a slight delay, "[They saved breakfast for us, I'll take it to the restaurant for you.]"
Okay, I'll be right there.
Su Ming quickly got up to wash up and then went to the ship's small dining room. As expected, Zijin was there too, with a plate in front of her, indicating that she had just eaten. Su Ming sat down opposite her and began to enjoy his still-warm breakfast.
He noticed that Zijin was still wearing that set of crystal-blue jewelry; the necklace and bracelet shimmered with a warm glow in the morning sunlight. Su Ming's gaze carefully swept over the intricate runes engraved on them, and with the knowledge he had accumulated over this period, he recognized that the power contained within was mainly related to stabilizing the mind and resisting mental disturbances.
This type of jewelry is not commonly seen.
Last night was indeed very taxing, and his sleep was also interrupted by Zijin's visit. But when he woke up now, Su Ming felt that he was in pretty good spirits.
He assessed his own mental state and found that it had become more refined. In contrast, the scholar sitting across from him presented a completely different picture: she ate slowly, her delicate brows furrowed, and her slender white fingers unconsciously pressed her temples, exuding a rare sense of weariness.
"It seems like I've gotten the better deal, and you've paid the price?" Su Ming put down his cutlery and asked with concern.
"A deep connection in the spiritual realm can forcibly broaden the cognitive dimensions of those in a lower position, bringing about an improvement." Zijin's voice carried a distinct listlessness, as if she didn't even bother to look up at him. "It's my fault... I had absolutely no experience and acted too aggressively."
"Did you hurt yourself?" Su Ming asked worriedly.
Zijin gently shook her head, a few loose strands of her blue hair swaying as she spoke. "The effects are only temporary; she'll recover after a few days of rest."