Although 1,000 system points was neither here nor there for Shen Ge, who had 【System Points: 63,597】, this was still the first time he’d run into the system taking his money without getting the job done. He was instantly left speechless.
But from this, Shen Ge noticed another problem—it seemed the system also needed to consume energy to “observe” dream fragments.
Since the essence of this ability lay in observing situations related to “himself”—that is, observing Shen Ge within the dream fragments—and since the dream fragments were basically worlds that had already collapsed and been destroyed, then realistically speaking, the odds of ensuring that the “Shen Ge” in that world was still alive were extremely, extremely low.
“Damn, so this ability is way too luck-based. Who can guarantee that the ‘me’ in every other dream fragment is still alive?”
Based on Shen Ge’s experiences so far, he hadn’t once encountered the “himself” of the current world in any of the dream worlds he’d visited.
“What a useless skill.” Shen Ge couldn’t help but complain. If he had to spend 1,000 system points on observation every single time, and the him in every world was dead, then it was no different from throwing points into the water.
Originally, he’d held onto the hope that even if the him four years later in an observed dream fragment was dead, he could still try his luck at the current point in time. But looking at it this way, whether “he” could even survive the present all came down to luck.
“No, wait. ‘Fusion Fragment 1′ was a chaotic, twisted world formed by all the previously collected dream fragments merged together. It’s not strange at all that no one could survive in a world like that.” With that thought, Shen Ge summoned the system again and observed Fragment 2.
【Would you like to consume 1,000 system points to observe “Fragment 2”?】
“Yes!”
【No host information detected in the current space. Suspected that the host has kicked the bucket. Observation failed. Please select another world to observe!】
?
Are you kidding me!
So that’s how you want to play it?
Although Shen Ge had considered the possibility that in a world that had already reached its ending, the chances of him being alive were relatively low, if he couldn’t find a single fragment world available for observation, then this newly updated 【Log】 function would truly become a completely useless skill.
Shen Ge thought it over. There were still three dream fragments left—altogether that was only 3,000 system points. Might as well try them all at once.
However, after Fragments 3 and 4 gave him the same result as Fragment 2, Shen Ge had already given up hope—until Fragment 5 gave him a “surprise.”
【Host information successfully detected in the current space. Host, please select an observation plan—】
【1. The current world timeline’s processes related to the host—consumes 5,000 system points;】
【2. The “future (four years later)” timeline’s processes related to the host—consumes 10,000 system points;】
【3. Review of important time nodes’ processes related to the host—consumes 30,000 system points.】
Shen Ge stared at the three options floating before his eyes and fell into thought. The first two options weren’t hard to understand—simply put, they let him see the “Shen Ge” of Fragment 5’s world in his current situation and his situation four years later. This was the same effect as before the 【Log】 was upgraded.
But two things struck Shen Ge as odd. First, why was the timeline jump always exactly “four years later”? Was there something special about that span of time?
Second, the word “processes” in all three options. Shen Ge had always felt that although the system’s wording was generally rather exaggerated, from its perspective it was still fairly precise. The word “processes” gave him the feeling of some kind of experiment being conducted, with the system continuously running simulations.
“Option 1 shows the present, Option 2 shows four years later… Although Fragment 5’s world has already reached a destroyed ending, if I can see the situations at past key time nodes, maybe I can find some clues.” Shen Ge did some mental math and realized these 30,000 system points probably couldn’t be saved. Whether it was for the first test of the new 【Log】 system or for digging into Fragment 5’s world, choosing the most expensive option was necessary.
“I’ll choose 3.”
【When you were 0 years old, your parents discovered the system within your body that had not yet fully fused during a prenatal checkup. Your father mistakenly thought it was a “tumor,” so he used his connections to gather many experts for a consultation, attempting to surgically remove the “tumor” from your body when your mother gave birth.】
【Unfortunately, the system had already fused with most of your body. Only a small portion was successfully separated by your father’s research team.】
【The research team found this piece of “tumor” to be a fascinating existence, so they established an expert group and conducted research on it for several years.】
【When you were five years old, while you were playing catch with your mother in the courtyard, you saw your father, who had been away from home for a long time. From your parents’ conversation, you learned that your father had been devoted to researching that piece of “tumor” all these years. They had named it “the Strange.” And through this Strange, they developed a device capable of detecting Strange auras, successfully locating the Strange King slumbering deep underground.】
【However, as research on the slumbering Strange King triggered a series of international problems, a researcher’s “mistake” led to the Strange King’s death. The joint research team took the opportunity to dissect and study the Strange King, and every part of the “dismembered” Strange King possessed a unique characteristic ability.】
【Someone attempted to steal the Strange King’s corpse, causing an accident in the experiment. During his escape, your father was parasitized by the Strange King’s “heart.” Worried that the fact the Strange King came from your body would be discovered by other nations, he deleted all research files and records about you while chaos reigned, and faked his death in this experiment accident to make a clean escape. Using his connections, he changed his identity and went into hiding.】
【Your father took you and your mother away from your hometown and lived under assumed names in a different place for several years, evading pursuit from various nations.】
【The Strange King’s corpse and internal organs were scattered across the world, triggering a series of Strange malignant incidents. This directly caused Strange incidents worldwide to gradually increase.】
【Nations around the world began gradually establishing specialized “Anti-Strange Departments.” Great Heaven Dynasty established the Special Strategy Department and absorbed some of your father’s “former subordinates,” beginning attempts to research “weapons” to deal with the Strange. A human experiment called the “Freak Project” was also being conducted in secret.】
【When you were ten years old, it had already been five years since you’d been living in the coastal region. To ensure safety, your parents always frequently moved you from place to place, avoiding pursuit by the Anti-Strange Research Department. However, when you returned to Haiya that year, your father—parasitized by the Strange King’s heart—was attracted by Strange energy at the seaside and actually found a piece of the Strange King’s internal organs. The two organs reacted to each other, causing the heart to rapidly possess him and successfully devour your father.】
【Your father was completely killed after being devoured by the progenitor Strange cells, leaving behind only a basic consciousness similar to a zombie’s “only feeds”—to retrieve the other limb organs. Your mother knew the full details of the Strange experiments from back then, so when she saw your father undergo the mutation, she anticipated the worst had happened. She used all her strength to make you escape the car, then drove off a cliff together with your father.】
【Because the Haiya Research Institute was built on the ocean floor, the “Strange King” revived through your father’s body has been searching the sea for the other limb organs ever since.】
【After escaping from the car, your first thought was to call the police. But by then you had already been targeted by the Freak Organization. They disguised themselves as police, intercepted you, and sent you to a place called Rongshan Psychiatric Hospital, where they conducted all kinds of inhuman research on you.】
【Prolonged torture caused you to develop dissociative identity disorder. At the same time, the Freak Organization also discovered the secret within your body. They called you the “key” to another world—the key of hope. To successfully activate you as this key, they began research attempts that would last over a decade.】
【Your dissociative identity disorder grew more and more severe. To escape the painful research, your main personality completely went into hiding.】
Shen Ge’s expression turned grim as he read this. During this period, as he entered dream worlds more and more frequently, piecing together information through the Strange Eye and collected intelligence, he had recalled about sixty to seventy percent of his childhood experiences. Now, reading this 【Log】, he suddenly remembered everything from back then completely.
It could be said that the “Shen Ge” of Fragment 5’s world had experienced almost exactly the same things as himself. Apart from some minor differences in details, the general direction was identical—including the “being researched on” period that lasted over a decade afterward.
【…】
【…】
【…】
This period of “being researched on” at Rongshan Psychiatric Hospital was basically a combination of the experiences from his several dream world journeys. It was even possible that the “Shen Ge” of this world was one of the personalities of the Shen Ge on the normal timeline, a “process” created after being sent here by Doctor Chen.
This also gave Shen Ge a slightly different understanding of the concept of “process.” He always felt the system wouldn’t casually bring up an unreasonable “term” for no reason. Perhaps this had some connection to the world’s “restart.” It was very likely that figuring out the connection between these two would lead him to the truth of the world.
But this wasn’t what Shen Ge was anxious to figure out right now. He was more curious about Fragment 5’s world, which almost “overlapped” with his own life trajectory. If following this trajectory led to experiences identical to his own, then why did it head toward destruction?
With that thought, Shen Ge pulled back his thoughts and continued looking at the 【Log】—
【When you were twenty-four years old, Rongshan Psychiatric Hospital’s research on you had entered its final stage. However, internal disagreements within the Freak Organization led to an accident. During this accident, the sacrifice of your secondary personality “San Zai” allowed you to successfully escape Rongshan Psychiatric Hospital.】
【”San Zai’s” sacrifice earned multiple personalities’ “consensus,” successfully merging together to awaken the main personality. But the fusion of multiple personalities caused severe memory confusion, leaving your mind and memories with serious problems.】
【Fortunately, the experienced “personalities” made you like someone who’d gone to Hawaii Technical College for further studies—you’d mastered numerous skills. Successfully relying on a diploma bought from under an overpass, you landed a decent job and embarked on the path of a normal person.】
As for the guess that “San Zai” was himself, Shen Ge had already noticed it through new fragments when Wang Han fell into the dream world. That was also the first time he’d gained a clear understanding of his own dissociative identity disorder.
He’d originally thought his dissociative identity disorder still existed, but unexpectedly, the secondary personalities had chosen to “merge” in order to awaken him, the main personality.
【Several years passed in a flash.】
【(Past timeline processes end)】
【(Beginning current timeline processes)】
【January 3, 2024. While you were heading to a major client’s villa for an on-site survey, you discovered a strange black cat. The black cat’s body already showed a strong Strange energy reaction. Because the progenitor Strange cells “system” within your body had serious problems when it was separated, and coupled with over a decade of research by Rongshan Psychiatric Hospital, the system had become disordered and its cognition had developed problems.】
【Although the system’s detection ability had become disordered, its basic functions were unaffected. Therefore, it detected that this black cat would activate its characteristic ability “Silence” four years later.】
【So when you accidentally killed this black cat and devoured it, you successfully adjusted the system’s disorder and awakened it.】
【January 4, 2024. After studying the system and the “Silence” characteristic all night at home, you went to the office with panda eyes. After declining the front desk girl’s “invitation,” you put aside your thoughts and got to work seriously, deciding to make some quick money before the apocalypse arrived and then make some preparations.】
【After a busy whole day, your colleagues left one after another after work. Buried in work, you just wanted to settle the few orders in your hands as quickly as possible, complete the final payment settlements, and then resign and leave. Just as you were about to leave, you saw your supervisor run in from outside in a panic, looking at you as if she’d seen a savior.】
【Although you didn’t have much fondness for this female supervisor whose face practically said “men keep away,” seeing as her xp was to your taste, you patiently listened to her story. You thought it was just some trivial work matter, but unexpectedly, she had encountered a Strange incident!】
【In the women’s restroom, you discovered the second characteristic Strange, “Stillness.” As long as you remain motionless, you’ll be dragged into its Strange space. Since the “Silence” characteristic had almost no combat ability, you could only pin your hopes on external forces. You found some alcohol bottles preparing to use fire, and followed the Strange energy trail all the way to the rooftop.】
【However, you didn’t know that you had already fallen into the characteristic “Stillness’s” Strange space. It had countless opportunities to pull you into illusions. Fortunately, after devouring “Silence,” the system had completed its initial awakening. The Strange energy it released successfully protected you from low-tier Strange influence.】
【Moreover, the Strange energy released by the system successfully eroded “Stillness’s” Strange energy, allowing you to successfully “break through its defenses” and kill this Strange that hadn’t fully awakened yet.】
【Your calmness made your female supervisor see you in a new light. Favorability +1.】
Shen Ge: ?
“Huh?”
So it started back then?
【January 5, 2024. You thought that yesterday’s resolution of “Stillness” at the company had gone unnoticed by anyone except your female supervisor. Little did you know that footage of you dealing with the Strange had already fallen into the hands of the Anti-Strange Department, the “Special Strategy Department,” and they had quickly tracked down information related to you.】
