Free Web NovelChapter 281: Chapter 85: The Despairing Worlds of the Second and Third Loops
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"Although you may not hear or understand, I will take you out of here," he quietly said.
After returning to the second floor, he finally sent over the second code as a text message, and Han Lang Liu managed to catch up with Jia Kai Er in an instant.
Who is this mysterious employer, Zero? Is this the true outcome?
White Mist had a vague feeling that he wanted to use a similar system to find the perfect Jia Kai Er—a task seemingly set forth by the employer.
"I can only return to the second checkpoint now. It’s the best solution—I do not agree with the employer, that’s quite clear, but what she’s capable of doing right now is considerable," he admitted.
Over these few days, Jia Kai Er’s fate has radically transformed her. She must make the existential choices between being vilified and cursed by society, carrying the weight of the world to her death, and selecting the perfect conclusion.
At this time, it was very difficult for her to define what she was truly experiencing, as if she were living Jia Kai Er’s life.
But he has a deep connection with Jia Kai Er, just like many others do.
White Mist, unable to feel despair, felt no negative emotions.
"I made a mistake, forgive me, we don’t agree!"—he sent a second text message, with your only real option. If you send the first text message "I cannot live," you have two choices. If you send, the world will end, and you will be buried in it forever. "Return to the second checkpoint, make a new choice!" And now you know about the real version~ What exactly is the truth? Am I not part of the world we know so well, the one I’m talking about?
The whole world mocks Jia Kai Er as a bitch, yet she is peddled and stirred by the wind as if she’s just another item. How could she possibly forget her obligations and abandon gratitude when she remembers that she owed her life to a mother and father who loved her?
Erleipu found himself presented with the choice, unable to glance at the content of the overdue messages.
And those were the last two text messages.
If so, Jia Kai Er, embodying evil’s fall, would grow flesh and blood wings from her mechanical implants and shed them as well.
What if Jia Kai Er is truly human... and the mechanical body just has a soul? Then, what she is going through is not just a transformation into a mechanoid...
"Is she an original life form... this resembles a human so closely... her body composition, when compared to the mechanical beings’ race, is inexplicably similar... Isn’t it odd to view such a petite and delicate person as... an original life form?"
These three words caused White Mist to have a sudden epiphany.
Original life form.
"White-eyed wolf! How could I have raised such a white-eyed wolf like you! If it weren’t for me begging that man for your milk formula, your sustenance, you wouldn’t have lived another day! You despicable, lowly, original life form!"
"Why are you following me now, eating and living off us, when you didn’t want to come in your childhood? Why didn’t you want to come?"
"Why would you, having been raised by me since you were young, have the ability for today if not for me? What are you talking about?"
From this conversation, White Mist learned for the first time a secret.
Jia Kai Er also received a lot of information about her parents from the garbage bin.
However, Lin Ma can’t really converse with those taller people; it’s the reality that there is no Jia Kai Er.
But he saw himself as only a parasite, even though he was clearly the one giving everything to Jia Kai Er; Lin Ma identifies entirely with Jia Kai Er, yet he still doesn’t have a clear concept of reality.
How laughable it is when someone exists at such times.
"Does Jia Kai Er count for anything? Am I not here? Who are you kidding! Look at where you live, what you wear! What sort of high-definition gear do you have?"
"I will spill everything, don’t try to have a good time, you already cost me my meal, so don’t anger me with some big scandal in front of the public."
"In this city, there’s nothing for a body type like yours. Don’t you just want to be something special? Weren’t you looking for these odd jobs because you don’t know how to do anything, you who can’t even lift a thing, without your father or mother guiding you?"
But it seemed Jia Kai Er had made a firm decision; she would not participate nor attend any auctions, revealing her true appearance. Previously she had been pleading, but behind that she appeared to have made her resolve.
Lots of text messages from Lin Ma.
"You better answer the phone, answer my call! Or else I cannot guarantee what those people will do to you after this. You are my mother, my ancestor, why don’t you answer my call? Are you feeling unwell?"
"Answer the call! Answer the call! If you don’t go to the auction, you will never be able to leave, because it’s you who committed the crime of Mechanism City’s big heads, and it’s you who will accuse me. Are you not going to the auction? Will you go or not?"
"What the hell is this? Where did you come from with such a high exposure rate? Where did you get that kind of people-high air, looking at those star shadows, you could even converse with the Heart Core Mechanoid, everyone is a big shot, but you’re just arranging my security? Have you ever harmed Lin Ma? How could you not be good to me, granny?"
A series of short messages popped up again.
Erleipu decisively opened the handheld machine.
"But it lets me unravel the meaning of Jia Kai’s saving grace, even though I hired the main deity for a vast communication,"
Erleipu had already felt like he was in a simulation game, an imitation of his own life.
"This world inside is indeed a layer upon layer, although the scene is very small, it’s oddly... accurate,"
Erleipu knew everything had fundamentally changed, but everything seemed virtually unchanged.
There was no television on the wall as usual, but there was still a teacup on the table, looking like a part of a mobile device.
Looking at the way Jia Kai lay sideways on the ground, it seemed like a doll had fallen over and was lying in the sand, but the position had not changed.
Erleipu walked straight into the living room.
Erleipu didn’t need to look at the bathroom, as it only contained Jia Kai’s personal wash toiletries and a bath towel; he went directly downstairs.
"Maybe have a look at the changes in Second Level and First Level, right? What’s this labyrinth-like understanding?"
Erleipu patted Jia Kai’s face, but she hadn’t woken up.
["You may continue your exploration next time; there are no problems with the clues of your previous exploration, welcome to Second Level."]
The slender legs had turned rough and thick, like being wrapped in a strange golden fabric from the First Level, embedding into her body.
The bedside cabinet drawer was open. A glass of water had overturned, with one of its socks half-off, falling onto the floor; the shoes weren’t facing the same way. The room had become somewhat messy, but she was still in the same pose.
Erleipu saw Jia Kai lying on the floor when he opened his eyes again.
...
...
Erleipu inserted his fingers into the back of Jia Kai’s neck.
"You, being an outstanding person, will always be welcomed by others. Can you break free from your parents, hoping for something in the next Second Level? Maybe a certain future capability or a token message?"
This let Erleipu feel as if he was entering some kind of dream state of Second Level.
He inserted his fingers into her neck again, the entry point for Second Level... was quite evident.
Jia Kai was still lying on the floor, in her usual side-sleeping posture. Erleipu shook his head when he arrived on the second floor.
"How could her world be this small?"
Erleipu tried to walk out of this room but found the door wouldn’t open.
Is this the end?
["Please move forward to Second Level, the entry point is right upstairs, a hint for next time. You’ve seen her reality clearly, though she is a very cruel person naturally, you’ve made a decisive cruel choice."]
He sent the first message.
In the end, Erleipu decided to bring Jia Kai out of the pit of fire.
Erleipu was willing to be called the end-times benevolent father, far exceeding Purple Lan’s father, Jia Kai’s father.
This father figure had clearly been unable to save her, doing all this to persuade his daughter to fall into the pit of fire to support her brother. He was even more villainous compared to White Yuan by a certain degree.
If White Yuan is one extreme, then Jia Kai’s father was another kind, but to Erleipu, White Yuan was pure evil.
Because of this, Erleipu looked at White Yuan as the epitome of unadulterated purity.
Erleipu was quite repulsed and resistant towards White Yuan’s attitude.
"If that’s the case, I can be sure she’s not being honest about her love for her parents."
He roughly guessed the reason behind this strange situation.
"It seems like she didn’t mention the real reason because there’s something special about her circumstances that she doesn’t want this family to know about," Jia Kai said after reading the first message.
It was clear this wasn’t just a minor selection issue; making the wrong choice could lead to dramatic developments that would be vastly different from the desired ones. And although the contents of the two messages were not completely identical, they shared certain difficulties that made them confusing to Bai Wu.
"I really have a lot to say to you. Every time you call me, it’s just about business, and all you care about is helping yourselves. But really, do you even have anything you want to eat? You’re going to stay for a while, right? Then I’ll prepare... Well then, I feel good about it," Bai Wu read from the second message.
Bai Wu opened the second message.
"How coincidental, right? It seems like there are similarities with Jia Kai’s experiences, but ’Zero’ is definitely not Jia Kai, right?"
Looking at the message, Bai Wu felt a wave of confusion.
"What exactly does that mean? You guys keep saying you’re coming, but you never do. You claim to love me, but I know you never will. I’ve helped you so much already. Don’t contact me ever again, since it’s all about me... Because of me, my brother sees only through your eyes, and fundamentally, you don’t love me. I’m tired of it; I don’t want to be associated with you anymore, Dad," the first message read.
The first message:
"[Second Choice] You’ll enter the Second Level when you send out your information at the appointed time."
Bai Wu opened the draft box.
"I’m planning to bring your brother to see you and your mom."
The most recent message in the trash was:
Despite its lonely zeros, the large sandbox seemed to be just a place for a beautifully made, exquisitely crafted foreign doll to stand, even though Han Lang Liu knew better.
Bai Wu roughly knew what was going on after connecting Jia Kai’s shoe cabinet, which contained various prepared items, to the bathroom supplies.
"But she placed her mother’s message in the trash, knowing full well what her responsibility meant to her parents’ intentions. She understood that it was nothing more than a tool to earn money; it was never deleted completely..."
Jia Kai seemed to nod in agreement when her father opened his mouth.
The content was actually very similar to what Lin Ma had been persuading Jia Kai to do, which was to pick up the living child. Although Erleipu didn’t try to persuade, the connection to Jia Kai’s father was made.
He continued to look down, finding the short messages in the trash either from his brother or his father.
Bai Wu still didn’t know too many details, but this should be an important message.
Why would Jia Kai have a father like that when it makes no sense at all?
Did his father speak like this too, a Heart Core Mechanoid of all people? Bai Wu was very interested from the very beginning.
It seemed like Jia Kai was also treated like a mere tool for making money, evident from Lin Ma’s perspective, who could only see Jia Kai as a cash cow, yet he said nothing, although it was clear he used to lash out at Lin Ma and other senior management.
This woman star was very obviously the primary beneficiary of Jia Kai’s compensation, having been victimized by a few giant high-tech companies’ unwritten rules—people eat before they work, and they suffer afterwards.
After flipping through several messages, Bai Wu realized that the majority of the compensation was indeed for Jia Kai.
...
"You’ll be in front of several arms companies’ ownership this time. This auction is very important; I helped you arrange another one. Why bother with money when you can just make an effort to earn it? Isn’t that right?"
"Jia Kai, Jia Kai! Calm down, calm down! Don’t you want to get back at them when the time comes, during the season of legal retribution, which is almost upon us? I believe you, but this incident is not appropriate for exposure. I’ll handle this issue. Don’t try to force anything with the data you have; it’s a reckless attempt from the other party!"
"Isn’t it a given that we’d have a few clear models? We’re just puppets in the eyes of these arms and cargo companies; don’t we contribute quite a bit to their profits? At the very least, don’t we earn enough not to be unhappy about forgetting the previous times?"
—Bai Wu received this message quite quickly.
He opened the garbage can on his phone. Bai Wu felt that Jia Kai shouldn’t be blamed for the money.
Bai Wu acknowledged that Jia Kai, despite confronting the harsh reality, used a rather gentle and appeasing language, considering Jia Kai was only able to earn money like a golden sparrow; meanwhile, Lin Ma’s eyes revealed that even though he had nothing to use, it was clear he often got angry with Lin Ma and the other old executives. freёwebnovel.com
This female star was clearly the main beneficiary of Jia Kai’s compensation, after bearing the brunt of several major tech companies’ tacit rules—people feast before they work, and suffer after.
Having flipped through several messages, Bai Wu realized that a large portion of the compensation was indeed Jia Kai’s.
...
"Why bother going after money at all? Just work hard to make money. Isn’t that right?"
"Jia Kai, Jia Kai! Chill out, chill out! Don’t you want revenge when the time comes? You know, the season of lawful punishment is nearly here. I’m angry about this matter, a season of fury. This incident really isn’t suitable for exposure, but I believe you. I will take care of this. Don’t try to leverage your data against a forceful approach from the other party!"
"Are we not more than just playthings in the high-tiered echelons of these arms and cargo companies? Didn’t we contribute significantly to their profits? At the very least, don’t we earn enough to not feel unhappy about forgetting the unpleasantness of past times?"
"You can try, but I doubt the price they quote will be fair," said Han Lang Liu, hinting at his disdain for Mechanism City’s values.
"I’m not mocking you, Lin Ma; many people like you very much. And not just in the Eastern Market district where the wealthy live—it includes people like Han Lang Liu."
"They like you a lot in the Northern Market district, too. There’s a public benefit event happening next, which might be a perfect opportunity for you."
"Grandma, can you give me a straight answer? Will there be any problems with my performance three days from now?"
Sorting through the white mist of random information, a man named Lin Ma had come from far away.
His cellphone’s inbox was filled with many messages.
Lin Ma never directly accessed his messages with the Heart Core Mechanoid;
it seemed Jia Kairn had a strong belief in becoming autonomous of these technological artifacts, considering them foreign objects. This technology was unnecessary for Mechanoids, as Lin Ma picked up his cellphone.
"There are two pending draft messages in your mailbox, or you might be able to power up your handset. But ultimately, if you try exploring every nook and cranny of this place inside and out, you won’t find any actual help. It’s like you’ve already searched it once over, and the contents are very sparse."
He had a few more phones with tea spilled on them.
No old television hung on the walls; instead, Ali babies stared vacantly from the walls of the living room he had entered.
White Mist had a strong hunch; it was a clue to a network linked house.
"At the very least, our relationship isn’t just friends; I would have thought we were very close, since even your shoe size is known, and the toiletries you use are still here. But no, it seems like the house is always ready to welcome anyone, though it only houses a single person," White Mist mused, looking at the household items.
There were even children’s shoes, along with men’s shoes, women’s shoes, and old people’s shoes.
Walking past the mystical shoe cabinet, White Mist seemed to be looking for something.
In the bathroom mirror cabinet, White Mist found a multitude of towels.
This indeed was a curious affair.
The objects in the room had the semblance of life and seemed rather in order.
After all, Jia Kairn, a mechanoid female star, wouldn’t need to take baths or apply makeup anymore; she would usually buy many things despite not needing them. However, she had set a regular time for cleaning those things.
White Mist thought of a peculiar scene.
These were things that would’ve been used by people of this era, but in this bathroom, White Mist discovered only one towel, one cup for rinsing, and makeup—there was just a single portion of everything.
He quickly returned to the bathroom.
After reconfirming that there was nothing to be found in this bedroom, White Mist started searching the other rooms.
After a thorough inspection, finding nothing out of the ordinary in the wardrobe, the dresser, the clothes rack, the floorboards, under the bed, and even the ceiling, White Mist realized that it just didn’t seem right. These items must have touched more than a fair share of sick people in these busy days.
"This bedroom doesn’t seem like it’s straight out of the 1700s, as if it hasn’t interacted with the outside world in years, lending an antiquated air reminiscent of the Ta era. Again, that’s not too strange considering many of the things here have come from as far back as seven centuries ago, if the Zero Creation legend is to be taken for granted. The bedroom’s style does heavily resemble the Ta period," White Mist concluded.
White Mist started inspecting the bedroom where Jia Kairn didn’t seem to have left any trace.
"Although it’s my personal inclination, I would suggest you go see a cardiologist if you keep staring at her like that. Jia Kairn is indeed a beautiful mechanoid woman," said Erleipu. freeweɓnøvel.com
She was lying on her side, still in a daze.
White Mist found Jia Kairn’s appearance quite appealing, especially considering the intrigue her mechanoid form posed from afar.
At first glance, Jia Kairn’s silhouette seemed to be enveloped in a layer of molten metal, which could have easily seemed like another material for combustion to start a provoking fire.
At this moment, Jia Kairn’s body, still having not shed its flesh and blood for a mechanoid cover, could perhaps be deemed suitable for a mechanoid beauty.
But upon closer inspection, White Mist realized that although the layer that appeared soft and delicate wrapped around her was indeed very flexible and resilient, Jia Kairn’s body did not sprout flesh and blood upon examination.
From a distance, everything seemed manifold, but in reality, there was only one pattern to make out.
White Mist thought of a certain game, an endless one without resolution, reminiscent of a famed novel series; if there wasn’t a resolution to every given trouble, the game would continue endlessly.
