Free Web NovelChapter 824: Letting You Become Life, Not Life Becoming You
“The thirteenth rank... 4096, totaling 8191 pieces. This number is a bit awkward... it can continue upward, but the fourteenth rank is in a non-integer state...”
“This is where the advantage of the Ten-fold Base Resonance Method shows, right? It can achieve a perfect ten thousand exactly. This Association Method is still falling a bit short.”
Listening to the discussion of these seniors around them, Hong Chenyi and the few people who chose the Association Method midway could not understand at all, nor did they dare to speak.
These people never expected—how many days had passed?
About a week or so, and the Association Method had already advanced to over eight thousand pieces!
They were about to catch up with the main group!
“Speaking of which, the advanced Subdivided Association Method is almost ready, right? Has it advanced to the thirteenth rank?”
“Wait a bit more, almost... this is doubling growth, and additive, too! The further it goes, the more subdivided intervals there are. It's very troublesome.”
The few people currently focused on the Association Method were also very dedicated to it.
For the advanced technique of the Association Method, they originally referred to the “Micro-control Resonance Method” and prepared to imitate a “Micro-control Association Method,” but they found it wouldn't work.
So in the end, they scouted its characteristics and completed the “Subdivided Association Method.”
Aside from these special testers here, the other 138 people had already begun to show “successful” cases one after another over these days.
This represented that they had completed the structuring of Self-generating Magic Power!
This news was undoubtedly very heartening!
And those who had not succeeded would secretly double their efforts.
As for the previous eight people plus Hong Chenyi, a total of nine special testers, they were not included in this, because they hadn't even touched the shaping ritual yet; they were still in the middle of the constant scouting of the Association Method.
Among those eight people, three directly chose the Association Method to try, while the other five had not had much harvest until now.
Forced by helplessness, they also switched paths to the route of the Association Method.
However, although it was said there wasn't much harvest, it wasn't a total lack of harvest.
At least they harvested some incorrect demonstrations.
After all, this kind of technique was not something that could be innovated simply through a numerical sequence stack.
Even for the Association Method, exponential growth was only the form of expression; the most important part was still the “association,” just as the key to the Resonance Method was “resonance,” not the ten-fold base increase.
Regarding the failure of these five people, the sisters in the laboratory did not mock them.
After all, they were willing to use their own inspiration to create a brand new path, which in itself was respectable.
Even if they ultimately failed.
“Mentor Dainiel, leave this side to us. In a while, we plan to teach her the Refining Ritual. Without the Refining Ritual, it is still very difficult to perceive the Self-generating Magic Power in her body right now.”
“Oh is that so? I was mainly curious. It really is miraculous... being able to touch the talent of a Transcendent Witch before even advancing to Transcendent, even if this degree is still a bit green.”
Dainiel seemed to have just realized something and let go of her hand.
She had just been probing this student who successfully completed the Structuring Ritual.
According to the experimental process, she had preliminarily completed the rudimentary form of Self-generating Magic Power.
“That's natural according to Big Sis Xiao Han's explanation, this kind of Self-generating Magic Power might not count as a complete talent. Only after advancing to a Transcendent Witch will this talent be completed at that moment.”
“Oh? So that's how it is? A semi-finished product?”
“Um... a semi-finished product... it's not wrong to say it like that, but just this degree is enough for us Reserve Witches.”
“Right, right! I heard Big Sis Xiao Han say that this is only secondary. The most important thing about Self-generating Magic Power is ignoring the carrying limit of the Earth Vein Chains on Magic Power Sources. I heard it can reach up to one hundred million pieces!”
“To correct you, it's less than one hundred million.”
As a Transcendent Witch, Dainiel quickly corrected this error.
“Even Self-generating Magic Power has its limit. Its limit is infinitely approaching one hundred million pieces, but it will never reach one hundred million! Exceeding one hundred million is another brand new realm.”
“Eh? Really? Then exceeding one hundred million Magic Power Sources... What realm is that? Is it convenient for you to tell us, Mentor Dainiel?”
“That is a realm after advancing to Transcendent. It does no harm to tell you in advance; that realm is the Saint Stage.”
“Saint Stage? Wow... then Mentor Dainiel, are you at the Saint Stage?”
“Me?”
Asked this question, Dainiel also froze for a moment, then quickly reacted.
“I suppose I am not yet... that is not important......”
“Then Mentor Dainiel! If the one hundred million Magic Power Sources from Self-generating Magic Power plus the ten thousand on the Earth Vein Chains were added, wouldn't that already exceed one hundred million? Does that count as the Saint Stage?”
“Every one of you isn't even Transcendent yet, and you're already thinking about taking shortcuts? Where in the world is there such a good thing?”
Dainiel gave a light snort, as if mocking the idea that there was such a good deal for nothing in the world.
“The division of these levels is very complex. It's not simply that the quantity of Magic Power Sources has arrived... you all should come along honestly. Aiming too high is not a good thing!”
“Um... we understand.”
Rebuked slightly, the crowd also immediately returned to their positions, continuing with the things each person had to do.
In this place, no student dared not to listen to the words of Mentor Dainiel.
After all, with the posture shown by this Mentor Dainiel, except for Big Sis Xiao Han, she basically would not give other students much face.
And after Big Sis Xiao Han left, Mentor Dainiel spoke even less.
If Mentor Dainiel did not proactively start a conversation, she was usually not seen communicating with anyone.
At the same time.
Within the Dungeon World.
Several days having passed, the island in the lake area of the Dungeon World had also become slightly livelier.
Because besides the three little Fool's Dreams and that Flower Fairy, other creatures had also appeared here.
For example, an introverted Giant Stone Monster on the ground that disliked moving and gathered rocks to pretend to be a rockery.
A water-attribute fairy wiggling on the surface of the lake.
A Giant-horned Deer running happily in the jungle......
These were all experimental subjects I had “set free” after attempting Soul Depiction.
The reason they did not undergo the “extermination” treatment of the white mice was because of the innate racial characteristics of the white mice... which I found unappealing.
Furthermore, they could not communicate and would cause an uncontrollable ecological crisis for the Dungeon World.
As for these extraordinary creatures... at most there were three or four of the same group, and some, like this Giant Stone Monster, were solitary.
Common extraordinary creatures, or uncommon elemental creatures, even special fairies...
At least they were few in number, would not overflow, were easy to communicate with, and so were naturally left by me to play around here.
These days, the data I collected was very complex, yet it also brought me a large amount of experimental data on the Soul Depiction technique.
Similarly, this also let me understand better to what extent the Soul Depiction technique could achieve.
But no matter how I experimented, I always felt a bit uncertain in my heart.
Because the creatures I experimented on were all lives, albeit soul-substance essence lives.
And the Fool's Dreams......
They weren't even soul-substance essence!
All they had was consciousness.
So when I was experimenting, I focused specifically on elemental lives.
I used Soul Depiction to constantly strip away its life essence, leaving only the “consciousness” concept itself.
But I quickly discovered that consciousness itself seemed unable to exist independently of a soul...
Perhaps it could, but Soul Depiction could not achieve it.
Then looking back at the Fool's Dreams, their consciousness might be carried within the Primal Dream State, because they were in essence dream creatures.
So...... the concept of consciousness cannot exist independently.
Either it must be carried upon something.
Or... it is precisely molded from something.
I was naturally hoping for the first situation.
Because if it were so, Soul Depiction could easily shape a soul essence to carry the consciousness of the Fool's Dreams.
I would only need to find a method for a seamless transition of the carrying.
But the second situation was far too complex.
If the consciousness of a Fool's Dream was molded from the Primal Dream State, then molding the consciousness of a Fool's Dream with a soul was merely an “imprint” of a consciousness, not the consciousness itself.
Even with the Soul Depiction technique, under the initial “Ship of Theseus” theory, it could not persuade me that a Fool's Dream molded this way was the original Fool's Dream.
But as I delved deeper into my understanding, I found that the evidence organized from the data I collected all pointed toward the second possibility......
Even analyzing the consciousness of dream creatures from the perspective of the Great Project of the Soul and its association with dreams, I could only conclude that the consciousness of a Fool's Dream was molded from the Primal Dream State!
No wonder!
No wonder dream creatures and reality were separated by such an exaggerated barrier, to the point that until now, not a single case of a dream creature achieving life had appeared!
If everything were that simple... during the period when the Great Project of the Soul flourished, during the timeframe of exploring the Primal Dream State, dream creatures would have long ago been turned into Void life by the witches!
After all... the Primal Dream State was a treasure that had never been properly developed and utilized.
If it were truly that easy, would it really be my turn?
Could it be... that the Soul Depiction technique was after all just my delusion......
Recognizing this fact, I could not help but have such a thought arise.
And this thought was even somewhat irrepressible.
“Calm down... calm down. I am a genius; how could I be defeated by this kind of problem......”
I closed my eyes, using the kind of verbal suggestion I hadn't used on myself for a long time to force myself not to be defeated by this psychological gap.
“Big Sis Xiao Han, what's wrong?”
Discovering that I had suddenly made such a move, a Fool's Dream immediately came forward to inquire.
“I'm fine, Big Sis Xiao Han is fine.”
I slightly raised my head, looking at the concerned gaze of the Fool's Dream, then reached out and rubbed the small head of the Fool's Dream.
“Then Big Sis Xiao Han, you are...”
“......Encountered some problems.”
I pondered for a while before speaking.
But facing this problem, I really didn't quite know how to start.
When the theory has a problem, pointlessly trying is just repeating failure time and again.
“Fool’s Blue... tell me, if after becoming life you are no longer you, are you still willing to do it?”
“Big Sis Xiao Han... I am Fool's Luck.”
Fool's Luck spoke to correct me.
“Fool's Luck? Sorry, I didn't see clearly...”
“It's fine Big Sis Xiao Han, is there a problem with that Soul Depiction experiment?”
“Mhm... a small problem occurred. It's the question from just now: if you became a true life, but you would no longer be yourself... would you still be willing to do it?”
“Then can I understand it as sacrificing me... can achieve a brand new Fool's Dream that is a recognized life?”
Fool's Luck spoke with some confusion.
“Sacrificing you... where did you learn that way of speaking? What I said was......”
I just wanted to object, but suddenly I remembered the passage I had said to the Fool's Dreams back then, about sacrificing the lives of white mice to pave the road for the Fool's Dreams to achieve life.
“No, Fool's Luck, you understood wrong. I am talking about you. I promised you! To let you become true lives, not to sacrifice you and then create a brand new living race!”
“Is there a difference? As long as Fool's Dreams become true lives, then that is the meaning of our existence, isn't it?”
“......Do you not have a concept of an individual self?”
I was silent for a long time.
I understood what Fool's Luck's way of speaking meant.
Fool's Dreams were Fool's Dreams.
The Fool's Dream race achieving true life—they could give everything for that!
Because they were not life to begin with; they were just some kind of moment within the Primal Dream State, an accident.
Perhaps they were just born from a coincidence within a ridiculous dream.
But I preferred to believe they were a streak of miracle within the Primal Dream State!
Since they were a miracle, then they should have created more impossibilities, instead of being used as consumables to become the stepping stones for a newborn race.
If the Fool's Dream race was truly born in such a way, then I would rather not recognize such a race!
“Big Sis Xiao Han, it's okay. If you encounter any problems, you can tell us. No matter what kind of existence we become, we can accept it.”
At this time, Fool’s Blue also came over to speak.
“You are dream creatures; your consciousness is molded from the Primal Dream State. If I use Soul Depiction to complete the reshaping of your life in reality for you... it would be like an imprint. You in the Primal Dream State would be like a blueprint, and in reality, a life named Fool's Dream would be born, but they would not be you!”
When I finished stating this, I only felt heart-weary.
The me from before felt that Soul Depiction could help the Fool's Dreams escape their dream essence, which was a confusion of Dream Consciousness and Reality Consciousness.
The concepts of these two cannot be unified... even with the connection between soul and dream, one cannot cross the unification of these two kinds of consciousness.
“Big Sis Xiao Han... then, is there a possibility that we are precisely the blueprints you speak of? Perhaps our mission is to be born in that instant of the Primal Dream State, to pass on the traces of our existence, and be born in reality in this way......”
“Don't say such things! You have your own consciousness! You are living individuals! You can think! You can perceive! Even if there is no so-called memory in your essence, thinking and perception prove the location of your consciousness! What I promised was to let you become life! Not to let 'Life' become you!”
After I finished saying this in an emotional outburst, the Dungeon World suddenly seemed to fall into silence.
And I only then seemed to realize that my emotions just now were a bit over-the-top.
“Sorry... I got a bit emotional......”
I closed my eyes, resting my right hand against my forehead.
After venting my emotions like this, I found that my brain suddenly felt a lot cleaner.
And just now...... I seemed to have said something extraordinary.
“Big Sis Xiao Han... sorry... we made you angry...”
“No... that's not right, wait. I didn't mean to blame you.”
I hurriedly reached out my hand to indicate it was fine, my mind frantically recalling what I just said.
My own thoughts were all subjective, but the thing I said was from an objective perspective.
The Fool's Dreams... have their own consciousness.
Consciousness is the key to determining their existence.
Then... why can't I define the concept of life myself and expand the boundaries of life?
Since consciousness is divided into “Reality Consciousness” and “Dream Consciousness,” and since the Void defined life, then dreams can also define life!
And the soul... is the bridge between reality and dreams.
Therefore, the soul of the Void is the life essence of “Reality Consciousness.”
Then could the soul of a dream also be the life essence of “Dream Consciousness”?
The soul in the Void is currently recognized in this soul-state, so in a dream, does the soul...... have a dream-state?
