Doomsday Wonderland

Cyrus was not one of the permanent residents of the spaceship.

He always maintained a certain level of caution toward others. Even with a friend of a friend, the best they could expect was a polite, shallow smile. However, every few months, he would pilot his aircraft to Exodus for a visit—checking in on Lin Sanjiu, discussing recent encounters, and occasionally seeking out Wu Yiliu or Qing Jiuliu to ask a few questions. But he never got too close to anyone.

So when, one day, he suddenly invited Lin Sanjiu and the others on the ship to stay with him for a while, everyone was a little surprised.

"I found the most beautiful forest I've ever seen," Cyrus said with a smile. "It lies at the foot of a snowy mountain, next to a lake. When you stand on the high ground and look out, the vast, rolling greenery stretches endlessly, as far as the eye can see."

He told them that he had built a wooden cabin there.

In spring, newborn fawns, still unsteady on their legs, would cautiously step into his backyard for a sip of water. The trash bins had to be secured with multiple locks, for if he didn't, he would return home to find a bear had scattered the garbage everywhere. Juice was a rare commodity because Irezumi was like a Sahara desert; no matter how much liquid he poured in, it vanished in an instant. If they wanted a constant supply of drinks in the cabin, beer was the only option.

In that wooden cabin, Bohemia saw a real, live raccoon for the first time.

As if she had caught fire, she dashed outside. A proud posthuman, yet she failed to catch even a raccoon, returning instead with bright red scratch marks on her arms, babbling incoherently, "Huh? How is it that cute? What even is that thing?"

When they went hiking in the forest, Caster was released, trailing behind her former owner, Silvan, singing with every step, "Elven prince! You fit this place too well! Too beautiful!"

Even though he really did look the part, Lin Sanjiu was so mortified she couldn't bear to look at Cyrus—Why are all my friends like this? To her surprise, Cyrus actually laughed out loud.

Later, after emerging from the Brain in a Vat, Lin Sanjiu thought back to those days with him. In all that time, Cyrus had never once mentioned that he wanted to live in a forest.

It was as if she had crafted that life for him on her own.

Lin Sanjiu hoped that at this very moment, Cyrus was in a place like that—a vast, sprawling forest, with snowy mountains and lakes, pouring water for the fawns of spring.

She hoped that the life he had chosen was just as beautiful as she had imagined.

Now, Rena tilted her head slightly, still waiting for her question.

But in truth, she no longer had any questions to ask.

Even the one about whether Cyrus was really inside the Brain in a Vat; it had pushed against her lips several times, but each time, it slowly dissolved.

She didn't need to ask. She already knew the answer.

Perhaps it was the subtle hints in Rena's words, perhaps it was her Keen Senses, or perhaps it was because, in that other life within the Brain in a Vat, she and Cyrus had truly lived together.

If he had already lived out his life there, she didn't want to know.

1

If he was still alive, then when the teleportation vaccine succeeded, they could wake him up together. Then, they could set out and search for that forest beneath the snowy mountains.

Of course, there were still too many things she didn't understand. Some she had pieced together through speculation, and some she didn't want to examine too closely.

So now she stood there, her mouth slightly open, only to realize that, at this moment, there was nothing she could bring herself to ask.

"What is it?" Rena asked gently, with a hint of curiosity.

"Well..." Lin Sanjiu hesitated before saying, "I have a friend whose mind and body are still... separated."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Because she was hit by [Concept Mismash]."

Rena nodded, her expression as calm as a doctor listening to a patient recount a minor injury. "That's a bit troublesome," she replied in the same clinical tone. "How long has it been?"

"A long time."

"That means it's not a temporary or one-time effect. Those two categories make up the majority of [Concept Mismash] cases," Rena said. "Since it's a long-term effect, it must be replaced with another effect that is harmless and insignificant."

"How do I replace it?" Lin Sanjiu asked.

"Haven't you already obtained one?"

The two of them circled around the term 'old lady' without directly mentioning it.

"But I don't know how to use it."

"You need to take it to another world," Rena said. "When you take it out, never stay in the same world as him, or he will immediately sense it and regain control over it. Don't think you can compete with him. There is only one person I can think of in this world who could possibly stand against him. His power is near invincible, and even I can only lament the unfairness of fate... Listen to me; he already sees you as a threat. You've caused him losses, which means you are in great danger.

"If you insist on saving your friend, you can try using your Higher Consciousness to control what you obtained, but only after you've gone far, far away into another world."

That he could only be the master of [Concept Mismash], the one who had fragmented Higher Consciousness into countless old ladies. And without a doubt, he was currently at Cloudwalk Heights—or perhaps, even here, in Chimeric City.

1

Lin Sanjiu nodded. Rena knew everything about the master of the old ladies, so she could no longer hold back her curiosity.

"How do you know so much? What is your connection to him?"

Rena smiled at her. "How could I have made it this far alone, without help?"

"You two are... partners?" Lin Sanjiu recalled Yu Yuan's choice of words.

"Something like that," Rena said, sighing. "The segment of the presentation you watched? He saw it too."

So that was one of its purposes.

"You know that person, he once—"

Before Lin Sanjiu could finish, Rena shook her head, cutting her off.

"I know what you're trying to say. I only gained his assistance recently, but what I do know is that he has played an essential role in my plan. So essential that I cannot do without him. Without him, even our experiments wouldn't have reached this stage. As for his past, his future, or even what he's doing on the side in the shadows, I have no interest in that. I've already said it; solving teleportation is the only thing that matters right now."

"This is an unprecedented shift for posthumans, and the upheaval will be just as unprecedented. Anyone who acts, anyone who moves forward, will inevitably leave traces, break branches, block someone's path. If we constantly hesitate, trying to remain spotless, never offending or disrupting anything, then we will never accomplish anything. This is how the world works. This is how the history of human civilization's evolution works.

"With my current power, I could choose to live quietly and comfortably, to be a good person that no one could criticize. But what good would that good person do for the world? What problem would that solve?

1

"If you think my partner is ruthless, then fine, he is ruthless. But if ruthlessness is necessary to accomplish this, then I don't care about the infamy."

Everything Lin Sanjiu had been reluctant to put into words—Rena had caught it all.

And from the way she spoke, this was something she had held inside for a long time. She wasn't just talking about the master of the old ladies. She was talking about Ah Quan's pocket dimension, about Eight-Heads De, and perhaps about things Lin Sanjiu still didn't know.

Rena shook her head, as if realizing she had let too much emotion escape. Then, with a small chuckle, she said, "Whenever I'm around you, I get more impulsive and childish."

1

No matter how much Lin Sanjiu hesitated, no matter how many concerns she had, she had to admit, Rena's words made sense.

Lowering her head, she let out a deep sigh.

"I understand everything you're saying. And I agree with your reasoning. But Ah Quan and Eight-Heads De are my friends. Even if you are right about everything, I still want to give them a choice. I want to speak to them myself. Let me persuade them on your behalf. I believe they will recognize how much this means for everyone..."

Rena narrowed her eyes slightly.

Her gaze was sharp and fluid, as if carved from the edge of a blade—elegant, decisive, and unwavering.

"You said that once the vaccine succeeds, you'll restore them to their original state, that all they need to do is wait," Lin Sanjiu said, looking at Rena's face. "Now, I'm asking you to wait just a little while, too."

1

It felt like a long, long time had passed before Rena finally spoke.

"You gave the Ah Quan pocket dimension to that man, didn't you?"

Lin Sanjiu wasn't surprised that she knew Yu Yuan had been here.

"Honestly... even without the Ah Quan pocket dimension," Rena said, "my plan won't come to a halt. After all, there are still more people who want to help me than those who don't. Most people want to see the vaccine succeed. The only reason you hesitate, the only reason you're holding back, is because you happened to witness the methods I had to use and because you keep lingering around the consequences."

1

Lin Sanjiu recalled what Rena had said before, about how many people had offered themselves as test subjects to advance the vaccine's development.

Rena lifted her gaze slightly, staring at the ceiling of the ship, as if her vision had already pierced through it—staring straight into the sky, into the universe beyond.

"It's troublesome," she admitted, "and it may set us back... But I can try to find a substitute for the Ah Quan pocket dimension. If I really can't, there are always other, less pleasant options. Either way, it won't change the big picture."

Lin Sanjiu let out a trembling breath, hardly daring to believe her ears.

"It won't come to that," she said, her voice full of gratitude. "Just wait a little while. My friend—Yu Yuan, the one you saw—I told him that no matter what happens, he has to come back. I will take responsibility for convincing Ah Quan to help you. Yu Yuan is efficient. He's not an ordinary posthuman. He'll be back soon."

This was the only path she could find in such an impossible situation.

She was willing to pay any price for Rena's plan, but she couldn't decide the price for others. All she could do was ease the conflicts, bring people together, and try to make everyone understand what was at stake.

1

Rena didn't seem angry with her. Instead, she let her shoulders relax, exhaling a long sigh.

Then, with a bitter smile, she stepped forward and hooked her arm around Lin Sanjiu's—just like she used to, long ago—resting her head lightly on her shoulder.

"You know, I would never harm you," she murmured. "I understand why you did this... You're a good person. And not just that, you're someone who tries to act on her convictions without breaking everything in the process. When the vaccine is fully developed and ready for mass production, I'll reserve the first vial from the assembly line just for you. You can take it with you, use it whenever and wherever you want..."

Lin Sanjiu's throat tightened. She couldn't speak.

She could only tighten her arms around Rena, pressing her cheek against her shoulder.

And in that moment, she noticed something, a glimpse of a band-aid peeking out from Rena's sleeve.

Had she been injured?

"But the real reason I asked you for the Ah Quan pocket dimension... wasn't entirely about it," Rena continued. "I wanted to put you in front of a difficult choice, to see which side you would pick. To see if you could stay and face what's coming with me."

1

She sighed. "But you can't."

What?

"You can't," Rena repeated softly. "And it's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault. It's just the way things are. Life never bends to our wishes."

"I'm just happy I got to see you again," she added, her voice almost a whisper. "To see the person I used to be, all those years ago. I hope you won't blame me."

Lin Sanjiu wanted to ask, Blame you for what? But she suddenly realized she didn't need to ask.

She already knew. Just now, when Rena had tilted her head to look at the ceiling, she hadn't been spacing out. She had been watching something.

She had been watching the Great Deluge approach.

And now, the Great Deluge had reached her. It had reached Exodus, gently sweeping them into its embrace.

The Great Deluge had let Rena go.

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