Chapter 14: Lucid Dreaming—Past Life and Present Life

"They have mostly the same functions as Xiaoba and Xiaowu, but their intelligence level is significantly higher," Liu Tingruo said.

"Really?" Jiang Shu looked at the four expressionless things, stretched out his hand to poke them, and then asked, "What are your names?"

They replied simultaneously in a mechanical voice, "It is for you, the Master, to decide."

"Let me think... How about this," Jiang Shu stroked his chin, then pointed at the four tablets and said in turn, "Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta."

"Yes," responded the four, and immediately the characters "Alpha Beta Gamma Delta" appeared on their foreheads.

"Are you sure their intelligence level is high?" Jiang Shu frowned and looked at Liu Tingruo. "Why do I feel like they're nowhere near as smart as Xiaoba and Xiaowu?"

"It's just for now," Liu Tingruo said with a slight smile. "I still can't create artificial intelligence with an independent personality, but I've thought of a compromise."

She took out a data cable that was a bit odd—one end was a standard USB interface, and the other was a series of needle-like connectors.

"Similar to the technology of a memory USB stick, we extract part of your memory to help shape their personalities, thus granting them stable intelligence," Liu Tingruo said, waving the slender silver needles. "Of course, unlike that immature technology, this will not cause any damage to the brain."

"Immature..." Jiang Shu pondered her words, then asked, "Did you invent this technology?"

"Yeah, just completed it yesterday," Liu Tingruo nodded.

"Then what qualifies you to call other people's memory USB sticks immature?!" Jiang Shu threw aside the data cable.

"Don't worry, it's theoretically possible, but there are some difficulties with the materials, so I've used 500 grams of Black Silver," Liu Tingruo affirmed. "So, feel free to use it."

"Black Silver?" He blinked.

Even Jiang Shu had heard of such a metal.

Black Silver, one of the specialties of this world, is a very strange rare metal, also known as Fantasy Metal. Before and after it is mined, it exists in two different states.

To be precise, before and after it is first observed by humans.

Before observation, Black Silver is just a vague chaotic substance, but after observation, its properties depend on the will of the observer.

Simply put, if you think it is a certain type of metal, then it becomes that metal. However, the conversion ratio is not fixed and depends on the difficulty of transforming it; if there is not enough quantity of Black Silver for the transformation, it will randomly become some kind of precious metal.

And this can also be used to produce alloys with special properties that current technology can't forge, although it does consume a large amount of Black Silver.

And Lonely City's annual production is only about two tons, completely mined by machinery and stored in boxes.

The metal part of this data cable before him is only about ten grams, but it was made using a pound of Black Silver—a truly significant investment.

"So, let's go to your room," Liu Tingruo flipped her hair behind her ear, then poured a glass of water and took out a blue pill. She turned to look back at Jiang Shu, who was still standing there, and said emphatically, "Hurry up."

Jiang Shu tactically leaned back. "What for?"

"I've prepared a sleeping pill for you," Liu Tingruo raised the small pill. "According to the procedure, after a good sleep, when you wake up you will have four Magic Assistants."

"Hold on, let me catch my breath." Jiang Shu waved his hands and then summed up Liu Tingruo's series of actions, "So basically, I go to sleep, then you stick needles into me to extract memories and input them into these four tablets to grant them intelligence?"

"Yes."

"But if you extract memories, would you be able to see them?" Jiang Shu slightly furrowed his brow—memories from before his transmigration should remain undiscovered if possible. He then remembered another matter, "And also, if you extract my memories, then aside from their forms, will these four guys be any different from me?"

"Okay, my explanation was problematic," Liu Tingruo understood Jiang Shu's confusion. "It's not about extracting memories to input into the tablets, but rather let four newly born artificial intelligences enter your brain in the form of a stream of consciousness to experience your memories and thus evolve. I won't be involved throughout the process; you'll just be sleeping, that's all."

"Furthermore, they will at most have personalities similar to yours—there won't be any ethical issues," she patiently explained. "I've tested it on myself, and it was successful. They have been reset. So rest assured, there's no danger."

"Okay," Jiang Shu nodded, it seemed there really wasn't a problem.

"Then let's go," Liu Tingruo walked toward his room, her voice calm. "Aren't you afraid I'll harm you?"

Jiang Shu followed behind her, matching her pace, "My life is in your hands; what is there to fear?"

A moment later, in Jiang Shu's room, Liu Tingruo watched him, who had fallen deeply asleep with silver needles inserted into three special acupoints on his head.

This guy, it seemed he never asked if there were any dangers. Instead, it was she who repeatedly emphasized there was no danger, almost like a swindler.

She sighed, then couldn't help a wry smile, "Idiot."

In the midst of the endless darkness, there faintly appeared four points of light.

Jiang Shu walked towards the light, which formed four characters: "Past Life and Present Life."

"Does this mean that I have now triggered the derivative ability 'Past Life and Present Life' brought by Deception?" He understood the meaning and then passed through the light.

He thought he would see events from before his crossing, but he did not.

What he saw was Lonely City, the him inside Lonely City.

But the difference was, this "him" in Lonely City had never met Sister Ruo, and therefore his life was exceedingly miserable.

Without a Character Card, he couldn't enter any formal establishments, and amidst the sporadic meals of his wandering life, he arrived at the most chaotic place in the Seventh District—Zone F.

The good news was that he no longer had to worry about Character Cards, for nobody in this place cared about them; the bad news was, he still had irregular meals.

However, his magic skills remained intact and, after starting to perform on the streets, he gradually managed to scrape by, although he still suffered bullying from street gangs, but life, overall, started looking up.

One day, however, he was taken to the Seventh Police Station, not for a Deception Group robbery case, as this world had no Deception Group.

The reason was simple; he had killed someone. He was wrong, but not at fault. In the fetid and chaotic Zone F, resistance and humiliation were as common as dirt, occurring every day.

Then he went to prison.

The good news was, life was no longer a matter of having a meal or not; the bad news was, there weren't many sane individuals here.

It was not until he met a very peculiar prisoner, who claimed to be "Ya," that things changed. Ya, with a smile, said to him, "Thoughts can transcend time."

"Hmm?"

"Thoughts can transcend time," Ya repeated, his gaze profound, as if it could encompass all things.

The dream ended abruptly there, as irritatingly as a story cut off mid-arc by its author—a type of person Jiang Shu absolutely detested.

He opened his eyes; the sunlight in the room indicated it was already daytime, and from the light piercing through the curtains, it was clear that it was almost noon.

Unlike the usual grogginess upon waking, his mind was still clear after this sleep, so he immediately set to work.

So, why had he dreamt these things?

The content of the dreams... was a bit different.

But come to think of it, a life without Sister Ruo was indeed dark.

Jiang Shu laughed at himself, then pulled off a Post-it note from beside the bed and wrote down three words: "Prison," "Prisoner," "Ya." If possible, he wanted to find this guy; this person must know something.

He put on his watch, activated the holographic screen, and began to routinely check messages as one would check their phone upon waking up in his previous life.

The first message that popped up was from Wolf—

"Fox is dead, call me when you wake up, and I'll come get you. Something feels off."