Lin Wei's Perceptual Obstruction

In this world, what kind of person is most likely to lose their rationality?

Stupid people? Stubborn people? Short-sighted people? Or arrogant people?

All of these are correct, but also all incorrect…

In this world, the more sunk costs a person has invested in something, the more likely they are to lose their clear judgment and rationality at the moment of decision related to it.

For example, Dr. Jackal at this moment.

And the so-called stupidity, stubbornness, short-sightedness, arrogance…

These inherent personality flaws in humans often represent a lower acceptance threshold for sunk costs. They also tend to amplify this "irrational phenomenon" when he or she has already paid, or is about to pay, a huge price.

Similarly, for example, Dr. Jackal at this moment…

"Under the combined effect of various factors, because of Jackal, two bases were lost in a short period of time. Countless personnel and property were lost. Even for the entire World Serpent, these are just insignificant small parts. But for the proud Jackal, at least on a psychological level, this is a huge loss that she cannot bear."

Lin Wei calmly analyzed Jackal's motivations and the reason why he was so sure that she would not be driven away by his provocative words to Yae Sakura,

"And another dimension, at least in Dr. Jackal's eyes, she has almost completely captured me and Yuno, and her goal has almost been completely achieved – it's just that one is already lying on her experimental table, and the other's life or death is temporarily unknown…"

Lin Wei chuckled.

"At this time, if she were to give up, it would not only mean that the losses already invested before would not be recovered, but also that she would have to give up the 'prey' she had already obtained… Tsk tsk tsk, this kind of choice that makes people feel painful just thinking about it, how could she so easily make the correct choice?"

"Hehe, this is much more painful than cutting losses in stocks…"

Lin Wei realized that his analogy might be difficult for Yae Sakura to understand. After thinking for a moment, he switched to a more subtle yet easier-to-grasp expression for someone like Yae Sakura, who was born in ancient times, and said with emotion,

"According to Buddhist teachings, this is probably the so-called 'klesha-avarana' (煩惱障)?"

Klesha-avarana—the obstruction of afflictions—refers to the clinging to the self, greed, anger, ignorance, and various other delusions that prevent one from attaining liberation…

Yae Sakura nodded, indicating that she understood when put in these terms.

Sure enough, compared with those modern examples, this relatively classical generalization was easier for her to understand and digest.

Suddenly, she looked solemn, remained silent for a moment, and then said,

"There is a sound of something flying in the sky approaching quickly, it should be Durandal."

"Is that so? Then let's wait a little longer."

Lin Wei nodded, then gestured and said softly,

"The location of the stadium is in front of us. And the underground entrance prepared for Durandal is behind us to the left. From our position, the difference should be very obvious."

"Sakura, please pay more attention next. If the flying sound stops behind us, tell me, so I can have an idea;"

"If she flies over our heads towards the stadium, also tell me…"

Lin Wei still looked like he was resting with his eyes closed, but his expression was slightly more serious.

"Then, immediately start our final backup plan!"

"Mm."

Yae Sakura nodded.

"Sigh… Actually, it's not just Jackal. How much better are Otto and I?"

Lin Wei thought for a while and suddenly smiled wryly.

"Let's not talk about Otto, you know, and I know. Hehe, I'm afraid we can't even talk properly! Hey, trouble, trouble! So it's better not to meet this guy if I can avoid it!"

"What about you?"

Yae Sakura asked curiously.

"Me?"

Lin Wei thought for a while and said with a smile,

"I'm probably a fool with an even more serious klesha-avarana than Jackal…"

Yae Sakura didn't understand, but she seemed to understand something.

Before she could say anything more, she suddenly raised her eyebrows and said,

"She's here, the sound fell down behind us. Lin Wei-kun, you succeeded again."

"Succeeded? Maybe, but this kind of success is meaningless…"

Lin Wei said noncommittally.

"Wait a little longer. To be safe, let her walk into that hole, and then we'll start acting."

After saying these words, the whole person relaxed again. He seemed to explain his previous statement to Yae Sakura, and also seemed to be mocking himself.

"If at the very beginning, when I arrived in this world, I met you, met Rin, got the Divine Key, got the power I have now… Heh, if that was really the case, I would probably really think I was some kind of chosen one, and then really choose to be a hero who saves the world… Heh, but I didn't get that chance."

"This world is not gentle to me at all. At the beginning of my arrival, even breathing was suicide. It was like a virus that had intruded rashly, and was targeted everywhere…"

Lin Wei smiled slightly, still brooding over this unforgettable experience.

"The idea of being a hero was extinguished on the first day. The filter called 'transmigrator' was also shattered at the same time. Everything I did later, as you basically know, Sakura, was just to survive, to have a place to live. It's that simple – as an almost ephemeral mayfly, I have no right to look at the future, to talk about whether the ice and snow of winter are beautiful…"

Lin Wei suddenly chuckled.

"Then, when I was really able to do all this, I suddenly realized that I seemed to be gradually gaining the qualifications to be a hero – but, at this point, I had completely lost interest in playing this role. I just wanted to live my life peacefully in the shelter I had worked so hard to obtain, facing the sea, with spring blossoms."

"This is what I deserve…"

Before, Lin Wei did his best just to get this simple life. In his eyes at that time, standing at the gate of death, it was so distant and extravagant…

And now, Lin Wei, who has successfully obtained everything he wants, does everything just to maintain such a simple life.

It's just that, from the current point of view, this wish seems to be quite extravagant…

"Heh, maybe in a sense, I really can be considered the same kind of person as that Miss Raven?"

Lin Wei couldn't help but laugh at himself.

"It's just that I'm really unwilling! Why should any accident be able to easily break my life? It was like this a year ago, and it's still like this a year later?"

"Moreover, I really can't understand, I can't figure it out. It's not just because I don't want to break the original trajectory of this world – because in this way, I can comfortably put myself in a position where I don't care and hang high. It's more because I can't find a reason to fight for it…"

"This world itself does not welcome my arrival. And besides that, Gray Serpent schemes against me, Jackal plots against me, Otto is even more irreconcilable with me, and even the guys from Anti-Entropy can only be considered to be in agreement on the surface… You see, these people who are at the top of the pyramid of this world, who control the future destiny of this world, are so unfriendly to me, why should I rush to join them?"

Lin Wei couldn't understand such things, or rather, he was deeply resentful.

Think about it. An adopted child who is not welcomed, discriminated against, and misunderstood, when he finally establishes a family and career through his own efforts one day, he is suddenly told: You, like other children, must fight for the future of this family together.

Wouldn't you just spit in his face?

At least Lin Wei felt that he hadn't done so, but instead smiled and treated them politely, which was already a very restrained behavior with great cultivation and manners…

"I don't have many concerns in this world. Only you, Sakura, and Rin, and Fu Hua, who helped me through the most difficult hurdles and gave me countless help, Raven and Bronya… can each be counted as half. Finally, add Anna, who appeared unexpectedly…"

Lin Wei counted on his fingers, but he could barely make a fist. He couldn't help but smile.

"You see, the world that really belongs to me, in fact, is only this big."

"At least so far, I still only want to fight for myself and for you."

"As for the wider world beyond that… Heh, I still just want to be a spectator. I don't want to cause any trouble, and I don't want trouble to come to me."

Lin Wei shrugged and said half-jokingly and half-seriously.

"You see, the good thing about not being a hero is that you can say selfish things without any scruples."

"Selfish? In my opinion, not necessarily. At least the Lin Wei-kun I see is not the way you describe yourself…"

Yae Sakura had been listening quietly without interruption. When Lin Wei finished speaking, she smiled gently and said what she saw differently.

"At that time, you agreed to help that stranger to save her daughter. I remember that Lin Wei-kun agreed without hesitation and did it dutifully. Of course, you also met that Miss Anna because of this…"

When she said the last sentence, her tone was slightly subtle and unclear.

"During the period of time since you arrived in Singapore, Lin Wei-kun, you have always been concerned about the Honkai that might happen in Manila."

Yae Sakura continued speaking gently and eloquently.

"The reason why you came to Manila without hesitation this time, I know, and Lin Wei-kun, you also know: In addition to Miss Anna's own safety, you are actually worried about the future of this city and want to try to find its source and extinguish it."

"…Didn't I fail to find it?"

Lin Wei was speechless for a moment.

"I've already given up."

"At least, during this time, you have been trying to save people with the Mimic Fenghuang Down, haven't you? Isn't this also your kindness, a heroic act?"

Seeing that Lin Wei did not deny it, Yae Sakura's smile couldn't help but become brighter.

"I think that the reason why Miss Fu Hua was willing to help you so wholeheartedly was probably because she saw the same thing as I did, right?"

"…What thing?"

Lin Wei felt uncomfortable all over and couldn't help but tighten his clothes.

"In fact, Lin Wei-kun's heart has never changed. He has always been a somewhat impulsive, passionate, and sometimes a little childish guy, hasn't he?"

Yae Sakura said quietly.

"It's just that, you like to provoke girls a little too much…"

"Hey! When did I ever like to provoke people?"

Lin Wei couldn't help but think of Anna and cried out for injustice.

"She provoked me, okay?"

She was too enthusiastic—I really couldn't refuse. Can you blame me?

"…Hmm, and a bit of a scoundrel."

Yae Sakura softly added, then returned to the topic and concluded,

"Rather than the klesha-avarana you just mentioned, I think Lin Wei-kun is clearly caught in a jñeya-āvarana (見知障)?"

A leaf obstructs the view, and one cannot see Mount Tai—that is jñeya-āvarana, the obstruction of knowledge that prevents enlightenment.

"…Aren't you a shrine maiden? How do you know this?"

Lin Wei was speechless.

Yae Sakura smiled, and replied calmly,

"Because I am a shrine maiden who doesn't respect the gods, so naturally I will be a little rebellious. Lin Wei-kun, shouldn't you know this too?"

"…Let's go, let's go, we've wasted enough time, it's time to get down to business."

Lin Wei, who had rarely fallen into a disadvantage, played tricks, stood up, and walked towards the rooftop of this building.

It had a wide field of vision and was high up, making it an ideal "sniper location".

But precisely because it was too ideal, it was extremely easy to be discovered, so it was necessary to avoid Durandal's investigation in advance.

"At least for now, let's get rid of the unexpected factors that want to break our current life!"

Otto, World Serpent, none of them were good things. Lin Wei didn't have the slightest psychological burden to attack them both.

"As for the future, let the future decide…"

If he couldn't figure it out, he would just give up. There must be a way when the car reaches the mountain. Lin Wei was too lazy to get into internal friction on this kind of thing.

Yae Sakura smiled slightly, noncommittal.

On this issue, as the person closest to Lin Wei, who participated in his life throughout the whole process, but was also a bystander, what she saw was actually the clearest.

In any case, she just needed to accompany him. Yae Sakura's thoughts were that simple.

......

Lin Wei was about to arrive at the end of his stage, and the other "actors" performing on the same stage were roughly the same.

Having sent Stan away, Jackal, ignoring how difficult it was for her high heels to walk on the uneven and messy road, quickly arrived at the stadium that had been completely leveled, leaving only a shallow pit.

Standing on the edge of the pit, she saw a seriously injured and dying girl lying weakly in the center of the pit, and couldn't help but laugh heartily.

On the other side, Durandal, who walked into the underground through an open entrance and was highly vigilant about the surrounding environment while advancing, stopped after passing a corner. Her expression was surprised, then she suddenly realized, and it seemed like she was both amused and annoyed.

"It's you?"

At the other end of this passage, a familiar little cat with strange fur was sitting obediently and quietly on the ground. Its big, round eyes looked at her with a complicated expression, and it let out an obscure meow.

"Meow…"

It's really you?