by N. Heller
"This is not a joke. Becoming a part of us… Do you understand what that means?
"We are not omnipotent and omniscient, but if there are any organisms on this universe that are close to "omnipotent and omniscient", that would be us.
"All of your worries, gone, and all your doubts, answered. Everything you love and hate…" the Veda paused for a moment, "Well, you will not feel love or hate any longer.
"You will learn the true essence of all things in the world. You will exist longer than the stars or even the universe. You will see, learn, and master all kinds of technologies that you have never witnessed in your life. You will be omniscient, you will have absolute dominance over everything, and you will be in the driving seat. The world will be in your hands. Joining us, in a sense, will make you become God.
"You can even ascend out of this loop of world leaping.
"So, it's your call."
Lin Sanjiu listened like a deer in the headlights. Her brain was a mare's nest. She could not think of anything, and she could not help shuddering. She had no idea whether it was due to the fear or agitation. All she knew was that her brain felt as if it was in a pot of boiling water; it was so hot that she could not breathe.
Suddenly, a question slashed across her muddled brain and appeared with sparkling clarity in her mind.
"Puppeteer…" The words came out of her lips slowly. "Where is he now? Did you offer him the same options?"
"Affirmative. Right after he failed the Pocket Dimension, we had gained access to his data pool. When we utilized his memory and trapped you in Sector 9, we told him the same thing as well."
"Then, what did he say?"
"He said he's willing to become our immigrant. However, before that, he wishes to see you."
Chapter 592 - An Unexpected Survivor
After the Veda disappeared, a cord extended itself from the web in the front void. It pulsed with mild radiance as it gradually turned into the shape of a human.
Lin Sanjiu waited and watched as the ball of light congealed into the Puppeteer of her memory.
Locks of wet hair dr.a.p.ed over his face and clavicle. His countenance was as bloodless as always.
This was the very first time since their encounter that the glitter powder around Puppeteer's eyes appeared translucent. It sparkled like fine diamonds on his pallid skin. He donned his usual black leather jacket that reflected a shimmering white glow with every step he took.
Lin Sanjiu had returned to her human form as well. Although both she and Puppeteer had been analyzed, they were open to the Veda only. If they wanted to talk to each other, they still needed their bodies and vocal cords.
As the man clad in black walked closer, a strong and unnatural aroma assaulted her nostrils. Lin Sanjiu averted her gaze, but she soon raised her head again and looked into his eyes.
Both of them stared at each other in speechless dismay for a while.
Suddenly, Puppeteer spoke. His voice remained the same, but Lin Sanjiu felt that something about it had changed. 'Perhaps it is because Yun's voice has already been rooted deeply in my mind,' Lin Sanjiu thought.
"After I returned from the balcony, I sat on the stairs for a while," Puppeteer said, his voice soft and low, "The same spot you were sitting in at that time."
Stunned, Lin Sanjiu said, "...You've seen everything."
"Yeah." Puppeteer did not look her in the eyes. His gaze looked past her shoulders at the void behind. There was no light behind his stare.
"I sat there alone for a while until I grabbed a black leather jacket from a Vindice.
"Hence, I've been dressing like this ever since." Puppeteer c.a.r.e.s.sed his arm, causing the leather to emit a series of light squeals as his finger ran across the hide. "As for the reason, I have no idea."
Lin Sanjiu listened quietly, but Puppeteer had stopped talking.
Both of them stood there in total silence for a long while. Then Puppeteer heaved a long sigh, shattering the impasse. His breath that grazed past her ear reminded Lin Sanjiu of the early winter wind.
"Not long after you walked into Sector 9, I began drawing a plan to kill you," Puppeteer said slowly. "It was a well-thought-out plan. I had all the facets covered, and I'd prepared for all the consequences. When you were crying outside the door, I even began to imagine your face on your death throes."
Lin Sanjiu remained standing stock-still. She felt no fear; her heart was calm. She looked at Puppeteer's shoulder, inwardly wondering if he had been eating well all these years. He looked so lean and brittle. It was as if there weren't any flesh underneath the layer of skin.
"I get it," she spoke softly, "I am sorry."
"Shut up."
Lin Sanjiu then kept quiet.
Once again, silence fell. Lin Sanjiu waited with bated breath until Puppeteer began to speak again. "During that time, you were like a ghost. Wherever he went, you went."
Lin Sanjiu gave an involuntary half start before she realized that the "he" Puppeteer was referring to was Yun.
All of a sudden, Puppeteer lowered his head, stretched out his hand, and grabbed Lin Sanjiu's wrist. Shocked, Lin Sanjiu tensed. However, he just pulled her hand and placed it on his throat.
A warm sensation, very low in temperature but still warm, emanated beneath her palm. Lin Sanjiu was at a total loss. She had no idea what he was doing or what she should do. Her fingers were frozen stiff on his neck.
"It's not big, isn't it? It has not grown much from the time I was sixteen."
As he spoke, Lin Sanjiu could sense his throat vibrating under her palm.
"When I look in the mirror, it feels like… there's a stone stuck in there. I can't spit it out, nor can I swallow it down. Only then do I realize how tense I have become after all these years."
Puppeteer smacked her hand away as if he'd had enough of physical contact with Lin Sanjiu.
"I knew what was coming and how it would end, but I couldn't stop myself from watching. The Veda told me that all the hatred and love we harbor is nothing but mere emotions and chemicals secreted by our brains. Their presence is completely meaningless."
Lin Sanjiu gave a start. She said, "Are you really going to accept the Veda's proposal?"
His impassiveness made Lin Sanjiu's heart spur into a gallop. She had no idea why, but she felt that she had to do something. Before she knew it, she was bombarding Puppeteer with all sorts of questions. "Are you really planning to become a Veda? I… I know I have no place in influencing your decision, but even if you had a past like that, what's wrong with that? Without the past and your memories, what are you?
"How many years have you been living as Puppeteer? You only relived your memories as Yun once, and now you can't take it anymore? So you want to run away? What is the difference between you and a coward? If you're a man, suck it up and live on!"
The moment she finished speaking, she felt a hand choke her throat. This was the first time she felt Puppeteer's strength, and to her surprise, it wasn't any inferior to Hei Zeji's.
Puppeteer lowered his head and pressed his face close to Lin Sanjiu. His breath sprayed on her skin, his oppressive and cold aroma enveloping her whole, but she could not smell anything. Her face reddened due to the lack of oxygen.
"Let me remind you of something: I haven't given up on killing you. It's just that there are two more targets on the list that come before you, so don't force me to skip them," Puppeteer hissed into Lin Sanjiu's ear before pushing her away.
Lin Sanjiu covered her throat and coughed twice. "...Who are they?" she asked in a husky voice.
Puppeteer rubbed his fingers in disgust as if he wanted to dust off the specks he'd gotten from Lin Sanjiu. "The Veda… and Gong Daoyi."
Lin Sanjiu's throat was still throbbing with pain, but she could not help but heave a sigh of relief. She pressed down the jubilation that ballooned up in her heart and said, "You scared me. I thought you wanted to…"
"Shut up."
For the Veda, both of them were like two pools of data tha
t required no permission for access. Thus, the Veda could see through Puppeteer's thoughts. In other words, he could not lie to them.
As if he knew what she was thinking, Puppeteer turned his body to the other side. He refused to look her in the eyes, not wanting her to see the expression on his face. "When they offered me the opportunity to become one of them, you were still in Sector 9."
"While I was still in Sector 9?" Understanding instantly dawned upon Lin Sanjiu. It appeared to her that Puppeteer accepted the Veda's offer as he watched his past being replayed once more right in front of his eyes. To put it simply, he had wanted to give up his life at that moment.
"...I'm sorry," Lin Sanjiu said, bending her head over.
If she had not walked away from him in the convenience store, then perhaps everything would not have come to this.
"That's not necessary. You and I, after all, are enemies," Puppeteer said calmly. "However, I do appreciate that you did not make a disgusting look."
Lin Sanjiu saw the light behind his words. She smiled but did not say anything. Somehow, she would rather see him as a root of fear, someone to hate or even despise instead of sympathize with.
"Then… What do we do now?" she asked after a short while, as they still hadn't gotten themselves out of this mess. "They have access to our information. We cannot do anything in front of them."
As soon as the Veda returned, they would know all their thoughts with a simple glance. How would they fight against an enemy that knew all of their plans?
"Yes, but you forgot something: we are not alone here. Aside from us, there's someone who hasn't been analyzed yet."
"Huh?" Lin Sanjiu opened her mouth wide in surprise. "The Veda haven't gotten Soulsqn's information yet?"
Chapter 593 - Every Dog Has Its Day
Not only could the Veda not get their hands on Soulsqn's information, but she also successfully escaped from their clutches.
Even Lin Sanjiu and Puppeteer, who were far more powerful than Soulsqn, could not escape the fate of having their information analyzed by the Veda, but Soulsqn was resilient. She got stronger with every setback. Not once did she stop fighting back, and at last, she found a chance.
At the moment that Lin Sanjiu was impaled by "Yun", Soulsqn finally broke herself free of the Veda's trap and escaped into the endless void of the Data Stream Library.
The moment she escaped, a myriad of cords lit up, and the pursuit of the fugitive began.
Truth be told, speed wasn't one of Soulsqn's faculties, not to mention that she was now running around like a headless chicken. Even though she knew she could not outrun the Veda, she did not slow down her speed.
In the blink of an eye, countless cords flickered in front of Soulsqn and formed into a net, attempting to undercut her. The flesh worm slammed the brakes and stopped before she rammed into the net.
After going through so many ordeals, Soulsqn was no longer the same as before. She turned her attenuated body around, only to find that another blanket of light surrounded her.
This was the fourth time she was entrapped by the cords.
Just as Soulsqn wondered what the Veda were planning, a voice came. "My queen."
Startled, Soulsqn turned her "head", which was purely composed of strings of flesh, in the direction of the sound. A shadow emerged from the mesh of glowing cords. The figure became more apparent as it got closer to Soulsqn, finally revealing itself: Souls.
"Yo, so you transformed into me this time?" Soulsqn snarled at the figure after she snapped out of her momentary shock.
"Why do you still not get it? This is not about transforming." The "Souls" stood stock-still and delivered the words directly to Soulsqn. "Everything we code will eventually become a reality."
The flesh worm wriggled her body a few times as if she were annoyed.
"You still don't trust us even after witnessing so much?"
"Reality," Soulsqn humphed. It wasn't easy for her to do this, but she couldn't give a better response, which she observed from Lin Sanjiu. "How dare you all brag about reality before me! A reality that can be deleted or erased easily is no reality."
"You're free to stick to your guns, but in here, it's us who define what reality is and is not. There's no phantasm or reality here, the only thing that matters is whether we want to write the code or not," the Veda refuted calmly. "It's pointless to continue debating about this matter. We merely want to make a trade with you, where each of us takes what we need. A win-win situation."
"So I surrender myself, and then you'll let me populate my kind?" Soulsqn sneered. "How absurd! You can't reproduce either!"
"We can, of course. It's just that we choose not to. We can have a reproductive system as well whenever we want. It just involves some code writing. Take a look at this." As the Veda spoke, it slowly moved towards Soulsqn. Shocked, the latter recoiled two steps and studied it.
Her eyes slowly moved to the center part of the "Souls". She stared at it for a while before exploding into a great fit of laughter.
The laughter of the Souls was different from that of humans. Not only did it sound like a wooden rasp, but it also felt like she was eructating. Soulsqn laughed so hard that she almost choked on her breath. "Whaa… haa… ha… What is that?"
The Veda did not reply.
"That's a human thing! We wouldn't be able to use it even if you gave it to us!" Soulsqn's body convulsed with laughter. "You have to rely on immigration to maintain your population, so what's the use of adding a reproductive part onto your body when you have no use for it? If you could create something that doesn't exist, then why do you need immigrants in the first place?"
"Then we have no other option left but to subdue you by force."
Soulsqn suddenly stopped laughing. After a short while, she mustered up her courage and refuted. "You know that doesn't work on me! How many times are you going to try before you learn that?"
"It's apparent that you have underestimated our obsession in exploring the unknown. We will keep trying, again and again and again, until you give in or until we've destroyed you. And if I'm not mistaken, your body has already reached the end of its tether. How many times do you think you can use that ability of yours?" the Veda said calmly. "Time is on our side."
The Veda hardly finished its words before Soulsqn made her move. She let out a battle cry and pounced on the Veda.
The Veda vanished in a flash. Then, a prismatic shard of light showered on the spot it previously stood. The light homed in on Soulsqn and enshrouded her in a phantasmagoric blinding radiance. Along with the flesh worm in the center, it began to spin and merge.
Once again, Soulsqn had escaped.
The same process had been ensuing four times already, and each time, the attack the Veda threw at her was different. The Veda had amassed a vast expanse of information from every corner of the universe; thus, the type of offense and traps they could utilize was innumerable. Yet, no matter how bizarre or powerful their attacks were, they constantly failed to capture Soulsqn due to one reason: they always missed their target.
Soulsqn did not have a clue of where to run, so she just picked the direction with the least amount of cords. However, moving across the Data Stream Library was like bobbing around in space or floating on the water. Even though she tried very hard to propel herself forward, she still moved as slow as a snail.
The Veda in the form of Souls remained standing still. More and more cords streamed out of every direction and filled the void.
As if someone had turned on the light, her surroundings became as bright as day. Soulsqn turned her head around, and she was horrified by what she saw.
It seemed that the Veda had no intention of going easy on her anymore after four failed attempts. There were so many cords behind her that it looked like a large white piece of glittering cloth.
Like the Veda said earlier, they had an infinite amount of time. When they encountered something they had never seen or experienced before, they would be willing to track their target and
never give up until they got what they wanted, even if the information might be useless to them. Thus, for how long could she run?
Soulsqn was overwhelmed by paroxysms of despair and anxiety. The tendrils on her body all stood up on their ends, hissing and snarling powerlessly at her pursuers.
The curtain of white light grew larger and broader, moving at a fast yet steady pace. The Veda trapped Soulsqn in a pincer attack, and when everything seemed to have come to an end, an arm suddenly appeared from the flickering void. It grabbed Soulsqn by the back of her neck.
At the other end of the void, Lin Sanjiu pulled back her arm along with Soulsqn, who now resembled a sausage that was spit out by a machine. Lin Sanjiu released her grip, and Soulsqn dropped to the ground, unable to believe that she was saved.
"Lord Puppeteer?" Soulsqn yelled. "You are here, too? Hold up. Are you two Veda? What the hell is happening…"
"My [Pygmalion Choker] has already been activated, so we have only a few minutes left," Lin Sanjiu chimed in. "How did you escape from the Veda?"
Chapter 594 - The Exit Is Right In Front
The Veda had no kryptonite in this world. Be that as it may, if there was anybody who could give them some trouble, it would be Soulsqn.
The Veda could store and analyze any attack or ability they received, regardless of its strength and type, and make it less useful.
In this sense, Soulsqn could be called gifted.
Seeing the two humans looking at her with expectant eyes, the crimson-red flesh worm raised her head and said contemptuously, "Those Veda, hmph! They all talked so high and mighty, but they could not do a single thing to me when I used my ability!"
"Cut the crap and get straight to the point!" Lin Sanju interrupted.
"Have you forgotten that I can create reality, too?" Soulsqn said hastily, rubbing her mandibles.