“It’s just that you got lucky today. Li Yao was laughing so happily that she forgot she could zap you. Next time, you won’t be so lucky.”
In one person’s dorm room, there were three shadows, and among them, one voice was especially sharp.
The star connection was on, but there was no glory. The oppressive pressure reflected had not been fully released.
What it wanted most was to see Li Yao give a zap, to see Shen Ning so furious that a storm rose, and the zap grew stronger and stronger, the wind more and more violent, until the two fought until the Great Dao was nearly extinguished.
“Don’t be so extreme,” said the ragged shadow. “We had fun all last night, and today we can still cuddle a bit. That’s already a double tremor.”
“You’d rather live being laughed at for a lifetime!”
Shen Ning lay quietly on the bed, not participating in the shadows’ conversation, nor paying much attention to the banter.
The ragged shadow was right; she had already had two tremors. After a night of happiness, she could still manage a little more. If you asked how desperate she was when laughed at in the morning, well, she wasn’t too angry, more filled with regret.
According to the numbers Xu Chuyao mentioned, it was only a small amount anyway.
“So how much happiness value did you have yesterday?” the oppressive shadow asked her, “Is it a lot?”
The girl shook her head, indicating she didn’t know. If you want to ask me, better ask Li Yao.
But even Li Yao didn’t know because Li Yao could only see the Reflective Value, not the Positive Faction Value.
Changing the subject back, yesterday’s whole night was truly fun. The girl might have been so excited that when revisiting those experiences in the Dream Realm, she couldn’t help but sing, though she no longer remembered the words.
“Why are you only thinking about these things? Why not think about something serious?” said the oppressive shadow.
Having just learned so much important information, if you don’t think it over properly but just toss and turn in bed, your mind will be full of trivial love and feelings.
“It’s fine,” Shen Ning said casually, “Li Yao already knows anyway.”
Li Yao, being smart, would come up with a solution.
The ragged shadow suddenly climbed up from the wall, pointing a big finger at the girl:
“Exactly, sister! That’s the right way to think. You just have to keep doing what you’re doing!”
Shen Ning didn’t respond because he hadn’t really given up thinking. He simply handed the matter over to his girlfriend, which was more efficient.
It was getting late. Time to sleep. Last night at the Academy was too exciting; not much sleep was had.
Zzzz
In Kubaas City, at the Sky Science Department’s Soul Prison, a man wearing a long windbreaker and a black national cap, standing over two meters tall, walked quickly along the corridor.
“I want to summon Professor Swina.” He placed a document on the table. “This is a letter from Lord Monrose Yinli’er.”
The warden took it and looked over it carefully. His expression immediately softened.
“Please have a seat. I will prepare the interrogation announcement.”
Minutes later, Swina sat stiffly on a hard chair, his eyes fixed on the tall man in the windbreaker across from him. He had once looked like this, watching the real Mutants behind the scenes, but now he was in a different position.
“The recent behavior of the Mutants conflicts with the data from the research institute. I want to ask if you know what’s going on.”
Hearing this, Swina’s interest was piqued. “What?”
Then, from the man, he learned about a series of strange phenomena recently: all Mutants showed synchronized emotional waveform fluctuations — sometimes angry, sometimes stupidly happy.
“For quite some time now, Mutants in different locations have shown this kind of situation. It suggests there is something external affecting them,” the man said in a low voice. “Professor Swina, you have successfully influenced them before. What is your opinion on this?”
It was very reasonable to consult an experienced person.
Swina gave a brief reply: “Me? You’re wrong, sir. I’m not the one influencing them. It’s like the murderer is not the man, but the knife. This metaphor is poetic but fits perfectly—I’m already inside, but the knife remains outside.”
“We know you once used a female’s emotional waveform,” the man’s expression changed, “this time it’s also a woman’s.”
Freya had already read the dossiers on the Free City incident. He knew that the psychic waveform diffuser could spread Shen Ning’s emotional waves to other Mutants. But this time, there was no device to help. How could the girl so far away reach them?
Swina straightened his posture, his eyes fixed on the other man.
“You know, sir, I planted a spy in the research lab. At first, a sharp female researcher was transferred to the institute. I told her her work was worthless and all conclusions wrong, that she should just work in the cafeteria from then on. But I lied, her report was not completely wrong. One part was correct.”
The man was confused. “Why tell me this?”
Swina chuckled quietly.
“Because of her work, sir. She has been working in the Ascension Academy’s special medical office, observing Shen Ning since the very first day he arrived. She’s been watching him for three years.”
The man asked curiously, “Did she draw any correct conclusions? Did it relate to the later influence on the Mutants?”
Swina relaxed and leaned back in the chair.
“Of course I can tell you, sir, but only if you and the gentleman behind you agree.”
“Little Shen Ning, you’re so important, and I’m important too.”
The dream shifted again. This time, as Uncle Liu spoke, he said a sentence full of emotional resonance.
Shen Ning felt a little embarrassed but suddenly remembered something.
“Uncle Liu, did you mean that figuratively, or literally?”
Liu slowly turned toward him, his eyes like hanging stones. “What do you mean by ‘figuratively’?”
The girl looked carefully at the message.
She understood. Liu was simply recounting an incident with a guest — happy, but the big Mutants had also been affected by his emotional control.
She felt moved too soon.
“But Little Shen Ning, you really are different from before. Not like those previous years.” Liu said slowly, “And I heard you sing.”
The girl was slightly stunned.
A mix of joy and sorrow…
“What kind of spiritual inspiration, what kind of camp, what kind of camp, wow, that’s a very good sound. We knew when you were little that someday you would be a star.”
Shen Ning’s neck flushed red.
“So you, you all can hear me sing?”
That was when, in her past shadow dream realm, she had been holding the pillow and singing while blowing her head off.
That song didn’t seem very serious; it was something Li Yao had occasionally sung recently. It felt charming, so she remembered it. Of course, that wasn’t the focus. The point was that the people in that dream weren’t fake.
If they weren’t fake…
Thinking about the constant head explosions she’d endured for over three years at the Academy, the girl found it hard to meet the long gaze before her.
“It’s not real, Little Shen Ning. It’s just that in this place, everything seemingly connected isn’t actually linked.” Liu held up a pack of tissues, staring at some unknown place. “Actually, we’re all the same, Little Shen Ning. After the incident, all of us, our consciousness is trapped in the last thing before death. We repeat that process countless times, feeling the final emotions before death.”
Shen Ning held her breath. From Liu’s words, she learned a shocking truth: the true nature of the Mutants.
“After being engulfed by its light, everyone’s emotions are similar, whether fear or despair. We keep reliving the post-experience feelings until numbness sets in, becoming part of it, only leaving behind this trace of emotional reflection.”
“But Uncle Liu, I didn’t…”
“Yes, so you haven’t become part of it.”
Liu’s words confirmed the girl’s terrible suspicion—over these three years, every night, the dreams of reliving the past were the Soulstones’ way of transforming her.
Each time she revisited the dream, it was like reliving the cold killing battle of that time. The more often she did it, the more numb she became, until the spirit became a walking corpse, and the external form no longer mattered.
But why hadn’t it succeeded? Because during the fading gray times, nearly every day someone came to provoke, poking here and there, making it impossible to breathe normally.
The girl wiped her nose. “Uncle Liu, why are you telling me this now? Is it the right time?”
Before, Liu said nothing, just gave vague warnings: don’t get close to this or that. And now, it’s still too early.
Liu smiled like a stone cracking open.
“Little Shen Ning, I’m very happy. We’re all very happy. Some people, even after dying, are still savoring the lingering feelings. Thank you, Little Shen Ning. Those souls also thank you, for letting their dying hearts experience emotion once more.”
“So, a rift appeared, Little Shen Ning. In this numb and repelling Dead Nation, you have become the first batch of supporters.”
—
Dawn — Danger — Danger — Academy
The alarm clock on the bell tower chimed again, bringing the wake-up bell to all the teachers and students. In this season of blooming warmth, waking up late meant being marked tardy.
“You’re still mumbling? You should be awake,” the oppressive shadow’s voice appeared in her ear. “I thought you’d take a nap yesterday afternoon, but I didn’t expect you’d sleep straight through until this morning.”
So I was sleeping since yesterday afternoon, the girl thought to herself.
The sunlight outside was just right, birds chirped, flowers smelled sweet, and a classmate’s phone buzzed somewhere.
“I dreamed again,” Shen Ning said softly. “I know the truth now. The Soulstones have never given up transforming me, but I hung on.”
Three shadows suddenly appeared on the wall overnight.
“No way, really? Do you know the truth? That the Soulstones use dreams to control us? I can actually say it now!”
“So good, really good.”
“Li Yao said it… Li Yao didn’t say it, but Li Yao did.”
The three shadows each expressed their excitement.
The girl had already calmed down inside after her initial excitement. Back in reality, she was even pondering deeply. Since such dreams are possible, it means soon she will have direct contact with the Soulstones.
If there’s no other special cause, the most likely is…
[Li Yao: Are you there? Don’t keep fooling around, quickly check the group messages.]
[Yuan Rui: Forget it, I’ll just say it directly. Tomorrow morning, meet at the school gate. We’re going to do new Soulstone experiments.]