Chapter 545 — This Is the New Laboratory
Blade of Dawn · Page 2 of 4
An endless expanse of calm water stretched out of sight. Countless giant alloy platforms, neatly arrayed, floated upon its surface. In the vast blue sky above, complex and ever-shifting symbols, formulas, runes, mechanical structures, and blueprints drifted and refreshed as always. And at the center of this whole vast space stood the "datum point" Gao Yang had set for this experimental space.
On a small platform, a round table, chairs, and refreshments had all been laid out. The old mage Daniel stood respectfully beside the table. The moment Gao Yang appeared, he stepped forward and bowed. "I salute you, my lord."
Gao Yang waved a hand, bidding Daniel rise. "Is it quiet on your end?"
"I've arranged a dedicated rest period. No one will disturb me for the next half day."
"Very good. They'll be here soon."
After a short wait, Gao Yang sensed several connection signals pointing toward this virtual space—
He had carved this space out at the very bottom layer of the Dreamless Ones' mind network. To keep it safe and hidden, the entire space was cloaked in heavy data camouflage and layer upon layer of encryption. Only those holding the specific mind-network frequency could find its true address, and to connect to that address, one still needed Gao Yang's personal permission.
After confirming the identity of each signal, Gao Yang opened the connection permissions. The next instant, amid columns of light descending from the sky and a flood of refreshing runes, one figure after another materialized on the small platform.
Hetty and the others swayed a few times under the dizziness and weightlessness, then got their bearings.
Nearly everyone's eyes went wide with astonishment. Rebecca could not help but let out a cry: "Whoa!!!"
"This is truly... incredible..." Hetty stared in shock at the scene before her—this vast world of water and sky, those neatly arrayed alloy platforms, the formulas and blueprints in the sky... Sights impossible to behold in reality were now presented before her eyes so vividly, every one of them so clear that even though she knew in advance all of this was virtual, she could not help but wonder whether she had truly crossed through time and space into a new world parallel to the real one.
In that moment, she finally understood what her ancestor had meant by the term "virtual reality."
The calmest person present was perhaps Pi Yun. In the previous test he had already visited the Dreamless Ones' "conscious layer" and seen a portion of Fantasia City, so he was mentally prepared for how magnificent a virtual world could be. Looking at the scene, he merely observed with some feeling: "I never imagined you had already built such an expansive space."
A middle-aged man who looked utterly ordinary—ordinary features, ordinary build, ordinary clothes, even an ordinary hairstyle and voice—nodded slightly and remarked: "Looks rather empty."
Gao froze for a moment. "Well, it's meant for experiments, not for people to live in... Wait, who are you?"
Hetty and the others stared in astonishment at this stranger standing among them. Jenny was the first to react: "You're... Kamael?"
"That's me," Kamael said, looking down at his own body, then raising his head and spreading his hands. "I actually wanted to recreate my original appearance, but... I've forgotten what I looked like."
Then he shook his head, as if trying to offer a self-mocking smile, but he had forgotten how to make expressions too. So he simply waved a hand; the middle-aged man's appearance scattered, and amid a flash of energy sparks, the arcane body bound together by rune-armor plates reappeared before them all. "I'll use this body instead. I'm more used to it, more or less."
"It'll get better," Gao Yang said, looking at the two points of arcane light where Kamael's head was. "You can adapt slowly, and remember slowly. Used properly, the mind network benefits both memory and mental strength—perhaps it will work for you too."