Chapter 29: The Plane of Dreams?
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Hao Ren was sitting upright facing Raven 12345, awaiting her explanation. In fact, he did not, at all, expect her to readily tell him everything from the get-go. He had a strong impression that Raven 12345 was egocentric and uncompromising since the day she forced him to board the boat. However, this woman did not seem so unkind now.
"The world is more complicated than you think," said Raven 12345 while she sat right on the desk, ignoring her image, making her looked like a ** boss. "We are looking at a realm where an unknown race, unknown society, or even another unknown space co-exist with our world. While most people are oblivious of it, a tiny minority of the uniquely gifted people, which are rare, are able to get there, The Plane of Dreams."
Hao Ren swallowed hard subconsciously. Raven 12345’s serious demeanor had really stressed him out.
"Of course, I was the one who decided to call it The Plane of Dreams just recently. Before this I used to call it the Illusory Space, and then I changed it to The Mirror World, and then The Phantom Universe… Hmm, it used to be called The Second World as well," said Raven 12345 while scratching her head. The rare seriousness on her face was all gone now. "Anyway, it is a unique phenomenon in the universe, you can call it whatever you like but let’s call it The Plane of Dreams at the moment. It can be altered again if I got a better idea later."
Hao Ren had gradually got used to this strange all-over-the-place woman. He held back the urge to tease her and asked, "What the heck is The Plane of Dreams? Is it a parallel universe? I know that theory..."
"Nope, it’s a little more complicated than that," Raven 12345 shook her head and continued explaining, "The Plane of Dreams is a special information structure in the universe. It’s a little similar to the parallel space; however, The Plane of Dreams is more illusory and unstable. It overlays the universe. The latter is realistic, stable and regular while The Plane of Dreams is illusory, changeable and irregular. When the actual world operates normally according to the regulations of the universe, The Plane of Dreams, however, was just like a dream which changes constantly along with the real world. However, their reflection of each other is very confusing. Therefore, its variation is basically untraceable. Ok, don’t mind the theory. Most people can’t understand it. Anyway, you just need to know that The Plane of Dreams is a space overlaid on top of the real world. It is very unstable but almost never intersects with the real world. There are also mountains, rivers, plants, trees and animals in The Plane of Dreams, probably even intelligent lifeforms. However, all of these are very intricate. Therefore, before you have enough experience, you’d better not wander into that realm."
"Who would like to go near that kind of place!?" Hao Ren made a wry smile and continued, "I could be attacked by a big group of wolves which size is twice of those from earth if I ever wander into that kinda place! Didn’t you say that The Plane of Dreams will not intersect with our world? What then happened to me back then?"
"As I had mentioned before, those who are uniquely gifted will be able to get into that space," said Raven 12345 and pointed at Hao Ren’s head, "via a dream. The world and all that is in it is made up of information, be it hot, cold, big or small. All these information put themselves together to make things perceivable and describable. This is how everything on earth comes into being. This is the simplest explanation of the theory of information unification system. Oh, this theory is actually more complicated than The Plane of Dreams. So, I think that’s quite enough for you. You just have to understand, due to the information unification system, anything inside The Plane of Dreams can be led into the real world, and the medium is via a dream. That is also why I named it The Plane of Dreams recently. In human history, most of those who are able to connect to The Plane of Dreams died young. They would be accidentally killed by the malformed illusory creatures from The Plane of Dreams. However, their short lives also bring endless troubles to the world. Take for instance, the plague, flood etc. Hmm… it’s very troublesome indeed as those who died in The Plane of Dreams will more often than not cause the those creatures, which are mostly harmful, to intrude this world."
Hao Ren was sweating. He had never thought of the existence of another strange world occupying space with the world he is so familiar with. He still remember a few days back when he was grumbling about this boring world and how his life was uninteresting. And now, he can no longer hold on to his former perspective of this world anymore as things had just took an exciting turn.
"So does this imply that I’m gifted?" asked Hao Ren, unknowingly pointing at his nose as he wasn’t sure how to respond. "You make The Plane of Dreams sounds crazy and unbelievable. It seems like people can get killed easily in that realm. You have to do something about it!"
"Gifted? No, you aren’t," said Raven 12345 with a grin. "Don’t overthink it. You’re just an ordinary man, affected by the force of information disturbance after you came into contact with me, and this force can change you gradually, making you different from most people. It will be easier for you to encounter these unusual things, making your task in more convenient in the long run. However, you don’t have to worry too much. Those unlucky ones who died in The Plane of Dreams were those who didn’t have strong backups. So far, based on records, none of them were our employees. Without our backup, how long would they last in there? But you’re different. You have credentials from us. You being there in The Plane of Dreams is what we called a crossover by order. I’ll do my best to drag you out of that realm every time you’re in mortal danger."
Sweat was dripping from Hao Ren’s forehead as he was left speechless.
"Now you comprehend the situation in The Plane of Dreams. However, I do wonder how much you really grasped by just my rough explanation. You definitely need frequent contacts with those abstract beings in order to understand this realm better. You’ll have all the opportunity to learn more about that place in due time." Raven 12345 jumped down from her desk and patted Hao Ren’s shoulder comfortingly but it almost throw him off his the sofa. "Talking about those nightmare, you have stopped having them, right? It means the balance between you and The Plane of Dreams has been restored. A person in the real world doesn’t simply slip into nightmares under usual circumstances," said Raven.
Hao Ren gritted his teeth while rubbing his shoulder. Suddenly, he remembered the question he wanted to ask earlier. "By the way, you know something about the demon hunter, right?"
Hao Ren had learned from Vivian about the ageless conflict between demon hunters and the minority as well as the history of what went down between the minority and humans. He came to know about humans, weak but numerous; the minority few but strong; and the demon hunters whose origins were unclear and whose ground was somewhere in between humans and the minority. All three used to play equally active roles in the civilization of the world. However, the humans have now taken control of this planet while the minority was being marginalized to the extent where nobody remembers them anymore. At the same time, the demon hunters are also lying low among men. Compared to the ages of blood wars in times past between the three races, the age of human civilization was definitely more calm and peaceful. However, Hao Ren knew it was just calm superficially. It’s the demon hunters and the minority who had tactfully maintained the peace in the world.
The demon hunters, strong human-like warriors, were still roaming the world, hunting the minority to this day. And unfortunately for Hao Ren, there are two treaks among those freaks living under his roof. He was eager to know Raven 12345, the self-proclaimed Goddess’s take on this matter, more accurately, he wanted find out whether the three races were treated differently by the Xi Ling Celestials and the Space Administration and if they take any sides?
Thoughts were racing in Hao Ren’s mind. However, Raven 12345 just waved her hand indifferently and said, "I knew it, but I’m just too lazy to care. After all they have yet to find you. We’ll talk about it when they do get on your trail."
Hao Ren knew that he was no match for the white hair succubus in front of him. Therefore, he sat back in his sofa quietly; arms folded across his chest and asked sincerely, "One last question, I’m just a fragile human being and yet you let me deal with these creatures. Now, Vivian and Lily’s temper was still manageable, what if I come across those who are really bad tempered… You should ensure that I am capable of protecting myself, right? How about transferring 200 years’ worth of power to me?"
Hao Ren was just simply making a remark. Beyond his expectation, Raven 12345 actually nodded without hesitation and handed to him The Buddha Palm Technique.
Suddenly, Raven 12345 slapped her forehead and exclaimed, "Gosh! I almost forgot, the intensification of new employee. I was wondering what’s missing. Luckily for you I remembered this before dispatching you onto the battlefield!"
"…" Hao Ren was speechless.
If one day, he meets his death, this brain-sick crazy superior would be the one to blame!
Chapter 30: The Automated Device
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Hao Ren wondered if Raven 12345 was the only freak in the Space Administration of the Xi Ling Empire. He couldn’t believe that such a super-civilization was made up of such unreliable fellows anyway. Unfortunately, he had yet to get a chance to meet the other members of the Space Administration and the senior executives from the Xi Ling Empire. Raven 12345 did mention earlier that the administrative level of this deserted place was not high enough. However, it is not impossible that they could have visitors from the Space Administration.
Despite that, Hao Ren no longer suspects the identity of Raven 12345 and the existence of the Xi Ling Empire. This otherworldly mansion, the state of the art, extravagant and elegant facilities in it were definitely not created by humans. To confirm that, the room they were in at that moment was called the New Employee Bioenhancement Centre which looked as if it was ripped right out of a science fiction.
Raven walked Hao Ren around the mansion. Along the way they walked pass many strange rooms full of crystals and bizarre devices. Hao Ren was awestruck by everything he saw along the way that his jaw literally dropped. Just as he was wondering if there is an end to this mansion, Raven led him into a hall which just looked quite out of place. It was very modern and advanced, even compared to the rest of the building. The hall was a perfect hexagon. Each of its walls was plated with chrome and glossed over with silver. Streams of light in hues of blue and white was pulsing slowly on the walls, like blood vessels. The hall had a high ceiling and was ornamented with numerous crystals floating and shimmering in the air, saturating the hall in baby blue. Along those walls, Hao Ren noticed that there were lots of peculiar devices unknown to him. He thought they looked like some kind of operating board but there was no button or operating lever on them. There were holograms floating above each of those ‘operating boards’. The only discernable and probable control unit was a hexagonal crystal board which was vastly different from any of the machinery on earth.
"This is a Bioenhancement Centre, the smaller version," Raven 12345 pointed proudly at the devices in the hall. "In the earlier days, agents have to stay in the capital of the Empire and undergo the Unified Bioenhancement and assessment in the City of Shadows. During that time, the Space Administration was relatively small and nothing much was happening in the Macro World so it’s easier to govern. But now that is no longer viable. Therefore, all assessments, elementary training as well as intensification of new agents were transferred to Nodes and even to the Basic Worlds. This place is relatively remote and recently we took a few leaps to connect with the void node. So I simply applied for a facility like this in my dwelling. At first, I thought of applying for a magical facility as I’m really confused by those technologically advanced devices. However, I made a mistake in the application …"
Hao Ren’s head was spinning while listening to Raven 12345. She had this problem where she would just keep on talking regardless of whether her audience could or could not understand her. Hao Ren had zero knowledge of the Space Administration. How then, could he understand what the white haired succubus had been babbling on about!
"What the heck is the bioenhancement thingy you mentioned?" Hao Ren had managed to keep his sanity even after all the information bombardment. The atmosphere of this place reminded him of some scientific research centers conducting non-stop experiments and dissections. In his mind, the Xi Ling Empire was still "the aliens". (He had been an atheist for more than 20 years after all. To him, the idea of "Gods" was far harder to grasp than that of "aliens".) Let’s think about it, a human falling into the hands of aliens to undergo bioenhancement. If this had been in the hands of the Hollywood directors, it would be a waste if it wasn’t all bloody and gory!
In fiction, those who got very excited and overjoyed when the aliens were about to enhance them were definitely not as deliberative as Hao Ren. Well, one might say that Hao Ren was actually terrified.
"Don’t worry. It’s just a simple physical readjustment. It will not be uncomfortable or do you harm." Raven 12345 pushed Hao Ren to the center of the hall while explaining, "Everyday there are hundreds of new agents receiving bioenhancement and we’ve never had one accident, so don’t worry. We always follow the humanized standards… Stand still! I’m going to bring the Bioenhancement and Reconfiguration Chamber up."
Hao Ren stood there, trembling. Raven proceed to hit the invisible buttons, the floor shook slightly and the chamber rose slowly from the rectangular hole on the floor.
The silvery white metal pod was rectangular in shape, approximately two meters long, with one end bigger than the other. It was very exquisite, covered by a lid embellished with a crystal cross.
The lid of the metal pod slid open slowly. Hao Ren was confused and asked, "Why do I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere else?"
Raven 12345 was shocked as said, "How could it be? This is the latest model of the Universal Bioenhancement and Reconfiguration Chamber. I unboxed it just two days ago. Where have you seen it before?"
After thinking for a while, Hao Ren slapped his head, exclaiming, "Now I remember! It’s a f*cking coffin!"
Raven 12345 slapped Hao Ren’s shoulder, "Don’t you remember the employee code of conduct? Never cuss in front of your superior! If you had to do it, do it after your superior has finished her words!"
Hao Ren tilted his shoulder and stepped backward quickly. "You want me to get in there? I have to tell you that I am a man of principle. Just the shape of this thing is enough to scare the hell out of me... Hey! Don’t be pushing me! I will never get in! It is still a coffin even if you plate it with silver! There’s even a cross on it…"
Raven 12345 lifted Hao Ren single-handedly and threw him into the ‘coffin’. "Be a man and just get in!"
Hao Ren was helplessly unable to fight against the crazy white hair succubae. After being spun around for a moment he found himself lying inside the box. At that moment, a layer of transparent protective screen extended from the four sides of the metal pod, completely trapping him inside.
Hao Ren could only give in. However, nothing happened after a while. He turned his head to the side and found Raven 12345 holding up a data terminal, looking enthralled. He hit the two sides of the pod and shouted, "Then, what’s next!?"
"Don’t shout! I’m looking for the user manual. Why the heck is this so complicated! Where’s the switch?" said Raven 12345 without looking up.
At that Hao Ren shouted, "Fxxx! I resign! I break the contract! I quit! You can’t be trusted at all!"
"Oh! Found it!" Raven 12345 then slapped on something on one of the sides of the "coffin" and Hao Ren’s drastic protest stopped at once. The last thing he saw was a dazzling white light penetrating into his retina.
Darkness, frost, silence and endless chaos. It was as if time had lost its meaning. At that moment, it felt like his soul had left his body, floating in an intangible and indescribable dimension. He tried his best to retrieve any bits the five familiar senses, but to no avail. There was no sound, no light, no heat and no touch. The spirit of man, confined in a small bottle, floating alone…
After about 10 seconds, Hao Ren heard a loud noise. "Bang!" The next thing he knew was somebody grabbing him by his arms and pulling him up and he gradually regained his sight.
Rays of light within his sight came together and consolidated into a figure. It’s Raven 12345’s beautiful cheeks and her signature silver hair. She patted Hao Ren on the shoulder and seemed satisfied. "Okay. It’s done!"
Hao Ren sprang up and realized that he was still standing in the coffin-shaped metal pod. Had he not kept his footing he might just tumble out of it. He balanced his body and jumped out of the pod carefully. "So, that’s it? Why do I feel like it had only been a short while?"
"Yes, twelve seconds," said Raven 12345 while waving the data terminal in her hand. "Exactly the same as what’s written on the manual. Just press the switch, choose an automated mode and wait for about twelve seconds. Wait for the sound ‘ding’, the red light to come on and the chamber lid will then open automatically expelling the subject out of the pod. But you yourself jumped out of the chamber."
"Is that a microwave oven!?"
Raven 12345 shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Anyway, the methods of operation of all devices are more or less the same. Isn’t that the standard of procedure for most of the automated devices?"
Hao Ren was stunned by her calmness. His only comfort was that at least nothing unfortunate had happened and all parts of his body were still intact.
He then clenched his fist to see if the alien bioenhancement technology really worked. He wondered if he was on the same path as those masters in those stories. He was so surprised to discover that --- to be revealed in the upcoming chapter.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
10 Power
stone 
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