Translator: CinderTL
Feng Qi opened his eyes to find himself back in the Real World.
Facing little black's relentless pursuit, Feng Qi's preemptive strikes were as futile as an ant trying to shake a tree.
In the end, he still died at little black's hands.
Rising from his bed, he walked to his desk and sat down.
Opening his notebook, he began recording his gains from this Dream Realm journey.
This habit allowed him to act methodically after each Dream Realm traversal.
As the ancients said, "Strategic planning ensures victory a thousand miles away."
Without a plan in place during downtime, precious time in the Dream Realm would be wasted. Therefore, information consolidation and planning were crucial.
Focusing his psychokinesis, he grabbed a pen and began writing in his notebook.
First, he recorded his power enhancements:
Power Enhancement 1: Gained the prefix title and innate ability "Adamant Fangs." This ability significantly enhances the strength of his teeth, making them suitable for close-quarters combat in special situations.
Note: While this ability has limited utility in normal combat, it could prove unexpectedly effective in unconventional scenarios.
Ability Enhancement 2: Gained the innate ability "Crescent Moon Sigil," granting a small but comprehensive boost to physical attributes.
Note: This ability can be fused and evolved into a prefix title, potentially unlocking unexpected special abilities. Exciting possibilities await.
Ability Enhancement 3: Bloodline evolution points increased to 536, maintaining the Primary Human Bloodline status.
Note: Bloodline evolution points will be prioritized for future upgrades.
Feng Qi recorded only three pieces of information from this Dream Realm session, a relatively small haul.
However, his overall strength had significantly improved compared to his first entry into the Dream Realm.
Next, he began documenting the intelligence he had gathered.
This Dream Realm session yielded a wealth of intelligence, finally providing answers to several long-standing mysteries.
Under the influence of psychokinesis, the pen tip touched the paper, and he began to write.
Dream Realm Intelligence Summary 1: Confirmed that the Scarlet Research Institute remains firmly aligned with humanity, serving as a trustworthy guardian force.
Derivative Intelligence 1: The Genius List at the Scarlet Research Institute Headquarters was actually compiled to protect the next generation of human geniuses, aiming to counter the dark forces secretly hunting them.
Derivative Intelligence 2: The humanoid domain creatures in the core underground area of the Scarlet Research Institute Headquarters were Scarlet researchers who had volunteered as experimental subjects for the Anti-Infiltration Plan.
Derivative Intelligence 3: The Anti-Infiltration Plan is unrelated to the Heaven-Reaching Road. Its ultimate goal is to send human powerhouses transformed into semi-domain creatures into the dark world to destroy the connection nodes between the dark world and the Real World, severing the link between the two realms.
Note: In future timelines, extensive cooperation with the Scarlet Research Institute is possible, including the Brain in a Vat project and obtaining access to the future database.
Dream Realm Intelligence Acquisition 2: Through Nightmare ability-enhanced memory fragment analysis, it was revealed that Mu Yao had been searching for a miracle to help humanity overcome the Domain Field. She is, in fact, the human miracle Liu Yue spoke of.
Derived Intelligence: Throughout history, the growth of many powerful figures and the formation of influential factions have been linked to Mu Yao. Examples include Emperor Ye, Mu Qing, the Scarlet Founder, Wei Wei, and others. Her ultimate goal appears to be assisting humanity in rising up and defeating the Domain Invasion.
Notes: Currently, no information definitively proves Mu Yao's true origins. It's speculated that the Heaven-Reaching Road is also likely connected to her.
Perhaps Mu Yao sent those vanished mysterious powerhouses to the Heaven-Reaching Road, which serves as humanity's frontline against the Domain Invasion (speculative information).
Dream Realm Intelligence Acquisition 3: Discovered another characteristic of little black—its exceptional ability to rapidly devour energy. Its true strength far exceeds previous estimates.
Notes: This might explain why the Narrator urged me to pursue extreme physical cultivation. Little black's effectiveness against art magic creatures seems to far surpass its effectiveness against body cultivation creatures.
Unresolved Questions: Little black's relentless pursuit remains a mystery. Even more puzzling is how the little black from 1,500 years in the future could pinpoint my exact location.
Notes 2: Data from the Scarlet Research Institute suggests little black may be an artificially created life form, similar to a Suction Cup, but the specifics remain unknown.
After meticulously recording the gathered intelligence, Feng Qi sat at his desk, deep in thought.
His next line of inquiry focused on the direction of the upcoming Future Line.
After a moment of contemplation, he jotted down several ideas in his notebook.
Soon, three Future Line options appeared on the page:
Future Line Option 1: Continue working with the Scarlet Research Institute, sharing all known intelligence, especially the fact that one of his students is a werewolf. Use this as a breakthrough to uncover the dark force behind the werewolves with the institute's assistance.
Note: If this timeline succeeds in exposing the dark force, it could have profound consequences for the future, potentially altering the overarching narrative of the next Dream Realm.
Additionally, leverage the Scarlet Research Institute's influence to investigate little black's origins and request that they provide future information for me.
Future Line Option 2: Join Mu Qing in forming the Dawn Army. When Mu Yao appears, confront her directly about her secrets. This timeline might yield a wealth of historical secrets and reveal the mysteries of the Heaven-Reaching Road.
Note: By the time Mu Qing forms the Dawn Army, I'll be nearing 50 years old. There's a high probability I'll die prematurely before reaching that age due to unforeseen circumstances, potentially achieving nothing.
Future Line Option 3: Completely embrace darkness and attempt to join the Mysterious Dark Organization. Continuously express rebellious sentiments to the outside world to provoke the organization into contacting and inviting me.
Note: This timeline is excessively dark and fraught with uncertainties. Before the Dark Organization even makes contact, I could easily be sent to the execution block by law enforcement.
After outlining the three Future Lines, Feng Qi hesitated.
The third Future Line, in particular, filled him with dread. He could imagine the immense suffering his future self would endure.
If the previous Future Lines represented a yearning for light from the depths of darkness, this one was a descent into the abyss from the same darkness.
Choosing this path would burden him with an unbearable psychological weight.
To embrace darkness meant committing countless acts that violated morality and principle.
It would be like a devout believer personally shattering the faith they had always held dear, a betrayal that would undoubtedly cause profound anguish.
After joining the Dark Organization, he might even have to slaughter humans with his own hands, perhaps witnessing the gradual annihilation of Human Civilization at his own instigation.
This would be an unbearable torment of the spirit.
It's like being forced to personally kill your own family, then destroy your nation, and finally annihilate your entire race's civilization. This process would inevitably cause you unimaginable suffering, especially since all of it is real, not just a game.
The Narrator's words echoed his deepest fears.
His future self was real.
Behind every message in his inbox lay a genuine timeline history.
The very thought of such actions filled him with pain. If his future self were forced to carry them out, the process would undoubtedly be worse than death itself.
With that thought, he crossed out the third Future Line.
This Future Line, besides being fraught with unpredictable variables in its execution, was also far too cruel to his future self.
Unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to make this choice.
The remaining two Future Lines were: joining the Scarlet Research Institute and joining the Dawn Army.
After a moment's hesitation, he asked:
"Narrator, which timeline do you think is better to choose?"
Joining the Dawn Army carries the risk of premature death. You might not even live to see the Dawn Army formed, let alone meet Mu Yao.
I think joining the Scarlet Research Institute is the safer option. After all, stability is paramount. Gradually expanding your intelligence network is key; taking too big a leap could lead to nothing.
Hearing the Narrator's response, he nodded in agreement:
"Actually, I was leaning towards the Scarlet Research Institute timeline myself."
Having made his decision, he marked the Scarlet Research Institute timeline with a checkmark.
Closing his notebook, he stretched languidly.
The path ahead remained shrouded in mist.
But he firmly believed that with his continued efforts, the future would inevitably undergo a monumental transformation. Human Civilization, under his influence, would steadily rise to ultimate victory.
"The road ahead is long and arduous; I will strive tirelessly, seeking answers high and low," he murmured to himself, the ancient words echoing in his mind.
I have a premonition that once you eradicate the dark force lurking within Human Civilization, the Dream Realm will undergo a profound transformation.
"Why do you say that?"
The dark force is like a virus, preventing Human Civilization from thriving. They assassinate geniuses, sabotage the Scarlet Research Institute, and commit countless other acts of sabotage we remain unaware of, constantly hindering humanity's progress. Once this cancer is completely excised, Human Civilization will finally be free to flourish without fear of internal threats.
At that point, humanity will only need to contend with the Domain Creature Invasions—purely frontal battlefield clashes. This challenge can be entirely resolved by your continuous acquisition of cultivation techniques from the future database.
Hearing the Narrator's explanation, he nodded in agreement.
He had considered this point himself before.
Without eradicating the dark force, no matter how many cultivation techniques he copied from the future database, Human Civilization could never truly prosper.
As the dark force's influence expands, they will systematically eliminate any factors that could aid humanity's growth, just as they assassinate human geniuses, purging every element that might contribute to humanity's rise.
Without fundamentally addressing the dark force, humanity's future remains precarious.
While enhancing one's personal strength is important, it alone cannot alter the course of history.
Even if he were given a billion yuan now, granting him 100 entries into the Dream Realm, his growth would be limited by little black's restrictions. He might not become powerful enough within those 100 dream journeys to change the past.
Even the formidable Mu Qing had perished, and the enigmatic Mu Yao, who might have been even stronger, had also died.
Unless these 100 Dream Realm journeys could transform him into a godlike being through monster-slaying and leveling up—capable of altering humanity's fate with a mere wave of his hand—choosing mindless grinding for power would be the most inefficient approach.
Moreover, he didn't even have a billion yuan.
With limited funds, focusing solely on enhancing personal strength would be utterly foolish.
The optimal choice lies in advancing Human Civilization and leading all of humanity to rise.
"Narrator, do you think my reasoning is sound?"
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"Fuck this Asshole System! Good riddance!"
(End of the Chapter)