"Aya, you should still go get checked out."
"It's not a bad thing to go to the hospital for an examination."
"Besides, can you guarantee that they didn't leave any backup plans on you?"
"What if they installed a chip or something while you weren't paying attention? That would be dangerous."
Ling reminded her, while also agreeing with Zhe's suggestion about the hospital.
"Uh... Fine."
"But I'm definitely fine."
"How can I not know my own body?"
Hoshimi Aya fell silent. Judging by the tone of the two, she had no choice but to go to the hospital.
However, she truly felt fine. Her memory had returned.
She hadn't noticed anything wrong with her body; everything felt the same as usual. Other than her mind being clearer now, there were basically no issues.
"Hmm, but Aya, do you remember the time you wet the bed before?"
Ling asked tentatively. This Aya seemed genuinely different from usual.
"What?!"
"Ling, you are totally slandering me!!!"
"When did I ever wet the bed?!!!"
"Zhe is right here! Don't talk nonsense!"
Hoshimi Aya became indignant. When had she ever wet the bed?
Wasn't this clearly slandering her?
Upon hearing this, Ling froze for a moment, then exchanged a look with Zhe.
"Alright, I was just joking."
"Don't be angry."
Ling clung to Hoshimi Aya's arm and acted spoiled.
Seeing this, Hoshimi Aya turned her head away, unwilling to meet Ling's eyes.
"Well, the Hellfire Ride situation is almost coming to an end."
"There's nothing we need to deal with here for the time being."
"Should we say goodbye after Caesar and the others return and head back?"
Zhe suggested. The main reason for wanting to return so early was to give Hoshimi Aya a full body check-up.
Not only had her gaze changed, but her behavior and demeanor had also changed quite a bit.
If something abnormal happened at that research base, perhaps something they didn't know about had occurred.
"Yeah, that's right."
"Aya, what do you think?"
Ling asked with a smile.
"I have no objections. You two usually make the decisions anyway, right?"
"Let's go back then."
"If there's anything here later, we can always come back."
"It might just take some time traveling back."
Hoshimi Aya mused.
After all, there was quite a distance between the Outer Ring and the city. Even running at full speed would take a considerable amount of time.
She also remembered that in the game's plot, they had stayed here for quite a while before returning to the city.
Perhaps her appearance, stirring the butterfly effect, had caused them to return early.
"Aya, have you... gotten smarter?"
Ling asked, somewhat uncertainly. She felt like she knew where the difference lay.
"Some parts are indeed much smarter. Did you learn your lesson after being captured this time?"
Zhe teased.
"What are you talking about? I've always been this smart, okay?"
"It's just that you two never noticed."
"My brain is comparable to the most powerful brain, and I also possess super strength."
"If you don't believe me, you can test me right now."
"My wisdom will surely make you drop your jaws in surprise."
Hoshimi Aya proudly lifted her chin. Now was the time to prove her innocence.
She wasn't dull now. With her memory restored,
she was now the complete Aya,
fearless of any challenge or risk.
"...So confident?"
"Then I must test you properly."
Saying this, Ling adopted a thoughtful expression.
"Let me do it instead."
"Aya, I'll ask you."
"What are the regulations in the Resident's Manual for residents who accidentally fall into The Hollow?"
Zhe inquired. This manual was also known as the Self-Rescue Manual, something any normal person should know.
"Ah?!!!"
Hoshimi Aya thought for three seconds and froze like a stunned goose.
Ultimately, Hoshimi Aya could only recall the cover of that manual.
She knew nothing else.
Seeing this, both Ling and Zhe revealed smiles from the bottom of their hearts. Aya was still the Aya they were familiar with.
She was just a bit more confident than usual, with no other differences.
"Alright, Aya."
"It's okay if you don't know."
"No one is forcing you to think."
"Don't burn out your brain."
Ling teased with a smile.
"What are you talking about, Ling?!"
"How could I possibly burn out my brain over such a small matter?"
"I already thought of the cover; I just can't recall the content right now."
"But I remember I might have seen this book before."
"Let me think again, I remember seeing it."
After speaking, Hoshimi Aya fell back into contemplation.
This was a great opportunity to prove her intelligence; she couldn't miss it.
"Right, forget it if you can't remember."
"So, the Resident's Manual is something everyone knows, but if it's Aya..."
"Then it's considered normal."
Zhe covered her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter.
When Ling heard this, she also couldn't help herself and looked away.
"Aargh, you're making me furious!"
"What do you mean it's normal if I don't know?"
"What image do I have in your minds?"
Hoshimi Aya looked at the two of them, exasperated.
"This time doesn't count, let's start over."
"My answer will definitely shock you."
Hoshimi Aya calmed her emotions, desperately wanting to prove that her intelligence was back to normal.
"Okay, then I'll ask this time."
"What is the basic algorithm for The Hollow?"
Ling pondered.
Hoshimi Aya:...
"Ling, are you deliberately targeting me?!"
"How could I possibly know something like that?"
"I'm not a Proxy!!!"
"Besides, only Proxys would know this kind of posture, right?"
"Ask a more normal question, you jerk!"
Hoshimi Aya was furious.
How could she possibly know knowledge of this level?
Even if she hadn't lost her memory, she probably wouldn't have been able to answer this question, right?
And Ling knew perfectly well that she didn't know such complex knowledge, yet she still asked.
Wasn't this clearly bullying her?
"Then... who invented the Data Pylon?"
"This is a very common question. Aya, you can't say I'm deliberately targeting you for this one, can you?"
"If you don't believe me, you can go ask anyone."
"But someone can answer it."
Ling said with a grin.
To Hoshimi Aya, however, it sounded like the sinister laughter of a demon.
"I'm ignoring you. You are deliberately targeting me."
"What normal person would ask about this kind of knowledge?"
Saying that, Hoshimi Aya simply left, refusing to look at the two of them.
She looked like she was angry.
...
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