Chapter 178: Hidden Worries and a Temporary Farewell
The dinner discussion deepened. When Dan Heng put forth his hypothesis of an 'Inner World,' Belle, who had been listening in quiet contemplation, found her brow knitting together. A fleeting, almost imperceptible shadow of unease flickered in her eyes.
Her fingers instinctively tightened around the cup in her hand, a sudden, chilling thought having struck her.
Wise, sitting beside her, was the only one to catch his sister's subtle shift in demeanor. He didn't call attention to it then and there, but simply filed the observation away, intending to ask her about it once they returned to their own world.
For now, the conversation circled back to the 'Golden Nymphs,' the source of the day's most significant, if cryptic, findings.
Everyone took turns summarizing the fragmented pieces of information they had each coaxed from the Nymphs, their messages appearing one by one in the group chat. The words were like scattered pieces of a massive, impossibly complex puzzle. While they all pointed toward some startling truth, piecing together Amphoreus's complete backstory from disjointed terms like 'observation,' 'error,' and 'restart' felt like trying to build a castle from sand.
"It feels like... the chat group is trying to tell us something through these Nymphs," March 7th said, tilting her head in thought. "But this is way too cryptic!"
"Indeed," Dan Heng agreed, his expression serious. "The information is too fragmented and lacks any context. We may need more clues, or perhaps a single, crucial piece to connect them all."
They debated for a long while longer, but no new theories emerged. Seeing that it was getting late, and with plenty of activity time still left on the clock for this world, there was no sense in burning the midnight oil.
The group decided to conclude the day's exploration, get some rest, and tackle the mystery fresh in the morning. After bidding each other a good night, they each returned to their respective worlds.
Back in the quiet of their room in Wildfire, Wise poured two glasses of water. He handed one to Belle, then asked in a seemingly casual tone, "Belle, during the discussion tonight... when you heard the term 'Inner World,' you looked like you'd thought of something."
Belle accepted the glass, holding it between both hands. Her gaze was distant, unfocused, as if she were carefully arranging her thoughts before speaking. After a few seconds of silence, she looked up at her brother, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
"Hmm... Brother, do you remember that movie we watched a while ago? 'Free Guy.'"
Wise considered it for a moment. "The sci-fi thriller? The one where the protagonist discovers his entire world is just a virtual game, being observed and manipulated by 'players' from a higher dimension?"
"Yes," Belle nodded, her eyes growing sharp and serious. "I was just thinking... what if Amphoreus is like that movie?"
She leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping. "What if the Okhema we see now—this 'Outer World'struggling against the Titans, with all the trappings of an ancient civilization—is actually being controlled or observed by a more advanced'Inner World' that we haven't even encountered yet?"
She paused, letting the idea sink in before continuing to elaborate. "Look at the words those Nymphs gave us: 'observation,''error,''protocol,' 'restart'... Don't those sound less like ancient lore and more like entries in an experimental record? Or a system log?"
"And think about what Stelle and the others described earlier," she added, her logic gaining momentum. "Amphoreus clearly possesses the technological potential to break free and travel the Star Sea, yet it remains confined to its own land. Could all of this be because... Amphoreus itself is a massive scientific testing ground, one that's been running for who knows how long?"
Wise listened to Belle's conjecture in silence, his own gaze sharpening as he rapidly processed the bold hypothesis.
After a long moment, he finally spoke. "Is that why you didn't say anything in the group chat? You were worried... that if such an 'observer'or'controller' really exists, our discussion might be overheard? That it could be detrimental to Stelle and the others, or even to us?"
"Yes," Belle affirmed with a solemn nod, a hint of worry creasing her features. "If our guess is true, then the arrival of 'outsiders'like us is likely an unplanned'variable.' Discussing these things so openly carries far too much risk."
Wise walked to the window, his gaze drifting over the quiet streets of the underground town as he slowly analyzed her theory. "Your perspective is interesting, and it's not entirely impossible. However, Belle, there are a few problems here."
He turned back to face her, rationally listing his points of doubt.
"First, the time scale. The historical records of Okhema span thousands of years. Would an experiment or an observation project really last for such an incredibly long time? That far exceeds our usual understanding of such things."
"Second, and this is the most decisive point—the reaction mechanism. If there truly is a superior observation or control system in place, then regarding the continuous activities of us 'external variables'who are clearly deviating from its predetermined script..." He gestured between them. "...and who are even starting to interact with anomalies like the'Nymphs' that might be linked to the world's underlying rules... why have we seen no form of intervention? No attempt at removal, or even the most minimal probe to figure out what we are?"
"That doesn't align with the logic of a 'controlled experiment,'" he concluded gently. "No researcher would simply ignore unknown creatures that have suddenly wandered into their laboratory."
Wise's logic was clear and calm. As he broke down each point, Belle's conviction wavered, a flicker of uncertainty replacing it. He was right. If this place truly were a testing ground, why would the ones in charge be so lenient with 'foreign objects' like them?
Seeing the look on his sister's face, Wise's tone softened. He walked over and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "However, it's very good that you could think of this and remain vigilant. The hypothesis is bold, and it's worth keeping in mind as we move forward. Perhaps..."
He thought for a moment, then offered a suggestion. "You could find an opportunity to privately discuss your ideas with Dan Heng. He's the most stable and knowledgeable person on the Star Rail Crew, and his thinking is careful. Hearing his perspective might lead to new discoveries."
Belle's eyes lit up at the idea. "Understood, Brother."
However, before Belle could find a suitable opportunity to contact Dan Heng, an unexpected message interrupted their plans. The next morning, just as everyone was waking up and preparing to discuss the new day's exploration plan in the group chat, a new notification popped up.
[Genshin Impact · Lumine]: "Everyone, I'm so sorry. Paimon and I might not be able to participate in the Amphoreus exploration today."
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "Waaah... I'm really sorry everyone! (ㄒoㄒ)"
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "Huh? What's wrong? Did something happen?"
[Genshin Impact · Lumine]: "It's about something here in Natlan. Xilonen ran into some difficulties while helping me forge the 'Ancient Names,' and she urgently needs our help. Actually... we were supposed to meet her yesterday, but we got so engrossed in exploring Amphoreus that we completely forgot about it..."
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "We only remembered when Kachina came rushing to find us early this morning! Xilonen seems to have been waiting for us for a long time... We're so doomed, she's definitely going to be angry!"
[Zenless Zone Zero · Belle]: "It's okay, it's okay, important matters come first! The exploration isn't that urgent."
[Honkai: Star Rail · March 7th]: "Yeah, yeah, you two go ahead! We've got things covered here!"
[Honkai: Star Rail · Dan Heng]: "No problem. focus on your own affairs."
Lumine and Paimon's apologies were deeply sincere, with Paimon even offering a painful compensation plan to atone for their mistake.
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "Wait... next time everyone comes to Teyvat, Paimon... Paimon is willing to use her secret stash to treat everyone to a super feast! I promise!"
For Paimon, who valued food above nearly all else, to make such a promise was a proof of the depths of her sincerity and guilt.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]