Chapter 1162: A Test

Selina Gelph stood quietly before the fireplace, holding a lantern in her hand. A gentle, warm smile graced her face, and a faint white halo shimmered softly around the outline of her figure. At the points where the glow met her body, there was a subtle translucence—not a glitch in Selina’s psychological projection, but a deliberate effect she had crafted. This was to help those in the physical world distinguish the boundaries of the illusion before them.

Since the official enactment of the “Interim Regulations on Neural Networks and Derivative Technologies,” it had become law that any network resident using psychological projections in the material world—unless they had applied for prior permission—must clearly mark the scope of their projection. This was to prevent interference with the lives of physical-world residents or confusion for law enforcement. Selina Gelph herself had been one of the drafters of this regulation. She strictly adhered to the rules, alongside other former Sleepless Priests, senior neural network technicians, and members of the Immortals’ Association.

Officially, these individuals were called “network residents,” but Patty had also heard that the great His Majesty Gawain Cecil had given them a rather peculiar nickname—“cyber residents.” Patty couldn’t quite grasp what that strange term meant. It sounded as baffling as “mana capacitor,” a phrase that gave scholars headaches and hair loss.

These odd thoughts popped into Patty’s mind, and a bright smile spread across her face. She reached out toward the armrest of the immersion pod beside her. Her slender arm still bore mottled, uneven scars—muscle groups rebuilt through flesh-regeneration technology, surgically implanted active skeletons, and artificial nerve bundles all working together. With some difficulty, she gripped the silver-white alloy armrest and slowly pushed her upper body up from the seat.

This was still a challenge for her. Although the flesh-regeneration tech from the End of All Things Society and modern artificial neural technology had reconstructed over half of her damaged tissues, humanity’s understanding of the soul and the brain’s microscopic workings remained rudimentary. Scholars had yet to figure out how to help someone paralyzed for nearly a decade learn to command a body pieced together with biochemical tech in a short time. Even for a healthy person, this was an immense challenge; for Patty, it was even more so.

Moreover, the patched-together body itself had countless flaws in coordination. The fact that these parts could fuse and match well enough to avoid mutual rejection and maintain function was already a remarkable feat.

After a slow, awkward effort, Patty finally managed to sit up on her own. She exhaled softly, a victorious smile lighting her face as she glanced toward the wheelchair parked in the corner nearby. At the back of her neck, a silver-white artificial spine pressed closely against her skin. Neatly arranged alloy rune plates received her neural signals, and dense lights flickered between their seams. From the wheelchair’s interior came a pleasant hum. Driven by a small engine and a series of gears and linkages, it smoothly rolled toward the immersion pod.

Selina watched all this quietly, breaking the silence only then: “Need any help?”

“No, I can manage,” Patty waved her hand immediately, then began slowly shifting her body out of the pod. With the aid of several handrails, she painstakingly slid herself into the specially designed wheelchair. Even these simple movements caused a fine sheen of sweat to break out on her forehead.

But she had done it all by herself—actions she hadn’t dared to imagine a few years ago. The wounds no longer throbbed or itched unbearably; breathing and turning her head were no longer painful. She allowed herself a brief moment of joy at this “success,” then adjusted her posture in the wheelchair. Reaching behind her head, she found the end of the “neural thorns”—a seemingly rigid but actually highly flexible metal “spine” composed of many hinged segments—and pulled it aside. After a few attempts, she connected it to a neural node on the wheelchair’s backrest.

Instantly, the once cold and stiff machinery seemed to come alive. A series of subsystem activation sounds echoed from within. Locked mechanisms sequentially disengaged under Patty’s command. The wheelchair spun lightly in place, then rolled forward to Selina’s side. The girl sitting in it beamed brightly, greeting her with an exaggerated tone: “Long time no see, ‘Sister Selina’~~”

Selina’s face flushed with a hint of embarrassment. “Patty, maybe you shouldn’t call me that…”

For Patty, seeing someone as formidable as Selina show such an awkward expression was a source of great satisfaction. Her smile grew even wider, but she knew when to stop. “Alright, alright, just joking… But why did you come by all of a sudden? Isn’t the computing center really busy lately?”

“I came to discuss some matters with your mother, and also to check on you,” Selina said gently, studying the girl before her carefully. “How have you been feeling lately? Any improvement?”

“My body’s good—much better than before,” Patty looked down at herself and replied cheerfully. Then she frowned slightly, uncertain. “And I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel a bit lighter all of a sudden. Like just now, when I got out of the immersion pod, a finger that usually didn’t obey me suddenly worked…”

Selina’s eyes flickered briefly, but her smile quickly masked everything. She seemed genuinely pleased, even reaching out to touch Patty’s hair—a sensation so real it passed through the illusion spell and into Patty’s perception. “That’s wonderful news. It means your soul is finally beginning to accept this body, and that the new biological tissues inside you are starting to integrate into a true whole.”

“Really?” Patty blinked, a little skeptical. “But Grandpa Pittman said that kind of thing almost never happens… He said my current state is basically the best I can hope for…”

“Patty,” Selina placed her hand gently on the girl’s head, smiling softly, “sometimes miracles do happen.”

Patty nodded, not fully understanding but sensing something unusual about Selina’s demeanor today. “I don’t quite get it, but it sounds like a good thing…”

“Of course it is,” Selina said, straightening up. Then, as if on a whim, she asked, “By the way, have you met anyone interesting or had any fun experiences in the neural network lately?”

“Interesting people and things?” Patty thought for a moment, organizing her words as she recounted, “Yeah, at first I met a nervous apprentice mage. He sneaked into the Dream City using his mentor’s immersion pod because he didn’t want to do his math homework. But he was caught pretty quickly and got stuck writing two hours’ worth of problems on a bench in the Triangle Plaza… Then there was a lady using the network for the first time. When naming herself, she insisted on including all her honorary titles and made-up nicknames. The system’s auto-optimization kicked in, and now she has a string of ellipses floating above her head wherever she goes…”

Patty spoke animatedly about her adventures in the neural network. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she added quickly, “Oh, and I saw Mr. High-Speed Stag again. This time, he didn’t play cards or argue with anyone. Instead, he learned how to create things in Dream City with his mind. He gave me a little flower he made as a gift, but before I could thank him, he suddenly logged off…”

“Mr. High-Speed Stag, huh…” Selina’s lips curved into a slightly strange smile. “So you accepted his gift?”

“Yeah, but for some reason, the flower disappeared pretty quickly,” Patty blinked in confusion. “And he left the network so suddenly, I’m a bit worried… He really seems like an old gentleman. Selina, do you think he might have run into trouble in the real world?”

“No need to worry, Patty. Every immersion pod has monitoring devices. If a user encounters problems, an alert is immediately sent to the nearest computing center,” Selina said, suppressing a smile as she reassured her. “Mr. High-Speed Stag probably just had to leave suddenly—maybe he’s playing cards with friends right now.”

…

In a lounge at Stonebreaker Keep, Ropeni Grant sat in a high-backed chair by the window. The late afternoon sun slanted through the glass, bringing the heat of midsummer. The chirping of insects was muffled beyond the double-layered crystal panes, sounding distant and faint. The ventilation system hummed quietly in the ceiling, circulating cooled air to keep the room comfortable.

Ropeni’s gaze rested on the report lying on the table—half-read. Under the dim golden light, the lines of text came into focus:

“…In summary, the neural cables laid during Phase One have been successfully integrated within the workshop’s embedded conduits, achieving biological signal transmission… The biomass circulation system operates at design efficiency… Effective connection between neural fiber networks and machine terminals… The main and auxiliary brains are in good physiological condition, with simulated operation achieved. The first experimental workshop is ready for inspection, acceptance, and immediate use…”

Ropeni read every word carefully. The black crystal pendant hanging from her earlobe trembled slightly with the subtle movement of her gaze. The finely cut crystal surface reflected the splendid sunlight. The only sound in the room was the rustling of paper—a silence that lasted until deliberate footsteps broke it.

Lady Grant looked up to see Selina Gelph, the node scholar, standing at the doorway holding her lantern. It seemed as if she had just pushed the door open and stepped inside—but in fact, the door had never been opened, and this visitor from the network world had never physically set foot in the currently empty corridor outside.

Ropeni knew from the mechanics of psychological projection that before she turned her head, she had been alone in the room. The figure only appeared after her gaze fell upon it—an extraordinary effect born from the interaction between the neural network and human sensory systems.

The regional governor smiled faintly and nodded at Selina. “I thought you’d stay with Patty a bit longer.”

“I can meet her anytime in the new Dream City, but busy governors like you don’t have much time to spend in the neural network,” Selina smiled and stepped forward. “I hope I’m not interrupting your work.”

Lopenny Grant’s gaze settled on the woman who existed as a ghost in the network—a presence both intangible and yet undeniably real. In that moment, she was struck by the unpredictable twists of fate. Not long ago, this woman and the faction she represented had been nothing more than a thoroughly dark cult in her eyes—an enemy to be wary of, even opposed. But a cataclysm had torn that ancient order apart, overturning everyone’s understanding of gods and the Eversleepers. Now, those who had once been foes had become technicians of the Cecil Empire. The enemies she once kept a close watch on… had become her own people.

Even people she had a fairly good relationship with.

“You’re not disturbing me,” Lopenny nodded. “I just finished reviewing this report. Next, I’ll be heading to the factory—but there’s still some time before that.”

“That’s perfect,” Selina said immediately. “We can talk about Patty.”

At the mention of Patty, Lopenny’s expression grew serious. She gestured for Selina to take the chair opposite her—though a network ghost didn’t need to sit, it made the conversation feel more natural. Then, with a solemn look, she asked, “Has she… already made contact with the target?”

“‘Contact’ isn’t quite the right word. They connected many days ago,” Selina corrected the lady’s phrasing before nodding. “The final test is complete. The Nature God gave Patty a small ‘gift.’ Everything went as we expected—and neither side was influenced by any external will. The information was sealed off the entire time; the test was conducted in a pure state, so the results should be very reliable.

“Right now, Amon is temporarily isolated deep within the network by Narithil, under the highest level of surveillance and quarantine. Patty, on the other hand, knows nothing.”

Lopenny nodded silently. After a few seconds, she asked, “What will happen to Patty now?”

“The power of the Nature God will take effect—though it has weakened considerably and no longer holds ‘miraculous’ power, it’s still enough to restore a frail mortal girl’s health. The discordant artificial and organic tissues inside Patty will gradually adapt; her soul and mind will be healed. She will recover… Of course, there may be some lingering traces, but overall, she will step into adulthood healthy and whole.

“You can even look forward to seeing her stand on her own on her coming-of-age day, walk toward you, and receive your blessings and embrace.”

Lopenny’s breath grew noticeably quicker. She took a deep breath and gripped the armrest tightly, steadying herself. After a few moments, she asked, “What do I need to do?”

“Cooperate with our observation over the next hour—we’ll monitor from the network, and you from the real world. Watch Patty closely for any sudden whispers or prayers, for signs that she’s hearing voices. Most importantly… watch if she mentions the names ‘Amon’ or ‘Nature God.’”

(End of chapter)