Chapter 1 Time Passes

Time ticked by, second by second.

Thirty minutes had passed since Feng Bujue voluntarily entered Billy's containment cell.

During this time, the security team outside the door could only wait, aside from their continuous attempts to contact the outside world.

However, after thirty minutes, this waiting… seemed impossible to continue.

"Deputy Captain… I… I think I just saw something," a team member walked up to Gore, uttering the words in a trembling voice.

Although he was wearing a full-coverage mask, one could guess that his face was filled with fear just from his tone.

"Don't panic… I saw it too," Gore replied, "Just a ghostly shadow, an illusion… just ignore it."

"But… but…" the team member continued, "I can still feel… it's hiding somewhere… staring at me."

"Yeah, Deputy Captain," at this moment, Dan, another team member, also came over, "Ever since I heard the 513 ringtone, I've had this feeling…"

"Me too…"

"What do we do? Deputy Captain."

The remaining security team members also gathered around, their inner fear already reaching a critical point. All it needed was an opportunity, and their cowardice and fear would be on full display.

"Enough! Do you think I'm not afraid?" Gore suddenly roared, his fear turning into anger. He yelled this sentence to embolden himself and everyone else, "I heard the 513 ringtone just like you, and I feel the same way you do! But fear doesn't solve anything, so you better all buck up and face reality like men!"

"Hehehe… well said." In that very second, a familiar voice suddenly came from the loudspeaker in the lab, "Deputy Captain Gore, you truly are the only Level 4 personnel in this team."

Recognizing the voice, Gore looked up, scanned his surroundings, and shouted, "How did you get through the broad…"

"That's not important." Feng Bujue knew what the other party wanted to ask, so he cut him off directly, "I know, you all must be very confused right now. The questions bothering you are 'Why can I hear you talking?', 'Why can I talk through the loudspeaker?', 'Why can't you open the containment room door?', and 'Am I still in the containment room?' etc…" He paused for a moment, "I'm sorry, I don't have the time or interest to answer these questions one by one. What I can tell you is… I already left the base you're in twenty minutes ago. At this moment, I'm reminding you all out of humanitarian spirit… the spatial loop effect that trapped you has disappeared, you can now leave through the cargo通道 (huo yun tongdao, cargo tunnel)."

Speaking of which, Brother Jue changed the subject: "Of course… even if you manage to run to the emergency refuge area, I'm afraid your chances are still slim." He always used a rather cheerful tone to announce very bad news, which was indeed infuriating, "As for the reason… it's naturally the previous ***-513. I regret to inform you that people affected by this *** basically end up committing suicide." He said it as if it were none of his business, "As time goes on, the frequency of 513-1 appearing will increase, causing you very serious mental devastation. Even if you force yourselves to sleep with sleeping pills or knock yourselves unconscious, it's useless, because in an unconscious state, it will appear in your 'dreams' and physically attack you… which will cause you to wake up quickly. Over time, you will collapse under this constant psychological pressure. Severe sleep deprivation will lead to paranoia, hostile mentality, hypervigilance, and depression. At that point… death will be a relief."

"You… didn't you hear the 513 ringtone just like us!" a security team member shouted back after hearing this, "Why can you still speak so easily?"

"Hehe… details, I'm afraid I can't disclose." Feng Bujue replied with a smile, "In short, I'm not the same as you…"

Brother Jue was indeed fearless. First, as a player, he would not enter a state of sleep or unconsciousness in the script, so 513-1 could not attack him in his dreams; second, he would not feel fear at all, even if 513-1's "glimpse phenomenon" repeatedly appeared (usually at intervals of 14-237 minutes), it would not cause him any psychological pressure.

"Bastard…" Gore, hearing this, was already a little unable to restrain himself, "No matter who you are… even if you escape for a while, you won't escape…"

"Lalalalala~ I can't hear you, can't hear you, lalalalala~" Feng Bujue shouted in the loudspeaker like a bratty child, "You can do whatever you want, anyway, it has nothing to do with me anymore."

After saying this, his voice came to an abrupt halt.

Immediately afterward, silence descended in the laboratory…

A little over a minute later, Dan spoke, "Deputy Captain, if what he said is true, then we…"

"This kid is very cunning, we must not believe him…" Although Gore was angry, he had not lost his rational thinking, "According to my analysis… he has two purposes in saying these words to us…" He paused, "First, to create panic. Even if the effect of 513 is really as he said, we may not die. He described it so vividly… just to scare us and create pressure for us." He pondered slightly, then continued, "And his second purpose is to divert us… In my opinion, he is very likely still hiding in the containment room of that Anomalous project… The broadcast just now was sent out by him using the project's ability." He snorted coldly, "Hmph… if he had really left this base twenty minutes ago, he wouldn't need to bother with us again. What humanitarian spirit, does he think we're three-year-olds?"

…………

Meanwhile, in Corridor B3.

Feng Bujue was carrying Billy on his shoulder, walking unhurriedly.

At this moment, he was relying on Billy's ability to hear every word Gore said without missing a single one.

"As expected… the NPC intelligence in this script is quite high," Brother Jue muttered, "A Level 4 security personnel can make this level of analysis even while affected by 513…"

"Even so…" Billy replied, "Didn't it still fall within your calculations?" He turned his head to look at Brother Jue, "The reasoning he made is entirely under your guidance and within your expectations…"

"There's nothing to be proud of," Feng Bujue replied, "Everything, from escaping that containment room, to eavesdropping on their conversation, to using the loudspeaker to communicate with them… was all done with your help. I couldn't have done any of these three things by myself." His tone sounded quite sincere, "In short… without the support of ability, schemes are just wishful thinking."

"Hmm…" Billy looked at Brother Jue with a strange expression and muttered, "I didn't expect… you to have humble moments too."

"What are you talking about?" Feng Bujue replied, "I've always been a pragmatic person."

"Hehe…" Hearing this, Billy smiled without saying a word.

"Anyway…" Feng Bujue quickly changed the subject, "Those seven guys have already stayed in the lab as I expected…" As he spoke, he turned a corner in the corridor, "Let's just leave them there for now, waiting for the effects of 513 to gradually become prominent… and then you can go collect 'panic energy'."

"Uh… Feng Bujue," Billy continued, "You better not mention 'panic energy' too often."

"What's wrong?" Brother Jue glanced at him, "Could it be… the way you absorb power… is still a secret?"

"That's right…" Billy replied, "Even existences higher than me don't know that I grow in this form."

"Sounds like… if this secret were to be known by the Four Pillar Gods and their confidants…" Feng Bujue pondered, "You'd be in trouble."

"I can't say 'in trouble'," Billy replied, "It's just… they might use this to limit my power growth."

"Then the question is," Feng Bujue continued, "Is it really okay to reveal this rather crucial information to me?"

"Frankly speaking… I was extremely unwilling to tell you this," Billy replied, "But in order to escape this universe, I can only say it."

"Hmph… that's true." Feng Bujue sneered, "If your power is restricted, you must constantly collect and use panic energy to escape. If you insist on concealing this setting, it may cause many inconveniences in actual actions."

"Furthermore…" Billy added, "With your intelligence, the possibility of you figuring out this setting yourself is also very high. Weighing the options… I thought it was better to just tell you myself."

As they were talking, Feng Bujue had carried Billy to the door of a containment room.

"Good, the guards here are also gone." Brother Jue opened the electronic door, looking at the empty space in front of him and muttered.

"I'm impressed that you thought of coming to get this gun…" Billy said.

"I thought of coming in to get it when I saw this sign in the corridor, but I couldn't because I hadn't gotten rid of those security personnel yet," Feng Bujue said, walking into the lab, "Logically speaking, this thing shouldn't be in this base. I think the universe we're in should be one of the parallel worlds that are ****** by many existences… therefore, many details are different from the information I know."

As he spoke, he walked to the middle of the containment room, standing in front of a safe.

【Project Number: ***-1998】

【Project Level: safe】

【Special Containment Measures: ***-1998 is to be contained within a locked safe located at Site [Data Deleted]. Experiments regarding 1998 may only be carried out following these measures: Firstly, a request must be signed off on by the Foundation's Ethics Committee, who will provide suitable D-Class personnel and associated testing parameters. Secondly, all aspects of testing are to be personally monitored by a representative of the Ethics Committee, and broadcast via closed-circuit television to the rest of the committee. Thirdly, under no circumstances may 1998 be used for purposes outside of experimental testing. Any personnel or departments found to be attempting to use 1998 to unduly affect the free will of D-Class personnel for their own gain will be considered for immediate demotion or project reassignment.】

【Description: ***-1998 is a uniquely designed pistol of unknown make or manufacturer. The pistol is operated by way of a piston-like component on the underside of the barrel. 1998 does not appear to utilize any form of ammunition, instead firing a pulse of energy by unknown means. The energy source of 1998 is uncertain; it does not require any external power sources or means of recharge, although it does require five minutes between shots to 'cool down' or otherwise re-engage in some fashion.

The beam emitted by 1998 is ineffective on all non-living, inorganic, or non-human material, dissipating upon contact with clothing that is not directly touching the human body, or on contact with any surface that is not a human body. Pulses also dissipate after traveling in excess of 20 meters.

The energy pulse emitted by 1998 primarily affects the human brain, specifically the motor cortex, primary auditory cortex, and hippocampus; these areas are affected regardless of where the pulse impacts the body.

Individuals struck by 1998 will experience a three-stage effect. Firstly, the struck individual will turn to face the operator of 1998, and seat themselves before them. Placing obstacles in the path of the affected will cause the subject to stumble and lose balance; once the affected is facing the operator in a non-standing position, the subject will cease movement - regardless of whether their posture is comfortable for them.

Secondly, the affected will undergo a state of functional paralysis, unable to engage in any free manipulation of motor organs beyond maintaining eye contact with the operator.

Thirdly, the affected will listen intently to and memorise anything spoken to them by the operator during this paralysis period, and any words imparted to the affected during this period will be perfectly and completely recalled throughout the rest of their life, and any instructions given to the affected during this period will be carried out as perfectly as is possible following cessation of the paralysis. This 'information-receiving' period will last for approximately 19 minutes, after which the affected will regain motor control.

Typically, 1998's victims will enter a period of sustained shock and psychological trauma, believed to be associated with physically-traumatic pain (described by two subjects as 'excruciating' and 'like hell itself') that is exposed to 1998.】

【Addendum 1998-1: ***-1998 was discovered by a group of hikers whilst walking along the Natchez Trace Parkway in western Tennessee. It was contained inside a cardboard box, labeled with a grammar that mixed Latin and Cherokee written in Greek characters. Translation of these labels is incomplete.】

【Footnote: Testing has confirmed that giving impossible tasks (orders that defy the laws of physics) will result in affected subjects not following instructions. However, they will feel regret and low self-esteem for 'failing'. Subjects given orders that may cause physical discomfort or harm will carry out that order regardless of the potential risk, and will invariably attempt to refuse treatment of wounds they sustain during the process.】

This *** project, although classified as "safe," its actual effects… if it fell into the hands of someone like Feng Bujue, the destruction of the world would be imminent.

When Brother Jue saw this item, his first reaction was… this so-called "standard mental concentration enhancer" was just a pistol version of "geAss"? And there were no side effects. Then his second reaction was all sorts of YY unfolding… Those won't be detailed here. (YY = daydreaming/fantasizing)

"Hmm… as expected, you need a key to open it…" After trying the safe, Feng Bujue muttered.

"This is troublesome…" Billy replied, "The key to this kind of project is either on the administrator of this floor, or in the hands of the management personnel of this base. And those people… are either in the emergency refuge area or in the command center right now." He paused for half a second, "Of course… they may also have died somewhere in the base."

"Can't you use your ability to take out the contents inside?" Feng Bujue asked.

Billy hesitated for half a second, "I can, but…"

"Would it consume a lot of energy?" Feng Bujue probably guessed the other party's concerns.

"Using spatial grafting to get you out of my own containment room, using area perception enhancement to help you eavesdrop on those security team members, and using mechanical interference to help you speak through the loudspeaker… all of these consume a lot of energy," Billy replied, "Also, I have to maintain the B3 video and audio signal shielding… Although I have been dormant for quite a long time before today, accumulating a lot of energy, but…"

"Alright, I won't trouble you." Feng Bujue said, "But speaking of which… are you really 'greatly restricted'? You can still use so many abilities at the same time…"

"These are just minor tricks," Billy said with a wry smile, "I'm different from those guys like Samodir or Rabbit who have physical combat abilities. All my power is reflected in telekinesis, spatial abilities, and various remote interference abilities." He shook his head, "Do you think I'm still strong now? Don't joke around… In the main universe, as long as it's within the range allowed by the 'system,' I can even arrange the structure of the script myself. But here? Even I can't stand the folded space I create… a straight corridor, looping every few hundred meters… what is this…"

"Hmm… so you're quite ambitious," Feng Bujue said with narrowed eyes.

"Alright… instead of probing and mocking me…" Billy had already seen through what Brother Jue was doing, he directly exposed the other party, and continued, "You should think about how to open this safe."