Soul Trigger

Chapter 4: Materialization

Hearing the sound of thick liquid hitting the door, Ji Li retracted his bloody bone claws and watched the blood and internal organ fragments fall through his fingers like a waterfall. His somewhat delayed thoughts returned to reality.

He looked at his own white fingertips with a little suspicion, as well as the whistling black smoke that shuttled back and forth between his bones and surrounded him.

His eyes subconsciously passed through his fingertips and saw the clear pool of blood on the ground. It was formed by the blood that flowed from between his fingers, and his current appearance was vaguely reflected in his broken internal organs.

His head completely turned into a gray goat skull, with the same gray horns with broken and raised lines, bending down on both sides of the head.

The hollow, alien eye sockets were radiating flame-shaped grooves, like some evil eye shadow, or mysterious lines.

Looking closely, one can seem to see a blurry human skeleton with a ghost face growing in the empty space on top of the sheep's head amidst the shadowy blood.

It was embedded in the skull like amber, forever frozen in the moment when it was about to struggle out.

At this moment, Ji Li felt as if his worldview was shattered.

His current state was definitely not that of a natural human being, much less the semi-informationized mechanical life form that he had formed in the past with his full body prosthesis and brain in a vat, and certainly not the mechanical ascension that he had always pursued...

Does this world have a completely different technological route for the evolution of life forms?
At the same time, he was also shocked by some "mutation" that occurred in the Ascension Protocol.

The "based on the current understanding and updated results of the objective material world" that the Ascension Protocol keeps repeating is derived from a testing technology that has not been fully realized and is located in Article 68 of the Ascension Protocol.

The function that this technology is expected to achieve is to allow the ascended beings to decode and contact the new world that may exist in the future through the ascension protocol at the dimensional level after ascending to that world.

In this way, we can understand the state and civilization of the world from the essence, quickly complete the update of the agreement content, ensure continuous and effective guidance of the ascenders, and continue to pursue evolution to a more perfect life form.

To put it simply, this function can generate a strategy guide for a completely new world.

The [Binary Decoder] integrated into the Ascension Protocol is the core of its operation.

But this original intention is like a fantasy even in Murphy's megastructure. The binary decoder installed on him is just to provide a certain degree of usage data for the experimental team behind him.

Although it also has extremely powerful information compilation functions, the decoded content has nothing to do with practicality and is used as experimental data. It has nothing to do with decoding a world.

"In any case, I have survived with this natural human body."

He gently squeezed his bone claws. It was a wonderful experience, completely different from the feeling of being a mechanical ascender in the past.

"I failed to ascend to a strange world, discovered strange energy, and inexplicably transformed into a strange life form..."

"Although this is obviously a temporary state, if we can bring this technology back to the Murphy Structure, those idle laboratories under my command should be able to come up with a completely new evolutionary route for life forms... right...?!"

At this moment, he felt a pain in his brain. The sudden feeling of heaviness interrupted Ji Li's great imagination about the current situation. It was like ten thousand tons of gravity pressing on his body, causing him to suddenly kneel on the ground.

With some kind of warning coming from the depths of his soul, he turned back into human form in an instant.

The black smoke that resembled evil spirits quickly dissipated, and the sudden outbreak of intense pain and discomfort throughout his body was like some kind of rejection reaction, causing him to fall to the ground and convulse violently.

Amid the intense tinnitus that followed, the scarlet mark on Ji Li's wrist began to burn like a branding iron, and a bright red font appeared before his eyes:

[You showed your power for the first time, and you were recognized by the other world. ]

[Your soul core is whispering, cognitive index +10]

[Your cognitive connection with this world has deepened...]

[The above information comes from the "Inner World Curse Seal", which is compiled and sorted by a binary decoder. Please confirm that the curse seal is stable to ensure smooth communication between this protocol and the Inner World.]

[You feel the call of the other world...]

The long pain made him almost lose the concept of time. An intense throbbing from the depths of his soul roared in his ears like a throbbing heart.

Ji Li didn't even pay much attention to the specific content of the red fonts, and suddenly fainted in a daze.

……

When he regained consciousness, he saw a gray space in front of him and his body turned into a small white light man.

A tall, blurry figure was not far in front of him, with a vague feeling of being close yet far away.

A gray goat skull was floating not far in front of him. It looked vague and unreal. When he touched it gently, rows of bright red characters appeared:

[Faceless bone: An ordinary relic of a personality left behind after the death of an unknown life form. It has been collected.]

[Soul Quality: Damaged]

[Current status: ready for implementation]

[Embodying: The remaining power of the personality relic is manifested in the cognitive world in the form of weapons, so that the host becomes one with the personality relic for a period of time. The appearance displayed varies depending on the type of personality relic.]

[The current personality relic is damaged. Do you want to inject cognitive index to repair it? ]

[Your current remaining cognitive index is: 10]

Ji Li was a little stunned by the scene in front of him.

If it was a pure traveler from Earth, he might have immediately thought of words like soul space or "inner vision". But for Ji Li, the scene before him was so irrational that he could only convince himself that "a virtual space was generated after the Ascension Protocol mutated".

After thinking for a few breaths, he tentatively reached out his hand and completely touched the skull. As a familiar throbbing feeling came from the bottom of his heart, a number "10" appeared above the skull and quickly jumped back to zero.

[You injected cognitive index and repaired the personality relic]

As the red font appeared, the sound of the Ascension Protocol came to my ears, but unlike normal situations, its sound here was filled with a strange sense of distortion:
[The current soul quality of "Faceless Bone" is: inferior]

[Due to the repair completed by injecting cognitive index, "Faceless Bone" has restored its bonus effect on all attributes. ]

[At the same time, the characteristics of "Faceless Bone" are revealed, which has an additional bonus to your will attribute. ]

[After receiving the bonus of "Faceless Bone", your current digital panel is as follows:]

Name: Ji Li (abnormal soul state)
Spirit Core: Unknown Spirit Core

Personality Relic: Faceless Bone (In stock)

Willpower: 18.6 (+6)

Super sense: 7.5 (+1.2)

Creativity: 1.4 (+0.2) Affinity: 5.8 (+3)

The next moment, he felt a surge of vitality coming from the depths of his soul and spreading throughout his body. His nerves suddenly trembled, and his eyes, which had been a little drowsy, became much more alert.

At the same time, a new red text appeared in front of me:
[Do you want to inject cognitive index to improve the soul quality of the personality entity in this relic? ]

"Is the Ascension Protocol turning me into a virtual character in a third-rate online game? Although it is not difficult to understand the working mode of this system..."

Ji Li took a breath. It was impossible to continue strengthening for the time being because he had no points left.

"Then what is this thing?"

He turned and walked towards the hazy black shadow not far away. As he got closer, he found that the size of the black shadow was inexplicably increasing at an imperceptible rate.

As he got closer, everything around him gradually became blurry. When he could no longer see anything around him, he returned to the starting point.

After trying this several times, he found that as long as he tried to get closer to the black shadow in this space, he would gradually return to the starting point.

"I can't touch you for now... But how can I leave this strange space now?"

The next moment, Ji Li opened his eyes, feeling a strange sensation of his center of gravity flowing back.

……

In reality, he was lying on the ground with his arms across his eyes, and the curse seal of the other world that was burning like hot coals was gradually extinguishing.

He sensed something in his heart and focused his attention on the curse mark again. In a flash, he returned to the gray space.

Through the curse of the other world, you can enter the gray space...

Letting his consciousness return to reality, Ji Li sorted out the information in his mind and called out:

"Ascension Protocol?"

"Good day, prototype client, how can I help you?"

The sound of the Ascension Protocol has returned to normal.

"Don't you have anything to explain to me?"

"If you have any doubts about the updated results after cognitive contact with the current objective material world, I recommend you to refer to the 68th agreement, which is based on the new technology and terms of use for testing developed and researched by the World Tree Group."

"Its purpose is to quickly update the various information and data of the alien space that the customer arrives in after the upgrade, guide the customer to quickly adapt to the world after the ascension, and ensure that the customer continues to complete the evolution of life form..."

"I know all of this. What I'm talking about is the curse mark on the back of my hand? And all those soul-related terms that are giving me a headache. Am I leveling up and gaining points like an NPC in a rubbish game produced by a third-rate producer?"

"I have received your question. I recommend you to refer to the 68th agreement clause, which is based on the new technology and terms of use for testing developed and researched by the World Tree Group. It aims to quickly update various information and data of the different space that the customer reaches after upgrading..."

"Shut up."

Ji Li interrupted the Ascension Agreement and rubbed his aching temple awkwardly.

This was his subconscious physiological behavior, and he felt unfamiliar with it because he had not used his natural body for a long time.

Artificial intelligence is a very dangerous product in Murphy's megastructure. The Ascension Protocol integrates intelligent programs, but it is not artificial intelligence. According to its logic, asking it this question will only cause it to repeat the terms of the Ascension Protocol over and over again, because in its logic, the terms are clearly written.

As for these situations that Ji Li couldn't understand, personality, soul, cognitive points, and the curse mark on the back of his hand, the Ascension Protocol was also confused. What was going on? Let the Ascension Protocol show you. The Ascension Protocol will use the 68th agreement clause to tell you what is going on. The Ascension Protocol was also surprised, but this is the fact...

The hall was completely quiet at this moment. The exploded flesh and blood of the believers were scattered everywhere. Ji Li was the only living person left, sitting alone on the ground.

At this moment, the huge gash on the palm of his hand and the terrible wounds cut by the bearded old man had completely healed at some point.

If the scientific research team under him were still there, maybe they could deduce something, even a completely new technology. But right now, what was more important to Ji Li was to leave here first.

If there is a chance, it would be best to explore another life form evolution route in this world that is different from the Murphy Megastructure, and then bring it back to the Murphy Megastructure...

Thinking of this, he shook his head: You are thinking too far ahead. I really am preparing for a rainy day.

Ji Li laughed at himself in his heart, and set a small goal and a big goal.

On any planet in the solar system where the Murphy megastructure is located, he only needs a thought to call any ship of the nearest World Tree Group. This kind of dangerous and completely unfamiliar situation has not happened for many years.

Ji Li, dressed in rags, gave the Ascension Protocol an order to "continue to organize and summarize the existing intelligence" and then came to the gate.

After this series of near-death experiences that felt so real, it would be a bit too unrealistic to wishfully believe that this was a virtual space.

His palm felt the heavy and cold texture of the door, and he suddenly felt a throbbing in the depths of his heart. As some connection was touched, large blood-red lines appeared on the heavy door and it rumbled open.

After establishing a connection with the Faceless Bone, this "soul-throbbing" reaction will come from the bottom of your heart under certain circumstances.

He has now become familiar with, or rather skilled at, this feeling, and he has given this reaction of a throbbing connection with a specific energy or objective external object a simple name, "trigger sense."

If it's a faint throbbing, it's like pulling a trigger.

The previous "transformation" and the opening of the door now were like the feeling of pulling the trigger following the throbbing, and then a burst of energy seemed to burst out from the depths of the soul.

Outside was a corridor-structured room with plain decoration. There were many cracks in the walls, some red symbols painted on the yellow material, and it gave off a strong smell of rust.

There are some tables, chairs, stools and some upright cabinets on both sides of the corridor. There is also a window sealed with wooden boards on one side. An incandescent lamp illuminates the entire space with unusual brightness.

Next to him, he found a topographic map called "Emergency Exit Diagram", on which various locations were marked in Chinese, such as the bulletin hall, cafeteria, living dormitory, archive room and the like.

When he was with those believers before, Ji Li had no time to think about other things, but now it seems that the civilization of this world should have some similarities with Murphy's megastructure, after all, there is a language and writing that he is familiar with.

Fortunately, the schematic diagram showed that the exit was just outside the door at the end of his short corridor. Ji Li walked quickly through the corridor, opened the wooden door easily and stepped through.

Then he was stunned for a moment.

In the room in front of him, the pungent smell of blood hit him in the face. The blood-stained inverted cross, the iron nails on it were still hooked to the flesh and blood left when he escaped from it.

Except that the door he came in through was not the heavy door, everything was exactly the same as the sacrificial hall he had just left.

Am I back to square one?

He turned around suddenly and found that the heavy iron door deep in the corridor had been closed at some point.

(End of this chapter)