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Chapter 353. Signs of the Mechanic's Arrival

Shortly after Wen Yu regained consciousness, a new trending topic appeared on the Ping An Forum: the change of ownership of the Dream Pavilion.

Originally, the Dream Pavilion was a system of consultation among multiple elders, but due to the distortion and alteration of the memory of truth, grudges were forcibly smoothed over, the struggle between various factions within the pavilion was quelled, and a chief elder was established.

This reform, ironically, benefited Zuo Siquan.

One day, the Dream Pavilion issued an announcement stating that Wen Yu, the former chief elder of the Dream Pavilion, had resigned, and the new chief elder was Zuo Siquan, the daydreamer.

In the newly released inaugural address video, the new leader is seen wearing a blue trench coat, with his chestnut hair fluttering in the wind.

She stood atop the high platform, her face as serene as a deep pool, yet her voice pierced the sky like a sharp sword:

"I am willing to use my strength to lead the Dream Pavilion to an unprecedented era of prosperity!"

"Om——"

The moment she finished speaking, ten golden rings of fantasy rose up from behind her, like an ever-shining sun hanging high in the sky above the thirteen cities of ideals.

This dazzling halo not only illuminated every corner of the city, but also heralded the birth of an unparalleled powerhouse—the first person in the Dreamer sequence, who had already broken through the boundaries of history. After all, before her, no sage's power of imagination had ever been able to so overwhelmingly embrace the entire territory.

After watching the video, Jiang Jianxin was deeply shocked and couldn't help but ask his intuition:
Why do I feel like Zuo Siquan has gotten a lot stronger?

Intuition paused for a moment before answering:

[Hmm...you also know that the true master of the Dream Pavilion is actually the God of Nothingness.]

[It is itself a colony of the God of Nothingness. For the God of Nothingness, Wen Yu's control is tantamount to his own follower being tainted. In this situation, he will definitely need to find a new follower.]

Jiang Jianxin asked, puzzled:

So it set its sights on Zuo Siquan?

Intuition confirms:
Yes, being targeted by a god has both advantages and disadvantages—the advantage is a surge in strength.

Jiang Jianxin pressed further:
Now that we've covered the advantages, what about the disadvantages?

Intuition replied:
[Easily corrupted by God.]

Seeing that Jiang Jianxin was still somewhat confused, he instinctively gave another example:
[You see, Wen Yu can make his body ethereal. This change, besides the ability itself, also stems from the corruption of the Void God—it distorts the normal human body, making it closer to the form of a "god."]

[The true form of the God of Nothingness is nothingness itself, which causes the bodies of his followers to gradually become transparent. This is somewhat acceptable; the appearances of some gods... are truly indescribable.]

The unspoken meaning in her words was self-evident, and Jiang Jianxin immediately understood, but she did not continue to discuss the matter.

The personnel changes at Dream Pavilion caused quite a stir on the forum, but surprisingly, the news did not top the trending search list.

Because compared to the changing of power and conquests, people are more concerned about something else that is quietly happening—

A certain indescribable sense of unease is spreading across the very foundation of this world, like rust.

At first, this change was so subtle that it was almost ignored. But from some point onward, the daylight lost its former sharpness and fullness, becoming like diluted milk, cloudy and thin.

The midday sun hung in the sky, but only a pale halo remained, unable to cast a clear shadow.

Some people wake up to find the view outside their window still a gloomy, iron-gray expanse, utterly silent, as if dawn had never truly arrived, and time frozen in an eternal daybreak. Meanwhile, modern creations reliant on circuits and programs begin to exhibit strange anomalies.

A phone screen might suddenly display static, reflecting a distorted image of itself; a smart speaker at home might suddenly emit a strange electrical noise in the middle of the night, like a murmur; and the indicator lights on a moving car's dashboard might flash collectively as if in a spasm.

What's even more unsettling is that more and more people are privately discussing the same chilling feeling:

When you're alone, that cell phone next to your pillow or in your pocket seems to be "watching" your every move through its cold screen in a lifeless, chilling way.

The whole world seems to be permeated by an invisible, silent force field.

Jiang Jianxin also clearly noticed this strangeness on a sleepless night.

She was gazing absently at the dim night outside the window when that feeling came over her.

It wasn't an illusion, nor was it overthinking; it was a real sense of "presence"—as if an absolutely silent presence was standing silently in her blind spot, focusing all its attention on the back of her neck.

This is completely different from the oppressive gaze that signals the end when death arrives.

Death's gaze is grand and cold, carrying a sense of fatalism, but this new feeling is more subtle and more unsettling.

It's like an invisible membrane, clinging to the skin and seeping into the air. This surveillance isn't continuous, but rather emerges intermittently. It's precisely this uncertainty that amplifies the horror.

It may appear quietly as your fingertips swipe across the phone screen, or it may descend upon you in the instant you close your eyes to rest.

Without warning, without warning, all that remained after that sensation was the chill that crept up her spine, causing her to involuntarily tense up and feel a chill in her heart.

The Mechanic is about to arrive.

Intuition struck her, and she spoke with a heavy tone.

It should have arrived much sooner, but the body of the truth of time enveloped the world like cotton wool. The mechanic had to cross this barrier of time, which caused the delay in its arrival.

However, the truth of time cannot stop it for long. The anomalies appearing now are signs that the Mechanic... is drawing ever closer.

Jiang Jianxin silently gazed at the increasingly gloomy sky, an inexplicable unease spreading through her heart.

She whispered to Ayu on the other end of the Bluetooth connection:
Have these recent changes...affected you?

Ayu's response remained calm:
"My physical body exists in the void of the data world, so these fluctuations in the real world have a limited impact on me. However, if the electromechanical equipment continues to change, I may gradually lose the medium to communicate with you."

Jiang Jianxin was speechless for a moment.

No one can predict where the future will lead.

However, the situation never stopped.

As time went on, the suffocating feeling of being mechanically monitored grew stronger.

The forums began to circulate chilling posts—some claimed that home robots suddenly went out of control, others that elevators "accidentally" trapped people, and cars started up unattended... "Mechanical killings" were no longer just rumors.

On a gloomy afternoon, A-Yu's voice suddenly came through the Bluetooth again, his tone filled with unprecedented vigilance:
"Administrator Jiang Jianxin, I have detected an unknown malfunction in the Bluetooth channel. Something is attempting to tamper with the information I am sending to you, and even interfere with our conversation. Your phone is also exhibiting serious abnormalities."

The artificial intelligence paused briefly, carefully organizing its language, attempting to describe the situation more specifically:
"...An eye has grown out of the screen. Right now, it's watching everything you do."