Weapon System 54: Journey Through the Otherworld (3)

This was a castle-like mansion, painted in red, with a majestic violet gate ten meters high. The building itself rose over thirty meters, yet had only three floors, and each window stood seven meters tall, allowing sunlight to pour in and bathing the place in a striking, almost feminine radiance.

At that moment, the great doors swung open, and before him stood a beautiful woman clad in a form-fitting crimson leather suit. She was six meters tall, towering like a statue. At first, Zhang Mingjing was too startled to appreciate her beauty.

A delicate floral scent wafted from her, her skin a flawless, translucent red. Her lips were painted a soft pink, making them look tender and inviting. Her black, lustrous hair cascaded over her shoulders, seemingly soft to the touch. Her golden eyes, though not as dazzling as the sun, shone brighter than gold. Judging by Earth’s standards, she appeared to be in her early twenties.

“Please, come in, honored guest from afar,” the woman said.

The enormous dog lay down once more. Zhang Mingjing slid off its back, ignoring the pain in his rear and remaining ever vigilant.

“My name is Ling. I am the chief of a southern red tribe,” the woman introduced herself.

“I am Zhang Mingjing, a Taoist priest from Earth,” he replied.

“A Taoist! You practice cultivation as well?”

“Yes,” he confirmed.

“No wonder!”

“No wonder what?”

“No wonder you are not affected by the Evil Program, at least for now.”

The Five-Dimensional Space Thought Model immediately explained to Zhang Mingjing, “The Evil Program is the encoded thought model of the space-time fiends. She assumes you have been implanted too?”

“Oh!” Zhang Mingjing replied.

Ling led him into the house. The interior glimmered with golden splendor, reminiscent of European royal palaces, though the chairs were all far too tall.

“Please, have a seat,” Ling said, making a polite gesture. Zhang Mingjing looked in the direction she indicated and, to his surprise, found a set of furniture perfectly matched to his height, with pastries and drinks neatly arranged on the table.

However, Zhang Mingjing had no intention of eating or drinking, since he was merely a holographic projection after all.

Once seated, Ling continued, “Our planet has a modest population, just over a hundred million, divided among twenty countries and two thousand three hundred tribes. What about your world?”

“We have... ow!” Zhang Mingjing yelped as he sat, a twinge of pain shooting through him.

Ling looked at him with curiosity.

The Five-Dimensional Space Thought Model immediately reminded him, “Your thoughts shape your appearance. Stop thinking about your backside!”

“Oh!” Zhang Mingjing said awkwardly, then continued, “Uh, how did you know I came from another planet?”

“It’s impossible for such a species to have evolved here, and more than that, I know you come from a different universe.”

“You know even that?!”

“The malicious program inside me constantly yearns for a certain power, and through the entanglement, I sensed that power resides in another universe—yours.”

“Good grief, this plot is utterly outrageous!” Zhang Mingjing complained inwardly, then began to introduce himself. “Very well, I come from Earth in the Solar System, with nearly nine billion people and close to two hundred countries.”

“Nine billion?! That’s astonishing!” Ling exclaimed, then went on, “About six months ago, hundreds of malicious codes crossed space-time to reach our world, seeking out the strongest individuals to implant themselves into. Most of the hosts have fallen under their control.”

“These codes in our world mainly target animals. Why do they pick humans here, rather than stronger or more resilient life forms?”

Ling smiled. “Here, humans are the strongest and most resilient species.”

On reflection, Zhang Mingjing realized she was right—after all, this was a world of giants.

“You were infected as well, yet you seem fine?” Zhang Mingjing finally asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

“These codes, once inside a life form, control them by optimizing their habitual greed, anger, ignorance, and attachment, rather than directly transforming them. I am a cultivator, and so is my dog, Big Fang. More than a decade ago, we learned to master these flaws, and, fortunately, the codes that invaded us were very weak. So, for now, they cannot take effect within us.”

“She’s right,” the Five-Dimensional Space Thought Model affirmed. “The space-time fiend’s encoded thought model is designed to optimize the habits of greed, anger, and ignorance. If these flaws are feeble within a host, the code cannot act. And the humans here are already excellent hosts—top-tier hardware, so to speak—so there’s no need for further modification, which would be wasteful.”

Zhang Mingjing nodded in understanding.

Ling continued, “Still, I must remain extremely vigilant. Should even a trace of evil arise in my heart, the code could act to ‘optimize’ it, which would be disastrous for my cultivation.”

“So you have to be on your guard every moment, even in your own mind? That sounds terribly stressful,” Zhang Mingjing sighed.

“It is simply part of cultivation,” Ling replied.

After a brief silence, Zhang Mingjing asked, “What has become of those others who were taken over?”

“The codes deliberately select the strongest among us. The hosts, after being implanted, have become several times more powerful and have gradually taken control of the planet’s major powers. They are now researching ways to reach your universe.”

“You mean they could cross over to our Solar System?”

“No. The physical laws of our universes are not compatible, so our bodies cannot pass through. However, consciousness is not bound by the laws of physics and is compatible with any time or space.”

“You mean...?”

“They will send their consciousness and energy across, then use your universe’s physical laws to reconstruct bodies. After that, the invasion will begin—they’ll seek to seize energy.”

“Good grief, the plot holes in this story run absurdly deep!” Zhang Mingjing exclaimed again.

“For the past three months, I’ve been using my consciousness to invade the entangled energy of the malicious code within me. That’s why I sensed your arrival at once. I hope that now you’re aware, you’ll prepare yourself.”

“Can’t you take them out here, before they cross over?” Zhang Mingjing asked.

“No. Here, they already hold all the advantages—we are powerless. However, once they cross, they cannot bring all their weapons with them, so they’ll actually be weaker in your world.”

Just then, Zhang Mingjing slapped his own face, startling Ling.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Oh, just checking to see if I’m dreaming.”

“I see... Don’t worry, I will do all I can to help you when the time comes.”

“Thank you. When will they arrive?”

“The space-time shuttle is still under construction—about three months to completion.”

“Only three months!”

“The crossing and reconstructing of bodies in your world will consume unimaginable amounts of energy and require the highest precision in calculation. So, at most, only two can be sent at a time, and each transmission must be at least a week apart.”

Zhang Mingjing thought, “Dealing with one would be bad enough, let alone two!”

He then asked Ling, “What will you do about the malicious code in you and Big Fang?”

“As long as we persist in cultivation and remain tranquil and desireless, the code will never act and will eventually leave our bodies. If possible, I may even be able to rewrite it.”

“Rewrite it? Sister, you are truly bold!”

“I only entertain the thought. The code in me is not strong, but I won’t overreach. I hope you prepare yourself, for when they cross over, a great calamity will befall your world.”

“Yes...” Zhang Mingjing felt his mind go blank.

At that instant, a flash of information swept through both Ling and Zhang Mingjing’s consciousness.

“They’ve found us. They’re coming. We must go!” Ling warned, already on her feet.

“Where to?” Zhang Mingjing asked.

“You must return. As for me, I’ve been hunted for three months and must keep running. Farewell!”

With that, Ling rushed out the door.

Zhang Mingjing sat dumbfounded in his chair.

“Hey!” the Five-Dimensional Space Thought Model suddenly called, “She’s gone. We have to go too, or we’ll be in trouble.”

Zhang Mingjing snapped out of his daze, closed his eyes, and prepared to return.

Yet even as he sensed the enemy drawing near, his mind was scattered, unable to focus and enter meditation.

“Don’t think about the enemy. If you do, your consciousness will stay here waiting for them. When you sense the attack, can you help but be anxious?” the Five-Dimensional Space Thought Model warned. “If you lose control, it’ll be a disaster—far worse than dog hair stabbing your backside. You might not survive.”

Only then did Zhang Mingjing regain full composure. Gradually, his spirit retreated within. Three minutes later, he entered a meditative state, his consciousness slipping into a wormhole.

When he opened his eyes again, he was back in his own body, at home. The whole journey had taken barely half an hour.

“This story’s plot holes are beyond ridiculous!” Zhang Mingjing finally couldn’t help but complain. “Why must things be so absurd?”

“Worse yet, this time the code in that parallel universe infected not just animals, but highly intelligent humans,” the Five-Dimensional Space Thought Model added.

“So what?”

“Animals are at most interested in energy. Humans are different—they desire energy, but also power and territory.”

“You mean, when they come, they won’t just steal energy—they’ll try to conquer Earth?”

“Exactly.”

“Damn! Isn’t this wildly different from what you people in the Five-Dimensional Space originally anticipated?”

“Plans never keep up with change.”

“Oh, you’re pulling that line now too? This is only the first time decoding the sun’s seal, just the first thought model code of a space-time fiend, and already so much chaos! There are six more to go—how deep does this rabbit hole go? Can this little Earth really take it?”

“Alas, I understand.”

“My heart is so weary. Can’t I just quit now?”

...

After returning from the parallel universe, Zhang Mingjing was briefly lost in confusion, but soon he would experience a joyful breakthrough. This journey had greatly expanded his horizons and deepened his insight into life itself—the foundation for unlocking his potential.

Upon his return, the Five-Dimensional Space Thought Model fell silent, the real person busied herself maintaining her social circle, while Yuhua and Chengxian were absorbed in their dramas.

Zhang Mingjing felt an urgent need to speak with someone—not the Five-Dimensional Space Thought Model, nor Zhang Yidao or Xiao Nuxia via video, and certainly not an AI. Only one name came to mind: Katherine.