Chapter 179: Dispersed Consciousness

Chapter 179: Chapter 179: Dispersed Consciousness

The three base leaders surrounded the Senior, listening with fascination as different voices emerged from a single mouth.

After the rabbit was killed, Wen Bai brought it back.

The Senior squatted on the ground and, with a few deft strokes of a small knife, peeled the skin off in one piece.

Wen Bai took the meat and pelt to process them further off to the side.

Wen Changming asked curiously, "Senior, what about the original owner of this body?"

"Oh, he’s fine. But his body was snatched by that thing. This place isn’t in the same dimension as that... game, so his consciousness isn’t here either. He won’t wake up until we leave."

"Don’t worry. With so many of us old-timers watching over it, the body will be safe."

Several other voices chimed in to agree.

Shi Zhile leaned in. "What about his consciousness? Will it dissipate if it’s separated from the body for too long? Is there a way to separate one’s consciousness from their body? And how do you put them back together?"

Jiang Yuxing’s ability to manipulate the system was one thing, but the fact that he could easily transfer his consciousness into someone else’s body meant he had completely mastered the technique.

Perhaps Chuyi and Wang Peng hadn’t disappeared at all, but had used the same method to possess other people.

’If they had simply taken on new identities, that would be one thing. But what if they’ve secretly infiltrated Huaxia Base...’

A cold sweat broke out on Shi Zhile’s back at the thought.

’If I could also freely project my consciousness, could I use it to spy on Jiang Yuxing and his group in return?’

’Better yet, could I follow them out of the game world?’

Wen Changming and the others immediately guessed Shi Zhile’s intentions.

The Senior mused for a moment. "As long as the body doesn’t sustain heavy damage, the consciousness won’t dissipate. It will, however, be weakened for a while."

"As for separating the consciousness from the body..."

"You need to borrow energy from outside the body, and it’s extremely dangerous."

Shi Zhile lowered her gaze, her mind racing.

’What does energy from outside the body mean?’

’The Energy Ball? Or the system?’

’Or maybe...’

She suddenly looked up. "You Seniors are also this type of energy."

A long silence was her only answer.

’Looks like I guessed right.’

The sun slanted westward. It was the hottest part of the day, which was also when the Seniors’ energy was at its weakest.

A long sigh escaped their lips. "You’re right. We are this type of energy, and our existence is confined to this place. Unless a connection can be established with the outside world, not even a separated consciousness can leave."

Shi Zhile took out the Wish Drifting Bottle again.

’If I can get another Teleportation Gate, I could connect this place to the outside world.’

’But the energy sustaining the game is immense, far beyond what a small instance can handle. If a Teleportation Gate connected the two realms, I’m afraid it would be bad for the Seniors!’

Shi Zhile voiced her thoughts.

Having never been in contact with the outside world, the Seniors weren’t entirely confident they could resist the game’s energy.

An idea struck Wen Changming, and he thought of the Primitive Forest.

"The Primitive Forest is an instance. If we connect this realm to the Primitive Forest and use it as a buffer, could that reduce the impact of the game’s energy on this place?"

The Senior mulled it over for a moment. "If there is a Controller of the island in the Primitive Forest, then yes, it’s possible."

Shi Zhile asked, "What do you mean by Controller?"

"A person or an existence like us who can travel between islands, possesses their own consciousness, and can think for themselves."

Shi Zhile suddenly thought of Mo Ze. "Does the Clan Leader of the Primitive Tribe count? He has over a hundred tribesmen who can hunt, make fire, sing, dance, and communicate."

The Senior nodded. "He counts! Not only does he count, but as the Island Master, his energy is even stronger than the game’s. If the two were to clash, the game’s energy would be instantly repelled."

Shi Zhile nodded slowly.

’No wonder none of the other functions besides the backpack worked in the Primitive Forest. It was because Mo Ze’s energy was suppressing them.’

While they were talking, a fire had already been started on the other side of the beach.

Someone had found the time to pick a handful of chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. A quick stir-fry in chicken fat instantly released a spicy, fragrant aroma.

Three iron woks were propped up on stones. Wei Zhan and Sun Ci were busy tending the fire, while Shi Zhiyi, Wen Bai, and Tang Yan acted as head chefs. Each was in charge of a wok, bustling about.

Ms. He was still peeling potatoes, and seeing this, the three base leaders rolled up their sleeves and went to help.

Shi Zhile brought out two lounge chairs, stuck a large beach umbrella in the sand, and had the Senior sit down.

With time to spare, she laid out all her solar panels in the sun, then took out two large watermelons, cut them up, and handed a piece to the Senior.

With the three base leaders helping, Shi Zhiyi and Ms. He were able to take a break. Shi Zhile brought out two more lounge chairs and passed around slices of watermelon.

Because of her earlier wariness, Ms. He was hesitant to accept, so Shi Zhiyi took a slice and placed it directly in her hand.

"Whether it’s Huaxia Base or Jiuzhou Base, we’re all ultimately fighting for the survival of Huaxia’s players. So there’s no need to feel awkward about you being wary of me, or me being wary of you."

Shi Zhile chimed in with her agreement. After finishing her watermelon, she casually wiped her juicy fingers on the back of Shi Zhiyi’s hand, making her sister laugh in exasperation.

Ducking to avoid the piece of watermelon rind Shi Zhiyi threw at her, she saw "Wen Yuchu" close his eyes. Her playful mood vanished instantly, and she went to check his breathing.

The Senior’s eyes snapped open. He found the sight of her watermelon-scented finger under his nose rather amusing.

"Wasn’t wiping your sticky hands on your sister enough? Now you have to pester your old grandpa?"

"Little one, you can wipe it on my clothes, that’s fine. Just don’t wipe it on this old man’s face. Otherwise, with my face covered in watermelon juice, I’m afraid these other old geezers will try to lick it off."

As soon as he said that, even more voices joined in.

The back-and-forth was boisterous and lively. Listening to the ruckus, the others exchanged a look and burst out laughing.

A short while later, the aroma grew even more intense, as if the entire island was being marinated in the savory scent of food.

There weren’t enough bowls and chopsticks, so a few people simply went into the woods and broke off smooth, straight twigs to use instead. More than a dozen people gathered around the three large woks, eating until they were sweating.

The four rabbits weighed nearly twenty jin combined, and the chickens and ducks added up to over ten jin. The rabbit was stir-fried, while the chicken was stewed into a full pot with plenty of green beans, corn, and potatoes.

The duck was made into a soup. They had added something unknown to it, making the broth both sour and fragrant.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, there were still some leftovers. It was too hot to store food in the instance, so Shi Zhile put everything into her storage space to save for the fight later that night.

A sea breeze swept in, dispersing the lingering aroma from the beach.

As if understanding their intent, the wind carried the spicy fragrance of the food into the village.

The frightened players ran into the village. Players with broken legs crawled into the village. Looking at their missing doors, they all fell into despair.

What was even more despairing was that they were now tired and hungry. Their strength was completely spent, and the sun made their heads spin.

A cool breeze drifted by. They all sniffed the air, smelling only an incredibly overpowering, delicious aroma.

"Damn it all! So hungry!"