Abyssal Wanderer.

"Reflection? What does that mean?"

Jiang Zhou asked.

"'Reflection' is an adjustment and modification of Narcissus Path Depth 4—creating a spare body that can carry one's own personality, exactly like oneself. It can even share the mandala code when it is first printed."

"Hanell replied."

“But Bai Rao doesn’t look like you at all, and the age doesn’t match either.”

Jiang Zhou was somewhat puzzled.

He also wanted to offer a critique from Jim's perspective, noting that the two women's personalities often seemed quite different.

"There are so many ways to change one's appearance and age. And as I just said, that's just the state when it's first printed. As one's experiences change, the difference between oneself and the reflection will become greater and greater. When even mandalas can no longer be shared, the adjuster of Narcissus Path Depth 4 can create 'reflections' again."

Hanel replied in this way.

"So, Bai Rao is your reflection, and you are the real you?"

Jiang Zhou asked.

Although they weren't talking face-to-face, Hanel still subconsciously shook his head and said:
"No, there is no such thing as a true entity. In the understanding of the Narcissus Path Adjusters, I am merely the earliest existing individual."

Jiang Zhou couldn't help but recall the scene of Hanel dying in the fighter jet—in other words, what died then was Hanel's reflection.

In other words... Hanell had already reached depth 4 at that time?
But how is that possible?

In Jim's memory, when the two of them were in Apollo Bio, Hanel was also at a Depth 2 adjustment depth, just like him.

How did she get the chance to skip two levels to Depth 4?
Unfortunately, I can't ask these questions from Jiang Zhou's perspective—I can only wait for Jim to wake up and let him ask them himself.

Jiang Zhou thought this to himself, while also muttering to himself:
Actually, I don't want to get involved in their relationship; I don't understand it and I don't want to be involved...

But speaking of which, perhaps the Goddess of the Underworld would be interested in this...

Jiang Zhou thought to himself as he recalled Hecate's new question, "What is love?"

Then, he composed himself and continued asking questions:
"So what are you doing at the Nord resettlement area?"

To this question, Hanel gave a mocking smile and then said:
"Of course you're here to resolve the mental breakdown issues of Type II humans, just like you. Or... are you not actually here for that?"

Jiang Zhou felt stifled when the other party found an opportunity to retort—after all, that was the persona he had cultivated.

Fortunately, he quickly adjusted his mindset and said:

"So, the committee sent both of you together?"

One in the light, one in the dark, should they act separately?

Hanel, however, gave a negative answer to this speculation:

"No... I only volunteered to come here after Bai Rao woke me up and told me about the situation here."

As she spoke, she lowered her eyes to look at Jim, who was still in her arms, and gently brushed her fingers across the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes.

Jiang Zhou, who was far away, couldn't help but curl his lip when he saw this scene.

I understand... I guess Bai Rao told her that Jim was here.

She also mentioned "awakening." Does this mean that Hanel's original self... or rather, the original individual, has been dormant all these years?

In that case, it makes sense that her appearance hasn't changed much compared to more than 20 years ago.

However, if this girl really has been asleep for over twenty years waiting to meet him, then Jim Ritter...

Upon thinking of this, Jiang Zhou's previous displeasure vanished, and he found himself involuntarily grinning.

After all, Jim had quite a few lovers during his years in the Nord settlement...

Although most of these were just fleeting affairs, and even the few relationships that lasted for months eventually ended in estrangement for various reasons, there were still some...

Through the sniper scope of the Heavenly God Path, Wang Ying had already rushed over.

Jim's former colleague looked at Hanel with a wary expression.

"Any other questions?"

Perhaps seeing Wang Ying approach, making it inconvenient to continue the call, Hanel asked somewhat anxiously.

Sigh... If I hang up the phone, won't I miss out on the show?

Jiang Zhou thought with annoyance. But he really didn't have much to ask—at least some questions weren't suitable for him to ask. He'd better wait until Jim woke up.

Thinking this, Jiang Zhou said:

"The problem is gone, but as I said before, I allow you to manipulate the apothecary's body to create the antidote to save Jim. But after saving him, the apothecary must die... You don't want Jim, whom you've worked so hard to save, to be killed in the blink of an eye, do you?"

As the villain delivered his incredibly pathetic speech, Jiang Zhou forced himself to suppress a laugh.

Hanel said in a somber tone:
Are you threatening me?

Jiang Zhou immediately replied to the answer he had been waiting for:

“You’ve misunderstood. I’m not saying I’ll kill Jim. I’m talking about the apothecary himself. I advise you not to have too much faith in the control of the virtual personality. If you don’t believe me, you can ask the people around you, or you can check if Bai Rao left any messages—some zombies have broken through the control of the virtual personality Bai Rao implanted.”

After he finished speaking, he originally wanted to end with the standard villainous "hehehe" laugh, but after thinking about it, he felt that it would be a bit stupid and so he didn't do it.

In the end, he simply said in a low voice, "We'll keep in touch, Miss Hanell," before hanging up.

Meanwhile, as Wang Ying walked over warily, she saw that Hanel's eyes had regained focus after the call ended.

"He knows my name..."

When Wang Ying walked over, she happened to hear her muttering to herself.

…………

In any case, I hope Jim recovers from his injuries quickly...

After hanging up the call, Jiang Zhou let out a long sigh.

He is currently on an elevator going up.

The elevator was originally going to the fourth floor, but since Jim is alright for the time being...

Jiang Zhou thought for a moment and changed his destination to the tenth floor.

The most important thing right now is to suppress that "incarnation of fear" in the Nord network domain.

After all, Jim was unconscious, and Bai Rao was dead. And judging from the situation, Hanel didn't plan to help suppress the Dionysus virus patients until Jim was cured.

In this situation, the only way to hold out until the arrival of a high-level adjuster of the Orpheus path is through network suppression.

Regarding this matter, the situation I saw from the Hell Realm not long ago was not very optimistic.

Under the onslaught of fear, the hacker alliance in the resettlement area has now retreated behind the firewall.

In this way, once the other party has integrated the resources, it is only a matter of time before the entire Nord LAN falls.

I don't know if using Lady Hecate's black dog can buy some time for the hacker alliance on the tenth floor.

Thinking this, Jiang Zhou felt the elevator, which was rising rapidly, shake.

This feeling was the same one that Jim and his friends had experienced in the apartment not long ago.

Distant, heavy...

It looked like something big was approaching the resettlement area.

The elevator Jiang Zhou was riding at that moment was a sightseeing elevator located on the outer wall of the resettlement area. The instant this thought popped into his mind, he involuntarily turned his head and looked at the desert outside the resettlement area.

Then, he saw...

Several colossal machines, as large as mountains, appeared on the horizon.

Even though countless lights outlined their shapes, large numbers of them remained hidden in the night.

But even just the parts that are visible are already exaggerated enough.

That was a steel behemoth in the Common Era, capable of flattening a small city with its sheer weight and size. If it had actually appeared before people back then, they could only silently pray that giants of light truly existed in this world.

Even a behemoth like the Nord resettlement area can probably only serve as a nest for these mechanical giants.

dong... dong... dong...

As those machines, resembling Titans, approached the Nord settlement step by step, Jiang Zhou felt as if his heartbeat was in sync with their footsteps.

On each of the steel behemoths, in the area where the lights were most concentrated, there was a symbol of flames and a forging hammer. (End of Chapter)