"Are you joking? What consequences could there be for provoking me?"

Lin Ye nearly laughed out loud.

"You can deceive anyone, but you can't deceive yourself. I'm just you of the opposite gender. If you didn't have such thoughts, why would I say them?"

The girl rested her head on Lin Ye's shoulder while holding his hand.

"You're not me, otherwise you wouldn't make such a stupid suggestion. I know too little about the organization—how could I possibly risk opposing them?"

Lin Ye pushed the girl away. He sensed similarities between them, but fundamentally they were different.

"Don't you think this would be exciting? And you're underestimating us. Fighting the entire organization isn't realistic, but destroying just an external branch would be effortless."

The girl closed her eyes and produced a blood-red popsicle with two wooden sticks from nowhere, breaking it in half to offer Lin Ye.

"You can go outside?"

Lin Ye examined the popsicle skeptically before licking it—icy cool with a perfect sweet-sour balance, incredibly delicious.

"That depends on your choice. If you choose to muddle through, then I'm just a fleeting illusion, and this popsicle is already the limit. But if you decide to teach them a lesson, to show them you're not to be trifled with, then I become the storm that sweeps across the world."

The girl sucked her popsicle leisurely while making dangerously bold statements.

"Can't you choose for yourself?"

Lin Ye found this strange—he didn't believe he could command the girl.

"Of course I can. But I am you—why would I harm myself? Besides, I'll disappear eventually, and you'll be left bearing the consequences. I'm not that irresponsible."

She stated this as obvious fact.

"Well, thank you for that."

Lin Ye genuinely appreciated that unlike cliché story doppelgangers who always want to kill their originals, she wasn't causing trouble.

"We still have some time—let me teach you something."

The girl extended her hand as spiritual energy gathered, forming a thin protective barrier.

Lin Ye's eyes lit up—this was the technique that had withstood Zhao Yong and Xu Min's full assaults. It looked impressively advanced.

"You know how to do this too?"

"To be precise, only I can do this."

The girl said proudly:

"Those first-tier creatures from the Station Mission could only use it instinctively. But with my extraordinary wisdom, I can actually teach you how."

"Amazing, Teacher Lin. Teach me quickly."

Lin Ye shamelessly requested.

"Lin? No, that makes me sound like your daughter. Just call me Little Ye."

"Understood, Teacher Little Ye."

"Student Lin, what we call spiritual energy protection is actually the external manifestation of rune application."

"Runes?"

"Right. Runes are somewhat like legendary verbal spells—'Let there be light,' and there was light. But runes are far more difficult to use than verbal magic. Runes are words of spirit. Using consciousness as the guide and spiritual energy as foundation, they represent the pinnacle technique for manipulating all things."

"That slash you made in the supermarket was also an external manifestation of applying the 'Severing' rune. Yes, those murals contained both Severing and Fusion runes—quite high-tier ones too. What I'll teach you now is the Protection rune."

"Protection runes have wide applications. Many spiritual artifacts and relics bear protection runes—they're not just for shields."

Instead of further explanation, Little Ye grabbed Lin Ye's collar, pressed her forehead against his, and closed her eyes.

A flood of complex information invaded Lin Ye's mind. Had he not developed mental energy, he wouldn't have lasted a second. By expending mental energy, Lin Ye quickly absorbed the information—though only temporarily. Fully digesting and utilizing it would take much longer.

"Only because we're practically the same person can we do this. Don't try it with others—their heads would explode. Mental contact is the most dangerous form of interaction. To learn runes properly, you're better off using systematic rune cards. Other methods are unreliable."

Little Ye warned.

"I understand. Thank you, Teacher Little Ye."

Lin Ye rubbed his head—the experience wasn't bad, just left him slightly lightheaded.

"Ah, time's almost up. We should say goodbye now."

Little Ye looked through the ceiling toward somewhere far, far away.

"...What will happen to you after?"

Though their acquaintance was brief, Lin Ye felt like he'd met an old friend—a rare sensation for him.

"I don't know. The red maze was born from your consciousness merging with this place. It should collapse after you leave. My existence is more complicated—a conscious individual. I truly don't know what will become of me."

Little Ye seemed at peace, utterly unconcerned about her impending fate.

"After thinking it over, I've decided to go out and teach them a lesson—show them the consequences of provoking us."

As a crack appeared in the ceiling, Lin Ye resolved to gamble. He didn't know if this would change anything, but action versus inaction itself constituted change—part of the outcome.

"Forget it. Though part of me deeply wants to destroy everything, fundamentally I really am you after all. Let's part like this."

Little Ye smiled while declining.

"Will we meet again?"

Lin Ye didn't press the invitation—they were fundamentally alike.

"As long as we live, we'll meet again, won't we?"

"True."

Both smiled in understanding as the red maze began collapsing, Lin Ye's consciousness gradually fading.

"Since it's already collapsing, I doubt anyone would notice if I did something outrageous."

After Lin Ye disappeared, Little Ye stood on the last remaining red floor tile amidst void, murmuring to herself.

…………………

Lin Ye awoke on a hospital bed wearing an oversized helmet, surrounded by monitoring equipment. A white-coated man stood nearby, his chest pocket stuffed with marker pens. Several fully armed overseers stood in the corner.

"He's fine. Next one."

The man said.

Lin Ye was then escorted back to his room—or rather, solitary cell—by the overseers. The moment he entered, he lost consciousness again.

…………………

[Simulation Ended]

[Remaining Simulations: 10]

[Unused simulation detected. Acquire core items?]

"Acquire."

[Obtained Core Item: Consciousness Upload Device x1]

[Obtained Little Ye's Gift Box x1]

[Obtained Title: Awakened Consciousness]

After getting up, Lin Ye checked the system time—less than two hours had passed. The duck still lay on the bed.

'The flow of time in that consciousness world seems much faster than in the shelter world. Of course, other possibilities exist—like unstable time in consciousness spaces.'

Lin Ye didn't dwell on it or examine his simulation rewards. Having just lost a friend, all he wanted now was a bowl of duck blood vermicelli soup.