Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Hao Ren was shocked to hear the MDT's screams. "Gone? Isn't it here?"
"Its consciousness is gone!" The MDT hit the container's shell with its sharp corner. "Only the vessel is left, its consciousness has disappeared! There's nothing left in it, and its now nothing but a lump of pork belly!"
Hao Ren grabbed the MDT. "Can you please not be so disgusting at this moment? Can you trace where it went?"
"No, we never expected it to be capable of this." The MDT connected itself to the lab's host and instantly retrieved all the monitoring logs. "...I didn't see it coming; the capability of the brain monster's mind has reached its apex. They don't necessarily need another body in order to transfer their consciousness. This guy must have uploaded his soul through some kind of wireless connection... We thought the protective crystal was perfectly secure, but it could only stop the brain monster from invading the body of others, not stop its consciousness from slipping out."
"Must have been the seal. It wasn't tight enough..." Hao Ren frowned, and he was surprised at the monster's incredible way of escape. However, with his vast experience, he quickly accepted the fact and began to reason with logic. "Wait a minute... If it could escape this place by uploading its consciousness, why did it wait until now? Wouldn't it have been the best time to escape when we went to the Plane of Dreams?"
Light flickered on the MDT as a large amount of data flashed across the hologram. "It was probably waiting for the perfect opportunity because the monitoring in the lab's very strict. Any unauthorized information flow can easily be monitored... Oh yeah, it was when Eva went crazy!"
Suddenly everything made sense to Hao Ren.
When Eva went berserk, the Petrachelys transferred almost all the energy from its power reactor to power the shield and the engine. At that time, the facilities in other parts of the spacecraft were running with minimum power. Most of the instruments in the laboratory were shut down, leaving only the necessary security procedures to monitor the instruments there. The brain monster must have escaped during that moment.
"We need to improve our assessment of the brain monster's perception. It has the ability to perceive the weakening of these monitoring instruments." Hao Ren pulled his hair, looking depressed. "We can no longer use this conventional laboratory to hold the brain monsters. They must be locked in sealed containers like the ones in CARS."
The MDT shook its body. "Let's wait until you catch another brain."
"I hope things are fine on Ophra's side." Hao Ren shrugged helplessly. "Damn it! When it rains it pours—so many thing to settle. I have many reports to write... I feel that these brain monsters are harder to deal with than the First Borns."
At this time, the lab door slid open silently and Lily tiptoed in. When she found no one driving her out, she immediately came up to Hao Ren. "I want to join the party… Umm.. I mean I want to help. What reaction did the brain monster give?"
Vivian also walked up to Lily from behind. She helplessly rolled her eyes at the husky; apparently, she was brought there rather unwillingly.
Hao Ren spread out his hand and said, "There was no response. It's gone."
He told them about the situation so that the two maidens may also be surprised. Lily's ears drooped. "I thought I could join the fun here. Then what should we do? Is the brain useless now?"
Vivian touched the container thoughtfully and looked at the brain monster as she nodded. "Actually, I was about to say that I could make brain custard…"
While Hao Ren was in a state of dismay about his recent job performance, Vivian's words almost had Hao Ren tumbling on the floor. "Vivi-Vivian! I told you I'm not having dinner tonight, what more do you want?"
Lily glanced at Battie and then at the brain monster. "This ... is too challenging even for me."
Vivian shrugged. "I was just joking. I'm not a freak. I don't even eat people, less a giant's brain."
Hao Ren breathed a sigh of relief. He then turned to look at the brain monster's corpse. "This brain's mutated so much that if not for the simulation, no one would believe it was once a humanoid."
After much contemplation, Hao Ren decided to put the brain monster into a containment box and tuck it away in his Dimensional Pocket. He decided to take it to Raven 12345—at least that was something.
He then announced that the mission in Io was accomplished, and they were ready to go home.
As per protocol, he left a portal behind in Io. The planet was landless; the remains of a few on-sea platforms were also destroyed when Eva went amok. Therefore, the portal was laid in the deep sea and a protective, metal cabin shrouded it from the outside. It could expand if necessary.
The Petrachelys finally left Io's orbit. They watched the sparkling aquatic planet slowly fall behind them and turn into a crystal blue sphere before the spacecraft went into hyperspace. The siren queen, Shaqira, and Sorma stayed on the observation platform at the back of the spacecraft even though their home planet had faded out of sight and into the darkness. Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue came to look for them on the platform as the trio stared into the distant space.
Hao Ren casually asked, "What happened? Feel like you wanna stay back?"
"A little," said the siren queen, sighing. "When I was in the ocean of Io, I felt a wonderful sense of peace, which I've never felt on Earth—not even in the aqua dome of Nasaton. Looks like sirens are a race of people who remember the scent of their homeworld... After all, we are from that planet."
Nangong Wuyue swayed her tail gently and wrapped it around Hao Ren's arm. "I feel the same too, but not as strong as the queen does."
Shaqira looked at Hao Ren expectantly. "Can we stay? Or, we can go back to inform the sirens in Nasaton, and bring whoever's willing to return home. They can rebuild their home in Io. The planet needs to be rebuilt."
"I understand how you feel, but this is not something I can decide." Hao Ren spread out his hand. "The surface world and the Plane of Dreams are in a fragile equilibrium. Every time we cross the Wall of Reality, strict monitoring must be in place. Of course, theoretically it is safe to enter the Plane of Dreams from the rift in Alamanda, but I cannot guarantee the same level of safety when hundreds of thousands of immigrants are crossing over. What's more, there's a hidden danger: the situation in the Plane of Dreams isn't that stable."
Seeing the disappointment on Shaqira and Sorma's faces, Hao Ren sighed. "You think the brain monster that Nasaton encountered was a big enough crisis? I tell you the truth; there are things far more dangerous than the brain monster here, and their hatred for all creatures is stronger than the brain monsters. Now, I haven't figured out the limits of their capability and their pattern of behaviour. Therefore, I don't rule out the possibility of them invading Io. Of course, they may not be able to find Io, but for the sake of safety, I still don't recommend that you come back."
There was something Hao Ren did not mention: he did not want to cause more trouble as he aleady had enough of it. The First Born having its eyes on migrating sirens would undoubtedly be the biggest problem of all. He had so many things to do and so little time. Having to work like a dog, he felt like he was going to drop dead anytime.
Nevertheless, he really understood how these mermaid beauties and serpents felt. If the Plane of Dreams became peaceful in the future, he would be happy to help these girls move back. He had moved a billion people before after all…
After listening to what Hao Ren said, the siren queen nodded. "I'm sorry to trouble you."
No one spoke a word until they arrived at the Alamanda Transit Station. After tucking away the Petrachelys, they returned to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean through Andrea Castle.
The state of emergency in Nasaton had been lifted and the deep sea city was undergoing intense refurbishment as well as restoration. The chaos and fierce battles of the past had ravaged the many facilities in the city. It was not so much the collapse of the imperial palace but the equipment, which had not been maintained according to regulations for a hundred years that was the most terrible. Almost the entire city needed to be thoroughly overhauled. Anyway, bad times were over, and things would soon become better there.
"The first thing to do is restart the great protective wall." The siren queen looked at the ocean above, spitting a bunch of bubbles briskly. She finally snapped out of her longing for Io. "I don't particularly find it safe to let the city be exposed like this... The sirens are a cautious race."
Nangong Sanba nodded. "Well, I know, you're scared."
Instantly, his sister flung him away.
"Seriously, aren't you going to stay here for a few more days?" Shaqira looked at Hao Ren. "If you're not accustomed to living underwater, we can create a dry area for you. Everyone in Nasaton hopes to see you. Some would even like to apologize and thank you—both the soldiers, who were controlled and the people who were rescued.
Hao Ren laughed and looked up. Maybe next time… I have a lot more work to do. Oh, yes, this is for you."
Hao Ren handed the siren queen a shiny, silver-white metal plate.
"What is this?"
"Your history and related writings." Hao Ren nodded. "Part of it was drawn from Eva's memory. Part of it was from translated words. I think you definitely need this. It's simple to use. All you need is a mental connection, and it has a holographic projection function."
The siren queen solemnly thanked him by placing the data plate on her chest. "Thank you. From now on, in every generation, you will be remembered as the best friends of the siren race."