Chapter 281: Chapter 210: King Arthur’s Heart-to-Heart
"I don’t want to become a part of It. I would rather die than lose myself."
Wei Yue’s tone was incredibly somber. Having been one of the first Moon Worshipers, she knew all too well what it felt like to lose one’s self.
The feeling was especially unbearable when you became an adjunct to an indescribable existence, a part of It—that hollow emptiness of your individual will being subsumed by something far grander.
Hearing Wei Yue’s words, Lin Qi recalled her previous request.
"You once said that if I grew strong enough, quickly enough, you would be willing to merge with my will. Do you still feel that way?"
For some reason, Lin Qi felt that day might be arriving soon.
Through his recent Meditation, Lin Qi had a premonition that Wizard Professionals underwent a profound transformation at Tier Three.
’Perhaps by then, I’ll be able to project a portion of my will independently.’
But Lin Qi couldn’t be certain this was an Ability gained during the Tier Three transformation; it might not happen until Tier Four or beyond.
After all, this involved the Spiritual Domain.
When Wei Yue heard this, she looked at Lin Qi and fell silent for a moment before nodding.
A tragic look crossed her face. "I’m afraid of dying. I was afraid even in the age of peace, let alone now, after the apocalypse. Perhaps it was my desire to survive that led me to accept the Blood Moon’s baptism in the early days of the outbreak and become one of the first Moon Worshipers."
"If it’s possible, I want to live, of course. Being a follower of a ’person’ must be fundamentally different from being a follower of a monster."
Wei Yue looked at Lin Qi, her eyes filled with sincerity.
It wasn’t that Wei Yue could accept a state of "I am no longer me," but that she saw Lin Qi as a beacon of hope.
’What if, as Lin Qi grows stronger, he gains a deeper mastery of Extraordinary Power and can set me free?’
It was a desperate hope.
It was also a testament to Wei Yue’s trust in Lin Qi’s character.
’He’s a man of principle.’
Lin Qi, however, had no idea that so many people had slapped the "man of principle" label on him.
In the Cyber World, being labeled a "man of principle" was hardly a good thing.
Those who truly reached the pinnacle in the Cyber World rarely had anything to do with morality.
"I’ll find a way to delay the Blood Moon’s transformation. At the same time, I’ll figure out as quickly as possible when I can project my will independently. I’ll do my best to beat the Blood Moon to the punch and complete the ritual for you."
"In the future, if I can fully master this power, I will restore your freedom."
These were the very words Wei Yue had been hoping to hear, and they weren’t just empty platitudes—they were Lin Qi’s true intentions.
Regarding his principles, neither Wei Yue nor Ding Yang had misjudged him.
Lin Qi was truly an anomaly in the Cyber World—a man with a moral compass.
"Thank you."
The fear on Wei Yue’s face subsided, and the trembling in her voice lessened considerably.
A sliver of hope lay before her, and Wei Yue was desperate to seize it.
In her desperation to grasp this hope, Wei Yue thought of Wang Ziru.
’The leader of the Mo University Camp likes people who can get things done.’
’Just like Wang Ziru!’
Wei Yue quickly spoke up. "I’ll go back to monitoring the Blood Moon Descent Object. I’m worried that with the Blood Moon about to transform, something might go wrong with its construction."
Lin Qi was a little surprised. He hadn’t expected Wei Yue’s train of thought to be so erratic.
Just a moment ago she was scared to death, and now she had snapped right back into work mode.
It was a shame for such a mentality to be stuck in the Doomsday World. She was practically the Cyber World’s most dedicated, top-tier workhorse.
Lin Qi had to admire such a work ethic.
He was glad to have someone like her under his command.
He nodded and waved his hand, dismissing Wei Yue.
Silence returned to the conference room.
There were less than ten hours left until his return to the Cyber World.
Lin Qi chose to force himself to continue his Meditation.
’Even though the efficiency has dropped significantly, the crisis in the Doomsday World is imminent. I might not be able to stop the Blood Moon’s transformation, and if that happens, I won’t be able to experience this level of Meditation efficiency again for a long time.’
’Even if the efficiency drops to a tenth of what it was, that’s still ten times better than in the Cyber World!’
Even as a throbbing pain began to bloom in his Sea of Consciousness, Lin Qi continued his Meditation, refusing to waste a single moment in the Doomsday World.
Just as the throbbing pain in his Sea of Consciousness reached its limit, Lin Qi suddenly found that all discomfort had vanished.
Opening his Spiritual Vision, Lin Qi saw a thin membrane appear around his body.
’A buff?’
’This thing can even alleviate the symptoms of excessive Meditation? Does the pain from that count as a spiritual attack?’
His efficiency didn’t recover, but the uncomfortable sensations were completely gone.
He even felt a faint, refreshing coolness spread through his spirit, as if the buff were repairing the subtle damage caused by excessive Meditation.
As it repaired him, his Meditation efficiency began to slowly rise again, eventually stabilizing at about a quarter of his original rate.
’In other words, twenty-five times the efficiency of the Cyber World!’
’This is a pleasant surprise. The buff from the Special Merit is really something else.’
He had Ding Yang to thank for this. If Ding Yang hadn’t pulled some strings for him, Lin Qi might never have received this Special Merit.
After composing himself, Lin Qi resumed his Meditation.
He calculated his efficiency as he meditated.
Originally, it would have taken about two more days for Lin Qi’s Spiritual Power to reach the limit of its current stage.
