Chapter 64: Are You Going to Give Me Something?
Through the appraisal system, it had repeatedly provided him with crucial information. Joshua discovered that this method of information transmission bore a striking resemblance to the resonance of his Steel Force. At the very least, for a warrior, the system was to him what he was to Syndicate. This might explain why he could never locate the system's true form, and also why, as his strength grew, the system appeared less and less frequently—his own power fluctuations were interfering with the system's information transmission.
Although this was merely a conjecture, it was an important direction for thought. The next time the system appeared, Joshua would experiment along these lines. For now, however, the more pressing matter was the Steel Force.
Without a doubt, the Steel Force was a fundamental power. As the cornerstone of the world, it could contain vast amounts of information. As the current Soulflame King, every time Joshua arrived in an unfamiliar world, he could witness that world's past. This was precisely because he had come into contact with the information contained within that world's Steel Force. Conversely, Joshua realized that he could now also embed the information he wished to convey into his own Steel Force and transmit it to others. It was because the Flame Demon still carried a trace of his residual Steel Force that Joshua could impart techniques to it across different realms.
Inspired by this unexpected discovery from Syndicate, Joshua immediately began experimenting within the Lord's Manor. With keen interest, he manipulated his Steel Force, infusing it with various kinds of information. The sensation was quite marvelous—like condensing one's memories into a tangible form and sealing them within a box. Others, by using energy to communicate, could then access a portion of Joshua's past memories and perceptions.
However, Joshua quickly discovered that if the Steel Force lacked a vessel to anchor it—such as his own body or a living being like Syndicate—it would easily become unstable in the external environment, thereby destroying the information contained within. To stably store a piece of information, a physical medium was necessary. After numerous experiments, Joshua determined that materials like metal and gemstones were most suitable for storing information within the Steel Force, with Adamantite and Diamond being the best.
"If that's the case... doesn't it resemble those inheritance jade pendants or weapons placed in cliffside caves, capable of being stored for a thousand years, waiting for a destined person?"
Casually recalling memories from his past life, Joshua idly kneaded a small lump of Adamantite in his hand. This incredibly hard, nearly indestructible rare metal was molded like putty in his grasp, shaped into various forms. Finally, he pinched it into a twenty-sided die the size of a thumb and casually placed it on his desk. "I suppose I could now just slap something and infuse it..."
The content would be how several investigators began tackling an incident from different levels of society, resolving it, and capturing clues about the cult lurking behind the events.
It was indeed a high-quality novel. Most of its material was drawn from the cult disturbances during the Mad Dragon Plague years ago, with many parts adapted from real events. The technique of having three protagonists simultaneously investigate different facets of a massive incident, only to unveil the truth at the critical moment, was truly engaging. It was no wonder Ying liked it.
"Oh well, liking to read isn't a bad thing in the end."
Shaking his head, Joshua didn't disturb Ying, who was happily reading. Instead, just as he had with Lin, he remotely bestowed a bit of Steel Force upon the girl for self-defense before turning to leave. Coincidentally, he had read that book himself when bored not long ago, so he could threaten Ying with spoilers to make her study hard in the future.
Just as he descended the stairs and reached the second-floor corridor, a ripple of magical energy appeared. In the span of a breath, a lifelike magical projection materialized beside Joshua.
"Joshua, what were you doing just now?"
No. 3 asked somewhat curiously, as soon as her projection stabilized. "The detection array I set up in the Lord's Manor just now sensed that you suddenly made four moves. I also saw you patting Hei and Xiao Guang and the others... Is there anything you need help with?"
"Nothing, just gave them a little help."
Joshua smiled. Gazing at No. 3's projection, a sudden speculation arose in his mind: Although the magical projection was merely an extension of No. 3's core rune crystal, both were connected through information channels. If he were to infuse this projection of No. 3 with a bit of Steel Force, would that information be fed back to her true body?
"Oh?"
Squinting slightly, her blue eyes shimmering with a subtle light, No. 3 seemed to sense something. She drew closer to Joshua, tilting her head up to look at the warrior, and said with a smile, "Since you've given them something... what about me?"
"Are you going to give me something?"