Chapter 2344: Listen to What You're Saying
Xu Huo steadied his dizzy head. "Was that also time power just now?"
Huahan Werner smiled without answering, instead saying, "Maintaining the status quo isn't bad either."
Xu Huo naturally knew the benefits the Water Cube brought; otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to enter the instance site beneath Hidden Immortal Lake. But he was looking for a solution.
"Can it not be removed from my body?" he asked.
"That's not such a difficult thing to do," Huahan said. "Although it only seals your space power, it is actually a combination of time-space power, so both space and time power are effective against it. However, forcibly destroying it through external force might be something you can't withstand. The best approach is for you to evolve again—evolve to a level where you can naturally control or dissolve it."
Xu Huo frowned. "Why can this kind of super device parasitize inside a human body?"
Parasitize—that indeed better described the Water Cube's state. Logically, whether it was a prop or a device, taking it out or putting it away should be convenient, because no prop or device remains in an active state indefinitely. When not activated, they are just tools without autonomy. But this Water Cube seemed to have locked onto Xu Huo, clinging firmly to him. Wasn't that strange?
"Don't you have a special prop in your castle?" Huahan seemed surprised by his surprise.
Special prop—was he referring to Mr. Dong or the Painting Woman?
Xu Huo fell silent. Forget special props—he had even seen plants with human-like consciousness. But the Water Cube's state truly didn't match any intelligent species he had encountered before.
"I was being narrow-minded."
"But your statement this time isn't wrong," Huahan said, sipping his tea and leaning back on the sofa. "It has no consciousness, only a program."
"You should know that time power can destroy certain props."
Xu Huo nodded. Some props contain precise timing instruments, added during their creation. The purpose is usually one of two things: either to limit the prop's usage time or to extend its lifespan. Many prop materials are consumable, so like instruments, time-limited usage is standard practice. By stirring the surrounding time power and causing resonance in the time rays, the timing instruments within the prop can be destroyed, thereby achieving the goal of breaking the prop.
"Clearly, the thing inside your body is not a natural product—it was designed either by a person or a machine," Huahan said. "Such an instrument undergoes rigorous calculation and has its own operational rules. At this level, the materials used are sufficient to maintain long-term operation. It won't disappear until it's damaged or its objective is completed."
Xu Huo hadn't forgotten that this result came from losing a round in the One-Third Game. He already knew that "past" and "present" were memories, but whether "future" would end with his space power sealed was still uncertain.
"Given the current situation, this isn't necessarily a bad thing for you," Huahan's voice carried a hint of encouragement. "With it, you can freely do things you wouldn't dare to do before—even go test your skills against super players."
Xu Huo couldn't help but glance at him: Listen to what you're saying?
That last attack had hit him first before activating the Water Cube barrier.
"I'm the exception," Huahan added with a smile. "As long as they're not Temporal Super Evolvers, you shouldn't have to worry. Besides, being prepared and being unprepared are two different things."
"Experience sounds simple but is hard to learn. With a ready-made teaching template right in front of you, you can observe it whenever you have time."
With that, he stood up. "When you break through in your next time evolution, I'll teach you something good."
Xu Huo also rose. "Aren't you afraid your efforts will go to waste?"
He might not necessarily help the Vilna Family.
But Huahan laughed heartily. "When I'm dead, what do Vilna and 011 have to do with me?"
His voice seemed to still echo in the castle as he vanished.
Mr. Dong walked out from behind, looking at the slightly frowning Xu Huo. "Sir, is this matter very troublesome?"
Xu Huo relaxed his brow and said calmly, "Feelings are cultivated."
Mr. Dong looked puzzled.
"Debts of gratitude are the hardest to repay," Xu Huo explained.
If Huahan Werner had directly proposed a trade, he might not have agreed. But the other party never mentioned repayment, as if he genuinely just wanted to guide him out of goodwill. Unless Xu Huo never came to Zone 011 again, such kindness would be difficult to refuse.
"Gaining the friendship of a super player is a good thing for you," Mr. Dong suggested.
Xu Huo naturally understood—this was more than just evolutionary guidance.
Rubbing his throbbing temples, he turned and walked upstairs. "I'm going to sleep for a while."
With a single move, Huahan Werner had shown him the difference between time power and time power. The battle site of Carmen Field he had seen rewound earlier was likely just a fraction of the power the other party could wield—or perhaps the few people he dealt with simply didn't require him to exert that much effort.
The resonance of time power caused by a super player had nearly made his brain tremble along with it.
But since the other party hadn't specifically mentioned it, it was probably just a matter of time for him—like sensing the different flow rates of time power, something he would gradually acquire as his evolution rate increased.
The "good thing" Huahan referred to likely meant other uses of time power.
What else could time power do?
Xu Huo temporarily set aside the questions he couldn't figure out. He slept groggily, and when he woke up, his mind still felt unclear. Opening his eyes, he saw the Painting Woman lying by the bedside, staring at him without blinking. He paused for a second before asking, "What's the matter?"
"I want to go shopping," the Painting Woman said, holding up her communicator.
"Go ahead—alone or with a friend," Xu Huo said, sitting up.
"Can I buy things without paying?" she asked eagerly.
"What kind of daydream is that?" Xu Huo took an identity credential from the drawer and had her scan it into her communicator. "You can spend the money in this account."
After all, Vilna paid him dividends every year.
"It would be great if this place were ours too," the Painting Woman shook her head regretfully, then had a sudden idea. "If we get rich in the future, can we buy Zone 011?"
"Go play," Xu Huo waved his hand.
The Painting Woman happily left. Xu Huo washed his face and went to the study. He was still waiting for news about the "Food Guest."
He had already set the "Food Guest" from the "Fish Feast" as his first target. Unable to confirm whether the other party was still in the "Fish Feast," he had issued several bounties targeting it.
The Fish Feast only had entrances in specific zones. It was said to be somewhat similar to random instances—no fixed time or location for appearance, only active in certain zones or wormhole points. When an entrance appeared, only those holding invitations could enter.