Chapter 2531: Having a Dream Is Better Than Having None
Qiu Xiangming only snapped back to reality after the words left his mouth. Hearing Xu Huo's question, he thought for a moment before saying, "This instance was originally meant for talented people. Why can't that person be an outer zone player?"
He was a rational man. Although he and his companions both wanted and believed that the super instance should be inherited by players from Zone 001—a goal they would achieve at any cost—a voice deep down also told him that perhaps the one who could truly take the super instance might not be in Zone 001.
This thought arose because, before the super player's death, he had already been selecting suitable candidates to attempt the inheritance.
Although Qiu Xiangming was not among the first chosen, he had caught wind of it. Because the gentleman was old—as a super player, his lifespan should not have been this short, but for unknown reasons, he had aged greatly, hence the urgency.
However, in Qiu Xiangming's view, even if the gentleman had aged, waiting a few decades was not a problem. He believed this was also the sentiment of many in the district government. Everyone thought there was plenty of time, but no one expected the gentleman to die so suddenly, leaving neither the gentleman nor the district government fully prepared, thus wasting an entire year.
So many people, so much persistence over such a long time, had led Qiu Xiangming to begin doubting himself. At the same time, he also questioned whether anyone in Zone 001 could truly succeed in inheriting the super instance. If there was someone, how far in the future would that be? Would other districts give them that time? Once news of an unclaimed super instance in Zone 001 leaked out, would outer zone players come swarming to compete for it?
Xu Huo glanced at him before saying, "Don't lose heart so easily. Your companions are still out there."
Qiu Xiangming leaned against the corner of the wall, pulled out another bottle of alcohol, and asked him, "Want some?"
Xu Huo shook his head slightly, watching as Qiu Xiangming sat there drinking alone.
Burdened by the lives of his companions and facing a problem that seemed impossible to solve, the dual pressure inevitably led to some self-loathing thoughts. For most people, it would pass in a couple of days, after all, unsolvable problems remain unsolvable.
Xu Huo ate a bit and then continued working. This time, his goal was to complicate the internal structure of the polyhedron, increasing both the number of super space bodies and super space body belts.
As his proficiency improved, he soon could freely control more complex polyhedra and gradually deconstruct their structures without suddenly releasing powerful lethal force.
Additionally, besides gaining a more thorough understanding of space power from both the micro and macro perspectives, he also replicated Ms. Gong's compressed miniature cube. Once released, this thing had a power comparable to a bomb, but since it was compressed by layers of space barriers, it was much simpler to form than a super space body and naturally less powerful.
This should also be considered two refined directions for the direct application of space power. The ultimate goal of the tutorials left in this instance was clearly aimed at true space—that is, the barriers between independent spaces. Items and instruments could open passages between different districts or even different wormhole points. Perhaps the ultimate goal of space evolution was to directly break the walls of space with human power...
Of course, this goal might not even be achievable by super players.
But still, as the saying goes, having a dream is better than having none.
The polyhedron had reached a visible scale, and Xu Huo also attempted to replicate Lawrence Li's space ray. His space ray, after being released, could freely connect to the rays within a human body, thereby killing. This was different from directly deconstructing a polyhedron; it was more like space power extending through the released ray to other objects, mimicking a restriction instrument like the "Spider Lock" but without needing the instrument as a physical medium.
Unfortunately, he couldn't even replicate the shape now. He could only control a few polyhedra and couldn't even properly combine them to form a polyhedron belt. In other words, although he had witnessed the kaleidoscope world, he couldn't yet produce its basic unit.
Although he failed to replicate it, it wasn't entirely without gain. At least he gained some insight into how to connect to the space rays within a human body.
Players usually wore item suits, which acted as a barrier. Relying solely on space rays to deconstruct them was difficult because they were precision items. In comparison, violent destruction was much easier. However, if one could control the space rays within a human body, it could instantly render an opponent immobile, which was far more effective than restriction items.
Noticing Xu Huo's gaze on him, Qiu Xiangming looked up. "What do you want to do?"
"Try to control the space rays within a human body," Xu Huo said frankly.
How could Qiu Xiangming let him try? What if he controlled it poorly and deconstructed his brain and internal organs like an ordinary object?
"The space rays in a human body are far more complex than those in ordinary objects," he said. "Even someone skilled with the Spider Lock may not be able to directly control a player. People are active; they won't stand still and wait for you. If you really want to try, find some animals. Then you'll see that living things and dead objects are vastly different."
"You've tried?" Xu Huo raised an eyebrow.
Of course, he had. In fact, many spatial super evolvers, after gaining the ability to control and destroy larger objects, first thought of trying it on humans. But humans were more complex than any object. The space rays within the body were chaotic and numerous, and they couldn't even be linked together. Although super space bodies were also complex, they had patterns to follow. Once the scale was mastered, one could replicate the method. But humans changed every moment.
"With your ability, could you do it?" Xu Huo asked again.
Qiu Xiangming was silent for a moment. "I once removed an extra finger from a deformed child."
After a pause, he added, "Researching in this direction is meaningless. It's better to prepare a couple more Spider Locks."
Xu Huo nodded slightly and didn't continue the topic.
Two days passed quickly. A black passage appeared again on the ceiling. This time, he could control several polyhedra, and touching that gate no longer felt as bewildering as before. After probing with space rays for a while, he felt he was only one step away.
But he stopped there. He let go, allowing the space passage above to close.
Qiu Xiangming watched from the side. Seeing the passage close again, he felt both relieved and somewhat regretful. In his conflicted state, he asked, "Can you break through the barrier outside the door now?"