Chapter 2611: A Wisp of Space Silk
The Painting Woman's transformation back into paper form was purely instinctual. Instinct told her this could better withstand external threats. As for whether she could escape this danger, she herself was uncertain.
"What was that just now?" the Painting Woman asked, puzzled.
"I'm not sure either," Xu Huo said with a slight sigh.
His initial judgment was that it was a different state of space power, but the moment he escaped, other thoughts surged forth. First, if space power existed in this state and served as the barrier for instance forbidden zones, did this mean Dimension Rift could freely control this spatial state?
Second, as the highest-level tools in the game—the Super Device Water Cube and the Super Item Painting Woman—could they truly survive long-term in that spatial state? If so, it indirectly confirmed that the game above could manipulate this spatial state, not merely borrowing terrain but exercising meticulous control, even applying it to game items. If not, did this mean it would become an absolute chasm between the game and players?
Was that truly a state of space power?
At this moment, Xu Huo felt a deep sense of disappointment. Upon witnessing that spatial state, he vaguely realized that players could absolutely never master it through their own power. Even Super Players couldn't...
He had seen several Super Players and researched their life stories through Under Dimension. Super Players far surpassed A-rank players, who couldn't compare at all. But Super Players were the upper limit humans could glimpse. Overall, they remained within the boundaries players could envision. Even Lawrence Li, renowned for space evolution, couldn't make people and items disintegrate and evaporate on the spot.
Could Dimension Rift truly apply space power to this extent?
"Why are you staring at me?" the Painting Woman, crouching beside him, asked curiously.
"I'm wondering what kind of person created you," Xu Huo said slowly.
Super Items were common, but Super Items with self-awareness were rare. The glory of the Battle Angel was hard to replicate. The strongest Super Item he had encountered so far was likely the Painting Woman. Though she wasn't skilled in combat, from a certain perspective, she wasn't a consumable like other Super Items. She seemed as miraculous as the birth of consciousness itself. As long as she didn't want to, players couldn't even store her in their item slots.
The person who could create such an item was certainly no ordinary Artificer. Besides being an Artificer, this person was likely a unique powerhouse.
Could giving objects the ability to think rival that peculiar spatial state?
If so, did it mean that in certain places within the game, there existed beings far surpassing players and humans?
Did they have a different understanding and explanation of time and space?
"Ding!" A new message popped up from Under Dimension. It was replies from Bai Kou and the others. Container items weren't hard for Bai Kou and Nie Xuan to obtain, so borrowing them was normal.
Regarding space evolution, he had already discussed it in detail with Nie Xuan during his last return to Zone 014. So this time, he shared his observations from the space forbidden zone with Bai Kou, hoping her Platinum Eye technology could offer unique insights.
Bai Kou replied quickly, confirming his judgment.
"What you saw should indeed be a different state of space power. Don't you find it strange? Time flow can differ at various wormhole points, yet space seems the same. Actually, it's not that space is the same, but that the space we can survive in is the same."
"Dimension Train crossing dimensions isn't empty talk. The tracks truly travel through folded space. Dimensions are a manifestation of space power. It could be simple stacking or some twisted state. Now, humans can freely travel within the game world thanks to this spatial variation. Otherwise, how could they cross multiple wormhole points in just a few days?"
"However, in this spatial state, humans alone cannot survive. They need instruments. Strong winds can tear people apart. Space storms can certainly tear them even finer. In that state, a person simply cannot remain intact."
"That spatial state only appears gentle. The storms brewing within are beyond our capture. Sometimes, true danger is completely undetectable."
After reading, Xu Huo was silent for a moment before asking, "Space breakthrough technology shouldn't be completely locked behind A-rank wormhole points, right?"
"You underestimate humanity too much." Bai Kou's voice carried a hint of cheerful laughter. She then warned, "Don't challenge the limits of time and space with Super Evolution. It's completely unnecessary. The reason humans are human is that they can use tools to accomplish what pure physical strength absolutely cannot."
"Next time you encounter this, run faster. Don't throw your life away."
"If you really do, tough luck for you. I can take back the castle. But you might consider handling your inheritance in advance. Don't waste it."
"You're in a good mood. Sorry I can't make you even happier," Xu Huo said with a smile. "I escaped safely..."
Before he finished, the Painting Woman suddenly reached out and patted his right shoulder, as if brushing off dust, but repeated the motion several times.
Xu Huo turned around and met her sparkling eyes and the bright screen of her communicator. "Your back is glowing!"
His expression changed drastically. He immediately summoned his childhood persona to check his back. Indeed, a faint thread of light appeared beside his shoulder. He hadn't noticed it earlier because it hadn't pierced through his body. Now, like a wisp of silk, it floated briefly on his clothes.
Removing the mechanical suit and then the protective suit, he could clearly see the wisp extending from inside his body onto his exposed back skin. It undoubtedly contained space power, very gentle and faint, almost negligible. But Xu Huo understood this was trouble brought back from passing through the forbidden zone space. Had the power from that space breached the Water Cube barrier, or was the Water Cube damaged?
The Painting Woman had touched it without issue, so he tried reaching out to touch the wisp himself. Surprisingly, the wisp retracted again, leaving no wound or mark on his skin, as if it had never appeared.
Xu Huo's expression turned cold and heavy. He glanced at his childhood persona, who stepped forward, bent down, and plunged his head into Xu Huo's body. But his head immediately bounced back out. Following it came a transparent Water Cube. It seemed about to break free from the body, yet part of the flowing water column weaving the cube's body remained connected to the skin, as if pulling!
The moment it emerged, a familiar violent tremor and dizziness assaulted Xu Huo. The uncontrollable force from the intense impact, combined with the Water Cube's pull, sent him falling backward. Even with timely support from his childhood persona and the Painting Woman, they couldn't stop him from crashing to the ground. With a dull thud, the Water Cube didn't enter the ground but instead turned back, piercing through his chest and bursting out!