Chapter 2673: Higher-Dimensional Space Power
"How big is the risk?" Xu Huo asked in a low voice.
"Hard to say." Gao Ming said cautiously, "Although the contact between this space cube and the heart isn't deep right now, there's no guarantee that it won't change during the surgical intervention, especially with that other space power inside."
"This is also the biggest risk of the surgery. Given you players' physiques, a slight damage to the heart isn't fatal. As long as your evolution rate is high, you can use medicine and recover over time."
Gao Ming lived in Area 039; he had seen all kinds of injuries, and people had survived even more severe wounds than this.
"Think it over carefully."
He still had to make medicine, so he couldn't stay with Xu Huo forever. Just as he was getting up to leave, Xu Huo spoke, "What kind of space power is that wisp of thread?"
The question seemed directed at Gao Ming, but also at himself.
However, Gao Ming gave him an answer. "From what I can see, it should be a higher-dimensional space power."
"The space power we know of is essentially some kind of existence within three-dimensional space. In other dimensions, there should be similar powers, but we just can't detect them."
"This is the first time I've seen such space power. Space power itself is three-dimensional. I've heard some players say that when they use space power, they also stack it infinitely, but in the space we live in, this is always a quantitative stacking, without any further leap..."
"But then again, I'm not entirely sure what that further leap would entail. That wisp of thread would have to come out of the cube for us to explore it."
"I'm not some medical maniac. With unknown things, there will definitely be risks during the surgery. Think it over carefully."
He finished speaking and left.
Xu Huo sat alone in the wooden cabin, repeatedly recalling the scene when he came out of the forbidden zone of the Night Tour Instance. Besides witnessing a different realm of space power, it also overturned his previous belief that space power had difficulty affecting time power.
The reason ordinary time-type items are easily interfered with by similar items is that the time power they trigger is very unstable and prone to failure. But when triggered by an Evolver—as long as they successfully draw time power from another space, it is basically unaffected by similar items, and it won't be affected by space power when passing through space. This holds true even in special instance locations.
But the space power in the forbidden zone of the Night Tour Instance was clearly different. At that time, he hadn't miscalculated the range covered by time power; rather, the time power was directly interfered with by the space power when it entered that space.
The fact that he could still trigger time power in that state meant that space was still connected to other zones and space powers within the game and couldn't escape the control of time power. However, unlike other spaces, the space power in that space had already been able to interfere with time power.
"Higher-dimensional space power..." Xu Huo pondered. Higher-dimensional space power should be different from the space power used by ordinary Evolvers. Yet such high-dimensional space power could be successfully captured by the Water Cube. The Water Cube was an instrument, and the true purpose of its creator was unknown. But the fact that the wisp of high-dimensional space power was brought out of the forbidden zone space was likely no accident. Whether they interfered with each other or the instrument had such a program built in, it all indicated that high-dimensional space power had become a safely controllable force in certain parts of the game.
He thought of Lawrence Li again. Perhaps a person couldn't, but an instrument certainly could.
However, Lawrence Li was no longer the ultimate end of space evolution.
If he hadn't degenerated, perhaps living another one or two hundred years, with dedicated research, he might have truly crossed that boundary.
Xu Huo closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he had made a decision.
He didn't rush to leave but began to check the instance rewards.
Among the personal rewards were three A-grade items: "Mirror Space," "Keep a Thousand Miles Away," and "Shadow," and one A-grade instrument: "Soaked Seaweed."
A new primary trait, "Film Set," was added. The primary trait "Choice of Fate" was upgraded to "One Hundred Percent Out of Character," and the extended trait "Protagonist Halo" was upgraded to "Protagonist Halo 2.0."
Other important rewards included a set of A-grade medical toolboxes, an S+ Clearance Player Club membership card, and an expansion of the luggage compartment space.
The effect of "Mirror Space" was to create multiple images of the holder within a two-kilometer range for three minutes of use, visually interfering with others. Moreover, due to the obstruction of space power, it would be very difficult for people to quickly distinguish which shadow was the real person.
"Keep a Thousand Miles Away" was simple and crude. Within five minutes of using this item, the selected player would be kept a thousand miles away from the holder. Even if the opponent forcibly teleported back using an item, they would be immediately teleported away again.
"Shadow" was a defensive item. When worn, it could reduce the attack damage of similar items by sixty percent, and its effect only lasted for three minutes.
"Soaked Seaweed" was also defensive. It was only the size of a thumb, but when used, it would expand like a compressed towel into a colorful protective shield ten meters long and half a meter wide, shaped like seaweed, and would automatically fly around the holder to block attacks.
Xu Huo was a B-grade player. Instance rewards should primarily consist of B-grade items and instruments. However, because his clearance rating was higher, he received more A-grade items that exceeded his player level. There were also quite a few outstanding B-grade items, but since better A-grade items and instruments already existed for similar functions, they could only serve as supplements.
Next were the traits.
"Choice of Fate" could help to a certain extent in filtering out options with lower risk. After the upgrade, it became "One Hundred Percent Out of Character."
He checked the description of "One Hundred Percent Out of Character":
[When someone steps onto the stage, a play begins. Whether it's one person or many, the stage is like a battlefield; no one can leave easily until the curtain falls—unless they are driven off the stage.]
[As everyone knows, there is only one situation where an actor is driven off the stage: being out of character. When an actor is trapped on stage and wishes to exit safely, "One Hundred Percent Out of Character" guarantees a one hundred percent safe exit.]
[Note: If there is no safety exit off stage, this trait may not take effect.]
Xu Huo tested this trait. When it activated, five arrows appeared in front, behind, left, and right of him. The five arrows were all the same size, but the arrow corresponding to the door was a darker color.
When he walked out of the wooden cabin and stood outside the gate, these arrows grew longer and expanded to cover the entire village, pointing in all directions. The arrows corresponding to the village's road exits were darker in color.