Chapter 144: Collapsing 'Uniqueness'

Collapsing 'Uniqueness'

“Tranquilizer? Sleep?”

Avena also knew that before being contaminated by the Other Side, Ciel’s spirit already had some minor issues, mainly manifested in difficulty recovering mental energy.

But asking her to find a tranquilizer on the spot now was indeed putting her in a difficult position.

Previously, due to the Reconstitution Ritual, she did indeed stock up on quite a few potions.

But the effects of those potions were basically assisting her own brainwashing and mental guidance, not quite suitable for Ciel’s situation.

However, there was still a portion bought from Deton Manor before...

No no no, that material is used for making potions, cannot be used directly... otherwise...

“I’ll go take a look.”

Avena stood up with a “swish,” quickly walked to the study door, opened it, and left, leaving Ciel and Nia staring at each other in place.

After looking at each other for a while, Ciel looked at Nia and said, “Can you knock me out with one punch? Nia.”

“No.” Nia shook her head.

Nia might have some confidence in killing with one punch, but being precise enough to knock someone out was somewhat difficult for Nia.

Hearing this, Ciel didn’t continue dwelling on it with Nia, also stood up and walked towards the study, saying as she walked, “I’m going to the washroom.”

Didn’t you just go?

Although Nia felt slightly puzzled in her heart, she didn’t ask.

At this moment, Ciel walked down the second-floor corridor and entered the washroom.

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Sleeping in the simulation couldn’t recover mental energy at all, and would continuously consume spirit.

Not only that, but for the entire 24 hours, Ciel had to suffer the torment of mental depletion—this was truly unbearable for ordinary people.

Her simulated self spent almost half a day recovering spirit before starting actions, while her current self had to endure this torment for 24 hours...

Honestly, suicide had a higher cost-performance ratio.

Anyway, all the information she wanted was obtained now, and she didn’t log in with No.0, couldn’t continue digesting potions.

Asking Ciel to endure such a headache to kill some transcendents for points?

Sorry, let others work hard.

“Coroner” Ciel was somewhat allergic to such positive words like “effort” and “desperation.”

Leaning against the washroom’s wooden door, a spider crawled out from Ciel’s long hair, perching on her neck.

A large amount of spider silk emerged from the spider’s back. The spider pulled the silk, continuously climbing along Ciel’s head. Soon, a large amount of spider silk covered Ciel’s mouth and nose. Thanks for reading on ManaNovel!

Finally, the spider carried a small segment of silk and crawled back beside Ciel’s neck. Ciel, already holding her breath, took the silk and gently pulled.

Without any pain, Ciel, unable to breathe, only felt her throat tighten slightly, then quickly fainted within four seconds.

Unsure how long passed, a silver light shone before Ciel’s eyes.

...

【Reality】

【Holy Year 741, June 25th, 02:00】

【Evaluation: Preserving strength is indeed a good choice... but I have to say, “Coroner” is really too boring!】

【Can we BAN “Coroner” next time when there’s work to do? How can you rest?】

【Take it, this is deserved based on your performance.】

【Reward: Fate Points ×3】

【Fate Points: 180】

Ciel squinted slightly, looking at the system panel before her.

Her Fate Points before the simulation were 187. The simulation cost 10 points. Now adding 3 points, it’s exactly 180, considered a round number.

Ciel got up somewhat difficultly, walked to the desk. Silver light flashed in her hand, the “Endless Manual of Instant Forgetfulness” appeared in her hand.

She lifted the pen, spent some time recording all the information seen in the simulation in Chinese, then returned the manual to the inventory. Immediately after, Ciel focused her gaze on the tranquilizers placed on the desk.

There would be no misfortune intrusion for the next eight hours. If she wanted to rest, drinking the tranquilizer now was most appropriate.

She also had to recover her spirit quickly...

The matter of the “Uniqueness” gear needed a good discussion with the system after waking up.

Ciel took out a bottle of tranquilizer, endured the throbbing pain from her brain, raised the glass bottle, and drank it all in one go.

A faint minty coolness traveled down Ciel’s throat straight to her stomach, followed by a faint warmth.

The drug effect had begun.

Ciel stood up, swayed her body, about to walk towards the bed, but the potent drug and weakened spirit didn’t allow her to complete this short distance.

She fell headfirst onto the wooden floor and passed out.

...

A ray of sunlight shone onto Ciel’s face through the gap in the curtains.

Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, then her eyes opened.

Immediately, a system screen displaying the time appeared before Ciel’s eyes.

7:00.

Five consecutive hours without waking up... the effect is quite good.

Now Ciel’s brain still had some lingering grogginess, but it didn’t affect thinking, at most affecting some body coordination.

She didn’t need to rely on her own body for combat; this effect could be considered negligible.

Ciel climbed up from the floor, patted the dust off her dress, walked out of the room, went to the bathroom, wiped the dust off her face, and noticed the mark on her forehead.

The spot where she fell had swollen purple. It wouldn’t hurt unless touched.

After drying the water droplets on her hands, Ciel walked back to her room and checked the Endless Manual in her inventory.

With her current mental state... she could definitely complete everything her simulated self did.

Now the only thing still uncertain was.

Was the gear with the “Uniqueness” characteristic obtained or not?

After obtaining “Uniqueness” in the Other Side, was it detected by people or things in reality?

When obtaining “Uniqueness” in the Other Side, the system was clearly involved, because the drawing left by her simulated self showed layers upon layers of system screens.

“System, you know what I want to ask.” Ciel silently said in her heart.

“Where did the gear with ‘Uniqueness’ obtained in the simulation go? Does obtaining ‘Uniqueness’ in the simulation represent successfully obtaining it in reality too?”

Ciel’s thought was simple.

Since that thing had “Uniqueness” that couldn’t be exchanged, logically, after her simulated self collected it, the “Uniqueness” item in reality should also disappear.

Otherwise, her simulated self could absorb it once, and her real self could absorb it again, how could that be called “unique”?

-

【Although Host doesn’t know, Host in the simulation has already humbly and sincerely consulted this system about this question, and begged this system to tell Host. Under this circumstance, the system reluctantly synchronizes the information about “Uniqueness” to Host】

Ciel nodded expressionlessly.

Just listen to these things. Believing half of it would be praising the system’s honesty.

Ciel didn’t quite believe her simulated self would beg the system so humbly.

Threatening was more likely.

【”Uniqueness” characteristics of other paths still exist in different simulations】

【However, these existing “Uniqueness” characteristics cannot be touched or obtained in simulations. Host can still see the appearance, or see and feel its authority, but it’s untouchable like a mirage】

【But the “Uniqueness” characteristics related to “Echo of the Silver-White Timebinder,” or Host, or system, related to the “Time” path, are different from them】

【”Time” characteristic Uniqueness exists simultaneously at all different time points, and each one is illusory, untouchable】

【Only after Host touches and absorbs it in another timeline will it collapse from all other timelines to the timeline Host is in, and become observable, touchable】

【Of course, if Host directly contacts and absorbs it in reality, it’s absorbed directly, without the previous tedious steps】

“Time” characteristic’s “Uniqueness”?

And the way this time uniqueness characteristic exists...

Simultaneously existing in the “past,” “future,” “present,” even any arbitrary time point.

Sounds just like Ciel’s simulation.

However, according to the system...

“System, after the time uniqueness is touched and collapsed by me,” Ciel pondered for a moment, asking in her mind, “when I simulate other times again, will those worlds lack the ‘Uniqueness’ I touched?”

【Correct understanding】

All the uniqueness gears on all timelines have converged into reality?

“Then System, what exactly were those layered system screens my simulated self saw?” Ciel continued asking in her mind.

【Doing compatibility updates】

Ciel: “Updates?”

【System needs to reserve some capacity to store the will and knowledge contained within “Uniqueness,” preventing Host from suffering direct impact and going mad or being brainwashed on the spot】

【Of course, if Host could work harder and absorb everything directly, this system wouldn’t have to work so hard every time】

【Thinking about having to do this again every time in the future, when will these hard days end T^T】

Directly absorbing uniqueness is equivalent to the brain suffering a DDoS attack. Survive it, and you become the master of this “Uniqueness” characteristic. Fail to survive, and you become like that raven, unable to distinguish self, completely mentally deranged.

And what the system did was equivalent to establishing a firewall in Ciel’s brain, also freeing up a large amount of capacity to store this information that would otherwise directly attack Ciel’s brain, allowing Ciel to contact “Uniqueness” without contamination.

“That knowledge, can I freely access it?” Ciel asked.

【Hehe, then you’ll have to exchange Fate Points for it ^_^】

Ciel: “...”

Good thing Ciel felt sorry for the system for half a second just now. Now Ciel just wanted to punch it through the screen.

Ciel collected her thoughts, staring at the notebook before her, lost in thought.

Through the chat with the system just now, Ciel filled in many missing pieces of information from the simulation.

The result could only be said to be not very optimistic.

Her simulated self had already touched the “Uniqueness” characteristic once. That gear characteristic had already collapsed from different times to be observable only in this world.

That means, even if she simulated again, in the world of that simulation, the raven would become a form without the gear characteristic...

Then its ability would be greatly reduced. Let alone Ciel, even the other two might quickly find it out.

Reality is different from simulation. If there’s a deviation in the timeline, the meaning of simulation is greatly reduced.

Unless, in reality, she followed the previous steps, obtained that uniqueness. This way, the timelines of simulation and reality would align again, without deviation.

Must speedrun once according to the previous method?

Ciel’s knuckles tapped lightly on the wooden table, weighing the pros and cons.

“This ‘Uniqueness,’ is it worth doing this for?” Ciel asked herself again in her heart.

【This is “Authority,” Host】

【This is your chance to grasp “Authority”】

【This is something ordinary transcendents dare not even imagine, something Transcendents compete for】

【This is your thing...】

Grasping authority as an ordinary person?

My thing?

Now, Ciel could almost confirm.

The system hid something from her.

The system, and herself, both held some secrets.

“System, what exactly are you? And what exactly... am I?”

【When Host personally goes to the “Old Days” to pioneer a path, you will naturally know】

Sure enough, “Old Days” simulation again?

Whenever it involves the system or paths related to herself, the system’s final answer always revolves around the “Old Days” simulation.

It seems, no matter what, if she wanted to know the whole truth, she had to perform an “Old Days” simulation once.

But before that, Ciel had to ensure she lived safely, and nipped all dangers in the bud...

At this point, Avena’s personal maid should have brought the reply letter already.

Ciel stood up, walked downstairs, and opened the main door according to the time marked by her simulated self.

Morning sunlight sprinkled on the steps. At this moment, a maid preparing to knock stood on the steps. Upon seeing Ciel opening the door, her face showed slight surprise and astonishment.

“Avena’s reply letter?” Ciel smiled, nodded politely to the maid, reached out to take the envelope from her hand, and said, “Thank you.”

“You’re... welcome.”

After the door closed, the maid still stood there stunned. After a long while, she turned back and met the gaze of the other maid. Slight confusion flickered in both their eyes.

This Miss Ciel... how is she so proficient?

It’s like she already knew we would deliver the letter at this time...