The children enjoy the three short peaceful days before the hell days begin. With the help of his System Yue, Gui Lan no longer needed to overworked himself using his telepathic abilities. He only needs to instruct Yue to pass his messages to their allies in their minds since the result is similar to his abilities the others didn't overthink about the different voices resounding within their minds. He let his system contact others except for Xie Ye. Since his connection with the villain is a permanent link, he only needs to think in his mind and their connection will be opened whenever he wants.
But for some reason Xie Ye had become sticky and sticky more each day. Xie Ye would never leave the bed unless he wakes up. When going to the bathroom to brush teeth and take shower, Xie Ye would always follow him. He follows him like a shadow not even leaving a few meters distance from him. Xie Ye had become like this ever since he woke up crying that day. Though Gui Lan never asked for the reason, he allowed the latter to do what he wanted after all they were already running out of time.
Last night of peace.
Everybody was in room 0373 doing whatever they wanted to do. On one of the upper bunkers of the double deck beds, Xu Lun is taking a nap while using Yun Li's shoulder while the latter ignores the heavy thing on his body as he reads his book in silence. Li Xing and Yi Zheng on their own bed were playing with cards entertaining themselves. On the opposite side of their bed another pair is in an even weirder pose the first pair. The taller child is hugging the small child in his embrace with the elder one hiding his face on the other's shoulder. He is hugging him so tightly that the other couldn't even move and had a hard time breathing. But despite that the latter one doesn't voice any complaint.
Even though Gui Lan always spoils that person and this is not the first time he acts this weirdly possessive, if one thinks of that person's age, there is no way he should be acting this way for no reason. He could even feel the weird sneak glance of their other friends inside the room.
Whispering can be heard inside the room.
From the upper bunker.
Xu Lun who finally opened his eyes from his nap, "Is that one there has always been this strange? Aren't he a bit dependent on Gui Lan?" He whispered to his friend beside him.
"Can't you just mind your own business, A'Lun?" retorted Yun Li despite of that his eyes never left the opened book in front of him.
"But he is really acting weird. That brat below says that the guy isn't like that before. Instead he is supposed to be a calm and cool type moreover is that cousin of yours, supposed that indulgent towards someone else? When even you, A'Li, treats me worse than dirty when you're in a bad mood." said Xu Lun.
This time Yun Li finally got interested in the conversation. After all if there is someone here who knew more about Gui Lan it would be him. They might not have any close interaction but as a future leader figure Yun Li have been observing Gui Lan in their clan. Though rumors say that their heir became an introvert at the age of 3 and stopped attending parties and family banquets, he had seen Gui Lan before he suddenly retreated. The Gui Lan that he knows isn't like this one before him. Always smiling as though having fun at almost everything. Seemly approachable despite of his languid and aloof gaze. Even the usual OCD behavior of avoiding the other's touch except for Xie Ye. This Gui Lan seems like a different person but at the same time not. Yun Li feels that there is something wrong with this Gui Lan but at the same time he knows this is the same person.
But the Gui Lan he knew from before is the opposite of this. He shows no hints of emotion on his face. Despite his overwhelming intelligence he had no emotion nor feelings for others and for himself. The Gui Lan from outside this institute is nothing but a machine. A machine that his clan made to take control and stabilize their clan. That's the Gui Lan he knows. Not this one who looks like him and feels like him but not like him either. Like looking at the reflection of the moon on the surface of a pond. The figure is clear, but not true.
Yun Li didn't know that the only reason he felt that this person is Gui Lan is because the main character is using the original's body leaving traces of the former Gui Lan despite the soul inside having been long replaced. There have always been pre-requisite requirements for a world hopper to be able to enter a world. The heavenly laws of that world will not treat the world hopper entering the world as invader as long as the world hopper's system prepares a vessel for them to use. They needed an original resident's vessel to possess. This body is prepared by their system with the permission of that world's heavenly laws in exchange they need to do tasks as payment. Before the world hopper could do his job to repair, destroy or stabilization the minimum requirements are needed. This is the case for Gui Lan and all others who are under whatever subsystem they worked for.
The second option is to enter as a soul fragment and with the world's heavenly laws permission that soul fragment will be allowed to enter the reincarnation circle of that world and be reborn as an original resident. A reincarnation means new life. All original memories of the former self will be erased. Though there will be cases when a soul fragment of a Godly being enters a world to rest, though they enter reincarnation their memories were not erased but instead sealed. Only when they've reached a certain threshold that their memories will be unlocked and they would be able to leave the world in the form of ascension to higher realm worlds or to where they came from. This is the case of our male lead, Ye Xiajie. His soul fragments are scattered in the other worlds. The key to unsealing their memories is to meet the main character Hei Anjing but sometimes there is the case when the soul fragment is badly injured that he couldn't wake up as soon as he meets his key. This is also the reason why Ye Xiajie could only sometimes wake up. His soul fragments were badly injured and had reentered reincarnation for multiple times.
Of course! Unlike destroyers who enter the world without permission by bypassing the Heavenly Laws thanks to the system they are not supposed to have, the vessel they have can only be used temporarily. They could stay in the world in a vessel for a few years and need to look for another vessel to stay longer in that world. Moreover most people don't care about others aside from their goal of world energy. Though sometimes they would bump with world hoppers, who are out for their jobs, and hunt them for their system, items and cultivation. This will allow them to gather more resources for cultivation. Though this is no different from killing for loots.
Most destroyers were evil Gods whose hobby is killing. They are no different from criminals. These destroyers were the target of those world hoppers who worked as Executioners. System Yue's original job before becoming Gui Lan's system is this one. He's the 13th rank Executioner under the list within the Nether System though he is weaker than those full pledge Executioners from the Main Core from the God System.
[A/n: If everyone hasn't read the information chapter yet then this is a short explanation for this system authority. The Main Core system is called God System=, this a system that allows users to enter worlds and complete certain tasks. Completion of tasks were given ample of rewards. Most of them are resources for cultivation. Most world hoppers were deities of other worlds who just ascended and got freed from their world's rules constraints and were able to leave the stars they came from to go to other worlds. But higher realm worlds need minimum requirements of cultivation and those in deity stage are not able to enter higher worlds without reaching the prerequisite for it. This is the reason for the God System, they help those deities reach higher cultivation stages in exchange for doing tasks for points that can be for resources.
The Nether System is a subsystem of the God System. It has a different purpose. This is like a purgatory realm. World hoppers who had sinned were placed here. They still do the same tasks like those in the God System but the difference is that the restrictions on them were stricter. Sealed memories. Failure means death and there is a warden looking after them. Only when the criminal cleared up his bad karma record that he could choose whether to get his cultivation removed back to being a deity or stay to work as a normal civil servant under the Nether System.
God System: Main Core System [Under the Ruler Gods]
Nether System: Subsystem [Under the Nether Gods]
(The strongest Nether Gods are a couple whose strength is only second to the ruler gods. This pair is connected to the the ruler god couple by blood.)]
Yun Li observed Gui Lan, who is currently coaxing the one embracing him like a hugging pillow.
'The Gui Heir I know would never indulge someone like this. He even ignores his own father (prime minister) who wishes to spoil him rotten. That one is just a machine in the human body but this one is… despite his indifference and uncaring attitude towards us, he is only specially very human like towards Xie Ye. But I've never heard of the name Xie Ye before. Anyway this Gui Lan is better than the former. At least this one can act like a human with emotions.'
"I treat you as trash only when you don't let me read my books." said Yun Li then he glanced at him coldly. "Unless you wish to be treated as one right now, A'Lun~"
Hearing his friend's voice turning cold made Xu Lun shut his mouth to avoid being scolded. He even slightly shook his head in disagreement. Yun Li only snorted at him once before he resumed his reading. With them knowing even the pair in the lower bunker as they were regularly peeking sneak glances at the pair from the opposite bed. They knew how weird Xie Ye is acting right now. They've been staying in the same group for a few months and know what kind of personality Xie Ye has. He is silent and aloof to almost everyone except Gui Lan. But once they become friends he will allow you to enter his comfort zone, he might treat you badly on the surface but he would really harm you. He will even protect you from others outside his comfort zone. This is the first time Xie Ye acts this spoil towards Gui Lan. He is acting like Gui Lan will leave him and he wanted to chain him on him. Not even being separated as they went to the bathroom to pee.
Meanwhile in Gui Lan's mind, he is talking with his system Yue. "Yue what is wrong with him?"
[That host. Yue doesn't know what is wrong. I promise you that I've scanned him all over for so many times but there is nothing wrong with his body. He is completely healthy.]
Gui Lan could only let out a long sigh in his heart. He leans all his weight on the guy behind him while playing with his light grey shaded hair. "A'Ye. Let's talk alright? Could you tell me what is wrong?" asked Gui Lan obviously is speaking slower than usually and softer as well.
But the one he asked didn't show any reaction at all. Not even a single word was uttered. Only silence was given to him. Though he could feel the arms hugging him slightly tightening in response.
"Okay. I understand let's talk in our mind okay? You can tell me anything. It will only be between the two of us." said Gui Lan.
This time Gui Lan didn't wait for his reply and just closed his eyes, opening the permanent mental link he made with Xie Ye's soul. Xie Ye who understood what he meant also closed his eyes and decided to meet Gui Lan in the soul domain.
——
Soul Domain.
This time it was Gui Lan who woke up in another person's domain. Unlike his black space domain full of stars and galaxy, this place is full of white thick fog. Under his foot is a soft, flaming lava but because of his special bloodline most things that can harm others aren't that useful against him. Just his special bloodline could give him existence close to an eternal being. Nothing could really harm him except of that one single thing. The only weakness of his bloodline.
The situation is the same when he is in his own soul domain. His soul appearance is his original face but the same as his current vessel's age. The body of a 6 years old young boy. As he walks forwards the thick fogs around him disperse as if showing this the way to where he must go. He walks to the way he was led to. When he reached the destination, what welcomed him was another figure of Xie Ye but an adult form. This is the adult form of Xie Ye. No, it's more precise to call this man as Ye Xiajie as it is his name.
Gui Lan uttered his name unconsciously, "A'Xia?"
