Chapter 158: Mystery of His Return to the Past

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Luo Hai handed Meng Chao a high-calorie nutritional fluid that could help him focus.

Meng Chao drank it all in one go and exhaled long and hard.

“Hey, have you been practicing some kind of deviant, evil martial art all this while?” Luo Hai asked in a semi-joking tone. “I once asked my dad whether I can be like you. Even if I’ve just entered university and don’t have any real life experience in fighting, was there a way for me to fight like an elite special forces soldier and have outstanding willpower as well as rich experience?

“He told me that there was.

“For example, we can use superbrain technology to create a virtual world and increase the stimulation of the nerves to 500%. It can allow a person to experience five times the pain in the virtual reality training compared to reality, and they can even lengthen the ratio of time between the virtual world and reality to 5:1. Then, five hours in the virtual world would be equivalent to only one hour in reality.

“With this sort of method, you can be immersed in virtual fights for long periods of time and gain the fighting experience of an elite special forces soldier. That experience would get branded into our mind and turn an ignorant amateur into a veteran who has fought and survived hundreds of battles.

“But he strongly suggested that I don’t do this, because one has to pay a devastating price for this sort of extreme training.”

Meng Chao was slightly stunned, and he asked in a hoarse voice, “What sort of price?”

“If you want to have the fighting experience of a veteran, you will have to withstand the mental wounds of a veteran has as well. A real fight isn’t some hot-blooded game. Even the most righteous battle can completely destroy the winner’s mind. They will suffer all sorts of effects from PTSD and the curse of war,” Luo Hai said.

“If a real warrior can use undefeatable will and time to withstand this curse, a fake who quickly gained such experiences through man-made methods would definitely be unable to handle such powerful mental shock. There’s a 99% chance that they will experience spirit energy deviation.

“In truth, there are a lot of forces of power in Dragon City who once researched Supersoldier Projects like the one I just mentioned. Most of them failed, but only after causing devastating tragedies. The main problem wasn’t the subjects’ strength, but their mental capabilities.

“Meng Chao, remember the first time we went to the Supernatural Tower to register ourselves? We saw that small booklet they gave us, right?

“Since superhumans absorb a lot of energy, their brain cells are constantly surging madly in the spirit energy magnetic fields they create. They’re constantly working beyond their limits.

“We’re just like a race car moving at max speed, and the tiniest stimulation can make us react in the most extreme ways. That’s why it’s easier for us to lose control of our emotions, desires, and even thoughts compared to normal humans.

“Sometimes, the most terrifying thing that can happen to us isn’t meeting a monster which is skilled at controlling minds, but us losing control of ourselves.”

Meng Chao looked at Luo Hai with a confused expression. “What do you mean?”

“My dad said that monsters aren’t located just around Dragon City. They also exist in everyone’s heart. All humans have a tiny monster residing in the depths of our hearts from the moment we’re born,” Luo Hai said.

“It’s just that most of the time, since humans are relatively weak when they’re alone, they are suppressed by moral values, laws, societal order, and the organizations a nation uses to condone violence. This monster then doesn’t dare to act recklessly. The people, in such times, ignore its existence and think of themselves as kind people who are worthy of trust.

“But as a superhuman grows stronger, moral values, laws, societal orders, and the organizations a nation uses to condone violence gradually become unable to do anything to them. The monster then wakes up and starts baring its fangs. It makes a person reveal what’s in the depths of their heart.

“It’s just like how a lot of people appear to be humble, gentle, kindhearted, rational, loyal to their lovers and their families, and good people with good reputations, but if they become rich overnight, they start to live in luxury and do whatever they want. They become completely different compared to the past.

“In truth, those people weren’t good people in the past either. They just didn’t have the capital to be ‘bad’. But once they were surrounded by money and power, the monster in their heart woke up. If allowed to grow, it would then devour the human skin it dons on the surface.

“Meng Chao, cultivating isn’t just about increasing our fighting power. We have to fend against the monster in the depths of our hearts as well. If you can, slow down a little, don’t be in such a hurry to become stronger.”

Luo Hai spoke sincerely, honestly, and earnestly.

It was common knowledge that giving honest advice to someone who was only a mere acquaintance was a major taboo. Luo Hai was a smart boy, and he was even the student council president of Construction High, so he should not have said such sharp words to Meng Chao.

But he did, which revealed that he treated Meng Chao as a true friend.

Meng Chaao could sense his kind will, so he nodded and said, “I will, thanks.”

“That’s good. Did I say too much just now?” Luo Hai asked with slight embarrassment. “Everyone has their own path to becoming a superhuman, but cultivating the soul and understanding yourself is incredibly important. Take my dad as an example. He has long since reached the peak of Heaven Realm, and if he takes one more step forward, he can reach Deity Realm. He already has that power, and his vitality magnetic field as well as his understanding of life are already enough to propel him to Deity Realm, but he just can’t reach that realm. Think, what’s the reason behind it?”

“What is it?”

“He doesn’t dare to.” Luo Hai hunched his shoulders as if he was afraid that his father would notice what he was doing. “He said that he’s afraid of taking that step forward,” he whispered. “He’s worried that he will see the monster version of himself residing in the deepest depths of his heart when he reaches Deity Realm.”

Meng Chao pondered those words for a long time.

Even Soul Breaking Saber Luo Wu did not dare to face his true self, despite the fact that he was at the peak of Heaven Realm?

What about him then? Should he take a clear look at the broken soul from the apocalypse? Should he release it completely and let it take over this body as Meng Chao?

Meng Chao felt that he had to continue cultivating, fighting, and thinking about it before he could find the answer.

“You brought me out of my muddled state. Looks like I was indeed a little too eager for results during my cultivation over the past month.” Meng Chao smiled and extended a hand to Luo Hai. “I thought that we were just pure business partners, but since you said those words today, from now on, we’re real friends!”

Luo Hai laughed and shook Meng Chao’s hand. “Don’t you think business partners are actually even more reliable than real friends? I don’t have a lot of strengths, but I do have one. I know what I want to do, what sort of person I want to become, and what sort of road I want to take!”

“Oh?” Meng Chao could not help but ask, “What sort of road are you going to take?”

Luo Hai answered readily. “First of all, I will continuously train myself through battles, and I’ll reach Deity Realm, at the very least.

“While doing that, together with you, I’ll make our company grow. With Surging Lightning as the start, we’ll expand our products to cover all the needs of youngsters while they cultivate and fight. Then, we’ll try to get bigger benefits from the depths of the fog.

“Once I’m done accumulating my base capital, I’ll fight for a position of a normal assemblyman in the five hundred-man town hall assembly. Then, I’ll fight for a position as a high-ranking assemblyman in the Survival Committee. In the end, I’ll get the highest possible rank in Dragon City!

“So, you understand why I said these things today, right? I don’t want the loyal right hand who has been following me for decades to suddenly have his misdeeds exposed when I fight for the position of a mayor. I can’t have someone say that he’s an evil person who has been practicing evil martial arts in the dark, that his spirit energy deviated, and that his mind distorted a long time ago!”

“Hang on!” Meng Chao could not help but smile. His mood gradually became better. “We’ve fought twice in a row, and you didn’t win against me once. Why should I be your right hand man?”

“It’s not as if the person who rules over Dragon City is the person who is the best fighter. Battle God Lei Zongchao was never the mayor!” Luo Hai said with a grin. “Anyway, I’ve already accepted you as a stupidly powerful fighter. And when I think about it carefully, it’s pretty logical for the right hand man to be slightly more powerful than the protagonist, anyway.”

They laughed at his words, and it helped to get rid of the rather gloomy atmosphere from a moment ago.

“By the way, I have a question,” Meng Chao said to change the topic. “What do you know about the temporary hospitals and underground clinics from twenty to thirty years ago?”

Luo Hai thought about it. “At that time, Dragon City was constantly fighting within its borders. The citizens had to battle monsters every day. Societal order has just been reconstructed, so there aren’t many public hospitals around. Because of that, temporary hospitals and underground clinics were as numerous as mushrooms after a rain. What exactly do you want to know?”

“I have a friend whose father was attacked by monsters more than twenty years ago. I heard that his head was bitten through and he was about to die,” Meng Chao explained, “but he received treatment in an underground clinic and survived. Unfortunately, the situation was really chaotic at that time, and as time passed, circumstances changed, he forgot just which hospital and which doctor treated him.

“Years passed, and you know those old people. They always talk about their saviors from the past. He wants to thank that person personally, so I’m just asking around for him.”

“I see. That’s a bit difficult,” Luo Hai said. “I’d advise your friend’s father to forget it. The ones who had the power to open up temporary hospitals and underground clinics were mostly powerful people who had deep knowledge of spirit energy studies, life sciences, and genetic modification technology. Now, these people have probably reached Heaven Realm or even Deity Realm. They have a lot of power in their hands and deal with a host of problems every day. You won’t be able to get in contact with them easily.”

“Someone in Deity Realm?” Meng Chao thought about it.

“If you really want to search for it, you should go to the library in the Supernatural Tower. There are a lot of books, documents, newspaper articles, videos, audio recordings, and all sorts of resources accumulated over the past half a century in there. You can find everything there,” Luo Hai said.

“But most of the information is incomplete. It’s in a state of disorder. There’s a lot of sources, and they’re in a chaotic mess. If you’ll try to look for useful information there, it’ll be the same as searching for a needle in a haystack.”

Meng Chao thought about it for a moment. “I’m already here, so I might as well search for it. When I meet that friend, I can tell him that I tried.”

“Sure. Then I’ll bring you to the library.” Luo Hai opened the door, but then suddenly turned around and said, “But you have to tell me something.”

“What is it?”

Luo Hai winked at him. “That friend of yours is a girl, right?”

The library was on the third floor of the Supernatural Tower.

It was a place that normal citizens and superhumans could enter alike.

Most of the books, newspaper articles, and videos there could be perused by normal citizens as they liked.

Meng Chao knew that Dragon City’s internet had not been fully set up thirty years ago because the spirit energy interference was really bad, and the transmission of electronic signals was obstructed. Due to this, articles, leaflets, and booklets printed by mimeograph machines became really popular. They were used to send orders, coordinate organizations, and increase morale.

Meng Chao wanted to see whether he could find articles, magazines, or booklets related to the medical world at that time.

And whether he could find the X-shaped eye.

“Please wait a moment. We will request the catalogue for the related newspaper articles and magazines from that time. There’s a lot of them. Which type do you require?”

The librarian told Meng Chao that aside from the information between July to September of the Year 22 of the New Era, he could request for all other information.

“Why can’t I get the information from those three months?” Meng Chao asked in passing.

“They’re burnt,” the librarian said. “There was an explosion in June, and the underground fire managed to make its way to our storage room. It affected some of the documents. Do you need the information from those months?”

Meng Chao calculated the time. His mother should not have run into the X-shaped eye that early.

“No, thank you.” He looked down and started examining the catalogue carefully.

Ten seconds later, he looked up. His pupils had shrunk.

“I’m sorry, did you just say that there was an explosion in June in the Supernatural Tower? When exactly did that happen?”

His expression slightly terrified the librarian. She looked at him before she looked at Luo Hai, who was beside him.

“What’s wrong? I feel like you’ve been really weird this entire day.” Luo Hai tugged at his sleeves. “Is there something wrong with the explosion in June?”

Meng Chao looked at him. “Do you know about that explosion?”

“I know a bit about it. I think one of the core labs connected to the ancient ruins under the Supernatural Tower exploded,” Luo Hai said. “I don’t know the specifics. Only Deity Realm elites are allowed to enter those core labs. Even my father doesn’t have access. They usually conduct all sorts of really dangerous experiments, so explosions are very normal there.

“Speaking of which, that even was rather strange. The safety measures and spirit energy shield around the labs leading to the ancient ruin are very strong, so no matter how bad the incident is, even if it causes the death of a Deity Realm elite, it doesn’t reach the surface.

“I don’t know what happened in June. Some of the flames tore through the defensive measures and crept up. Fortunately, it was just a few sparks, and the damage wasn’t great. What’s wrong with you?”

Meng Chao sucked in a deep breath and said as calmly as possible, “Nothing. I just wanted to know on what date that explosion in June happened.”

“It should be a little after I ate lunch,” the librarian said after thinkin about it for a moment. “I can’t remember the exact date, but it should have been around seventh or the eighth.”

“I don’t remember it either. I just remember that my dad told me about it when he came back home. Later, the fog descended, and monsters invaded our midst. My dad went out to fight, and we didn’t talk about it again,” Luo Hai added.

“Oh,” Meng Chao said. He pretended to be calm and continued reading through the catalogue.

But his mind was no longer on the matter.

He remembered very clearly that there was only one monster invasion on a rather large scale in the beginning of June, and it was the only one in which someone like Soul Beaking Saber Luo Wu would have been called to fight against the monsters.

It was the day he returned from the past.

He returned from the apocalypse in that afternoon, and at the same time, a strange explosion happened in the lab leading to the ancient ruins under the Supernatural Tower.

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