Ch'en Hui-chieh had to admit that when she saw this scene, she was utterly bewildered.
What's going on here?
And just what the hell is this thing?
She tentatively reached out a hand but quickly discovered it had no effect. She was merely an observer attached to this possibility—a spectator, watching another version of herself from another reality.
She watched firsthand as the "self" in this possibility passed countless civil and military officials kneeling on either side, marching directly towards the throne reserved for the emperor. Then, she saw herself seated upon that throne, rallying the officials as though issuing a proclamation—
And in the next instant, she fell straight down from that throne. Her consciousness snapped back to reality, and she stared blankly at Hai.
"What was that I just saw…?"
"It was your own possibility. So, what was inside?"
Hai smiled, nodding gently as he asked. After a brief moment of hesitation, Ch'en Hui-chieh spoke up:
"I seemed to see… myself becoming the emperor of Great Yan."
At her words, Hai's eyes momentarily flickered with surprise. His gaze subtly swept across the Identity Card lying near Ch'en Hui-chieh's hand before quickly retracting.
The Emperor of Great Yan, huh…?
Well, things just got a lot more interesting…
"…In a certain sense, such a possibility does indeed exist for you. It's simply exceedingly minuscule… But only such infinitesimally small possibilities can be captured by this Extraction Ticket."
Hai exhaled lightly, then calmly explained:
"What sort of power boost does this Identity Card offer you?"
Ch'en Hui-chieh shook her head. Then, pressing the Identity Card against herself, her eyes instantly took on a dominating gaze. Immediately, Hai flung out a card—an EGO Weapon: Nihility—knocking the Identity Card away from her. Released from the card's influence, Ch'en Hui-chieh gasped heavily.
Just now… What on earth was that…?
Gritting her teeth, she lifted her head, meeting Hai's gaze directly before struggling to speak:
"…I could freely wield Chi Xiao. At least, that's how it felt… but that thing just now…"
After speaking, she cast a wary glance at the Identity Card lying on the floor, clearly uneasy about what had just transpired.
"A normal reaction. Identity Overlay does carry certain side effects for ordinary people. Such as… impacting your mind."
Hai snapped his fingers lightly, then continued:
"Perhaps this Identity Card is still too heavy a burden for you right now. But it's no big deal—you'll eventually grow strong enough to handle it. Until then, no need to overthink."
"Mm…"
Ch'en Hui-chieh quietly nodded, her emotions still tangled.
So Identity Cards… can be this dangerous?
Yet Hai, on the other hand, was now curiously eyeing the fallen Identity Card, appearing deeply intrigued.
Emperor of Great Yan identity, huh… Ch'en Hui-chieh does indeed possess such a possibility.
If that's the case… visiting Great Yan in the future will certainly become a lot more interesting.
The corners of Hai's lips curled into a faint smile. Sitting behind his desk, he casually remarked:
"Regarding the upcoming personnel exchange with Lungmen, we'll be sending someone there shortly…"
"However, before that—I have a question for you."
Hai lifted his head, fixing his gaze on Ch'en Hui-chieh as he spoke gently:
"Are you interested in mastering the use of this Identity Card? To grow stronger—to the point where you can truly bear it?"
"If you could fully wield it, I'm sure many things you've wanted to achieve would become trivial matters."
Ch'en Hui-chieh's hand suddenly froze. Then, lowering her eyes, she appeared to seriously contemplate Hai's words.
Noticing this, Hai's smile widened slightly.
"In that case… allow me to offer a suggestion."
"After we finish the Lungmen exchange… and once Hana Association's tasks related to the Great Lake settle down, how about I take you on a trip to Great Yan?"
"I think, in Great Yan, you'd achieve growth in the shortest time possible, becoming strong enough to truly wield that Identity Card. After all, there could be no better place for you…"
Hai raised a hand slightly, speaking softly toward her.
And besides… There are a few things over there that greatly intrigue the City…
Hai silently added this thought, staring intently at Ch'en Hui-chieh.
Such as Nian Beasts and Nian Fragments…
And if a Ch'en Hui-chieh wielding the Emperor of Great Yan Identity were to appear in Great Yan… what sort of interesting—and beneficial—reaction might occur between these creatures, the City, and her?
With a faint smile on his face, these thoughts flashed swiftly through Hai's mind. Soon after, he suppressed them temporarily.
No need to rush. It's not far now…
Once the Lungmen exchange ends and the Great Lake matters are resolved…
By then, T Corp's operations in Siracusa will likely be concluded, enabling them to participate in the plans for Great Yan…
For now, just take it slow. After all, Ch'en Hui-chieh still has a long way to go before reaching that stage…
Meanwhile, elsewhere, while various groups in the City were busy preparing, Obsidian remained in his little cabin. At this very moment, he was examining the final gold item from his pulls…
And as he stared at the item, a strange expression crossed Obsidian's face.
"To think it'd be something like this… Is it even useful or not…?"
He couldn't help murmuring softly, lost in thought as he stared at the gold object before him.
[City Possibility Extraction Upgrade]
[From now on, random events may occur during extraction. Such events may cause beings from any point in the original City's timeline to manifest within this City. Please handle them with caution.]
Staring at this unprecedented new item, Obsidian's mind suddenly became lively.
Beings from the City's original timeline—appearing randomly during extraction?
Honestly, even Obsidian himself wasn't entirely sure whether this thing counted as strong or weak…
If someone on Don Quixote's level got summoned, that would be immensely powerful.
But if it was someone like a random Rat… Well, perhaps Section 6 of Zwei Association would just have to pick up a bit more workload.
Still, there was at least one thing he could say with certainty…
"It really is just as Hai said…"
Obsidian lifted his head slightly, quietly murmuring to himself:
"Things truly are becoming more and more interesting…"