Translator: AnubisTL
Something's wrong!
Logically, everyone's memories had been overwritten, their growth environments and life experiences completely rewritten.
A person's desires and preferences are completely shaped by the environment they grow up in and the education they receive!
It made no sense that under the cover of false memories, their final "ideal states" would so perfectly align with their long-buried, true inner longings.
He immediately thought of Viola.
Her malicious personality, which delighted in the suffering of others, hadn't been tempered in this world. On the contrary, shielded by her roles as a "company executive" and a "gentle elder," she was thriving—able to more conveniently and "legally" savor the distress and pain of others.
It was as if Viola's new life had been custom-made for her, a stage perfectly suited to her nature.
From his and Rex's earlier probing, he had already confirmed that the being behind all this possessed an unexpected "kindness."
Recalling his own "parents" and "old friends," Jieming couldn't help but wonder: What if this being's kindness is far beyond my imagination?
What if... the purpose behind all of this is to allow everyone to achieve their own dreams?
Rex noticed the sudden change in Jieming's expression and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Jieming took a deep breath and explained his theory, using Viola as the primary example.
The trace of confusion and sentiment on Rex's face vanished instantly, replaced by extreme seriousness and gravity.
He pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses as sharp as a blade.
"You mean... not just the few people we're familiar with..." Rex's voice was dry. "But all the wizards who fell here... even other humans... might be living their most dreamed-of, most comfortable lives, hidden beneath the guise of false identities, as dictated by their subconscious?"
Jieming nodded heavily. "Although it sounds incredible, Calvin, Barton, Viola... these samples point to this possibility."
"And do you remember what we saw on the frontline?"
"In what sense?"
"About the extremely small number of soldiers on the frontline." Jieming looked at Rex.
Rex paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing.
There are some things I'm not entirely sure about because I haven't seen them with my own eyes, for example... the fact that there are so few soldiers on the frontline.
In fact, you could say there are far too few.
Although the human side held the advantage, they relied more on autonomous machines to fight. Of course, this didn't mean the soldiers were useless.
On the contrary, in the chaotic environment of the battlefield, every additional intelligent being capable of independent judgment and controlling more autonomous machines would significantly boost the humans' combat effectiveness.
Yet the reality was that even though the fighting on the front lines was brutal, there was still no sign of reinforcements from the rear.
Given the reserves of human civilization on this plane, they wouldn't even need to resort to conscription. Simply sending reinforcements to the front would drastically accelerate the advance of the battle line.
Whether in terms of efficiency or cost-effectiveness, sending reinforcements was the best course of action. But in reality, the number of soldiers fighting on the front lines remained low.
"I really can't understand this phenomenon, but if your hypothesis is correct... hiss..." Rex couldn't help but gasp.
Jieming took a sip of his drink to soothe his dry throat, which had become parched from overexcitement. "Those people subconsciously enjoy war, so the so-called front line is actually just a 'playground' arranged for them by the behind-the-scenes existence."
"That would also explain why the behind-the-scenes existence had to forcibly designate non-humanoid creatures as enemies..." Rex swallowed hard.
"Yeah..." Jieming's gaze grew vacant.
He had suddenly recalled a strange detail from his university days: the number of students was smaller than the number of faculty members.
If his hypothesis held true, this would explain why.
After all, while wizards claimed to pursue knowledge, on an individual level, those truly willing to pursue it endlessly were always in the minority.
Deep down, most likely preferred to live a "happier" life.
And there were surely more wizards who enjoyed the pleasure of guiding others than those who enjoyed the pursuit of knowledge itself.
"This plane... it's not just suppressing our power and altering our memories. It might also be reading and fulfilling our deepest desires..."
Jieming shook his head again. "No, it's more like... because it read our deepest desires, it had to alter our memories. It's 'settling' us into the roles that would make us most 'satisfied,' all in a way we can't even notice."
Rex fell silent for a moment, nodding slowly, then shaking his head. "Logically, this hypothesis explains everything we've observed. But... the sample size is still too small. We can't be sure if this is a universal core mechanism or just a coincidence."
He sighed in frustration. "And besides, there are anomalies like us—outliers that can't be factored into the data..."
"Wait! What did you say?!" Jieming suddenly jolted, as if struck by lightning.
Rex looked at him in confusion but instinctively repeated his words. "There are anomalies like us..."
"Yes, that's it!"
These words suddenly made everything click for Jieming. Most importantly, he finally knew how to find the behind-the-scenes existence!
Jieming burst into a triumphant laugh, completely ignoring the strange glances from the people around them.
Fortunately, they were in a nightclub, where the commotion went mostly unnoticed.
Jieming realized this and immediately sat down, but his face remained full of excitement. "I've figured out how to find that behind-the-scenes existence..."
Though Rex didn't understand exactly what Jieming had in mind, his expression turned grave. "Is it really worth such a risk?"
Both of them knew all too well that even if Jieming truly found a way to communicate directly with the entity, it would likely end badly. After all, three unlucky souls had already died before this.
Rex didn't even ask about Jieming's plan. He knew that no matter how "merciful" the entity might be, facing it directly would inevitably lead to death. More importantly, even if they managed to meet, there was no guarantee they would get any answers.
"You're right. Rationally speaking, quietly waiting for the deadline to arrive is the most cost-effective strategy." Jieming didn't argue.
"Still... if the opportunity presents itself, I'd still like to satisfy my curiosity."
A flicker of doubt crossed Rex's face, but he said no more. He simply raised his glass to Jieming. "Then... I wish you luck."
"Thank you for the kind words."
Jieming smiled and, without lingering or even taking the time to say goodbye to the other two wizards, left the place immediately.
"...Rex?"
Barton, who had just stepped back from the stage, looked at his friend in confusion as Jieming abruptly departed. He wasn't concerned about Jieming's exit, but he wondered why his friend looked so... disappointed.
"I'm fine..." Rex forced a smile.
He looked up in the direction Jieming had gone. Though the man's figure had already vanished from sight, Rex could still recall the sheer excitement Jieming had shown as he left.
As a wizard, I've completely lost out to him in the pursuit of knowledge... Rex thought bitterly.
As a qualified wizard, Rex knew all too well the importance of rationally assessing his current situation.
But as a seeker of knowledge, he also knew how vital an insatiable curiosity was for a wizard.
"Still... judging by that guy's attitude, he must have some other trump card up his sleeve to dare to do this... Ah, doesn't that mean I'm completely outmatched by him?" Rex sighed.
Barton, standing beside him, watched his friend with concern. Rex's expression had been shifting incessantly for some time now.
Fortunately, Rex didn't stay in this state for long. He soon opened his eyes and raised his wine glass with a smile. "Forget it, there's no point comparing myself to a madman like that... Cheers!"
Meanwhile, Jieming wasted no time.
He hurriedly boarded the fastest flight back to his home planet, returning to his "homeland" in less than three days.
Gazing at the vast, empty spaceport before him and the azure planet below, Jieming licked his lips, his expression alight with excitement as he headed home.
(End of the Chapter)
---------------------------
📖 You are reading [196] Chapters behind.
🔥 Read up to Chapter [570] now, only on 𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝕞.
📚 Read upto [13,000+] Chapters on Site with [10,400+] Free Chapters!
🚫 Also get FREE lifetime ad-free and join the giveaway by joining our Discord!
---------------------------