The Psionic Exchange and a Looming Threat

Ming Yu realized that in terms of brute strength, she was utterly outmatched by those bizarre mantises in a direct confrontation.

Yet, with agile footwork, nimble movements, and an incredibly sharp, indestructible blade, she consistently held the upper hand.

The combat was exhilarating!

This virtual reality technology was truly excellent, perfectly suited for novices to hone their combat skills and develop their fighting instincts, thereby reducing their mortality rate during hunts.

It felt incredibly real.

After narrowly evading a three-pronged assault, Ming Yu countered by impaling the nearest mantis. She then spun and slashed, claiming two more mantis heads.

She keenly observed that the incapacitated mantises dissolved into tendrils of white mist, which then drifted towards Vera, nestled in the palm of her left hand.

What was happening?

Seizing the momentary lull after breaking the encirclement, Ming Yu diverted her attention to examine Vera’s condition.

The thumb-sized Vera lay motionless, resting quietly in her palm.

‘She seems to have grown a little larger?’

Ming Yu wasn’t entirely certain; it was merely a vague sensation. The weight in her hand appeared to be slowly increasing.

Before she could ponder it further, a new wave of attacks swept over her.

As time progressed, Ming Yu gradually identified the mantises’ weaknesses, and her kill efficiency soared.

Yet, wave after wave of insectoids surged forward, seemingly learning as they fought. Each successive opponent proved more challenging, displaying a qualitative leap in agility as if they had clashed with her countless times before.

The learning capability of this artificial intelligence was truly frightening.

Ming Yu distinctly realized that the mantises pursuing her seemed endless, impossible to fully eliminate. She decided it was time for a full retreat.

After dispatching a group of nearby mantises, she immediately leaped backward, turning to flee once more.

While the killing was satisfying, she couldn’t outpace their ever-increasing numbers.

At some unknown moment, Vera, who had been silent for so long, opened her eyes.

“Over there…”

She shared a map directly into Ming Yu’s mind, indicating that she should move towards the marked location.

“Run that way…”

“You’re awake?”

Ming Yu paused her movements, glancing at Vera in her hand.

Having recovered somewhat, Vera began to put on airs, her voice brimming with superiority as she declared proudly,

“Though they were mere fodder, you weren’t entirely useless…”

As she spoke, Vera’s tone abruptly turned grave.

“Damn it, a troublesome behemoth is heading this way…”

“Hurry, your kin are over there. They might be able to help us shake off this major problem.”

****

Little Nightingale effortlessly blended in with the group of strangers.

They communicated solely through telepathy, never uttering a word aloud. As Little Nightingale also possessed telepathic abilities, she was naturally regarded as one of them.

A strange, aged voice resonated within Little Nightingale’s mind.

[I am Augu. This is a shared mental network; everyone must ensure their connection. We will hold a focused discussion here shortly.]

[The Divine Emissary’s instructions were clear: breach the Forbidden Gray Mist and reach the Eternal Temple. All of us will receive blessings and take a momentous, pivotal step forward.]

[Since ancient times, the human race has never produced a Level Ten psionic. In the near future, we shall be the ones to shatter this limit with our own hands!]

[Now, I will share all my lifelong knowledge and personal insights. I hope none of you hold back either, for we bear the heavy burden of revitalizing human civilization!]

[First, let’s discuss the fundamental theories of psionics and advanced application techniques…]

Under the leadership of the veteran psionic, Augu, this expedition briefly transformed into an academic exchange.

Some shared proudly, while others debated passionately.

Only Little Nightingale was excitedly learning in secret.

Augu’s explanations, in particular, were remarkably detailed, starting from the very origins and delving into incisive analysis.

[The construction of the psionic system is founded upon the quantification of psionic strength.]

[How to categorize the power levels of psionics became the primary concern for the first generation of psionics.]

[Our predecessors, drawing inspiration from the construction of mechanical systems, innovatively analogized psionic influence on an object’s deformation and motion to the force exerted by a field on an object within it.]

[While this doesn’t represent the core essence of psionic mystery, it is undeniably the most convenient way to quantify psionic strength.]

[Thus, we defined Level One psionic strength as: the work done by a psionic, using their psionic energy, to lift a one-gram object and move it uniformly one meter in a standard gravitational field.]

[In simpler terms, anyone capable of using psionic energy to levitate a button or a peanut and move it one meter has met the minimum standard for a Level One psionic.]

[A Level Two psionic must lift ten buttons, a Level Three one hundred… and so on. The current documented human limit is levitating a heavy transport vehicle weighing a hundred tons, which corresponds to Level Nine psionic strength.]

[Of course, the above is merely one artificial method for measuring psionic strength. In reality, there are numerous ways to define psionic strength, but the former is universally accepted as the standard definition.]

[Next, we will cover several simple applications of psionic energy…]

[…]

It was a pity she didn’t have a small notebook on hand; otherwise, Little Nightingale would have meticulously recorded all the psionic knowledge Augu imparted to ponder over later.

She felt as though the doors to a new world were slowly opening before her eyes.

This virtual reality was truly incredible!

‘Thank you, Ming Yu.’

Little Nightingale retreated to an unnoticed corner, quietly experimenting with the few techniques she had just learned.

Telepathy, psionic perception, telekinesis, mental shock…

She couldn’t quite grasp or understand the remaining techniques. For instance, psionic control over miniature thermonuclear fusion, psionic generation of high-frequency electromagnetic pulses, or psionic nullification of inter-particle forces…

‘Too complex to understand, abba abba…’

[That concludes our discussion for now. It’s time to depart; you can digest and comprehend the rest on the way.]

After roughly recounting his lifelong insights, Augu gestured, summoning everyone to embark on their journey.

The Thorin protozoa lacked a strong territorial consciousness and showed no inclination to expand their domain within the mental realm. Consequently, only minor, insignificant creatures guarded the periphery of the void realm.

Despite this, Augu and his group still encountered difficulties. Each time they faced the diverse forms of Thorin protozoa, they had to exert considerable effort.

Nevertheless, there were no casualties among their ranks.

If one sustained injuries in the void realm, their mental state in the real world would also be affected. Should one perish in the void realm, their will would dissipate, and their physical body in the real world would exhibit symptoms of a vegetative state, never to awaken again.

Just as the psionics were making swift progress, the one responsible for scouting ahead abruptly turned back, frantically shouting through the mental network:

[A massive number of ‘Leapworms’ have appeared on our flank! They… they seem to be hunting some creature… Is it human? My heavens, they are hunting a human!]

[What? Human? Impossible!]

[How could there be a human? Could it be from beyond the wormhole…]

[‘Human Federation’? Don’t they believe in ‘flesh is weak’ and are obsessed with ‘mechanical ascension’?]

[Calm down!]

Augu uttered a low growl, his voice grave.

[Regardless of whether she is from the ‘Azure United Nations’ or the ‘Human Federation’, our primary mission right now is to reach the temple… Avoid her, do not seek trouble.]