The Unprecedented Experiment

The unique situation concerning Xiaobai and me, involving the separated ‘Door’ and ‘Power,’ was truly unprecedented. This very uniqueness also meant that, unlike Xiaobai, who had been diligently training to master ‘Power,’ my mental training, orchestrated by Ruka sister and Brother Mingdao, was essentially an ‘observational experiment’ regarding my possession of the ‘Door.’

From my conversation with Ruka sister last night, I learned that the ‘Corridor’ was generated and created based on the ‘Door.’ However, the creation of the ‘Corridor’ required some assistance from ‘Power.’ Given this, how could I—devoid of any ‘Power’—possibly utilize the ‘Corridor,’ let alone progress to fully opening the ‘Door’?

The conclusion? It remained unknown.

From the revelations I managed to coax out of Ruka sister, who seemed to be acting on a whim, I learned that this training plan customized for Xiaobai and me was actually largely decided by Liliya. Xiaobai and I had, quite inadvertently, become guinea pigs in her observational experiments.

‘A faint surge of irritation prickled at me.’

Unlike Ruka sister and the others, who simultaneously held both the ‘Door’ and ‘Power,’ according to Liliya’s plan, if the ‘Door’ within me and the ‘Power’ within Xiaobai were to re-establish their connection, Xiaobai, possessing ‘Power,’ needed to achieve a certain level of mastery over it, while I, holding the ‘Door,’ needed to cultivate a specific degree of mental strength. Naturally, this was a prerequisite even Ruka sister and her peers had to fulfill.

As for her subsequent intentions, those not explicitly detailed in the training plan—to my dismay, even Ruka sister remained uninformed.

Though I had only exchanged a few words with Liliya, my intuition screamed that once Xiaobai and I met her prerequisites, her intentions would be anything but benevolent. A chilling sense of mad peril seeped into my awareness.

Fortunately, the ‘Door’ within me had already forged a connection with the ‘Power’ in Xiaobai, allowing me to escape Liliya’s grasp—at least for the time being. Moreover, I was beginning to glean some insight into the strength of the ‘Door’ and ‘Power’ connection; it seemed to be tied to emotions. Currently, I had only unilaterally extended a ‘red arrow’ toward Xiaobai. If she were to reciprocate with an emotion of her own, I believed we would make significant strides.

I’ll put it to the test tomorrow.

Furthermore, I needed to devise a strategy to reclaim the initiative from Liliya.

‘“Guinea pig”?’ ‘Don’t be ridiculous; no one treats me as a guinea pig. Even within the Marielnet family, the only ones who can truly fool me are Xiaobai and that insufferable deity.’

****

Rising earlier than both Xiaobai and Ruka sister, I had a few minor preparations for the maids to handle.

Quietly shedding my pajamas, I perused my closet for the day’s attire. Practicality was key; something easy to move in. Leather shorts paired with a graphic tee seemed a suitable choice, and white sneakers would complete the look. Though a baseball cap briefly crossed my mind, it felt unnecessary while still at home. I gathered my hair into a ponytail, making sure to leave my long sideburns framing my face.

“Muuw~”

A delightfully cute sound reached my ears. Turning, I saw Xiaobai, cocooned in her blanket, emitting a soft, adorable murmur.

‘Hehe, did you sleep well last night? What a shy little thing, wrapped up so tightly I can’t even hug you. But you won’t escape today~ I have a whole host of perfectly legitimate reasons to embrace you~’

Slipping on my shoes, I quietly exited the bedroom, intending to have the maids wake them shortly.

****

After breakfast, I led Xiaobai and Ruka sister to a spacious room that the maids had prepared in advance. The otherwise empty chamber contained nothing but several boxes filled with ocean balls of varying sizes.

‘The battle for dominance with Liliya had officially begun. And I would be the victor.’

“Le-Leidi, do you have to lie on me?! Didn’t you say just physical contact was enough?! A simple hand-hold would be fine!” Straining to turn her head away, Xiaobai tried to escape from my embrace.

“No, I want to hug you~” I replied with a smile, naturally refusing her.

‘While there would be other opportunities, I was greedy. Right now, I wanted to enjoy this embrace to the fullest. Tiptoeing slightly, I wrapped my arms around Xiaobai from behind, my head resting against hers. It felt incredibly joyful~’

“Why?!”

‘Hoho~ Asking why, are we?’

“Because you’re so cute~” I said, nuzzling my head against hers.

‘Yes, utterly adorable~’

“How is that a reason?!”

‘Hehe, even cuter now~ Nuzzle, nuzzle~’

“[Leidi, may I start throwing the balls?]” From a distance, Ruka sister, poised as per my instructions, inquired.

“[Yes, please try to throw them to different spots.]” Slightly raising my head, I gave the instruction.

No sooner had I spoken than tiny yellow ocean balls began to bounce towards us, and then—

“Thump, thump, thump, thump—”

One after another, they rained down upon my head.

As mere baby toys, these ocean balls posed no threat, even when falling en masse, negating the need for a safety helmet. They proved remarkably convenient as experimental material.

Amidst the ceaseless bouncing of the ocean balls, I sought to confirm my hypothesis regarding the ‘Corridor.’

Connecting the points where the ocean balls vanished, it appeared to form a hemisphere centered around me, though it was possible it encompassed a full sphere. Furthermore, the size of this sphere seemed to fluctuate based on the intensity of my emotions, particularly my desire to hold Xiaobai. No, it wasn’t limited to just that emotion. As I mentally replayed past memories—curiosity, trust, jealousy, shame, pride, even anger—I realized that any emotion connected to Xiaobai would suffice. The crucial factor, of course, was maintaining constant physical contact with her.

‘Somehow, I felt incredibly happy. None of this would be possible without her.’

‘So, I won’t let you escape~ Stay by my side forever.’