Chapter 241
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Chapter 241: I Have a Plan
Humans possess a strong thinking ability; at least when considering one thing, their brains still have enough capacity to pay attention to other matters.
For the most part, this is not a problem.
However, for the Fresnel team at this moment, this notion seems illogical.
Because the biological field is truly eroding their thoughts every second.
The cognitive tests have finished, and everyone has passed.
But this is precisely the biggest problem because, in the first round of testing, Fresnel did not participate due to the team size and instead acted as an observer.
As he watched his teammates execute a process from an external viewpoint, he noticed that while they answered the questions according to the required guidelines and correct answers, their eyes were vacant and their expressions were stiff.
Fresnel tried to call out softly and use other methods to interfere but found no significant impact, as if he had been ignored by everyone.
This situation continued until the ten cognitive test questions were completed, and it was only then that a few began to return to their original state, appearing as if they had been drunk, overall reactions delayed several beats.
Fresnel felt no different from his teammates, so he quickly had Wang Xiao act as the questioner and completed a cognitive test with him.
He assigned the other three teammates the task of observing the three of them from three angles and interfering with visual, auditory, and tactile input respectively.
The results were disappointing.
The group seemed to have already experienced preliminary influence from the biological field; upon being ordered to do something, they would focus completely, showing no reaction to external disturbances.
This was understandably frightening; Fresnel could already imagine the outline of events that occurred with the Nian team last month.
If this erosion deepened, once the influence on their thoughts was complete, it would only take one command from the outside for the five individuals in the team to act according to that command.
If that command was never completed or if it came from a collective will, their fate could be easily imagined.
What to do?
Confronted with such erosion, Fresnel felt a moment of fear.
With immense pressure bearing down on him, he could also clearly feel his thoughts becoming increasingly sluggish.
Looking at the sun in the sky, which appeared somewhat blurry, Fresnel tried to get his brain turning as best as he could.
Soon, he came up with a plan that might seem somewhat awkward but was practical and effective.
Since everyone could only do one thing, they should clearly define their tasks and make the commands as precise as possible.
With that in mind, Fresnel steadied his thoughts, and after a moment of reflection, spoke methodically:
"Beacon, mark directly south with your abilities and keep it highlighted, calibrate with the device every five minutes; begin execution now.
"Wang Xiao, start the timer to scout ahead, report back to me every five minutes; start executing in one minute.
"Shi Jin, start the timer and stay close to the team, calibrate Wang Xiao’s advancement direction and Beacon’s marked direction every five minutes to prevent any confusion; begin executing in two minutes."
Finally, Fresnel’s gaze turned to the Puppet Master:
"Your abilities have a certain connection to the consciousness level. According to the theory from the research institutes, your resistance to mental erosion should be stronger than ours.
"So, I entrust my body to you; if there’s any danger, I believe you can handle things better."
Upon hearing this, the Puppet Master shook her head vigorously, not in refusal, but to make herself more alert.
During the previous rigorous training, this young female teammate had gained some experience in possessing humans.
According to current data, humans who have been possessed by the Puppet Master show a certain probability of experiencing disorientation or mental confusion after the possession ends, with a very small chance of more serious symptoms.
But one symptom is certain: a very clear sense of weakness.
At this moment, Fresnel was clearly placing his life in the hands of his teammate. This trust was not only sincere but also very heavy, making the Puppet Master want to refuse but unable to voice it.
Because she knew this was the best choice at the moment.
With the task assigned, the group quickly began to act. The other aspects were manageable, but the main challenge was for the Puppet Master to enter the old life pod.
This old device had shown no obvious damage during the previous escape and abandonment; although the loss of Wang Xiao’s armor hindered direct connection, it could still be dragged along simply.
After closing the pod lid, Fresnel looked through the viewing window at his teammates, and the next moment, his consciousness plunged into the deep sea, completely severing his connection to his body.
The Puppet Master’s consciousness revived within the Captain’s body, transitioning from activation of ability to complete possession within less than a second.
Seeing his own face from another person’s body was a peculiar experience. The Puppet Master "drove" the Captain to stand up, extending her right hand slightly, while a beam of light shot out, slashing downward at an angle, setting a patch of dry grass ablaze.
Shaking her wrist, the Puppet Master, now in driver mode, looked forward and spoke seriously:
"Action begins."
Like an old but precise machine, the five-member team started moving forward.
Although their speed was not fast, they still followed Fresnel’s plan overall. Each person was a part of this old machine, executing their assigned tasks without considering anything else.
The superpowered individuals, now completely operating in a single-threaded manner, naturally did not notice that at a distance behind them, one person and one cat were floating in the air, observing everything.
"He really has a way…"
Lin Qingliu marveled at Fresnel’s measures. Reflecting back, the reason why the Nian team had one by one been eroded without noticing was partly because they were unprepared psychologically at the time, and also perhaps because their energy levels being too high made them somewhat sluggish to certain types of erosion.
So, given Fresnel’s current response strategy, could the team successfully reach Hope City?
Lin Qingliu pondered for a moment and felt he could only say it was possible, but the actual hope was not great.
The current Fresnel team had a low error tolerance; with nearly a hundred kilometers to travel, if any one person encountered a problem, it could lead to very serious consequences. Moreover, according to their current speed, it was simply impossible to reach their destination before dark. At that point, even the superpowers that had brought them comfort would begin to fail…
Lin Qingliu’s avatar lifted the right hand holding the nutritional paste and water, starting to swing it rapidly for acceleration.
In the sound of rushing wind, the package representing hope arched through the air, landing about a hundred meters ahead of the team.
