Chapter 120
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Chapter 120: Superego, Id, Ego
Thirteen years ago.
At that time, something incredible must have happened to Bai Yan himself, and he was very clear about it in his heart.
The records from thirteen years ago are on this “13th” bookshelf, which Bai Yan is already standing in front of.
“OK, it’s time to reveal the answer.”
He took out the book and began flipping through it, discovering a lot of information.
For example, a list of victims.
No doubt, his own name and Alan’s could be found in it.
“The Alan whom I rescued from bullying thirteen years ago was subjected to a really high level of bullying.”
Bai Yan raised an eyebrow and understood that Alan knew the truth. But Alan never told him.
Perhaps some people might feel angry, as if they have been betrayed by a good friend.
However, Bai Yan didn’t share the same belief. He firmly held the principle that “not everyone needs to know everything” and didn’t hesitate to keep all the secrets of the Babel Tower to himself. In that case, everyone can be considered even.
There are also some records and conjectures regarding a part of the “Tower.”
A member of the “Tower,” who perished 13 years ago, suddenly appeared in the Noah world and came to the Air Alliance, claiming to be “Pride.”
“An unknown race possessed a terrible power similar to that of ‘Apocalypse,’ but fell due to the defeat in a ritual of the gaming type with ‘Number 1878908.'”
“It is speculated that ‘Pride’ was likely to launch a certain ritual to sacrifice Tatsumi City but unexpectedly fell and interrupted the sacrifice.”
This long number should be referring to myself. So, thirteen years ago, did I defeat the ‘Apocalypse’-level superhuman alone?
Bai Yan raised an eyebrow and blinked when he saw this.
“I am indeed becoming weaker and weaker. Thirteen years ago, I could defeat a demigod, but now, without the use of ‘Power Possession,’ I may not even be able to beat the neighbor’s dog.”
He muttered to himself while flipping through the pages of the book, searching for vital clues.
“Bian Cheng, male, ID number 1878904 (memory alteration).”
“Gail, male, ID number 1878905 (memory alteration).”
“Yi Si Shui, female, code 1878906 (memory alteration).”
“……”
Among the many participants in the event, the two that Bai Yan was most concerned about were “Code 1878907 Alan (recruited)” and “Code 1878908 Bai Yan (memory alteration).”
From all indications, except for Alan, all the participants in the incident had already been subjected to memory correction by the Demon Hunt Agency.
This is a common technique used by the Night Watchers.
In the Air Alliance, extraordinary abilities are not allowed to be leaked out. Ordinary people who unwittingly get involved are forcibly given memory corrections. It seems that he has also undergone such treatment.
“This is it.”
His pupils suddenly shrank.
Bai Yan took a deep breath and lightly touched the black and white photo on the last page of the book, which recorded the “process” of the event that happened thirteen years ago.
“The things of the past reveal the truth.”
The surroundings around Bai Yan began to change in the next moment, with the bookcase disappearing, the darkness turning into blue, and everything spinning into something completely different like a whirlwind.
He had already reached a huge chessboard, with the wind gently brushing against him.
“Chess?”
Bai Yan noticed that it was a chessboard floating in the blue sky. The huge chess pieces seemed like small giants, and Tatsumi City was prominently displayed below the board!
At the two ends of the sky chessboard, the chess players were two completely different beings.
On one side stood a monster over five meters tall with a mottled black-and-white body resembling that of a wood-boring beetle. It sported six thin arms and eight blue eyes blinking incessantly on its face.
This is “Pride.”
One of the members of the legendary “Tower.” This extraordinary organization is a mysterious group that exists outside of Noah, and its members come from various civilizations, with few being humans.
On the other side is the Bai Yan of his youth.
Yes, Bai Yan sees his younger self— a handsome and expressionless boy.
He sat on a seat suspended in midair, lacking an eye, a leg, and an arm.
“Pride” emitted a delicate voice similar to that of a young girl.
“The fifty-seventh round begins. Choose your wager.”
There was a nonchalant smile on the face of the young Bai Yan.
“The stake is that boy’s eyes.”
He gestured casually.
Bai Yan saw it. The direction he pointed toward had a huge suspended birdcage filled with children. And the golden-haired boy that Bai Yan had pointed to looked like… Alan when he was a child.
Alan stared blankly at the scene, his eyes filled with admiration and fear.
The chess game began.
Bai Yan silently watched the game unfold. It was just a replay of past experiences—he could not intervene or interfere.
He soon realized something was amiss: Bai Yan’s gaming skills were gradually improving. Yes, it was quite apparent that the skill of the “Bai Yan” playing in this game was significantly improving!
It was unreasonable. It seemed more like a “restoration” of his gaming ability.
Bai Yan’s expression was filled with great shock!
As if there was something reviving on “me”!
It was a monster wearing the skin of “myself”!
Bai Yan suddenly realizes that the root of his distorted memories is not the Demon Hunt Agency!
It is something even more unknown!
“Pride” seems to have encountered this situation many times before, and it didn’t show surprise, still winning the game.
It emitted the voice of an elder.
“In the fifty-seventh round, you have only won twice, while I have won fifty-five times.”
The young boy Bai Yan had a blank expression on his face.
“But soon you will start losing terribly, I believe you understand that yourself.”
“Hahahaha!”
The self-proclaimed “Pride” entity instead becomes increasingly excited in the face of provocation, emitting a burst of terrifying, ghostly laughter.
“Aaaaahhhh!”
At the same time, a scream came from the cage as little Alan’s eyes burned, he looked incredulously at the young man who completely ignored him.
“……”
Bai Yan calmly gazed upon the conclusion, fully aware of its contents, as they had been clearly recorded in the book before him.
In the end, he triumphed over “Pride,” successfully rescuing all those in danger.
However, every child suffered immense psychological trauma, requiring extraordinary measures to aid in their recovery.
It is unclear how much time had passed before Bai Yan returned from the memories of the past, finding himself back in the dim, silent records chamber.
Yet, his expression was peculiar.
Something was wrong—this boy… it doesn’t feel like me at all.
“Calling it a humanoid monster wouldn’t be an exaggeration!”
Bai Yan experienced an inexplicable fear, as though his heart was being squeezed, and his pupils contracted. Was this “past” even real?
What is happening?
Though occasionally boasting about his rationality, Bai Yan understood well that absolute rationality is unattainable. Yet, in this sealed past, that boy seemed like an absolute rationalist—without a hint of emotion toward “people.”
A sentence Alan had once said suddenly made sense.
“You’ve become ordinary, but it’s not a bad thing.”
Bai Yan sighed, comparing his current self to his past self, realizing how ordinary he had become.
He couldn’t continue the investigation without finding the other members of the “Tower.”
But those members were not even in “Noah’s World”!
In his memories, Bai Yan had drawn “Moon Witch” several times, and her background seemed to suggest she had once been part of the “Tower.”
Yes, depending on when Core Operators were acquired, their backgrounds may differ.
“It only happened a few times, most of the time she had no association with the ‘Tower.'”
Bai Yan wondered if the “Moon Witch” had joined the Tower in the real world.
He furrowed his brow, this was the only lead left to follow.
Why should he continue searching?
“It’s like a puzzle game,” he muttered to himself.
“Even though solving it may not lead to a positive outcome, I still feel compelled to keep going.”
“I want to solve this puzzle.”
Now, he could reach “awakening” through the realm of dreams.
It doesn’t matter where—home or here, the result is the same.
“But to become stronger like this… Could it be the reawakening of… something?”
Bai Yan’s expression shifted as he felt that a terrible entity might reside within him. “Bai Yan” might just be a shell holding this monster, ready to shatter at any moment.
Many secrets lie within him, and these secrets might be why he is advancing so rapidly. Beneath them, perhaps, lies a dreadful truth.
Becoming strong so quickly might not be a good thing…
Bai Yan fell silent.
But he understood that he couldn’t refuse the improvement of his abilities.
He could only accept everything.
Taking out the Mirror of Dream once again, Bai Yan saw “himself”—the seemingly lustful “Bai Yan” smiling while holding a monocle.
“Thank you for creating me.”
“What do you mean?”
“You gave me the name ‘Profligate.’ Don’t you remember? ‘Profligate’ is your true self; you made me real.”
The “Bai Yan” in the mirror continued speaking:
“You will regret it. You will definitely regret creating a ‘perfect monster’ in this world.”
Bai Yan shrugged, calmly replying, “The so-called ‘Profligate’ is just a role-playing game for me. Let me advise you… don’t try to shake my will.”
“Say whatever you want.” The “Bai Yan” in the mirror slowly faded.
“……”
Bai Yan stood silently for a while, took a deep breath, and once again entered the “Self Dimension.”
He traversed through continuous fragments of possibilities once more.
Bai Yan encountered various possibilities—some joyful, some sad, some painful, some angry, and some absolutely incredible.
He even met a “Profligate” that had not yet appeared in reality—the role he intended to play, stepping on a woman’s face.
Bai Yan only glanced briefly before moving on; the potential future had no meaning.
Seizing the present was the most important thing.
As long as Bai Yan didn’t encounter the shadow of the Outer God, he wouldn’t deplete his spiritual energy in the Self Dimension like a normal superhuman.
Thus, he could continue searching tirelessly.
After an indeterminate amount of time, he finally arrived at his ultimate destination.
At the end.
Bai Yan stood before the white door of the ultimate destination.
“This is it, I succeeded.”
He calmly opened the door, and in the memory that had been distorted but now restored, he saw… “the new self.”
So, that’s how it is.
At this moment, Bai Yan fully understood.
No wonder it’s said that a person only needs a moment to see the “new self” and recognize it as their true self.
Because the “Bai Yan” before him was also looking at him in surprise, having just opened the white door.
In this completely still Self Dimension, only two “Bai Yans” could move, both having sought each other.
At last, they merged into one entity.
The awakening began.
