Chapter 461

Chapter 461: Surrender

"Hey, you’re here."

Although Ain, dressed in formal attire, sounded a bit surprised, his confident expression revealed that he had everything under control.

Ain’s own consciousness entered from outside the door. Dressed in formal attire, he stood up and offered the plush factory manager’s chair to him.

“Did you do what I asked you to do?”

Ain nodded, “I handled everything just as you said. If things continue like this, it really can…”

“Of course.”

The man in formal attire suddenly reached out and began to massage Ain’s shoulders, "You must believe in your subconscious."

"Subconscious?"

"Yes, you’re actually far from ordinary. You are stronger than most people, but you just don’t realize it."

After a few casual squeezes, the man retrieved a document from the filing cabinet at the back of the office and presented it to Ain. It clearly read:

“Factory No. 22, Production Line No. 3, Third Quarter Report”

“See? This is your ability. Although you only caught a glimpse that day, you actually remembered everything. I can just help you recall these things.”

Ain took the report and flipped through it casually, noticing each page was completely blank, without a single character.

“What are you thinking? You only saw the surface. Do you really think you’ve grasped all its content?”

Ain felt a bit disheartened, “Then it seems it’s of no use.”

“How could it be of no use?”

The man in formal attire resumed massaging Ain’s shoulders with a respectful yet confident demeanor, “It was like this at first, but things have changed now.

“Have you heard of the use-it-or-lose-it principle regarding superpowers? As long as you keep training, you will soon be able to grasp the contents of these documents from a distance.”

“‘Use it or lose it’? I don’t even know what that means. What do you…”

“You actually know. Maybe you heard a mention of it after a city defense battle, or perhaps you caught a conversation among passersby on your way home… In any case, since I know, it means you know.”

Ain thought for a moment and felt there was no issue, so he continued nodding, not caring that his ability seemed to contradict his previous lies.

“So what should I do now?”

“Of course, you should keep using your ability. I can provide you with support not just in the dream, but also plenty of help while you’re awake.”

The man’s words flowed smoothly and were full of confidence, rivaling that of an insurance salesman.

“Relax, you are me, and I am you.

“I know deep down you’re still reluctant to accept this fact, but think about it—superpowers are inherently mysterious.

“Release the shackles in your subconscious and deliver more power to me.”

“Think about it; I will make all your actions perfect, turning you into a warrior who never makes mistakes.

“Or do you have any wishes that you would like me to help you fulfill?”

Amidst those ghostly words, Ain’s consciousness gradually sank:

“I want to be the team leader.”

“Of course, no problem.”

“I want a raise.”

“That’s only natural.”

“I don’t want to go to work.”

“That’s a common desire.”

“And… and…”

“Yes, yes, just like that…”

—

The next morning, Ain woke up full of energy. The superpowers had brought him many benefits, one of which was that since he started having those lucid dreams, he had never faced any sleep issues.

In fact, sleep had become a transcendent pleasure for Ain. He would rather have a quick dinner than sacrifice his sleep time.

Feeling invigorated, Ain quickly completed his morning routine. It was a workday, and he had to reach his work stations within half an hour.

The production line started up quickly, and just as it would gradually slow down at the end of the day, it began to accelerate little by little as the day’s production commenced.

And of course, Ain hadn’t forgotten the instructions from his dream the previous night.

He felt that surge of power, and after the production line started, he delivered control of both hands to his superpowers.

It was a magical feeling.

Ain no longer felt the usual soreness and strain. Instead, his mind was free to wander, thinking about interesting things without worrying about any work issues.

After all, it was a mechanical task; his hands simply needed to repeat a cycle to get everything done.

Meanwhile, Ain’s thoughts drifted to the age-old question of what came first: the chicken or the egg.

He didn’t know that this was referred to as “hosting” in another world; he just felt that it made his work incredibly easy.

Soon, lunchtime arrived, and another version of himself suddenly spoke in his mind:

“Do you need me to help you eat?”

“You can help with that too?”

Having tasted the sweetness of this newfound ability, Ain felt excited but also somewhat surprised.

“Of course, but besides your hands, I will also need control over your jaw, throat, tongue, and other parts.

“Of course, this won’t interfere with your thoughts, cause discomfort, or bring harm. You also have the right to refuse—after all, you are the one in charge; I am just a personality that emerged from your subconscious through your superpowers.”

“Alright, let’s give it a try.”

—

“Lachesis, you’ve been acting a bit strange lately. I request a consolidation and self-examination.”

Deep within the collective consciousness of the mycelium, the ever-perceptive Atropos made a suggestion.

“I share that feeling. Are you really okay?”

“Of course.”

Lachesis replied immediately,

“I recently made a small breakthrough in the domain I was infiltrating, allowing my powers to slightly penetrate that city.”

“How is that possible?”

Clotho was shocked by Lachesis’s statement:

“How did you overcome the biological field?”

It’s no wonder Clotho was surprised. Just as the mycelium’s invasion splits into mental erosion and biological spores, humans possess two corresponding countermeasures: the biological field of human habitation and the defense system that comes with their spaceship.

And the reason both sides had been locked in a stalemate for decades, eventually forcing the city defense army and extraordinary beasts to engage in close combat, was that neither side could gain an advantage over the other.

However, now, according to Lachesis, it seemed that this balance had been disrupted.

“It’s actually quite simple,” Lachesis explained:

“Human habitation is not just a simple stacking. If we take that city as a reference, then all the people in it are gathered together.

“But I found the concept of ‘home’ within human memories.”