Chapter 462

Chapter 462: Withdrawal Reaction

“‘Home’ is the smallest unit of human gathering and can also be understood as the smallest unit of the biological field.

“And I also discovered another fact in those memories: some humans have a ‘home’ with only one member.”

Atropos and Clotho listened quietly in the sea of consciousness as Lachesis continued:

“I utilized the biomass to complete the spreading of roots beneath the ground, and I can now get closer to the city wall than the tall grass above.

“I consciously sought out some humans whose ‘home’ has only one member and began to slowly erode them.

“My plan has entered a critical phase; if we consolidate and conduct a self-examination now, it might cause issues with the manipulation on that side.

“Even so, do you both wish to proceed?”

Lachesis’s words were concise and persuasive. The other two consciousnesses did not perceive any issues and agreed to postpone the consolidation self-examination.

“Atropos, I have another question for you.”

“What is it?”

“Among the three of us, your research on humans is the most profound, so can you share some knowledge related to human ways of thinking and desires? Desire is a human flaw, but I have only identified ‘laziness’ as an attacking direction that can break through human defenses.

“This method does not work on all humans, so I need additional knowledge to strengthen my erosion.”

“Very well, let’s establish a new mycelium connection point, and I will share what I know.”

—

Laziness is rooted in every human heart. Regardless of their status, everyone is influenced or controlled by it.

Even someone like Lin Qingliu, who is on the verge of transcending humanity, can still occasionally feel lazy, reluctant to do this or that, let alone ordinary humans.

As time passed, Ain experienced the sensation of life fast-forwarding.

In the first week of July, he completely entrusted his arms to his superpowers’ management—work is so exhausting; who would want to work?

In the second week of July, he entrusted his eating and digestion systems to his superpowers’ management—nutritional paste has no flavor at all; eating feels like serving time in prison.

In the third week of July, he handed over his legs to superpower management—when work and eating are no longer obstacles, the commute to and from work also became unbearable.

As July’s final week arrived, everything seemed to remain normal.

Outer city, North District, twenty-second factory.

“Hey, hey, look at that guy.”

A worker pointed to the meticulous Ain with a sore hand during a break.

“Doesn’t this guy know what tiredness is?”

“Wow, standing so straight after working for six hours! I really have no words.”

Another worker expressed his amazement.

At that moment, Ain resembled the production line even more than the line itself. His hands constantly shifted movements, quickly assembling one small part after another, and his speed even surpassed that of the other workers.

In reality, the speed of the entire production line did not remain entirely unchanged; excluding the acceleration in the morning and deceleration in the evening, adjustments were made based on the workers’ speeds on the line.

And Ain, as a ‘system-managed’ standout, single-handedly increased the speed of the entire line to the top in the factory.

His actions were naturally noticed not only by his coworkers, but the data irregularities also landed on the desk of the new factory manager.

On the final day of the month, Ain ascended to the role of team leader on the production line.

“Just deliver everything to me. What could possibly concern you? I’ve fulfilled every promise I made to you.”

Clad in formal attire, Ain spoke with a soothing, persuasive tone. Simultaneously, his primary consciousness basked in the accolades from the factory manager.

Gazing at his new identification badge, Ain was overwhelmed with joy, nearly moved to tears.

A month of relentless work, remarkably steady hands, and achieving the lowest defect rate for the month had secured Ain a promotion.

Concurrently, his superpowers initiated their ultimate, decisive strike.

Ain was unfamiliar with the notion of gradual progress or the “slicing sausage” strategy, but he held onto one truth—

Entrusting tasks to his capabilities ensured that everything would turn out favorably.

What does this signify? Since his abilities are merely an extension of his consciousness, accomplishing this much underscores that his personal skills are indeed commendable.

In fact, he is a remarkably dependable and potent individual.

This newfound sense of honor, bolstered confidence, and the dopamine surge from the relaxation afforded by his management led Ain to lose himself entirely.

His consciousness was no longer stable.

“Your recent fantasies are quite magnificent.”

The voice of Ain in formal attire remained beguiling.

“Whether it’s in diet, pleasure, or even… carnal desires, it’s truly unparalleled.

“You seem to be deeply immersed, yet you know this isn’t reality.”

At an unexpected juncture, the voice of his subconscious turned serious:

“I am merely your ability; I can’t handle everything for you. It’s time for you to awaken; after all, these are your responsibilities. I am essentially just a caretaker, and you’ve been shirking your duties.

“Thus, this charade must end.”

As Ain in formal attire spoke, he relinquished control over his body.

While listening to the factory manager’s private remarks, Ain’s body suddenly went limp and slumped to the ground.

This alarmed the factory manager, who feared the worker before him had succumbed to the stress of recent work.

Ain swiftly regained control of his body, which he hadn’t used in a while, and awkwardly rose from the ground:

“Apologies, Mr. Factory Manager, I was just… a bit overwhelmed.”

“It’s alright.”

The factory manager assisted him to a chair in the office and offered Ain a glass of water:

“I know you’re highly motivated, but remember to rest adequately.”

As Ain navigated the conversation with the factory manager, his speech slightly faltering, he reached out to the presence of another self within his mind.

He encountered another version of himself, seated on a high-backed Vine Throne, his expression icy and commanding, looking down upon him.

Unnoticed, his knees had weakened, and he found himself kneeling before the Vine Throne.

“Help me, help me…”

He felt his tongue begin to falter, but he grasped two truths:

First, he could no longer escape his abilities. Prolonged laziness and relaxation had rendered him nearly incapable of accomplishing anything.

Second, he was inextricably tied to his fantasies. Even if they were illusions, as long as he continued to dream, what difference did reality make?

“Help you? Why should I?”

The figure above him inquired.

“Because… because you are my ability. What’s mine is yours; aiding me is aiding yourself.”

Ain, in his mind, wept bitterly, and tears streamed down his face in reality as well.

His abilities, or rather Lachesis, observed this scene and smirked, initiating one final act of manipulation:

“No, I’m weary of sharing this body with you unless…”