From a young age.
Xin Nan had lived in a world full of monsters.
Everyone around him had grown up cruelly intertwined with monsters.
He was afraid, he was terrified, he resisted, he grew accustomed.
He began to walk among the crowd.
Over these past ten-plus years, he had experienced familial love, friendship, and even had opportunities to gain the love he yearned for.
But can you imagine your parents and younger sister eating at the same table as you, with terrifying demonic beasts behind them, while the monsters behind them sprayed thick, disgusting mucus?
Can you imagine a cute girl, with a ponytail and brimming with youthful energy, confessing to you, while the single-eyed monster behind her poked its own eye and twitched shyly?
Xin Nan yearned for the things ordinary people possessed without paying any price more than anyone else, which was why he always pushed himself to ignore those monsters.
But in the end, regrettably, he was still pushed far from his desires by their violent emotional impact.
He once bit off the hand his father extended to comfort him with a hug.
He broke free from the pull of the girl who confessed to him, and amidst her crying, was treated as an unapproachable freak by his classmates.
Who wouldn't want a cute girlfriend?
If he continued to live like this, unable to accept anyone, drowning in the loneliness of being mired in monsters.
Then he would be no different from being dead, wouldn't he?
Now, having come this far.
He saw a new path.
But it seemed that what awaited him was not a good ending either, but rather despairing steps leading to the abyss.
For a moment, Xin Nan felt pain and confusion.
The Dean quietly stayed by his side, not urging him, nor letting go of his hand.
Her palm was truly warm.
Xin Nan did not sigh, and soon regained his calm demeanor.
He could always calm down in despair and find light in the darkness.
At the very least, at the very least, the group of Transcenders had restrained their emotional impact.
And by staying with them, he could experience a comfort he had never felt before.
This was a trace of salvation, wasn't it?
"Then let's talk about other things. I'm very curious about Consciousness Bodies."
The background painting in Xin Nan's eyes seemed directly related to so-called Consciousness Bodies; understanding what they were was almost an obsession for him.
The Female Dean shrugged and returned to her folding chair, sitting down.
"A Consciousness Body is the medium through which Elements exert influence on reality, or rather, the vessel that carries Elements. Its image often does not exceed human cognition. If you could see other people's Consciousness Bodies like you see mine, you would realize this. Whether it's a whale, a rabbit, an eye, or a sea wave, no matter how distorted or terrifying they are, you can still find corresponding things."
"This is because a Consciousness Body is inherently a composite of human consciousness. Various fragmented pieces collide within the consciousness, eventually evolving into a manifested Consciousness."
"A Consciousness Body that has acquired Elements but has not yet ascended to the First Order is still illusory and not yet solidified. It can only exert influence on humans themselves, generally by increasing the five senses, stamina, or power, acting upon limbs and organs."
"And because it is too illusory, even if you have acquired Elements and the corresponding Transcendent Essence, you cannot manifest it or interfere with the Material World without a medium."
"This state, which is your current state, we call the Zero Order."
"And when you have accumulated enough Emotional Sediment, and before your Will is completely crushed, reaching that delicate balance, you will once again have the opportunity to break through the limits of reason and touch the Essence of the Universe."
"As long as you drink the Potion at the boundary between complete breakdown of reason and not yet broken down, combined with a specific Ritual, the Consciousness Body can once again touch the Essence of the Universe. After ascending and solidifying into the First Order, the Will Entity can then truly descend into the Material World."
"At that point, you will truly become a Transcender. You will be able to utilize the Essence of the Universe and gain all sorts of unimaginable Great Power."
"You must have seen it already, right? Ye Lan's battle at the Hot Pot Restaurant, he descended his own Consciousness Body, that vast azure sea covered in the eyes of the dead."
Xin Nan nodded. At that time, the ocean that transformed from void into reality had impacted him far more than anything else.
It made him realize that what he saw was absolutely real!
"All Transcendent Essences belonging to individuals originate from the Essence of the Universe. Essences that do not exist in the Universe cannot possibly evolve into Transcendent ones; this is a law."
"The wind, fire, water, earth, lightning, starry sky, darkness, light, and even life and death that you see are all existing Essences of the Universe. They can all be condensed by Elements into power that Transcenders can utilize."
"Each person's Essence is unique, therefore the abilities they gain are also unique."
"For example, me, my Consciousness Body is the Rotting Whale, and one of the Essences it grants me is the ability to control gravity within a certain range."
Saying this, the Female Dean released the Notebook she was holding, and it floated in the air.
"See? Gravity, this Essence of the Universe, is possessed by humans. Although my power is very weak compared to the Universe, it is indeed Transcendent."
Xin Nan had already understood a lot.
According to the Female Dean's words, a Consciousness Body is the medium through which Elements with Transcendent Essences influence the world.
But before a Consciousness Body enters the First Order and officially descends into the world, even if it possesses the corresponding Transcendent Essence, it cannot manifest that Essence and can only enhance itself.
So for Transcenders, in the Zero Order where Elements are awakened, they have abilities but cannot use them. But after ascending to the First Order, they will possess two Essences and two abilities?
After understanding the concept of Element Devouring, Xin Nan had grasped the reason behind the Materialist Bureau's determination to Contain anyone who didn't become one of them.
In a world where Elements could be devoured, possessing Elements itself made Transcenders greedy for each other.
Letting go of a so-called "innocent victim" would undoubtedly cause unimaginable future harm, as no one could guarantee the future.
Therefore, if you are not friends, you are inevitably enemies.
This reminded Xin Nan of the Dark Forest Law from his previous life: in a dark forest, the one who shoots first is the safest.
This law seemed to have changed slightly in this world.
That is, although in a dark forest, whoever shoots first survives longer.
But if the hunters in this dark forest are too dense, appearing everywhere, and you encounter them within a short distance, and their only "food" is other hunters, then the hunters who unite first will naturally have the ability to sweep away lone hunters.
Thus, a stubborn yet fragile, cold-blooded yet warm relationship was formed.
So, would you prefer to walk alone in a dark forest full of hunters, or join one of the teams for warmth?
The answer was self-evident.
"Then my last question, what exactly is going on with my eyes?"
The Dean shook her head.
"Senses are life's greatest miracle. In the world of Transcenders, cases like yours, where you possess special perception even without Element support, do occur. But regrettably, our understanding of them has not yet delved deep enough to interpret the cause."
"You have a pair of eyes like these. What's important is not why they appeared, but what you will do with them!"
"Aren't we humans the same? What's important is never our existence itself, but what we exist for, and how we choose to live."
Xin Nan's heart trembled!
In the past ten-plus years, he had truly never considered this question.
These eyes had brought him unimaginable pain.
But these eyes had also saved him amidst the mutation.
The Dean said to him earnestly:
"Little Boy, this world is actually more dangerous than you imagine. Although all of us, including ourselves, may encounter insurmountable pollution, those ordinary people have no possibility of resisting it."
"By becoming Transcenders, we indeed know we are walking towards the abyss. However, everyone in the Materialist Bureau has something they want to protect. It is these things that make us complete and fill the gaps in our madness."
"So, Little Boy, do you have something you want to protect?"
A trace of gentleness appeared in Xin Nan's eyes, and his confusion vanished.
"I understand."
The Dean nodded, comforted.
She thought to herself.
This is good, truly good, because having more bonds is an anchor.
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