“Um…
well, since I’m the one who brought you here, should I take you back now?”
Silence fermented in the cramped room for a moment.
An Ning’s fingers tapped unconsciously on the edge of the table twice before she finally managed to squeeze out the awkward question.
Cyrene blinked, her gaze sweeping across An Ning’s slightly conflicted face.
Though the offer was made with good intentions, having just endured an interrogation, she now wanted nothing more than to get as far away from this oppressive place as possible.
“This…
I think I’ll pass.”
Cyrene gently shook her head, a polite smile spreading across her face.
Her tone was soft yet carried an undercurrent of resolve.
“I’ll just take a taxi home myself.
Don’t trouble yourself, Sister An Ning.
After all, you must still have plenty of follow-up work to handle.”
With that, she rose to her feet, cutting off any further formalities from An Ning, and strode toward the door.
“Then I’ll be going now.
Goodbye, Sister An Ning~”
With a click, the door closed, completely isolating An Ning’s hesitant expression behind it.
The moment Cyrene stepped out of the police station, the evening wind, carrying the city’s characteristic dust and clamor, rushed toward her.
Cyrene’s ramrod-straight posture instantly collapsed as she exhaled a long breath.
“Phew…
that scared me to death.”
She patted her chest, feeling her still-pounding heart.
After all, in her past life, she had been a law-abiding citizen who wouldn’t even jaywalk.
Aside from getting her ID card, this was the first time she had ever been in such a place in this life.
Not to mention that she had just been sitting in the interrogation chair, feeling the oppressive sensation of being stripped bare by layers of gazes.
It was even more unbearable than the Abyss Dungeon.
“From now on, I’d rather avoid such ‘exciting’ storylines.”
Cyrene muttered to herself, pulling out her phone.
Her fingers flew across the screen as she hailed a ride-hailing car.
The click of the key turning in the lock echoed sharply through the quiet corridor.
Cyrene had just pushed open the door and hadn’t even taken off her shoes when a warm, concerned voice greeted her.
“Cyrene, you’re back?”
The living room curtains were drawn, casting the room in dim light.
Phainon was sitting on a powder-blue armchair.
Hearing the movement, he immediately stood up, his golden eyes reflecting Cyrene’s figure.
“Did The Authorities…
give you any trouble?”
“Nothing much.
Just some routine ‘small talk’ for official business.”
Cyrene kicked off her shoes and padded barefoot across the carpet, sinking into the sofa like a languid cat.
She recounted her experience at the police station and her plan to seize this opportunity to make contact with The Authorities, laying out every detail.
“You want to join The Authorities and use their intelligence network to gather information on the Xeno?”
Phainon listened, his brow furrowing slightly as if weighing the pros and cons, but his tense expression soon relaxed.
“This is indeed a good method.
The Authorities’ intelligence network covers a vast area, far more efficient than us blundering around like headless flies.”
Cyrene took the water cup, cradling it in her hands.
She felt the warmth through the ceramic, sighed in frustration.
“The method is sound, but implementing it poses a major challenge…”
She looked up, her diamond-shaped pupils filled with helplessness.
“If I truly infiltrate the Authorities, I’ll be under constant surveillance.
Phainon, you can’t just remain invisible by my side indefinitely, can you?
And when we need to exchange information, you’d have to sneak around…”
As she spoke, Cyrene puffed out her cheeks like a deflated balloon.
“Ugh…
If only Agy or Cipher were here.
Agy could transmit sound remotely via the Golden Thread, and Cipher…
even if she strutted right through a police station, I doubt anyone could catch her.”
Just as Cyrene was imagining Cipher playfully outwitting her enemies, that familiar mechanical voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
[Actually, you and Phainon have always had a rapid communication method at your disposal.
You simply haven’t used it yet.]
Cyrene’s hand, holding the water cup, froze, nearly spilling the water.
She paused, then mentally asked:
“A way to quickly contact each other?
What’s that?
Does this System come with a built-in chat app?”
Physical Data Space.
The moment these words appeared, Cyrene’s eyes lit up like an explorer discovering a new continent.
“That’s right!
The Starry Space!”
She slapped her thigh forcefully, her previous hesitation vanishing completely.
The System had indeed mentioned before that Phainon, as her “Recollection Character,” possessed the same ability to freely enter and exit the Physical Data Space as she did.
But the System had only said “freely enter and exit,” without specifying that they had to be in the “same location” to do so!
What did this mean?
It meant this was essentially a built-in, secure, distance-agnostic private chatroom!
“No matter where we are, as long as we ‘go online’ simultaneously, we can meet in that space?”
Overwhelmed by excitement, Cyrene couldn’t contain herself any longer.
She set down the water cup, leaned forward, and rapidly recounted the System’s prompt and her own conjectures to Phainon.
“I think this logic holds up, Phainon.
What do you think?”
After hearing her out, a hint of surprise flashed in Phainon’s eyes, followed by an approving nod.
“It’s highly plausible.
That space exists independently of reality, so theoretically, it could indeed serve as our rendezvous point.”
He glanced at the sun outside the window and straightened up.
“If that’s the case, let’s give it a try.”
“How do we try?” Cyrene blinked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Phainon walked to the window, gently parted the curtains with his fingers, and scanned the street below through the glaring sunlight.
“Once I’ve confirmed it’s safe, I’ll send you a message.
Then we’ll both attempt to enter the Physical Data Space simultaneously.”
“Great idea!
Let’s do it!”
Cyrene pumped her fist in excitement.
Phainon glanced back at her, a warm smile playing on his lips.
“Wait for my message.”
With that, he double-checked that no one was watching from outside the window, braced one hand against the windowsill, and silently leaped out of the window again.
The curtains swayed briefly before settling back into stillness.
Cyrene leaned against the windowsill, peering down.
A sudden glare flashed before her eyes, and the figure darted through the shadows cast by the buildings, vanishing into the labyrinthine alleyways in the blink of an eye.
“Such skill…
truly worthy of The Deliverer.”
Cyrene murmured, then settled onto the sofa, clutching her phone and waiting patiently.
Time ticked by, second by second.
Approximately a minute later…
Vibrate
Her phone buzzed in her palm.
Cyrene immediately lit up the screen.
A brief message popped up:
Phainon: In position.
Enter the Physical Data Space now.
“Here we go!”
Cyrene took a deep breath, adjusted her posture, and slowly closed her eyes.
In her mind, she silently recited the command:
Enter the Physical Data Space.
The next moment…
The familiar sensation of freefall washed over her once more.
The Real World’s gravity seemed to vanish instantly.
The surrounding air thinned and grew icy.
Darkness surged like a tide, engulfing all her senses.
But this discomfort lasted only an instant.
When Cyrene opened her eyes again, the pink and blue living room had vanished.
In its place stretched the vast and boundless deep universe, where trillions of stars flowed silently through the void.
Beneath her feet lay the ethereal Silver River; above, swirling nebulae; starlight streamed soundlessly through the deathly stillness.
Cyrene steadied her suspended form, urgently scanning her surroundings.
“Phainon?”
“Cyrene, your hunch was correct.”
A warm, familiar voice came from beside her.
Cyrene whirled around.
Beneath the starry expanse, Phainon stood less than two meters away.
His platinum-and-white robe shimmered softly in the starlight, his face bearing that reassuring, gentle smile.
“No matter where we are or how far apart,” Phainon said, stepping toward her, his gaze sweeping across the resplendent nebulae before settling on Cyrene.
“We can always meet in this Starry Space.”