Chapter Twelve: Isn't This Perfectly Normal?

“Take this stick,” Old Li said, handing over a sturdy, meter-long branch about as thick as an arm. “This forest isn’t like the ones on Earth. There could be all sorts of things here with deadly toxins. If you come across anything strange, use this to push it aside.”

“Thank you,” Chen Nian replied, accepting the stick. The two of them fell silent after that. Though they didn’t speak, Chen Nian could sense Old Li watching him with careful scrutiny.

After a quiet wait, Xiao Hu returned to the group, having finished discussing the exploration area.

“Brother Chen, Instructor Li, I’ve figured out the range our team needs to cover,” Xiao Hu said, then pointed southeast. “We’ll walk five kilometers in that direction, then search a roughly one-square-kilometer area to the left. Once we’re done, we’ll head straight back here.”

“Alright. Listen to my instructions out there, understood?” Old Li said as he handed Xiao Hu another stick.

“No problem! You’re famous for being the best in our Space Force!” Xiao Hu’s face was full of admiration—clearly, he was a fan of Old Li’s.

Chen Nian nodded without objection.

In this direction, about twenty other three-person teams were assigned the same task. Every so often, a team would break off to begin their survey of the surroundings.

Along the way, they discovered many bizarre plants and unfamiliar small animals. Yet, with unspoken understanding, no one touched anything. The advance team included professional botanists and zoologists who would study these things later.

After five kilometers, they stopped. Old Li glanced at the dense forest around them and gave instructions: “We will form a straight line and search to the left, keeping no more than fifty meters between each of us. Understood?”

“Yes,” Chen Nian and Xiao Hu replied in unison.

Old Li then turned to Chen Nian. “We’ve just walked five kilometers. Are you holding up?”

“I’m fine,” Chen Nian answered truthfully. The pace hadn’t been fast, well within his endurance.

“Good. Don’t rush. Save your strength so you can respond if there’s danger. We’ll match your pace,” Old Li reminded him.

“Thank you,” Chen Nian replied. As Old Li and Xiao Hu prepared to set off, Chen Nian couldn’t help but add, “Be careful. Zhou Zhicheng told us to treat this as an Earth-like planet, but if we really do that, it’s easy to let our guard down. Especially you, Old Li. I know you’re a seasoned scout, but relying too much on your experience might be dangerous here.”

Old Li paused, then, for once, smiled. “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

“Don’t worry, Brother Chen, we’ll be on high alert,” Xiao Hu chimed in.

“Let’s go, then.”

“Right!”

The three spread out, keeping about fifty meters between them. In the woods, that distance meant they could only occasionally catch a glimpse of each other’s shapes through the gaps between trees. But that was enough; if there was real danger, they could regroup quickly.

Chen Nian advanced cautiously through the undergrowth, gripping his stick. Massive trees, moss-covered earth, thickets everywhere, and unfamiliar insects abounded. He was almost certain that this vast, unknown forest supported a complete ecosystem. That meant, in theory, that predators—perhaps even monsters—could exist here.

After a few hundred meters, he spotted a small, squirrel-like creature hidden on a nearby tree. The animal noticed him too and darted into a hole in the trunk. Chen Nian gave the tree a wide berth, judging: “If there are small animals here, the area should be relatively safe.”

Once he was certain it was safe, he asked in his mind, “Are you there?”

“I’m here,” came the prompt, ever-available voice in his head. Before Chen Nian could speak, it continued, “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t worry, I’m not your burden. On the contrary, I’m your most reliable ally. You and I are one—your fortune is mine, your loss is mine. And to be honest, I may be even more afraid of dying than you are. We’ve been in this world for over an hour, and you haven’t even considered searching for genetic technology to cure your terminal illness. You really aren’t afraid of death, are you?”

“I’m just afraid of being disappointed. That superpower…”

“When I’m in control of this body, it’s superhuman. If you go by your own ranking system, I’m at least Level Five.”

Chen Nian was left speechless.

He had to admit, the voice in his mind knew him all too well. Sometimes, as soon as he had a fleeting thought, the voice would reply.

“Am I really suffering from some kind of dissociative identity disorder? And why does this body have superpowers?”

This time, the voice was silent for a long while before it finally answered, “Look at it from another person’s perspective. Does Chen Nian seem… normal to you?”

“What?” Chen Nian was confused.

“Chen Nian has had a hard life. Used in genetic experiments as a child, an orphan, suffering from a genetic terminal illness, always knowing his life would be short. He’s spent years trapped in virtual games, unable to break free… Do you think someone like that could really be normal? I think anyone would have issues. But in reality? Not only is he normal, he’s actually quite positive. He’s loyal, values friendship, helps others, keeps his promises. To many, he’s a big brother figure. He was even willing to risk joining this advance team for the sake of society’s vulnerable. Does that sound reasonable to you? People used to say this world is very real. But the world you saw before was filtered, distorted. As for the superpowers, I can’t explain them either. I arrived in this world at the same time as you; I know as much as you do. If there’s any explanation, it must be the childhood genetic experiments. That’s the only thing that sets this body apart from others.”

These words sent Chen Nian into a spiral of self-doubt.

Then, the voice spoke again. “Don’t burden yourself. You can treat me as your cheat code, a system that’s always with you, or your most trusted comrade. If that still bothers you, just think of this world as a game. This body is your game character, and I’m your stand-in, always ready to play in your stead. When you run into trouble and need someone to take over, isn’t that perfectly normal?”

Chen Nian was at a loss for words.

Normal?

Was this really normal?