NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 280: Intrusive Memories
Looking down at the spear of Void energy inches from his forehead, Joyce remained unfazed.
He hadn't lied. He was merely one of the 300,000 consciousnesses. Even if Kiana destroyed his phantom form, it would be meaningless.
"What do you want?" Kiana asked coldly, the spear of Void energy dissipating and reforming in her hand.
"It seems you still haven't understood." Joyce sighed, a hint of exasperation in his voice. "I told you, I'm just a shadow. I can't change anything. The only one who can change him is you."
"..."
Seeing Kiana's silence, Joyce nodded slightly. "Do you remember what I told you before you entered this illusion?
This world is constructed by his power and the Herrscher core. It's essentially his dream. Everything here is an illusion to him, except for you.
Even if he perceives you as a phantom, your actions still influence him. In other words, you're acting too real, blurring the lines between illusion and reality for him."
Kiana remained silent, but her hands clenched unconsciously, revealing her inner turmoil.
In truth, Ren wasn't the only one affected by the illusion.
Initially, Kiana had managed to suppress her emotions. However, as she spent more time with Ren, her weariness gradually faded, and she found herself falling deeper into the dream.
"Your presence is disrupting the illusion, subtly changing him. So, before questioning my motives, you should consider your own."
My own motives? Kiana was confused. Her initial goal was simply to see Ren again, to tell him the things she hadn't had the chance to say.
However, after entering the illusion, she realized that as long as she was with Ren, those carefully rehearsed words lost their meaning. He was the answer.
It was with this mindset that they had grown closer, forgetting the passage of time.
"I understand." Having grasped the situation, Kiana dispelled the spear, her hostility fading.
If Joyce was right, and she was influencing Ren, then if she disappeared…
"I advise against that." As if anticipating her thoughts, Joyce shook his head. "Your presence is currently the foundation maintaining the stability of this illusion. If you disappear, it will immediately shatter, which would be devastating for him and the consciousnesses within the core."
This was a lie.
This was Joyce's true purpose in seeking out Kiana.
He knew that the illusion shattering wouldn't necessarily harm Ren significantly. However, for the 300,000 consciousnesses, it would be catastrophic. He had deliberately linked their fates to manipulate Kiana.
Kiana wasn't foolish. She suspected Joyce was lying, but she couldn't risk it.
"That's just your side of the story. Since he's the master of this illusion, why don't I just talk to Ren directly?"
Indeed, that was the best solution. Revealing her true identity would allow Ren to break free, even if he was being influenced.
But that would bring them back to square one. Ren's plan would fail, and Kiana would lose this chance to be with him. This unfinished journey would become a fading dream.
A dream without an ending.
"Of course, you can." Joyce didn't deny it, frankly admitting his own motives. "I simply want the Herrscher of Reason's will to be passed on. I'm telling you this to ensure a peaceful resolution. If you make a different choice, I can't stop you."
"But I must warn you, you're special. Before the First Eruption, there was no Honkai energy in Berlin. Even in this illusion, there shouldn't be. But you brought Honkai energy into this world and even used it. I don't know how this will affect the illusion, but I urge you to consider your actions carefully."
Kiana's eyes glowed with the Herrscher's light, a faint shimmer that stood out even amidst the falling snow.
"One last piece of information. The events in this illusion are based on the First Herrscher's experiences. I don't remember my life before becoming the Herrscher, but it's clear that the reason you're being hunted is that one of you is playing the role of 'Welt Joyce'."
Joyce didn't specify who was playing the role, but Kiana already knew the answer.
A Herrscher, Honkai energy…
Joyce's phantom form dissolved into blue motes of light, scattering in the wind, leaving Kiana alone in the snow, the Herrscher's glow in her eyes fading.
Her hands clenched, her nails digging into her palms.
"Ren…"
…
Elsewhere, after the intense pain subsided, the dizziness gradually faded. Ren clutched his forehead, sliding down the wall.
"Haah…" He exhaled, his breath forming a white cloud in the cold air.
The Obsidian Concord brand had completely vanished, meaning the Theater of the Domination could no longer warn him. If he hadn't regained his awareness in time, his mental vulnerability would have deepened.
However, Ren had now forgotten about his plan, even the fact that he was in an illusion.
As the assimilation progressed, a new, unfamiliar set of memories surfaced in his mind.
He was an ordinary citizen of Berlin, having lost his memories for unknown reasons, lost and alone in a blizzard. Just as he was about to freeze to death, a white-haired girl had saved him.
They had found a small cabin and lived there for three days before being attacked and forced to flee. They had found a new safehouse and lived together for half a month, during which he had gradually fallen for the girl.
Finally, on Christmas Day, they had gone out on a date and were attacked again…
"No."
Ren instinctively sensed something was wrong with these memories, but under the illusion's powerful influence, he couldn't pinpoint the inconsistencies.
"Now's not the time to worry about this. I need to get back with the medicine…" He remembered that Kiana was injured, and he had gone out to find medical supplies.
He rubbed his temples, trying to clear his head, and quickly located the first-aid kit he had prepared.
But as he made his way back, a loud explosion echoed from the direction Kiana had been waiting, followed by the screams of terrified bystanders.