Chapter 381: Eternal

Cut off from the outside world.

In the entire seven-story hall, only the thumping of a heartbeat could be heard.

Zhang Tie rubbed his head, his eyes widened into ovals:

"Lin Dui?"

"Gao Tian?"

"What are you two spacing out for?"

A look of confusion.

To be honest, he didn't really understand what the notes said; it just felt like his own random diary.

Moreover, it seems to be repeated, right?

Lin An lifted his head and exchanged a glance with Gao Tian; both eyes showed undisguised shock.

Seeing Zhang Tie seemed not to understand, Gao Tian let out a complex sigh and simply began explaining to Xiong Hanzi:

"This notebook actually only records one thing."

"Sometime ago, the former manager of the Black Tower, Professor Kunni'er, was nearing death, but he wanted to research the secret of immortality."

"Nobody wants to die; he craved immortality."

"Thus, in 700 years of experiments, he finally succeeded."

"According to the notes, this method of immortality should imitate amoebas."

"Do you remember the amoeba in the notes that walked through a maze?"

"The first worm took 77 years to get out of the maze, but as long as it 'ate' the first amoeba, the worm that ate it would gain its memory."

"Thus, the second worm could get out of the maze in an extremely short time."

"Or simply put, by devouring, the second worm became the first worm."

"In other words, if you, Zhang Tie, ate Lin Dui, you would gain Lin Dui's strength and memories, but your body would still be your own."

"As long as you continually replace with a young body, you can break the limits of death."

Lin An nodded, indicating Gao Tian's explanation was correct.

He glanced at the neatly stacked notes and manuals on the table, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes.

As expected, these books and manuals are all about researching amoebas.

In other words, these things were deliberately left behind.

Zhang Tie blinked his eyes, as if he understood.

He hoarsely flipped open the notes and couldn't help asking the question:

"Then why does this notebook keep repeating at the end?"

"Didn't he gain immortality?"

"What counts as immortality just by gaining memories?"

"What about the first professor? The first student?"

"I see the notebook's name seems different."

Lin An smiled, pointed at the name on the notebook, and casually explained:

"The professor was eaten."

"He voluntarily let the student eat him."

"Under a special method, as long as he is eaten by the student, it equals merging with the student, without losing memory or strength, thus regaining a young body."

"This method of immortality is quite clever; it actually reminds me of a meme."

"The mind and body are synchronized, but the continuation (reproduction) method is through the mind."

"For example."

"The old professor's lifetime meaning was in researching how to gain immortality."

"When he displayed his lifetime's painstaking work and research results to the student in a unique way, and strangely proved that he could indeed achieve immortality."

"Under the temptation of immortality, the student will also follow the old professor's path."

"Thus."

"As long as the student eats the old professor."

"In terms of mind, the student will inherit all of the old professor's memories."

"In terms of body, after the student eats the professor's flesh, they also achieve material fusion."

"In terms of spirit, the student will continue the old professor's method, teaching the next student to likewise eat themselves, thereby achieving spiritual continuation."

"When combined, a perfect closed loop of immortality is born."

"Everyone who sees this book will, before aging, mostly try to use this method."

"Who wouldn't want immortality?"

"Even if the method of immortality is being eaten by someone."

"Generation after generation..."

"Endless."

"That's why, although the notebook's name differs, the actions are repeated."

"Because each of them becomes the old professor."

"They started by fearing the old professor's actions, then understood the principle, then comprehended the professor, until finally they did the same as the professor."

"Actually, it's very similar to a meme."

"Those who know a meme will spread the meme."

"Although the body dies, the gene of thought can endure forever."

Zhang Tie, after listening, opened his mouth wide, looking somewhat incomprehensibly at the piles of books behind Lin An.

Stammering, he furrowed his brow and asked his final question:

Captain Lin, I don't see how this could be considered immortality.

Even if the old professor treats his own flesh, eating it would grant one his Memory.

But that's still someone else obtaining his Memory—doesn't that mean he's still dead?

Lin An slightly nodded, then lightly shook his head:

A very simple example.

Zhang Tie, if there were someone in this world who looked exactly like you and had the same Memory as you.

Everything about them is the same as yours, even their will.

If.

One day, if I killed another you, would the surviving other you feel like they had died?

The answer would certainly be that they feel they haven't died.

Of course, this statement is actually a paradox, hard to accept.

But immortality is inherently impossible; that the old professor could devise this method to circumvent the barrier of immortality is astonishing enough.

Gao Tian was half in awe, half in fear, and couldn't help glancing at the books on the table:

Captain Lin.

I think the reason the old professor and future students could walk this path... is probably hidden in these notes.

They probably confirmed one thing: after merging memories, they all felt that the surviving person was themselves.

They truly felt they had attained immortality, rather than it being as simple as adding Memory and body.

Lin An stretched out his arm with a complex gaze, touching those notebooks and books.

The feel was smooth and cold, as if stroking skin.

Exactly.

All the unreasonable answers are probably in these notes.

Just as the notes titled Gate of Eternal Life say, the old professor's 700 years of research notes are none other than Pandora's Box.

Once one reads these books, anyone will unhesitatingly adopt this method of immortality.

They will have people eat themselves.

Let their soul reside in a young body...

Eternal reincarnation.