Chapter 734: The Truth of Heavenly Gift

Torn, void

The body, controlled by combat instinct, precisely hunts the evil thought entities, while the mind lies silent in the will-space.

After Lin An asked this, he no longer cared about the battle's outcome, the success or failure of the mission.

If everything is fake, what meaning is left?

"Answer me.."

The voice was hoarse.

This world is so real, the memory after rebirth is so clear.

But, once a logical rift appears, everything's authenticity is worth doubting.

If...

Even his memories before joining the Long'an Project might be fake?

If, he has never truly awakened even once?

I...

Who exactly am I?

Brain in a vat, infinite loop.

In silence.

The Second Will slowly emerged from the darkened will-space.

( "Are you afraid?" )

( "Lin An?" )

A bitter smile appeared on his face, the Second Will changed from its previous mockery, with sorrow in the depths of his eyes:

( "I have also pondered this question." )

( "I have also been afraid." )

( "Even when I fled awake and broke out of the Long An Laboratory, I once thought of these in an instant." )

A brief silence.

Eyes locked.

The Second Will's expression eased slightly, and it continued speaking softly:

( "But, there's no need to be afraid." )

( "Although I am missing, or rather we are missing... the memory of how we were captured and sealed." )

( "But the subsequent Apocalypse outbreak is real." )

( "Your death is also real." )

( "Rebirth is also real." )

Upon saying this, the Second Will silently gazed at Lin An.

He believed Lin An could understand his meaning.

His heart and mind shuddered.

Lin An's eyes flickered; he understood the other's meaning.

The mind detached from endless doubt.

"Is... the feeling of death...?"

Muttering to himself, Lin An subconsciously looked at the palm projected in his consciousness space.

"In the simulation test, no matter how realistic."

"But there will always be something that cannot be simulated."

"For example, no one can describe, nor can it be simulated, death."

His gaze gradually sharpened.

Scenes and sensations flashed by rapidly.

The mind gradually became clear.

I have died over a hundred times in the Wilderness Village Secret Realm, trapped in the cycle.

But that feeling of death is completely unlike the sensation at the moment of my rebirth...

Thinking of that, Lin An quickly compared it to his own memory.

Xiong Hanzi might not know.

In the Wilderness Village Secret Realm, whenever he failed to break the cycle, Lin An would die once.

Silent, as if the mind had instantly stopped.

And each time he "came back to life," it was like a computer reboot, having slept.

This is completely unlike the feeling of waking from the bridal chamber on the day of rebirth.

Rebirth after death is dreamlike and illusory, like a drowning traveler being dragged ashore.

That feeling is hard to put into words.

( "That's right." )

The Second Will nodded in approval, stepped closer to Lin An, and they faced each other.

( "Not only is the feeling of death different, but there are two most important points." )

After a brief pause, he pointed a finger at Lin An's brow:

( "Actually, within your mind, I am more like an observer from a third-person perspective." )

( "So, oftentimes I see more than you do." )

( "Those involved are confused; the onlookers are clear." )

He smiled.

Second Will suddenly waved his hand, conjuring a system panel within the will-space.

Lin An saw this and his gaze tightened.

The system panel displayed by Second Will was exactly the data from when he had just become an Awakened One.

（"Did you see that?"）

Second Will's finger, the initial talent — 【Power Burst】

He spoke with a complex expression:

（"This is one of the real proofs."）

（"Lin An, actually after your rebirth, have you been wondering why your talent has no skill?"）

（"An S-rank talent, yet called Power Burst, sounds like a basic ability."）

（"Without a skill, the effect is merely increasing basic attributes."）

（"Even..."）

（"You never obtained power through the spirit-energy nodes, so you thought the Apocalypse Ring awakened your talent!"）

Memory swiftly rewound.

Lin An's gaze tightened, and in an instant he recalled the day of his awakening.

He had indeed wondered why, in his past life, the thug who obtained the Apocalypse Ring showed no strong power.

Instead, he merely relied on the ring's space function to barely establish a Safe Zone.

Power Burst talent.

Purely increasing basic attributes...

Not relying on spirit-energy nodes...

Nor was it brought by the ring!?

In an instant, Lin An's expression shook, and he blurted out:

"The initial Power Burst talent is simply not an awakened ability!?"

"I have never been an Awakened One!?"

Taking off the projected Apocalypse Ring, Second Will's eyes flickered, and he nodded heavily:

（"Correct!"）

（"So-called Power Burst is merely the manifestation of all four attributes having their gene locks unlocked!"）

（"It is not a talent, but comes from me, or rather, it is our own power!"）

（"The subsequent advanced combat instinct is actually my combat consciousness."）

（"So, in fact, your subconscious has always known that you are drawing on my power, on your own power."）

（"That is why you instinctively sought the Eye of the Abyss, truly awakening me!"）

Saying this, Second Will sighed, somewhat helpless:

（"The gene locks I unlocked lack system support, so the increase in combat strength isn't that great."）

（"But after all, they are unlocked gene locks, so the system will still classify it as an S-rank talent."）

（"In fact, you've noticed the anomaly—that's why you rarely receive system quests."）

（"Before you came into contact with spirit-energy nodes, only the Savior System gave you quests."）

（"The reason is also simple."）

（"At that time, the system did not regard you as an Awakened One, but as a special type of player."）

Second Will tilted his head, his expression gloomy:

（"That can be said."）

（"Your reborn self..")

（"You are essentially a pseudo-third rank!"）

Born strong!