Chapter 2802: Mist Retreat, Reality Perception

The significance of data visualization goes without saying; for now, it is a matter of overcoming difficulties together, otherwise, Xia Duo would actually be unwilling to expose these data analysis ideas to the Elves.

Inside the conference room, following Xia Duo's basic situation briefing, the six researchers from the Time-Related Magic Research Laboratory began to discuss. Of course, due to the presence of outsiders, the discussion was limited to the subsequent action plan and opinions on handling this region.

It did not involve the specific details of the Time-Related Magic Ritual.

Finally, after a morning of discussion, the investigation team decided to proceed in two steps: on one hand, led by Dumu from the Demon Descendant Intelligence Research Lab, more resources would be mobilized from Evereska to establish a defense line on the periphery of the Mist Region, "protecting" the Mist Region.

Although it is not yet certain what the situation is inside the Mist Region, preparations must be made to deal with all possibilities.

On the other hand, it is up to the Time-Related Magic Research Laboratory, where the six researchers will probe the Mist Region based on their preliminary research into time-related magic.

The goal is to determine the nature of the Mist Region and find a feasible solution.

……

After the meeting ended, the relevant personnel moved immediately. As a Spirit-Thought Network Information Collaborator, Xia Duo was not assigned any other tasks, but following the operation did not affect his primary duties.

On the periphery of the Mist Region, Xia Duo and Dika, a researcher from the Time-Related Magic Research Laboratory in Evereska, stood outside the cordon, observing the Mist Region at close range.

From the cordon inward, there is a safety distance of about ten meters; once that ten meters is exceeded, one would become trapped in the mist and unable to escape, just like those two field volunteers.

But the Mist Region, after all, contains too many unknowns; even if there appears to be a safety distance of about ten meters, no one can guarantee that it is truly so.

Therefore, standing this close requires immense Courage.

"Researcher Dika, look, as we approach, the mist seems to be retreating. What do you think is causing this?"

"Lord Xia Duo, let us step back. It is too dangerous here; the closer I get, the more I can feel an inexplicable sense of pressure coming from my soul."

Dika possesses great Courage and willpower to have dared to join the Time-Related Magic Research Laboratory. Even if Elven Mages do not have as high a demand for personal privacy as Netherese Mages, it does not mean they do not care about it.

Joining the Time-Related Magic Research Laboratory requires multiple layers of vetting, from body to Soul, and even self-consciousness, followed by regular re-examinations. It can be said that from the moment Dika joined, Dika had no personal privacy.

How much Courage and how strong a will this requires—if not for the determination to fight the Demon Descendants to the end, who would make such a sacrifice? In any case, Xia Duo could not accept such conditions.

But now, such an Elf who possesses immense Courage and is willing to sacrifice themselves has hesitated before the mist. In fact, Xia Duo also felt immense psychological pressure standing before the cordon, but this is the same as an ordinary person standing on the edge of a cliff.

It is more of a psychological feeling; it is still far from true soul-level pressure!

Thus, Xia Duo realized that he might have discovered a new characteristic of the mist. "Researcher Dika, you said you felt a sense of pressure on your soul; would you mind sharing this part of your Perception?"

At this moment, both parties are in the same Spirit Thought Network; as long as Dika agrees, Xia Duo can share the other's feelings. He wants to determine whether this is purely psychological or stems from a real sense of pressure.

Dika did not refuse this. As a Spirit-Thought Network Information Collaborator, Xia Duo will remain in the Time-Related Magic Research Laboratory for quite some time, and there will be too many opportunities to pry into the inner thoughts of every researcher.

As an Elven Mage, Dika is actually quite resistant to such an existence, but as a researcher of time-related magic who has gathered the attention of almost the entire Northland, Dika has already made enough sacrifices and does not care about a little more.

"What do I need to do? Increase the Perception depth of the Connector?"

"Yes, increase the Connector's Perception depth to Level 2, then try to empty your mind as much as possible and don't overthink."

The Spirit Thought Network Connector provided by Xia Duo has a total of 4 levels of Perception depth, with the highest level sufficient to perceive most subconscious activities. Under normal circumstances, an entrant only needs to set it to Level 2 to support general research.

In necessary situations, Level 3 is already the limit, but Xia Duo had his reasons for asking the other party to increase the Connector's Perception depth to Level 4 in order to better determine Dika's feelings.

When making a request, one should aim as high as possible to facilitate bargaining, but Xia Duo did not expect Dika to increase the Perception depth to Level 4 without saying a word.

In an instant, a large amount of information flooded into the Spirit Thought Network. Fortunately, Xia Duo also has professional ethics; he tried his best not to receive that part of the information, instead allowing his own consciousness Projection to resonate with Dika's consciousness.

In this situation, Dika almost became another avatar of his, just like when he incarnates into other creatures in the Projection Plane. Xia Duo was now incarnated as Dika, with almost no obstruction.

For a time, even though Xia Duo did not overthink or receive more information, and had Dika not overthink either, Dika's various subconscious activities were still clearly and accurately displayed before him.

And the pressure from the mist that he cared about most was among them!

Tracing the source of this feeling, Xia Duo quickly discovered that there was indeed an influence from psychological factors—it was actually a sense of crisis in the subconscious—but there was also a real part—

It was the Magic Net Intuition of Dika, who is a top-tier existence in the Elven Magic System and an Advanced Mage with extreme Magic Net Affinity!

Or to put it more vividly, the Magic Net was actively warning Dika that there was an anomaly in the Mist Region and that it was best not to approach.

"Magic Net Intuition?"

Xia Duo was thoughtful. At the moment, this avatar of his is actually the Saint Form of an Advanced Elven Mage. Why did he not feel it? Why was it only Dika?

Thinking of this, Xia Duo reminded Dika to lower the Perception depth level of the Spirit Thought Network Connector while asking other researchers in the Spirit Thought Network about their real feelings at the edge of the cordon.

Soon, he received replies from the other researchers—

Among those five researchers, two also felt an inexplicable sense of soul-level pressure, while the other three felt a very common, normal sense of crisis.

Xia Duo also requested to share the Perception of those five researchers; as a result, three agreed, while the other two refused without hesitation.

Fortunately, the three who agreed included one who felt the soul-level pressure and two who felt the normal sense of crisis.

Xia Duo shared their Perception one by one and confirmed that the soul-level pressure was real; like Dika, it was partly derived from a sense of crisis and partly from the Magic Net's warning.

The other two with normal senses of crisis only had the sense of crisis, which was purely a psychological effect.

"Why is this happening?"

There might be a gap in the Magic Net Affinity of these researchers, but the gap is far from being large enough to result in one side having a Magic Net warning and the other not.