Chapter 135: Dimension 42

Chapter 135: Dimension 42

"...What?"

In response to this abrupt statement, Dummy No. 1 blurted out a completely bewildered question, "Add romance?!"

The air fell silent for a few seconds, and Jiang Peihong showed no intention of explaining.

But Xiao Ming, looking thoroughly confused, didn't want the conversation to end like this.

After pondering for a moment, he tried to approach the situation from the perspective of her profession, suddenly realizing, "Ah! I get it, Sister Hong, did you suddenly have a new inspiration? I remember you wanted to write a script about the apocalypse, but it seemed like you never finished it."

"However, according to what they said earlier, we won't remember anything here in the real world; at most, we'll have some vague impressions. Wouldn't your inspiration be lost...?"

His concerned rambling was abruptly cut off by Sister Hong.

"It's better this way," she said thoughtfully. "It won't really ruin a relationship, yet it keeps a chance for something to sprout."

Although she had made up her mind, the surroundings were indeed noisy and crowded at that moment.

There was not even a hint of an atmosphere suitable for two people to be together, only a ridiculous sense that made one want to laugh and cry.

The two pairs by the window, conversing with the sky and the ones on the ground tugging at each other, were somewhat excusable, at least their whispers were quiet.

But what about the police officer and alien discussing the reason humans hold parent-teacher meetings with such a serious demeanor?

To be honest, it wasn't just absurd.

It was also unnecessary.

Tsk.

"Bud... budding?" Xiao Ming's confusion gradually turned into urgency. "Wait, Sister Hong, sorry, I still don't understand what you're saying..."

In the next second, he saw the woman sitting beside him suddenly stand up, casting a casual glance his way with a normal expression.

"I said, how about going out for a smoke?"

The door to the dressing room quietly opened and then quickly closed.

With two fewer people, the room felt slightly emptier, but everyone continued to be absorbed in their own affairs.

The flower-shirted bodyguards, the largest group, sat honestly on small stools, maintaining a well-trained posture as they uniformly gazed at the young man by the window.

—Because they were his bodyguards.

Yu Bai was engaged in a matter of life and death. Although they couldn't seem to help much, they absolutely couldn't stand idly by; they had to be ready to face any danger at a moment's notice.

So all four of them suppressed their curiosity to try whispering and temporarily set aside their confusion and worries about the impending end of the world, focusing solely on Yu Bai's back.

These four gazes were firm and eager.

...And also, obtrusive.

Another pair of gray-blue eyes would occasionally silently sweep over them.

Time passed, and the bodyguards remained motionless.

The already brightly lit room somehow appeared even brighter.

And Yu Bai, equally focused, was completely unaware of everything happening behind him.

He repeatedly sifted through the information Prince had sent from the distant universe. His brain worked at high speed, as if he were in his study at home, desperately trying to finish a difficult story before the deadline.

[We do indeed have a fleet. I'm on the largest main ship, followed by countless medium and small starships. This time, my sister mobilized almost all our clansmen. I guess she wants everyone to have a chance to go to reality when the dimensions switch. She's determined to do this; now she won't even see me.]

[So regarding the detailed plan of how my sister intends to destroy Earth, I'm not clear. I can't provide you with any intelligence. I can only say that our planet's technology is far more advanced than Earth's. If you try to escape using those toy-like rockets, you will definitely be detected, and being shot down would happen in an instant.]

[Steal... steal a starship?! No, no, no, it's impossible! My sister sealed all my powers, making me... very... useless. And she assigned guards specifically to watch me. I have no chance to steal those smaller ships following behind. The area where sub-ships are parked in the main ship is heavily guarded, with alarms everywhere... Sorry, I may not be able to help you.]

In short, all bad news.

Yu Bai hadn't expected the villainess queen to be so wary of her brother, who had spent some time on Earth, in order to advance her plans. Not only had she sealed his powers, but she wouldn't even meet with him.

This made both probing for information and stealing a spaceship exceptionally difficult.

What should they do then?

Yu Bai pondered deeply, staring at the sky.

Since relying directly on an insider wouldn't work, why not try indirectly?

[Do you have any close clansmen? Someone who can pilot a starship and would... uh...]

Recalling the prince's intense reaction to Xie Wufang's previous words, Yu Bai's whispering became subtly stuck.

[Someone who would betray my sister for me?]

In the vast universe, the prince looked at the long string of ellipses in front of him, keenly picking up the cue after a moment of speechlessness.

[....................You really don't treat me like an outsider, no, an alien prince, do you!!!]

Feeling complicated, Bai Wu sulked for a while. Only when the human cautiously asked again did he reluctantly speak.

[Yes, but forget it, it's impossible.]

[Why is it impossible?]

Still not giving up, Yu Bai immediately pressed on, but the sky played dead for a long time before a dense cluster of black text without punctuation burst out hurriedly and squeezed together.

[As my sister has placed a mental restriction on all our kin, forbidding them to accede to any of my requests concerning humans until Earth's destruction, it's impossible. Don't ask anymore!!]

Yu Bai, who had been frowning and pausing for a while as he parsed the message, fell silent.

Alright, he had now fully grasped the prince's bashful feelings after being completely seen through by his sister.

For the prince, it was physical confinement; for other aliens, it was a mental restriction.

What an accurate prediction and comprehensive defense.

...If every major villain acted so decisively and left no room for error, what would be left for the protagonist to do?!

Can't you leave a little chance for survival for the weak and foolish humans?!

With one hand covering his face, Yu Bai couldn't help but fall into anxiety over the looming deadline with an empty document before him.

And this time, the consequences of failing would truly be fatal.

Perhaps sensing his prolonged silence, the prince, who hadn't seen any more black text from Yu Bai, sent a cautious message.

[So, if you guys die in this destruction, does that mean...uh, you'll really...not exist anymore?]

The words held no expression, yet Yu Bai could almost see those clear, bright eyes conveying the most sincere and pure reluctance.

The prince, who spoke of humans as foolish, actually possessed emotions as soft and rich as humans', instinctively caring about those he had encountered on Earth.

He was entirely different from the queen, who was consistent in her cold-heartedness.

...Wait a moment.

Suddenly invigorated, Yu Bai felt a glimmer of inspiration.

[Yes, but let's set that aside for now. I want to ask you: Are your alien kin concrete beings? I mean, do they have various personalities and experiences like humans on Earth do?]

[Of course! They're not lifeless paper cutouts! But why are you asking? I've already told you they're under my sister's mental restriction...]

[I know, but this mental restriction should only apply to your requests, right?]

[Huh? Y-yes, I suppose.]

[Then, I wonder, overall, are the other aliens' personalities more like yours or your sister's?]

[How could they be like my sister! She is the most powerful and magnificent existence on our planet, unique!]

[In other words, more like you? That's great, whew...]

[Hmph, of course it's good; it's their honor—wait, no, what do you mean by that relieved tone of yours!!]

Regardless of its meaning, at last, a splash of color appeared on the blank document.

From then on, as the black whispers were exchanged, a plan gradually took shape in Yu Bai's mind.

The prince, initially shocked and indignant, later became half-reluctant and half-enthusiastic, even making proactive suggestions...

Until they were interrupted by an unexpected event.

[Hold on, something just happened here...What the hell is this?! Anyway, I'll talk to you later!]

[Okay, I'll also discuss it with everyone else.]

Having temporarily bid farewell to the alien prince, Yu Bai, amidst his excitement, felt as though the world before him had become a bit brighter.

Finally tearing his gaze away from the sky, he turned to look at everyone.

And then.

"...Damn." The curse slipped out as he instinctively covered his eyes, "What is this?!"

At the same time, aboard the massive starship rapidly warping toward the Milky Way, the white mist also made the same gesture.

Two sharp horns very quickly extended from within the white mist, blocking its view, much like a human shielding their eyes.

However, after performing this action, the prince realized something.

He didn't have eyes right now.

The two horns silently lowered, and this hazy, drifting mist began circling around the object behind him.

The two guards who had previously alerted him to this matter also rolled over in a state of high alert, circling around it.

Indeed, these were two spherical aliens.

The two spheres and the mist thus held their breath as they observed the mysterious object that had suddenly appeared behind the prince.

It was a massive, nearly spherical entity, with an additional section at the bottom resembling an eggplant stem.

No further details could be discerned.

Because it was too bright.

Its entire body emitted an extremely bright, blinding yellow light, like an inescapable sun.

One of the spherical guards exclaimed in shock, "How could it appear out of thin air behind His Highness? It's incredible, there were no signs of any alien intrusion detected!"

The other sphere, bracing for battle, said, "Could it be the arrival of an alien from a higher dimension? We must report this to Her Majesty immediately!"

The two rolling spheres observing the foreign object grew increasingly serious, but the prince couldn't help laughing.

For he had extended a small wisp of mist to poke at this unknown, luminous object.

The result was nothing but empty air.

"Don't be nervous, it's not an alien," the prince said. "It's just an emotional effect."

"Emotion? Your Highness, what kind of emotion is this?"

"Can't you see?"

The prince burst out laughing. "It's a light bulb, you fool!!"

On the distant blue planet, Yu Bai stared at the four dazzling light bulbs behind the four flower-shirted bodyguards, utterly bewildered.

They were light bulbs... right?

In the time it took him to chat with the prince, where did these four animated light bulbs come from?

They turned the perfectly fine dressing room into something akin to a crematorium, giving one the illusion that they could ascend to heaven in the next second.

Are light bulbs considered emotions...?

If so, usually people feel like others are as obtrusive as light bulbs, so this should be the emotions of others directed at Ah Qiang and his friends.

But why would they target them?

Yu Bai didn't have any behind him, nor did Uncle Li, who looked contemplative, or Xie Wufang, who wore a stoic expression...

Oh, neither did the bald director, still passed out on the floor.

Though his head was already quite bright.

Whose emotions were these shiny light bulbs?

Confused, Yu Bai's head was filled with question marks.

However, there was important business at hand.

Yu Bai eagerly announced the new development: "The prince's powers are restricted; he can't help us steal a starship, nor can he provide much intelligence. Both previous plans are now null and void."

A cry came from behind the sofa: "Eh? What do we do then?!"

Li Nanxiao, familiar with his expression and tone, asked keenly, "But you have a new plan?"

"Yes! I intend to—"

Just as Yu Bai was about to launch into a detailed explanation, he suddenly caught sight of the gleaming police badge on Uncle Li's uniform in the intense light, and his excited words faltered.

...He felt that for the sake of maintaining a good and upright image in the hearts of the people's police, it would be better to lay some groundwork first.

"In fact, when I first found out, I didn't know what to do either, because looking at the objective power disparity, we have no chance of escaping the aliens' pursuit. Our chances of survival are basically zero."

"But later, I realized I had overlooked the most critical issue. Even if they are powerful and we are weak, we are still human beings."

Yu Bai led them on gently. "What makes humans unique?"

This question, thrown across the room full of dazzling light, was directed at the variously thinking, differently-expressed people.

Li Nanxiao, who had somehow found sunglasses to put on, thought for a moment and answered, "Using tools, perhaps?"

Qiao Jinmei, poking her head out from behind the sofa, asked curiously, "Is it love?"

Another female voice, reluctantly speaking after being poked by her finger, said softly, "There's nothing special..."

The flower-shirted men, ignoring the light bulbs and keeping their eyes fixed on Yu Bai, chimed in unison, "It's never backing down, never retreating!"

And Xie Wufang, also gazing at him, simply said, "It's you."

This was the divine response.

After collecting all the answers, the humans in the room who had been curiously waiting for more suddenly widened their eyes in unison.

...Wait, there seemed to be a strange answer mixed in.

—What makes humans unique?

—It's you.

Completely unprepared for this, Yu Bai was taken aback, his mind blanking, even his heartbeat skipping a beat.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw people exchanging glances, their eyes filled with curiosity and surprise, flickering back and forth between him and the deity.

The black lines behind the deity disappeared into the intensely blinding light, while the kettle above the human's head suddenly began to boil furiously.

"No, not these!" In a panic, he clumsily tried to change the subject. "It's our skill at fiction!!!"