"Meow~"

Little Black wriggled over to the instrument, curiously eyeing this strange object.

Lin Ye opened the system interface to check the instrument's information.

[Unfinished Instrument]

[This is an incomplete device. Perhaps no one besides its creator knows its purpose.]

[Note: Can be exchanged for a Personal Mental Defense System]

'What the hell is a Personal Mental Defense System? It's not going to create some consciousness that messes with my brain, is it?'

Lin Ye thought about his Parasitism Network. That woman might have been lacking in combat skills, but the things she developed were no joke. He still couldn't figure out how that girl could spread and modify information between brains-the area where she operated was the organization's spiritual-energy-free zone.

If he could combine the Personal Mental Defense System with the Parasitism Network, wouldn't he be able to freely modify anyone's brain at will?

'But then again, in a spiritual energy environment, that mental defense system might not work the same way.'

Lin Ye connected the instrument to a power source and tried turning it on to study its functions.

Ten minutes later, he gave up on researching the device and simply exchanged it for the Personal Mental Defense System.

The instrument vanished from the Shelter, but nothing new appeared inside.

Lin Ye sensed that his mental energy seemed able to connect to some unknown mental space.

"So this is the mental defense system?"

He touched that mental space with his mental energy, and a figure suddenly appeared in his field of vision.

"Didn't expect to see you again so soon. So you're that Personal Mental Defense System?"

Lin Ye looked at the young girl before him. He had considered this possibility.

"Huh?"

The girl stared blankly at Lin Ye, as if she couldn't understand what he was saying.

"You're not trying to trick me again, are you? But then again, you probably don't have any reason to lie to me here. So you're not her-you're just an initialized system avatar?"

Lin Ye carefully probed the girl with his mental energy. In his perception, she was like an empty mental illusion-with no substance inside.

"So, what functions do you have? Does it need that metal construct to power you?"

After studying for a while, Lin Ye discovered that this mental defense system seemed to have only an empty framework. To use it, he would first need to import the necessary data into it.

In other words, before using the system, there was a training process involved.

'What a hassle. But an empty system has its advantages-I can modify it into whatever state I need. For example, turning it into a mental system compatible with the Parasitism Network.'

Lin Ye looked into the girl's eyes and said to her:

"Since you're a defense system, I'll call you Little Guardian. That's easier to remember."

The girl didn't respond. She just stood there, still looking blank.

Lin Ye severed the mental connection with the defense system. After Little Guardian disappeared, he opened the system interface to check the title's information.

[Last Stand Counterattack]

[Even when trapped in a true hopeless situation, you never give up hope.]

[Note: Survival against all odds]

Closing the system interface, Lin Ye walked to the door and looked through the peephole into the corridor. It was empty, and there wasn't even the occasional sound of footsteps.

"Meow?"

Little Black crawled to Lin Ye's feet and tilted its head to look at him.

"Yeah, I'm planning to go out. But not right now."

Lin Ye was strong, but this was a city built by the system, and he had to follow the rules it set. So going outside carried some risk for him, too.

But right now, the system clearly wanted them to go out and explore the city. If even going out was extremely dangerous for Lin Ye, then there was no way other Survivors would go out and court death.

'I'd better head to the Rest Area first. That's safer.'

Lin Ye used his Rest Area Pass and brought all his pets from the Shelter to the Rest Area.

"You're awake. Where would you like to go today?"

Xiao Bai stood by the bed, looking at Lin Ye as if she had been standing there waiting the whole time.

"I want to go out for a stroll. On that note, I'd like your advice. Where's a good place for me to go today?"

Lin Ye sat up from the soft bed, still in his pajamas. Several pets were lying on him. Maybe thanks to the Alienation knowledge he'd gained from that worm, Little Black had gotten a bit slimmer recently.

"No matter where you are, rules are important. As long as you don't break the rules here, you can go anywhere you want. Today, you could start by going to the library to pick out a book to read. I'll prepare some tea snacks for you."

Xiao Bai picked up the Scapegoat that was following her and walked with Lin Ye toward the bathroom.

"Alright."

Having gotten the answer he wanted, Lin Ye went to the bathroom first for a shower, then changed into a floral shirt, went to the Restaurant for a hearty lunch, and finally took a ride to the Rest Area's library.

The library in the Rest Area was massive, spanning a full ten floors. Each floor was filled with bookshelves several meters tall, lined with books written in all kinds of scripts.

"What are all these books about?"

Lin Ye hadn't paid much attention to the library in the Rest Area before, because the only facilities here were entertainment-related.

"All the books here are entertainment-related. Novels, comics, magazines... There probably isn't the kind of book you're looking for."

Xiao Bai led Lin Ye through the aisles. His gaze swept over the spines on the shelves, which bore many strange titles.

"Quite a sight."

Lin Ye picked a book with an interesting title and sat down in the reading area to read. The afternoon sunlight spilled across the other half of the table. The tea snacks Xiao Bai had prepared were delicious.

Little Black and the little dog crouched next to Xiao Bai, munching on the treats. The Scapegoat sat beside Lin Ye, flipping through a strange comic with a goat as the main character, using its hoof.

On the way back, Lin Ye savored the content of the novel. It was a story about a time loop, and even he had to replay it a few times in his head to fully understand the entire narrative flow. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Was that novel interesting?"

Xiao Bai, who was driving, suddenly asked.

"...It was subtle. The protagonist being a watermelon that's being eaten was a bit too avant-garde for me. I only understood what the story was about when I reached the very end."

Lin Ye found it hard to understand why the system had put that novel in the Rest Area. That thing was harder to grasp than advanced mathematics, especially the philosophy parts.

"That's the difference in ways of thinking between different Planes. Most people find it difficult to understand that story."

Xiao Bai pulled the sports car up to the entrance of the hotel.