Chapter 178: Chapter 175: Emotional Baseline Calibration Protocol and Irreversible Cognitive Mapping Model

The call ended, and the light screen vanished.

Allen stood still for a moment, the corners of his lips turning up slightly.

’Interesting. Just when you think you’ve hit a wall, a door opens.’

’The flaws of the Mechanical Mind... according to my mentor Mercer, they’re a sword hanging over my head, an abyss I must constantly be wary of.’

’And my greatest "otherworldly trait" is precisely those memories from another world—the very things the Mechanical Mind deems "redundant information."’

’They are the "anchors of humanity" I use to combat the negative effects of the Mechanical Mind.’

’The entertainment industry in the Wizarding World isn’t very developed. I bet this stuff will come in handy.’

"DSeek, access the deep memory database. Authorization: maximum. Create new project: ’Emotional Baseline Calibration Protocol - Alpha Test Version’."

[Project created. Indexing database... Data volume is excessive. Please set filtering criteria.]

"Filtering criteria?" Allen mused for a moment, Catherine’s lifeless face appearing in his mind’s eye. "First, emotional impact strength. Second, logical discontinuity. Third, information density."

’She doesn’t need gentle guidance; she needs a full-on barrage.’

’The best way to deal with a CPU on the verge of bricking is to hit it with a pile of junk code and emotional viruses to force a reboot.’

[Filtering criteria set. Generating content list...]

DSeek’s virtual screen cascaded with updates across Allen’s retina.

[Category: Sadness (To catalyze empathy)]

[Selected: *Hachi: A Dog’s Tale*. Rationale: A pure, cross-species story of loyalty and waiting. Its irrational reward system defies logical explanation, effectively challenging utilitarian thought barriers.]

[Category: Joy (To rebuild positive feedback loops)]

[Selected: *Tom and Jerry* Showcase. Rationale: No dialogue. Pure physical comedy and exaggerated physics where logic completely fails. Focuses on instantaneous, nonsensical joy. Can effectively reduce the target’s reliance on logic.]

[Category: Complex Emotions (To experience the intermingling of love and hate)]

[Selected: *A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella*. Rationale: A fusion of the absurd, comedy, tragedy, and fatalism. Its emotional complexity and non-linear narrative, summed up by the line, ’I guessed the beginning, but I couldn’t guess the ending,’ make it a perfect case study for breaking rigid thought patterns.]

[Category: Chaos (To shatter the cognitive framework)]

[Selected: *Grand Compendium of Baffling Human Behavior*, Annual Edition. Rationale: ...Unable to analyze. Direct application is recommended.]

...

Allen looked at the list, which contained thousands of scenarios, and nodded in satisfaction.

’This combo will be so effective, it wouldn’t just crack an emotionally suppressed Wizard—it would crack a stone.’

"Good, we’ll use this list," Allen commanded. "Package all the content and format it into a data stream that can be read directly by Spiritual Power. Erase all concepts related to ’Earth,’ ’movies,’ ’actors,’ and so on. Re-package it all as ’Otherworldly Observation Records’."

[Executing. Estimated time: 300 minutes.]

With the "software" sorted, it was time for the "hardware."

Allen walked over to an idle, high-precision Alchemy Machine.

He needed a vessel, a "player" that would allow Catherine to receive these data streams completely unguarded.

From his storage space, he retrieved a dusty, helmet-shaped metal billet.

"Jarvis, design an ’Immersive Spiritual Power Conduction Helmet’."

"The requirements are as follows," Allen added. "First, its appearance must be complex and mysterious. At first glance, people should think it’s expensive and highly technical."

"Second, on all the external surfaces that don’t affect core functions, engrave glowing Runes for me—the multi-colored kind. I’m going for a... ’light pollution’ aesthetic." Allen recalled the RGB fans on computer cases from his past life, the ones that supposedly boosted performance by 50%.

’Looks are combat power, and lighting effects are technical prowess.’

[...Generating design plan...] Jarvis paused for a moment, seemingly processing the concept of "light pollution."

"Third, and most importantly."

Allen’s expression grew serious. "Implant a ’firewall’ spell at the core Spiritual Power interface. Any Spiritual Power that tries to reverse-engineer or analyze the information source will cause the built-in memory data to be utterly destroyed. We’ll tell people it’s a Soul Lock designed to protect the user’s soul from the data stream’s impact."

’You shouldn’t intend to harm others, but you must always be on guard.’

As the commands were issued, the Alchemy Machine whirred to life.

Allen stood aside, his telekinetic hands a blur and the Micro-Engraving Light Pen a flicker of light. Row after row of ornate but useless Energy Circuits were etched onto the helmet’s surface. In less than an hour, a dark-gold helmet that looked profoundly impressive, if completely inscrutable, was complete.

Its entire surface was covered in complex geometric patterns, with antenna-like crystal structures extending from the sides. When activated, dozens of miniature Runes would light up in sequence, pulsing with a gradient of light from red to purple like a breathing LED, maxing out its bizarre cool factor.

Allen picked up the helmet, satisfied. He then pulled a blank sheet of alchemical parchment from his workbench and wrote the title for the instruction manual:

*A Guide to the Induction and Experience of Irrational Emotion (Preliminary Edition)*

"1. This protocol is intended to provide a humanity baseline calibration service for advanced users of the Mechanical Mind. Please follow all instructions strictly. Otherwise, the consequences are your own."

"2. Before use, ensure you are in a completely private and interference-free environment. It is normal to experience phenomena such as uncontrollable crying, senseless laughter, or philosophical doubt about the nature of the world. Do not be alarmed."

"3. It is recommended that your first experience begin with the ’Joy’ category to establish a foundational emotional link. Remember: do not attempt any logical analysis during the emotional experience, as this may cause the protocol to terminate."

"4. This product’s technology is sourced from the Mind School. Disassembly is strictly prohibited. The built-in Soul Lock will ensure your safety during use."

"..."

After writing the last point, Allen blew the ink dry, then packed the manual and the helmet together into a cool-looking Alchemy Box.

Everything was ready.

...

「Three days later.」

Allen placed the Alchemy Box, which contained his "spiritual opium," onto the Teleportation Array in the materials warehouse.

With a flash of light, the box vanished.

According to their agreement, Catherine would test the device first. She would only pay him if it proved effective.

At that same moment, far away in her workshop in Sector 17, Catherine received the "package."

When she opened the box and saw the ostentatious helmet shimmering with a rainbow of colors, even someone like Catherine found her thoughts freezing for a full three seconds.

"..."

She looked up, and for the first time, her emotionless eyes revealed a clearly discernible... doubt and confusion.

She immediately opened a channel to Allen’s terminal.

"This is the ’Emotional Baseline Calibration Protocol’ you said you paid a fortune for?" Her voice was even colder than before, as if she were interrogating a subpar supplier.

"Appearance is merely superficial, Lady Catherine."

Allen’s expression was placid as he presented what sounded like a cutting-edge scientific breakthrough. "The true technology lies in the internal Spiritual Power guidance methods and the ’irreversible cognitive mapping’ model, which was developed by the Mind School using materials gathered from various planes."

He was spouting nonsense, breaking down the DSeek-packaged media into a string of profound-sounding technical terms.

"It will guide your subconscious to experience a sealed, absolutely real segment of another world’s history as an ’observer.’ You will ’see and feel it directly’ rather than thinking about it. This is currently the only known method to break the logical traps of the Mechanical Mind."

Catherine picked up the manual and scanned it quickly. When she saw the words "Mind School" and "Soul Lock," the red light in her eyes flickered more rapidly.

"Be sure to use it in your private Meditation Room."

"Once the protocol starts, your mental defenses will be at their lowest," Allen added as a final instruction. "Don’t attempt any rational analysis."

That last sentence finally dispelled Catherine’s remaining doubts.

’High-level techniques that operate on the mind do, in fact, require a completely private environment.’

"I understand." She closed the box. Her projected image gave a slight nod, and without a single word of thanks, she cut the connection.

The workshop fell silent once more.

...

「Meanwhile, in Sector 17, Catherine’s private Meditation Room.」

There were no decorations; the room was as sparse as a prison cell.

She sat on a cold metal chair. Before her rested the helmet, so ornate it was almost gaudy, utterly clashing with its surroundings.

[Logical Analysis: 78% of the device’s structure is non-functional decoration. Energy fluctuation patterns do not conform to any known high-tier Alchemy Items. Conclusion: Probability of fraud: 92.4%.]

[Risk Assessment: The other party has no reason to engage in a one-time fraudulent transaction; it does not serve long-term interests. Protocol contents cannot be verified. Unknown risks are present.]

[Optimal Solution: Forgo use. Seal this object and retain as a research specimen.]

Her mind had clearly provided the answer.

But she didn’t move.

Catherine reached out, her fingers stroking the helmet’s cold shell and tracing the shimmering Runes.

She tried to remember the last time she’d felt "joy." It might have been five years ago, when she successfully developed the Sky Patrol Type Three Golem.

But the feeling was hazy, as if seen through frosted glass.

She hadn’t... "felt" anything in so long.

Even for a 7.6% chance, she wanted to try.

Taking a deep breath, Catherine acted without any further hesitation. She picked up the helmet and slowly placed it on her head.

Her vision plunged into darkness.

Following the manual’s instructions, she probed the helmet’s core interface with a sliver of her Spiritual Power.

[Welcome to the Emotional Baseline Calibration Protocol.]

[For your first experience, the recommended category is: Joy.]

[Now loading... Otherworldly Observation Record: ID 7734-B...]

The next second, an otherworldly symphony—so cheerful it was almost jarring—exploded in her mind without any warning.

Immediately after, the image of a blue cat chasing a mouse appeared in her "vision."