Chapter 120

"If I were to get injured in the Daoran World and chose to return to Water Blue Star immediately, before the synchronization could kick in, would my injuries heal? If that worked, wouldn't I effectively have an immortal body?" Li Daoran voiced his hypothesis.

"Theoretically, it's impossible. Not to mention the practical impossibility of such an experiment—it simply isn't feasible," Hou Liang flatly extinguished Li Daoran's fantasy.

"We have actually considered the problem you mentioned, but the results were despairing. Since you’ve brought it up, I’ll tell you this: if you make even the slightest mistake, the best-case scenario is that you remain in the Daoran World forever and never come back."

"We also wish your hypothesis were true, but unfortunately, the nature of this synchronization is extremely limited. For example, your wounds can be synchronized across all of humanity, but if we get injured, there is no reverse synchronization. If your hypothesis held water, there should be no disabled or sick people in this world; we wouldn't even be able to get hurt, because three seconds later, your body would synchronize and everything should be restored. Sadly, that isn't the case. We still get hurt just like anyone else," Natasha said slowly.

"But the Daoran World is different. That body can synchronize with mine. Didn't you say that my improved physical fitness is because that body's attributes are so high that they synchronized to this one? That proves it's special. It might just work," Li Daoran insisted, refusing to give up on his idea. "I want to try. Only if it works can I agree to your plan. If it doesn't, I'd rather find somewhere to hide."

"It's too risky," Natasha said, her brow furrowed.

"It will take some time to prepare," Hou Liang said, looking up. "It’s worth a try. The wound cannot be larger than three millimeters, and we need to make preparations in advance. Give us some time."

"Alright. I'll head back to the Daoran World first. You make your preparations. I'll go talk to Yuan Mu and the others about the upcoming plan. Once you're ready, notify me," Li Daoran nodded. "Natasha, you’re responsible for keeping an eye on me. I’m still not entirely clear on the specific details of the operation, so remind me when the time comes."

"Understood," Natasha nodded.

Hou Liang had already begun issuing orders. The first task was to wake David and the others, who had likely only just hit the bed. Since each of them was responsible for different regions and duties, the global preparation work couldn't proceed without them.

Li Daoran didn't know how long they would need, but he knew the workload was far more complex than just him talking. However, speed was of the essence in war, and they had little time to waste. Hou Liang and the others were well aware of this.

Li Daoran lay on the soft bed, pondering Natasha’s words. They had thought about it, but gave up, even justifying it to themselves. They likely harbored such hopes, but no one was willing to shoulder the consequences of failure—except for Li Daoran himself.

He closed his eyes, stopped overthinking, and before long, he entered the Daoran World.

Three seconds. Li Daoran counted silently. He only had three seconds. How could he enter the Daoran World within three seconds? Even though he was quite skilled at finding that frequency, he had never managed to detach his consciousness in under three seconds. He had never meticulously timed it before, but now he paid close attention. From lying down to entering the Daoran World, it actually took far longer than a minute. He had to clear his mind of chaotic thoughts and locate that specific brainwave frequency to synchronize his consciousness.

Li Daoran began to regret his rash proposal for the experiment.

Natasha and Hou Liang must have realized this, which was why Natasha called it too risky. Three seconds was a massive test for Li Daoran. He didn't know how many attempts it would take to succeed, and how many times could humanity withstand his failure?

"How long did it take me to get in just now?" Li Daoran asked. He only had a rough estimate, so he asked, knowing Natasha would have calculated it.

"From the moment you entered the room to entering the Daoran World, it took a total of three minutes, fifty-two point three seven seconds. That’s already much faster than before. We’ve been monitoring you; every time you lay on the bed, we recorded it, and lately, it's been getting faster. You’ve hit on the key point, haven't you?" Natasha provided the precise time, showing that they had been tracking this all along.

"Three seconds," Li Daoran murmured.

"Yes, only three seconds. I don't know how long it takes for your consciousness to clear. Actually, we’ve tracked it—all those needles you’ve endured, these needle marks on our bodies aren't for nothing. The three seconds it takes to synchronize to you vary every time. We can't determine if it starts when you are fully conscious or when you are in transit, because the time is too short. We can't experiment on you too much, as disturbing your transit would have unthinkable consequences. But once a wound appears on you, regardless of how precisely we measure it, three seconds—not a millisecond of error—and it synchronizes to every human on Earth, without exception. That, at least, has been verified."

"So, in reality, I have six seconds? If my consciousness leaves, but my body doesn't synchronize, wouldn't that be a solution? Don't you have a way to keep me from coming back?" Li Daoran said, squatting on the ground, talking to himself.

"That is the final resort," Natasha said in a low voice.

"Let's try it," Li Daoran insisted.

"Do you know how dangerous you'll be if the experiment succeeds and the synchronization doesn't happen?" Natasha asked, laughing in exasperation.

"It can't be more dangerous than what I have to do. Since I have to do it, I might as well resolve my worries first. If it succeeds, even if I die, I'll die in the Daoran World and won't cause trouble for Water Blue Star. If it doesn't... well, I'll still die in the Daoran World. Maybe you’ll have a way to keep my body alive. It would be a glimmer of hope for you all." Li Daoran spoke without a hint of heroics, as naturally and casually as if he were discussing whether to have buns or fried dough sticks for breakfast. Yet, his words moved countless people on Water Blue Star.

"Do you know this is being broadcast live? Trying to trick us into tears? I’ll have you know your little scheme isn't going to work. Very few people understand the Daoran language, but we will record this and broadcast it with subtitles in every language. The PR department finally got an easy job," Natasha said, slightly moved, though she kept her tone teasing rather than sentimental.

"Since the preparations are the same, let's just do both experiments together. Sorry for the trouble," Li Daoran rubbed his face as he put on his exoskeleton armor.