Chapter 2401: Soul Assault (Nineteen)_1

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Before the instruments, Stark, Shiller, and Charles wore solemn expressions.

Jarvis, who was operating the instruments, looked up and said, "We can no longer retrieve more data from the deeper levels of the psychic space. His brainwaves teeter on the edge of losing control. Should we continue trying?"

Stark hesitated slightly but replied, "No, turn off the machine for now. We can't take the risk."

"In fact, this has already been quite risky," Shiller said, staring at the data on the instrument. "Even using machines for brainwave interference tests is not as controllable as you think. If anything goes awry, this entire building could be reduced to ashes."

Wanda, who was sitting on the side, stood up and said, "I'm ready. In a moment, I will touch each of you and leave behind a scarlet beacon in your bodies. It's our last safeguard before we leave."

Stark looked at Shiller and asked, "Which personality are you sending in?"

"I'd love a brawl, but the data from the brainwave interference checks isn't promising. It's difficult to determine the bandwidth of his psyche. Rashly sending in too many personality traits might cause him to lose control, so I'm sending in the one who's best at fighting."

Stark swallowed hard and said, "The one who doesn't talk?"

"He can talk, but he never wastes words if he can act instead."

Shiller turned to Charles and said, "I won't go this time. That way, we can save a spot for a commando, ensuring we have enough firepower. You will act as the brain of this team. Remember, this is just a scouting mission. Don't venture in too deep. Pull out immediately if something isn't right."

Charles nodded gravely.

Looking at David, who was half-naked in the testing chamber, Charles, being a mutant himself, knew better than most that this operation was very dangerous, concerning both the psychic and physical realms' security. He couldn't help being cautious.

More importantly, he realized that although he was considered omnipotent in psychic ability, he had a deadly weakness: he truly wasn't adept at fighting due to his frail body, making him easy to overpower.

Previously, because his mutant abilities were so strong and those around him were weak, Charles hadn't realized this. After all, no matter who rushed at him, he could instantly perceive their thoughts and control them.

But after coming to this cosmos, Charles found his psychic abilities insufficient for current situations. Surrounded by people who were exceptionally capable fighters, he discovered that his psychic abilities were no longer enough to cope.

He needed to find a way to strengthen himself. Charles changed the first stage goal of his plan. Taking advantage of the many opportunities in this cosmos, he urgently needed to address his weakness.

Therefore, he was willing to take some risks because if he contributed to the security of this cosmos, it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect some benefits later.

After careful thought, Charles said, "Last time I glimpsed his psychic battlefield, albeit briefly. I deduce it's divided into three parts."

"The first part is a city, resembling Paris somewhat, but I also saw shadows of London; the second is a massive castle, indeterminate in epoch and internal structure; the third is a vast prairie, where two factions of personalities are at war."

Stark pinched the bridge of his nose and said with a headache, "Why is it that your craziness always exhibits such creativity? I thought one high tower was peculiar enough. What's he planning? To build his own Hollywood inside his mind?"

"These images might all have their meanings," Shiller pondered. "I suggest you start exploring from the city because it might represent David Haller's past. We need to understand him first to defeat other personalities in his psychic battlefield."

"Let's get ready to go," sighed Wanda.

"I will be present simultaneously in the form of an information flow within the Power of Scarlet provided to you by Wanda and in external communication devices," Jarvis's voice echoed in everyone's mind. "I will upload everything you see into the main server as visual data, which will then be synchronously analyzed by me and Mr. Stark."

"If you have any questions, call for me. I can search the database in the main server for you, but take note; The Power of Scarlet won't be interfered with, but Wanda's brainwaves might not remain stable throughout. So there could be disconnections near strong sources of energy. Please do not panic. As soon as the signal is restored, I will contact you immediately."

Everyone nodded. Stark stepped back, and Shiller looked at Charles saying, "First, tap into my psychic space. My personality traits will start this journey with you."

They took their seats, and Charles closed his eyes. The brainwave connection was exceptionally smooth, and after a flash of white light, a high tower soaring into the clouds appeared before him.

Excellent, this one is seriously unwell.

It was Charles's first time fully tapping into Shiller's brainwaves. He gazed at the high tower and felt a wholly different sensation from what he felt when seeing David's psychic space.

"How does it feel?" Shiller's voice arose next to Charles, who turned to see Shiller still comfortably by his side.

"There's an unreasonable order to it," Charles said. "It's fragmented, but it has order, or should I say, you do."

"Yes, because this is my standard part. They were once shattered, but they rearranged themselves beautifully, and My current psychic state is stable."

"More than stable," mused Charles. "It seems like a new mode of thought operation. Your brainwaves must be interesting. Perhaps to adapt to this mode, your brain has made certain compromises and changes."

"There's plenty of time for medical research. I don't mind you studying my brain, though I doubt you'll find many surprises in there," Shiller said as he pushed open the great door of the high tower and led Charles inside.

"You said this is your standard side. Is there a non-standard one, then?" Charles asked.

"Of course, the morbid reside below," Shiller said, looking down. "They live in the abyss of the subconscious and usually don't come up."

"So, to which side does the personality trait that's good at fighting belong?"

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"Good question,"

Shiller didn't answer directly, and it took a probing look from Charles before Shiller sighed and said, "He was supposed to be a part of my morbid side, my violent trait, but because he was triggered at the wrong time, he was restrained."

Charles tilted his head in some incomprehension.

"Usually, when people first exhibit violent tendencies, they feel positive feedback due to a surge in adrenaline or the satisfaction of violent urges," Shiller looked at Charles and said. "Violence is a primal instinct of humans, and the inflictor of violence rarely feels pain."

After pondering for a while, Charles nodded. He thought Shiller's words made sense. Although it was a long time ago, Charles could still remember how he didn't feel sad but found it quite fun when he first broke a toy and nearly hit someone with it when he was very small.

"Violent urges are usually not disciplined by the superego," Shiller said. "There is one exception, however, it brought consequences so severe that I couldn't bear them, so he voluntarily submitted to discipline."

"What did you do?" Charles realized something.

"I hurt the nurse who was taking care of me, nearly bit through her neck," Shiller said with downcast eyes.

"I'm sorry," Charles sighed. "That must have been a terrible experience."

"Yes, but it still resides in my mind. I have the ability to erase it, but I didn't do so."

"Why not?"

"It brought about changes," Shiller said. "The pain at the time was intense and prolonged, but from a very long-term perspective, it taught me a lesson and brought progress."

Charles fell silent and then said, "Must the ladder to human progress always be paved with suffering?"

"Humans are a species that won't learn unless they feel pain," Shiller replied.

Charles followed Shiller upstairs silently. Along the way, he saw many versions of Shiller. Although the scene was extraordinary, it was not bizarre. There was no atmosphere of horror, yet it seemed very ordinary.

The most ordinary scene took place at the entrance of the insane asylum, where a tall figure with a falcon-like skull head was tugging on one end of a magic wand, competing in a tug of war with another figure wearing a muzzle mask.

"Let go! Shiller! You can't break my magic wand again!"

Upon noticing someone's approach, the tall figure stiffened and, upon seeing a stranger, elegantly withdrew his hand.

The consequence was the complete disassembly of his magic wand.

"Who is he?" Charles asked Shiller, referring to the tall figure who wasn't a younger version of Shiller.

"Khonsu, a freeloader," Shiller shrugged and said.

Khonsu coughed twice, and Shiller, with his arms folded, looked at him and said, "If you're so capable, don't eat the energy I bring back."

Khonsu said nothing, and with a wave of his hand, the disassembled magic wand reassembled itself. His figure then disappeared inside the High Tower.

"Once, he lent me his strength. Although I didn't really need it, considering he offered to help, I gave him a long-term meal ticket, so this guy rarely goes back to his Deity System to starve," Shiller explained.

"Is he of any help to our plan?"

"Somewhat, but not much," Shiller said. "In the Psychic Battlefield, what matters is not the quantity of energy but the strength of the spirit and the speed of thought processes."

"Do you think your violent personality trait is strong in that respect?"

"Yes, but that's not the point. Obviously, the present personalities in David's Psychic Space are all irritable, and in this world with no rules, countering violence with violence seems to be the best approach."

"In fact, my violent personality trait may not be the strongest, but in terms of fighting, he has an advantage no other personality trait can match – he doesn't need any trigger conditions."

"What do you mean?"

"I've told you before, I'm not a patient with dissociative identity disorder. These versions of me you see are all fragments of myself. As fragments, they are incomplete. They are flawed and can only represent parts of me."

"This means some fragments, though strong in one aspect, need too many environmental conditions to showcase their strength, in short, they are unstable."

"Violence is constrained, but because of these constraints, it's as stable as other typical traits, less likely to become uncontrollable when provoked, and able to act on its own volition."

Charles heard the unspoken implications and said, "Are morbid traits very unstable? How unstable?"

"You wouldn't want to know. Let's get going," Shiller said.