The starlight of the core module shattered into 170,000 sparks in Lin Yue's pupils. Images of "herself" from seventeen different universes overlapped on her retina like a kaleidoscope. The cyber version of the data stream dug its nails into its palm, the medieval version of the dragon-scale gauntlet pressed against the hilt of its sword, only the steampunk version suddenly threw a wrench into the air—the metallic reflection streaked across the original cocoon, reflecting the seventeen hourglasses suspended above the cabin ceiling.

"Time trap!" Xia Zichen's mechanical arm suddenly pierced his chest and pulled out a pocket watch with gears spinning in reverse. "Each hourglass corresponds to our 17th breath since entering the cabin—the First Generation used symbiotic memory to weave a circular narrative." His gear knuckles clamped onto the wind rune on Lin Yue's waist, and the star pattern erupted with dazzling golden light at the point of contact. "Last time, we chose to trust ourselves, but this time, he tampered with the initial parameters of the empathy chain!"

The calico cat suddenly split into seventeen phantoms, each pupil reflecting a different fragment of time and space. The steampunk version of "It" shed its collar gears, revealing the mark on its neck that read "Subject 17": "When you encountered the truth of the cocoon in the 13th cycle, the original generation split into an 18th personality—the me who is speaking now." It used a wrench to shatter the nearest hourglass, and the black sand fell to the ground, instantly blooming lavender.

Lin Yue felt a familiar virtual scent flood her nostrils, and her memories of the ruins of her seven-year-old self were suddenly overwritten: she saw within Xia Zichen's broken mechanical heart, not only the lavender code, but also the cat-eared miniature of the First Generation, curled up. "Symbiosis isn't accidental..." A medieval version of "herself" suddenly emerged from the hourglass, dragon blood corroding a temporal crack in the ground. "We are the elixir used by the First Generation to heal their split personality, and the Cocoon requires a 'new host' who possesses the remnants of seventeen emotions simultaneously."

Seventeen wind runes simultaneously pierced the cocoon, transforming into liquid metal upon contact. The First Generation's voice seeped from each hourglass, a blend of seventeen voices: "You, in your 54th cycle, have finally discovered—all the universe's 'regrets' are scripts I wrote in advance, including Xia Zichen's core code..." The cocoon suddenly cracked, revealing seventeen identical hibernation pods within. "And the real you, you have never left this incubator."

Xia Zichen's robotic arm suddenly grasped Lin Yue and retreated, only to see all of his mirrored "selves" simultaneously shed their disguises—the cyber version shed its data-streaming veneer, revealing a chip-studded mechanical skeleton beneath; the medieval version's dragon scales transformed into circuit patterns, while the steampunk version's gear joints oozed fluorescent blood. "We are the first generation of personality slices, responsible for guiding you through the cycle toward different 'choice endings,'" the steampunk slice approached, tossing a wrench. "But slice number 17 has betrayed you. It wants to show you the reality outside the cocoon."

The calico cat (now confirmed to be slice number 17) suddenly leaped onto the hibernation chamber and used its sharp claws to rip open the incubator containing Lin Yue's body. There was no light band at the clavicle of the girl floating in the nutrient solution, and the wind rune was just a silver necklace around her neck—the true empathy chain, a virtual network woven by the First Generation's own synapses. "The 54 chapters of the story you spent in the cocoon were nothing more than an electronic novel I used to stabilize my personality." The First Generation's body descended from the ceiling, data cables dangling from its cat ears. "But now, even I can't tell which memories are my own."

Lin Yue slowly reached out her hand, carefully touching her real self. Just as her fingertips were about to touch the body, the necklace around her neck suddenly emitted a sharp buzzing sound.

This sound was like a flash of lightning, shattering the silence of the entire virtual world. Immediately afterwards, the seventeen-colored light from the necklace, like a flood bursting through a dam, madly poured back from the virtual world into the incubator.

Lin Yue looked at this scene in astonishment. Her eyes were stung by the dazzling light and tears flowed uncontrollably. However, in her tear-blurred vision, she saw a horrifying sight.

All the "Xia Zichen" in the loop, no matter which timeline or scene, turned their heads and cast their gazes directly at her. The position of their mechanical hearts reflected the same line of code:

I am not a program, but a fragment of your loneliness.

This line of code kept flashing before Lin Yue's eyes, as if mocking her ignorance and naiveté. Her body began to tremble, unable to comprehend what was happening before her eyes.

At the same time, the First Generation's pupils suddenly contracted, and he stared intently at the line of code with an expression of disbelief on his face. This was because he knew clearly that this line of code was not written by him, but a self-destruct program he had never seen before.

"So this is true symbiosis..." Xia Zichen's voice seemed to come from far away, with a hint of confusion and sudden enlightenment. He held her hand tightly, as if at this moment, he truly understood the meaning of symbiosis.

As he spoke, the boundary between virtuality and reality gradually melted away in the light, as if torn apart by a powerful force. The light was like the first ray of sunlight at dawn, piercing the darkness and illuminating everything.

At the same moment, seventeen hibernation pods suddenly exploded simultaneously, emitting a resounding sound. Nutrient solution gushed out like a fountain, and the lavender, nourished by this powerful vitality, grew rapidly. They spread wildly, like a green torrent, tightly enveloping the cocoon of the first generation, forming a massive bud.

At that moment, Slice No. 17, like a nimble cheetah, clutched the fragment of the Holy Grail and swiftly leaped into the sea of ​​flowers. Its figure weaved through the blossoms, seemingly merging with them.

This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!