NOVEL SIMPLE 0062 – Transparent World 3.0
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Chapter 62: Transparent World 3.0
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In a hazy moment, the sounds of chirping insects, singing birds, and the rhythmic snoring drifted into his ears.
Amidst the fog of consciousness, Zoe could ascertain that the snoring was not her own.
True, she felt as if she had just emerged from an extraordinarily long dream—so long, in fact, that she wished to remain ensconced in its embrace, reluctant to awaken.
Within that dream lay a familiar hue of azure, instilling in her a profound sense of calm.
Yet, Zoe was certain that she was awake now.
As she reached out towards a bright white point of light within the azure dream, she was jolted back to reality.
She was no longer within the confines of her dream.
Following the source of the snoring, she found herself nestled against the broad chest of a black bear, its rhythmic breaths the origin of the sound.
Evidently, after a day of reckless adventure with Zoe, the bear was thoroughly exhausted.
After a moment's contemplation, Zoe took out her phone and checked the time.
It was February 10th, eight eleven in the morning. This sleep had lasted approximately eight hours.
She cast her gaze down from the massive rock that had served as her pillow.
The forest was gently roused by the morning light, like a maiden awakening from slumber, draped in a delicate veil of golden gossamer.
The air was saturated with a light moisture and the earthy aroma of damp soil, mingling with the fresh scents of leaves and wildflowers, forming a unique natural essence.
With a gentle push, Zoe extricated herself from the bear's embrace.
After brushing off the dust that clung to her, she leapt from the imposing rock, landing effortlessly on the ground five meters below, without a hint of disturbance.
She descended as straight as a wooden stick, unbending.
This transformation had culminated in a profound evolution.
Zoe felt an unmistakable surge of exhilaration and vitality coursing through her.
Upon releasing her newly awakened “Transparent World 2.0,” she immediately noticed a remarkable change in her mental acuity.
Most notably, it seemed as if her mental faculties could now faintly perceive the presence of "light."
This sensation was utterly intriguing.
Light, in scientific terms, is a peculiar entity—it exists as both a wave and a particle, the very foundation of material existence.
Yet, through Zoe’s mental perception, the image of light remained somewhat elusive.
She could not precisely articulate its form within her mental landscape.
However, one thing was clear: upon becoming aware of light, the world beneath the scrutiny of her mental power underwent a radical transformation.
Colors erupted forth.
A realm previously composed solely of shapes, textures, and edges was suddenly infused with a myriad of hues.
It felt as though an invisible hand was painting with vibrant pigments, much like a black-and-white television suddenly upgrading to color.
The richness of the scene expanded as if Zoe were witnessing it all with her own eyes.
Moreover, the range of her mental power had surged from sixty meters to eighty meters.
This meant that everything within an eighty-meter spherical radius of her being could not escape the perception of her transparent world.
With her mental prowess now capable of conveying information in real time, she could even sense the particles floating in the air from eighty meters away before they drifted towards her.
The increase in range was greater than the previous leap from fifty to sixty meters.
A twenty percent enhancement had now escalated to a twenty-five percent gain, indicating a notable improvement in her body’s adaptability, although drawing definitive conclusions was still premature given the limited sample size.
Even so, her transparent world could now be dubbed “Transparent World 3.0.” Not only had the coverage expanded, but the addition of colors represented a qualitative change.
With her eyes closed, Zoe relished the multitude of sensations brought forth by this upgraded version of Transparent World 3.0.
A sense of shock and delight flickered in her heart.
Those who have never experienced such heightened awareness would never comprehend this feeling.
It was akin to a person born blind or deaf—forever unable to imagine a world filled with light and sound.
Even those endowed with merely five senses would never grasp the essence of what Zoe now perceived.
This extraordinary sensory perspective was, quite simply, ineffable.
Each subtle enhancement of her transparent world offered a prolonged sense of elation, nearly more exhilarating than any addiction.
Fortunately, Zoe's ability to control these sensations was also rapidly improving, allowing her to pull herself from this euphoric reverie.
As she felt the transformation of her mental state, she also grew curious about the changes within her own physical form.
With a leap, Zoe bounded excitedly to a nearby tree branch, sinking her sharp claws into the bark to secure herself.
From her perch, she surveyed the sprawling forest ahead.
Zoe could sense a marked increase in her overall agility and strength.
As she pondered this, she continued to leap from tree to tree, her movements fluid, akin to a wayward soul navigating the labyrinthine heights of a cityscape.
Her speed far surpassed that of merely walking on the ground.
This exhilarating realization made her exclaim in joy.
Whoever said that a great leap couldn’t be akin to flying?
She bounded between the trees, feeling as if she soared, nearly indistinguishable from flight.
Even if she never mastered the art of flying, a single leap that could breach the atmosphere surely warranted the term, didn’t it?
After chasing the bear for an entire night, the journey felt like a fleeting moment.
Before long, Zoe arrived at the stream where she had previously encountered the buzz-cut man and the rotund figure.
She leapt down from the trees, intent on returning to the sanctuary of the spiritual retreat to reclaim her backpack, filled with essentials like a power bank, charging cables, a map, and a simple compass.
Then she could make her descent down the mountain and perhaps even report the cult hideout to the authorities.
In her time on the mountain, she had savored the beauty of nature, solidified her desire to explore the world, and made a unique friend in the bear—a rather full-circle experience, one might say.
However, just as she approached the stream, a waft of burning charcoal invaded her senses.
It triggered a sense of foreboding within her.
Hurrying towards the clearing where the spiritual retreat had been, she found a dismal sight: the wooden huts lay reduced to ashes, and not a single soul remained.
Zoe furrowed her brow assshe advanced.
Activating the recently upgraded Transparent World 3.0, she scanned the remnants for lingering information.
Simultaneously, her powerful memory began sifting through past records.
The convergence of these two faculties painted a vivid picture of what had transpired here.
On that dark, chaotic night, the wooden cabins had been mercilessly devoured by flames.
The inferno raged like a furious beast, rapidly consuming the timber structure. Each flickering flame was akin to a bloodthirsty fang, ravenously gnawing at the wooden walls and beams.
The searing heat was nearly palpable, and the crackling sounds were the mournful laments of wood succumbing to high temperatures, as the cabins writhed in agony, their very essence twisting and warping in the fire.
Eventually, they were reduced to mere ash.
This had been a calculated act of arson.
The initial ignition point had been right outside Zoe’s cabin. The surrounding timber was evidently intended to leave her no chance of escape.
In fact, if she had been a moment late, the scorching heat and errant sparks might have ensnared the nearby huts as well.
The locked doors had led to the mistaken belief that she was still inside, and the other two inhabitants had been unable to flee in time.
From the faint footprints left behind, it was clear that the remaining individuals had shown little concern, fleeing in a panic towards the distance.
Eventually, the flames subsided.
The forest beyond the clearing remained untouched, spared from the inferno.
Yet, nearly all the cabins had been turned to smoldering ruins, leaving nothing but charred remnants.
As Zoe pieced together the narrative of this grim scene, a deep breath escaped her.
Some people, it seemed, were ill-suited to remain imprisoned.
Pondering this, a glint of cold determination sparked in her gaze.