Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva
Chapter 913 - 70 Once Friends_2

[Sixth Magnitude Star Mental Rehabilitation Research Institute]

Tilan stroked the big lion in the hover car, telling it to wait here patiently, then stepped out of the car.

"I'll be back soon. Tonight, I'll take you to the night market," Tilan comforted it, and the lion then lowered its head.

After leaving the hover car, the three of them regrouped at the door.

"Is that big lion raised by Zi Jin?" Suoga had been wanting to ask.

"No, I'm helping a client take it out for fun," Tilan shook her head.

"Wow, that's nice. Not only can you go out, but you can also earn some money," Suoga said with admiration.

"Let's not talk about this now. Is your friend inside here?" Tilan glanced at the quiet, almost deserted campus.

"Yes, almost no one comes here, so it's quite peaceful," Alanna adjusted the baseball cap on her head and then stepped forward.

"I've been here a few times before; there should still be application records. Applying for another visit shouldn't be difficult."

"Follow me."

After speaking, she headed toward the reception area where an identity verification window was located.

[Please present your application or identity key]

A synthetic mechanical voice came from the window.

"Here." Alanna pulled out a card, inserted it into the nearby slot, letting it read and scan.

[Short-term application approved. The pass expires at midnight, May 17. Please renew promptly.]

After the announcement, the large door slowly opened, and Tilan noticed two security-type Autonomous Units stationed at the sides. Standing over three meters tall, equipped with white armor and short-barrel gun ports, they appeared to be near Sequence 4 civilian defense robots.

"Alright, come inside with me now."

Alanna led the two others further in, first passing through the spacious hall with only one person on duty at a reception desk. After filing a form at the lone desk, they returned to sit in the waiting area.

About twenty minutes later, a white hemisphere-shaped Autonomous Unit rolled up to them. It guided the three toward a side hall where they eventually reached a glass room on the fifth floor to meet today's target.

The man appeared to be in his early twenties, with white hair and pale skin, as if he lacked pigments, giving him an unhealthy pallor.

"Good afternoon, Sen," Alanna walked over to greet him.

"Good afternoon, Alanna," he replied in an indifferent tone.

"How's your health lately?" Alanna asked with concern.

"Much the same as before. I need frequent treatments and can only occasionally go out. My congenital gene instability causes a scarcity of pigment production, frequent immune system issues, and complications in various internal organs, so I often stay in the care center," he explained.

As he finished speaking, his gaze shifted past Alanna toward the two others. Suoga felt nothing out of the ordinary, but Tilan sensed something different.

Was he really sitting here? Or was this just a body he was controlling, with his Soul Consciousness still residing within the Ai Jieka world, leaving him emotionally detached, speaking without any tone of sentiment?

This made Tilan recall Geyin, who had spent years immersed in the virtual network, her detachment from reality becoming apparent.

Without the smells, textures, sounds, flavors, and sights of the real world to stimulate the senses, one's consciousness, entrenched for too long within the information stream, would gradually grow indifferent—a slow loss of 'humanity.' Due to this side effect, the Federation had always limited access to the Ai Jieka Network, allowing only Sequence 3 Transcendents to use it. Extended online durations necessitated regular clinical check-ups.

After Sen and Alanna exchanged a few more words, she waved the two others over.

"This is Sen, the one who helped us escape during that incident," Alanna said, pressing her hands on his shoulders while introducing him to the two.

"Sen's emotions are somewhat subdued, but that doesn't mean he has none—he just rarely expresses them. Whenever I ask him for help, he's always willing to lend a hand."

"He's a Transcendent of the Withering Sequence, versed in secret techniques regarding Soul Consciousness. He can easily aid other Connectors in possession-based combat and is one of the most skilled individuals in our 'Z' group," Alanna added.

"I think… perhaps Shan has met him once, though not directly," Alanna recalled.

The four of them then sat by the enormous floor-to-ceiling window on the fifth floor, watching the beautiful sunset outside, while discussing recent events.

"We might need your help, Sen, to uncover the connections between the betraying group members—see who is remotely orchestrating them," Alanna requested.

"I tried investigating yesterday. The structure of the opposing organization is incredibly intricate. I've only managed to trace the first few layers so far; there are likely multiple nested layers beyond those," Sen said calmly while looking out the window.

"That fast? I thought it would take much longer," Alanna leaned forward, looking at Sen seated before her.

"Not exactly fast. What I observed was that the opposing group excels in Ai Jieka Network technology. They have numerous methods for concealing information and severing tracing pathways, making it difficult for me as well. However, my particular condition allows me to bypass some lower-level restrictions, enabling me to penetrate their defenses," Sen elaborated.

"Do you really want to keep pursuing this, Alanna?"

"I've advised you before—'Connectors' aren't suitable for most people. The four of us only succeeded back then by sheer luck."

Upon hearing this, Alanna fell silent for a few seconds, staring at the sunset and twilight outside. Then she spoke again.

"I know you, and the others—Xia, Chen—are concerned. That's why I've always tried to ensure you get involved as little as possible in Z group affairs."

"I'm well aware that I'm not mature enough. Even the Z group has plenty of flaws—loopholes in our organization have made it easy for outsiders to infiltrate."