In the European Union, where it was still around 1 p.m. due to the time difference, Firefly had just returned to her "home." She pulled out the USB drive Sparkle had sent, opened her laptop, and plugged it in.
The data on the drive was incredibly complex, immediately overwhelming Firefly with a barrage of technical jargon that left her head spinning.
"What's this?"
"And what's that?"
"Huh?"
She scratched her head, her face a picture of utter confusion.
But she had no choice. This data represented that tiny sliver of possibility for her to "go home," so she had to grit her teeth and wade through it, no matter how daunting it seemed.
Of course, Firefly didn't need to grasp every minute detail. A general understanding would suffice.
Still, this ordeal suddenly made Firefly realize something: what would happen if she ever drew a research-oriented character from the System, like Ruan Mei, Herta, or even Mobius?
The Identities drawn from the System had no memories, and she herself wasn't a scientist. Didn't that mean that if she drew an Identity renowned for their intellect but lacking any special abilities, she'd essentially end up with a blank slate of an ordinary person?
Given the System's usual approach, the current mission objective would almost certainly be closely related to the Identity she drew. If she drew a research-oriented character and the mission required her to invent something, she might never complete it.
Firefly quickly shook her head, banishing these chaotic thoughts. Whether she'd hit a dead end later wasn't her immediate concern; her focus needed to remain on the document before her.
Time slipped away. Finally, just as the sun set over the European Union, she tentatively believed she had grasped the document's essence.
Firefly munched on her pizza, her gaze fixed intently on the display screen.
It's worth noting that to avoid repeating the "Robin orders three meals for herself" fiasco, they'd switched to Firefly ordering double takeout—one portion for herself and another for Sparkle.
Returning to the main topic, the Sakura Nation, after years of observation and research on Dimensional Rifts, developed a special "Deep Dive Observation Device."
As the name suggests, this device functions like a submersible, capable of entering Dimensional Rifts while maintaining communication with the outside world and transmitting real-time visual data from within.
However, the device can only maintain a connection for about five minutes before losing contact completely.
Despite this limitation, the device proved remarkably effective. Immediately after its invention, the Sakura Nation deployed these devices into nearly every type of Dimensional Rift.
While Dimensional Rifts vary widely, the most common types can be broadly classified into four categories: Birth, Veil, Attachment, and Otherworld.
When the Deep Dive Observation Device was deployed into the first three types—Birth, Veil, and Attachment—the images it transmitted back resembled those from the pitch-black depths of a lightless sea. The surrounding darkness was absolute; even when the device's lights were activated, nothing could be seen, as if the light itself was being swallowed.
The researchers maneuvered the Deep Dive Observation Device up, down, left, and right using its propellers and small jet engines. No matter which direction they moved, it encountered no barriers. Yet even after traveling in a straight line for five minutes, it reached no end, surrounded by impenetrable darkness where nothing could be seen.
As for the final type of Dimensional Rift—the Otherworld—deploying the Deep Dive Observation Device revealed a completely static world. These "worlds" were wildly diverse, each unique in its nature.
If the device could only observe, the Sakura Nation would have no way to gather detailed information about the rifts. However, a doctor at the research base later invented a "Black Box." When placed near a Dimensional Rift, this device could "record" the rift after approximately eight hours.
Theoretically, no two Dimensional Rifts should be exactly alike, as each rift's impact is unique. Yet the Black Box could retrigger a recorded Dimensional Rift, effectively creating a copy of the original phenomenon.
The moment Firefly saw this, her first thought was, "If they could record a Dimensional Rift that creates Transformers or allows Outsiders to enter, and then trigger it repeatedly, wouldn't the Sakura Nation become invincible?"
The Sakura Nation had initially thought the same, but later discovered that the device only worked on "normal" Otherworld-type Dimensional Rifts.
This meant that the Spirit School Dimensional Rift in the Dragon Nation had actually been recorded by the Sakura Nation using this "Black Box." They had entered it countless times, and some of their people had even cleared it, giving them complete knowledge of its contents.
In other words, they were letting others play the first run while they themselves were seasoned NG+ players.
"So that's how it is?" After finishing the last slice of her pizza, Firefly looked around for a napkin but couldn't find one. She hurried to the bathroom to wash her hands before returning to continue reading.
Since the document mentioned "normal Otherworld" Dimensional Rifts, there must also be "abnormal" ones!
After the "Black Box" gained the ability to record and release Dimensional Rifts, the Doctor continued his research. His first idea was to manually modify the recorded data to see if he could create an entirely new Dimensional Rift.
After countless failed experiments, where even the slightest parameter adjustment caused the Black Box to malfunction, the Doctor was on the verge of giving up. But then, his final attempt succeeded!
He had successfully created a small Dimensional Rift, and nothing happened. It was simply a Dimensional Rift.
No monsters emerged, no Veil materialized, no strange objects appeared, and no one was pulled into an Otherworld.
When the Deep Dive Observation Device was deployed, the Doctor witnessed... a world in motion. Astonishingly, the device's five-minute operational limit had vanished, allowing it to function until its energy reserves were completely depleted.
At the end of the report, the Doctor had scribbled a note: "We... might have discovered a new world?!"