Chapter 214: A New Attempt
This must be every otaku's dream Stand ability, Zhou Ning thought with a faint smile.
When Theresa returned to the painting, her expression was subtly different from before—a distinct blush now colored her cheeks.
Compared to Bohemian Rhapsody in the manga, which forcibly materialized everything within a certain range, his version could target specific objects or people. Although the cost was higher, its potential for growth was undoubtedly far greater.
Strictly speaking, this ability was like pulling the projection from someone's imagined world into reality.
Yes—pulling was the most fitting description, and the word itself felt just right.
"For example, that painting The Last Battle of the Lunz River—in the minds of the artist and the viewers, it depicts a veteran making a desperate charge toward the enemy lines in the final moments of his life. So when I accidentally pulled him out of the painting, it was at that exact instant before his death."
"Or take that half-nude portrait of Theresa—as far as the artist and the viewers are concerned, her defining trait is 'sensuality.' So when I pulled her from the painting, that irresistible, alluring charm left an unforgettable impression."
"Also, when I summoned Theresa's projection just now, her facial expression made it clear that I could converse with her—and even engage in… intimate exchanges. Even after she returned to the painting, she still had a look of longing. In other words, this Stand can not only affect reality, but also influence the original work in reverse."
"This kind of ability could only appear because, under the effect of the Lucky Clover, my Stand fused perfectly with this world's power system."
After a brief moment of thought, Zhou Ning named his Stand Bohemian Requiem.
At the same time, a new skill quietly appeared on his panel: Bohemian Requiem (Expert Level).
It was a special skill that could not be leveled up using experience points or skill points.
Bohemian Requiem (Expert Level):
1. Can pull projections from anime, novels, games, or even artwork into reality.
2. The weaker the projection is compared to the user, the less energy it costs and the longer it lasts. If the projection is stronger than the user, there is a chance the manifestation will fail. Even if successful, the resulting projection will only possess part of its original strength.
3. The closer the projection is to the user personally, the lower the energy cost and the longer it can be maintained.
4. ???
5. ???
"Oh?"
Reading the in-game description of Bohemian Requiem, Zhou Ning was slightly surprised—it seemed his earlier conclusions had been mostly correct.
Unlike other skills, this one started at Expert Level, meaning its completion rate was already high. Although the description didn't specify how to improve it, he guessed it could only be enhanced through long-term use and development.
The Stand's functions were split into two parts: one allowed him to pull physically tangible projections from fictional works, whether they were people or objects.
Zhou Ning had a special idea—after all, nothing could be more "intimately connected" to him than himself. Theoretically, summoning a template of himself to assist should have a 100% success rate.
The second function allowed him to materialize a certain story segment and bring people into it. That part would require further testing.
While thinking, Zhou Ning had recovered his energy enough to test his new ability again.
He reached into his inventory and took out something he had recently won in the lottery: A Large Collection of Manuscripts by the Great Writer Zhou Ning.
These were works written by his counterpart in a parallel world, including manuscripts of The Count of Monte Cristo and Harry Potter. Since they came from "himself," the energy cost should be lower.
Opening Harry Potter at random, he flipped to a chapter that happened to describe wands. This would do…
Without hesitation, he raised his hand and made a pulling gesture over the page.
As his stamina dropped, a 28-centimeter wand of holly with a phoenix feather core instantly appeared in his hand.
Success! Zhou Ning waved the wand experimentally, aimed at a locked drawer, and said, "Alohomora!"
…Shit. No reaction. Could it be that he was a Muggle?
This wand, Harry Potter's own, could remain for about eight minutes after being summoned from the book.
"Hmm… just as the description said, the energy cost is much lower. With my current endurance, I should be able to use this Stand seven or eight times a day, each lasting over five minutes."
Next, Zhou Ning tried summoning a flying broom, which lasted around ten minutes. Maintaining both the wand and broom at the same time was currently his limit.
He exhaled and dismissed both projections.
Next up—testing if he could summon characters from Harry Potter.
Since the Harry Potter power scale wasn't as high as Apocalypse, he randomly flipped through a few pages until he spotted the name "Dumbledore." Without hesitation, he pressed his right hand onto the page.
Soon, a white-bearded elderly man in a wizard's robe appeared before him—this was the Dumbledore from the novel.
Success!
However, Zhou Ning was a bit disappointed. When speaking to Dumbledore, the conversation felt mechanical, and the projection only lasted about two minutes.
He suspected it was because his own power level was still too low. In short, objects summoned seemed to be restored to their original quality, but people came out somewhat stiff.
After several more attempts, his mental energy was nearly drained. Zhou Ning took a deep breath and dismissed the projection.
Watching Dumbledore vanish before him, Zhou Ning rubbed his face.
Strong—ridiculously strong! This Stand was nothing short of a divine skill.
But to fully unleash it, his works would need a certain level of fame.
In a way, this was encouraging him to become a "plagiarist," since his own works would best meet the "high intimacy with self" condition.
So, no matter how much he disliked it, being a plagiarist was now on the agenda. Conveniently, it would also help complete the fourth stage of his Literary Life quest.
He exhaled. Oh right… he might even be able to summon projections from his Yu-Gi-Oh! cards—after all, those were items he'd brought into this world himself. But that would have to wait until tomorrow.
After one last glance around, Zhou Ning began tidying up, including putting away The Last Battle painting, now just an empty frame after the veteran's death.
Once everything was in order, he washed up quickly and crawled into bed.
With about nine hours of lucky time left, he planned to try one more simulator traversal before it ran out.
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