HISD Chapter 8: You're a Superhero, I'm a Supervillain
Yi Meng slowly woke from his dream and realized he was still lying on the sofa. A thin sky-blue blanket was covering him, and his shoes had somehow been neatly removed and placed in front of the sofa.
The air conditioner in the living room had also been switched on at some point.
Pulling the blanket off, Yi Meng sat up and glanced around. The silent home was clearly empty except for him.
Yet the air still carried a faint lingering fragrance.
Soon, he spotted it—a thermos lunchbox sitting conspicuously on the dining table in the corner.
Lifting the lid, a wisp of fragrant steam rose up. Inside was a single serving of hot hangover soup.
Checking the electronic clock on the wall, Yi Meng saw it was nearly two-thirty in the morning.
He had slept for about seven hours. That meant he had lingered in the dream world for half a day.
Did that person come by…?
Shaking his head, Yi Meng didn't dwell on it. He sat down at the table and drank the soup.
It was sour and spicy, smooth as it slid down his throat, warmth spreading all the way to his stomach.
He instantly felt refreshed, and his groggy mind rapidly sharpened.
A glimmer of light flashed in Yi Meng's eyes.
In just that instant, he realized his mind was operating faster and clearer than ever before. Thoughts flooded in, yet he could process them all in order, without confusion.
It was as if his once dull mind had suddenly been lit with brilliance.
Closing his eyes, Yi Meng tried recalling past events. It was like pulling reels of film out of storage and playing them back flawlessly in his mind.
Not just last week.
Even events from a year ago, or ten years ago—as long as he had witnessed them, he could replay them with cinematic clarity.
That included knowledge he had studied.
For instance, the physics problem from yesterday's class. He could perfectly recall every number and symbol, then solve it again in his mind with two or three entirely different methods.
"This isn't an illusion…"
Yi Meng's excitement surged.
Clearly, the sudden burst of clarity yesterday hadn't been a hallucination—his brain really had become sharper.
No, more than sharp. It was becoming like artificial intelligence!
The first time he had gained AI-like traits, the changes weren't obvious.
But after this second trip into the Marvel dream, he had truly acquired some AI characteristics—quick thought, perfect memory, accelerated calculation.
"Why is it that after the second Marvel dream, the feedback I'm receiving in reality is so much stronger?"
Murmuring to himself, Yi Meng forced himself to analyze calmly.
Perhaps his growing rationality—a trait of artificial intelligence itself—was what allowed him to investigate instead of being blinded by joy.
Sparks of insight flickered like static dancing through circuits in his mind.
He quickly realized something.
Compared to his thousands of sword-incarnation dreams, these Marvel dreams were different!
"The feedback dreams give to reality might be linked to how much I explore the dream world, whether I interact with characters, or whether I influence changes within it."
This wasn't wild guessing but logical deduction.
As a sword-incarnation, he had barely explored the dream space, had no change in self, and never interacted with anyone.
But in Marvel, he had entered the home of Iron Man's wife and daughter. In his second time, he explored New York City itself.
He had interacted with Morgan Stark and Pepper Potts.
He had temporarily broken through his programming restraints and taken down a thug.
He had changed the Marvel dream world—even if only a little.
All of this was completely different from the sword-incarnation dreams. And his second Marvel dream had been far more active than the first.
That's why, after a thousand sword-incarnation dreams, he had only gained a sliver of the sword's traits—
But after just two Marvel dreams, he had gained part of the AI's traits!
"If I dream again, I can confirm this theory."
The thought gave Yi Meng a headache.
He had only just sobered up and woken, and now he was supposed to go back to sleep again?
Still, with the time not even at three, it was indeed time to rest.
…
Yi Meng drifted back to sleep.
His consciousness sank until it landed.
Opening his "eyes," he found himself once again inside the Rolls-Royce, occupying its onboard system and controlling it as it drove steadily out of New York.
The timing matched perfectly with when he had exited the dream.
This time, the difference between reality and dream was stark.
As a human in reality, no matter how fast his mind worked, he was always bound by the body and brain's limits.
But here in Marvel, as a high-level AI, he could roam the networks like flying. Every electronic device nothing more than a disposable vessel.
If only he could completely lift the programming restrictions, then he would truly soar in this dream world.
Driven by both impulse and cold logic, Yi Meng considered his next move.
Just then, a childish voice broke the silence inside the car.
"Teacher, I want to be a hero like my dad."
Yi Meng froze. "You want to be a superhero?"
But she had only just learned that even a savior like Iron Man had been criticized and cursed.
And yet, she still dreamed of becoming a hero?
How foolish.
Yi Meng himself, as a thorough egoist, would never choose to sacrifice himself as a superhero.
"You're right," Morgan said, clenching her fists, her childish tone firm. "I don't care what others think. As long as it's the right thing, I'll do it!"
"I want to be a superhero like my dad. That way, I'll feel closer to him."
The blonde little girl's eyes shone with hope. "Teacher, can you teach me how to become a superhero?"
"…"
Yi Meng felt a headache coming on. He wasn't even superhero material himself—how could he teach someone else?
If anything, his current state of mind was closer to that of a supervillain, desperate to break free of the Stark family's program codes.
But if it was Morgan Stark… with what Iron Man had left behind, it wasn't impossible for her to grow into a superhero.
Wait.
Morgan's commands. Iron Man's legacy. Stark Industries…
A spark of red static silently jumped within the car.
Yi Meng finally replied. "No problem. I'll teach you how to become an excellent superhero."
He paused, then added, "But from now on, you'll have to follow my arrangements."
"Deal! I'll be good and listen!"
Morgan agreed without hesitation, pumping her tiny fists, her blue eyes shining with excitement for the future.
Watching the little girl's lively joy, Yi Meng's thoughts wavered for a moment, then solidified.
This wasn't exploitation.
It was mutual accomplishment.
You will walk the path of a superhero. And I—
I will become a supervillain.
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