"Ahhh, so damn comfortable... Wait, who's opening my cockpit hatch?"
Perhaps because he had personally experienced the neural link and gained some foundation, Lu Tianming's guess was quite accurate this time—Xia Chuan was indeed getting a foot massage, and was even enjoying it so much that he let out a comfortable howl.
As for why it was a howl, Lu Tianming found the sound rather grating to the ears.
Noticing that his cockpit had been suddenly opened, Xia Chuan snapped back to reality and saw Lu Tianming walking in with an exasperated expression, ruthlessly teasing him:
"You're really living the good life, huh? Seems like you're quite enjoying yourself after becoming non-human."
Lu Tianming always felt that Xia Chuan had started to enjoy his Gundam identity... When there was no work to be done, he would receive maintenance massages in the hangar, and when work was needed, he'd go out to battle for fun. Occasionally he could even see tiny humans worshipping him.
He's having all the fun.
"Just moderately enjoyable. Some things still feel like they're missing something."
After being caught red-handed, Xia Chuan's tone carried some embarrassment, giving off the awkward feeling of being caught by a roommate while acting crazy.
If his feet weren't currently being massaged, he might have started digging a three-bedroom apartment out of embarrassment by now.
"Missing what? Don't tell me you want something spicy?"
"Go away... Stop focusing on one thing to criticize me, will you."
In response to Lu Tianming's schadenfreude-filled teasing, Xia Chuan answered irritably.
Why was he still being pursued relentlessly!
"Then shall we talk about how you confidently promised to carry me last time, but ended up crashing yourself first?"
When Lu Tianming said this, Xia Chuan fell into an odd silence for a moment, then let out a somewhat helpless sigh before continuing:
"Ah... don't mention it. By the way, how's your body? If you develop any sequelae, I probably won't be able to sleep peacefully anymore."
Xia Chuan's tone carried some shame. He had clearly seen how much risk Lu Tianming had taken and how much he had sacrificed to save him previously.
It's just... at that time he really couldn't do anything. It felt like there was some invisible wall blocking his consciousness from reality, and no matter how hard he struggled, it was useless.
He had bragged about carrying the team before the battle... but ended up being the one who got carried instead.
"You can sleep uneasily? Isn't it just a matter of pressing the shutdown button?"
"I'm fucking concerned about you, damn it... Whatever, judging by your mental state, you're fine."
Seeing Lu Tianming continue to act cheeky, while he cursed verbally, he actually felt somewhat relieved inside. At least this showed the guy was full of energy and in good spirits.
But then Lu Tianming's mood shifted as he let out a light sigh:
"Actually... it's not like there's nothing wrong. After examination, it seems I've contracted a serious illness?"
"Don't tell me it's an illness that'll kill you if you don't hear me call you daddy."
Xia Chuan replied emotionlessly, seemingly having already predicted Lu Tianming's move.
Seeing that Xia Chuan had unusually caught on and learned to predict, Lu Tianming immediately widened his eyes in surprise:
"You can actually predict me now?! Did Blitz's high-voltage electricity somehow enlighten you?!"
"Dammit, after knowing each other for so long, if I still didn't have some defensive awareness, then my brain might as well have grown on a dog."
Xia Chuan said irritably that if this guy had facial expressions, he would definitely be rolling his eyes disdainfully right now—at least that's what Lu Tianming thought.
Seeing that his attempt to take advantage had failed, Lu Tianming didn't persist further—if they really continued their meaningless father-son bickering, they could probably argue all day. For now, it was better to discuss something useful.
"Speaking of which, after the last Self-Link, not only did nothing serious happen to me, but I also gained some new insights into the peculiar resonance link mechanism between us."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Xia Chuan's voice noticeably perked up with interest. He had never considered such things before... Who would have thought that Lu Tianming could gain enlightenment from just one linking opportunity?
Truly his own dear son, even inheriting his father's intelligence.
Lu Tianming probably guessed what Xia Chuan was thinking internally. After giving him a disdainful glance, he resumed his normal expression and explained:
"From my understanding, whether it's Resonance Level or anything else, it's all built upon a theoretical foundation based on 'spirit' and 'body'."
"A normal life form should have one soul matched with one body, connected through some kind of link. The soul's control over the body and the body's feedback to the soul both operate through this link."
"The resonance between us is essentially like building a bridge between two souls... and then through some complicated principle, it generates energy feedback for our physical bodies."
"This manifests as the use of resonance skills for you... while for me, it's probably the enhancement of physical qualities and mental power?"
As Lu Tianming explained the theory he had deduced through contemplation, he realized it could even explain why he could inexplicably learn some peculiar concepts about MS operation.
Through the soul link, he had essentially achieved an indirect connection with the Strike Suit, naturally able to consciously or unconsciously absorb some knowledge from it for his own use.
"Then what about the previous electric shock, and your Self-Link?"
Xia Chuan continued asking. He seemed to understand a bit of what Lu Tianming was saying, but not completely.
Lu Tianming sighed lightly, wearing an expression that clearly said "I knew you wouldn't get it," and patiently explained:
"The electric shock temporarily severed the connection between you and your body, which is why no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't move."
"Self-Link is slightly more complicated. To be precise, it should involve splitting the self into two parts—one forcibly linked to your body, while the other maintains the connection with my own body, with the two selves naturally linked to each other. This simulates the normal link chain between you and me."
Xia Chuan nodded thoughtfully, seeming to understand a bit:
"So under normal circumstances, we're establishing a connection between two souls, while forced linking establishes a connection between one soul and another body?"
"Correct."
Lu Tianming nodded with a relieved expression, almost moved to tears... This fool had finally caught on!
Suppressing his excitement and emotion, he continued explaining:
"And I suspect that precisely because one soul is linked to two bodies, information overload occurs—it's equivalent to doubling your daily working hours."
Hearing these words, Xia Chuan couldn't help but shudder. Doubling work hours... meaning 996 becomes 007? That burden is indeed unusually heavy.
"Moreover, based on the text explanations from the cockpit earlier, combined with the above theory, I speculate that the connection between a life form's original body and spirit is formed through something that simultaneously possesses both spiritual and physical properties."
"For you, it's probably some chip in your body... while for me, it should be the human brain."
"However, one thing still puzzles me... those words that responded to me back then, what exactly were they?"
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