Just as there's always a gap between ideals and technology, the Potential Growth Value and the complexity of abilities limit how well the collar can replicate any described power.
The actual effectiveness of Lin Sanjiu's abilities was often reduced, sometimes subtly and sometimes critically. For example, after finding a spot to cling to and climbing onto the giant fish's head, she realized a significant flaw in her control after politely asking the fish to start moving.
After all, the creature was a fish of staggering size. Sitting on its head felt like a grape stuck on a dog's nose. Her Potential Growth Value was high, so basic control was maintained. But her comparison wasn't just about how difficult it was to control the fish; the fish itself acted like a dog, repeatedly shaking its head to try and get rid of the "grape" and gobble it up.
In other words, the command "Take me across the lake" was reluctantly accepted, but "Don't eat me" was out of the question.
"Well, it makes sense. Not eating you goes against its instincts, but crossing the lake is just routine for it. It's probably done it a thousand times," Mrs. Manas said with the benefit of hindsight. "No wonder giving that command was relatively easy... Ah, why didn't I think of this sooner?"
Lin Sanjiu didn't have time to snap back at her. Besides, it would be like scolding herself. After much effort, she had managed to pry a few iron scales upright, creating a makeshift seat. She wedged herself between the scales, gripping a piece of metal tightly. Just then, the giant fish turned its head and dove into the black lake.
Whether it was annoyed by having its scales pried or simply intent on eating her, the fish tilted slightly as it plunged into the lake. When it sped up, the force of the water rushing between the scales nearly knocked Lin Sanjiu off.
For her, it made no difference whether she was on land or in water; the [Defense Forcefield] and breathing apparatus shielded her from the dangerous reality. But she couldn't afford to fall into the water. The moment she nearly slipped out, her body clung desperately to the scales, but her heart had already leaped out of her chest in terror. As she regained composure, she clenched her fist, summoning the metal gauntlet.
"What are you doing?" Mrs. Manas asked, only to get an immediate answer.
Lin Sanjiu gripped a scale with one hand and, with all her strength, punched it with the other. To her surprise, even with the metal gauntlet enhancing her strength, she couldn't damage the scale. She let out a baffled "Huh?" and muttered, "Didn't expect you to be this tough."
"Do I have a drill?" she wondered. The fish didn't seem to react much to the blow. Its body stretched taut, and the water flowed past with minimal resistance.
"Do you have electricity?" Mrs. Manas countered logically.
Lin Sanjiu had intended to drill two holes to create handholds. If she used [Mosaic Censorship], she could blast the scales open. But she couldn't deactivate the [Defense Forcefield]; otherwise, she'd destroy her own protection.
Since she couldn't break the scales, she wrapped her arms and legs tightly around them. Then, she used precious Higher Consciousness to form a rope around her waist. The scale edges were thin and sharp; without the [Defense Forcefield], the turbulent water would have shredded her to pieces.
"Hey!" she shouted, unsure if sound carried underwater. "Why are you diving deeper? Are you trying to bury me at the bottom? Swim up!"
The giant fish ignored her.
Curiously, Lin Sanjiu could sense through the collar's power that the fish "understood" her command. But in its anxious confusion and instinctual anger, it refused to comply.
She looked around.
The giant black fish had developed dense layers of iron scales over years of mutation. Each scale was the same chaotic black as the lake water. The scales were incredibly hard, and during their brief eye contact before submersion, Lin Sanjiu noticed its eyes were as hard as limestone. In the pitch-dark lake, perhaps all aquatic creatures had poor vision.
It felt like she was riding a submarine, with no place soft to grip. She kicked at a nearby upright scale to push it aside, only to find another layer of iron scales underneath.
"If you don't swim up, I'm going to hit you," she said.
If the fish could sigh, it would probably have exhaled in frustration and resignation.
The next second, she felt a sharp upward twist in her direction as the giant fish surged nearly ninety degrees toward the lake's surface. The dense black water above transformed into a crushing weight, like hundreds of tons of concrete determined to drag Lin Sanjiu back down. 𝐫ÀℕőΒĚṧ
In the brief moment of darkness before she regained her senses, it seemed miraculous that she was still gripping the fish's scales.
The color of the water above her grew lighter, fading from despairing black to the murky dimness of twilight. The dimness lasted only a beat before Lin Sanjiu realized there was no water around her anymore.
"What the—"
The giant fish shot through the lake surface like an arrow, piercing the dense smoke layer and continuing its full-speed ascent. Like a rebellious teenager, it seemed to say: You want me to go up? Is this high enough for you? Let's go higher!
1
The smoke dissipated into wisps of cloud as they rushed past the scales. In a blink, Lin Sanjiu's eyes were struck by the blinding sunlight. A slender, gleaming icicle shone in the distance, scattering a soft rainbow glow through the air.
No one was bungee-jumping today.
The skyscrapers, high-rises, and winding aerial roads of Cloudwalk Heights floated as usual beneath a brilliant blue sky. Sunlight and shadows danced, and each breath shimmered with light and renewal. But this celestial scene was ripped away as the fish plunged back through the smoke, taking Lin Sanjiu headfirst back into the dark lake with a scream.
The fact that she wasn't thrown off was nothing short of a miracle. She felt like a stubborn piece of fish-scale fungus. That thought crossed her mind as she crashed back into the black water.
At the same time, she finally understood why people enjoyed bungee-fishing.
If the giant fish were sentient and understood humans, it would've realized that by the second, third, or fourth leap into the sky, Lin Sanjiu's screams were no longer from fear but from sheer exhilaration. Her uncontainable, wild laughter echoed through the air, heard only by the empty skies.
2
The terror of the red-brick wall, the anxiety of being hunted by the Shark Nexus, the confusion of losing track of Wu Yiliu, and the deep-seated guilt for grand prize and Yu Yuan—all these burdens felt like dried, heavy shells breaking apart with each surge, swept away by the wind and sinking into the lake.
The tour guides had mentioned the vast size and scope of the lake beneath the smoke layer. As the lake shore drew near, she knew this ride was ending. Lin Sanjiu had never felt so light, as though she had been washed clean from the inside out, vibrant and alive. And this feeling had emerged from one of the deadliest places in Cloudwalk Heights.
"Ready?" Mrs. Manas said.
Just as they were about to breach the smoke layer, Lin Sanjiu's [Defense Forcefield] vanished. The clear, gentle wind of Cloudwalk Heights caught her immediately. She pressed her hands against the fish's scales, then let go of the Higher Consciousness rope.
With a powerful push off the fish's head, now leaping into the sky, Lin Sanjiu soared. The Higher Consciousness rope snapped forward, latching onto the railing of a nearby aerial road. She swung through the air in a wide arc and grabbed the railing, bringing herself to a stop.
Only then did she hear the distant splash of the giant fish falling back into the lake below the smoke.
The landing pad for her aircraft was just a few dozen meters away.
Catching her breath, Lin Sanjiu glanced down and couldn't stop the smile from curling at her lips.
In her other hand, she held a massive, dark iron scale.
"Thanks, Mimi."