novelhk Chapter 386 Secrets are no longer a barrier
Chapter 386 Secrets are no longer a barrier
A few days of complete relaxation were like oiling a taut bowstring, restoring Yuan Bao's spirit and soul to an unprecedented state of fullness.
The magnificence of Crystal Forest broadened her horizons, while the warmth of her ordinary family comforted her heart.
A strange, unprecedented sense of peace and power settled within her.
In the early morning, Yuan Bao sat by the window, looking at the potted green ivy bathed in the morning light, his fingertips unconsciously brushing against the leaves.
Sunlight filters through the veins of the leaves, as if one can see the shimmering light flowing within, resonating with the distant woodlands.
A thought, like a tender bud breaking through the soil in spring, quietly sprouted in her heart, becoming clearer and clearer, more and more resolute.
She wanted to share.
It's not about sharing the cruelty of the battle, nor the treachery of the enemy, but about sharing the power of protection, the "secret" that gave her the strength to protect, and the wondrous bond that transcends dimensions.
She wanted her closest relatives to know the real her.
I know why she sometimes seems to be in a hurry, I know the occasional seriousness that flashes across her brow, and I know the other responsibility and strength behind her protecting this family.
Once the thought surfaced, it could no longer be suppressed.
“Little 9,” Yuan Bao called softly in his mind, with a hint of probing and an undeniable determination, “I want to… tell Mom, my older brother, my sister-in-law and Xiao Zhi about my spatial abilities and the existence of the ‘game system’.”
She paused, then added clearly, "Tell them about the Hall of Arcane Arts, about Crystal Song Grove, about Ariel, about everything I've been through... I want them to know everything except the specific details of the threat posed by the 'Shadow of the Rift'."
This is undoubtedly an extremely bold decision, and may even violate the "rules".
Yuan Bao waited for the system's response, his heart filled with trepidation.
Unexpectedly, Xiao 9's response was almost instantaneous, carrying an unprecedented, almost "relieved" calm:
"My lord, your request has been submitted to the core system... Confirming..."
After a brief silence (perhaps only a fraction of a second), Xiao 9's voice rang out again, carrying a clear, settled tone:
"Confirmation granted! Permissions unlocked!"
"Core system judgment: Based on your multiple in-depth explorations of the Hall of Mysteries and the completion of your soul-level sublimation, you have completely transcended the category of ordinary 'players' and become one of the 'fellow travelers' and 'guardians' of the rules."
You have a 'limited right to share' your core secrets (spatial capabilities and the existence of the system).
"The sharing recipients have been confirmed as: Yuan Ma (mother), Yuan Baoguo (elder brother), Lin Qing (sister-in-law), and Yuan Xiaozhi (son). The four of them are bound together by blood ties, long-term cohabitation, and deep emotional bonds, which meets the definition of a 'closest family protection circle'."
"The rules for limiting dissemination have been loaded: all recipients of the information will be automatically subject to an 'information restriction contract'."
This contract does not forcibly erase memories, but rather constructs a cognitive barrier based on spatial laws and the principle of information entropy.
No one who receives this information may, actively or passively, disclose this core secret information (spatial abilities, system existence, Crystal Forest, etc.) to any individual outside the 'Closest Protection Circle' (including other relatives, friends, strangers, etc.) in any form (language, text, images, hints, spiritual transmission, etc.).
Once an intention or action is revealed, the relevant memory information will be automatically 'folded' or 'blurred' by the laws of space, making it impossible to form an effective transmission.
This rule is triggered passively and does not affect the daily thinking and life of the person being shared with.
Xiao 9 speaks at a steady pace, but the content is like a thunderclap!
you can!
Moreover, the system even paved the way for her and set up the most robust firewall!
The huge weight that had been hanging over Yuan Bao's heart finally lifted, replaced by an indescribable sense of relief and a warm feeling of being recognized.
The system, or rather the entity behind it, recognized her identity as a "guardian" and also approved of the circle of protection she chose!
“Understood.” Yuan Bao took a deep breath, his eyes bright and determined. “Then, tonight.”
After dinner, the courtyard was warmly lit.
Lin Qing coaxed Xiao Zhi to take a bath, while Yuan Ma cleaned up the dishes, and Yuan Baoguo sat in a rattan chair looking at a medical case.
"Mom, eldest brother, sister-in-law, is Xiaozhi finished washing up? Don't go to sleep yet, there's something I want to tell you." Yuan Bao's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unusual seriousness, causing Yuan's mother to stop wiping the table, and Yuan Baoguo to look up from his medical desk.
Lin Qing carried Xiao Zhi, who had just had a bath and was still smelling sweet and moist, over. The little guy blinked his eyes curiously.
"Bao'er, what's wrong? Why are you so serious?" Aunt Yuan put down the rag and asked with some concern.
Yuan Bao looked at his family members sitting around the small table—his mother's concerned eyes, his eldest brother's steady yet inquisitive gaze, his sister-in-law's gentle yet puzzled expression, and his son's innocent and bewildered face.
She smiled slightly, but didn't speak immediately. Instead, she raised her right hand.
Amidst the astonished gazes of her family, a soft and pure pale silver light silently shone from her fingertips!
The light flowed and danced at her fingertips like a living thing, emitting an indescribable aura that seemed to touch the space itself!
Aunt Yuan gasped and covered her mouth.
Yuan Baoguo sat bolt upright, his eyes sharp as an eagle's. Lin Qing hugged Xiao Zhi tightly, her face filled with disbelief.
Xiao Zhi's eyes widened, his mouth formed an "O" shape, and he pointed at the light: "Mommy! Light! Bright!"
"This is not magic." Yuan Bao's voice was calm and clear. With a flick of her fingertips, the light transformed into a tiny, silver butterfly that seemed ready to take flight. It circled the astonished Xiao Zhi once before quietly disappearing.
“This is the power of space.” She looked at her shocked family and spoke slowly, “About a few months ago, I… came into contact with something beyond our understanding. It was like a… ‘game system,’ but the power it brought was real.”
In the following days, Yuan Bao used language that was as plain and easy for his family to understand as possible to reveal this huge secret.
She recounted the arrival of the "game system" (omitting its specific origin), the transformation of MAX mental strength, the grandeur of the Hall of Mysteries of "Weaving the Void" and the awe-inspiring sublimation of the soul, and the acquisition and difficult mastery of spatial abilities.
She focused on Crystal Song Forest and her guardian spirit Ariel—that crystal forest flowing with iridescent light, and her guardian spirit ally who fought for her home with everything she had.
She recounts the terrible pollution the woodland suffered (simplifying the details of the "Shadow of the Rift"), Ariel's cross-dimensional plea for help, and how she used spatial powers to destroy the pollution anchor in the real world and ultimately purify the core of the woodland, saving the world from decay.
She demonstrated the special feature of the potted green ivy on the windowsill—it served as a medium connecting the ivy to the Crystal Grove.
She even carefully took the jade box out of the spatial folds, gently opened a crack, and let her family see the crystal song fragment floating inside, emitting a faint, pure silver-blue light, as well as the small echoing phantom that slept at the core of the fragment, like a crystal elf.
"...So, this is my secret." Yuan Bao closed the jade box, hiding it again, his gaze sweeping over his family members' still shocked faces. "I have gained some special powers, and I have also shouldered some responsibilities."
I protect our home, and I also protect a distant world and allies who trust me.
I kept it from everyone before because I didn't want you to worry, and also because I was afraid... it would cause unnecessary trouble.
The room was silent, except for Xiao Zhi, who curiously reached out to touch Yuan Bao's glowing fingers and muttered, "Is Mommy a superhero of light?"
Yuan's mother was the first to come to her senses. Her eyes were a little red. She stood up abruptly and went to Yuan Bao's side. Not out of fear, but because she hugged her tightly, her voice choked with sobs and lingering fear: "My baby...you...you carried so much all by yourself! That pollution...it was so dangerous! Are you alright? Huh?" She felt around Yuan Bao's body, as if to make sure her daughter was unharmed.
Yuan Baoguo took a deep breath, looking at Yuan Bao with a complex expression—shock, worry, but mostly the scrutiny of an older brother and a hint of… pride? He asked in a deep voice, “So, all that ‘reading’ and locking yourself in your room before was… practicing this? Handling those dangers?”
“Yes.” Yuan Bao nodded in his mother’s arms and looked at his older brother. “Most of it is. The Hall of Mysteries in the system requires mental immersion, and real-world crises also need to be dealt with. I’m sorry, older brother, for keeping this from you for so long.”
Lin Qing held Xiao Zhi in her arms, her eyes slowly shifting from shock to tenderness and heartache. She whispered, "Bao'er, you've gone through so much. We're family. You should have told me about something this big sooner."
She instinctively wanted to take out her phone to take a picture of the fragmented scene she had just seen and share it with her best friend. But as soon as the thought came to her mind, she suddenly felt that her phone had become unusually heavy. The words associated with "fragments" and "crystal" on the screen became blurry, as if covered by a layer of fog. The details of the scene she had just seen also became hazy, leaving only a vague impression that "her daughter is amazing".
She paused for a moment, then realized that this was probably the effect of the "restriction contract," and felt a sense of peace settle down.
Yuan Bao sensed his sister-in-law's fleeting thoughts and the activation of the contract, and felt even more grateful for Xiao 9 and the system's arrangements.
She looked at her family and said earnestly, "I'm telling you now because I feel you have the right to know the real me. And also because... you are the people I want to protect the most, and I don't want to hide anything from you anymore. But please remember, this secret can only be known among the five of us. The system has set rules that any thought or action that tries to tell outsiders will be automatically blocked, and the memory will be blurred. This is to protect all of us."
Yuan Baoguo remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded, his eyes resolute: "I understand. I will take this secret to my grave. Bao'er, remember, no matter what power you possess, no matter what you face, this family will always be your support. If anything happens, don't shoulder it alone!" The doctor's composure and the elder brother's responsibility were evident at this moment.
Yuan's mother wiped her eyes and held Yuan Bao's hand tightly: "That's right! Mom doesn't understand those things about light and space, Mom only knows that you are my daughter! You must take good care of yourself! If you need Mom to do anything, just tell me!" Her simple words contained unreserved support.
Lin Qing nodded firmly, her voice gentle yet resolute: "We are family, Bao'er. Your secret is our family's secret. We will protect it, and we will protect you and Xiao Zhi."
She leaned down and kissed Xiaozhi's cheek. "Xiaozhi, isn't Mommy amazing? But this is our secret game, we can't tell the kids at school, okay?"
Ash seemed to understand, but seeing the adults' serious expressions, he nodded his head vigorously: "Yes! It's a secret! Ash won't tell! Mommy is Shiny Superman, she beats bad guys!" His childish words instantly lightened the atmosphere.
Watching his family go from initial shock and worry to eventual understanding, acceptance, and unreserved support, Yuan Bao's eyes finally welled up with tears.
The long-held burden of secrets was finally lifted at this moment. An unprecedented sense of belonging and strength filled my heart.
She is no longer fighting alone.
Her closest relatives became the guardians of her secret and the warmest harbor behind her strength.
"Thank you..." Yuan Bao's voice trembled slightly, but her face beamed with a bright and relaxed smile. "Thank you all."
The gentle moonlight streamed into the courtyard through the window, making the home, enveloped in the "Breath of Purity - Guardian Domain," appear even more peaceful and serene.
Deep within the drawer, the light from the fragments of the small echo seemed to sense this warm understanding and acceptance, flickering slightly like a reassuring sigh.
The secret was no longer a barrier, but became a deeper bond within the family.
Yuan Bao knew that with this complete trust and support, she would be more empowered to face whatever the future might hold.