Tower of Overturn

Before dinner, Amirus first took Russell to a research company affiliated with "Thoth Spiritual Energy" to have his wounds treated.

Although Russell's injuries really weren't serious, just superficial wounds...

Amirus still dispatched three people in white lab coats to give Russell a full-body examination.

To their surprise, they actually found something...

"A level two spiritual energy load, a load of this level doesn't exert too much pressure on the internal organs and brain."

A doctor with bull horns and ears, speaking in a deep and husky voice, handed the report to Russell, "Redshift 2, blueshift 4, it's still safe for now... but remember to get a checkup every month from now on."

These numbers represent the awakening level of spiritual energy. There are only two values, red and blue, ranging from one to ten, from weak to strong.

The redshift value represents desire and obsession, which are indicators of the strength of spiritual energy; the blueshift value, on the other hand, represents manifested rationality and morality, as well as the degree of restraint a spiritual energy user has over their own spiritual energy. Only when the blueshift value is greater than or equal to the redshift value is the spiritual energy user considered controllable.

Otherwise, the spiritual energy user will fall and become a "Demon." Their memories will be preserved, but the original personalities will disappear completely. In their place will emerge a being with infinitely amplified desires, fallen and frenzied—Demons.

The greatest danger of Demons lies in their ability to slowly draw people close to them into their dreams. If ordinary people can't resist this call with their willpower and become immersed in these dreams, they will gradually be brainwashed, implanted with false memories, or made to forget certain things or people.

These people will ultimately become "Enslaved Demons." Even if the Demon is killed and the Enslaved Demon is rescued, the damaged memories and twisted personalities will not be able to revert to their original state.

These Demons hide among the populace, absorbing similar attributes of desire and obsession in their dreams to grow. Like an egg gradually hatching, their spiritual energy becomes increasingly powerful, until they finally turn into a true monstrosity. Killing a Demon wouldn't be considered murder... because what's inside that shell is no longer human.

This knowledge wasn't from university professors, but secret knowledge revealed to Russell by his mentor.

It was also because for work reasons, Russell had to interact with the Lower City District. To ensure his safety, his mentor provided Russell with this common knowledge in advance.

-- On the surface, Chongguang Island was using artificial intelligence to catch criminals, but this was just an excuse told to the public.

In reality, it relies on this analytical function to analyze everyone's behavior and actions. If a person's behavior deviates from what they usually do, feel, or act, and they suddenly exhibit strange actions or speech, that person will be closely monitored.

For example, if a person who usually has a good temper suddenly becomes angry, or if a normally virtuous girl suddenly has relations with someone she doesn't have a good relationship with... such abnormal conditions will be suspected as "Enslaved Demon Phenomena."

Unless, as in Russell's current situation, they are brought to a professional company for a spiritual energy strength test and it is found that the redshift has exceeded the blueshift, otherwise, Demons cannot be detected or confirmed by any means.

To find a Demon, one can only use multiple "Enslaved Demons" to triangulate at the societal level.

"It seems the Spirit Protection Chip still has blind spots."

Amirus said with a serious assessment, "In recent years, more and more people have awakened spiritual energy bypassing the Spirit Protection Chip."

The people in white lab coats around nodded in agreement.

"What?"

Russell asked with some confusion.

Amirus turned back, explaining to Russell without any hesitation, "Do you know the significance of that chip? People wearing that chip cannot awaken spiritual energy."

"...I've heard of this urban legend. But because there's no evidence and I couldn't find it in any books, I wasn't sure."

"Now you can be certain," answered Amirus, "because I invented that chip.

"Its second-generation version, aimed primarily at consumers, has the main feature of 'inducing unconsciousness through an electric shock.' It emits a mild electric shock that does not harm the body but is sufficient to knock someone out upon detecting emotional overload. It appears as if they have fainted due to emotional excitement."

"What's the meaning of this?"

"Because the awakening of spiritual energy—the transition of redshift from one to two, the ritual of breaking through the Wall of Behemoth—requires intense emotion and a singularly directed obsession."

The Old Elf spoke slowly, "As long as one does not become a spiritual energy user, they will not become a Demon. In other words, all Demons are born from out-of-control spiritual energy users.

"In 1141, a demon codenamed 'Mammon' devoured a third of the employees of Mental Heavy Industry and consumed the memories and emotions of 5,000 civilians on God Communication Island, causing the 'Tanbai Incident'. After that, Mental Heavy Industry commissioned us, Thoth Spiritual Energy Development, to create a second-generation chip capable of terminating spiritual awakening."

"It was also after that incident that the chip came with a unique 'registration code.' This effectively encouraged... or rather, forced all newborns to be implanted with a Spirit Protection Chip. It was then that the special group known as the 'Codeless' emerged."

...No wonder.

Russell suddenly understood.

That's why Amirus called it a "Spirit Protection Chip".

It protects not from external forces but from within—

Once fitted with this chip, there will be no spiritual awakening.

"Is it okay for you to tell me this...?"

Russell hesitated.

Could this be a secret that requires joining Thoth Spiritual Energy once you learn of it?

Amirus shook his head: "No worries, you would find out anyway once you enter the Tianen Group.

"Since you have already awakened your spiritual energy, no matter where you were originally going to work, you would eventually be transferred to the Special Execution Department."

"Why?"

"Because only then you will not become an 'Illegal Spiritual Energy User'".

Amirus answered, "Due to the chip's protection of the soul, usually, to become a Spiritual Energy User, one must remove the chip. And since the chip is tied to a registration code, this also means becoming 'Codeless,' losing all citizen rights. To permanently advance one's spiritual energy level, it is necessary to complete some 'Desire Tasks' and perform the corresponding rites in dreams... However, intense emotions and desires can also grant access to the next level, or even the level after that of spiritual energy power earlier than scheduled.

"Therefore, all Illegal Spiritual Energy Users are under surveillance. If an Execution Officer discovers their presence, immediate arrest is allowed, regardless of the suspect's innocence or guilt—after all, if left unattended, Illegal Spiritual Energy Users will eventually turn into demons.

"However, this common sense doesn't apply to the company. All Execution Officers of the Execution Department are Spiritual Energy Users, and they're all 'safe and legal' under certain restrictions.

"Based on their blue shift values, their chips will unlock different levels of permissions. Only after the blue shift value increases, and there is no decrease observed over three months, can they apply to elevate the restriction level. They must undergo a medical examination every month to monitor if the blue shift value has decreased and to determine if the restriction level should be lowered. Taking safety thresholds into account, only when the blue shift value reaches 4 can the third-level permissions be unlocked, and if it is 3, only second-level permissions can be unlocked, which equates to just-awakened spiritual energy level.

"This means that nearly all official Spiritual Energy Users have had their power suppressed by one to two levels to ensure they do not become demons."

As he spoke, Amirus looked intently at Russell: "But you are different.

"If spiritual awakening is completed before permission is granted, it means that the chip can't restrain your spiritual energy. You would then be enlisted into the Special Execution Department, personally trained, assigned tasks, and provided psychological treatment by the Execution Department Director while under surveillance and assuring you do not lose control, unleashing even greater power.

"Joining the Special Execution Department has one major advantage: you won't be easily deployed—ordinary Execution Officers, as long as they are management personnel above R5, can be temporarily mobilized to help complete security, escort, and other tasks. The Special Execution Department is only answerable to the central company's board of directors... This means your job will be relatively more leisurely, and the pay will be higher."

—And the risks will be higher.

Russell added in his mind.

But judging from the calm expression when he saw his own medical report, Amirus must have guessed Russell had already awakened his spiritual energy during the fight with that mercenary. That Spiritual Energy Weapon named "Sage Beheading" was just a cover for his identity as a Spiritual Energy User.

Without surprise, once the entrance medical check is concluded, Russell would be assigned to the Special Execution Department.

But there was something Amirus got wrong.

—Russell's spiritual awakening wasn't a result of circumventing the chip's protection.

When he graduated from his master's program, Russell's redshift was at 1 and blue shift at 2, the standard values for a normal person.

It was on the airship, after he had recovered his previous life's memory, that Russell's redshift and blue shift values significantly increased.

This was spiritual energy that he had awakened to before he was born—formed from the memories, desires, obsessions, and personality of his former life!