"Alright, alright, don't cry anymore. Can you tell me how you've been living all these years?" Vũ Gia Hoàng gently patted the head of the child he had just acknowledged.
The boy hesitated, then began to tell everything—of course, leaving out the things that needed to be hidden. Gia Hoàng listened calmly, as if it wasn't his own child's story, though his heart grew heavy. He knew discrimination was unavoidable, even in the Federation of China, where there were still many people like that. But he couldn't imagine how people—fellow humans—could act in such a way.
For the first time in his life, our young major general had the thought that, once he returned, he wanted to rise in rank as quickly as possible—just so he could pave a path for his child, one free of hurt and pain. What he didn't know was that, when he did return to the federation, his two children would stir up a storm in that muddy pond, giving him countless headaches. But that was a matter for the future.
Returning to the present, he patted the boy's head and said,
"Don't think too much. Not everyone is like that. In this world, the strong rule, and the weak become slaves. Only when you have enough strength and a clear mind can you stand tall on your own."
"Daddy, if I'm strong enough… does that mean I can control my own life?"
In his previous life, his power had only been at level one, yet he was still captured and thrown into a laboratory.
Wait a second—"enough rationality."
He remembered that in his past life, he had relied solely on his intuition to judge good and evil, not realizing that his ability emitted signals far and wide, attracting attention from many people. Naturally, they had created something to block his power.
Thinking of that person who had always acted so friendly toward him—he couldn't help but wonder what role that man had played in that dirty scheme.
While he was lost in thought, Vũ Gia Hoàng's voice rang out:
"You could say that. But at the same time, you need a smart mind and flexible thinking—especially the ability to judge people accurately. If you want, I can train you in that aspect. But first, you need proper nutrition and must learn the most basic things."
"Perhaps my training will be a little harsh, but with the strength and ability you've just shown, you'll be able to handle it."
And so, his journey of training began from that very moment.
Five Years Later – Vũ Family
Five years—a long time for some, but for Hữu Duyên, it was an unending stretch of relentless effort, with no moment of rest.
Since embarking on her training journey, she had undergone a complete transformation. The once gentle girl now bore a calm, indifferent demeanor that kept others at a distance.
This aloofness wasn't innate—it was inherited from "Teacher No. 1," her primary mentor within the consciousness space. He was silent, strict, every glance and movement calculated for maximum efficiency. Chip had dubbed him "Teacher No. 1" from the beginning for clarity, and that name had unconsciously become a symbol of authority in Hữu Duyên's heart.
> "No emotions, no pain."
> "No attachments, no stumbles."
> "Only resilience preserves the self."
She remembered every word.
---
The grueling training commenced once a portion of her mental power was unsealed. From physical exercises in the space—running, sparring—to memorizing military theory, operating machinery, understanding nano mecha structures... all meticulously designed in the space's curriculum.
Teacher No. 1 instructed like a machine, while Chip kept time, signaled, and strictly supervised. Hữu Duyên trained from dawn until she fell asleep mid-lesson, often only having time for a bite of dry rations or a sip of nutritional supplements before continuing.
Even in the real world, there was no respite. At the Vũ family estate, she still had to study basic knowledge like other children, but she also delved into military language, planetary history, resource coordination... under the guise of a potential heir (though no one knew she was disguised as a boy).
---
Mai Lan—a single mother—silently observed her daughter.
Each time she saw Hữu Duyên return from training, drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, yet biting back her fatigue, her heart ached.
Many nights, Mai Lan deliberately cooked her daughter's favorite dishes, coaxing her to eat slowly. But in return, she only received a brief "Thank you, Mom" and a fleeting gentle look before her daughter returned to her training space.
> "She's only five years old..." – Mai Lan once cried into the night, clutching her daughter's milk-scented shirt.
But she didn't intervene, because she knew: her daughter was on a path with no return.
---
Over five years, no one knew how many times Hữu Duyên had collapsed from exhaustion, only to rise again.
Only Chip witnessed it all.
Only Teacher No. 1 pushed her to her limits—then pulled her back from the brink.
And it was these experiences that forged a Hữu Duyên with eyes as cold as ice, yet a heart burning silently—for family, for survival, and for a deeper reason: freedom.
During those five years, there was one incident that nearly rendered all efforts futile—the military suddenly dispatched personnel to assess the progress of her nano core awakening.
Typically, children with nano cores are biologically marked, undergoing an awakening process at a certain age—sometimes accompanied by physical and mental disorders... Hữu Duyên—with her exceptional physical and mental strength—risked attracting significant trouble, even life-threatening danger, if she revealed too much power.
But fortunately...
"What are you worried about? You have me!" – Chip declared arrogantly, like a deity descending to the mortal realm.
The girl merely glanced at him, said nothing, and continued reading.
> "Here's the plan: simulate normal biological reactions, regulate the nano core energy to a neutral state, block all abnormal signals. With the military's current level—ha, they won't detect a thing!" – Chip smirked.
And indeed, that was the case.
The assessment that day proceeded unusually smoothly.
After a few biological comparisons and physical parameter checks, one of the researchers whispered to another in a white coat:
> "Normal. Decent aptitude, but still within controllable limits."
The person in the white coat nodded, saying nothing.
No one realized the truth—that the child standing before them, cold and obedient, was in fact a sleeping dragon. And she was fully capable of hearing that entire conversation. Even if her power wasn't enough yet, with Chip's full-range control of the area, it was more than enough for her to understand everything they said.
After they left, Chip lounged lazily on the screen, whistling smugly:
> "God-level artificial intelligence—don't mess around." "If you want to compliment me, just say it already. Don't be stingy."
Hữu Duyên said nothing. But a few seconds later…
> "Good job." – she said coldly, reaching up to pinch Chip's cheek.
> "Auuu! You always do that! You think it doesn't hurt?!" "I have tactile sensors, awareness—I'm a virtual lifeform!" "And I'm a god! How dare you treat a god like that!" "A god, but you still couldn't dodge my pinch?" – Hữu Duyên replied blandly.
Despite his loud complaints, there was a flicker of satisfaction in Chip's eyes—because being acknowledged, even with just a single sentence from Hữu Duyên, was the greatest reward of all.
During those five years, the military had twice sent personnel to the Vũ household to check on Hữu Duyên's development, as well as to initiate the awakening of her nano core—a crucial ritual marking her potential to become a future soldier.
Normally, children with high spiritual power but insufficient physical conditioning would suffer severe pain during the awakening, some even dying from bodily overload.
But when it was Hữu Duyên's turn, the whole process unfolded… with a normalcy that was hard to believe.
Outwardly, she only furrowed her brow slightly. Inside, Chip was subtly applying techniques to regulate the flow of her spiritual power, making every fluctuation glide gently along the pathways that had been trained and refined over five years.
> "Under my command—the so-called theoretical god—this was child's play~" Chip boasted proudly, his voice ringing in Hữu Duyên's mind, cheeks puffed as he waited for praise.
Hữu Duyên calmly said:
> "Well done."
> "Hehe~ I knew it~"
Suddenly, she reached out and pinched his cheek again, voice low:
> "But don't get too arrogant. We still don't know what this world is truly hiding."
Chip clicked his tongue.
> "No way. This is just a mid-tier dimension."
> "But we must stay cautious. If we ever crash... what awaits us is a path to death," Hữu Duyên said flatly.
Chip fell silent, deep in thought.
It was because of this that, in the future, they were able to be more careful—and narrowly avoided detection by a god-level entity within the Federation.
In the real world, in the eyes of others, Hữu Duyên was just a child with decent enough aptitude to awaken smoothly. No one found anything strange. Even the military officials simply nodded in satisfaction before turning away.
Only Mai Lan—her mother, who knew every glance and expression of her daughter—sensed something… but chose silence.
She didn't ask.
Instead, she quietly prepared more of her daughter's favorite dishes each day.