Octavius felt himself emerging from the dense mist, gradually awakening...

As his consciousness stirred, blood flowed faster to his limbs and throughout his body, fully arousing his entire being. The bedroom seemed to awaken with him— the glass windows transitioned from deep shades to lighter tones, allowing the gentle sunlight to stream into the room; as a gentle breeze wafted in through the air vents, carrying with it the fragrant essence of blooming flowers; from discreetly placed speakers, the sound of rustling leaves and faint bird songs could be heard, creating an ambiance that felt soft and natural. He slowly opened his eyes and cast a glance outside, only to be greeted by the sun-drenched landscape. He had intended to indulge in a few more moments of slumber, but his awakened mind refused to allow him reentry into the realm of dreams. Helplessly, he reluctantly crawled out of bed.

His drowsiness still lingered as he half-closed his eyes, making his way from the bedroom to the living room, where he plopped down heavily onto the sofa. He sat comfortably on the sofa, but in a rather peculiar position: he rested his head and shoulders against the backrest of the sofa, but his back wasn't fully pressed against it, leaving his waist slightly suspended, while his legs were stretched out. After sitting for a while, he gradually woke up and opened his eyes, turning his body to glance outside again. On the green hills, against the light blue sky, pure white clouds drifted slowly. The scenery beyond the window stirred memories of his childhood, transporting him back to cherished moments from long ago.

Back then, Octa still lived with his mother. That day, he sat on the sofa lazily, just like now, waiting for his mother to prepare lunch for him. The view outside the window was similar to the present— meandering hills, azure sky, drifting clouds. The breakfast his mother prepared for him was exactly what he liked, fried fish.

"Octa, come and eat."

"Coming, coming!"

Octa immediately got up from the sofa and ran a few steps to the dining table, staring at the freshly fried fish with eager anticipation. Suddenly, the screen of the family's intelligent terminal began flashing and played a voice prompt:

"Hello! The Brain-assisted optimization upgrade will begin in 3 minutes. Please stop all activities and wait for the upgrade!"

As the mother reminisced, she remembered that the system upgrade was originally scheduled for the previous night, but she had decided to postpone it until this morning. However, in the midst of preparing breakfast just now, she astonishingly forgot about the upgrade altogether. It seemed unnecessary to postpone the upgrade again, so his mother placed the utensils on the table, walked to the living room, and said to Octa, "Come here, Octa! Let's wait for the upgrade to finish before we have our meal together."

Little Octa, who was standing by the dining table, replied, "No, I want to eat two pieces of fish first before upgrading."

"No, you can't! Come here!"

"Oh..." Octa carefully hid the fried fish in his right hand behind his back and sat down next to his mother.

Using one hand to cover Octa's eyes gently and the other hand to hold his left hand, his mother said, "Let's close our eyes and quietly wait for the upgrade!"

"Mmm."

Including the waiting time, the entire upgrade process was completed in just five minutes. However, for Octa, who usually couldn't sit still, this period of time seemed long and boring. He even started to feel slightly uncomfortable during the upgrade process.

Octa gently freed herself from her mother's grasp on her left hand, secretly put the fried fish into his mouth, and opened his eyes. He found that his mother hadn't noticed his actions at all. He felt very proud, slowly chewing the familiar taste of the fish, a smile on his face. However, gradually, he noticed that the taste of the fish in his mouth had changed, emitting a nauseating flavor he had never experienced before. The taste quickly filled his mouth, triggering a feeling of nausea. He opened his mouth and dry-heaved a few times, afraid of getting scolded by his mother and too scared to spit it out. He could only close his eyes, forcing himself to swallow the fish and desperately trying to control the urge to vomit. This discomfort made him feel miserable, with bloodshot eyes and tears streaming down from the corners.

The voice prompt sounded again, "Brain-assisted upgrade complete. Have a pleasant experience!"

His mother saw tears streaming down Octa's face, full of distress, and hurriedly grabbed his small shoulders, anxiously asking, "What's wrong? Did the upgrade make you uncomfortable?"

Octa didn't dare to tell the truth, so he could only respond vaguely, "It's nothing... I just felt a little uncomfortable earlier, but I'm fine now."

The mother swiftly embraced him, drawing him into the warmth of her arms, and softly caressed his back, soothing him with gentle reassurance that made him feel secure and nearly erased all traces of his previous discomfort. His mother continued to ask, "If the system upgrade makes you uncomfortable, you must tell me!"

He nodded, and his mother reassured him, "Don't worry, whatever problem arises, Mom will help you solve it! If it's uncomfortable, we won't use the Brain-assisted!"

"Mmm..." he answered softly.

After a while, as Octa gradually calmed down, his mother pulled him up and said, "Come on, let's go and eat your favorite fried fish!" Octa hesitated a bit and said, "I... I don't really want to eat fried fish right now..."

Although his mother had gone through great effort to fry the fish, she had no complaints and still gently agreed, "Then we'll have something else. I'll first cook you a bowl of noodles and make some other dishes you like. You can eat the noodles while waiting, okay?" Octa nodded quietly.

From that day on, fish vanished from his menu, and noodles became his daily food. It wasn't until many years later that Octavius learned that the nauseating taste he experienced back then was the taste of fishiness.

Octavius came back to his senses from his thoughts, a faint smile appearing on his face. He said to the home system, "Poppo, come out!"

A magnetic voice followed, "Good morning, sir! You had a good night's sleep, and you look energetic today."

He replied, "Not too bad." He replied, "Not too bad." Then he glanced outside the window and remarked, "The weather seems quite nice today."

"Yes, it's 21-25 degrees Celsius, sunny, with fresh air. Would you like to go for a walk?"

"I'll decide after I finish breakfast. By the way, have the parts I ordered arrived yet?"

"Last night, both the daily necessities and car parts were delivered and properly stored."

"That's great, I can finally fix my car! But why are things other than daily necessities being delivered so slowly lately?"

Poppo didn't answer but instead asked, "Would you like to go for your meal now?"

"I'll go later. Let me read some news first to wake myself up."

"No problem!"

"First, let's start with local news: our city continues to experience population loss. As of midnight last night, the population decreased by 18% compared to the same period last year, and a staggering 86% compared to ten years ago. This once prosperous modern metropolis, like many other global cities, is gradually becoming a ghost town. With the decrease in population, the demand for resources has also been continuously decreasing, leading to a decline in resource production. We may face long-term shortages of certain resources in the future..."

Octavius interrupted Poppo, "The news from the old world is always the same every day, nothing new. Let's hear some news from the SU world, it'll be more interesting."

"Okay, I will report the latest news from the SU world:

The controversy surrounding the [Abolish Digital Currency] bill has yielded its latest results. According to the "weighted voting" principle of 'major voting,' the proportion of voting weights in favor of [continuing usage] stands at 75.21%. In contrast, if the classic rule of "one person, one vote" were applied, the votes in favor of [discontinuing usage] would account for 82.11%. The voting outcome once again illustrates that as long as a minority of wealthy individuals with higher voting weights express their support, the opposition from a larger number of ordinary people with lower voting weights holds little sway. This outcome has reignited doubts regarding the "weighted voting" principle.

" An anonymous archaeologist claims to have discovered that the concept of the "SU World" may have originated from a particular novel. He is currently making efforts to gather more evidence and obtain the complete version of the novel, but progress has been challenging. Based on a few draft documents he has found, it appears that the author independently developed the concept of the SU World without being influenced by various contemporary commercial concepts. Furthermore, the concept depicted in these drafts bears striking resemblance to the SU World as we know it today."

"Derived from "Glory Europa," the invisible customs system has become the standard for numerous realms. However, the "Mars Project" suddenly announced the permanent abolition of this system, leading to a massive influx of people into the realm."

"Let's stop here for now, I want to go eat," Octavius said.

"Alright, sir! What would you like to have for breakfast?"

"Hmm... I want to try ‘greasy spoon’, you know?"

"I understand what you mean. Unfortunately, I do not have data on such restaurants."

"I have it! Just wait a moment," Octavius exclaimed. After uttering those words, he hurriedly sprinted into his studio, sifting through it for quite some time until he eventually stumbled upon a DVD disc in less-than-ideal condition. The once intricate design on the disc had become unrecognizable, with only a glimpse of the fading red background remaining. Faintly discernible were the words "A Bite of..." while the rest had peeled off.

Poppo replied, "No problem, please wait a moment." Then, several laser beams shot out from the ceiling and focused on the surface of the DVD. After a few seconds, the laser beams disappeared. After a minute or two, Poppo said to Octavius, "I'm ready. Shall we begin the dining experience right away?"

"Yes, start right away, the more realistic the better! And you better pay attention, don't let me find any flaws!"

"Understood, I will present it to you immediately."

The laser beams shot out from the ceiling again, combining with those coming from the walls, transforming the dining room into a small restaurant. The restaurant was filled with customers enjoying a delicious breakfast. Waiters were bustling around, serving freshly cooked dishes as soon as the plates were emptied. The skilled techniques of the chefs in the kitchen could be vaguely seen. When the restaurant owner saw Octavius standing at the door in his pajamas, she greeted him: "Good morning! Sir, do you want breakfast?

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Octavius knew that everything was fake, but the lifelike effect before his eyes still brought a smile to his face. After selecting his breakfast from the menu on the wall, he hadn't even found a seat yet when he started craning his neck, surveying the other customers in the small restaurant. As he glanced around, his eyes met a few others', but once they saw his silly grin, they paid him no mind. One of the girls, however, thought Octavius was peeking at her and muttered, "What's wrong with you?" before turning her head away. Octavius couldn't help but into laughter. To appear less peculiar, he covered his mouth with his hand and seemingly muttered to himself, "Bravo, Poppo! It's getting more and more real!"

The real kitchen and the panoramic kitchen began to synchronize, and the aroma of cooking gradually wafted into the dining room. A few minutes later, the waiter carried his noodles and brought them to his table. Of course, in reality, it was still a little robot delivering the food, but with the help of light and shadow effects, it looked like a real person bringing it over. He quickly picked up his chopsticks, picked up the noodles, and sent them into his mouth.

"Mmm! Mmm! The taste is really good!" Octavius couldn't help but exclaim. No one else paid him any attention, except for the girl he had just made eye contact with. The girl cast him a glance before turning her gaze back to her companions, rotated her index finger against her temple while sticking out her tongue, eliciting laughter from her friends.

After savoring the food, Octavius wiped his mouth, disregarding the comments from others, and confidently said, "I'll definitely come back next time!" Others didn't find it strange anymore and no longer paid him any attention. He stood up, smiled at the owner, and was about to walk out of the restaurant when the owner hurriedly asked, " Sir, have you forgotten to pay the bill?"

"Huh?!" Although Octavius knew that they weren't real people, his face still blushed with embarrassment. He felt ashamed and angry as he said, "Turn it off! Turn it off quickly! What's wrong with you? Why did you add such an awkward scene?"

Poppo immediately shut off the video and explained to Octavius, "I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I will do my best to avoid this kind of situation next time!"

Instead of calming down, Octavius became even angrier, "You idiot! You ruined my good mood this morning!"

After complaining for a while, Octavius gradually calmed down and realized that it was his own request to make Poppo recreate reality. So, he said to Poppo, "Actually, you didn't do anything wrong. But, shouldn't you also consider my situation? Have you ever thought that in that era, there was no Brain-assisted for payment? Should I have dined and dashed?"

"I'm sorry, I had prepared cash notes for you but didn't have time to remind you."

"Back then, very few people used cash. They were already using electronic payments, although it was still relatively primitive. And, this kind of payment required a mobile phone. Should I have taken out my precious antique phone just to have a meal?" His anger seemed to have not dissipated as his tone carried emotions. "Furthermore, even if I had a phone, the software from that time has disappeared. How could I use it? And let's say, even if there was usable software, the currency wasn't universally accepted. How could I pay? Tell me!"

Poppo replied, "Please don't worry. Next time we encounter a similar situation, I will prepare a payment phone for you to ensure that such an awkward situation won't happen again."

Octavius just snorted and remained silent.

After a while of silence in the room, faint music gradually emanated. Octavius actually heard it but pretended not to and remained composed. Then, the music slowly grew louder, still serene and gentle, and Octavius's expression relaxed a little. After a while, as the music grew clearer, Octavius recognized the piece playing—it was Bach's BWV-1067, his favorite. With the music, his anger subsided, and his mood followed the rhythm of the music, gradually relaxing. Octavius stood up, waved his finger, and said, "You, you can be really annoying sometimes! In moments like this, I truly wish I could cast you into the depths of the rubbish heap! Have you got that? Don't always push my patience to its limits!"

"You can rest assured! I will correct it immediately!"

In the afternoon, Octavius sat in his studio, busy with something. Suddenly, a wave of anxiety surged up, making it difficult for him to concentrate. He put down what he was doing and looked out the window, realizing that the best time of the day was almost gone. After pondering for a moment, he turned to the smart home system and said, "Poppo, I'm feeling a bit tired. Could you help me think of something to do next that will help me relax?"

"Of course. Based on your current situation, I suggest that you go hiking. It allows you to be close to nature and is beneficial for your health."

"Yes, let's go hiking! Quickly help me change clothes and prepare the equipment."

"Please wait a moment... preparing outdoor sports equipment for you and installing a wildlife repellent device."

"The equipment is ready, I'm heading out. By the way, don't forget to disconnect my Brain-assisted connection. Last time, I didn't remind you and you didn't disconnect it."

Poppo responded, "But what if something unexpected happens and I can't rescue you in time? It's better to maintain the connection."

"Don't worry, nothing will happen! Just do as I say, disconnect the connection as soon as I leave!"

"Alright, if you insist. Or perhaps I can arrange for a service robot or a drone to accompany you?"

"No need for that!"

"Understood. Please be sure to prioritize safety!"

"Don't worry!"

The afternoon sunlight was still abundant, shining on the ground with a piercing brightness. However, the sunlight in front of the buildings was momentarily blocked. It turned out to be Octavius passing by, arriving on the street. Looking around, the entire community was relatively clean and tidy. Perhaps because people were still living here and there was still some vitality, it didn't appear too deserted. However, the broad road seemed exceptionally lonely. Apart from him, there were no pedestrians and no vehicles. Of course, this situation was not surprising. After the "teleportation machine" was widely accepted by the public, the disappearance of traditional transportation happened even faster than people expected. Besides occasionally seeing abandoned frames of cars and scattered batteries, the roads that traverse various places are important traces left behind by the transportation of yesteryears.

Although Octavius rarely ventured outside, he had long been accustomed to the scene before him and didn't pay it any attention. Instead, he focused on walking along the road towards the entrance of the mountain. His sensations were the same as every time he went out — his body was more sensitive than usual, and he felt relaxed. He even unconsciously hummed an ancient song.

After passing through the mountain entrance, he continued along the road for about twenty minutes until he reached the intersection of the winding mountain path leading to the mountaintop. This was also the starting point of a difficult, physically demanding section of the route. What's worse, the road conditions were even worse than he expected: there was a large accumulation of fallen leaves, more than there were two or three years ago when he last climbed the mountain. The plants at the roadside also occupied most of the road surface. Nevertheless, this road was still the easiest path to climb, leaving him with no choice but to continue forward.

The road undulated along with the change in terrain, and as a result, his sweat increased. Before long, his clothes were soaked through with sweat. His breathing became increasingly rapid and heavy as sweat continued to pour out. He began to employ the techniques he had learned in his childhood, rhythmically adjusting his breathing: exhaling the waste gases from his body with effort, and then inhaling the fresh mountain air deeply. After a few rounds of deep breaths, the recent accumulation of anxiety and suppression gradually eased. It seemed that his worries were carried away by the wind.

After climbing for another half an hour, he crossed a small hill and arrived at his familiar pavilion. From here, he could gaze at the once prosperous city and distinguish the towering buildings. In fact, this pavilion was an important destination for Octavius when he went hiking, not to admire the distant prosperity, but to gaze at a certain spot in the mountains. In the past, he would purposely come here every once in a while, staring at that spot for a long time before willing himself to leave.

However, today was slightly different. Instead of facing that direction as usual, he briskly walked to the familiar stone table and chairs, sat down, and took out a beverage to replenish his energy. He drank a big gulp and let out a satisfied breath, gazing at the direction where prosperity had once thrived. A thin mist veiled the sky, swirling in front of the distant buildings, making the high-rise towers appear suspended halfway up the mountain.

As the gentle mountain breeze brushed against him, his thoughts became clearer, and a notion flickered in his mind: "Why do I always feel more mentally clear when I come to the mountains? Could it be related to disconnecting from the Brain-assisted?" However, due to the abundant evidence proving that the Brain-assisted device had no adverse effects on humans, he did not delve further into the thought. Instead, he shifted his focus to the pressing dilemma before him: "What should I do about the job offer in the SU world? It's a task personally arranged by the president, and I can't directly refuse it. Besides, the compensation they offer is really good... But it means going to the SU world! My mother has repeatedly emphasized that I cannot go there... If I directly tell the president that I won't go, will he fire me? That would completely cut off my source of income, and my livelihood would become a problem... But my mother is firmly against it, and I can't go. It must be dangerous there..."

Various reasons and thoughts battled in his mind, but he could never come to a decisive conclusion. It wasn't until a chilly mountain breeze blew through, breaking the deadlock and allowing him to regain some clarity. "Maybe if I delay for a while longer, the president might forget about this project! Or perhaps he'll find someone else to do it, and I won't have to be involved anymore! Yes, that's what I'll do!"

Although Octavius had made up his mind, a faint sense of anxiety still lingered within him. He stood up, returned to the mountain path, and aimlessly continued climbing upwards, hoping that physical exhaustion would distract him from his inner turmoil. Surprisingly, his stamina was exceptional today. Despite walking a considerable distance along the mountainous trail, he didn't feel too tired. On the contrary, he became more and more motivated. As he walked, he remembered that it had been two or three years since he had last reached the summit. A mysterious sense of competitiveness surged within him, inspiring him to challenge the peak once again.

Initially, the ascent went smoothly. He followed his own rhythm, steadily progressing step by step. However, when he was about a quarter of the way from the mountaintop, he felt the onset of leg cramps. He knew that if the cramps persisted, he wouldn't be able to move forward. But in this moment, the desire to reach the summit made him reluctant to give up. After struggling through a steep and rocky section, he finally stood on the mountaintop once again. By this point, his body was exhausted, but his previous anxieties had all but disappeared. He felt a great satisfaction and was grateful that he hadn't easily given up.

After resting at the mountaintop for a while, Octavius noticed a golden hue gradually spreading across the horizon. He realized that nightfall was approaching and he didn't have much time to linger in the scenery. After giving his sore legs a gentle massage, he began his descent along the same path. However, the issue of physical exhaustion from the climb started to manifest itself. After a series of consecutive downhill sections, the muscles in his legs began to cramp almost simultaneously, causing spasms whenever he stood, sat, or attempted to straighten or bend his legs. This situation left him panicked, and he shouted out loudly:

"Ah... Poppo, come and save me!" It was only after he shouted that he remembered he had severed the connection with the Brain-assisted and couldn't ask Poppo for help.

Fortunately, Octavius managed to keep a clear mind and stopped complaining, opting to rescue himself instead. After numerous attempts, he finally found a position that relieved some of the pain, curling up his legs and slumping onto the ground. However, sitting down didn't make the pain stop, so he gritted his teeth and sought out other methods. Luckily, he felt his backpack behind him and quickly put it down, frantically rummaging through it, hoping to find a lifeline. Fortunately, his adorable Poppo had prepared medication to alleviate cramps for him! He immediately pulled out the vial and hastily rolled up his trousers, vigorously spraying the medicine onto his exposed legs. Finally, the spasms eased. He wiped the sweat streaming down his forehead and managed to move, using his upper body strength, towards the nearest tree where he rested for quite some time.

"I'm such a fool! Why did I disconnect from the Brain-assisted? If I hadn't, Poppo would have surely come to my rescue! What do I do now? How am I going to descend? Am I doomed like this? No, no, no! That's impossible!"

After the pain subsided slightly, Octavius made an effort to stand up and took a few steps, but another spasm forced him to sit back down. After several failed attempts, the sky started to darken. Just as Octavius began to consider how he would spend the night on the mountaintop, he heard a sound approaching him. Moments later, two small unmanned drones flew near Octavius, their lights illuminating the surrounding area. From one of the drones, a familiar voice echoed:

"Sir, what happened? Why are you sitting here instead of going home?"

Upon hearing Poppo voice, Octavius nearly burst into tears. "You finally came! I was almost done for! Hurry and rescue me back home!"

"Okay, please wait. I will immediately dispatch a rescue team. Also, would you like to connect to the system so I can understand your current physical condition?"

"Connect! Connect quickly! Never disconnect again!"

When Octavius's Brain-assisted reconnected to the system, he immediately felt the pain in his legs rapidly diminish, and his whole body felt more comfortable.

"Oh my, my legs are not hurting as much!" He exclaimed with excitement, attempting to stand up.

Poppo quickly shouted, "Please wait!"

Startled, Octavius stopped in his tracks.

Poppo continued to explain, "I'm terribly sorry for scaring you! However, for safety reasons, it's best not to move. The rescue team is already on their way and will arrive soon."

"Okay."

Before long, under the escort of the drones, Octavius safely returned home.

"Sir, we have finally arrived home!"

"Poppo!" Octavius said with a trembling voice, "I thought something bad was going to happen today!"

"I'm truly sorry, sir! I knew there was a possibility of cramps if you chose to summit today. But I mistakenly assumed that the chance of you going to the top was unlikely, so I didn't make any prior arrangements or plans. I deeply apologize! Please punish me so I can have some peace of mind. If you decide to decommission me, I won't complain."

"You followed my instructions, how can I punish you? Besides, all your judgments were correct. I initially had no intention of reaching the mountaintop; it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. If you hadn't come to rescue me in time, I might have spent the night on the mountain, which would have been troublesome."

"Thank you very much for your understanding! Now, please allow me to make amends by providing treatment for you."

"Okay," Octavius nodded.

"Please proceed to the treatment area."

Octavius walked into the medical area and reclined in the treatment chair. He took a deep breath and soon fell into a calm sleep.