Chapter 85: Lily’s Secret

What is human self-awareness? Currently, no one can say for sure. Some argue it’s the soul, while others believe it’s simply the combined function of the entire brain. There is no definitive conclusion yet.

For example, if someone accidentally kicks a table leg, the neurons in their leg transmit a pain signal to their spinal cord.

So, does the spinal cord itself feel the pain? Of course not. The spinal cord merely acts as an information-processing intermediary.

It relays the pain signals up to the cerebral cortex, which is where the person actually perceives the pain.

Does this mean the cerebral cortex is the ultimate seat of consciousness?

No. The cerebral cortex can be further subdivided into a massive network of neurons. Only the information processed by these neurons allows a person to feel pain.

However, neurons merely process bioelectric currents of varying frequencies and intensities, along with other chemical signals.

So, ultimately, is it these bioelectric currents and signals that feel the pain?

Could these bioelectric currents be the ultimate form of human consciousness? Can a cluster of electrical currents feel pain and scream?

What exactly is the “self,” and what is it that feels pain? Scientists cannot answer these questions either.

Humanity still knows very little about its own biology. This gap in knowledge has given rise to concepts like the soul and various religions. There is no empirical way to verify whether these beliefs are right or wrong.

The question was too convoluted, so Jason thought about it for a moment before giving up. “Do you have any working theories?”

“Because humanity has never truly understood the nature of self-awareness, we have been unable to properly study the Perfect Element. Decades of scientific progress have been stalled right here.”

In the past, researchers conducted numerous trials on near-death volunteers and death row inmates. Without exception, all of them failed. During those experiments, the subjects’ brainwaves rapidly became chaotic, ultimately leading to brain death.

“I was thinking… we have one successful example right in front of us, and perhaps we can learn something from it. We are planning to find individuals similar to you and see if there’s any possibility of a successful bonding.”

“You are a psionicist. Therefore, we hypothesize that only those with telepathic abilities can bond with the Perfect Element and become Superhumans.” Kelly looked intently at Jason.

“Of course, this conjecture might be completely wrong. The Federation has conducted experiments with psychic individuals in the past, and those still ended in failure.”

So the question remained: what exactly are psychic abilities, and how do they manifest?

If a “soul” truly exists, then “self-awareness” and various psychic abilities become much easier to explain. Attributing supernatural phenomena to the soul wouldn’t be entirely unreasonable.

But this raises a new question: What is the soul? Can it influence physical matter?

Jason’s internal response was simply: I don’t know!

He frowned deeply, genuinely puzzled. If these brilliant scientists knew nothing about any of this, how could he possibly know the answer?

But on closer reflection, he couldn’t entirely blame them. As Kelly had pointed out, while humanity had made massive strides in the natural sciences, it had achieved virtually nothing in the science of the mind.

If humanity wanted to understand its own consciousness, it needed to achieve major breakthroughs in the life sciences first.

Current science cannot prove the existence of the soul, but it certainly cannot disprove it, either. Logically speaking, proving something exists is relatively simple; you only need one valid sample.

To prove that something doesn’t exist, however, you would have to search the entire universe and still find nothing. Humanity’s current exploration of the universe was limited to a tiny fraction, and even that fraction remained largely a mystery.

“However, regardless of whether the soul exists or not… the human brain can indeed influence physical matter,” Dr. Kelly explained.

“The human brain is an electrochemical organ. Bioelectric signals transmit information between brain cells. Strong magnetic fields can disrupt those signals and produce strange visual, tactile, and auditory hallucinations. Electromagnetic fields acting on the human brain can also induce different emotional states, such as fear, tension, or excitement.”

“Conversely, the human brain can also emit bioelectricity and electromagnetic waves out into the environment.”

“This phenomenon might explain your psychic abilities. Perhaps, as a Superhuman, you project a unique magnetic field that gives us that warm, sun-like feeling… Of course, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a magnetic field; it could be an entirely unknown force.”

“Magnetic fields are easily shielded against, so I doubt it’s magnetism…” Dr. Roman waved his hand dismissively. “If the soul truly exists, perhaps this is some other supernatural force entirely.”

When it came to metaphysical topics, even grounded scientists like Roman were at a loss for words.

Only Kelly specialized in this area. Yet, whenever the topic of the soul arose, it inevitably brushed against religion and mysticism, which felt very much like pseudoscience.

Jason was very open to exploring new ideas. On one hand, he was skeptical; on the other hand, since there was no better explanation, he decided to trust their judgment for the time being.

“So, what is the basis for the claim that people with psychic abilities are more likely to become Superhumans?”

“Actually, there is no solid basis for it. It’s purely our best guess.” Roman shook his head, looking ashamed. After researching for so long, they effectively knew nothing.

Even Dr. Kelly blushed. In an environment filled with driven workaholics, their lack of concrete results felt like a waste of resources.

“Because you are a psionicist, we believe that only psionicists can become Superhumans!” Kelly stuck her tongue out, feeling extremely embarrassed by the circular logic.

“That’s…” Jason scratched the back of his head. The logic didn’t hold up. “Do we even have any other psychic individuals among our 50,000 people?”

“Yes, at least three,” Dr. Roman said suddenly.

“One is Calvin, currently in the detention center. Another is an engineer from the Wolfpack Design Bureau named Leo. And the last one… is Lily.”

Jason’s heart skipped a beat. He knew about the first two. One was a mysterious prophet, and the other was a super-engineer who had helped Professor Hao Yu build nuclear warheads. But how could Lily be one of them?

He had personally reviewed the Lunar Base’s personnel files and found nothing unusual about her. Had her true records been hidden?

Noticing Jason’s confusion, Dr. Roman stared up at the ceiling, slowly recalling the past. “Lily… that poor child. I’ve watched over her for ten years…”

Lily was born in a small, remote coastal town called Oakhaven. She had displayed extraordinary abilities from a very young age.

She was incredibly adorable, and her every action effortlessly won over the adults around her. She was exceptionally well-behaved; from childhood into her teenage years, she never seemed to make a single mistake.

But that endearing, flawless obedience was actually a symptom of something unnatural.

“The truth is, she developed a unique psychic ability when she was very young, the ability to read minds.”

“Yes, mind reading… she can hear the thoughts of almost anyone around her.”

Mind reading was a terrifying ability. It forced her to mature far too quickly, granting her an emotional intelligence vastly superior to her peers. At first, no one noticed anything unusual, not even her own parents.

They all simply assumed Lily’s perfect obedience was just a sign of high intelligence.

Lily’s psychic abilities were innate. She likely grew so accustomed to them that she didn’t realize she was different from anyone else.

She always knew exactly what the adults were thinking, allowing her to avoid trouble. She did exactly what they wanted and avoided doing anything that would upset them.

“Her family was impoverished. Worse still, her father was severely abusive, and she had to grow up in that toxic environment,” Roman said, his tone heavy with sorrow.

Jason felt a deep pang of empathy. So the young girl had such a tragic past; it was truly heartbreaking.

“Adult minds can be filthy and incredibly complex, and she was so young when her abilities manifested… Because of her mind reading, we have no idea what terrible things she saw or learned during those formative years. That is likely what caused her withdrawn, silent personality.”

Dr. Roman let out a heavy sigh.

“Perhaps she was just too smart, too well-behaved, and far too pretty. In neglected places like her hometown, you find people with deeply twisted desires… predators who prey on the young.”

“Eventually, a local gang leader took a liking to her. Her scumbag of a father didn’t just fail to protect her; he actually sold her to them for cash…”

Dr. Roman summarized the events in just a few brief sentences, but Jason had a sinking feeling that the reality of what she had endured was far darker than words could convey.

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