Chapter 50: Transition (Part I)

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With the help of her all-knowing online friends, Jiang Hui finally figured out what the holographic zone was all about.

To enter the holographic world, she first needed a holographic pod. Once connected to her brain-computer, the pod would allow her to log in. The original owner either had never had one bought for her by her family or had lost the relevant memories; in any case, Jiang Hui had no recollection of anything concerning it.

Holographic pods were considered large appliances in the interstellar era, and certainly not every household owned one. Naturally, people whose work required high mental strength usually installed one at home for convenience.

Jiang Hui searched for them on the StarNet Mall and discovered that they were astonishingly expensive. There was nothing available for less than fifty thousand interstellar credits. Even a basic pod cost sixty or seventy thousand, and that kind came with various restrictions. Limited-edition custom models were available as well, but they were far more expensive, with prices reaching into the millions.

Of course, someone like Jiang Hui had no need to buy one of those. After browsing through the styles, categories, and prices, she found that they could be divided into several general types.

The first was the basic model, developed by manufacturers to reduce costs and lower the purchasing threshold for ordinary interstellar citizens who did not need so many functions. To distinguish it from the rest of the market, this type restricted the simulated areas users could enter. Certain zones simply were not open to those using a basic pod.

The second was the standard model at the regular price, also known as the business model. It could satisfy the operating needs of most people with high mental strength. Its greatest difference from the basic model was that it offered nearly unrestricted access, with all areas unlocked. Most importantly, it included a simulated mech-combat function.

Then there was the aristocratic model. In a word, it was expensive. These were customized products that offered more privileges than the first two types. Depending on the brand and design, they also came with various personalized functions and could almost be considered luxury goods. Relatively few people in the interstellar worlds chose to purchase them.

Jiang Hui compared the prices of the standard and basic models. There was a difference of at least thirty thousand interstellar credits between them. If she wanted a dependable major brand, the price would rise even further. Their functions differed considerably, however, so in the end she decided not to economize. After all, the original owner had died because of a machine malfunction.

Jiang Hui also remembered that, after the apartment’s intelligent system had been removed, she had not yet had time to buy a replacement. She decided to purchase one together with the holographic pod.

Adding everything up, the two large household appliances would cost well over one hundred thousand interstellar credits. It was a considerable expense. Fortunately, the Helusi Group had compensated her according to the highest-priced intelligent system in the TM series.

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Jiang Hui could not help sighing. She had only been in the interstellar era for a few days. She had not yet found her bearings or learned how to make money, but she had already been spending it in one sizable sum after another. Once school began, she would also have to pay tuition and buy stationery, books, and daily necessities. Everything cost money.

It seemed she could no longer continue drifting through life. She had to study properly, adapt to this world, find her footing as soon as possible, and truly put down roots in this new soil.

Jiang Hui shut off her brain-computer and was just about to check the time when the scene before her eyes abruptly changed. In an instant, she had been transferred to another space.

After the “rehearsals” of the past few days, Jiang Hui was no longer surprised by such extraordinary phenomena.

Oh, it was time to enter the mental space again. She had probably become too excited while browsing the interstellar mall and had lost track of time. Being dragged in so abruptly likely meant that midnight had passed once more.

She had originally intended to go to the bedroom and sleep, but halfway there, she forced herself to turn around and headed toward the study instead.

There was not much to see in the study, either. Every book had been “scanned” in by Jiang Hui during spare moments throughout the day.

Yes, Jiang Hui called this process of reading a book in the real world and materializing it in the mental world “scanning.” In terms of its function and effect, it really did resemble electronic scanning.

Scanning was not an easy task, however. Jiang Hui had tested it before. If she used the method of skimming ten lines at a glance, she would definitely be unable to materialize the book in the mental space. But as long as she read the words carefully, one by one, in the real world, she could reproduce the contents in the mental space exactly as they were.

The same applied to objects. She had experimented with them as well. Things with simple structures were relatively easy to materialize in the mental space. For instance, the tissue she had tried to create there that night had appeared successfully at once.

But many objects with slightly more complicated structures, or with vague concepts, were impossible for Jiang Hui to materialize. Sometimes, if she exerted herself too much, she would even feel weak and dizzy, with a throbbing pressure behind her eyes.

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Jiang Hui guessed that activity within the mental space also relied on mental strength. If she used too much, it would naturally place a burden on her mind.

For the time being, she therefore did not dare experiment too much and could only concentrate on materializing books. For one thing, words and books were currently the easiest things to create in the space. For another, having more books there would give her something with which to pass the time.

She truly did not dare keep sleeping in the mental space. That place was practically a bug in physical form. Although its twenty-four hours were illusory, if Jiang Hui slept too much inside, she would return to the real world feeling completely rested and be unable to sleep again.

This meant that although Jiang Hui could use one day as two, those extra twenty-four hours came with severe limitations. Given her current circumstances, she could not make good use of them. Moreover, in a total of forty-eight hours, she could only sleep for the amount appropriate to one day. If she rested too much, she would instead end up dizzy and heavy-headed.

So, before school began, Jiang Hui planned not only to learn about various interstellar customs and common knowledge, but also to gather more books and materialize them in the mental space. Otherwise, she had no idea how she would get through the additional twenty-four hours every day in the future.

She could not very well sleep in the mental space every day while grinding away in the real world. Even if doing so had little effect on her mind, who knew what impact it would have on her body? If she did not want to die from exhaustion, it would be better to restrain herself.

Still, although Jiang Hui could not claim to have fully mastered the books she had materialized, she had memorized their contents by heart. Naturally, reading them again held less appeal. She wondered whether she should find some specialized textbooks or books on handicrafts. That way, she could use the time to learn something instead of merely reading for content.

Really, was there any other transmigrator in the world like her, possessing a cheat-like ability that seemed almost like a bug, yet having to puzzle out its uses bit by bit as though squeezing toothpaste from a tube?

Ah, this ability had truly been wasted on her. After all, Jiang Hui was a liberal-arts student with practically zero practical skills...

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