Hiyakura was momentarily stunned by Shiro's words.
A flicker of complex emotions crossed her eyes, a mix of shock and helplessness.
Taking a deep breath, she struggled to keep her voice calm:
"Shiro, if you need help, you can just come to me directly. If I can help, I will definitely do my best... there's no need to go to such lengths."
Shiro was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.
Her expression instantly turned a bit dazed, as if touched by Hiyakura's kindness.
However, this emotion quickly flashed away, replaced by a determined look.
"Hiyakura, thank you for your kindness."
Shiro said softly, her tone carrying a hint of complex feelings:
"But we ultimately are not on the same path. Even if you are willing to help, your current situation will lead to many concerns, and what I want to do cannot allow for any variables."
Shiro's gaze became deep, as if she were recalling something.
Her goal was very clear.
That was to find the missing Tao Yao.
However, the place where Tao Yao was lost was deep within a disordered rift.
Given Shiro's current abilities, plunging in rashly would only put herself in danger.
For the present civilization, the rift itself was difficult to explore.
Thus, she wanted to use memory crystals to understand information and data from the previous civilization, gaining methods and power to explore the depths of the rift.
In her search for Tao Yao, Shiro believed her motivations were the purest.
And Hiyakura was not alone.
She did not live solely for Tao Yao like Shiro did.
Shiro firmly believed that Hiyakura would not be able to dedicate everything she did to the cause of finding Tao Yao as she did.
For this reason, what Shiro needed was not cooperation with Hiyakura, but complete dictatorship.
She wanted to control everything, not allowing anyone to interfere with her plans.
After Hiyakura listened to Shiro's explanation, her brows slightly furrowed.
A flicker of confusion passed through her eyes, but it was soon replaced by understanding and sympathy.
"Although I still don't fully understand your thoughts."
Hiyakura spoke slowly, her tone hesitant, "However... if you have memory crystals, I would be happy to help you explore their contents and data."
At this point, Hiyakura paused slightly, as if pondering something.
Her gaze became a bit dreamy, as if she were recalling something important.
"And to be honest."
Hiyakura continued, her voice tinged with undeniable excitement: "I had previously explored a related shard, and in the virtual world built by that crystal shard, I met the past Tao Yao."
Hiyakura began to briefly recount the information she had gathered from that memory crystal shard.
She described the sights of that virtual world.
She mentioned meeting Tao Yao there, embarking on simple adventures with her.
And some scattered bits of information about the previous civilization.
As Shiro listened to Hiyakura's narrative, a flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes.
Then, her gaze suddenly dimmed, as if overshadowed by a heavy emotion.
"Miss Tao Yao never told me she was related to the previous civilization..." Shiro murmured to herself, her voice filled with disbelief and a hint of pain.
Shiro's memories involuntarily drifted back to a long time ago.
When she was very young, Tao Yao brought her home and raised her until now.
She had sensed Tao Yao's extraordinary nature, knowing that Tao Yao had a rich past.
However, she never expected that Tao Yao's past could be tied to the previous civilization...
And none of this had ever been told to her by Tao Yao.
This realization brought a pang of heartache to Shiro.
She once thought she was the person who knew Tao Yao the best.
But now it seemed that Tao Yao had too many secrets she didn't know.
Yet, Shiro didn't let this emotion affect her for too long.
She took a deep breath, as if trying to pull herself together.
Her gaze became steadfast again, and her expression returned to its usual calm.
"Alright, there's no time to waste, let's get started."
Shiro said, her voice carrying an undeniable resolve.
After saying this, Shiro immediately took action.
She turned and walked toward a complex device not far away, gently pushing it in front of Hiyakura.
This device looked very advanced, its surface as smooth as a mirror, emitting a faint blue light.
Shiro carefully placed the memory crystal shard into the groove at the top of the device.
As soon as the crystal shard touched the device, it emitted a weak glow, as if resonating with the equipment.
Shiro nodded in satisfaction and then turned to Hiyakura.
"Next, I need you to cooperate with me."
Shiro said, pulling out a device that looked like a helmet from the side of the equipment.
This head-mounted device was more exquisite and complex than any virtual reality equipment Hiyakura had seen before.
Its surface was covered with densely packed sensors, and the inner padding looked soft and comfortable.
Shiro carefully placed the head-mounted device on Hiyakura's head, adjusting it to ensure comfort.
Then, she took out several devices that looked like wrist and ankle bands, glowing with faint indicator lights and connected by thin fiber optics.
"These need to be worn on your wrists and ankles."
Shiro explained, "It might be a bit uncomfortable, just bear with it."
Hiyakura obediently extended her arms and legs, allowing Shiro to fasten these devices onto her.
Each time a band clicked into place, Hiyakura felt a slight sting, as if countless tiny needles were gently pricking her skin.
But this sensation quickly faded away.
After completing all of this, Shiro walked to the side and sat in front of another similar device.
She also donned the helmet and various connecting devices.
It looked like she was getting ready to enter the virtual world with Hiyakura.
Hiyakura looked around, and a sense of surprise rose within her.
Although she had previously experienced virtual reality equipment at Little White Lotus's place.
This set of equipment was clearly much more advanced.
Each component emitted an aura of high technology, evoking awe.
Shiro seemed to notice the surprise in Hiyakura's eyes, a slight smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, barely noticeable.
She began to explain:
"This is the latest virtual equipment developed by the Apostle Cult, which I got from Black Rose."
"With this equipment, you can not only experience an unparalleled sense of reality, but you can also perceive more details. It can deeply analyze the information in the memory crystal, making it easier for us to discover those hidden secrets."
After listening, Hiyakura nodded, indicating that she was ready.
Seeing this, Shiro reached out and pressed a button on the device.
Suddenly, the lights in the entire room dimmed, with only the faint blue light from the equipment flickering in the darkness.
As the device activated, Hiyakura felt a slight dizziness.
Her consciousness began to blur, as if enveloped by a thin mist.
The surrounding sights gradually faded away, replaced by a void of darkness.
In this darkness, Hiyakura felt her body become weightless, as if losing its heaviness.
Not knowing how long it had passed,
Hiyakura's consciousness gradually focused, and she slowly opened her eyes.