A Different Doraemon World

"I still don't really understand…" Nobita scratched his cheek. It seemed like Kelly's group and Doraemon had started grasping the concept, but Nobita still couldn't keep up. To him, the topic was a bit too advanced and abstract.

Shizuka, however, did not lose her patience. She gently explained, "Just imagine this place as a parallel world that exists independently of the ordinary world. To make it simpler, the relationship between our two worlds is like two parallel lines in mathematics—forever extending but never intersecting."

"Oh…" Nobita nodded thoughtfully, seeming to understand a little more.

"So, it seems there's always a group of other beings living and going about their daily lives around us, huh? It's just that we can't perceive them, they're non-existent to us, and we're non-existent to them!" Connie said, resting her chin on her hand.

Karen frowned upon hearing this. "But the two dimensions shouldn't be able to interact at all, right? Yet Shizuka, you're able to freely move between them. You even followed us for a while. How can you see and follow us? And how did you interact with the time belt while we couldn't sense you at all?"

Shizuka replied calmly, "From a quantum mechanics perspective, this world exists because of certain ratios. Since the Atlanteans were forced to seek refuge here, we've not only worked on improving our living conditions but have also invested considerable time and resources into studying and utilizing these ratios. By maintaining stable control over these ratios, I can exist between the two dimensions, allowing me to observe and interact with another dimension without being detected. By adjusting the ratio slightly, I can travel back and forth between the two worlds. The bracelet I'm wearing functions as a stabilizer and a controller for these ratios."

She raised her hand, pointing to the bracelet on her wrist to emphasize her explanation.

"Have the Atlanteans really managed to control these ratios?" Doraemon asked, surprised—a rare occurrence.

Shizuka shook her head. "Our ability to manipulate these ratios is still very unstable. Sometimes, if we're not careful, only our image will pass through while our physical body remains here. In that case, people in your world would be able to see us but not touch us. Other times, only sound passes through, so you might hear us speak without knowing where the voice is coming from."

Rim suddenly had a realization. "Wait… Does this mean all those ghostly incidents in our world are actually…"

"Um, you're not wrong. Most so-called 'paranormal' events in your world are actually caused by Atlanteans conducting experiments with these ratios," Shizuka confirmed with a nod.

"Then how were you able to follow us for such a long distance without being detected?" Doraemon frowned. Initially, he hadn't noticed Shizuka at all, only faintly sensing her presence much later. This didn't seem to align with her claims of instability. If it were truly unstable, she would have been discovered much sooner.

Shizuka smirked mysteriously. "For that, I have to thank Undine."

"Undine?" Everyone looked at Shizuka in confusion, while Doraemon glanced at the trident leaning against the wall.

Shizuka extended her hand, and the trident trembled. The gem at its center began to glow blue again, then the trident slowly floated toward her. "This is a treasure of Atlantis," she explained proudly. "It's one of the few weapons left from the old era. Undine is the spirit of the sea that resides within this trident. She absorbs my mana and converts it into energy to help my bracelet stabilize the ratios better. However, it's still not perfect, and the longer I try to maintain it, the more mana it consumes. A single afternoon is about my limit. That's why earlier, I became exhausted after just two attacks—my mana was already depleted by that time!"

"Mana... It sounds like MP bars in video games! Can I get a sample?" Connie asked eagerly. She also made enhancement serum for personal use, so she was wondering if mana could be used to create enhancements as well. If she could get a sample for research, she might be able to develop another kind of enhancement...

Shizuka immediately declined without hesitation: "Sorry, mana is a rare trait unique to the Atlantis people. It could even be considered a form of life energy. I have no intention of letting others freely take it for research!"

"Oh, come on, just a little bit…" Connie persisted, but before she could push further, Rim smacked her on the head.

"WTF? Are you picking a fight?" Connie growled angrily, but Rim wasn't backing down: "Enough, Shizuka doesn't want it, so stop pressing her! And don't think I don't know what you're up to—stop recklessly injecting those enhancement serums into your body!"

"My body, my rules!" Connie retorted stubbornly, but Rim became even angrier: "Can't you see? You're no different from a 10-year-old now because you've been abusing those serums too much!" She punctuated her words by knocking on Connie's head, hoping to knock some sense into her.

"Here they go again," Kelly sighed, shaking her head. Karen, on the other hand, smiled helplessly.

Seeing the two about to fight, Nobita panicked and rushed over to intervene. "Rim, Connie, calm down, please!"

"It's not my fault! She started it!" Connie growled, swinging her fists.

"And I'm doing this for your own good!" Rim yelled back.

Nobita, flustered, tried to pull the two apart but failed and soon found himself tangled up with them, resulting in the three of them in a chaotic mess.

"Ah, youth really is wonderful —so carefree and full of energy," Shizuka remarked, taking a sip of water as she turned to Doraemon.

"Consider it a way to relieve stress. A little roughhousing now and then is fine, as long as it doesn't go too far," Doraemon said, also taking a sip of water. After a moment, he asked Shizuka, "So, when did you start following us?"

Shizuka shrugged and leaned back in her seat. "This morning, due to the heightened sensitivity of the Atlanteans, I sensed a strange frequency spreading through the neighborhood. At that moment, I had a feeling something was about to happen. When Nobita asked me to hang out, I quickly sent him away and secretly started tailing him. I wasn't sure how you would react, but I had a strong feeling there'd be a lot of things difficult to keep secret after Jaian and Suneo disappeared, so I thought I'd observe what you'd do. After that, I just kept following you guys."

Doraemon nodded, then continued asking, "Do you know anything more about the sun?" When Shizuka appeared, she had stated confidently that the sun was a living entity. Doraemon had only suspected the sun might be alive, but Shizuka had spoken with complete certainty. He figured the people of Atlantis must know something more.

Hearing Doraemon's question, Shizuka grew serious, tapping her fingers on the table. "About that... First, call the others over, and I'll explain everything at once!"