Chapter 156: True Killer's Standard Mercy Blade

The atmosphere within the research institute was sharply divided. The strange man who called himself Commander Shigeaki and his subordinates maintained a manly demeanor, seemingly requiring a few hellos from passing children or animals before they could relent. Meanwhile, the three newcomers, newly arrived in the wilderness, had stiff expressions and aloof demeanors, like forty-year-olds who had stumbled upon a special effects performance.

Ji Huaisu turned around quietly and made an ice ladder: "Fander is right. It's better for us not to run around with strangers..."

"You know I'm right now, huh?" Vander said, "But do you realize that the atmosphere is super awkward and everyone is waiting for you two to respond?"

The men who call themselves the "Historical Truth Research Institute" remain steadfastly silent! Just like Commander Chongming, standing at the front, they look desperate for a conversation, but are caught in an awkward situation where no one is paying attention!

As a mature member of society, Chu Hengkong understood the torment of not being understood. He maintained a polite smile and nodded slightly: "Thank you for the hospitality, we will leave first..."

Commander Chongming's expression stiffened. "Hey, you three! Would you rather wander the wilderness filled with lightless, fireless, and strange beasts than come to our research institute?"

"Compared to spending the night in your place and being blown by the cold wind all night is also a good choice." Chu Hengkong said sincerely.

"Damn it! How dare you look down on our institute!" "How dare you look down on Chief Chongming!" "How dare you despise the boss!"

The men behind Chongming took a step forward and said in unison, "—The quality of these new recruits is really high!"

"What kind of image do you have of Commander Chongming?" said Vander.

"I worked so hard to recruit new people, and this is how you repay me!" Chongming was furious.

Ji Huaisu was a little embarrassed: "To be honest, it's not that we don't give you face, it's just that Mr. Chongming... the image before and after is quite different..."

When they first met in the cave, Chongming looked terrifyingly gloomy, his demeanor making it unsurprising he'd unleash a sword and start a murderous rampage. But upon arriving at the research institute, Chongming transformed into a passionate, over-the-top robot anime character. The change was so drastic and abrupt that even Gulbo would have found it odd.

Chongming pushed up his sunglasses and said seriously, "This is because I lost my cloak when I went out earlier."

"Does this have anything to do with the cloak?"

"I'm not good at talking to others when I'm not wearing a cloak."

All the subordinates nodded, and Fander was the first to lose his composure: "The result is shyness!"

"People whose personalities change with their attire do exist. I've seen quite a few of them before." Chu Hengkong smiled. "I was just joking. The three of us are new here, so we'd like to thank Mr. Chongming for his willingness to help us."

Chongming pointed his thumb at himself and said, "That's more appropriate, but you have to call me Commander Chongming."

"Okay, Mr. Chongming."

"You're not even listening, you idiot!"

Joking aside, Chu Hengkong had no intention of actually leaving. Regardless of whether these slackers were friends or foes, it was definitely unwise to engage in any activities outside under the dark moonlight. He needed to understand the situation first before making any further plans.

Blue lanterns dimly illuminated the metal passage on both sides. Chongming swaggered ahead, leading them deeper into the passage. Several strange-looking men approached, one with a frog-like head whispering, "Where are you three warriors from? What time is it now?"

"We are from the city of Huilong. It is now the 3000th year of the Candlelight Calendar," said Ji Huaisu.

The frog rubbed its chin and said, "Quack...it's been three years since Hunzi came here..."

"Why did another whirling dragon show up?" A man with a mohawk and his female companion in a hooded cloak whispered to each other. "I never heard of it when I came here a hundred years ago."

"Most likely the next generation who grew up after the war... the kind who were probably still children during the war..."

Fander was not interested in these trivial matters. He looked at the surrounding lights with great interest: "What kind of fire is this? Why is there no temperature?"

"This is ghost fire, the 'light' emitted by the shadowy projections of the deceased. It can't provide warmth, only illumination. Be careful not to touch it."

Fander was about to reach out his tentacles to touch it, but upon hearing this, he immediately retracted his tentacles: "What are you doing lighting a will-o'-the-wisp in the house?"

"Hey, little eyeball, you don't know this, but this is the safest lighting in this area." The Mohawk-haired man smirked. "In the despairing wilderness, light and warmth are a 'privilege'... a 'privilege' that belongs only to the brave! You need to show courage to light the lamp."

"Neither of us are cowards." Vander pointed to his left and right.

"Whether you're brave or not isn't up to us to decide," the hooded woman replied grimly. "You'll understand sooner or later... Just having a cold lamp in this place is already a blessing!"

"Hey, you guys, why are you telling riddles instead of explaining the situation properly?" Chongming shouted.

"Sir, you have no idea about the atmosphere." "You should scare the newbies when they don't know anything." "If you don't tell ghost stories now, it will be too late!"

The eccentric subordinates scattered in a flurry, looking like imps whose pranks had failed. Chongming knocked on the wall, opening the iron door that led to the reception room. The small room was filled with manuscripts and various old gadgets, and it seemed to double as an entertainment room.

He sat down on the big sofa with his legs stretched out, holding the sword he carried with him in both hands and leaning it in front of him.

"Do you know where you are?"

The three of them shook their heads at once. Their only knowledge of this place was the name "Despair Wilderness." Chongming laughed at this.

"Then you're truly unlucky! Listen to me, this isn't a complicated matter...

Long ago, there was a 'great war' that involved the entire Shendong Realm. We call it the 'War of Heavenly Prison'.

"The two sides in the battle were the 'alliance' led by the righteous gods and the Lord of Life, and all the heretics existing in the world of Shendong. In that frenzied era, every island of dust became a battlefield, and all the supreme beings threw themselves into the scourge of war. Over the centuries of conquest, nearly half of the gods with a 7th Sephiroth alone perished, and countless more perished among those with medium and low Sephiroth.

At the end of the war, the top fighters from both sides gathered together and launched an unprecedented fight to the death. The battle between these powerful warriors was so terrifying... so terrifying that it shattered time!

"What does it mean to shatter time?" Ji Huaisu asked blankly, "Has the great way erased such adjectives?"

"No, it's a more practical phenomenon," Chongming chuckled. "Records of the Battle of Heavenly Prison... the memories of those outside the battlefield... even the traces left behind... even the battlefield itself... everything related to the war has become 'non-existent'! Aside from a few ancient survivors, no one is aware of such a chaotic battle. That's why later generations speculate that the powerful beings of that time shattered that period of time, resulting in such a strange situation."

"The war that once engulfed the entire world has simply vanished. For most people, this might be a good thing... However, not long after time was shattered, something even stranger occurred.

Some of the 'evil gods' who had long since died in the war were inexplicably resurrected."

Chongming drew several circles on the ground with his scabbard. "After these evil gods resurrected, they seized a portion of the battlefield trapped in the Broken Time. Those lands, ruled by the evil gods, are now exposed to the present world. This is the 'Border of Heavenly Prison' where you are now."

"Among them, the 'Wilderness of Despair' is ruled by an evil god who was also notorious in his day. His name is Vansalar, known as the Lord of Demons and the King of Nightmares. He is one of the 'Four Gods of Collapse' of the Spiral Tower!"

Chu Hengkong's heart moved. He had heard this name before. The poet Sriel mentioned this gloomy and terrifying legend when he was singing in the tavern.

He pressed his chest and said nothing more.

Finder also seemed to have some impression: "The Nightmare King... I have the impression that he is a psychopath whose 'duty' is to spread fear..."

"The word 'obligation' makes it seem like it's at work," said Ji Huaisu.

"To some extent, that description isn't wrong. Vansalar is indeed a peculiar fellow. In his territory, people must constantly battle fear. If you want to live a better life, you must demonstrate courage!" Zhongming said with a strange laugh. "And if you are deemed brave, you must accept its test. Those who have personally experienced that test either die or go mad."

"This is the first thing I want to warn you about. In this land, if you can survive cautiously, don't cause trouble. You saw the cold fire when you came here, and that was meaningful. If you dare to light a real fire, even if you are underground, the minions of the evil god will capture you and test you."

"What if I defeat my minions?" Ji Huaisu asked.

"Vansalar will applaud you, and then he will come to you personally and give you a higher level of test."

"There's no way out!" said Vander.

"Yes, so if you want to survive, you must kill Fansalar." Chongming shrugged. "Feel honored, newcomers. From now on, you will embark on the battlefield of the decisive battle with the gods."

Fander screamed weakly and dove into Chu Hengkong's pocket. Chongming leaned back on the sofa and shook his head. "That's the big story. Doesn't it feel like I've come to the wrong place?"

"Ah, well, how should I put it," Ji Huaisu said blankly, "the scale of the event is so huge that it loses its authenticity. I was mentally prepared to admire a great achievement, but now I feel like I'm looking at a prehistoric mural."

"Hahaha, you have a very good attitude. You will probably live longer." Chongming stood up from the sofa and looked at the three newcomers in turn. "I have something to say upfront. I don't care where you come from. This is the wilderness of despair. If you want to survive, you must obey me. You must do whatever I tell you to do. No questions and no bargaining allowed."

He raised his voice with a vicious look: "If one day I want you to die... you must rush into the knife without hesitation! Do you understand?"

Ji Huaisu gave an awkward smile, wondering what era this person had traveled from. Why was he still using this trick 3,000 years ago? Isn't this a typical military training start to scare the newcomers? She had used this trick countless times when training new members: cultivating obedience, creating a sense of crisis, and elevating the leader's status.

But this is the border of Heavenly Prison, not a boot camp. You're all Transformers, yet you're still playing this game. Even those loyal subordinates behind you are secretly sighing. It's really embarrassing, you know!

Ji Huaisu gave Fander a look. The latter, who was always shameless, immediately prepared to laugh it off: "Oh, Chief Chongming, you are joking. We are new here and we are entrusting you with our care. Of course-"

"I don't understand." Chu Hengkong said.

Fander and Ji Huaisu both covered their faces, thinking that this was exactly what they were worried about! Even teenagers might get a little angry when they encountered this kind of rhetoric... let alone this killer who was ten thousand times more stubborn than a child and was born not to accept it!

Chongming rolled up his sleeves and slammed his sword down: "Newcomer, do you have any problem with me, your senior?"

Chu Hengkong stood up, walked around the sofa and walked across to Chongming. "It's hard to say what you think. We are all very grateful for your help. It's just that everyone's life is in their own hands. It doesn't make sense to let others hand over their lives to you on the first day we met."

"Huh?" Chongming pushed his sunglasses hard with his middle finger. "You're looking for trouble, right? You really want to find trouble, right?"

Ji Huaisu slapped his forehead and thought to himself, "Damn, this commander is even worse than a bunch of hooligans! Your subordinates are already looking like they want to crawl into the ground!"

Chu Hengkong smiled and said, "Yes."

"Dude, can you please act like an adult? You two are already competing with each other to see how embarrassing you are!" Vander yelled at the top of his lungs, feeling increasingly uneasy the more he watched. That eager smile, that expectant look, that eagerly moving wrist...

Damn it, this killer must be craving a fight! How strong must his fighting spirit be to provoke a thug at this moment?

Chongming walked forward with his neck stiffened, blocking Chu Hengkong's way and saying, "Believe it or not, I'll chop off your tentacle, you bastard!"

"If you have the guts, give it a try, Bandage Man." Chu Hengkong narrowed his eyes.

"Very good, kid. From now on, you're on the death list. In three seconds, your nickname will be the one-armed man!" Chongming raised his middle finger and spitted. "3! 2!"

——

The hilt of the sword, which had been unsheathed an inch, hit the scabbard with a slight sound.

"1." Chongming said.

The tentacles fall.

Colorless blood flowed out.

The cut was incredibly smooth, hardly a scar. It was as if it had merely separated unrelated things, allowing the body and the limbs that didn't belong to it to return to their proper places. Then, his thoughts slowly flowed, like water flowing through melting ice. Pain, astonishment, the will to fight, no room for emotion remained. In the empty vision, only the lightning-fast cut remained—

Chu Hengkong reached for his left arm and gripped his tentacle tightly.

It felt moist, as usual. No blood. No wounds. No injuries. Literally, nothing had happened. He spun around, meeting the bandaged man's smile, a look of triumphant mischief.

"You've been fooled, hahaha!" Chongming laughed, and his subordinates followed suit. "I was just joking. There's no binding force here. It's better to say that we can't influence you at all."

"Because we are 'people in the fog'."

(End of this chapter)