Chapter 163

Suddenly, the spiritual form of a human youth appeared before them, shrouded in a faint golden light, obscuring his true appearance.

But judging from the clear and distinct gaze, his eyes must have been extremely sharp and resolute.

It was because of his appearance that the little black octopus belatedly realized an important question.

Why did He wake up?

Admittedly, even a god would find it unbearable to see flesh and bones floating around haphazardly within their domain, but they were surrounded by a protective shield of spiritual energy.

No external disturbances will disturb His slumber as long as they do not threaten His safety.

The closest of these skeletons to Him was only a few kilometers away, so they shouldn't have attracted His attention.

Therefore, there is only one possibility at the moment.

He was awakened.

The spiritual entity before my eyes.

But how could that be! Even the strongest humans today cannot easily break through His mental barrier, so how could He be touched without feeling anything?

It was at this moment that the little black octopus noticed the faint, multicolored light spots emanating from behind the young man's spirit body.

The deep sea was dark, and the light from the fragments was not conspicuous, easily obscured by the floating skeletons.

Because the single spot of light was so tiny, even the evil god, who was extremely sensitive to fluctuations in power, failed to notice it immediately.

But when they come together, a solid band of light takes shape.

Beautiful and light as snow-white gauze, or like a dazzling galaxy stretching across the night sky.

Staring at the floating spots of light, the little black octopus's pupils suddenly froze, as if a thunderclap had exploded in its mind.

With his sharp eyes, he immediately recognized that the various colored and sized spots of light originated from the spiritual energy left behind by the thousands of dead before him.

The mental strength of a single human being is insufficient to penetrate His mental barrier.

But there are thousands of people in front of them, who have united their spiritual power and worked together to form a force to help the youth spiritual body break through the barriers.

The little black octopus couldn't resist touching the spots of light, and the dying will of people almost instantly jolted into its mind.

God's perception of emotions truly told Him that these humans were not unaware of their fate, or rather, they were using their death and the infinite potential that would be unleashed when they were near death.

...So those humans who clearly had the chance to escape ultimately didn't run. They preferred to remain, turning into a forest of white bones.

So many people followed one after another, even unto death.

All this was in order to seek an opportunity to awaken Him.

Centuries later, the little black octopus once again felt a shock that was beyond words.

In that brief moment of distraction, the young spirit's hand, which was holding His, suddenly shone brightly, piercing through the deep sea's gloom. A powerful force of the contract was penetrating His divine core along with this intense light, with an irresistible momentum.

This person actually tried to force Him to sign a contract?

Is he looking for death?!

If the scene it had just witnessed shocked the little black octopus, then the overestimation of the spiritual entity before it enraged it! And within that rage lay disbelief.

He tried to retaliate, but found that it was not as easy as he had expected.

In the blink of an eye during the standoff, the little black octopus was once again shocked to realize that among the thousands of humans who had infiltrated the area, the one who was ultimately chosen to stand before him was not the old general, but this seemingly insignificant young man.

Each living being's spiritual power is infused with its own will. For an average person, being able to absorb the spiritual power of one or two people and utilize it flexibly is already considered remarkable.

But this young man not only withstood the mental power of thousands of people, but he has not even collapsed yet, and he can still withstand being forced to sign a contract!

"Feel sorry."

The spirit suddenly "spoke".

The deep sea can transmit sound waves, but the amplitude of the waves transmitted by the human vocal cords cannot penetrate the density of water. The words he spoke were thoughts transmitted through spiritual power.

The voice wasn't as sharp and intimidating as the little black octopus had imagined; on the contrary, it was calm, serene, and even gentle.

When facing Him, I am exceptionally gentle, with sincere apology.

"I saw your determination to withdraw from the world, so I resorted to this desperate measure to force you to comply. I am truly sorry. However, we must obtain the ability to rewind time, no matter what."

His tone sounded sincere, but what he said was completely different; it was rude and offensive.

The little black octopus was furious. Its dark spiritual power poured out like a tidal wave, intending to smash this arrogant human to pieces!

The young man let out a muffled groan, revealing an unbearable pain.

But perhaps because he had the spiritual power of thousands of people supporting him, he actually withstood one of His attacks. Then, he let out a light, gentle laugh.

The little black octopus got angry and was distracted by attacking him, so it naturally had less energy to resist the power of the contract.

This contract item comes from a bizarre game, and it seems that as long as the young man's soul doesn't dissipate, its effects will remain and won't diminish.

Furthermore, the strength of one's soul is directly proportional to the spirit and will of a young person, and it doesn't seem to be so easily dissipated.

In other words, He was tricked; the youth was deliberately provoking Him!

As the golden contract runes slowly emerged on its tentacles, the little black octopus grew increasingly enraged, its scarlet pupils coldly piercing outwards.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the pile of white bones beside him, where the body had been placed for burial.

The young man's remains are very likely inside. If we can find them, we can follow his memories and trace back to the source to completely crush his will.

The little black octopus always acts on impulse, and its ruthlessness is an innate instinct. Its eight tentacles work together, constantly searching through piles of bones.

The youth hovering beside Him saw His intention but did not stop Him. He continued calmly, "The system's intention to harm and exploit is not limited to humans."

"According to our effective observations, following the transformation of humans into monsters, animals, plants, and even microorganisms have also shown bizarre cases. Even more frightening is that even inorganic materials without life activities have shown extremely bizarre distortions at the molecular level, exhibiting a devouring behavior."

"And we recently received news that the player ranked first in the Americas team's strength rankings, whose contracted deity, Archangel Raphael, has also been severely affected. He has not only become rampant and brutal, but has also developed a taste for human sacrifice, his divine status has been reversed, and he is no different from a demon."

The young man's voice was as firm as a rock, each word deliberate and clear: "Raphael's situation is no accident. As this game progresses, it is very likely that all living beings on Earth, including the gods, will lose their minds and kill each other, ultimately becoming nourishment for the system."

"In your legends, you feed on humanity and are renowned for your bravery and skill in battle. So please tell me—when faced with intrigue and treachery, and with hostile enemies eyeing us covetously, can we remain indifferent and allow ourselves to be slaughtered?"

The young man seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps answering on behalf of all the pioneers who had faced certain death: "It's impossible."

"Although we are small and insignificant compared to those powerful enemies, the human will is inviolable."

Compared to the seasoned general, the young man's tone was much more immature and inexperienced.

But the resolve in his words was no less than that of anyone He had ever met.

It's always like this... it's always like this kind of human being!

The little black octopus's tentacles thudded violently.

He snapped out of his daze, his face grim, and began to dig out the young man's bones, but his movements unconsciously became mechanical and stiff.

Looking at the youth's transparent and scattered spiritual body, He suddenly realized that He did not need to break the other party's will and cause his soul to scatter. The soul that carried the spiritual power of thousands of people was already on the verge of collapse.

The moment the contract is signed, it will be shattered.

Perhaps it was the impending demise that gave the young man courage, but not only did he grasp the tentacles, he also boldly opened his hands and held the fake body formed by the black octopus's spiritual power in his palms, and couldn't help but rub his forehead against it.

"It's strange, even though it's the first time I've seen you, I feel a strange sense of familiarity." The young man smiled. "Perhaps this is the charm of a god among men. You have no idea how many of us admire you, otherwise we wouldn't have given our lives to see you."

If it is an evil god who rejoices in death, then no matter how many lives are sacrificed, it will be useless; it will not move the evil spirit, but will only excite it.

But by then, humans will have other ways to "persuade" them to help.

A god or a human?

The little black octopus remembered.

He used to go down the mountain with a Buddhist disciple for training. That seemingly serious but actually unorthodox bald boy casually gave him the name "human god" in front of others—even though he was a monster and had nothing to do with humans.

But the young man's compliments didn't make Him feel flattered; instead, they gave Him a pleasant, spring-like feeling.

Perhaps it's because youth is fading away, and there's no point in dwelling on it anymore.

The little black octopus suddenly felt a little lost. It, which feeds on the faith and emotions of living beings, could not escape being infected by the strong and dazzling will of living beings.

He glanced at the contract runes on his tentacles.

After the Buddha's death, His divine status rose without warning, and He awakened the ability to rewind. Except for the time before the Buddha's death, He can return at any time at will.

This contract cannot bind Him, so keeping it won't cause any harm.

He went out to verify the truth of the young man's words and see if that damned system was really so audacious as to dare to attack the gods.

But whether or not He will help humanity this time depends on His mood.

Suddenly, a soft halo emanated from the forehead of the youth that had touched Him.

He suddenly felt a sense of relief, realizing that a small part of the brutality and violence in his spiritual world had been absorbed and neutralized by the young man.

The little black octopus was shocked and finally uttered its first words since seeing the young man: "You're about to be utterly annihilated—"

You're about to be completely destroyed, and you're still thinking about helping me dispel my resentment?

"Since we're all going to die anyway, there's no point in keeping the remaining spiritual energy. Let's maximize its effectiveness." The young man chuckled softly.

The man spoke politely and apologized, yet his posture remained neither humble nor arrogant. His back was straight and upright from beginning to end, as if no matter how illustrious his status, power, or fame, it could not break his spine.

The little black octopus suddenly shuddered.

An indescribable sense of familiarity welled up from the bottom of my heart, and I felt infinitely dazed.

At the same time, a trembling tentacle inadvertently swept across the youth's skeleton.

A memory of a young man surfaced in the little black octopus's mind.

"General, I have an idea that might be able to awaken the gods and humans beneath the sea. However, it's a risky endeavor and should only be used as a last resort."

After hearing the young man's idea, the old general met his calm and composed eyes. After a long moment of astonishment and speechlessness, he couldn't help but sigh with satisfaction: "The younger generation is truly formidable."

He didn't doubt the young man's ability to do it, because: "I remember you. Actually, your physical fitness is far from meeting the standards for this operation. Professor Xie insisted on having you participate in this operation despite everyone's objections. I was wondering what kind of grudge she had against you."

"Now I realize that I was narrow-minded. Mental strength is far more important than physical strength."

The general stared intently at the young man: "Young man, tell me, what's your name?"

Since the young man was specially introduced by a top-level professor, how could the general not remember his name? His earnest question showed that he cared about and valued him.

The young man's voice was humble and respectful: "Thank you, Xu Bai. I was assigned to the logistics combat unit during the later stages of the great disaster and am a member of the third detachment."

The little black octopus's pupils suddenly dilated, and its heart trembled as if a monstrous tsunami had been unleashed.

The laughter of the Buddhist disciple from years past still echoed in my ears.

My Buddhist name is Mingjing, but I also have a secular name, Xubai. The abbot said this name will bring me great fortune in the future and told me to keep it firmly in mind.

The young man exerted all his strength to dispel the last bit of ferocity from the little black octopus, his voice growing increasingly faint and weak: "Actually, I have carefully learned about your deeds... and I know why you are unwilling to enter the world..."

He exhaled, his beautiful eyebrows curving upwards, a smile that would make even the sun, moon, and stars pale in comparison.

"But I still want to say that there are many bad people in the world, but there are also many good people. Haven't you seen quite a few today? Don't be sad for those who are not worth it."

Human nature is unpredictable; some are greedy and calculating, while others are righteous, benevolent, and virtuous.

"The matter was urgent, and I have offended you in many ways. I do not expect your forgiveness. The people gathered here are all people with great will. I hope that this trip will allow you to see a different kind of human scenery than before and bring you a moment of comfort."

May your future be bright, may you see through the wickedness of human nature, experience its beauty, and find solace.

"The world isn't that bad, don't despair..."

The world is a wonderful place, don't be discouraged...

Before he could finish speaking, the young man's smile froze, and his soul shattered like scattered stars.

Yan Shuo's heart stopped beating!

Overwhelmed by fear, he awoke abruptly from his dream, his eyes snapping open. His body was drenched in cold sweat, and he looked around in terrified disbelief.

The office of Shengtian Group was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. He looked around, his gaze landing on the mirror, where he saw that his eyes were red-rimmed, his pupils trembling, and his eyes were misty with tears.

Author's Note:

I'm getting a tooth pulled tomorrow. If it doesn't hurt too much, I'll continue updating. If I don't update by midnight, it's probably because the pain has subsided, so don't wait any longer!