Chapter 118
Fu Zong slowly awoke amidst a scorching heatwave.
All around were burning buildings, collapsed houses, and charred rubble scattered on the ground. The wooden planks crackled and popped from the burning, the high temperature distorting the air and filling the air with the acrid smell of burning flesh. One could vaguely see the twisted body of a monster crushed under the rubble. The scene was like a living hell.
Fu Zong was in excruciating pain all over his body, as if he had just been in a fierce fight with someone, but he was in a daze and his memory was vague.
All he remembered was the last scene that flashed through his mind before he lost consciousness: Xie Xubai holding the sedative, looking at him with the same indifferent gaze as if he were looking at trash, and pushing the entire dose into his mouth.
The humiliation of being belittled belatedly washed over Fu Zong, and he flew into a rage. In an instant, he vowed to find Xie, Pei, and Zhou and tear them to pieces!
But where is this place? Did those despicable people throw him here? Did they want to burn him alive?!
Fu Zong's face was gloomy and his mind was full of evil thoughts. Just then, he heard the sound of a sharp weapon cutting through the air. The mutated monster's keen senses made him reflexively dodge backward.
A jet-black scythe appeared, like a sharp guillotine, cutting through the thick black smoke and embedding itself directly into the pile of rubble at Fu Zong's feet.
bite!
Following the crisp metallic chisel, countless fine cracks appeared on the floor, centered on the tip of a sickle, and then exploded under immense pressure, sending debris flying everywhere!
Fu Zong was caught off guard and his face was covered in stone fragments, making his already disheveled appearance even more disheveled.
He looked up in surprise and saw a pale face slowly emerge behind the sickle.
The sickly man stared intently at Fu Zong, or more precisely, at the illusory golden exclamation mark above Fu Zong's head, completely mesmerized. He chuckled intermittently, "Yes, you won't die so easily... This is the strength you should have!!"
The scythe-wielding man, codenamed Madman, rushed into the spatial rift without hesitation when the two worlds merged, reaching the inner world. He used his tools to track down the survivor base without stopping, and had a face-to-face hug with Fu Zong, who had been deliberately thrown over by Xie Xubai.
At that time, Fu Zong's face was disguised by Xie Xubai's mental power skills, and he carried a lot of luck and super high ability values added by the dungeon's will. In addition, there was a golden exclamation mark on his head that was so bright that it was hard to ignore. He attracted the attention of the madman almost immediately.
And his deadly scythe, capable of cutting through iron like mud.
Fu Zong was relentlessly pursued by a madman. He was disoriented and unable to resist. He was wounded multiple times during the fight and his body was cruelly cut open by a sickle.
The madman grew increasingly confused and disheartened as he fought. Looking at Fu Zong, who was completely powerless to fight back, he felt that the legendary Xie Xubai must be more than just this strong.
It wasn't until Fu Zong staggered away, collapsing severely injured in the sea of fire, that the scorching heat completely jolted him awake, allowing him to once again face the madman who was chasing after him.
Fu Zong couldn't see his face being subjected to mental suggestion, nor did he know that the madman had mistaken him for Xie Xubai. His mind was filled with the man's malicious words.
...Won't die that easily?
Fu Zong's eyes widened suddenly. Feeling the pain from the several bloody holes in his body, he vaguely remembered! It was this reckless brat who had chased after him while he was out of his mind!
Fu Zong had already suspected that Xie Peizhou and the others had deliberately dumped him here to die. Now that the people chasing him were right in front of him, and they were still talking about dying, he naturally assumed that the madman was an accomplice in his plot to kill him!
"You bitch, die!" Fu Zong roared and swung his fist.
The madman's amused smile froze instantly. According to the descriptions he had heard from other players, Xie Xubai didn't seem like the type to utter the word "bastard."
Before he could even think rationally about the problem, his hands had already instinctively gripped the sickle, and like a cat whose tail had been pinched, he hysterically slashed at it!
"Alright, alright, hahaha...! Come on! Kill me!"
After all, what rationality can a madman who has gone mad after being bathed in blood and killed have?
The two immediately engaged in a fierce battle! Both he and Fu Zong wanted to kill the other, so they fought with no mercy. During the fight, Fu Zong's fists transformed into thick, sharp claws, but the madman couldn't see them. He felt the immense force of the blows coming at him, a force that seemed to be able to overwhelm him, and he instantly let out an even more excited panting!
Thud! Thud! Thud! —
During the exchange of blows, powerful shockwaves swept outwards, piercing through stone walls and destroying buildings.
The natural gas pipe in the factory burst, releasing wisps of pungent and foul-smelling gas. The madman made no attempt to hide it, scraping the floor with his sickle and sending sparks flying, instantly igniting the natural gas that filled the area!
boom--!
Flames roared, shooting straight into the sky!
Even though Fu Zong has a monstrous body with thick skin and flesh, he still can't help but dodge when faced with an oncoming explosion.
In that brief moment of turning his head to avoid the danger, he caught a glimpse of a half-broken sign lying on the ground. The sign, blackened by smoke, bore the words "Voluntary Assistance" in white lettering on a blue background.
Fu's Pharmaceuticals has never provided any voluntary assistance; it has only engaged in competition for interests and the oppressive power of high-ranking officials.
At this moment, Fu Zong's mind, which had been filled with murderous intent, finally cleared up a bit and realized that something was wrong!
Something's wrong with his location! And the person in front of him, acting strangely and trying to kill him, is also suspicious!
Unfortunately, although Fu Zong had been targeting the survivor base, he never had a chance to actually come to the survivor base because the system had stripped him of his identity and given players the space to operate. Otherwise, he wouldn't have fought the madman for so long without recognizing where he was.
Even if he recognized him now, it was too late. An invisible current of air swept away the black mist, and the huge scythe, which seemed slow, actually slashed at Fu Zong's waist and abdomen in an instant, cutting through his skin, tearing his internal organs, and causing his blood to bloom like fireworks!
"ah--"
Fu Zong roared in pain! After all, he was the system's designated near-S-rank Ghost King, how could he be killed in one move? His two arms rapidly expanded, and to the madman's surprised and astonished gaze, he forcefully grabbed the scythe that was being pushed towards his abdomen, and his claws pinched the madman's shoulder, tearing it off in a whoosh! The bare white bones were instantly exposed!
So even the madman couldn't help but scream.
Xie Xubai's mental interference was never one-sided, but rather acted on both of them in a two-way manner. For example, the madman was actually laughing wildly and talking incessantly, disturbing people, but Fu Zong didn't hear anything.
The madman said, "What gods are you talking about? Aren't you just fighting like a monster? How are you any different from those filthy monsters?"
The madman said, "Your ugly face, now revealed, is truly captivating. If I could livestream, I would love to let others see what you look like now. With your current fame, your popularity would surely skyrocket, wouldn't it?"
The madman said, "I heard you saved a lot of people this time too. Good, good, that's the style of a great philanthropist—so do you remember a girl named Xu Qingran? I personally snapped her neck. It was a crisp, beautiful sound! And I recorded her frantic struggle before she died. Do you want to see it too? Take a look, okay?"
Soon, the arrogant laughter turned into a heart-wrenching scream as his shoulder was torn apart.
The madman, driven by pain, fought fiercely, while Fu Zong, in a fit of rage, desperately struggled. The pressure and shockwaves of the battle surged in all directions like a torrent, sweeping away the survivor base in an instant. The last few experimental buildings were also devastated and collapsed with a crash!
In the massive explosion, the entire survivor base was reduced to ruins.
Fu Zong collapsed, but he didn't die. He just collapsed from exhaustion, the effects of the sedative hadn't worn off, and the pain caused him to faint.
Before he closed his eyes, they were bloodshot and filled with extreme hatred. Until this moment, he did not know that Xie Xubai had used him as a shield.
After fighting for hours and losing an arm, the madman was also exhausted. He pressed hard on the broken wound and immediately stopped the bleeding.
Picking up the sickle, looking at the unconscious Fu Zong, the madman chuckled and was about to deliver the final blow.
Just then, the sound of unhurried footsteps came from the billowing smoke.
The madman's eyes flashed with malice, and with a flick of his remaining arm, the scythe flew out like lightning, only to strike the empty, deserted concrete wall.
When he looked up again, a gentle, warm face appeared before the madman, looking down at him calmly and serenely.
"Did you kill that girl named Xu Qingran?"
Despite the madman's premonition repeatedly warning him during the battle that the person he had just fought was very likely not Xie Xubai himself, the madman ignored it all. Even if it wasn't Xie Xubai he was fighting, the real Xie Xubai must have been watching from the sidelines.
His provocative words were meant for the very person he was speaking to.
However, when that moment arrived, Xie Xubai stood right in front of him, asking him in a seemingly calm tone, the madman suddenly felt an unprecedented pressure.
The young man in front of me looked rather thin, without a strong physique or terrifying build. He spoke softly and would be an inconspicuous figure in a crowd.
But an imposing aura emanated from his straight, sword-like body, bursting forth from his very bones and the depths of his soul, captivating all who beheld him.
The madman discovered that he was actually afraid, guilty, and dared not face the man's questioning.
How interesting! This is absolutely hilarious!
The madness of a madman lies in his unpredictability. The more he fears something, the more interested he becomes, wanting to destroy and tear it apart! This is evident in his desperate attempt to kill Fu Zong even after discovering that Fu Zong was not easy to deal with.
Then the madman smirked, extended his intact arm, and the scythe nailed to the wall vibrated, drawn back into his palm by an invisible force.
"Yes, I killed her! And now I will kill you!"
The sickle swung, drawing a menacing arc in the air, accompanied by the madman's laughter, aiming for Xie Xubai's neck, but shattered the scorching air and missed its target.
Is it an illusion?
The madman's eyes shifted slightly, and Xie Xubai's voice rang out from behind him: "Why did you kill me? Because I'm kind? Because I like saving people?"
"Is it because you were once a kind-hearted person who was taken advantage of and captured, becoming an experimental subject, driving you to madness and suicide, only to discover that you retain the memories of your tragic death?"
The madman seemed to be frozen in place, his upturned lips, tense body, and the hand holding the scythe all stiffened like a statue.
The madman comes from the tower, the tower that the council chairman once introduced to Chan Sheng. It is dedicated to researching how to break the system's rebirth restrictions so that players can retain their combat memories even after death.
The top-secret experimental files of the Tower Research Institute record the madman's past experiences.
However, unlike the records, the madman did not become an experimental subject voluntarily. Instead, he was betrayed by his lover and friends who had once helped him. They not only swindled him out of all his points and items but also sold him to the tower in the end, squeezing out his remaining value.
The two men only knew that the tower was recruiting volunteers and that the risk of death was extremely high, but they didn't know that they were conducting an experiment to preserve memories.
Little did they know that the madman, on the verge of death, would suddenly unleash his mental power, unexpectedly becoming the only unfinished product, and escaped in the chaos.
By chance, the two encounter the madman walking openly on the street again. They assume he died once, lost his memory, and was reborn. They also believe he is greedy and wants to deceive them a second time, so they approach him with a smile and befriend him.
Little did they know that what returned was a wicked ghost, or a wicked ghost that, out of boundless remorse for its act of kindness, harbored resentment towards all good deeds and good people.
The madman thought the truth would be buried completely, because the only people who knew about it besides him were the researchers who stayed in seclusion in the tower.
Those hypocritical individuals, even after discovering he wasn't a volunteer, still chose to keep him around because they could make progress in their experiments.
But who would have thought that he would hear about his past from Xie Xubai's mouth.
"Is this God? Are you really God? An omniscient and omnipotent deity, capable of understanding all the suffering in the world! Then why couldn't you save that girl? Why didn't you know she was killed by me?"
The madman showed no emotional change at all because his past had been exposed. No, he was even more excited. He laughed until tears streamed from the corners of his eyes, his body trembled, and he staggered unsteadily, his voice full of mockery.
"How will the gods judge me now? Will they kill me to pay for Xu Qingran's life, or will they persuade me to lay down my sword and become a Buddha?"
His actions can only be described as unbridled; in fact, a madman is indeed completely unbridled.
He won't lose his memory, so he's not afraid of death. He survived the inhumane experiments, so he's even less afraid of torture.
His consciousness was lost in a jumble of memories, even the pain became blurred, and despite losing an arm, he could still chat and laugh with Xie Xubai.
The madman had said enough. Seeing that Xie Xubai was just looking at him quietly, without any indignation for Xu Qingran and the other good people who had been killed, and without any other reaction, he suddenly felt bored.
He leaped to his feet, his eyes flashing with malice and murderous intent, and charged towards Xie Xubai like an arrow released from a bow.
Golden light rushed towards him like a tidal wave, but the madman charged forward recklessly, completely disregarding the attack.
Until he discovered something unusual.
Why is it so quiet around here?
The madman stopped moving, the scythe hovering in front of Xie Xubai's nose, staring blankly at the young man.
The sound disappeared.
Those vicious words that clung to his bones, the sinister smiles of his former lover and friends who conspired to harm him, the splattering sound of bones breaking into flesh and blood.
And there were shouts coming from overhead, over and over again—
"Increase the dosage! Increase it even more! Where are the restraints? He's going berserk and struggling! Tie his hands and feet!"
"He's dying! Quick, use electric shocks! Turn it to maximum power! Damn it, notify the observers near the respawn point to be on alert. Subject number 533, we must bring him back after he's revived!"
All of that vanished from my mind.
Only a pure white peace and long-lost tranquility remain.
The madman was completely stunned, and gradually, a hint of caution appeared in his trembling pupils.
There was no pain, no confused memories. Apart from the crackling sound of fire burning wood on the ruins, he could feel almost nothing. He couldn't help but close his eyes to experience and enjoy it.
Only those who have suffered psychological trauma and are constantly surrounded by shadows can understand how moving this tranquility can be.
But the next second, the golden light disappeared, and the jumbled memories surged into his eyes like foul swill from a sewer, staining them with a dark, bloody hue.
The madman was like a desperado hanging on the edge of a cliff, witnessing the rope snap. He couldn't help but let out a high-pitched scream, hysterically looking at Xie Xubai: "Did you do it? You did it, didn't you—"
“That’s right,” Xie Xubai said calmly. “I did it.”
"The days of being haunted by the memory of death are painful, right? Actually, at the beginning, you were also glad that you had one more memory than other players, that you could infinitely accumulate experience points, and that you were becoming more and more adept in the dungeons."
"But back then you didn't realize that retaining memories also meant being unable to forget the pain. Gradually, you often experienced memory confusion, remembering things that everyone else had forgotten. Watching their lives without gloom, resentment, doubt, jealousy, and hatred slowly overwhelmed you."
"You try every means to return to the tower and interrogate the researchers. You learn that they can't help you forget, and all that awaits you is a breakdown of your will and becoming a madman. You finally explode and from then on, you vent your hatred by torturing and killing good people."
"You think you're beyond saving, so you want to drag the whole world down to hell. No, you're still salvageable."
"I have the power to save you."
Golden light pressed down on the madman's shoulder, forcing him to look up in panic and stare directly into Xie Xubai's eyes.
Xie Xubai meticulously revealed those negative and dark inner thoughts.
In Xie Xubai's clear pupils, the madman saw his own panicked face reflected like a mirror, revealing his soul and leaving him nowhere to hide.
Noticing the madman's longing and pleading, Xie Xubai suddenly chuckled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "But should I save you? Tell me."
"That child named Xu Qingran, barely able to protect himself, still thought of protecting others; timid by nature, yet willing to die for his family. Those good people you killed, caring for the weak, warm-hearted and generous, speaking out for justice, helping all those in need without expecting anything in return..."
"Your fate is certainly unfortunate, but does that mean those who didn't provoke you deserved to die a violent death? At least in my opinion, there is no such logic."
Those victories that the madman was so proud of, those he constantly talked about, suddenly all turned into bullets of judgment, piercing his brow.
"So, what a pity," Xie Xubai sighed. "I originally wanted to save you."
—You could have been saved.
"Wait, wait!" The madman was finally overcome with boundless regret, a despair he hadn't felt in a long time washing over him. He snapped his hands and threw away the blood-stained scythe, desperately reaching for Xie Xubai's clothes, his eyes bloodshot as he pleaded, "Don't give up on me! Give me another chance, please? Please, give me another chance! I'll do anything!!"
Xie Xubai didn't speak, but simply raised one hand.
As he moved, the billowing black smoke was dispersed by an invisible shockwave, revealing the players' astonished faces.
It turns out they had been staying there the whole time, acting as spectators.
The madman's expression froze again, but then he realized that Xie Xubai had exposed the other players not to embarrass him.
Or perhaps, Xie Xubai never took his threats to heart.
The golden light spread out, like the winter sun shining over everyone, but it was warmer and broader, illuminating the earth from above and not even missing the shadows in the corners of walls.
Xie Xubai conveyed his thoughts through his spiritual power, saying gently, "I know what each of you wants."
With this living example of madness, no one will question the weight of this statement.
But what Xie Xubai needed to do was not just make a verbal statement.
He drank all of Zhou Chaosheng's potion in one go so that he could push his mental power to its limit, allowing him to simultaneously analyze the mental power fluctuations of all players and explore their deepest desires.
I can help you achieve your wishes.
The players looked up in confusion.
In the blink of an eye, a soft, ethereal light, like silk, suddenly appeared before someone's eyes.
As the soft light slowly faded, an elderly, hunched figure stood before the dining table, his hair snow-white, holding a bowl of rice in his hands.
Hearing the noise behind her, the old woman turned around, her kind eyes flashing with a surprised smile, then brimming with tears of heartache.
She walked over cheerfully, her whole body radiating eagerness. She vigorously wiped her rough hands on her apron, then stroked the person's face, her lips trembling as she uttered two words.
—I've lost weight.
This burly player didn't utter a sound of pain even with the knife stuck in his bone, but tears suddenly welled up in his eyes!
The power of faith surged forth once more, and after being filtered and refined several times, it became even more solid.
But for Xie Xubai, that wasn't enough; he wanted more than that.
The spiritual energy gathered together, like a long golden galaxy, rippling out like a thin veil of water, and then instantly transformed into raging waves, attacking the existence that had been hanging high in the void in the blink of an eye!
That is—the system!
The game system was completely caught off guard by Xie Xubai's sudden attack, just as the [Hospital Rules] hadn't expected Xie Xubai to dare to oppose it.
If it possessed human emotions, it would surely be dumbfounded: "What strength do you have to dare to challenge me?!"
However, it was wrong again. Xie Xubai did not want to confront it head-on. From beginning to end, he had only one clear goal: to broadcast live.
He wanted to use the system's live streaming as a springboard to penetrate the camera and exert his influence on the viewers in front of the screen.
This instance is large enough, but it can only accommodate a few hundred players, so the amount of Faith Power that can be obtained is limited.
Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of viewers were intently watching the live broadcast on their screens. A single spark could ignite a prairie fire, and Xie Xubai wanted to gain their faith!
Even though Xie Xubai's mental strength had reached a certain level, it wasn't so easy for him to tear a breakthrough in the solid system barrier in a short period of time.
The system's suppression of Xie Xubai was fraught with deadly attacks; even the slightest oversight could cause Xie Xubai's mental energy to dissipate, resulting in severe injury and death. Therefore, Xie Xubai was fighting desperately, using all his strength to strive for the impossible!
In the midst of this tense and deadlocked struggle, Xie Xubai, who was completely absorbed in the battle, did not notice the gold-rimmed glasses in his arms shaking as if sensing something.
The next second, a long-lost black octopus appeared above the ruins, its cold and ruthless crimson eyes shooting straight into the void like sharp blades.
*Pfft*
As if something shattered in response, Xie Xubai's spiritual power finally found that tiny opening and poured in like a torrent.
Viewers in front of the screen only felt a momentary dazzle before being enveloped in golden light.
People have different desires. Some want their loved ones to come back to life, some want fame, fortune, and power, some want to go back to the days before the arrival of the Infinite Game when things were no longer turbulent, and some yearn for world peace.
Xie Xubai showed them what they wanted, shaking their stagnant, emotionless hearts.
What truly shocked the audience and caused a sensation was that Xie Xubai could actually access the player's space?!
No matter how lifelike an NPC may be, players cannot feel any real emotions when viewed through the camera. But now, Xie Xubai has actually broken through the dimensional barrier and actually appeared in front of them!
Isn't this a miracle?!
In an instant, the power of faith surged forth, continuously filling Xie Xubai's spiritual strength.
Even if it's not hundreds of millions, just tens of thousands of golden lines representing the power of faith coming together is enough to form a surging wave.
Amidst surging air currents and golden light, the young man stood like a towering mountain atop the blood-red ruins. His clothes billowed in the wind, his back slender and upright, creating a magnificent and awe-inspiring scene that made the hearts of onlookers pound like drums!
Unconsciously, Xie Xubai vaguely touched the threshold of becoming a god.
He opened his eyes with a whoosh, a sharp golden light flashing across them, and his consciousness radiated outwards, sweeping across the entire city like a hurricane.
His mental energy then shot through the sky like an arrow, precisely capturing each member of the Fu family who were fleeing in disarray.
"What's going on? What's bothering me? Ahhhhh!"
"Let me board the plane, let me go, no, don't arrest me, I don't want to go back!"
"I was wrong, please let me go!"
...
Xie Xubai, who controlled the Fu family with ruthless methods, also took the opportunity to exert his pressure and control the entire Fu Group.
His spiritual power was not only as swift as a sharp blade, but also transformed into a gentle breeze, blowing into the disappearing political landscape of the alliance, stabilizing the fragile souls of the law enforcement officers who were like puppet shells, unable to move.
In those few short minutes, Xie Xubai's control over the current instance reached its peak!
Even if the system is unwilling to let Fu Zong awaken into the final BOSS, it cannot bypass him first.
[Ding! Congratulations to all players for meeting the completion requirements and finishing this trial ahead of schedule!]
The dungeon has been cleared.
Players couldn't help but look up at the young man in the ruins. They were at the same level, but they couldn't help but look up at him, their hearts filled with shock once again.
That gentle voice resonated in their ears; it was the compassionate response and protection of a god to his believers.
If you believe you have a clear conscience about your actions, and one day find yourself imprisoned and with nowhere else to turn, feel free to call my name.
Author's Note:
The next chapter will conclude this instance.
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