Chapter 274
Xie Xubai looked down at Theseus, half of his face shrouded in shadow, his expression obscured.
This is Theseus's inner world. Although Theseus cannot fully control it due to the system's intervention, it is still on the opponent's home turf, and exposing his inner self risks being turned around.
Moreover, this scene was the result of his plan.
As Theseus teetered on the brink of collapse, the entire space began to crumble. The ground shook, and the ceiling lights flickered incessantly. With a crash, the mirrored wall shattered, shards of glass scattering everywhere!
Strands of black and red lines emerged from Theseus's body, resembling menacing tentacles, symbolizing his intense hatred. They twisted and surged, spreading towards Xie Xubai like a tsunami.
Xie Xubai quickly raised his hand, and golden light emanated from his palm to defend against the attack, instantly shattering the tentacles into pieces!
Just then, an unusual energy fluctuation suddenly came from behind the broken mirror wall, and Xie Xubai immediately turned around alertly.
The corpse in the observation room trembled rapidly, transforming into more and more black and red energy lines that swirled together in mid-air.
He thought it was some kind of killer move, but to his surprise, when the lines dissipated, what appeared before Xie Xubai's eyes was a round and full... black stone?
Xie Xubai was taken aback.
As if accidentally touching a long-forgotten piece of past footage, the scene in the observation room suddenly rewinds rapidly, and one after another, the faces of those who died tragically reappear.
The black and red energy lines surged and boiled, like a raging fire. The corpses trapped in the small observation room also melted and dissipated in this fire.
The corpses kept disappearing, and the black pieces kept appearing, one, two, three... In the blink of an eye, they filled half the observation room!
This scene is strikingly similar to Xie Xubai's first encounter and confrontation with Theseus.
The latter raised his hand, and tens of thousands of black pieces appeared behind him. The souls of the unjustly killed were trapped inside the black pieces, their hideous faces emerging, their eyes filled with blood, struggling desperately, letting out shrill screams amidst Theseus's maniacal laughter.
The scene was like a living hell.
Were all your chess pieces created from living people?
【certainly. 】
[Did you practice this?]
That's about right.
The scene shifts, and Theseus's unwilling roar echoes in Xie Xubai's ears again, as he descends into madness, disarray, and collapse.
"Why didn't you react? If it weren't for you, they wouldn't have to suffer like this!"
—If it weren't for me, they wouldn't have died!
Xie Xubai suddenly felt a strange, indescribable palpitation in his heart.
He pressed his hand to his chest, realizing that when he was pulled into Theseus's memory projection, he had experienced a mental resonance with the remaining fragments of consciousness.
These lingering regrets originated from that original, brand-new soul. Because it was a one-to-one replica of Xie Xubai, their thoughts were almost identical, making Xie Xubai easily influenced.
No special treatment is required.
Under the frenzied onslaught of Theseus's mental power, the fragments of consciousness that could just be glimpsed in various corners became blurred to almost transparent in the blink of an eye.
Before long, they will perish along with Theseus's crumbling mental world.
Xie Xubai remained silent, closed his eyes briefly, then suddenly opened them again, extending his other hand with a hazy golden light emanating from his palm.
Unlike the sharp and murderous golden light on the right hand, this golden light radiated warmth, like a flickering lamp in the cold and dim observation room.
Xie Xubai raised his head, and the light instantly spread out, filling the entire observation room and shining into his shimmering eyes, creating a calm and peaceful atmosphere.
"Can you hear me?" he asked.
There was no response, so Xie Xubai asked several more times until a subtle fluctuation of consciousness was felt in the air.
The shadow kneeling in front of the mirror wall slightly raised its head and met Xie Xubai's eyes. Its hands, covered in shards of glass, hung limply at its sides, dripping with blood, and its muscles twitching incessantly.
Spiritual resonance is bidirectional.
Since these lingering regrets can affect Xie Xubai, Xie Xubai can also communicate with them by establishing a spiritual connection.
The fluctuations of consciousness came intermittently.
Even though the phantom didn't say anything and its face was unclear, Xie Xubai could imagine a pair of bloodshot eyes staring blankly, tears silently streaming down its cheeks, filled with despair and helplessness.
Xie Xubai walked over, squatted down, and stood level with the virtual screen, staring intently at him, saying slowly and deliberately, "What you are seeing is just a simulation created by the system. But if you choose to collapse and give in, it will definitely happen."
"We must not retreat."
"Systems operate on a procedural mindset. If one solution fails, it will be replaced with another. As long as there is change, there is always an opportunity to exploit, and there will always be a day when you find a flaw."
"You have to hold on until then."
No further explanation is needed.
For Xie Xubai, as long as he has a goal, he can stick to it.
The illusory figure remained frozen for a long while before finally turning its head to look back at the observation room, its fingertips still trembling.
Their relatives and friends suffered endless torment and died in humiliation.
That was everything he feared, so he needed to see it more clearly and carefully.
—Because that was also the reason he had to get through it.
A soft golden light poured down, and the illusory figure let out a deep sigh. Its breath gradually calmed, and its expression returned to firmness. It conveyed to Xie Xubai: You too.
Finally, he vanished in a speck of light, leaving behind a room in silence.
Xie Xubai withdrew the golden light, and suddenly felt a sharp and deep gaze staring at him from behind.
He turned around and saw Theseus on all fours, his disheveled hair obscuring his face, making it impossible to see his expression. He was propping himself up on his elbows and coughing incessantly.
The space remained unstable, the ground shook, and loose rocks fell down in a steady stream, but the rampaging black and red lines gradually calmed down.
For Theseus, those lingering regrets were like festering, old sores. Xie Xubai's resolution of these regrets was, in effect, a way of indirectly cleaning and removing the rotten parts from Theseus's wounds, relieving him of his burdens.
Theseus took a while to catch his breath. Under Xie Xubai's gaze, his pale lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something but swallowed it back. The corners of his lips parted in an ambiguous arc.
Before Xie Xubai could carefully analyze his emotions, the scene before him suddenly changed.
The cramped and dimly lit observation room is gone, replaced by a road in the dead of night.
The shops on both sides closed early, the streetlights illuminated the ground with a stark white light, and flies buzzed around the trash cans, making it seem eerie and secluded.
Just as Xie Xubai had predicted when comforting Cang Nian, and just as history had unfolded, the system discovered that torturing and replicating the souls of relatives and friends could not force "him" to submit, and immediately changed its strategy.
The experiments it conducted on Theseus were numerous and in multiple phases, and what we just saw was only the first phase.
So what will the second phase be?
Bang!
Suddenly, the sound of a violent fight came from beside Xie Xubai. A thin young man was thrown out of the darkness and crashed heavily to the ground, groaning in pain.
The young man reacted quickly; almost as soon as he landed, he pushed himself up and got to his feet.
The pale moonlight shone down, and Xie Xubai saw the other person's face clearly—Theseus!
To be precise, it was Theseus before he was disfigured.
It's like looking in a mirror.
Xie Xubai stared at the face that looked exactly like his own.
Theseus's pupils contracted, and he seemed very flustered. His hair was disheveled and covered in dust. His body was covered with wounds of varying sizes, and his cheeks bore red, swollen fist marks.
The most shocking sight was a bright red cut running horizontally three inches below the eyes, still bleeding.
His heart pounded in his chest, and in an instant, a strange memory suddenly flooded into Xie Xubai's mind.
He seemed to see himself surrounded by a group of thugs in an alley, but his body was inexplicably weak. He ran around for a short while before being caught, pinned to the ground, and punched and kicked.
Someone grabbed his hair, forcing him to look up. The leader pulled out a knife, squatted down in front of him, and asked with a sinister smile, "You're quite proud of your face, aren't you?"
The blade reflected a cold, silvery light as it pierced towards his face. His heart tightened, and he struggled violently, unleashing unprecedented strength to break through the enemy's defenses and rush out, his body pressed against the blade's edge.
He had barely rushed out when someone hit him on the back of the head with a stick, and he collapsed to the ground, his vision going black.
Before he could fully get up, the person who had chased after him stepped on his head again.
The moment his chin hit the hard floor tile, he only felt pain.
A rib was broken, an elbow was twisted, and the abdomen was hit hard. The muscles were still reflexively spasming, and a metallic taste of blood was gushing from the throat.
But more than the pain, there was confusion and panic.
He stared longingly at the empty, deserted road, hoping something might bring a turning point, but all he heard was a solicitous voice behind him: "Boss, this guy keeps trying to run away, why don't we just..."
"Break his legs."
Xie Xubai suddenly came to his senses and saw the thug pick up a stick and smash it against Theseus's leg, creating a whistling wind.
At this moment, memory and reality intertwine, illusion and truth become entangled.
Xie Xubai seemed to hear a cracking sound beside his ear, and a sudden, excruciating pain shot through his leg bone.
He reflexively raised his hand, and golden light burst forth, sweeping away the man with the stick and several thugs who had caught up with him, tying them to the ground.
With a few clanging sounds, the sticks and knives in the thugs' hands fell to the ground.
Xie Xubai's forehead was beaded with sweat, and he was breathing slightly heavily. He met the horrified looks of the thugs, and his brows furrowed slightly.
He had just taken a step forward when Theseus, who was curled up on the ground, suddenly sprang up, brushed past his shoulder, and drew a blur in the air that was too fast to see with the naked eye. He picked up the knife from the ground and plunged it into the heart of the man who had threatened to break his legs!
Xie Xubai's gaze sharpened, and he quickly unleashed a golden light.
Who knew that Theseus didn't dodge at all, and was pierced through the chest by the golden light. He gripped the knife and swung it backhand, and the shockwave cleaved the thugs in front of him into pieces. The body parts slammed to the ground with a thud, and blood sprayed like a waterfall!
At the same moment, the black and red spiritual power surged like flames, and the scattered corpses on the ground moved without wind, as if the souls inside were being cruelly roasted, and sharp screams came from within.
The body parts melted away, turning into bleeding black chess pieces!
Xie Xubai's heart almost stopped beating.
The golden light condensed into a heavy fist, slamming Theseus to the ground with force. With a loud thud, the floor tiles cracked like a spiderweb.
Theseus screamed in agony as his back was torn open. He looked up and met Xie Xubai's angry and cold gaze, then laughed maniacally, "Xie Xubai, even now, you don't actually believe I still have such a ridiculous thing as conscience, do you?"
"Speaking of which, I should thank you. At this stage, my abilities were restricted by the system, and I could only be repeatedly bullied to death. I've always wanted to kill them. If you hadn't helped me break through the restrictions just now, I wouldn't have been able to take my revenge. You deserve a lot of credit, Xie Xubai!"
At this moment, Xie Xubai finally received the complete memories of the second phase of the experiment through the residual fluctuations of consciousness.
This stage of the system experiment can be described as killing someone by attacking their spirit.
It simulated a world after an infinite game victory and threw Xie Xubai, who had suffered mental torment in the first stage, into it.
He woke up in a mental hospital bed, his mind foggy, unable to distinguish between reality and another experiment orchestrated by the system.
In addition, in the setting of this simulation experiment, most of the ordinary people who were rescued did not retain any memories of the infinite game.
His questioning about those events was undoubtedly seen as a sign of worsening madness, and his daily medication dosage was doubled. If he dared to resist, he would be injected with sedatives.
His physical strength was severely limited, and he couldn't use his mental energy either, so he became the same ordinary person who was powerless to even kill a chicken.
He was locked up for more than half a year before he managed to escape. He was able to do so because he quickly calmed down and waited for the nurses to relax their guard, which allowed him to find a loophole in the security of the mental hospital.
After he got out, he did not hesitate and immediately contacted his former relatives and friends.
For him, the six months of "normal" life, though spent in a mental hospital, was a rare period of peace and tranquility, free from death, illness, and endless battles.
Walking on the sun-drenched street, watching people come and go, laughing and joking, with older women dancing in the square and children tugging at their parents' hands and clamoring for toys, he suddenly felt as if he were in another world, and without realizing it, his mood relaxed as well.
He soon met Pei Yuheng.
He didn't understand.
Upon their reunion, Pei Yuheng, having heard the news, practically ran out on all fours. His eyes reddened and tears streamed down his face as he saw him. He stumbled forward and embraced him, his usual composure gone, choking out, "We thought you were dead..."
The intense excitement and sorrow emanating from the other person were definitely not an act. If Pei Yuheng still remembered him, then why did he kill him without hesitation just hours after taking him on a frantic medical examination?
In excruciating pain, he looked down and saw Pei Yuheng's arm pierce through his chest, then coughed up a mouthful of blood.
He turned his head in disbelief and met Pei Yuheng's ashen face. The latter stared blankly, his eyes no longer showing the joy of regaining what he had lost.
"If only you were still alive..."
He was unaware that the system had prepared a "big gift" for him.
Ordinary people don't remember the game and can't recognize him, but in the eyes of the surviving players, he always has a huge, semi-transparent mark on his head with the name "Xie Xubai" written on it.
This marker was visible to everyone except him, anyone who was familiar with the game; it was more conspicuous than a 300-watt searchlight in the dark.
However, a line of text was clearly added after the name "Xie Xubai".
【Xie Xubai (Copy) 001】
When he awoke again, still reeling from the shock of death, he realized it was all a scheme by the system.
But he couldn't tell anymore whether this was an illusion, a copy, or the real world.
After all, the people he saw were all so vibrant.
After news of the clone spread, he was relentlessly hunted down in the post-victory world.
Those who loved and trusted him suspected it was a scheme orchestrated by the system, and they would not allow a random clone to tarnish the original's reputation.
Those who hate him and those who don't like him, simply wanting to kick him when he's down, like those petty thugs.
Those who coveted his abilities wanted to squeeze every last drop of value out of him, but once they discovered he had become an ordinary person, they immediately and disdainfully sold him to those who wanted to capture him.
Each time he died, he would be resurrected in a completely unfamiliar place, only to be discovered again, repeating the cycle of being killed.
The phrase I heard most often was—
"The system thought that the clones it created could bewitch us, but you are nothing like it."
His memory abruptly ended, and Xie Xubai broke out in a cold sweat, feeling nauseous, his stomach churning, and acid rising in his throat.
The intense negative emotions he felt made him almost vomit.
Theseus, pinned down by him, laughed even harder upon seeing this: "Xie Xubai, I'm very curious, when you were killed by them, were you really able to do so without any resentment? Were you able to resist feeling hatred towards those so-called relatives and friends?"
Xie Xubai didn't speak, pinching his trembling fingertips, trying to compose himself.
It took him quite a while, but he eventually calmed down and never let go of Theseus's hand.
Theseus stared intently at Xie Xubai, and once his emotions surged too much, his eyes were no longer calm and composed.
But just like in the observation room, there were all sorts of emotions there, but no wavering.
Theseus's forehead veins bulged, and he cursed fiercely. He grabbed Xie Xubai's collar, his eyes bloodshot and bulging, and said with hatred, "Xie Xubai, I'm not like you, I'm not that magnanimous! Every single one of these people, I'll make them wish they were dead!"
With a loud bang, black and red lines rippled outwards, forming a hurricane like swords, instantly severing trees and buildings in half, and blasting the remaining fragments of consciousness in the air into dust.
Xie Xubai suddenly looked up.
Those lingering regrets were a mental trauma that Theseus could not resolve, and were also a part of his consciousness.
If an effective cure can be obtained, there may still be a possibility of redemption.
But now, they have been severed by Theseus himself.
Theseus coughed up a mouthful of blood and clutched his chest, coughing violently.
His pupils were dilated, showing signs of mental retardation; clearly, erasing his lingering resentment had caused irreversible damage to his spirit.
Xie Xubai immediately unleashed golden light, but before he could press it onto Theseus's head, it was firmly blocked by black and red spiritual power.
Theseus was not surprised that Xie Xubai would invade his core consciousness at this juncture.
Although he never said it aloud, their saint carried the hope of saving the world, along with the lives of 7.7 billion people, on his own shoulders.
Despite the risk of a mental breakdown, Xie Xubai entered his inner world for one purpose only: to find the key to break through the system's barriers.
Xie Xubai would never let any opportunity slip by.
At the same time, Theseus discovered that the golden light not only carried an invading sharpness, but also a healing energy.
Even now, Xie Xubai is still thinking about treating him?!
Theseus found it even harder to accept when Xie Xubai was preparing to design him using a system.
"Since you enjoy flaunting your kindness so much, fine! Fine! I'll let you flaunt it to your heart's content!"
In an instant, the scene changed again.
Theseus was clearly aware that the system was monitoring their condition in real time.
Xie Xubai remained silent, maintaining his composure and calmness, which meant that he was the variable.
Once he stabilizes, the system will determine that this stage of the experiment is invalid and immediately switch scenarios.
The system was also relentlessly looking for an opportunity to kill them both.
...
Theseus was once again caught following the experimental route.
The system also gradually enriches the authenticity and logic of the experiments during the design process.
It didn't create any inexplicable conflicts or hatred, nor did it change the personalities of ordinary players; it simply added a "copy" label to Theseus's name and then marked it with the system's mark.
Theseus of the past was powerless to defend himself, because he was essentially a copy.
Players witnessed the original character's death in the game's lore, so they felt no remorse or kindness towards him; instead, they felt only hatred and murderous intent.
But then, what was the point of his perseverance and patience during the first phase of the experiment?
The shouts of killing and fighting rose like thunder, and Theseus raised his head under the control of the crowd.
Countless faces glared at him with resentment, but he only stared intently at Xie Xubai, a sinister smile spreading across his face, as if anticipating a good show about to unfold.
When the scenario is reenacted, Theseus's abilities will be subject to the same limitations as before.
However, if Xie Xubai intervenes and breaks this restriction, he can go on a killing spree and turn everyone into black pieces.
Based on Xie Xubai's style of handling things, he was innocent at this stage and needed to be saved.
However, the other players who were provoked by the system are even more innocent. Even those who kick someone when they're down, as long as they don't go too far, don't deserve to die.
So what should Xie Xubai do?
Save him, let the others die.
Or should we stand by and watch him die, while he remains innocent?
Theseus stared intently at Xie Xubai's every move, his eyes shining brightly.
Suddenly, Xie Xubai, who had been silent, moved with lightning speed, sending those who were holding Theseus captive flying.
Theseus relaxed completely and almost burst into laughter.
He knew Xie Xubai still couldn't let go of those so-called benevolence and morality, so in return, he would definitely kill him...
Well?
Theseus stared wide-eyed down at the golden light that bound him.
The black and red spiritual energy had barely begun to emerge before it was completely enveloped by the golden light and forcibly stuffed back in.
Then look at Xie Xubai, who remained expressionless throughout, skillfully knocking away each person who rushed at him.
Faced with everyone's questions, Xie Xubai didn't even bother to explain, simply saying, "I'm taking this person with me."
What does he mean?
Theseus soon found out that it meant exactly what it said.
Xie Xubai carried him, managing to break through the encirclement without harming anyone.
Even more frighteningly, after getting away from the group of pursuers, Xie Xubai actually began to seriously select a place to hide and gradually started to buy daily necessities.
They looked like they were planning to stay for a long time.
"What exactly do you want?"
After being bound for more than ten days, Theseus finally lost his temper and let out an incomprehensible roar.
He didn't expect to get a reply, but Xie Xubai looked at him when he heard the voice and calmly explained, "The scene is not repeated; time here moves forward."
Keep walking forward...
Theseus's pupils contracted, his senses turning to absurdity: "You don't actually think that if this continues, and you read all my memories, you'll eventually find out where I hid the key, do you?"
Yes, having witnessed his experiences, Xie Xubai might no longer be able to provoke him into a breakdown.
But just waiting it out like that... is a pipe dream!
Did Xie Xubai actually know how many experiments he had undergone?
Xie Xubai remained silent, his expression unchanged.
Theseus had no doubt that Xie Xubai really intended to do so, and that this guy truly possessed that damned, godlike perseverance!
He should have thought of that sooner!
Xie Xubai is not the same person he was before. He is not subject to any power restrictions. Nothing in this virtual scene poses a threat to Xie Xubai. He can play by his own rules!
Theseus suddenly panicked: "You... what about those players waiting outside? Aren't you going to take care of them? Even if you can afford to wait, what about them..."
Xie Xubai: "When the system was working just now, I used its timer to calculate that the time flow ratio between here and outside is very large. It is roughly that one hundred years here is equivalent to one day outside."
"In other words, we've spent a thousand years here, while only ten days have passed outside."
Xie Xubai lowered his eyelashes, gently tapped the tea lid, and said calmly, "The system core is in my hands. Without my permission, it cannot start the tenth trial, let alone cause trouble."
"There's nothing else to do."
"After working so hard for so long, it's good to rest for two or three months. Consider it a long vacation to recharge and recharge."
Theseus: "..."
If Xie Xubai wasn't lying, two or three months outside would be equivalent to at least six thousand years here.
Theseus stared at Xie Xubai's impeccably calm face, his lips trembling, and finally managed to squeeze out a single word: "Damn it."
Author's Note:
One more chapter, to be posted at midnight. Thank you for the late update.
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