Chapter 490: Curse of the Sirens

The pollution faced by Sea Country was dubbed by its people as the curse of the sirens.

They had fallen due to a bewitching song, reminiscent of old tales where sirens lured sailors to their doom.

But even Lu Xin never expected to actually see a siren…

Or perhaps he was the only one who could see them.

Just as he alone could clearly perceive the Mental Monsters at any moment.

Mental Monsters are born of a mutation in mental power—a chaotic blend of human awareness, perception, impressions, memories, and more. They seldom appear as one might expect, instead manifesting in twisted, bizarre forms laden with metaphor and abstract symbolism.

So, was the siren he saw of the same nature?

After poring over the investigation report and materials on Sea Country’s pollution, Lu Xin began to decipher the strange phenomenon before him.

The men of Sea Country sank deeper into despair and frenzy, all because they had encountered love.

No one knew how that mesmerizing song first emerged, but Professor Bai had already offered an explanation.

It is a mysterious force capable of igniting a man’s most primal desires.

When those desires surge so powerfully as to eclipse everything else, the men feel as though they have found their one true love, experiencing an unparalleled ecstasy.

That ideal love must be flawless, for it is nothing more than a distorted creation born from their own desires.

The pleasure it brings is unlike any other sensation.

Both in its intensity and satisfaction.

For those disheartened men of the sea, nothing fulfilled their deepest fantasies quite like the legendary siren.

And as more people began to believe in these sirens, public perception was inevitably altered.

Thus, everyone came to see that mysterious mental force as the siren.

Including himself at that moment.

……

……

It also explained how the Doll managed to forcibly heal them.

Their desires had become utterly warped—like computers infected with a virulent virus.

Now, the Doll was using her power to pull that virus right out of their bodies.

No one else could ever do what she did.

Even if other Ability Users polluted them further, it would merely add another layer to an already ‘siren’-tainted body—not a true eradication of the curse.

The Doll was commanding them to expel the siren from their minds, to forget it entirely.

It was as though she were urging them to break off a toxic love affair.

For them, returning to normalcy was nothing short of agonizing.

……

……

“Ssssss…”

As the ‘sirens’ burst out from the men’s bodies, their once graceful forms twisted in an instant—green scales flashed across their faces, their eyes narrowed into vertical slits, and as their mouths opened, rows of pristine white teeth stretched into long, razor-sharp fangs.

They even seemed to possess their own consciousness, brimming with hatred and disgust.

Sensing the Doll’s presence, they suddenly swam through the night sky, charging straight at her.

In a heartbeat, at least a dozen sirens converged directly in front of the Doll.

Their once-beautiful faces contorted into expressions of maddened loathing as they bared their deadly teeth.

Lu Xin, who had been standing quietly nearby, furrowed his brow and stepped forward.

The sirens attacking the Doll took him by surprise, though in a way, it all made sense.

Expelling such polluted traits was like the Doll urging a man madly in love to regain his senses and break free.

Perhaps these people might eventually listen and claw their way out of their delirium.

Yet, deep down, they still harbored a faint resentment toward the one who stripped away their bliss.

That very resentment was passed on to the sirens.

……

“Mr. Lone Soldier, do not make a move.”

Lu Xin took only a tentative step forward when Han Bing’s reminder crackled through the left side of his glasses:

“We can detect an unusual pollution power attempting to counteract the Doll’s anti-pollution, but please don’t worry.”

“This is simply part of the experiment—it must be resolved by the Doll herself.”

Lu Xin nodded softly and retreated back to his original position.

He saw that when the dozen sirens charged the Doll, she too sensed their approach.

Yet she paid no mind, allowing the mental power surrounding her to naturally expand.

If one likens her presence to a formless sea, then as the sirens approached, that sea suddenly thickened, keeping them at bay—three meters away from her, their bodies immobilized.

In the very next moment, the sea began to churn violently, creating intense friction.

In under a second, the dozen sirens were ground away into an intangible mental force.

That force was partly transformed into the Doll’s own power, which radiated outward with her will.

Her mental force field expanded dramatically in an instant.

In the Command Center, many personnel exchanged looks of astonished delight as they cautiously remarked:

“Everything’s normal—continue constructing the field.”

……

……

“As expected, the Doll is the ideal candidate for the Heaven’s Kingdom Plan.”

Lu Xin, a proficient guard, maintained his post while keeping a close eye on the progress of the Plan.

The Doll’s method of expanding her mental field was uniquely different from others.

Ability Users who reached the third stage typically wielded limitless pollution power but were easily overwhelmed by their own will.

But the Doll was different—she could tap into the power of the polluted to extend her mental force field.

The key to becoming a Mental Overlord lay in controlling the field, and the Doll’s ability meant she naturally possessed half of that potential.

Moreover, her will was manifested through those she influenced, making her anti-pollution efforts both more complete and less damaging.

Her Sister once clamored to become a Mental Overlord, but if she were in the Doll’s shoes…

…Perhaps she too could force out the sirens.

Yet Lu Xin believed that after such a cleansing, the affected individuals might only manage to crawl.

……

……

“Buzz…”

As these thoughts raced through Lu Xin’s mind, the Doll’s mental field expanded at an astonishing pace.

The speed was nothing short of extraordinary.

The wider her power spread, the more people it encompassed—and in turn, the more power was at her beck and call.

This mutual amplification triggered an explosive surge in mental strength.

The expansion of her field was terrifying in its swiftness.

Even the Doll’s delicate features betrayed a trace of seriousness, as if the mounting pressure was beginning to show.

……

……

“It won’t erupt like it did in Happy Town, will it? Her psychic power isn’t exceeding her limits, is it?”

Lu Xin couldn’t help but feel a pang of anxiety.

Yet he quickly reassured himself—it was merely his nerves playing tricks.

In truth, the mental power around the Doll was far less overwhelming than it had been in Happy Town.

Moreover, as her power reached a critical threshold, Lu Xin faintly sensed another force—resembling electromagnetic waves—at work atop Qinggang’s warship, controlled by some instrument.

This instrument helped to stabilize her mental power, allowing her field to expand steadily and effortlessly.

“Mental force field expansion is normal…”

“The Doll’s mental power is increasing faster than we predicted…”

“Prepare to divert some energy to the four signal towers…”

“……”

In the Command Center below, rows of staff exchanged data rapidly, their faces drawn tight with concentration.

On the distant, dark sea, the Red Moon hung ominously over the surface. The inky waves, stirred by an unknown force, cascaded in layers toward the four ships encircling Sea Country.

Each ship boasted a small signal tower, shielded by numerous stabilizers.

Beneath each tower stood one of the four supplementary Ability Users handpicked by Qinggang.

Meanwhile, the control center below was manned by utterly focused personnel.

Gradually, the mental detection device atop the signal towers began to flash red. An enormous, invisible mental force surged from the sea, linking the four towers and steadily stabilizing, much like an unfolding umbrella.

“Four signal towers and thirty-six groups of stabilizers have successfully connected…”

“Field formation is underway—continue reinforcing mental power…”

“……”

In the five control centers, the staff watched the data with trembling excitement.

Yet as an invisible mental force rapidly spread, enveloping all the people of Sea Country, the frenzied masses lifted their heads. Their blood-red eyes shone with a mix of wariness and an eerie, chilling light.

The Doll’s field expanded at breakneck speed, but the pollution within those covered by it was not so easily eradicated.

Most remained deeply polluted, their senses heightened and alert.

Being too far away, they couldn’t see the Doll.

But they felt an intense, visceral revulsion toward that intangible force, roaring their disdain into the empty night sky.

……

……

And then, from the source of all that mental power, the Doll slowly opened her eyes, a trace of sorrow etched on her face.

Lu Xin, who had been watching her intently, immediately noticed the change in her expression.

After a brief moment of stillness, he finally understood.

The Doll’s mental power, by enveloping everyone in Sea Country, allowed her to feel their hostility and hatred.

All those negative emotions were directed at her.

It was the first time she had truly experienced someone else’s loathing and disgust.