Chapter 652: Trapped Between Nightmare and Reality

Number Two spoke in a flat tone, his voice devoid of any inflection.

He seemed utterly accustomed to everything, without a trace of passion or impulse.

But as Lu Xin and Xia Chong listened, a creeping terror began to take hold until, with the utterance of certain words, their fear reached its peak.

Xia Chong couldn’t help but shout, “The Fifth Step?”

“Have you already stepped onto the stairway of the Illusory Land?”

“Can you really use your Mental Power to control everyone’s actions and thoughts around you?”

“You… can actually drag an entire city into this realm?”

“How large is this city? As massive as Flame itself?”

“And, and you claim you can shape the entire world into exactly what you want—what does that mean?”

“You can change the attributes of the Real World…?”

“…”

Even as Xia Chong trembled in fear, Lu Xin shared her terror, murmuring, “It’s truly frightening…”

Number Two, seemingly caught off guard by Xia Chong’s barrage of questions, paused for a moment before slowly replying, “What you’re saying is a bit complex—I’m not quite sure how to answer. But I do seem to be able to make those around me act and think exactly as I command. If I wished, I could even see their memories and choose to erase or rewrite them at will.”

“As for a city, I’ve never tried it, nor have I explored its limits.”

“But if I wanted to, I should be capable of pulling the entire Flame City into this realm…”

“Rewriting the Real World…”

“I don’t entirely understand what that means, but once a voice made me conduct an experiment. If I gazed at a cup and told others, ‘This is an apple,’ then everyone would start believing it was an apple…”

“And after some time, when I looked back, I noticed that the apple had already rotted away…”

“…”

Number Two answered softly, his face devoid of any excitement and instead clouded with a hint of melancholy.

He shook his head and murmured, “But honestly, none of this really matters.”

“I can change many things in the Real World, yet all I desire is to break free from here forever.”

“But it’s all futile; even now, I see no hope of escape…”

“I even feel as if I remain trapped in this nightmare when I wake up.”

“They’ve tried countless methods to dilute that feeling—using machines and recruiting numerous people to share my pain—but they fail to realize that no one can truly ease it for me…”

“Sometimes they say that because I exist in the Real World, everything around me becomes distorted.”

“That’s why I have to stay here as long as possible…”

“…”

As Number Two continued his explanation, his brows furrowed ever so slightly, and traces of pain became visible on his face.

Even Xia Chong’s palms trembled noticeably.

Is this really Versailles?

She wasn’t sure if Number Two was deliberately using that tone to deliver such staggering words.

At that moment, Lu Xin raised his head and looked at Number Two, his face softening with sympathy.

Many of their questions seemed to find answers in that glance.

“So, you were the one who sealed off the Abyss before?”

“And the Hell Regiment that once chased me in Flame City, as well as the dead figures appearing on the streets—are they all connected to you?”

He sighed softly and inquired.

Earlier, when he and Xia Chong had traversed the Abyss into the Flame Building, they had seen flesh and blood coating the structure. In that moment, it felt strangely familiar—almost like the belongings of a friend—until he saw Number Two and understood.

Recalling it now, the events seemed utterly unbelievable.

What kind of Mental Power can completely engulf a building within the Abyss?

Moreover, is it because of Number Two’s influence on reality that the Hell Regiment appeared in Flame City?

And what about those despairing apparitions on the streets—were they unintended changes borne from Number Two’s meddling with reality?

Xia Chong’s little face had already tensed noticeably…

She hid behind her, her hand clutching a dagger as it trembled lightly.

She couldn’t fathom just how terrifying the power of this classmate from Single Soldier really was…

“…”

“…”

“Perhaps, it’s not entirely me…”

Yet, when faced with Lu Xin’s doubts and Xia Chong’s terror, Number Two shook his head slightly and stated, “I really can do these things.”

“But I’ve never actually done them…”

“When I’m awake, I mostly spend my time drifting in that space, not thinking about anything.”

“I…”

After a pause, he murmured, “I’ve started to dislike the Real World, too. I used to visit this realm only when I slept, but now it feels as if the Real World follows me into my dreams…”

“If it isn’t you, then who is?”

Xia Chong asked anxiously, “Isn’t all this your ability?”

Number Two replied quietly, “To me, it’s not about ability.”

He continued in a soft tone, “I just feel that reality is becoming more like my nightmares. A voice once told me that through a ritual, I could ease this feeling. I tried it several times, and it did help. I could even sense that he took something from me, though I’ve forgotten exactly what it was.”

“An exchange and transfer of abilities?”

Xia Chong was the first to grasp the idea, her little face instantly tightening. “It’s like a contract—based on mutual consent—to strip away and transfer a portion of your Mental Power. That means… they’re treating you like a sacrificial creature, right?”

“How much power did he take from you?”

“…”

Facing Xia Chong’s persistent inquiries, Number Two slowly shook his head, “I can’t remember.”

“You…”

Xia Chong was momentarily at a loss for words.

“He deceived you by bringing so many people along, and that’s why the boundary between your nightmare and reality has become increasingly blurred.”

Hearing this, Lu Xin’s face darkened with anger as he exclaimed, “When you reached the point of hating the Real World, he then claimed he could relieve its burdens by taking your power. Isn’t that just like tricking you into smoking and, once you were hooked, making you spend money on his cigarettes?”

“Don’t you realize you’ve been fooled?”

“…”

“Maybe you’re right…”

After a moment of silence, Number Two said with a trace of confusion, “But he’s still the only one in this world who ever speaks with me at length.”

Lu Xin didn’t press any further.

He simply looked at Number Two, feeling a sudden, inexplicable sadness.

“…”

“…”

By this point, both he and Xia Chong had come to understand a great deal.

Number Two is a medium.

Someone uses him to make sacrifices to the Nightmare of God, extracting something from it.

But if sacrificing to the Nightmare truly yields something, then what of the one hundred million Mental Entities they planned to exchange for something—or perhaps to change something forever?

Or rather, to alter everything permanently?

“I believe our investigation into Hell is nearing its core, perhaps even completely unraveled…”

At that moment, Xia Chong couldn’t help but whisper, “Regardless of whether the mastermind behind it is Flame, the Hell Designer, or something else, their method is to make sacrifices to draw something from the Nightmare. If parts of that nightmare can be perfectly replicated in reality, imagine the consequences…”

As she spoke, she abruptly raised her head and declared to Lu Xin, “We have to stop it.”

“Alright.”

Lu Xin immediately agreed, then turned to Number Two and said, “So, can you take us out?”

“?”

Number Two paused, silently lifting his gaze to Lu Xin.

Lu Xin, equally surprised, asked, “What’s wrong?”

After a long silence, Number Two apologized softly, “I don’t know how to get out…”

“Even I can’t escape on my own when I’m awake—I only return when I sleep.”

“I can bring people in, but I’ve never managed to bring anyone out.”

“…”

“What the hell?”

Lu Xin was shocked, “You mean we really can’t leave?”

“Yes.”

Number Two replied calmly, “Many before have begged me to take them out. I wanted to help, but I simply can’t…”

Lu Xin was left momentarily bewildered.

Xia Chong, equally confused, remarked, “Only now does Single Soldier realize that the Nightmare of God is inescapable?”

“…”

For a long while, the three were silent, as if trapped in a predicament they had only just discovered. If this Nightmare truly could only be entered and never exited, would they be forced to remain here forever? Outside, Flame was busy orchestrating unspeakable horrors, while they could only watch helplessly.

“Perhaps there’s only one solution…”

Amidst the silence, Number Two suddenly spoke up, addressing Lu Xin.

Lu Xin and Xia Chong instantly grew hopeful, eagerly looking at Number Two.

“Kill me.”

Number Two said slowly, “Maybe if you kill me, you’ll finally be free.”

He added, his eyes glimmering with hope, “Number Nine, you’ve always been different from the rest. When others killed me, I would return in my dreams, but after you once killed me, I didn’t reappear for a long time—until the Orphanage Director revived me. So perhaps you truly can kill me…”

“If you kill me, I can finally break free from this nightmare.”

“Kill me, and perhaps they won’t be able to sacrifice whatever it is they seek. That might just make your goal come to fruition.”

“So, isn’t having you kill me the best solution?”