Chapter 776: Echoes in the Abyss

Hahaha…

Father’s maniacal laughter echoed into every dark corner.

Within that laughter were sparks of excitement and madness, along with the cozy relief of finally being home and snuggled under the covers.

Even Lu Xin’s heart trembled at the sound.

He watched as his father secured the black mask onto his face; his mental power surged forcefully, making his body grow palpably real.

Deep inside, an uncontrollable thrill began to stir.

Rumble…

An overwhelming shiver, beyond anyone’s control, suddenly radiated from the small church.

The cold, eerie fog above the small town quickly dispersed, and for a brief moment, the world seemed a bit brighter.

But almost immediately, even darker shadows fell, and even the streetlights’ glow seemed weak and timid.

Inside the town, behind every window, residents of all sorts froze—as if time had stopped.

The red moon high in the sky suddenly shone with exceptional brilliance, bathing everything in light.

……

……

“Oh oh oh oh oh…”

In the Abyss, the undercover units, numbed by countless terrors, were abruptly jolted by this sudden burst of madness as they watched the looming darkness ahead be shaped by an unseen force.

Listening to the endless laughter rising from the abyss felt like witnessing an unprecedented terror slowly opening its eyes.

One by one, they toppled to the ground, their claws reaching toward the sky.

Their movements stiffened, and after a long pause, they would twitch slightly—as if struck by electricity.

……

……

Similar transformations spread to many other corners of this world.

In a grand, spacious sanctuary, a chief bishop in a red-and-black ceremonial robe and a group of missionaries clutching milky white spheres had all crawled and prostrated themselves in the great hall, devoutly bowing before the glass case at the far end.

But then, a soul-stirring shiver surged deep within them.

Their prostrations turned chaotic; several suddenly lifted themselves, faces contorted in sheer panic.

The chief bishop was the last to rise, yet his eyes betrayed the deepest fear.

He felt terror more intensely than anyone else.

Staring blankly at the glass case, he noticed a trembling shadow within it.

Crack, crack…

Fractures visibly began to etch across the case’s surface.

Then, a sharply piercing, taunting laugh erupted, echoing throughout the hall:

“Hahahahaha…”

Layer upon layer, the laughter overlapped until it became suffocating—so intense it seemed on the verge of losing control.

……

……

Central City, Moon Eclipse Research Institute.

Most people felt nothing more than a sudden shiver.

Only a few keen researchers noticed that the mental monsters scattered around Second Main City had begun trembling and huddling together. Alarmed, they immediately informed the Orphanage Director, who, without offering explanations or comfort, silently ascended to the highest level of the Research Institute and stood before a vast assessment room.

There, he observed the detection device—long blanketed in dust and used to measure the highest levels of power—flicker for only the second time in thirty years. That slight fluctuation signaled that the countdown to the end had begun.

……

……

In Flame City, beneath a bridge, Number Two, curled up while sleeping, suddenly jolted awake from his dream.

He glanced blankly toward the sky before shrinking back into his frail form and slowly slipping back into slumber.

In that hazy moment between wakefulness and sleep, a small, reassuring smile tugged at the corner of his mouth:

“Number Nine…”

“I may not know what you’re up to, but I’ll support you…”

……

……

Far to the West, a woman dressed in elegant black robes stood silently before a tall, full-length mirror.

Gazing at her blurred reflection, tears slowly streamed down her face.

“Aunt… Aunt…”

Suddenly, a piercing cry erupted from downstairs—like the frantic screams of a child.

As that cry rang out, the entire gray palace began to tremble uncontrollably.

Black creepers spread rapidly, covering the building’s exterior.

They twisted and tightened around everything they could grasp, with many even peeking in through the windows.

From the vines, human heads began to sprout one after another, all screaming wildly at the woman in black:

“Aunt, hold me…”

“Aunt, hold me…”

……

Amid that maddening, ear-splitting cacophony, a flash of disgust briefly crossed the woman’s face.

After a long while, she slowly turned and murmured softly:

“What is meant to come will inevitably come…”

“No one can escape it, or rather, no one should ever believe they can…”

……

……

That shiver was felt by many.

There were those silently waiting, wrapped in black chains; others wandering the Abyss after losing a hand; some lingered beneath towering trees riddled with nails; and still others, stationed before a massive cement pool, were busy throwing bucket after bucket of dark red flesh to feed something—all sensed that change.

Yet the vast majority merely paused for a moment before resuming their tasks in silence.

……

……

“Like a stray dog clinging to its last breath, skulking about…”

In the lonely, quiet church of the frigid seaside town, Father donned the black mask.

From the moment the mask was fastened back onto his face, countless changes seemed to overtake him.

The once relentless, surging tide of shadows softened suddenly, drifting gently at his feet, while a chaotic and mysterious murmur spread throughout the church.

For an instant, an uncontrollable wave of terror seeped into every corner.

But then, all the fear vanished, as if hidden away in the darkest recesses.

Lu Xin noticed that Father’s shadow now loomed even larger.

Not only did it grow in size, it also became more tangible, with silky darkness gently swirling around him.

He simply stood there, silent.

Yet Mom’s figure quivered subtly, as if slightly affected.

Even Sister—who had been running disobediently around the church moments before, searching for something—had already hidden behind Lu Xin, using him as a shield. Occasionally, she would peek at Father and then quickly retreat in fright…

At that moment, however, Father only murmured slowly.

He voiced many different words, sometimes self-mocking, at other times savoring memories.

The cold, frenetic madness within his dark body swelled with every word he uttered.

“I’m back…”

Suddenly, Father’s voice rose sharply, shaking the church.

The candles before the statue extinguished in unison, and the entire church fell into deep gloom.

“Do you know…”

Father abruptly turned to glare ahead, his back to the blind old man, and with raging anger, a burst of flames erupted:

“Do you know what the first thing I did when I returned was?”

……

As that furious roar resonated, Father suddenly stretched his body long.

His towering form seemed ready to tear the church apart.

Countless flashes of madness, chaos, and barely discernible murmurs filled every corner of the space.

As if a nightmare had descended, Father surged forward abruptly.

Beneath the black mask, his eyes burned blood red, as though hell itself resided within them, and in an instant he found himself behind the old man with his back turned.

Then, raising his arm high, a grotesquely shaped chainsaw appeared in his hand.

Its razor-sharp teeth, like fangs, spun wildly as it struck the old man’s head…

……

……

The old man remained utterly motionless.

Even as those dreadful, giant fangs nearly sliced through his skull.

Astonishingly, neither Mom nor Lu Xin moved.

They simply stood silently aside, watching Father’s rampage with the chainsaw.

For a brief moment, silence reigned.

Only the relentless noise of the chainsaw persisted, its spinning blade nearly grazing the old man’s hair.

After a long hush, the atmosphere grew slightly awkward.

“Hehe…”

Embarrassed, Father retracted the chainsaw, scratched his head, and explained, “I just wanted to scare him…”

Lu Xin and Mom maintained unchanged expressions, nodding apathetically.

As if to say, “We understand.”

From behind Lu Xin, Sister cautiously peeked out, watching Father’s sheepish demeanor with a secretive smirk.

“Thank you.”

Mom ignored Father’s explanation and turned to look at the old man with his back still turned.

“With this assurance, we can finally set off to uncover the original secret…”

……

The old man remained silent for a while before softly asking, “What is it that you wish to know?”

Mom replied in a hushed tone, “We want to understand what lies behind our origins and why this cycle keeps repeating.”

Pausing briefly, she added, “If possible, we never want to continue this cycle again…”

The old man’s body trembled unnaturally.

Suddenly, Mom let out a soft laugh and said, “Of course, we also don’t want to see the one beneath the Abyss return again…”

The old man quieted, slowly understanding her words, and murmured, “Perhaps you’re right. I know parts of what you seek, but my answers might not satisfy you—they may even taint you with my uncertainty. Just as you would never want to tarnish your children, I won’t let my confusion contaminate you…”

“So, go find it for yourself…”

……

After a long while, he softly added, “My only advice to you is—”

“Be wary of the crowned clown…”

……

Mom listened intently to every word, and though somewhat surprised, she nodded.

Then she leaned once more toward the old man and softly said, “Thank you.”