Chapter 873: A Night of Fractured Fates

“Prisoner of the Night!”

When the embodiment of fear appeared in Qinggang, halting the foremost group surging toward the Mental Power Research Base, the whole world seemed to fall silent. A chilling wind swept by, sending icy shivers through every inch of flesh.

After about seven or eight seconds, like ice melting, the lifeless air suddenly stirred with a hint of vitality.

A wispy yet stable surge of mental power extended from the chaotic crowd, as if someone were whispering. But it was not a real voice; it was simply the inherent projection of mental power – like a sudden thought given life:

“No one will be intimidated by your bluster. We have long understood your true nature…”

“Today we are not here for you. But if you insist on interfering, your fate will be nothing more than being stripped of your ultimate status…”

“…or even erased…”

“…”

As the voice resounded, the sound of clanging chains filled the air.

There was something strangely mesmerizing about the clatter of those chains.

Amidst the throng driven by inner impulses from distant places, the man whose home was ruined by the Red-Eyed Spider perceived everything with startling clarity. He couldn’t explain what was happening, but in that brief moment he felt an undeniable change within himself – a transformation that seemed pure and natural.

Initially, he had been grateful to Qinggang for saving him, feeling both gratitude and sorrow for his lost family, along with a deep-seated fear of this bizarre world. Yet the moment he heard the clinking chains, an inexplicable defiance against his unknown destiny surged through him – a burning desire to seize control of his fate.

Driven by this sudden impulse, he and many others charged forward in a frenzy.

However, just as they reached the outskirts of Qinggang City – before even entering the perimeter – they witnessed the frontliners contort into various monstrous shapes out of terror. Some collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably, while others even tore out their own tongues in despair.

He too was suddenly gripped by overwhelming panic.

Gazing at the dark, foreboding wasteland ahead, he sensed an immense dread of what might lie within.

It was like waking up one night to the sound of a fluttering curtain, suspecting something lurked beneath the bed. Whether it was horrifying or not, he dared not look.

For he knew not what might be hidden below – it could be anything.

This terror was not borne of any specific fear.

It was fear in its most primal, pure form.

Because of that fear, he abruptly abandoned all his wild ambitions, halting his reckless dash forward.

Yet, as the sound of chains echoed, the very impulse he had just quenched surged back anew.

It was as if, though the thing beneath the bed was terrifying, someone told you that if you dared to touch it, riches beyond measure awaited. If you could break through that layer of fear, your life would never be ordinary again.

In every person, there flickered a momentary spark of courage.

Unbeknownst to him, the chains on his body were becoming distinct once more.

He and those around him began to lean forward eagerly, poised to pounce.

… …

… …

“Back then, you were merely the first to plunge from the abyss by chance – one among a crowd shrouded in terror. And yet, despite it all, you ended up with nothing but this outcome. Even this seemingly good option wasn’t of your own choosing; your sister picked it for you, and your foolishness forced you to remain by the right choice’s side.”

“So why is it that the foolish always end up making the right choice?”

“And why is it that those who meticulously plan only find themselves in such a state of helplessness?”

“…”

Another voice cut through as the Dark Queen – clad in a black dress and crowned with a thorny tiara – glared coldly at the night.

When her emotions surged, countless insects began to cascade from beneath her skirt, slithering like vines around the giant trees, ensnaring and trapping the ordinary people nearby.

At the same time, fleeting pale faces appeared amidst the chaotic crowd.

Those eyes, rather than staring into the darkness, roamed among the masses, searching for a weak point in the night.

Wherever they passed, pale hands reached into the chests of those in the wasteland, gently squeezing their hearts.

The young man of the wasteland, whose ambition had been reignited, found himself caught between the Cangzhang Sect and the Dark Queen.

Not only was he affected by the chains, but also by the insects falling from the Dark Queen and the pale hands weaving through the crowd.

It was as if layers of buffs in a game, or new commands overriding the system, were assaulting him.

Inside him, a turmoil raged like wildfire…

He felt not only the ambition to boldly pierce through that veil of fearful night and seize his fate, but also an intense envy toward the Qinggang citizens sheltered by the night and a greedy desire to claim everything in Qinggang.

“Ho ho ho…”

Emotions tangled within him as his blood ignited and his mind surged with exhilaration.

He could sense his own explosive emotions – the burning passion to fight for what he desired.

He heard nothing of the ultimates’ conversation and knew not from whence his desires and emotions sprang.

He believed that everything he did was traceable and understandable.

But he did not realize what monstrous form he was already morphing into.

Thick, tangible black chains wrapped around his spine, forcing him to hunch involuntarily.

His heart turned pale, tinting his body with a strange, translucent red.

In his body, endless insects wriggled through his eyes, mouth, and every pore of his skin.

His face contorted uncontrollably, the muscles twisting as if seized by terror.

He lay sprawled on the ground, and alongside countless others transformed into abominations, he bellowed skyward.

He thought he was speaking, yet what emerged was a bestial roar.

He believed he was still human, but he had already become a monster.

None of them realized they had turned into monsters.

… …

… …

“Heh heh, Prisoner?”

Facing the derision and provocation of the three ultimates, along with the monstrous forms tearing through skin under the dim, dark red moon and the relentless mental power pounding like tidal waves, the night exuded an eerie calm.

Even the voices emanating from the night carried a hint of scorn and disdain.

Normally, Father—renowned for his fiery temper—would fly into a rage at even the slightest slight. But now, he was remarkably calm.

In his voice, not only was there no anger but also a trace of teasing: “Oh, you proud, domineering little kitten…”

“Conquering a mere ball of yarn and thinking you’ve taken over the world…”

“…”

As that tender, almost indulgent voice echoed, the night began to spread slowly, much like ink seeping into clear water.

“Ho ho ho…”

Suddenly, under the relentless grip of countless chains and the rapid beating of a pale heart, hideous insects shifted inside bodies. The outcasts, who’ve shed their human skin and become monsters, unleashed a cacophony of continuous howls.

Then, with renewed vigor, they pounded the ground with outstretched hands, their bodies surging forward en masse like marching ants.

It was a spectacle of war beyond any historically amassed armies—a chaotic canvas painted with flesh and frenzy.

One person after another, a mass of monsters.

The mingling of blood and flesh, entwined in mad chaos, formed a pandemonium that threatened to engulf everything.

“The earth trembles…”

At that moment, even Professor Bai—who had stood tall at the edge of the base, peering at an invisible horizon—felt a slight shudder. He sensed the ground trembling, chaotic yet real.

It was the result of countless footsteps trampling the earth.

Amidst the indescribable roar of chaos, an invisible force coalesced from the outcry of hundreds of thousands…

Who has ever heard hundreds of thousands roar in hysteria at once?

Just as Professor Bai had recently declared his bold ambitions, he shuddered and instinctively glanced aside.

He wanted to see if anyone was watching him. If not, he planned to retreat.

But when he turned, he found himself utterly alone—Minister Shen and the researchers had retreated to some meters away, and Mr. Su had long since donned his protective suit, striking a pose as if ready to rush to the helicopter at any moment…

“At such a monumental moment, aren’t you all displaying a lack of spine?”

“How will you write the future press release?”

“…”

Professor Bai was utterly disappointed. Shaking his head, he backed away while motioning for Chen Jing to bring him a protective suit.

It was obvious that their fear was feigned.

This level of ultimate confrontation had surpassed ordinary comprehension.

Though Professor Bai appeared supremely confident on the surface, he had no inkling how the Terrifying Demon King would retaliate.

Could it be that fear would be used to contaminate those within the base, countering the enemy?

… …

… …

“But the little kitten who conquered the yarn will never know that its life is merely sustained by human compassion…”

As Professor Bai and the others pondered this, a voice from the night suddenly rose:

“And I will never have any pity for you…”

“Hahaha…”

“…”

As the laughter in the night vibrated deep within every heart, the darkness exploded outward.

It rapidly collided with the monstrous horde surging toward the base. In the clash of these two starkly different forces, no thunderous explosions or reverberating compressed air was heard.

Incredibly, the intense scene resulted in an eerie silence.

The wisps of night that touched the monsters instantly flooded into their minds.

The Terrifying Demon King did not contaminate anyone else nor engage the three ultimates in battle.

Instead, he directly infected those already tainted by the ultimates, turning the outcasts’ mental realm into his battlefield.

Boom…

In the real world, the collision made no sound, yet in the survivors’ minds it was like the heavens and earth crumbling.

Their brains, overloaded with jealousy and possessiveness, became as chaotic as hell. Dark red hues shrouded the world as monsters wailed and fought among themselves.

Then, a terrifying force surged in—a new monster among the already mad, rampaging with unmatched fury and slaughtering everything.

It drove the survivors’ minds into utter chaos in an instant.

“Oh my God, what am I doing?”

At that moment, the young man—his family claimed by the Red-Eyed Spider—felt a bone-chilling numbness wrap around him.

It was like a moment of clarity in the midst of a manic outburst; he realized he’d made a terrible mistake.

That indescribable dread welled up inside him. Previously, he had been consumed by desperate desire to storm Qinggang, to snatch away the girl who had once prayed for this world, and to claim everything in Qinggang—even if it meant collective ruin…

But now, for the first time, he was gripped by genuine fear.

Fear of losing everything, fear of truly dying, even fear of the very name Qinggang.

Hence, his forward charge slowed to a cautious pace.

Even his twisted bones, torn skin, and bloodshot eyes began to show signs of recovery.

Both he and countless others around him started to regain the faint appearance of humanity.

Desire turns man into a demon, but fear transforms a demon back into a man.

Fear granted them a moment of clarity.

… …

… …

“Clank, clank…”

The sound of colliding chains echoed like giant dragons coiled within the minds of the hundreds of thousands of survivors.

The enormous chains darted through one mental realm after another, rapidly advancing and charging toward that mass of night. The rage of the Cangzhang Sect could scarcely be described as they, bound in endless iron chains, closed in on the Demon King hidden in the darkness.

“Thump, thump…”

Pale hearts pounded faster and faster, creating a rhythm that made one’s chest feel unbearably tight.

The thunderous heartbeats merged to form chaotic white hands that reached forward desperately.

Behind the crowd, the lone remaining left arm of the Pale Hand shot swiftly into the void, piercing through layers of glass-like barriers and spaces until it barreled directly into the base, grasping for the Midnight Tribunal.

“Why should it be so…”

“Why must I suffer this fate…”

The Dark Queen’s emotion grew almost frenzied as she laughed, her voice oscillating between weeping and smiling, raising both her hands high.

In those raised hands, there was no mirror.

After lifting her hands, her flesh began to collapse inch by inch. Every fragment of carnage twisted into writhing, entangled insects that invaded the bodies of those nearby, transforming their mental realms into her own domain – feasting on their fear bit by bit.

“Charge into Qinggang and become the one above all…”

“No, you will die…”

“Seize everything in Qinggang to secure a future in this apocalypse…”

“No, that would only lead to losing everything…”

“Why should Qinggang be able to hide safely behind its high walls? Why must my family perish under the Red Moon?”

“But what benefit is there in mutual destruction?”

“…”

In every survivor’s mind, countless conflicting thoughts churned simultaneously – thousands of them at once.

They were like insects battling for dominance: sometimes you crush me, sometimes I overpower you.

This left them incapable of unifying their thoughts or motivations quickly enough to actually accomplish anything.

“Hahaha…”

Amidst this clamorous, nightmare-like battlefield of minds,

“Any so-called scepter of domination is nothing more than a pompous ruse by a pretender…”

Laughter in the night grew louder and louder.

Facing the overwhelming assault of the three ultimates, the night itself pulsated with indescribable excitement and fervor.

As the laughter roared, the darkness whipped upward like a whirlwind. Within the deep night, faint metallic gleams from masks could be seen amidst the tumult, as a tangible force swelled outward—causing the night’s temperature to drop by several hundred degrees.

“Squeak…”

That grating sound rang out as the chains extending into the survivors’ minds began to slow, their surfaces frosting over until, piece by piece, they lost all life—frozen like statues of ice.

Even the master of the chains suddenly halted, gripped by an overwhelming surge of fear that clenched his heart.

“And you…”

At that moment, the Pale Hand that had reached for the skies above the Midnight Tribunal—just as it was about to pluck the Doll from a forming yet incomplete Mind Palace—suddenly trembled. It was as if a pickpocket had been caught just as his hand reached into someone’s pocket.

The Pale Hand was gripped by a visceral dread.

It saw, through shattered voids, a pair of cold eyes from behind a mask fixed on it.

“You call me a stray dog…”

“Then do you know what the people within this Mind Palace mean to me?”

“…”

Clatter…

On that outstretched hand emerged from the darkness, an icy breath began to crawl along the Pale Hand, inching its way across, as the cold spread through his palm toward his body.

Amidst that spreading chill, he could even discern a triumphant, maniacal laugh:

“This is my daughter-in-law…”

“…Who dares say I have no family?”

“…”

Crackle…

In that moment of smug, ostentatious glee, the Pale Hand trembled in terror.

It felt the seething hatred of the Terrifying Demon King towards it, and recalled how, years ago under the Flame’s scornful words—”stray dog”—a vow of revenge had been sworn. Terror welled up from the depths of its soul…

“Why did I ever insult it like that!”

With that thought, its mental power convulsed and shrank, as it tried desperately to retract its hand, only to be held tighter.

“Hiss…”

At that moment, the surrounding air was filled with the rustling sounds of armored beetles scuttling.

One after another, insects that had split from the Dark Queen burrowed into the night – or rather, into the body of the Terrifying Demon King – biting down stubbornly, growing and parasitizing until they multiplied within him.

“Hahaha…”

Yet, at this critical juncture, the Terrifying Demon King made no attempt to resist or retreat.

Instead, he allowed the night to completely envelop him, as those insects burrowed deeper into his flesh.

But as countless furious visages of the Dark Queen emerged in the darkness, the night suddenly recoiled, constricting and grinding the insects until each was crushed and dissolved into pure mental power.

It was like parasites clinging to the human gut—thriving on their host, only to be digested by a powerful stomach.

The Dark Queen’s parasitism not only failed but ended up consuming much of her own strength.

“How can this be…”

The Dark Queen was reduced to nothing more than an upper torso and a head, her expression suddenly one of sheer terror.

She stared in unimaginable disbelief toward the deep, heavy night.

… …

… …

“Nothing is impossible…”

The Terrifying Demon King sensed the Dark Queen’s terror, and his hideous, cold voice bellowed instantly.

In that moment when the Dark Queen retracted her strength, the night spread unrestrained, plunging the world into a gloom that was not of the material realm but a shadow cast upon every heart.

Even the blinding searchlights in the base, once too bright to behold, dimmed into obscurity.

The surroundings grew dark—not a darkness of the external world, but as if a shadow had befallen everyone’s soul.

“Prisoner of the Night is a name of old…”

Amid this struggle for the minds of all in Qinggang, Father—who had reclaimed his mask less than half a year ago—spoke with the arrogant confidence of one in command, as the night’s spread swirled like a tidal wave across the wasteland.

“Clang…”

At the height of his smugness, the force of fear unleashed with full fury suddenly burst forth.

Like ghastly shadows, figures erupted from the boundless night, lashing out savagely at everything in their path.

“Snap, crackle, pop…”

A series of crisp sounds rang out as the Cangzhang Sect’s chains, now brittle from the ice, suddenly shattered one by one.

“Rustle…”

The Pale Hand finally retracted its grip, only to find that all that remained was a bare, severed wrist.

It was as if its hand had been completely devoured by some unknown force.

The Dark Queen let out a piercing wail, then hastily withdrew the insects that had gathered near her, retreating in terror.

“Hahaha…”

Amid the dissipating chaos of the wasteland’s mental turbulence, only a scattered mass of people—kneeling in terror—remained.

They had turned into monsters, with raw ambition and unbridled madness to tear apart everything.

Yet, in that moment, before they even reached their target, they collapsed en masse like ripened wheat.

Eyes wide open, their faces were frozen in a pained, tangled expression.

Their minds had stalled; knees buckled; mental power collapsed.

The overwhelming clash of mental power shattered the survivors’ minds, overwhelming their consciousness, thoughts, desires, and emotions—like low-end computers overloaded with data, losing all capacity for planning.

It was as if they had become living tombstones.

And within the space woven by their collective mental power, a colossal figure slowly rose—so immense it blocked out the Red Moon in the sky. It floated like a giant whale, positioned at the highest level, gazing down upon everything before it, including the three ultimates. Beneath the mask, cold, penetrating eyes seemed capable of piercing the most fragile part of one’s soul.

“Now…”

He roared, announcing to the world:

“I am the King of the Night…”

“I’m back…”