Chapter 437: A World Consumed by Pain and Relentless Determination

It seemed to be going more smoothly than expected…

Earlier, when he felt countless versions of himself infusing the carefully selected treasures from the Disaster Museum into Lu Xin’s body, Qin Ran—already transformed into a Flesh Monster Tree—became visibly excited.

Even he never expected that all the ‘treasures’ in the bottle could be transmitted to Lu Xin so effortlessly.

It was as if the process was driven by the target’s active desire.

At this moment, he had contaminated so many ‘sleepwalkers’ in the wasteland—or rather, used them as raw materials for disaster—not to overwhelm by sheer quantity, but to strategically deliver one or two of the prized collections to Lu Xin.

That was more than enough; each carefully chosen item held boundless power.

After all, this pain was enough to break anyone.

The remarkable aspect of the Disaster Museum’s collections was that the transmission of pain was both genuine and intricate.

Needless to say, whether you’d experienced such agony or not,

pain was pain and emotion was emotion—when they struck a person, the impact made no distinctions.

Even Ability Users were only human. How could they possibly endure such overwhelming blows?

Because he was now contaminating the people in the museum with his ability, channeling their suffering and misfortune onto his opponent, he too was suffering a backlash, tasting that bitter flavor.

Qin Ran deeply understood just how formidable the power of such pain and misfortune really was.

He had nearly broken down mentally himself, while what he transmitted was, by some estimates, tenfold—or even a hundredfold—more intense.

This smooth process was like watching a fuse ignite, leaving him oddly reassured, even somewhat expectant.

The only oddity was that the unspeakable torment and anguish he clearly felt being transferred into Lu Xin’s body did not result in the expected scene of Lu Xin wracked with tears or collapsing in agony.

Not even a trace of pain or fury appeared on Lu Xin’s face.

Instead, his face held a numb emptiness, gradually giving way to a faint smile.

His eyes, as they gazed upon the world, had strangely softened with warmth.

……

“Swish!”

Qin Ran felt as if every branch and leaf of his Flesh Monster Tree tensed and went numb all at once.

An indescribable shiver surged up from deep within him.

How could this be?

What kind of monster could bear so much misfortune and disaster yet still wear a smile?

Sure, even Zero Ability Users might handle some pollution.

But there was a limit to what one could endure…

Seeing someone bear so much pain and misery was even more shocking than watching someone gulp down an entire case of DDT.

Not only was the target alive, but it also hiccupped and shot him a glance as if to say, ‘Got any more?’

……

“Ah…”

It wasn’t just Qin Ran who was shocked—behind Lu Xin, Doll let out a soft cry.

Unlike Lu Xin, Doll couldn’t see the Mental Monsters, but she could sense the changes around her.

Her perception clearly detected a powerful Pollution Source emerging amid the chaotic mental turbulence.

Moreover, that source unleashed a fierce attack, filled with pure malice and an instinctive repulsion, surging toward her. Yet at that moment, Lu Xin stood firmly in her path, absorbing all the attacks aimed at him like a sponge soaking up every trace of pollution.

Since her senses were so acute, she could even feel the depth of suffering within Lu Xin—heart-wrenching regret, a numbness as lifeless as ashes, a desperation so fierce that tears wouldn’t come, and an overwhelming confusion.

Although Lu Xin said nothing and showed no outward signs,

Doll knew all too well that every emotion was real to him.

A feeling of joy or happiness might not be tangible, but who could argue it wasn’t real?

At that moment, Doll appeared somewhat clumsy.

She was anxious yet at a loss, unsure of what to do.

Instinctively, she edged closer to Lu Xin from behind.

Then she reached out with her small hands and embraced him.

Lu Xin smiled as he observed the world, while two bright tears slowly streamed down Doll’s face.

……

Lu Xin paused for a moment.

While savoring the strange flavor the Disaster Museum’s collection had given him, he felt a gentle touch on his back.

It made him shudder as his heart, long overwhelmed by pain, suddenly burst with an incomparable vitality—as if he were walking on clouds, with every bit of anguish rapidly fading away.

He remained silent for a full two seconds.

Around him, every fragment drawn into his force field wore a grotesque expression, relishing the sight of his pain-ravaged, distorted features as they were overtaken by terror and disbelief.

Some even began drifting away from Lu Xin.

But after two seconds of silence, Lu Xin refused to let them depart, pulling them back with his force field.

Then, without looking back, he said to Doll, “Time to work.”

At his cue, Doll released her embrace.

Her little head peeked over Lu Xin’s shoulder, her gaze catching his in a brief, understanding moment.

Reassured, she nodded vigorously at Lu Xin and then looked up once more.

All around them, ‘Dreamwalkers’ floated in the air.

They spread out over everything, enveloping both Lu Xin and herself.

Yet at that moment, Lu Xin had drawn all their attention, causing them to ignore her entirely. If this were a sea of pain and misfortune, she had become an unnoticed island in its midst.

Doll gently bit her lip, unfolding the parasol in her hand.

“Boom!”

The sound of the parasol snapping open created a shockwave that flung the Dreamwalkers overhead far away.

Doll’s body grew light as her black boots slowly lifted off the ground.

She soared to about three or four meters above the earth, her clear eyes fixed ahead, landing upon the distant source of contamination.

Although Doll couldn’t see the Mental Monsters directly, she could still discern the Pollution Source.

Moreover, in a place saturated with mental radiation, the Mental Monsters themselves generated a unique force field that affected the surrounding energy.

In many ways, it wasn’t much different from confronting the Mental Monsters in person.

Qin Ran’s Mental Monster had a horrifying appearance.

At first, it somewhat resembled a cockroach, which even managed to scare the little girl Doll at heart.

Yet now, Doll showed no sign of fear.

Instead, she bit her lip tightly, and for the first time, her eyes revealed true hatred.

Drifting lightly forward, she let go of the parasol.

The parasol didn’t hit the ground; it floated effortlessly beside her, as if cradled by an invisible hand.

Then Doll fixed her gaze on the Flesh Monster Tree and clenched her fist tightly.

“I’ll kill you.”

“…”

Her voice was soft and gentle, almost coquettish.

But no one expected that such a tender tone could unleash such tremendous force.

The surrounding mental energy, as if receiving a command, turned wildly violent, transforming from a light drizzle into a torrential downpour interspersed with hail, thunder, and even slicing motions.

“Hm?”

From Lu Xin’s viewpoint, the mental energy swirling around Doll suddenly became frenzied.

It surged forward like living waves, crashing toward the Flesh Monster Tree.

He could even see that these energies were morphing into countless human and beast shapes, snarling as they charged, lunging to bite, scratch, and even ram the trunk with their heads.

They were all going mad—utterly insane.

At that moment, the entire world seemed to have lost its mind.

The Flesh Monster Tree had grown tremendously, its crown spanning an area probably exceeding one hundred meters.

Yet as the wild mental energy closed in with a frenzied, unnatural intensity on the tree,

Lu Xin’s eyes suddenly regarded the tree as something insignificant.

Those countless, stripped blood-pythons—twisting, writhing vines—were now being devoured, torn apart bit by bit by horrifying mental forces, as if the entire world despised and rejected them.

Strand by strand, the vines broke off and fell to the ground.

One after another, both mature and immature Qin Ran shrieked as they hit the earth, only to be overwhelmed by the mental energy that chased after them.

The scene was brutal, a savage delight born from unthinkable pain.

“Hm?”

Lu Xin was so stunned by the sight that his eyes widened, almost forgetting all the emotions churning within him.

He could only think it was incredible.

Was this really Doll’s ability?

Earlier, he had learned from Han Bing that being loved by others wasn’t Doll’s ability but merely a side effect.

One of Doll’s abilities was to channel the mental energy of those around her.

He hadn’t seen her other powers yet.

After all, her usual Mental Impact was just a simple manipulation of mental energy—not really an ability.

What he was witnessing now must be her true power.

What exactly was this?

Ability Name: “Kill You?”

……

No, it wasn’t about killing you.

It was Doll’s deep-seated hatred for Qin Ran.

Because of her hatred, the entire world began to loathe Qin Ran.

Making the target bear the weight of the world’s hatred—that was Doll’s ability.

Essentially, it was the first time Doll had truly expressed her revulsion and deep-seated anger toward a specific target.