Chapter 657: Shattered Hopes in the Nightmare World

Number Two’s tears kept flowing uncontrollably; Lu Xin could even feel the warmth seeping from his shoulder.

Lu Xin did nothing to stop him, nor did he urge him to dry his tears.

It was as if in this desolate world, the only meager hope he could offer Number Two was that small, insignificant glimmer.

In that moment, all he could do was hold Number Two as he vented all his anguish…

This was a world of utter despair.

The Nightmare of God was a realm no one could ever hope to oppose.

Everyone faced the fate of being assimilated by it.

Yet even in this world, some could still fight back to a certain extent.

They did so by clinging to even the faintest remnants of their humanity to avoid complete assimilation…

Whether out of curiosity or hope.

It was their only weapon against the long, oppressive ages.

Lu Xin hoped that Number Two could hold on a little longer, for he vowed to return and take him away.

……

……

Beside them, three Club members had ceased talking without anyone noticing when.

They stretched their necks; twenty-two eyes widened in terror as they stared at Lu Xin and Number Two locked in an embrace.

Night Owl hesitated, extending a finger to prod Lu Xin.

Before he could, the other two immediately pulled him away, shaking their heads with grave expressions.

……

……

“Number Nine, I really envy you,” one of them said.

After a long bout of crying, Number Two finally lifted his head silently. His eyes still tinged with red, he turned away and quietly wiped away the tears on his face, as if realizing that a grown man crying on another man’s shoulder wasn’t quite right.

Lu Xin cooperated by turning half away, deliberately not meeting his gaze.

What could be more miserable than a man crying on another man’s shoulder?

Perhaps it was his own fate.

Just then, he noticed that the three Club members nearby were staring at him in wide-eyed disbelief.

Though unsure what they were thinking, Lu Xin seriously considered whether to silence them for good.

Quietly wiping away his tears, Number Two asked in a low voice, “What have you experienced since leaving the orphanage?”

“You seem so different from before.”

“……”

“I’ve indeed been through a lot. I studied, met my current family, and even landed a good job—becoming the youngest supervisor in the company… I even took a part-time job that earns me plenty of money. Oh, and do you remember Little Deer?”

“She’s now the Orphanage Director, having moved a bunch of children into a big house.”

“And Little Nineteen—I’ve found her…”

“And Number Seven—she, sigh… is now a robber out in the Wasteland…”

“And then there’s this guy called Chen Xun. I don’t know if you remember him, but… he met a terribly tragic end…”

“……”

Lu Xin rambled on, recounting his experiences over the past few years.

Number Two listened with rapt attention, saying, “That’s truly incredible. I wonder if someday I could have a life like that…”

“You can.”

Lu Xin promised softly, “Once you break free from this nightmare, I’ll take you back to Qinggang. Things are much better there now.”

Number Two nodded gently, his vacant eyes now filled with a spark of light.

As they talked, subtle changes began stirring in the world around them.

Lu Xin could faintly hear the sound of many voices emerging from the surroundings.

It was a mixed murmur of countless people’s mutterings and prayers, sweeping across the realm like a gentle breeze.

That sound grew louder, as if the entire world was starting to tremble.

Lu Xin even saw rippling droplets in the distant black lake, where what appeared to be human heads were bobbing.

He could distinctly feel some substance streaming into this world at great speed.

After a brief pause, it all became clear to him.

“They’re starting to let more people in again.”

Before Lu Xin could ask, Number Two spoke softly, “I told you before, they now have a way to bring people in without my consent. It must be connected to that sound and what was taken from me.”

“One hundred million Mental Entities…”

Lu Xin murmured under his breath.

During a previous infiltration, he had overheard that Flame was preparing one hundred million Mental Entities.

It was likely for some kind of exchange with this world.

Or, in their own words, to be used as a sacrifice.

This was the final preparatory ritual before the Gate of Hell of Flame was opened.

“I must go now.”

Lu Xin looked at Number Two and said earnestly, “I promised I’d take you away someday.”

“And before I fulfill that promise, I intend to take care of something else for you.”

“Whoever deceived you, no matter what or who he is, I will find him and teach him a lesson.”

“I’ll even retrieve what he stole from you.”

“……”

Number Two looked up at Lu Xin, and after a moment, nodded softly, “Alright.”

“Let’s awaken her now.”

Lu Xin turned his gaze toward Xia Chong.

Number Two nodded lightly.

It was hard to tell what he did, but one could feel a faint ripple of Mental Power around him.

On the nearby ground, Xia Chong, in a half-conscious state with her short legs thrashing, suddenly jolted awake. For a few seconds she sat in stunned silence before springing up and clutching a dagger as she frantically searched, “Where’s that monster? I… I’m going to kill it!”

Lu Xin looked at Xia Chong with curious eyes, asking, “What were you doing just now?”

“I…”

Xia Chong paused before murmuring, “I was riding my bicycle, chasing down a fire-breathing monster…”

“Oh dear, shouldn’t we have closed our eyes just now?”

“Hehehe, that was quite a thrill…”

“Geez, I just realized he’s wearing my brother’s clothes…”

“……”

Amid the commotion, the voices of the three previously silenced guys came through again.

“Who are you?”

A dazed Xia Chong, still groggy from waking up, asked instinctively, “What are they saying?”

Lu Xin once more pondered whether to silence these three for good.

Considering the current situation, he shook his head lightly and said, “Now isn’t the time to discuss such trivial matters.”

“The sacrifice outside has begun. We need to leave.”

“……”

“Swish!”

Xia Chong snapped into action, performing a perfect flip like a carp and leaping up with renewed zeal.

Yet, her gaze wandered around the bewildering surroundings until she pursed her lips and looked over at Number Two.

“This is all I can do to help you…”

Number Two looked up at Lu Xin and murmured, “Now that we’re going out, I’ve forgotten exactly how.”

“I only lied about that one thing. Everything else is true…”

“……”

“It’s alright.”

Lu Xin nodded and stepped over to the bridge. Staring at the ever-shifting, blurred mass of air with frayed edges, he raised his hand and lightly touched it. The black particles in his eyes began trembling and flowed like water. Remarkably, the particles from his right eye streamed clearly into his left, turning it into a deep, dense black.

At the same time, his left hand transformed into a solid, glove-like blackness.

After being tainted by the Nightmare of God, he could sense a newfound understanding of the black particles.

It was something he’d never been able to do before—controlling the black particles to a certain extent.

When the black particles gathered in his left hand, he pondered for a moment, then flexed his fingers.

Pointing at the air, he gave it a sharp tap.

Dong dong.

His actions resembled a knock on a door.

The sound emanating from the air mimicked a knock in return.

The spot he tapped trembled softly, yet naturally, there was no response.

Behind him, Number Two, Xia Chong, Old Wang, Night Owl, and Nine-Headed Serpent stood dumbfounded, watching him.

Their expressions revealed their confusion.

After a few more gentle knocks, Lu Xin fell silent, then suddenly spread his fingers wide. His black palm seemed to erupt with fury as the black particles in his left eye vibrated uncontrollably. With a forceful grip, he tore at the air. In the next instant, a huge patch of the air, like wallpaper, was ripped away.

It was crude and ruthless.

A twisted, bizarre hole instantly materialized before everyone’s eyes.

They could even feel a rush of fresh air from outside flooding in.

“This…”

Everyone was momentarily stunned.

Those watching the gash in the air could even see beyond it: Flame City, sparkling buildings, vibrant lights, and a red moon hanging in the sky. Their expressions shifted from shock to delight.

Even Number Two revealed a trace of astonishment, whispering, “Number Nine, your other half is incredible…”

“Its essence even surpasses this world…”

“……”

Lu Xin nodded slightly. He had sensed it ever since this world was tainted.

He had waited until now because he couldn’t leave a despairing Number Two all alone.

Having worked for years, he knew well the importance of promising something to the honest souls.

It was despicable to dangle promises only for the virtuous.

But how could honest folks endure when they were left with nothing at all?

Then, while others were still reveling in the surprise of seeing the opening, Lu Xin was lost in his own reflections.

Suddenly, Xia Chong reacted.

“Other half?”

She looked at him with mild curiosity, her eyes fixed on Lu Xin’s black left hand, her expression one of bafflement.

……

……

“I’m off now…”

Lu Xin glanced at Number Two, nodded gently, and stepped out of that world.

At the very instant he left, he found his landing place was atop a towering building in the heart of Flame City, where the swirling night wind, clamor of the city, and the ceaseless surges of chaotic Mental Power could be felt.

Behind him, shouts and scuffles erupted: “I’m first! I’m first!”

Amid the clamor, Old Wang, Night Owl, and Xia Chong squeezed out of that world, with Nine-Headed Serpent trailing last.

Even his nine heads shrank back, so as not to be seen by Sister.

As Lu Xin exited that realm, the figures of Sister and Father appeared beside him—one tall, silent, and cold; the other timidly huddled next to Lu Xin. Together, they turned back to gaze at the gash Lu Xin had torn open, watching as it gradually began to heal.

……

……

“Phew…”

When the Nightmare World finally closed, Lu Xin took a deep breath, feeling at last freed from that oppressive, disjointed sensation.

Looking down, he saw the city being swept up in a frenzied assault.

He observed the throngs of people around him, overwhelmed by an all-consuming surge of Mental Power.

Glancing at his wristwatch, he murmured, “It’s party time…”