Doomsday Jigsaw Puzzle

Chapter 156: Chapter 156: I’m Not Human Anymore

The merchant was not adept at this kind of close combat. It failed to see anything special.

However, the mysterious man discovered that if he greatly weakened his own power, weakened to the level of the humans in the casino—

he might not be able to outlast this human.

He simulated a battle with the God of Wealth in his mind. With his strength, there were many ways to win, but if his power was compressed to this human’s level, he wouldn’t be able to last even nine minutes.

The huge disparity in strength would make the battle exceedingly dull.

The human’s precise predictions allowed him to dodge the God of Wealth’s attacks time and time again, as if he knew in advance how the God of Wealth would strike.

What interested the mysterious man most was that the human showed no change in expression while making these responses.

It was as if he had rehearsed the ensuing battle countless times and then found the most accurate solution.

This reminded him of Jing Liu.

Jing Liu could also predict the future, but he couldn’t integrate and respond to these predictions as perfectly as this human.

Nor could he maintain such composure.

The human seemed to be reacting to the God of Wealth’s attacks as they came, but to the mysterious man, it felt like the human was simply following a set procedure.

"He seems to be able to predict the future. And he can process the information about the future, giving the optimal solution in response," he said.

After hearing this, the merchant became a bit more serious.

The words "predicting the future" reminded it of an unpleasant past incident, where it had almost lost the casino due to a person with this ability.

But after some thought, it shook its head and said:

"I admit his prediction is indeed powerful, but it seems it won’t change the inevitability of defeat. The absolute power gap cannot be compensated for by calculation. A sheep from the pasture, when encountering a lion in the wilderness, can foresee its death, but what can it change after foreseeing it?"

The merchant’s words were undoubtedly correct. There was an insurmountable gap between Bai Wu and the God of Wealth.

"If he really can predict the future like that person, the most correct course of action would be to admit defeat in the first gambling round. Sacrifice those chips and avoid the second round. At least compared to dying, he could stay alive. But he chose to fight, which is a very interesting choice," the man in the shadow said, narrowing his eyes and smiling.

"We might be about to see an interesting performance."

...

...

Deep Sea Casino.

Under the residual influence of the clash between the two powerhouses, one side of the arena began to collapse, and the entire Deep Sea Casino trembled within the depths of the sea under the might of the God of Wealth’s powerful strike.

Perfect-level Mutation Entry: Spiral Bone Spur.

A wave after wave of terrifying abilities left Bai Wu struggling to cope; in the end, it seemed due to pressure and exhaustion, he was hit by the God of Wealth’s powerful spiral thrust.

This was a melee attack technique, the Mutation Entry allowing one’s bones to mutate into a spiral spear that easily penetrated the opponent’s defenses.

Before this, the God of Wealth had been relying on a variety of powerful long-range suppression techniques, and his persistent attacks left Bai Wu with no room to breathe.

It was only just then that the God of Wealth truly made a move, and with that move, he delivered a fatal blow to Bai Wu.

The parasite in the abdomen caused Bai Wu’s vitality to plummet drastically.

After a brief struggle of barely ten minutes, the God of Wealth finally confirmed that this detestable human had been pushed to the limit.

"The battle should be over now. As a human, you have a physique so formidable that even I am surprised, but a frail sheep, no matter how hard it tries, can never overcome a fierce tiger."

The arena began to collapse on one side, with the lights on the ceiling flickering.

Bai Wu’s body was pinned in the corner of the arena, unable to move.

Forty-four seconds before the spiral thrust hit him, Bai Wu had already foreseen this scene.

"[Show weakness, stop resisting.]"

Being hit by the God of Wealth signified that, of the many responses to stay alive, it was the best strategy.

But in reality... Bai Wu wasn’t merely showing weakness.

He had no room to show weakness; to minimize the damage he took, Bai Wu was already fighting with all his might, unable to do any better.

Consecutive fatal injuries followed by continuous recoveries had started to drastically deplete Bai Wu’s physical strength.

The mental attacks like Siren’s Song hadn’t ceased up to this point. His vision had started to blur.

This was the power of a Red Zone Guardian.

Throughout the long seven hundred years, humanity had been engaged in all sorts of unfair struggles, just like the gambling games Bai Wu was experiencing.

The collapsed boulders had buried Bai Wu’s body, giving him a chance to breathe, but at the same time, this place was about to become his grave.

The God of Wealth had, in this duel, thoroughly figured out Bai Wu’s capabilities, becoming especially composed at this moment.

"[The opponent’s energy has locked onto you, but you must find a way to persist for another two hundred and twenty seconds.]"

Just how far into the future could Prayle’s Eye see while in a bonded state? Bai Wu wasn’t clear on that, nor did he have the time to test it.

He only knew that his lifeforce was steadily dwindling to zero, and even if his recovery speed allowed him to heal continuously, if the God of Wealth made a move, he was certain to die.

This was a desperate situation.

Yet, in such a desperate situation, another of Bai Wu’s traits was activated—

The more desperate the situation, the greater the pain, the more excited he became, the quicker his thinking.

As for why Prayle’s Eye insisted he delay time, Bai Wu had already figured out the reason.

His mind raced, considering how to delay time, while also preparing for a counterattack after those two hundred and twenty seconds were up. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

The God of Wealth’s footsteps were distinct, as if deliberately creating a sense of horror.

In the few minutes prior, the God of Wealth had been probing continuously, not even getting too close to Bai Wu.

Instead, it was analyzing Bai Wu’s power through one fatal blow after another. It wasn’t underestimating its opponent; the various Mutation Entries brought one deadly skill after another, and Bai Wu’s responses were astonishing, but it also convinced the God of Wealth that this human’s power was far inferior to its own.

This was a duel without any suspense, merely a simple—cat-and-mouse game.

What it represented was the very top power of the Red Zone, and for seven hundred years, humans hadn’t even had the courage to touch this power; even if the river of history occasionally birthed one or two brilliant new stars, in the face of this power, they could only return to dust.

"It seems like I’m about to die."

Bai Wu’s tone was very calm, without feigning panic or unwillingness.

Combining the masterful acting in his first gamble, overdoing it would not have been convincing to the God of Wealth.

Instead, it was this calmness that subconsciously made the God of Wealth believe that the human had given up struggling.

"In fact, before entering the Deep Sea Casino, I had a premonition of the dangers here. I’ve been involved in numerous bets, aware that if a person wins too much, they will ultimately bring about their own demise. What is most important to be careful of in a casino is moderation."

The sound of Bai Wu’s voice came from the ruins, carrying a hint of weakness.

This weakness wasn’t purely an act.

The parasites, the Chaos Devouring, the various elemental attacks, and the final direct penetration of his abdomen by the Bone Spur Spiral, even in an extremely balanced mode, Bai Wu’s regenerative capabilities would still need a considerable amount of time to heal.

The God of Wealth aimed the bone spurs and the Oblivion Parasites clinging to its limbs at the ruins, not minding trampling on Bai Wu’s beliefs before death.

But it also wasn’t foolish enough to be completely unguarded.

The God of Wealth’s energy was locked onto Bai Wu, ready to deal with him the moment any energy moved within his body.

"It seems you chose to partake in the second layer’s bet because of other things?"

"Yes, the reason I chose to keep winning was not solely for the strength brought by the chips, but to understand who these people working in the casino really were, from which layer of High Tower they came from."

"Ho ho ho ho ho, you thought you could win the fight against me and then get the truth out of me?"

Bai Wu coughed amidst the ruins:

"Cough cough cough... cough cough, there are many experiences discussed within the High Tower, and these discussions have created inertia in our thinking. At least when my companions and I arrived here, although everyone was on guard, it’s quite obvious... we still underestimated the danger of this region."

Even before the God of Wealth had integrated various Mutation Entries, the danger level of the region was already approaching the upper limit of the blue zone.

But once the God of Wealth merged all the essence of the casinos within itself, this region turned into the red zone.

In a sense, this was the first time humans had come face-to-face with a being of the Guardian’s level from the red zone.

The God of Wealth let out a mocking laugh.

It recalled something that happened the last time the Well was opened, the regions had misaligned, and the Traveler had come to poach the corner of the casino’s wall.

Wanting to persuade it to follow along and swear fealty to another larger figure.

The deity allegedly from within the Well was whom the Traveler had pledged loyalty to. It had mentioned a concept, to be precise, a prophecy.

Humanity would find the path leading to the Well.

To the God of Wealth, this seemed laughably absurd. If one did not count the old monsters on the fifth floor of the High Tower, the human before it now must be the strongest entity within the High Tower for the past seven hundred years.

But even such an entity, in the face of a red zone level Guardian, did not possess the strength for a fight.

"I am already unable to leave this place, but could you tell me before you kill me, where exactly these casino attendants come from...?"

"Who would remember such things? Would you remember where livestock come from?"

The God of Wealth certainly knew where these people came from.

In some area of the High Tower, there was a place known as "the Hatchery."

This place harbored extremely vile secrets, but there were countless other equally sinister secrets hidden within each Pyramidal Black Tower.

"Even if you knew, what could you do about it? You think I’d let you die with that answer? Ho ho ho ho ho..."

Bai Wu’s voice held a faint sense of helplessness:

"Even if I can’t enforce fairness and Justice, don’t I at least have the right to be informed?"

As if suddenly making a very amusing joke, the God of Wealth’s distorted body began to shake slightly, and it laughed unrestrainedly, not even bothering to mimic its boss anymore:

"Hahahaha... fairness? Justice? What era do you think this is? You’re merely beasts penned in a pasture."

"Would livestock know their fate of death? Perhaps your strength allowed you to get close to the fence, to glimpse some truths, but that also means you will be the next merchandise to be slaughtered."

The mocking laughter echoed around the arena.

Bai Wu thought carefully about the meaning of the God of Wealth’s words. It was clearly mocking, but it must also carry some kind of metaphor.

If humans were like livestock kept within a pasture, then who would be the shepherd of this pasture?

The fifth floor? Or the sixth?

People from the lower levels indeed lived like livestock, but those on the second and third levels were not necessarily fundamentally different from the bottom dwellers.

The real owner of the casino is the Businessman.

Like the Traveler, though the Businessman could not travel across many regions, its business and trade reached many places, even into the High Tower itself.

This was a very ironic situation.

Bai Wu suddenly realized that perhaps, as human investigators like himself and the captain, what they knew—the information they had—was far less than what an Evil Fallen knew. ƒrēewebnovel.com

In the pasture, there were large flocks of sheep, although they were ranked differently, the fact that they were sheep did not change.

The pack of wolves longed for the flock of sheep, and even the masters of the pasture coveted them.

If the wolves came from the Well and the pasture represented the High Tower, then what was the relationship between the High Tower and the Well, between the wolf pack and the pasture’s masters?

Bai Wu did not know the answer to this question; he sighed and said:

"It seems I won’t be able to get more information from you."

Although the God of Wealth regretted not being able to sense Bai Wu’s panic and despair, it had nevertheless realized that this human possessed potential far beyond that of others.

Throughout the long passage of time, even among sheep, there occasionally arose an outlier or two.

Yet an outlier was still part of the flock, unable to contend with tigers and wolves.

"Is this your last words?"

"Of course not. Living in such an era, in such a world, my actual last words would definitely be to ask the chef for more dishes. If such a world even has chefs, that is."

It seemed as if the style of the conversation had suddenly changed.

The God of Wealth was slightly surprised as the tone of resignation in Bai Wu’s voice seemed to have disappeared.

It had not yet realized what was about to unfold because, at this very moment, there was no energy fluctuation within Bai Wu—his stance was clearly one of submission.

Bai Wu indeed hadn’t done anything, or to put it another way, as a human, he had conceded defeat. He realized something:

The era when humans could confront the Evil Fallen head-on had not yet arrived, he and the captain, as well as the residents of High Tower, still had much to strive for.

The flock was far from being able to confront the shepherd and the tigers and wolves.

...

There seemed to be a sudden change in the atmosphere of the arena, a subtle transformation that only a top predator could sense.

The God of Wealth detected a surge of power within Bai Wu’s body, one it had never felt before. Its reaction was swift, and in that instant, it unleashed all of its deadly moves!

"Futile resistance, a mantis trying to stop a chariot, foolish human!"

The Chaos Vortex reappeared, and up on the vast ceiling, dozens of freezing spears sealed off every possible escape route for Bai Wu.

The terrifying bone spurs and Oblivion Parasites launched an immediate assault on Bai Wu!

A series of horrific attacks enough to destroy the arena demonstrated that the God of Wealth’s power had transcended the "rules," capable of causing destruction to the scene.

What it did not realize was that Bai Wu had foreseen all of this well in advance.

Under such a fearsome siege, there was no chance for Bai Wu to survive. In a way, he was already dead at that moment.

Or perhaps he had not died, but rather, through some artifact, he had managed to live on in another form.

Spirit Possession wristwatch.

This item, capable of turning the wearer into an Evil Fallen, became Bai Wu’s last card to play.

He could have put on the watch from the start, but unfortunately, his luck wasn’t as good as before. The watch’s values fluctuated randomly, and Bai Wu would only transform into an Evil Fallen when the numbers stayed consistently at three hundred for a while.

Wearing the watch too early would only make his opponent go to all lengths to kill him. He had to find a corner to hide from his opponent’s gaze and wait for the right moment.

And in the future foreseen by Prayle’s Eye, only at this very moment did the hands of the watch continuously hit the maximum value.

Bai Wu did not know what realm he would enter upon transforming into an Evil Fallen this time.

The first time, with his Innate Force at only the second tier, he leaped directly to a seventh-tier mutation after the transformation.

Now harboring an Innate Force that surpassed the ninth tier, the level of mutation after his Evil Fallen Transformation was an uncharted domain. Most crucially, all those Mutation Entries that Bai Wu could not use before were now at his disposal.

Vortex Adsorption, elemental bombardment, countless parasites, and bone spurs relentlessly inflicted catastrophic blows to Bai Wu’s area.

Yet inexplicably, these attacks did not bring the God of Wealth any peace of mind. It was astounded to find a trace of fear emerging within its heart.

An unprecedentedly powerful aura enveloped the entire arena... and even the entire casino.

The ceiling, flickering between light and dark, suddenly emitted a blinding light, as if countless stars had exploded, releasing unimaginable power, and in the shattered, twisting space—

Huge, broken bone wings spread out, and from the ruins came an unfamiliar voice:

"Foolish human? Since when did you start harboring the illusion that I am merely human?"

(Anti-theft word count 4220, actual word count 4721.)