Doomsday Jigsaw Puzzle

Chapter 376: Chapter 180: The Nature of the Well

Wu Jiu had never seen such white mist before.

Is this the Evil Fallen? It doesn’t quite seem like it... yet the white mist in front of him doesn’t seem human either.

The breath of the white mist was indeed human, although its pupils were like stars, there was no trace of the "resentment" that Evil Fallen possess.

Whether it be those unintelligent beings of desire, or the intelligent Evil Fallen—Hong Yin, Liu Mu, Nie Chongshan... they all carried an indelible scent of resentment born from obsession.

Yet, the white mist now bore no such scent, more like it had undergone a transformation after being purified by some force.

Is this Bai Wu’s trump card? How many secrets is he hiding?

Too many questions arose in the minds of Wu Jiu and Yan Zizai.

"This isn’t an opponent you can handle alone, don’t act tough," Yan Zizai said.

Bai Wu shook his head gently:

"I can be immune to those emotions, but you cannot. I am far from having the strength to defeat them now, but I can try to hold them off. However, if you are here, I won’t be able to unleash my full potential."

The always proud Yan Zizai, did he just hear Bai Wu treat him as a hindrance?

He was about to say something when Wu Jiu stopped him.

Wu Jiu nodded solemnly and replied, "Be very careful in everything."

Then Wu Jiu signalled Yan Zizai with his eyes to leave. Yan Zizai was puzzled, but Wu Jiu said:

"I understand Bai Wu. He never goes at it alone when he can ask for help."

The repeated cries of "Captain save me" were still vivid in his mind, Wu Jiu was all too aware of Bai Wu’s propensity to cling to the strong.

If Bai Wu didn’t ask for help, it must mean he was quite confident.

Yan Zizai quickly caught on.

If even the most protective of bosses chose to leave, it meant that the situation was indeed unsuitable for them to intervene.

Moreover, Jing Wu’s taunting alone was enough to put both himself and Wu Jiu in mortal danger. Bai Wu could not be unaware of the opponent’s strength.

Yet how had Bai Wu suddenly... changed so much? They had been drawn into the black barrier earlier and hadn’t seen the astonishing sight of all the Evil Fallen being attracted.

The two quickly left, and Jing Er and Jing Wu paid them no mind.

For compared to two powerful humans, the white mist before them was what they were most curious about.

Jing Wu and Jing Er were also witnessing such a being as Bai Wu for the first time.

Those who had been to High Tower could not become Semi-Evil Fallen. Yet the methods Bai Wu just displayed were clearly those of the Evil Fallen.

Obliteration Black Hole.

At the casino, Bai Wu and the God of Wealth both had a large number of entries, which became a powerful support for Bai Wu’s Evil Fallen Transformation.

But the current Bai Wu was in fact in a human body, Jing Er and Jing Wu could even smell the rage emotions that Bai Wu was suppressing.

This was an interesting situation. Only Semi-Evil Fallen could use entries, while humans used the Sequence. So now, was Bai Wu human or Evil Fallen?

"You have the scent of the Well on you? This state you’re in, it doesn’t seem normal," said Jing Wu.

"Turns out I can’t hide it from you two."

Although Bai Wu was responding to Jing Wu, his gaze was fixed on Jing Er.

The red aura spilling out from the Inner World didn’t change the calm expression on Bai Wu’s face.

This meant he had already managed to perfectly harness the power of rage.

The one who killed Hong Yin, of course, had to bear his fury.

Jing Er said:

"Little sister really has some imagination, or should I say, the thoughts of a madman are unfathomable? I’m now more convinced that even though that prophecy may not come true, there is a part of it that I should be wary of."

Jing Er quickly guessed where the Well Water in Bai Wu’s hand had come from.

Humans could not use the Well, its extremely high mortality rate caused all living creatures to fear and resent it.

But the Evil Fallen were a bit different. The Well was even more deadly to them, yet it also had a great allure for the Evil Fallen.

Jing Er guarded the Well, and when it came to understanding the Well, nobody surpassed him.

The terms "Well" and "Well Water" were just that, terms; their only similarity to the wells and water as understood by humans in reality, was their form.

He was acutely aware that the Well he guarded was something capable of creating gods.

Originally, though the six siblings had varied strengths, they were all within the same level.

But ever since a madman did something insane, its power stepped into the next tier.

In Jing Er’s view, such an event was extremely perilous, unprecedented and should remain without followers.

"Laosi has gone mad, and so has the little sister; she actually wants to replicate another such monster. But unfortunately, unlike us who were born in the Well, you won’t become the next Laosi, even if you drink the Well Water and become the one in ten thousand to survive, you still cannot cross that threshold."

With a compassionate sigh, Jing Er’s magnificent Buddha light reappeared in his hand.

Beneath Jing Wu, the Soul-Devouring Swamp slowly expanded its domain.

Bai Wu also understood clearly that there was no small gap between himself and Jing Wu.

But as long as he could stall these two monsters until reinforcements arrived, the shelter forces would be able to stand firm.

Because in the process after drinking the Well Water... Bai Wu came to understand the essence of the Well.

To Jing Er, Jing Wu, Wu Jiu, and Yan Zizai, Bai Wu drinking the Well Water was but a brief moment.

But to Bai Wu, it was a lengthy process. During that extended period, he saw many things.

...

...

A few minutes earlier, when Jing Wu and Jing Er intimidated humans with their imposing aura, and right after Gu Hailin ignited everyone’s fighting spirit, Bai Wu took out the Well Water.

Recollections of the note he had read earlier surfaced in his mind.

["Although there are only a few drops of this substance, it’s already far beyond the limits your human body can handle. Perhaps you could gamble on your potential?]

But I suggest you better keep it, perhaps one day when there’s no other choice, you could try using it, after all, it’s a matter of life and death. And it has many potential effects; it could grant you an Innate Force immensely powerful and beyond limits, or it could suddenly awaken one to several of the exceptionally advanced Sequences, or it may kill you instantly. Statistically speaking, the latter probability is above ninety-five percent.

As for where it comes from and how it formed, that’s for you to find out. Also, you shouldn’t open it carelessly, especially in your Evil Fallen form; it would be fatally attractive to you,"]

Today was the day of no other choice.

The captain is strong, Yan Zizai is strong, but no one can withstand the erosion of negative emotions.

The statement of Bai Yuan that emotion is everything seems especially prescient at this moment.

Nevertheless, Bai Wu had many doubts.

Would drinking the Well Water take immediate effect? Or would he also have to go through a certain process?

After drinking the Well Water, could he really survive? With the death rate above ninety-five percent, was this an absolute probability or a statistical one?

What kind of power would he ultimately gain? Would it be a surge in Innate Force, or one of the rare Sequences mentioned by the eyes?

The moment it was opened, wouldn’t all the Evil Fallen be attracted to him?

Of course, the likeliest probability was that he would die on the spot.

Even though he had been prepared for battle, even though he knew no fear in his heart, just before actually drinking the Well Water, Bai Wu still felt unusually—conflicted.

Time waits for no one; Zero’s reinforcements had not yet arrived, perhaps they were nearing Baichuan City, but the teachers in the command post couldn’t relay the message to him.

The first thing a qualified madman must learn is to scorn death.

But a madman does not chase after death either.

Bai Wu knew this was probably the most passionate act for someone as indifferent as him.

If he missed this chance, he might never feel this sentiment in his lifetime. He would never consider drinking the Well Water.

And so... he drank the Well Water.

...

...

A second ago his consciousness was still on the vast battlefield, the next second Bai Wu suddenly found that all the creatures around him had disappeared.

It was as if he heard the bells from the church, saw the colorful windows symbolizing hope and love.

On the great, sacred cross, the bronze statue of a religious figure from a previous era watched him with an odd gaze.

Behind him stretched a crowd of people in various garments from different nations praying.

When Bai Wu turned to look at them, the holy light filtered through the colored windows and fell upon him.

He was like a god, and all the praying people gazed at him with expressions as if witnessing a miracle.

Was this an illusion?

Just as this thought surfaced in Bai Wu’s mind, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed again.

The scent in the air shifted from the sanctity of a church with hints of white oak to the briny breeze on a cruise liner.

This was an immense cruise liner; looking left and right, Bai Wu realized he couldn’t see the end.

It was as if he was in a city upon the sea.

In the distance was a massive, black border.

"So this world does have an end... the world does have an end? What lies beyond that wall? Why does it feel familiar, yet I can’t seem to recall..." a young voice echoed in Bai Wu’s mind.

Bai Wu turned and looked back, catching sight of a somewhat familiar face that he couldn’t quite remember.

It was a young man’s face, one that Bai Wu swore he had seen before—or rather, had seen part of it before.

But where exactly?

The moment the young man saw Bai Wu, he too seemed puzzled, sensing a vaguely familiar feeling.

But ultimately he was overwhelmed by the scene before him; this was the Ark, after all. It wasn’t uncommon to come across familiar, yet unrecognizable faces among the many people he had seen.

"Do you think... beyond this world... there might be a new one? Could this nightmarish world come to an end on the other side of the wall?"

The youth’s voice trembled, God knows what he had been through during his time on this massive Ark.

In search of a "harbor" this behemoth had lost its way in the sea time and again over the years.

Now, at last, he had seen the edge of the world.

Bai Wu wanted to answer, but the scene was already changing.

"What’s going on? What exactly is this? Why am I having these illusions after drinking Well Water... are these really illusions?"

The world around him began to collapse and re-form anew. The transformation that occurred after he drank the Well Water was different from what he had anticipated when humans consumed some powerful elixir.

Bai Wu had always thought it would be painful, but he realized that wasn’t the case.

Fortunately, his questions were soon answered.

[Old chap, Well Water is no panacea, and the Well is not some reservoir of energy. You must transcend the concept of things.]

Prayle’s Eye?

Gazing at the world as it continued to crumble and reform, Bai Wu suddenly noticed notes popping up in his vision.

Transcending the concept of things?

Everything in the world, dead or alive, moving or still, past or future, can be called a thing. It’s an extremely broad concept. What lies beyond it?

The previous two scenes felt unfamiliar to Bai Wu, but the next one seemed a bit more recognizable.

Soon Bai Wu recognized the place.

An expanse of grassland and pasture, and in the distance, towering fences, waterwheels, towers, and residences from the 18th-century Western European nations were sparsely scattered around.

A farm.

Even before the farm had entirely taken shape, notes popped up in his vision.

[The Well represents distortion; Well Water signifies a part of the Well. Distortion is how humans become Evil Fallen, how strange science turns into magic, how existing physical laws twist into fantasy, and also life, death, past, future.

Do you think you drank a substance? No, it might exist as matter, but in essence, it’s a distortion, a randomness, and uncertainty.]

The eyes have always provided Bai Wu with remarks that carried a hint of enigma, but this time, they did not feign profundity.

The style of Prayle’s Eye relates to the latent personality of its possessor.

This time, the somewhat mystical descriptions that Bai Wu saw were not puzzles but answers.

He gradually understood that what he had consumed was likely something intrinsically difficult to describe.

Who could clearly define distortion? If it could be defined, would it still be called distortion?

"It is the destruction of constant rules but is also the innovation of a decaying world. The current apocalypse is brought about by it, but perhaps it also creates the rebirth of the future. If one must find a language to describe it, it represents both rules and the absence of rules.

It is described by me as not an object, but it can also be an object; do not try to define it, feel it! Because it can indeed bring you tremendous power."

Increasingly abstruse, but it well described the essence of the Well.

Bai Wu probably understood.

What Jing Er guarded... was a force that breaks everything, why this force appeared in the form of "water," nobody knew.

But that was not the point at all.

The Well Water was definitely not something that could kill him or enhance him.

It creates rules, destroys rules, twists rules; it is constantly changing. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

The word "twisting" is the best description for it.

To drink from the Well Water was not to absorb a substance but to twist the rules under the influence of vast energy.

Space-time was distorted, causality was distorted, life and death were distorted, too.

He might appear in the future, could show up in the past, might meet someone not yet born, or encounter someone long gone.

In this process, or these processes, what awaited him might be death or possibly some form of power; he was not sure.

And this process might have taken a long time for him, but for Baichuan City in reality, it could have been but an instant.

Distortion, rules, world.

These broadly significant words encompassed everything, yet were also encompassed by the Well.

Bai Wu felt increasingly that the Well was a grand existence.

Perhaps the origin of the apocalypse was far more complex than he had imagined!

He didn’t know how many illusions he would see, nor how many worlds he would experience before being completely killed by the Well Water or before absorbing it.

But at this moment, Bai Wu looked at the two youths, astonished.

On one youth’s face were decay-like mottlings similar to livor mortis, which made an otherwise handsome face seem somewhat grotesque, with only his eyes remaining exceptionally clear,

The youth sat leaning against a lush and verdant tree.

Different from the scenes before him, Bai Wu suddenly realized that he seemed to be invisible to the people around him.

Tree leaves fell onto the youth’s hand, but in the next second, the leaf in the palm returned to midair and began to fall again.

As if in a brief temporal loop, the moment the tree leaf touched the youth’s palm, its purpose was reset to zero.

The other side, the youth who made the leaves "traverse time and space," was much more good-looking.

Even if his face still bore a trace of childishness, even though his appearance would change significantly as he grew, Bai Wu could still assert that this person would grow up to have a face that people couldn’t help but like.

The youth seemed to be enveloped in a layer of holy light, his smiling face unconsciously reminding Bai Wu of his own childhood.

The two youths leaned against this big tree while children in the distance read, frolicked, and played.

Only they seemed very quiet, whispering secretly to each other, discussing something.

Bai Wu’s gaze subconsciously fell on the hands of the two youths. In that instant, in his star-like eyes, it seemed as though the stars exploded.

The hands of the two youths bore imprints with the same letters but different symbols.

Club K, Heart K.