Doomsday Jigsaw Puzzle

Chapter 387: Chapter 4: The Flavor of a Conspiracy

"When dealing with Evolved Fallen that possess humanity, one must be good at analyzing their points of craving," said "Bai Wu," imparting his wisdom as they walked. "As the saying goes, ’Talk to humans in their language, talk to ghosts in their language.’ The essence lies in this, but it must be sincere and not treated as mere expediency."

Walking on the road, "Tang Jing" began to pass on his insights.

"You must truly be willing to treat them as friends, but also keep a watchful eye on them. You’ll have to find the right balance yourself."

"In short, be sincere, but don’t assume that just because you’re gentle, they’ll definitely go along with you. Survival comes first."

Tang Jing could understand this quite easily.

The Evolved Fallen must be terrifying creatures, but some of them also possess human traits.

Those Evolved Fallen could be worth trying to ally with while also being wary of them.

As they left the classroom, the apprentice suggested to the master:

"Are we just going to leave those two alone?"

He was referring to Kang Deluo and Tina, who lay unconscious as though they were in a dangerous area. Although Tang Jing didn’t have much regard for the two of them, he knew that the master could surely take them out first.

His thought was to save them before doing anything else.

"Are these two your third and fourth children born in response to the policy? Do you have to take care of them at this time?"

"No," replied Tang Jing in his mind.

"Then that’s settled. Remember, if they die, it’s not your problem but if they live, you saved them. If it weren’t for me, right now your full attention should be on dealing with the Evolved Fallen. Unless your teammates are a meter fifty-nine, don’t change your principles lightly."

Tang Jing didn’t understand the last sentence, but he got the overall message.

"Tang Jing" continued educating the original owner of the body:

"Although I’d like to say, ’It’s not a big deal, don’t worry,’ the fact is, the world outside the Black Mist is starting to distort, and there’s a big problem worth worrying about. Although the current troubles are nothing more than beginner’s village to me, in the future..."

"What will happen in the future?"

"There will be many people facing a distorted environment, rules, and even creatures. The world is going to get worse and worse.

I guess the reason you were able to have the God Descent is perhaps a kind of self-protection mechanism of this world, which feels quite preposterous."

For "Bai Wu," the scene before him was not a puzzle, not even as challenging as his first exploration of the Ninth Hospital.

But if the scale were to spread to the whole world, the problem would become very difficult. Why would this young man have such an advanced Sequence?

Why has the world suddenly become like this? And why does it feel like the world hasn’t changed much in seven hundred years?

At least from the piano and some of the classroom fittings, Bai Wu believes that education and technology have not kept up, even Tang Jing’s clothes are similar to the style of the Pre-Tower Era inside the Hei Wu from his previous life.

How did the Doomsday Fragment form when distortion suddenly descended? Will this world have regional restrictions?

Will this world be matched by the Teleportation Stele? Can the people living here awaken their Sequence, but can they awaken their Innate Force?

How soon after the four-hourly arrival of negative attributes will it begin to affect this world?

The High Tower that the Evolved Fallen have searched for seven hundred years and still not found... Could it reappear?

There are too many questions to be answered, but at the moment, "Tang Jing" mentor and disciple are completely clueless.

"You must learn not to let any moral troubles affect you and to make the best choices. It’s not about erasing your humanity, but about maintaining rationality at all times. Only by not being affected by negative emotions in any dilemma, can you have the best chance of survival... Among other things, pity for others, although not a negative emotion, can sometimes be more lethal than negative emotions."

Very... impressive.

Tang Jing could imagine that such experience is backed by real-life events. He took his master’s words to heart silently.

He then discovered that no matter how he tried to approach the classroom, he couldn’t reach it.

It was because the melody suddenly dragged on, with one piano key being pressed continuously.

Clearly, Evil Fallen was resisting Tang Jing.

"Feels like a ghost wall... you can never reach the end," the apprentice said, somewhat timidly.

No matter how you looked at it, today’s events were too supernatural, but thankfully, having seen plenty of bizarre occurrences in dreams about Hei Wu, his acceptance was much stronger than that of an ordinary person. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

But he still couldn’t understand why, no matter how he moved, the distance between himself and the classroom never shortened.

"Child’s play, trying to show off in front of a master," the master maintained his usual expression of indifference after the fact.

Bai Wu was now in a special state, a purely human body that had activated the Innate Force abilities gained in the casino due to absorbing distortions.

"The opponent is skilled in manipulating musical notes and possesses a certain amount of spiritual power, but various things related to spiritual power... unless you have a powerful Sequence, otherwise... facing an entity with stronger spiritual power than your own, you can only be crushed."

Tang Jing didn’t understand, but he always felt like the master was about to start showing off.

Indeed, "Tang Jing’s" gaze suddenly fixed on a certain spot, his eyes filled with ferocity.

In that moment, ripples spread through the air, and soon Tang Jing noticed that the surrounding scene began to slowly return to normal, as if a Rubik’s cube was being solved over and over.

Eventually, Tang Jing found himself back in the classroom he had been in before.

It turned out that the person behind the scenes, who seemed to be far away, was actually not far from the piano all along.

"Xu Ling?"

In "Tang Jing’s" eyes, a girl was hugging her knees, squatting in the corner of the classroom.

He had to admit that this girl was talented, because even he had been fooled by the girl’s "blinding spell" at first.

But the gap between the two of them was so large that he could directly break through the other’s methods.

"It’s Xu Ling... I thought she would become even more terrifying than the monster formed by the musical note... yet she still looks human."

The apprentice shared the information with the master, who then spoke to Xu Ling while also explaining to the apprentice:

"You must be very afraid of the changes in your body, and seeing the constant distortions around you, people mutating, you’re also wondering if you’re going to turn into a monster."

"But don’t be afraid, this mutation, you can see it as a gift from heaven. This kind of mutation might turn one into the monster they aspire to be, in line with some obsession of theirs, but once it’s complete, there won’t be much change."

Tang Jing understood.

Was the master saying that, through Evil Fallen Transformation, one might become a terrifying monster, but it’s also possible to remain human in form? And that it specifically relates to one’s own desires and obsessions?

That Xu Ling didn’t become a scary monster was probably a good thing.

Bai Wu found it strange that when his eyes saw Xu Ling, no annotations popped up.

However, he indeed didn’t sense any malice from Xu Ling. As the entity with five Guardian Spirits of the Supernatural Tale Apartment, even now without an Angel Envoy, Bai Wu could still feel the other’s state of good and evil.

Xu Ling was afraid of herself.

"...I... am not human anymore... I am a monster! I am a monster... don’t come any closer... you’re a monster too!"

Seeing Tang Jing approaching, the girl squeezed further into the corner.

"Tang Jing" then stopped in his tracks.

Becoming an Evil Fallen came at a cost, even if one still looked human, they were not human.

So he knew very well that comforting the other with the notion that they were still human was a poor deception.

"This world has already begun to fall ill, and more and more humans will become like you. You will gradually find yourself obsessed with tormenting humans because when humans are afraid, they emit a scent you can’t resist, as if it were food."

Xu Ling looked at Tang Jing in astonishment, realizing that she indeed felt this way now.

A few days ago, when she turned into a monster, she actually didn’t want to harm these people. She just felt her body becoming stronger and her motor nerves more powerful than a human’s. She could even go without sleep or food and at the same time... her body underwent some changes.

Changes that others couldn’t see but she knew herself that she was no longer human.

But she didn’t seek revenge on the people who had harmed her; she just thought about... returning to her old classroom and playing the pieces she loved.

Thus, there were tales of a ghostly piano at night in the Art Building.

It was just that today... when the female teacher burst into this classroom, ready to get intimate with the man, they heard the piano.

The piano of spirit possession could make people hallucinate as if they had eaten hallucinogenic mushrooms. ƒreewebɳovel.com

The hallucinations could incite a lot of emotions. And when Xu Ling felt those emotions, she wanted to devour them.

Experiences of being harmed by Xi Erwa surfaced again and again, although in the end she managed to preserve her innocence. But in a place like a school, in a place where racial prejudice was severe, her life was already half ruined.

A surge of hatred made it difficult for Xu Ling to suppress the thought of tormenting these two innocent people.

They were innocent, but they were as despicable as Xi Erwa! Kill them! Devour them!

Such voices resounded in Xu Ling’s mind, almost causing her to commit a grave mistake.

Fortunately, Tang Jing appeared at this time.

This man looked frail, nearly killed at first... but suddenly, Xu Ling felt he was so powerful that she was scared and trembling.

She didn’t know what to do, so she kept controlling the piano, trying to keep Tang Jing away from herself.

But in Tang Jing’s eyes, all this was just a clumsy child’s play.

"I have no ill intentions. Actually, I am the same as you, I have mutated too, I have undergone some changes... changes that only I know about, that others are unaware of. So don’t be afraid. It’s this world that once forced us into this. We aren’t the aggressors, we are the victims. Why should victims feel frightened? Is it our fault for being bullied?"

Xu Ling’s gaze towards Tang Jing shifted slightly, as if she agreed with what he said.

"Maybe we are no longer human, but who can say we aren’t? As long as we can control that craving for negative emotions, we can live normally in this world, and even fight back against those evils that can openly bully us."

"There is a price for everything in life. Consider it a trade with fate, taking away something in exchange for a life where we won’t be bullied anymore."

"Tang Jing" said, inching closer to Xu Ling.

And deep down, the apprentice noticed that Xu Ling didn’t resist anymore. The words didn’t have much appeal, but they cut to the quick.

The master saw at a glance that Xu Ling wasn’t inherently bad.

The master also saw at a glance Xu Ling’s deep regret over her own transformation. At the same time, the master discerned that Xu Ling needed guidance...

Incredible, isn’t it?

"You... you’ve become a monster too?"

"Wrong, remember, in this world, there are many humans wearing the skin of monsters, they are human; there are also many monsters wearing human skin, they are the monsters. Do you think your soul has become a monster? Would you willingly submit to that desire? I believe you would rather carry this power and use your own will to control it."

Xu Ling nodded.

"Tang Jing" asked:

"Do you have a place to live now?"

"No... I’m scared of going to places with lots of people, I smell their scent, afraid I can’t control myself."

"You see, you’re very kind, remember this kindness, remember the choices you make now, don’t become a slave to this power, but its master."

"What... what’s your name?" The young girl had some basic trust in Tang Jing.

Because of Bai Wu’s words, Tang Jing was directly described as an ’Evil Fallen’ who lacked a certain part.

Tang Jing didn’t yet know which part the Evil Fallen were missing, so he didn’t find anything amiss, and even felt that his master was really reliable, articulate and capable.

"Tang Jing. Xu Ling, this is our secret, and for the next few days, I will find you a place to stay. I’ll visit you every day, and we will try to master this power together."

Suddenly, Tang Jing realized something wasn’t right. Wait, I can only use my power to summon my master next weekend, and my master wants me to see her every day?

Doesn’t that mean I have to face this monster alone?

That’s too harsh...

And where would I find such a place? Wait, I can probably contact Zhao. In a sense, Xu Ling is related to Hei Wu as well, so Zhao should be willing to help.

With this in mind, Tang Jing suddenly felt that once Zhao made a move, the concept of a "place to live" might change entirely.

After all, that’s someone who could afford to buy eleven satellites.

Being a master doesn’t mean caring about the apprentice’s thoughts. Bai Wu felt that this matter was almost settled and that it was time to return to the High Tower.

Especially because tomorrow, in the Investigation Corps, Bai Wu had an extremely important confrontation.

"I won’t harm you, you can feel my power, I only hope that people like us can be guided correctly. Rather than indulging ourselves to become real monsters, I believe you also don’t want to be eroded by that desire."

Xu Ling nodded her head.

"Tang Jing" opportunately extended his hand.

In Bai Wu’s eyes, as long as the other party extended their hand, this journey in Beginner’s Village would be over. What remained to be seen was how much Tang Jing would grasp.

Everything else would have to wait until her next inspection.

That’s what Bai Wu thought, and indeed, Xu Ling was moved by "Tang Jing’s" words and sincere demeanor.

She lifted her head, looking at Tang Jing’s face, her eyes brimming with tears.

Everything should have been a perfect lesson between master and apprentice, but when Xu Ling reached out her hand—

The look in Tang Jing’s eyes suddenly changed!

The moment the delicate and fair little hand was extended, Bai Wu finally understood why the remarks didn’t pop up in her eyes.

Because at this time... the remarks slowly popped up.

[Didn’t see that coming, did you? I only make an appearance at this moment because the best plays are saved for the grand finale.

In front of you is an interesting girl, you’ve sensed no malice from her, and she indeed has none. You thought it was a simple puzzle, but the real enigma is now just beginning to unravel. Hohoho, what will you choose next?]

Bai Wu certainly didn’t expect that this simple lesson would take such a dramatic twist at this point.

Because on the hands of this pure, sad, frightened, and bewildered girl—

There was a pattern he had once seen.

The Six of Hearts.