Doomsday Jigsaw Puzzle

Chapter 401: Chapter 18: Treasure Hunt in the High Tower, Level 6

Diamond Four. The organization.

Tang Jing quickly calmed down and turned to Xu Ling:

"Do you know this person?"

"No."

Tang Jing noticed that there was something off about Xu Ling’s expression. She was the first to notice the tattoo on the infected person’s hand.

Her expression now seemed like she was desperately trying to remember something, all the neurons in her brain straining to search for information.

"The security department is coming in. Xu Ling, can you create an illusion? Like the monster you conjured last time, to draw their attention while we slip away in the night from another place."

While saying this, Tang Jing hoisted McDro’s body over his shoulders.

After death, some Evil Fallen would disintegrate immediately. Others, however, could preserve their bodies for quite some time.

Xu Ling nodded and began to create an illusion.

There were also some field agents arranged by Old Zhao here. Thinking it over, Tang Jing decided these adept individuals probably didn’t need his help for a rescue.

So he left the place, taking Xu Ling with him.

As for the puzzle of Diamond Four, Tang Jing decided to try his luck and ponder it with Old Zhao.

...

...

Midnight, outside the villa area of Shengxiang Academy in Aulora.

When Tang Jing arrived at Xu Ling’s residence, the person arranged by Old Zhao was already waiting outside the door.

Dressed like a butler, he appeared to be in his fifties. His face was very ordinary, but one glance was enough to sense his vast experience.

The butler actually had access to the villa, but he politely waited outside, not wanting to intrude. He didn’t wish to upset the lady who already felt uneasy and disoriented.

"Who might you be?"

"I am Sir’s personal servant. Mr. Tang can call me Marcus."

"Sir?"

"Yes, of course, you usually refer to him as ’Old Zhao’."

Appearances can be deceiving, but Tang Jing couldn’t help thinking that for such a man to be willing to work as Old Zhao’s butler, it meant that Old Zhao was either extremely wealthy or—it signified something more than just wealth.

Tang Jing also remembered that Old Zhao had mentioned he would arrange for a true confidant to assist him, someone he could share anything with openly.

As for Marcus, Tang Jing harbored no doubts, especially because at that moment, Marcus picked up the phone. On the video call, a man wearing a ’V’-shaped smile mask spoke to Tang Jing:

"I am Zhao, Little Tang. I’m dealing with some matters now. Later on, I will assign Marcus to help you, as previously mentioned. He is very professional; whatever I know, he knows as well and is absolutely trustworthy. You can tell Marcus any new findings."

As soon as Zhao finished speaking, he went offline.

Tang Jing oddly felt that the mask looked familiar, but he couldn’t place where he had seen it before. He then wondered, could it be that his master had seen this mask?

God Descent occasionally granted Tang Jing some memories and sensations from those he summoned.

Not the memories themselves, but a kind of familiarity brought about by them.

Tang Jing asked a curious question:

"If I may ask, how old is Old Zhao?"

"I cannot divulge Sir’s age, but I can tell you, he is much younger than you might think."

"..." Tang Jing really hadn’t expected that Old Zhao, Old Zhao, might not be old at all.

Soon, the three of them, plus one corpse, entered the villa.

In the brightly lit living room, Marcus was the first to pull out a strange square device and began scanning.

Tang Jing didn’t know what this was for.

Marcus said,

"You can speak directly to me if you have anything to say. Regarding this operation, Sir will thank you afterward. It’s very likely that he will let you lead the Serum Squad."

"Serum Squad?"

"It is a field team established by Sir for the purpose of removing various infected. Today’s mission was originally supposed to be completed by the Serum Squad, but the team’s temperament changed drastically after being affected by the infected, which you should have already known through Sir."

Tang Jing nodded. Without financial power, relying only on simple mutations could not save the world, unless the mutation reached a sufficiently terrifying level.

So, Tang Jing quickly began recounting some things:

"Look at the tattoo on your right wrist. This tattoo, resembling a poker card pattern, represents an organization. Those with these tattoos are likely to become infected. Moreover, unlike typical infected, their abilities are exaggerated."

Tang Jing combined the information mentioned by his master earlier with his own observations and began to deduce.

He referred to this organization as the Poker Card Organization, and then articulated the dangers imposed by it.

Marcus had an unforgettable memory and extremely brilliant acting skills, almost able to reproduce every move of Tang Jing and Xu Ling. He noted this information to pass on to Elder Zhao later.

At this moment, Xu Ling, who had always been struggling to recall certain things, finally remembered bits and pieces of broken memories.

But she could no longer recall in depth because a bell started ringing in her mind. The sound made her unbearably irritable and unable to think.

"Only those... untouched by distortion... can pass through that wall... Anyone tainted by distortion... can only remain inside..."

With great effort, Xu Ling described the memories in her mind. Tang Jing supported her, sensing her agony.

But the girl was still trying hard to endure, voicing those memories that she once believed did not belong to her:

"Restore them... take them... out, plant the seeds... disrupt that woman’s... rhythm..."

As if she was drawing from a forbidden part of her brain, memories that shouldn’t be accessed, Xu Ling felt a pain in her head like being pricked by needles.

Tang Jing didn’t know how much Xu Ling had recalled, but he knew that she was now terrified.

The girl, clutching Tang Jing’s hand, said,

"They are coming... Tang Jing, the seeds have taken root and are sprouting... about to bloom and bear fruit, they are coming. They... are already here."

"Who?"

"The people... inside the dark mist..."

Xu Ling began to tremble with fear, and Marcus exchanged a glance with Tang Jing, both certain that what the girl said was not just nonsense.

Fear had turned Xu Ling’s face deathly pale:

"All the cards... will be revealed one by one... Tang Jing, I am one of them... they will find me too... and they will find others, we are innocent... save us..."

From her shattered memories, Xu Ling could no longer provide more information. The alarm in her mind was causing her unbearable pain.

Even... Xu Ling, with her strong spiritual power, began to bleed from her nostrils.

Tang Jing held Xu Ling in his arms, comforting her, while his mind rapidly pieced together various pieces of information.

"Master mentioned that those with these tattoos come from Inside the Mist."

"And the two major incidents in a row had involved people with this tattoo."

Xu Ling mentioned... only those untainted by distortion can cross that wall, that wall, could it be the dark mist?"

"They were brought out of the dark mist like normal people, and according to Xu Ling’s words, it seems to be to disrupt the rhythm of some woman? This woman... I don’t know who she is, I can only wait to ask Master again next time."

"Finally... Xu Ling mentioned the unveiling of cards, does the meaning of revealing cards mean allowing all those with the poker card tattoos... to become the Evil Fallen?"

All the information swiftly came together, and Tang Jing arrived at a deduction close to the truth.

There was an extremely powerful and mysterious being capable of bringing people out of the dark mist, all of whom had the potential to become top-ranked Evil Fallen, but because they needed to be brought out of the mist, they had to "start from zero."

Without the memories from Inside the Mist, without the abilities from Inside the Mist, they live outside the Mist like ordinary people.

And all of these people have tattoos resembling playing cards on their hands.

For that powerful and mysterious existence, their purpose is to become Evil Fallen, probably because becoming Evil Fallen would accelerate distortion? Disrupt the rhythm of a certain woman?

Now... as the Ark breaks through the Mist, all the cards are about to be revealed.

Tang Jing suddenly understood.

At this moment, Xu Ling’s consciousness was teetering on the brink of collapse because she had recalled something she shouldn’t have; she felt as if her soul were weakening.

Tang Jing softly consoled her:

"Xu Ling, don’t be afraid. I will protect you, no matter who the enemy is, no matter what they want to do, no matter how many cards they have. If they reveal one card, I’ll cover it with another."

Perhaps feeling Tang Jing’s determination, these words brought a smile to Xu Ling’s face, and a hint of color returned to her pale cheeks.

Finally not having to fight against the sound of the alarm, Xu Ling felt an unfamiliar sense of relaxation and drifted into a deep sleep.

Marcus said:

"It seems the organization established by Sir has encountered a formidable opponent?"

"Yes, this is a three-way game: us, the dealer, and a woman the dealer wants to take down."

Marcus guessed that the woman in question was the same woman the girl had mentioned before she lost consciousness.

"So what should we do?"

"Find all the people with poker card tattoos on their wrists, protect them before they become Evil Fallen, and find the person who is causing them to turn."

Marcus admired how this young man’s deductions had yielded information nearly rivaling that of Sir.

Tang Jing was well aware that these people with poker card tattoos could become much more troublesome than ordinary infectees once they turned into Evil Fallen.

And it’s very likely that the numbers on these cards are tied to their rank.

Perhaps before long, some extremely troublesome characters will appear.

...

...

Outside Olma Supermarket.

Xi Erwa stood in the distance, watching the police clean up the aftermath. Beside him was a blond young man.

"Although the Four of Diamonds is weak, once its ability spreads, it will greatly exacerbate the distortion. Sir, don’t you think... it’s somewhat of a pity?" Xi Erwa said.

The young man said with a smile:

"We need to know who is interfering with us. The Six of Hearts, the Four of Diamonds, they are just baits."

"The target is named Tang Jing, just an ordinary person who seems to have awakened the Innate Force not long ago, but it’s weak and can be eliminated at any time. However, there appears to be some force behind him." Xi Erwa, looking into the night, continued, "Otherwise, with his ability, the Six of Hearts could have killed him at the outset. It must have been the people behind him who intervened and restrained the Six of Hearts, and moreover... persuaded the Six of Hearts. We have already started investigating."

The blond youth, with an elegant smile, said:

"Let him be. He’s just a human with a bit of luck who fancies himself a savior. Let the Six of Hearts stay there for now; we’ll bring her back later."

The distortion is only just beginning; as long as those cards are continually ’detonated,’ the distortion of this world can be accelerated.

The degree of distortion depends on the rules and the creatures within those rules.

As for the rules, the Mist has only just begun to spread, and they cannot determine them. However, they can accelerate the distortion by manually creating powerful Evil Fallen.

"That person, despite possessing the Power of Causality, has been backfired upon by it. Just continue to create powerful Evil Fallen and accelerate the process of the apocalypse; even she will not be able to discern the time of High Tower’s appearance."

"As for the kid who killed the Four of Diamonds and captured the Six of Hearts, I’ve already observed him. He’s just a minor character slightly stronger than an average human. No need to worry."

Xi Erwa deeply agreed and it was no wonder that the adult paid no attention to the others. Could a mere kid suddenly transform into the Great Demon King?

The true Great Demon King should be this adult by his side.

Out of the corner of his eye, Xi Erwa involuntarily glanced at the adult’s wrist, observing the pattern of the queen of hearts, his expression becoming more devout.

"Let’s go, it’s time for us to play our next card."

...

...

An ordinary brat naturally wouldn’t turn into the Great Demon King overnight, but that is under normal circumstances. Since the world could no longer be measured by ordinary standards, many things should not be concluded prematurely.

Tang Jing always had confidence, a confidence placed in someone he deemed stronger than the Great Demon King.

Even though this being was currently in a certain predicament, Tang Jing believed his master would undoubtedly come to his rescue when he was in danger.

Dozens of days ago, High Tower, sixth level.

Tang Jing’s greatest support and his lifelong nemesis had both courted death by stepping into the most mysterious forbidden area of the High Tower.

Under the cover of night, with their skills, reaching the 900-meter-high sixth level was no pressure at all.

The real pressure stemmed from the sixth level itself.

Bai Wu, Cain.

Two extremely powerful humans in the High Tower now stood at the very edge of the sixth level.

The first thing Bai Wu did was to release his perception, attempting a simple exploration of the structure of the sixth level.

Cain said,

"It’s better to rely only on your pure senses to observe this place. Don’t use any Innate Force, or if that person senses the presence of humans, we might die."

Bai Wu didn’t believe they would die because he already knew whether there were powerful monsters on the sixth level.

Just like every time he entered a certain area, a certain eye always made an introduction.

This time was no different.

["Do you want my Sequence? Spirit Possession items? The text of history itself! Go search for it; I’ve hidden it in the depths of the sea—oh no, the deepest part of the High Tower! Congratulations, you have come to a place in the High Tower where you shouldn’t have, and it’s safe to say, this is a small step towards courting death, but also a giant leap in the exploration of High Tower civilization.

In theory, you indeed should not encounter the creature that suppresses others, but that’s only in theory because it has already sensed you two little fellows and might want to deceive and lure you in. You see, The Deceiver next door knows nothing about this."]

After evolution, the eye was capable of seeing a brief future during and even outside of battle, and it could access more information.

But the style hadn’t changed; it still didn’t miss an opportunity to mock other Sequences.

Presented before Bai Wu was a stone forest, and beyond the stone forest, Bai Wu was unclear about the scene, but evidently, it was different from the previous notion that "each level’s civilization constantly elevates."

It resembled more of a prehistoric ruin.

"Should we pass through the Stone Forest first?" Bai Wu looked towards Cain.

"I don’t know," shrugged Cain.

"Haven’t you been here before?"

"Ha, what difference does it make if I have? This place has drastically changed from seven hundred years ago." freewebnσvel.cøm

Bai Wu nodded, accepting this statement. According to the eye, there might be extremely rare Spirit Possession items and highly ranked Sequences hidden here.

But he understood one thing—the more valuable the item, the harder it was to acquire.

Bai Wu suddenly thought of the previously mentioned Seven Deadly Sins Weapons, thought of the weapon once held by the Masked Strange Person...

"Let’s go, since you have no familiarity with this place anymore, then listen to me throughout the entire journey. Whatever I say, you do," Bai Wu directed.

(I didn’t take a day off, but I was out with friends from the afternoon to the evening, so there’s only one update today. Although it’s short, there’s a lot of content in this Chapter. Wishing everyone a happy Dragon Boat Festival~)