“This is the heart of the ‘Real World’.”
Xu Mo’s voice was genuinely shocked for once.
“Incredible. This kind of thing appearing in the early stages... it’s completely unreasonable. Who designed this...?”
Bai Feifei looked up at the dark red giant suspended in mid-air, her throat feeling tight.
It was too big.
It was so massive that it made one’s existence feel meaningless. This feeling didn't just come from its physical size, but from a spiritual pressure that weighed on the soul.
She felt like an ant clinging to a giant beast.
“The Real World has no true body,” Xu Mo’s voice continued in her mind.
“Or rather, the entire world is its body. Now, this thing... it might even be considered its actual self.”
He paused, his voice tinged with an indescribable, complex emotion.
“Remember that Masked Hermit Society I made up? What did I say? That we collect the corpses of the Evil Gods of the Old Days, imprison them all, and restore order to the world...?”
“Damn, did I actually get it right?”
Bai Feifei didn't know what to say. Her mind was filled with a single question that had popped up the moment she saw the heart, and she couldn't suppress it no matter how hard she tried.
“Is it... really a corpse?”
The heart was beating.
She saw it with her own eyes. Although it was very slow, throbbing only once every few seconds, it was definitely beating.
“Hard to say,” Xu Mo’s voice carried a hint of uncertainty. “Technically, this guy never really ‘lived’ to begin with.”
“I just know that our luck is insane!”
Bai Feifei gave a bitter smile. Where was the luck in this...?
She remembered her deal with the Evil God.
Back then, she had been coerced and enticed into agreeing to help this ‘Old-Timer’ find a way to reconstruct his body.
She had thought it was a total pipe dream at the time. She never expected that she would actually be standing in front of an Evil God’s ‘corpse’ so soon.
“Is this the... body you mentioned?” she asked.
“What?”
“You said you wanted me to help you find parts to reconstruct your body. There’s an Evil God’s heart right here. Can it be your heart?”
“Theoretically, it’s possible...” Xu Mo finally began to think seriously about the matter.
In fact, if he could use this heart as the core for his future body, it would be absolutely perfect.
“But the problem is, this thing isn't a Containment Object. There’s no established way to contain it. Do you even know what containment means?”
“It means controlling an abnormal item so its power doesn't affect the surrounding world,” Bai Feifei replied.
“Yes, but an Evil God is naturally different.” Xu Mo spoke slowly, clearly deep in thought.
“The containment rituals for Containment Objects are provided by the Book of Answers—don't ask me what the Book of Answers is yet.”
“The issue is, the status of an Evil God of the Old Days is higher than the Book of Answers!”
“So...?”
“So there is no way to contain it. If we want to take it now, we have to take it by force!”
Bai Feifei: ?
“We have to see if its power assimilates you, or if you can suppress it and gain its recognition.”
He paused.
“Hmm... Although the Real World isn't particularly high-tier, for you to try and suppress it now is still a complete fantasy.”
A Rank 3 Scavenger could go insane at any moment when facing the abnormal aura of an S-rank Containment Object, let alone directly touching the heart of an Evil God of the Old Days.
This wasn't just seeking death; it was suicide.
If they could wait until Bai Feifei reached the level of a Prophet or higher, and if he had some time to prepare, they might be able to gamble. But right now...
“But this is the deal we agreed on,” Bai Feifei said suddenly, looking up.
Xu Mo was stunned.
“If I die,” Bai Feifei said calmly, “can you remember your promise? Save the people outside.”
Xu Mo felt a sudden sense of absurdity and couldn't help but laugh.
“Wait, what’s with this act of being ready to die for a cause?”
“You don't even know what will happen when you touch this thing. To be honest, I don't really know either...”
“But isn't that why I'm here?” Bai Feifei interrupted him.
“This is part of our deal. I owed you so much before. I'm prepared for this.”
Xu Mo: ...
Bai Feifei took a deep breath and walked straight toward the heart.
Her heart was racing, yet she felt a strange, calm sense of resignation.
If the price of her deal with the Evil God was simply gambling her life to do something for him, that was the best possible outcome for her.
In comparison, she was more afraid of turning into a monster that would harm the world.
Xu Mo was momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected Bai Feifei to be so resolute.
But as it happened, he didn't have any other options right now. Instead of overthinking it, giving it a try was as good a plan as any.
“Don't feel so much pressure. Relax. If you really die, I'll save you...”
Bai Feifei could no longer hear the voice in her ear. Her heartbeat had synchronized with the massive heart before her. She leaped into the air, lunging toward the ‘Heart of the World’!
...
In the underground space above.
Aries Hong Jiu slammed a fist into Li Gui’s face. Fire clashed with rotting flesh, producing an ear-piercing sizzling sound.
Li Gui’s body swayed. The extra arms growing from his waist and abdomen suddenly lashed out, sending Hong Jiu flying into the stone wall with a heavy thud.
“Heh... heh...”
Li Gui let out a low growl, the sound raspy and piercing, as if squeezed from the depths of his throat.
Boom—
Suddenly, a muffled explosion echoed from deep underground.
Unlike the previous tremors, this was a genuine sound of an explosion.
The entire underground space shook violently. The stone walls suddenly emitted a pink light, as if something were bleeding through from inside the rock.
And Li Gui’s aura, which had clearly stopped growing earlier, suddenly began to surge once again!
“This is...” The deformed eyes all over Li Gui’s body widened. He opened his arms, his face filled with an expression of total enlightenment.
“This is the true Real World!”
“Dammit...” Hong Jiu struggled to his feet from the stone wall, looked around, and spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm. “How is it starting again!?”
“This isn't right! Didn't it just settle down?!”
Wan Qianhong stood in the distance, her face pale.
Her innate ability was unique; even in a high-level encounter like this, it provided both support and control effects.
But for the current Li Gui, her blood control could only make him pause for a fleeting moment. The source of that eerie power didn't come from normal physiological functions at all.
Furthermore, she couldn't spare much focus.
She had to constantly use her ability to protect the surrounding Scavengers, otherwise many would have broken down long ago.
Watching this sudden turn of events, a thought couldn't help but surface in her mind.
What happened to Bai Feifei, who had jumped down earlier?
Just what on earth had she done now!?
Rate on N.U.
