Su Changxing felt his scalp tingle, as "True Knowledge" began to convulse like a virus infecting a machine, entirely beyond his control.
He remained expressionless and spoke vaguely, "Letâs just say itâs something that emerged from cultural evolution."
He remembered a recent phenomenon on the forum called the "Doomsday Cult," which had quite a few followers. It seemed to be advocating the so-called apocalypse as divine spiritsâ punishment on them.
Specifically, he hadnât delved much into it; the forum was full of clutter, comprised of all sorts of fantastical entities.
"Do you hold a heavy guard against us?"
A short silhouette looked up at him, revealing a lifeless face, as if smiling:
"We may not be of the same race, nor creatures of the same era, but we have something in common."
What kind of commonality...
Su Changxing didnât respond, for he couldnât perceive any commonality with such a monstrosity.
"You donât believe me?"
The short silhouette lowered his head, seeming to fall into thought, with a voice thin but deep, "Hm, itâs understandable not to believe. In this world, every piece of information has its value, but I can disclose some key information to you for free."
The short silhouette paused, observing Su Changxingâs expression, then continued, "The path I initially walked is called the Path of True Exploration, which you may not know, but put another way, you should know, the Dreamer."
This Heretic Ninth Tier position is also a Dreamer?
Su Changxingâs face darkened slightly, saying, "You mean to say the Dreamer is the start of heresy?"
The short silhouette shook his head and said, "No, do you think just anything can become a heretic? Itâs merely a possibility; all things tend toward extinction, but we will not."
"A truly immortal existence!"
In an instant.
The short silhouette appeared before Su Changxing, looking up at him, though it felt more like looking down, a condescending gaze, as if a human were looking down at an ant.
"Boom!!"
The primer hit the bulletâs base, sparking an explosion, violently expanding the air, while the bullet spiraled with grooves.
Without hesitation, Su Changxing pulled the trigger, a bullet with flames and a roaring sound shot towards the short silhouette; at such close range, there was almost no room to dodge.
The short silhouette was struck, sent flying by the bulletâs massive force.
The next moment.
It appeared once more before Su Changxing, appraisingly saying, "Not bad power, at least much greater than I imagined."
Su Changxing took a deep breath, refraining from shooting further, as it seemed futile, and might indeed provoke the other party.
The short silhouette continued, "No need to be so tense, you are insignificant to us, serving no purpose."
A sharp voice sounded nearby, "Still can eat, I havenât had meat in ages."
The short silhouette nodded, "Yes, still can eat, but itâs not important. I know you may be in some trouble now; we can assist you, with our power."
Su Changxing pursed his lips, smiling slightly, "No need, no need to trouble you all."
"Rip~"
Without finishing his words, the short silhouetteâs hand pierced Su Changxingâs abdomen, blood spreading across the fabric.
The short silhouette whispered softly, "What a pity, you have no right to refuse. I have witnessed the demise of myriad worlds, far more than you have."
This skullâs getting me into trouble again.
Su Changxingâs pupils dilated, feeling no pain, as if dosed with anesthesia, his body immobile, he indifferently said, "Is that so?"
A bright white streak slashed downward from above, like a pen carving through a page painted with watercolors.
In the backpack, the skullâs eyes blazed with red light.
The short silhouette was bisected by the streak, neither bleeding nor collapsing, just standing quietly there.
After a few seconds.
The short silhouette remarked, surprised, "Ha, didnât expect we had company."
Su Changxing felt a sinking in his heart; it was evident the skullâs means had no substantial effect on the opponent, prompting him to complain, "You might as well have done nothing, instead, youâve exposed yourself."
The skull replied mildly, "Did you expect me to watch you die here?"
Su Changxing rationally said, "He wonât kill me."
"He will," the skull affirmed, "Once they infiltrate this world, everything will decay, nothing shall escape."
Yet now the outcome seems unchanged.
Standing firm, Su Changxingâs face was impassive, neither joyous nor sorrowful, his abdomen a gaping void, with no visible flesh, only gray matter within.
The phone vibrated.
[Detected unclaimed Matrix nearby, would you like to collect?]
[Estimated cost: thirty thousand Points]
Matrix?
Su Changxingâs expression shifted, uncertain of what madness the Discount Store was up to, but he consented without hesitation.
[Extracting, please wait]
The skull in the backpack grumbled loudly, "Hahaha, you lurking heretics, is this all youâre capable of, mere rats."
"Rats?"
The short silhouetteâs body restored, saying blandly, "Then what exactly are you? A displaced being, lacking a beginning and an end, a bug."
With a single wave of his hand, the surrounding space turned grayer, as if the sound of tides. It felt as if they were on a small island at sea, amidst a tumultuous night.
"Damn, cough cough."
Su Changxing suddenly knelt down, coughing up blood that spattered like waves upon the ground, fine, gray tendrils emerged from his skin, waving in the air.
He drew a short knife with one hand, slicing off a tendril from his face, spurting blood, he asked, "What have you done to me?"
The skull grew indignant, "Kid, now see, your wayward actions have ensnared me too. This guy is too terrifying, weâre doomed to wait for death."
Su Changxing lowered his head, saying, "Can you delay time? We might still have a chance."
The skull didnât hesitate, cursing immediately, "Rat, why the hurry, letâs chat. I, the magnificent True Knower, might have something of interest to you here."
Su Changxing hesitated; he expected the skull to act, not expecting it to resort to rhetoric, proving it was genuinely at witâs end.
The short silhouette blandly said, "True Knower? Those pitiable creatures who arrogantly claimed to grasp everything? Had you truly been a True Knower, you wouldnât have ended up like this. As I know it, hah, they are the real rats."
The growth of the tendrils slowed, Su Changxing sensed his Life Force increasing instead of diminishing, with enormous Power commanding his limbs, likely enabling him to kill a Screamer with a single punch.
A thought emerged in his mind.
Humanity truly seemed a fragile existence, so pitifully weak.