Chapter 1152: Only Hope
Lao w.a.n.g had just obtained the precious sword and was feeling happy. As a result, he forgot to remind Jhonas. In reality, according to Lao w.a.n.g’s estimation, Jhonas was already a peak Foundational Stage. Thus, it would definitely be taxing for him to carry this heavy sword, but not to this extent. However, he had forgotten that the sword was easy for him to carry as his physical body, strengthened by his divine cells, was abnormal. Furthermore, the sword had recognized its owner and would feel lighter in his hands…
“Are you alright?” w.a.n.g Zhong did not know whether to laugh or to cry. He motioned to pick up the heavy sword.
“Don’t move!” Flying Pig looked like he was prepared to die and had a sullen expression on his face. At that moment, his eight fingers felt completely numb. “They’re, they’re broken!”
d.a.m.n it, he had been cheated badly!
…
In the Mirror World.
In the pitch-black night, a scarlet full moon suddenly lit up in the sky! Dark red moonlight shone on this cursed world, releasing magical waves. Amidst these waves, figures hobbled and crawled out from the shadows. They silently twisted their bodies. Then, they stood up straight and looked up at the scarlet red moon. Just a moment ago, they were slaughtering monsters that had been twisted by the curse. Now, under the moonlight, their souls were slowly returning to their scattered minds.
“Awoo…”
“NO!”
Their curse of madness had been lifted, and when they recalled the memories in their minds, ma.s.sive pain rose from the depths of their hearts, causing them to howl in despair.
In the Resistance Army campsite…
As the scarlet moonlight descended, everyone walked out together by chance and gathered on the empty land in the campsite. The dazzling yellow bonfire seemed to weaken the scarlet moonlight, lighting up everyone’s faces as they looked up at the sky.
Deep sorrow spread throughout. “The Day of Awakening is here again.”
“Nothing is more painful than this.”
The curse caused people to turn insane. However, when they had been constantly immersed in insanity from the curse, the awakening was not necessarily a form of release. It was very obvious that the manager of the Mirror World would not give them this opportunity[a]. The scarlet moon would appear every now and then, giving all the refugees a time of awakening. Pain that was even more miserable than insanity would breed and grow from their chests then. They would painfully remember the ma.s.sacres they had committed while they were insane. They would remember everything — how they killed people, how they fed on raw meat, and how they drank fresh blood.
“The living cannot live, and the dead cannot die…”
There was a long sigh. In the distance, under the scarlet moonlight, a large group of gray spiritual bodies surfaced from the underground. Their spiritual bodies were trembling as grave pain formed in the depths of their souls.
They wanted to scream, but they could not shout with their spiritual bodies. They could not release even a tiny bit of their pain and could only silently endure all the pain they were suffering. Meanwhile, their consciousness that had been forcibly summoned was being smashed into pieces by the terrifying memories. As a result, they continuously collapsed. They were like ma.s.sive stones that had exploded into broken stones, which were then smashed into powder. The damage was deeper with every attack!
This was the reality of the Mirror World — a prison for the condemned!
Death was only the first step, and true torture would be experienced by the soul after death. Even if they had survived the fights to the death, they would shudder at their own brutality on the Day of Awakening again and again. Perhaps killing people could not affect them, but when the memories of crawling on the ground and licking the blood rushed to their minds, they immediately knew that everything they had endured would fall apart. Being awake was worse than being insane. At the very least, insanity allowed them to forget.
What about committing suicide on the Day of Awakening?
Of course, there were people who had done such foolish things. However, these fools would quickly find out that they had made a grave mistake! Death was not the end as their souls had been sealed in this Mirror World. After their death, their souls would be captured by the rules of this world. They would be trapped in the dark underground and continued to suffer from even deeper pain. This cruel torture was even more direct and fundamental than just dying!
At the very end, the last wisp of their soul would be ground into fine powder by the pain, and it would only end when this last wisp disappeared. —No, the so-called end was only a guess made by the survivors. Perhaps this disappearance was not the final end, but the beginning of an even deeper pain!
The faint sounds of discussion suddenly turned low before dying out. Everyone had stopped looking at the scarlet moon in the sky. Then, a figure walked from the main camp, and all the gazes looked enthusiastically at him.
He was dressed in a blue robe. He was their leader, their Venus[b], and their guiding light. He was the one who had pulled them out from their curse and awakened their dignity. He was the one who had given them hope, Buddha Mo Wen!
Mo Wen was followed closely by the “Four Great Disciples” of the Resistance Army —— The long-nosed Elephant person was always standing in front. His sensitive nose could sense danger. A proud Peac.o.c.k followed closely behind Mo Wen, his doubtful gaze sweeping past everyone who could possibly interact with the Buddha. Meanwhile, on the Buddha’s left was a six-eyed Monkey with glittering eyes that followed what everyone was doing. On the Buddha’s right was a member of the Diamond Race whose body was as strong as a divine weapon. Its ma.s.sive diamond money [c]was enough to frighten off any threats.
The deeply grieving atmosphere was cleared off with Mo Wen’s arrival, and everyone’s gaze had become firm. The Resistance Army was “awake”, but this was completely different from the painful awakening that their memories on the Day of Awakening would bring about. Mo Wen had given them their dignified selves back and was the only saviour in the Mirror World. As long as Mo Wen was around, they would not sink into insanity again.
Now, they were going to save even more brothers and sisters, who would be able to join them!
Mo Wen stopped and observed his surroundings. The Diamond person knelt in front of him. Mo Wen nodded slightly at him and stretched out his hand to lightly touch the forehead of the Diamond person. The Diamond person excitedly stretched out his hands and lifted Mo Wen up, allowing Mo Wen to stand on his shoulders.
When the Diamond person stood up again, everyone had to look up in order to see Mo Wen. Everyone’s gaze was bursting with trust and adoration. Not everyone could make a Diamond person kneel, not even a Gold Core expert. With the dignity of the Diamond race, they would rather be killed than to be humiliated. There were only Diamond people who died while standing! But here, the Diamond person had willingly knelt down to offer his respect to the Buddha. This meant that he would offer everything he had to the Buddha.
Mo Wen looked down and observed every face. The Resistance Army was made up of 1,016 members from different races.
Everyone adored Mo Wen greatly. When these people looked up at him, Mo Wen could feel his power rising. This was an extremely terrifying transformation. Mo Wen himself did not know how much strength he had now, especially in terms of his mental powers. This was an extremely mysterious feeling that followed the expansion and strengthening of the Resistance Army’s forces. Mo Wen faintly sensed something important. However, it was like a reflection of the moon in the water. It could clearly be seen, but there was always a membrane that could not be broken through. He could not grasp the crucial point and could not figure out the details from the start to the end.
Perhaps he would be able to see more clearly as the Resistance Army continued to expand and garner more followers. Of course, although the strength of the Resistance Army continued to rise, Mo Wen still remained low-key. Using this power to counter the will of the divine territory was obviously like smas.h.i.+ng eggs against a rock, but Mo Wen did not want actual resistance. Instead, he wanted to occupy a proper place for the Earth using this method.
“Everyone, it is once again the Day of Awakening. The previous Day of Awakening lasted for eleven days, but we only saved 121 brothers and sisters, who have since joined us. This number is far from enough, compared to the number of survivors who are still stuck in the curse. However, fortunately, these 121 brothers who have suffered torture and misery just like us are now all standing here, no fewer than when they first joined. No one has left, and everyone has chosen to believe in us, believe in everyone, and believe in our Resistance Army. Thank you, thank you to everyone here.”
Many people among the crowd pushed their chests out. They were among the 121 people who had been saved during the previous Day of Awakening. Their gazes were particularly intense. They bit their lips tightly, and their breathing was intense. They had a powerful sense of mission.
Furthermore, they would form the main force during this rescue operation.
“Remember, we will not use violence as much as possible. Let everyone know about our presence, and let them find us. Of course, there are times when violence is the only way to break through the situation. When it is inevitable, we do not have to hesitate. Everyone’s safety comes first. Let’s go!”
Mo Wen announced the start of this rescue operation.
It was the Fallen City.
The length of the Day of Awakening, brought about by the scarlet moon, differed. There were times when it ended in a short three days, while there were other times when it would last for an entire month. This had to do with everyone’s individual strength.[d]
The Fallen City was a place the divine territory had given for them to repent and to experience the happiness of “living”, allowing them to contrast this to their painful periods. This was the true essence of punishment.
Only here could they still sense the feelings that civilized beings should have.
“Have you heard about the Resistance Army?”
They were in a pub. This was the third day of the Day of Awakening, and the “wine” that had been sealed in the underground cellars had been opened. Even though it was unpleasant to drink, the taste of civilization that wine reminded them of made their customers more than willing to buy it. Wine did not make men drunk; men got themselves drunk. Furthermore, there was usually various fresh news here.
Most of the news in the past discussed a certain expert that was finally unable to endure any further and died at some place. Alternatively, some expert or other had just been sent to this d.a.m.ned Mirror Jail.
However, over the past two days during the Day of Awakening, most of the gossip was about the Resistance Army. But what was it?
What were they resisting? The Mirror World? Or were they the prison executive council that was high above the ma.s.ses and controlled their awakening like G.o.ds?
They were already in prison. Even if it was during the Day of Awakening, they could still be cursed by someone and lose consciousness at any time, turning into monsters that could only slaughter and drink blood. Under these circ.u.mstances, what could they resist? And how would they resist?
Some old survivors who had lived for long enough in the Mirror World would typically scoff at such news. “Don’t ever mix with them. If any of you are newbies that have just entered, listen to me. In the Mirror World, do not casually die. Death will not give you release, only more pain. You might have seen the miserable gray ghosts before coming to this city of ruins. Death will only turn you into such things. The pain that you will suffer after death is ten times worse than what you have now!”
“But I heard that the Resistance Army has someone called the Buddha that can completely eliminate the curse, allowing them to remain awake.”
“How is that possible? Have you drunk too much urine wine? Lamorat, what kind of tainted wine are you brewing?”
“If you don’t like drinking it, then don’t!”
Wild Mouse Lamorat shouted back. He was the so-called “boss” of this tattered pub and was one of the longest-living survivors here. Furthermore, the wine he brewed was nothing to boast about and was as pleasant as drinking urine. However, no one could blame him. Lamorat might be a brewing master, but even a G.o.d would be helpless here.
When Lamorat listened to the discussion about the Resistance Army, he furrowed his eyebrows tightly. This was because he had encountered the Resistance Army during the previous Day of Awakening.
The Resistance Army had asked him to publicize them. However, Lamorat had personally witnessed them using a good deal of violence to capture his old friend, Bear person Glun.
The Resistance Army? In any case, Lamorat did not believe this unreliable information at all. At the very most, it was no more than a group of maniacs who had come together to do crazy things. He had lived several decades in the Mirror World and had seen too many of such things.
However, he felt sorry for his old friend Glun. Without him, Lamorat’s wine was missing an ingredient. Bear people were always able to obtain honey. Glun had kept this ability secret, but Lamorat knew that a piece of living equipment called the Hive was hidden in Glun’s body. It was usually used to summon swarms of venomous bees to attack, but the Bear people’s gluttonous nature had turned the Hives into a food source.
Poor Glun. Lamorat shook his head. The main reason he had been forcibly seized must be that those maniacs knew about his secret Hive.
Sigh. Without the honey, the wine that he could produce during the next Day of Awakening would definitely not be as unpleasant as urine: he was confident that it would be even worse than urine!
Lamorat did his best to focus his will on his wine-brewing business. As someone who was constantly awake due to his natural racial endowments, finding something meaningful was his motivation for surviving.
Just as he was thinking about whether he should announce that the next batch of wine would be even worse than this, Lamorat saw a tall and familiar figure pus.h.i.+ng open the door of the pub.
A Bear person walked in while smiling cheerily. He wore a white robe with a rune on it. However, this was not the main point. The main point was that this bear person was Lamorat’s old friend, the one who made his wine taste better than urine — Glun!
“Old Honey?!!” Lamorat cried out Glun’s nickname.
“Hey, lowly mouse. You’re still alive?”
“Glug, are you alright? You aren’t dead?”
Glun raised his exaggerated eyebrows. The expressions on this Bear person were particularly rich. “Dead? Didn’t you see me being saved?”
“Saved? Weren’t they kidnapping you? How are you still alive? You—”
“Ha ha ha, you old lowly mouse. I’m living very well. This time, I’m here to bring you away.”
As Glun spoke, he stretched out his bear claw towards Lamorat while the other customers around them stared blankly at them. They obviously knew that the two of them were friends. Thus, they did not anxiously step in.
Bam!
Lamorat could not resist in time either and was slapped to the ground by Glun’s claw, causing him to faint. Then, Glun carried him on his shoulder and smiled at the idle customers at the tables. “Okay, for those who believe me, join the Resistance Army with me. If you think that you cannot believe me, heh heh. I will not force you this time. During the next Day of Awakening, I will bring back this old lowly mouse and prove that the Resistance Army is real. Then, I will bring everyone true redemption!”
BAM…
In an instant, the pub was in chaos, and several strong auras surged. However, the auras vanished with some hesitation. They wanted to stop Glun, but the moment their auras came into contact with his, they sensed that Glun’s fighting spirit was completely different. It was not the dispirited fighting will felt when one awakened from their curse. Instead, his exuberant vitality shocked them greatly.
Some dejected figures joined Bear person Glun with a smile of despair on their face. They did not care about whether they could trust Glun. In any case, their bodies had reached their limit, and they were not sure if they could endure until the next Day of Awakening. The worst result that could happen if they followed Glun was handing over their souls to this cursed world more quickly.
……
The Ocean Empire Planet had already cut off communications with the Star Alliance on their end, and the only transmission area that had been established there was also sealed. If they had to fly there, even on the Machinery race airs.h.i.+ps that could travel at the speed of light, no one knew how many years it would take to reach that planet. Thus, if they were heading towards a distant Dimensional World, they would naturally use the dimensional gates.
Back when w.a.n.g Zhong had first come here, he was within the t.i.tan supervisor’s artifact, but he walked here this time. One could clearly sense the surging aura from the black swirling air current within the dimensional gate, even from far away at the entrance. This was a form of wormhole energy. Perhaps using runic transmission arrays would be more efficient and stable for traveling short distances, but if one wanted to travel over long distances, only wormhole transmission would allow them to conveniently reach any corner of the Fifth Dimension.
At that moment, four figures were standing and waiting at the entrance of the dimensional gate.
“Master w.a.n.g Zhong.” This was from the leader of the Fire Demon group.
The outer appearance of the Fire Demon race greatly resembled that of a celestialoid, except that their skin was slightly red. For example, if Senior Lavel’s skin was not slightly red, she would look no different from an ordinary human.
“I am Gelawentu from the Star Alliance Guards. Allow me to a.s.sist Master with this mission.”
“Pleased to meet you. Thank you for your trouble, Captain Gelawentu.” w.a.n.g Zhong smiled and stretched out his hand for a handshake.
“I’m Yiheluo.”
“We’re Yihesord, Yihet.u.r.deen, and Yiheqian.”
“Pleased to meet you, Master w.a.n.g Zhong.”
The four horned Blood Demons reported their own names. The Yihe clan was a prosperous clan in the Fire Demon race and had produced generations of experts. Although all of them were Solid Cores, as subordinates from the Blood Demon race, they stood beside Gelawentu and kept a distance of half a body-length away from him. Regardless of whether it was towards Gelawentu or w.a.n.g Zhong, they were rather respectful.
In the past, with his ident.i.ty as an Earthling, the Blood Demon race could have easily placed themselves above w.a.n.g Zhong. However, once he had entered the Celestial Honors Cla.s.s, his status and position was different. This did not mean that the Blood Demon race thought highly of the Earth civilization, but at the very least, they would maintain a certain level of respect towards w.a.n.g Zhong. Masters of the Heavenly Gates, regardless of their background, were on an equal footing with many elders in level-7 civilizations like the Blood Demon’s.
“Master w.a.n.g Zhong, this should be your first Celestial Honors a.s.signment, right?” Gelawentu asked. “The first Celestial Honors a.s.signment is usually relatively easy but yields rich rewards. This also shows how much importance the Internal Gates has put on Master w.a.n.g Zhong. For example, this punitive expedition towards the Ocean Empire Planet, a mere level-4.5 civilization, should be easy for Master w.a.n.g Zhong to handle with your strength, let alone with our a.s.sistance. It will naturally be very easy.”
“That is correct.” Yiheluo was slightly older. He was the oldest among the four Blood Demons here and was also Gelawentu’s deputy in the Star Alliance Guards. He smiled and said, “When it comes to such low-leveled civilizations, if Master w.a.n.g Zhong is not used to the bloodthirstiness that fills such worlds, as long as you directly sentence them to a punishment, you can just leave the rest to us to settle.”
[a]did not do it out of kindness?
[b]? Venus would usually imply a woman with great beauty.
[c]?
[d]how so?