He Who Gazes into the Abyss Will Be Gazed Back At by the Abyss, but Flipping It Off Won't

As the Light and Shadow shifted, the terrifying scene of world destruction below quickly flashed past Bai Zhi's eyes.

"... What was that just now?"

Sensing the change in her condition, the Young Girl, who was leaning against Bai Zhi's chest with her eyes closed, suddenly asked a question.

"The world completely destroyed by Anomaly is also the true origin of the so-called [Mutation Curse]. Who knows what that thing is? Anyway, there shouldn't be any survivors left in that world."

Shrugging, Bai Zhi glanced down at the Young Girl in his arms. Seeing that she had recovered and no tentacles were growing from her face or hands, he released her.

"Beings that awaken from Ancient Mythology, beings that crawl out of history, beings that descend from Outside the World, beings that materialize from fantasy... they should belong to beings that descend from Outside the World."

"Something like that will descend upon our world?"

Seemingly unaware of Bai Zhi's actions, as if finding a sense of security in Bai Zhi, the Dead Zero continued to reach out and hug him, resting his face against his chest.

This was the first time in her life that she had ever made such an intimate gesture towards another person.

After countless eyes turned to her, she suddenly felt an overwhelming malice crashing down on her like a surging tide.

... What kind of malice was that?! m. hetushu. com. com!

Naked, cold, devoid of any emotion, purely as if treating food, she felt as if she had fallen into an endless, cold, dark abyss... The moment the other person looked at her, her Sanity Value plummeted, her brain throbbed with a needle-like pain, and the flesh beneath her skin throbbed as if something was about to burst out of her body.

If she hadn't decisively closed her eyes, she felt that her will would have been completely assimilated by that boundless, ocean-like malice in the next second...

What followed was a sorrow that arose from within for no reason.

That Terrifying Existence devoured and assimilated an entire world is but a drop in the ocean among countless Anomaly; such a terrifying being is merely one of humanity's adversaries.

What terrifying being is humanity fighting against?

Even though she reacted quickly, her eyes still stung, and blood flowed from her closed eyes, preventing her from opening them for a while. If what she had seen earlier hadn't been just a phantom projection in Anna's Mental World, the price she would have had to pay would have been much higher.

He who gazes into the Abyss will be gazed back into the Abyss.

... At that moment, she finally began to understand the meaning of those words.

But when Bai Zhi embraced her, a sense of peace enveloped her, and the boundless malice that had surrounded her vanished, completely isolated by that peaceful aura.

This was a sense of security she had never experienced before, making her unconsciously want to immerse herself in that tranquil atmosphere.

"The main body isn't so easy to descend, but the Subordinate Body has already invaded. For example, there's the [Mutation Curse] that broke out in Anna's world, and that lead-gray cloud hiding thousands of Blood-Red Tentacles..."

With great kindness, Bai Zhi helped the other person stand up again. Seeing the bloodstains left on the other person's face, Bai Zhi took out a towel from his Inventory and handed it to them.

"How are you feeling now? Is your eye alright?"

"... You'll be fine after a period of rest."

After a moment of silent silence, the Dead Zero wiped his face with a towel and then turned his head away rather abruptly.

Why are you alright?

"Me? Probably because my Sanity is a billion times higher than yours."

Turning his head to look behind him, Bai Zhi answered the other person's question with practiced ease, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"[Mutation Curse], [The Doll Curse], what we just saw was the true core source of the [Mutation Curse]. It comes from a world that has been completely destroyed, and there was also that Mysterious Train traveling through the Void earlier... Secrets and mysteries come one after another. This extra gain is quite good."

"... Do you think any world can stand against these terrifying beings?"

After a moment of silence, the Dead Zero suddenly spoke up and asked a question.

"One world after another is invaded by Anomaly, one world after another is destroyed. Under this despairing premise, does humanity really have a future? What kind of terrifying being are we fighting against?"

"Of course there are."

Bai Zhi turned to look at the other person, a strange expression on his face.

"You're also a member of the Night Watcher Organization, aren't you? You know about the records of those Gods and Buddhas in those historical Legendary, don't you? At least our world has won once, it's just that the Anomaly have made a comeback."

"But now there are no Gods left in our world, only their Damaged legacy. The night is long, and the embers are about to go out."

Perhaps due to the horrific scene he had witnessed earlier, Dead Zero's voice sounded slightly low.

"He who gazes into the Abyss, the Abyss will gaze back into him. If such a terrifying Monster were to descend upon our world, I would find no way to defeat it... What are you doing?"

The Young Girl suddenly raised her head and looked at him with her tightly closed eyes.

"Oh, I'm giving the middle finger to the Abyss right now."

Bai Zhi's answer was quite straightforward.

"He who gazes into the Abyss, the Abyss will gaze back into him; but the middle finger will not."

"..."

A slight smile seemed to curve his lips, and after a moment of silence, the Dead Zero suddenly spoke, extending an invitation to him.

"Bai Zhi, join the [Guardians of the Night and the Library]. The night is long, and the embers will soon be extinguished. We, the Night Watcher, will wait for dawn in the long night... I think this is also Elder Xu's wish."

"Uh... let's talk about that later."

Completely unprepared for the other party's sudden remark, Bai Zhi paused for a moment before giving a rather perfunctory reply.

"What you need to do now is to hurry up and restore your fighting strength. That guy from the March-shi has definitely already gotten ahead of us. There might be a fierce battle coming up, and then it will all depend on you. But your eyes are currently..."

Looking at the other person's tightly closed eyes, Bai Zhi frowned slightly.

"... Listening to the wind to determine location is the most basic skill."

She seemed slightly disappointed, but after taking a little time to adjust her mindset, the Young Girl gave her answer.

"The temporary loss of vision is not a bad thing for me. Without the distraction of what I see, it actually allows me to concentrate better... Be my eyes."

"Ha?"

The Young Girl looked up at him, her eyes tightly closed, and repeated her words.

"You are my eyes."