[Eden]

This Underground Base is large enough.

Having come this far, Bai Zhi has gained a very clear understanding of this point.

With such a large area, it could easily accommodate not just a few hundred people, but even several thousand. He had already witnessed that level of integration and absorption during his first instance Dungeon.

The most terrifying thing is that those people who were integrated into the wall are still alive, can clearly feel pain, and will continue to live.

Previously, [Radiance] had been fused with his hand, and Bai Zhi was no stranger to that kind of intense pain, as if a limb had been severed.

But the key issue now isn't that, but rather the Underground Base itself. He finally understands why there's no one here.

The Underground Base, which should have been inhabited, was completely empty. In addition, just like the disappearance case a year ago, there were no Spider Silk left in the empty base. Therefore, according to Bai Zhi's speculation, all the people who were originally in this Underground Base must have been swallowed up.

Perhaps due to the return of Experiment Zero, the activity here has been restored, and those who were forcibly integrated into this Underground Base have regained the right to act.

Previously, there must have been some Staff inside such a large Underground Base, but now, all of Staff have been taken inside.

And now, he is about to follow in their footsteps; to put it more bluntly... he is essentially walking into someone else's stomach.

Those who are pulled into the wall or the ground by those hundreds of people will not die; they will only join them. If they are pulled in as well, they will have to wait for two days in this eerie and terrifying state before the gates can reopen.

That must have been a rather unique experience.

"Several hundred people, it seems like we can't defeat them... If only we had a Fusion Release spell right now..."

While silently criticizing the book in his mind, Bai Zhi kept his expression hidden and continued searching for relevant information on the computer in front of him.

Compared to the hundreds of people who had been trapped in the Underground Base for a year, Bai Zhi was now more curious about the Experiment Zero.

He had been imprisoned here for ten years before the other person escaped. How did he acquire that kind of Strength?

Bai Zhi felt that he might be able to find the answer here.

Half a day later, using the permissions on the found access card, he opened a hidden folder.

"... There seems to be a problem with today's experiment. When I was administering the anesthetic, I felt like Experiment Zero was smiling at me... was it just my imagination?"

"... Something's not right... The changes in Test Subject Zero seem increasingly strange. Another person went missing from the base yesterday... Just a few seconds later, the tea on his seat was still steaming..."

"... Wait... I think I must be going crazy. A few blurry, eerie syllables keep repeating in my head... Damn it... I saw that Experiment Zero smiling at me again..."

"... The voice in my head just won't stop, and others are starting to show the same symptoms as me... Has some kind of supernatural Anomaly invaded this base... Damn it..."

"... No, that's not right... that's not it at all... I think I must be crazy, or rather, I've been crazy for a long time..."

"... I heard it, I discovered it, I saw it... It was all caused by Test Subject Zero... He knew what those syllables that kept playing in our minds meant... He smiled at me again... That Demon..."

"... I've decided to commit suicide. I'd rather die than suffer that horrific end... But can death truly be avoided? I don't know... But I absolutely must not fall into that terrifying place..."

"... That's the biggest lie..."

"... Eden...!!!!!!"

"..."

Looking at the scattered records in front of him, Bai Zhi narrowed his eyes slightly. Then, he checked the personnel situation of this base a year ago.

Before the horrific escape of Experiment Zero a year ago, which led to the mysterious disappearance of hundreds of Staff, there had been more than a dozen suicides in this Underground Base. However, compared to the later disappearance of hundreds of people, these incidents seemed insignificant.

"Eden... is that the code name for that Evil God?"

Bai Zhi reached up and touched his chin, looking thoughtful.

Just as he named the giant fleshy ball that devoured the entire planet "[Lord of Flesh and Blood]," and Anna named the being with whom she had made a pact when she was very young "[Doll Princess]," these people called the Lord of Anomaly "[Eden]."

Of course, among these three, only [Doll Princess] and [Eden], who have developed their own Retainer, can be called Evil God; [Lord of Flesh and Blood] is not qualified.

"Judging from these descriptions, the person who recorded them clearly saw something, even to the point of mental breakdown, preferring suicide to going to that place... Why am I not affected?"

For some reason, Bai Zhi felt a slight toothache.

Previously, the Campus Belle, the Night Owl, and Xia Wen were all affected and experienced auditory hallucinations, just like the person who recorded these things, but he himself was completely unaffected.

Even if he wanted to use this to find out what the other person had seen, and even if he was willing to choose suicide to escape, he couldn't do it.

At this point in the story, the truth about the town's destruction is becoming increasingly clear.

During the daily experiments, Experiment Zero inadvertently learned about the past of a higher being, became its Retainer, and successfully broke through the base's blockade a year ago.

A year later, the stronger opponent returned with a vengeance.

As for the reason, whether it was because Hitomi was also chosen as Retainer, or whether she came to seek revenge, that remains unknown.

However, judging from the information provided by the Campus Belle and the Night Owl, it is more likely to be the former.

The person who burned himself to death in front of him clearly knew the truth of the matter, which is why he said at that time that humanity would destroy itself.

At the same time, if he hadn't interfered, and Hitomi had continued down the original path of turning Darken, then he would have become a new Retainer of the Evil God called [Eden].

This is why everything ended immediately after Hitomi, having Darken, picked up that book.

Perhaps it's possible to speculate that it was because of what happened in the Underground Prison that all her hopes were shattered, and when Experiment Zero arrived, Hitomi became Retainer of [Eden], which gave her the ability to escape from the Underground Prison.

Otherwise, given that heavy iron gate required Key to open, Bai Zhi didn't think the other party could successfully escape through it.

At this point, most of the truth has become clear.

Some of the questions were still puzzling, and they were only related to that book... but there was a chance to ask the other party about them later.

As for now...

Looking back at the walls, ceiling, and floor that were beginning to change, Bai Zhi's expression was quite conflicted.

The fact that they allowed him to investigate the whole truth before taking action made Bai Zhi think they were quite professional. However, professional ethics aside, he had no intention of staying here to accompany them.

"I've wasted too much time here, it feels like I'm going to break my promise... Ah, never mind, I'll just fight my way out first and then think about this problem later. Although it seems a bit difficult... I'm already in an invincible position!!"

With a snap, Bai Zhi chambered the [Radiance] magazine in his hand and uttered words that were surprisingly lacking in power.

"If I'm really going to be dragged into this and assimilated, I'll just commit suicide and start over! Who's afraid of who!?"

As time passed, the sky grew completely dark.

Meanwhile, at the Garbage Mountain, Tong sat blankly at the entrance, staring into the darkness in the distance, and fell into a long silence.

She has remained in that position since noon.

He hasn't returned since he left this morning, even though he said he'd be back by noon... just like Xing.

Same process, same ending.

Ironically, she didn't even know the other person's name.

So, I guess I'm actually a jinx... right?

Does everyone I get involved with end up in a bad way?

Xing is like that, and so is he...

The Girl sat there silently, hugging her knees, as the tranquil darkness slowly engulfed her like a tide.

In a daze, she seemed to hear a voice calling to her from the depths of her being.

The voice appeared in her mind, then gradually echoed, finally transforming into three intricately repeated syllables, growing louder and clearer...

A deep darkness had gradually settled into the Girl's eyes.

Just as she was about to utter the three syllables that were swirling in his mind, a slightly unsteady figure appeared in front of her.

"I'm not trying to be mean, but you could at least have lit a fire! It's pitch black here, I almost got lost..."

The familiar voice entered her mind, instantly banishing the strange syllables swirling in her head.

"You..."

Looking up at the figure that appeared in front of her, Tong was slightly taken aback.

"Sorry, something came up, so I'm a little late."

The figure knelt down in front of her, then smiled and patted her head.

"I'll make you something delicious later. Could you help start a fire first? To be honest, I feel like I'm about to..."

Before the other person could finish speaking, their body swayed a few times and then collapsed beside him.

Seeing this, the Girl, who had been coldly trying to avoid the other person's hand, suddenly panicked. However, when she reached out to help the other person up, she found her hand slippery.

It was at this moment that she saw the terrible state of Bai Zhi's body.

--Covered in blood.