The City Reveals Itself

"Night's End City..."

"... Who is he calling?"

When Xiao Xiao looked at the city and uttered those words in an extremely serious tone, the group of strangers in Night's End City could only look at each other blankly. Due to cognitive barriers, they couldn't even react. A shadow and pressure involuntarily settled over their hearts. The city was also silent, the wind was still, and the dark clouds were heavy. There seemed to be no reaction at all.

Xiao Xiao waited quietly for two seconds, then opened his eyes, his heart filled with extreme tension, but his expression was extremely relaxed.

He even mimicked Lin Bo's expression with a cold smile, but his voice lowered as he said, "I've already greeted you amicably, but first you allowed your men to extort me, and now you're hiding and playing dumb, refusing to see anyone, so..."

As he spoke, he had already raised his hand high.

As he finished speaking the last word, he clenched his fist tightly, his voice cold and indifferent. "Don't blame me for being impolite!"

"Sizzle..."

As he clenched his fist, the air around him, especially behind him, suddenly became distorted and viscous.

The invisible air seemed to take on a shadow at that moment, with lines intertwining and outlining from light to dark, forming a huge and ferocious black shadow. Its features and appearance were indistinct, and only its silhouette could be discerned. It seemed to be a tall man with a silent yet extremely impactful aura. Before the figure appeared, the chilling sound of a chainsaw was heard first.

It was harsh, strange, and jarring to the eardrums.

The sound of a chainsaw represents one of the most terrifying sounds in the human heart. This sound is like something sunk to the bottom of the sea, squeezing into the eardrums through endless ripples of pressure, as if it can directly make a person's spirit stand on end, like the hairs on their head, and trigger instinctive fear.

Immediately afterwards, the shadow grew deeper and clearer, as if a large black, human-shaped hole had appeared behind Xiao Xiao.

They still couldn't see the shadow's features, but they could feel the terrifying aura it emanated.

What is that?

The strangers of Night's End City were immediately captivated the moment the Butcher was summoned.

From the moment they appeared, they spoke very politely, even trying to create the impression that it was just a harmless joke among colleagues. However, each of them was extremely shrewd, constantly observing Xiao Xiao in the shadows, watching his aura and expressions, judging his strength and personality, and searching for the answer to whether they could win if they really had to fight.

However, they haven't yet decided whether or not to actually fight Xiao Xiao.

After all, this guy's reputation is too great; Night's End City theoretically believes that he alone shouldn't be able to take on the entire city.

But after all, he's the guy who supposedly turned Black Gate City into a hellish forbidden zone. Who knows what terrifying methods he might have?

Just when they were feeling uneasy, Xiao Xiao suddenly summoned the Butcher.

They didn't know what kind of Enhancement Element it was, nor did they know what kind of power this "weapon" would have when it actually came into use. But what they were sure of was that the moment the dark figure appeared, it displayed an exceptionally astonishing aura that even made people tremble.

In an instant, everyone instinctively took a step back.

That's the power of a chainsaw. Let alone someone like Xiao Xiao, even if it were a child, adults would be afraid of it.

If you put it at home, it will be a treasure to ward off evil spirits. Even the fiercest thugs and hooligans will tremble when they come to cause trouble.

"It's time to get to the crucial moment, the performance needs to be more realistic..."

At this moment, Xiao Xiao was also observing every reaction of the strangers in Night's End City, his mind racing with thoughts.

Now, he was only a hair's breadth away from the final verification, and he could not afford to make a mistake. So his expression tightened, and he tried his best to act cold, ruthless, and even a little perverted. The moment he summoned the Butcher, his gaze quickly swept across the strangers in Night's End City, finally landing on a person standing behind the crowd who had not spoken.

She looked to be around twenty years old, with fair skin, beautiful features, and a sunny disposition.

He looked nothing like Bai Cheng, the psychologist he had just met. Neither his appearance nor his expression resembled Bai Cheng at all. But as an observer, he keenly noticed a certain quality in him that was extremely similar to Bai Cheng's...

It's hard to describe.

This was a completely different person, but Xiao Xiao was certain, swearing by the honor of the Insightful One, that it was Bai Cheng.

Xiao Xiao could even reconstruct the process by which Bai Cheng became like this: In order to deceive himself, Bai Cheng abandoned the body he had seen before. Of course, he abandoned this body not just for this deception. It is very likely that Bai Cheng had already grown tired of this body and had chosen a new target, but it just happened to happen at the beginning of this deception.

Without hesitation, he swallowed poison and committed suicide, becoming a dead man.

However, he is Knight Pact, so his spiritual power has been recorded in the city's memory, and there is a backup of his consciousness in the city.

Therefore, his companions only need to find a new physical body and erase their original spiritual power.

His spirit was then transferred from the mother's body to a new body, and Bai Cheng was reborn, gaining a new life.

"Is this why the Knight Pact has a chance to be reborn?"

Xiao Xiao had already learned about some of the characteristics of the Knight Pact, and at this moment, he suddenly understood.

Therefore, the indigenous people's conjectures in some theories are still too narrow. How could the Matrix be just a symbiotic illusion system? It should be said that the Matrix is even like a supercomputer on the spiritual level. As long as the outsider has enough permissions, he can upload his consciousness to this computer and then download it to another terminal. All that is needed is points.

This verification is imperative.

It's hard for outsiders to understand the sheer volume of thoughts that can flash through Xiao Xiao's mind in an instant.

In their view, Xiao Xiao had only summoned the Butcher, and didn't even have time to utter a harsh word. His pupils shifted slightly, and his gaze suddenly pierced through the gaps between the crowd, landing on the honest, unassuming man who hadn't said a word.

Then, with a slight grin, he said, "I'll kill you first."

The next moment, the Butcher, whose figure had just been outlined by lines, silently brandished the chainsaw in his hand.

Like the piercing chirping of cicadas that cuts through a summer.

The sound of the chainsaw turning in the Butcher's arms cut through the darkness.

Xiao Xiao didn't hesitate at all, and even if he did, he overcame it in his Mind Burst. He knew deep down that he was only a third-stage enhanced Insightful Being, and if he really had to confront them head-on, he might not be able to gain the upper hand against these strangers in Night's End City. But that didn't matter. He only remembered that Yang Jia had taught him that in the world of strangers, pretending to be weak to take advantage of others was not fashionable.

The only thing that's popular is pretending to be a tiger to eat a pig.

It doesn't matter whether you are a tiger or not, as long as the other party treats you as a tiger.

Thinking this way, he really did look like he didn't take the strangers of Night's End City seriously at all, and made a rare move.

"Are they really going to make a move?"

Xiao Xiao's series of actions seemed well-thought-out, but to his colleagues in Night's End City, they were caught off guard and had no time to react. The appearance of the Butcher cast a shadow over everyone's hearts. Before they could think of what to say, they saw the Butcher's chainsaw had already crossed the 34-meter distance and was slashing fiercely towards Bai Cheng behind them.

"Does he really not take our Night's End City seriously at all?"

"Are those rumors on the forum true? Is this guy really a reckless madman?"

The people of Night's End City were both shocked and terrified, and regret was already creeping into their hearts. But now that things had come to this, there was no time to say anything. They just instinctively shouted and followed their guild leader, unleashing all sorts of different abilities in a frenzy.

At this moment, Xiao Xiao still maintained the perspective of an indigenous person, which was a deliberate act of observation.

Therefore, he did not see what abilities or special items his fellow Night's End City comrades had used. He only saw that as they faced the chainsaw wielded by the Butcher... or rather, by some terrifying shadow in his mental world, they all raised their heads, their eyes suddenly becoming blank, and their mental energy fields expanded and intertwined with each other.

Within these mental energy fields, the shadows of babies dressed in hospital gowns appeared, their tiny hands raised upwards.

They actually tried to disarm him with their bare hands.

In some people's mental field, rolls of charred material appeared, intertwining and wrapping around the chainsaw.

Some people even opened their mouths wide, and a disheveled woman emerged from them.

"Enhancement Element..."

From a stranger's perspective, Xiao Xiao could clearly see what these things looked like, and even, with the perception of an observer, roughly understand the poignant stories behind these special items. But from the perspective of the natives, he didn't need to care what they were...

It's nothing more than some projections within the mind.

Enhancement Element are a real thing in the world of strangers.

Even if it's just a beam of light, a glance, without a physical form, it still belongs to true existence.

But in the indigenous people's theory, everything there is just a projection, a memory, or some kind of imaginary creature.

Just like the aberrant event Xiao Xiao experienced a long time ago, the man who was drowned by life. From the perspective of the natives, life cannot drown a person. When a man dies, he is dead. However, if the man's story is seen and remembered by other outsiders, and even leaves a deep impression, then for those outsiders, the man who was drowned by life exists.

If he uses the power of the mother body to download it into his own mental field, he will possess this ability.

This ability can influence the spirits of others, whether they are natives or strangers.

It made them feel suffocated as well.

"Laugh!"

As Xiao Xiao pondered these thoughts, the Butcher's chainsaw simply continued its straight cut.

In an instant, amidst the chaotic interplay of mental forces, a cutting sound that was unpleasant and even dizzying arose. The various mental forces intertwined, which was already uncomfortable, but the Butcher's chainsaw slashed downwards, making the mental field even more chaotic. His chainsaw fell straight down, cutting all the resistance it encountered into pieces...

Perhaps the Butcher's pain is the most intense, or perhaps the spiritual power he represents is the most intense.

Those forces that tried to stop him were almost powerless to resist.

A series of shattering sounds rang out as the black shadow formed by spiritual power pierced directly through the spiritual ocean.

"Ah..."

That young man, or rather, the reborn Bai Cheng.

Completely helpless under the chainsaw, his face turned pale, and he screamed in terror.

As the chainsaw fell, almost severing their souls in two, at that very last moment, seeing the situation was dire, Chairman Cui of Night's End City suddenly shouted, his figure flashing as he blocked the way for everyone. Then, a series of bright yellow ribbons quickly emerged from his palm, weaving into solemn and imposing warning lines, all blocking the Butcher's chainsaw.

Just as the chainsaw was about to cut the warning line, it suddenly went silent, abruptly stopped.

"Um?"

Even Xiao Xiao hadn't expected that Night's End City would have such a special thing.

That was a warning line, representing authority, an inviolable rule.

When ordinary people see such a warning line, they will instinctively stay away and would never think of crossing it.

Needless to say, there's also the underworld.

In reality, the Butcher already had something to hide, so seeing such a thing would indeed make him tremble.

Of course, if he were to harden his heart, he could still cut it off. Xiao Xiao could sense a strong and suppressed emotion within him. Once this emotion erupted, nothing in reality would be able to restrain the Butcher's actions...

But Xiao Xiao didn't want to really go all out, so he stopped in time.

The main reason is that they are afraid that if the Butcher goes all out and reveals his secret, these people will no longer be so afraid of him.

He only raised his hand the instant the warning line appeared, as if he had stopped the Butcher in time.

A moment of silence fell over the surrounding air.

The strangers in Night's End City looked horrified, breathing heavily, staring at Xiao Xiao in disbelief.

Xiao Xiao met their gazes, looked at Bai Cheng, and then suddenly smiled gently.

He held his index finger horizontally and gently wiped it across his throat.

It was like a hint, and also like a command.

Bai Cheng was already terrified by the Butcher's chainsaw and only managed to save his life after the chairman intervened. He was still trembling with fear when he suddenly saw Xiao Xiao's action. He was stunned for a moment, his scalp tingling. He had so much to say, but at that moment, he suddenly felt a slight chill on his throat as cold air blew in.

He hurriedly opened his mouth, but only hissed and air leaked from his throat.

He reached up in terror to touch his neck, only to feel a sticky liquid and see his hand covered in blood.

"Meeting..."

His panic was indescribable; with all his might, he screamed through his hissing, leaky throat:

"President... President, please... please buy me one more time!"

"..."

Chairman Cui also turned his head sharply, staring at him with wide eyes, and did not have time to answer until his death.

All the strangers in the entire Night's End City were stunned. The surrounding air was eerily quiet. They couldn't utter a single word, as if someone had pressed the power button on their computers. Their minds were a complete blank, and they didn't know how things had come to this.

Only Xiao Xiao, who was opposite them, still appeared very relaxed.

Looking up, not far from Bai Cheng, Little Four had already half-submerged into the sewer.

Before disappearing completely, he didn't forget to give Xiao Xiao an "OK" sign.

Brother Xiao assigned me a task, so naturally, whoever he marked, I would kill...

Little Four has always been quite capable in handling matters.

The anger of the strangers in the Night's End City was rising. Bai Cheng's sudden death had instilled in them a sense of horror and shared experience. For a moment, they even felt that Xiao Xiao had gone too far and they might as well fight him directly. However, before they could utter their angry words, Xiao Xiao had already looked up at the city and once again shouted in a serious tone:

"Still not coming out?"

"I have severed your roots among ordinary people, and the influence you have planted among those in power has been exposed. Now you refuse to come out and see me. Do you want me to kill all the few remaining anchors you have left in this city?"

"Or do you think I can't do it?"

"..."

"Splash..."

At that moment, the strangers in the Night's End City suddenly understood who Xiao Xiao was speaking to.

My heart was filled with shock and doubt, like a turbulent sea.

But before they could even show their shock, they suddenly saw that as Xiao Xiao uttered those words, the night behind him abruptly distorted, a chaotic and disordered light as if lampposts had been cut up and then mixed together again, forming a chaotic night sky. And within this chaos, a chilling aura suddenly surged into everyone's hearts, making them feel terrified.

"A city-wide upheaval of spiritual energy..."

Only Chairman Cui of Night's End City, or the most senior Knight Pact, understands what's going on.

The way they looked at Xiao Xiao filled them with terror.

"Very good..."

Xiao Xiao's face was ashen, but he was also very excited inside, wishing he could clench his fist.

It is the False Light of Dante Organization, and now that light is corrupting the Night's End City in its second phase.

Previously in Black Gate City, this False Light existed solely to counter Pandora's Box of the Hell Organization... Of course, it is now Pandora's Box of Black Gate City... The second stage was not utilized. However, in Night's End City, it is different. Xiao Xiao is waiting for the second stage. This special element, which can pollute the entire city, will give people a strong sense of ambition, and then make them feel a sense of failure.

In the course of this process, a large number of distortions can be caused.

Of course, in Night's End City, it's not necessarily necessary to actually cause these natives to become distorted; creating unrest is enough.

"With my threat, plus the impact of the False Light on the entire city, you should finally show up, shouldn't you?"

Xiao Xiao tensed up, not showing any expression other than confidence and composure. He silently thought about the probability of the mother of the Night's End City appearing. The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. He clenched his fists so that others wouldn't see it.

Occasionally, a terrible thought would suddenly arise in my mind:

"What if she really doesn't come out? How am I supposed to handle this?"

"..."

"..."

But just as this terrifying thought made Xiao Xiao a little flustered, the surroundings suddenly darkened.

The darkness, seemingly appearing from nowhere, enveloped everyone present. Everyone had experienced watching the pale sky outside the window gradually darken until it became pitch black, or perhaps the other way around, but usually, it took a certain amount of time. But now, Xiao Xiao felt as if the darkness around him had suddenly appeared, like ink poured into clear water.

Moreover, it was unusually dense, so dense that even the False Light of Dante Organization was swallowed by the darkness. The figures of the strangers from the Night's End City with their various expressions were also gradually submerged by the night, and the surroundings became pitch black, as if all light had been lost.

Just a street away in front of Xiao Xiao, there was a Xiao Xiao coffee shop, still quietly lit up.

Xiao Xiao suddenly realized that this was an invitation.

He took a deep breath, composed himself, and slowly walked towards the coffee shop.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

As I pushed open the door and stepped inside, the doorbell rang melodiously, yet it also seemed to possess a power to disturb my peace of mind.

Xiao Xiao looked up and saw the layout of the coffee shop, which was no different from other coffee shops: small, quiet, with warm lighting, and a clerk who was always wiping something on the counter, but who didn't know what it was that could be wiped forever.

There were no customers in the shop, except for a girl sitting behind a small table in the very center.

She was wearing a cute Lolita-style dress, a red hat, white socks, and little leather shoes.

Holding a cup of coffee in both hands, I quietly sipped it.

His eyes were fixed on Xiao Xiao as he walked into the shop, his gaze fixed on the coffee cup above it.