What Kind of World Do I Dislike (Nine Thousand Words)

What kind of feeling is this?

Xiao Xiao felt that he was no longer a person, but a machine.

When I'm in the startup phase, I feel like I can do anything because I'm putting my abilities to the test.

Therefore, whether facing strangers or Mysterious Source, he now feels virtually no fear, because no one can directly confront his increasingly powerful and frantically operating machine.

But when he met this group of people from the Lost Island, he felt completely restrained.

It seems that I am really just a machine facing a shut-down destiny, and no matter how strong I am, I cannot resist the control from the source.

He was puzzled and powerless about what was happening.

Sight, hearing, and perception have all been stripped away step by step, leaving Xiao Xiao with only his thinking ability.

He felt as if he were imprisoned in a huge black cage, unable to see anything, grasp anything, or control anything.

All it possesses is thought, but unfortunately, this thought seems to be devoid of any external devices, operating empty and meaningless on its own...

... No, there's a little bit more.

At this moment, Xiao Xiao could sense Yang Jia's presence and felt that she was about to make a move again.

At this moment, Xiao Xiao didn't know why he could sense Yang Jia. Perhaps it was because the Platinum Ring bound them together, so Yang Jia still had a tiny bit of his remaining consciousness. That tiny bit of consciousness kept him connected to the outside world, even though it was so faint as to be almost negligible. It was like someone in the abyss, surrounded by darkness, only able to see a tiny glimmer of light. But even that glimmer of light meant that the world wasn't so dark after all...

Xiao Xiao used this little bit of awareness to influence Yang Jia, warning her not to make a move.

Because he could sense that when he fought against these people carrying silver briefcases, he was not fighting against strength, but against something deeper.

Yang Jia's intervention will be ineffective; he will only end up in the same predicament as Yang Jia.

Of course, if it were someone else in this situation, they would likely panic and be unable to form a coherent thought, let alone consider others.

However, Xiao Xiao's ability to Mind Burst gave him more time to calm down. Even when faced with this sudden and incomprehensible attack, he could still try his best to think and perceive.

Using the last bit of consciousness remaining in Yang Jia's body, he sensed the outside world.

"Why isn't it over yet?"

At the same time, in the real world, Xiao Xiao stood silently in place, surrounded by surging waves of spiritual energy.

Standing opposite him, the man carrying a briefcase frowned, his fingers resting on his headset, and asked in a low voice, "Has the command to shut down thought been issued?"

"It has already been sent."

A hissing sound came from the other end of the headset, sounding somewhat anxious. "The brain here has been successfully shut down, and his thoughts should have been frozen in time."

The person carrying the suitcase gave Xiao Xiao a deep look and immediately shook his head. "Not yet."

"The shutdown rate has reached 99%, but we're still just one step away..."

"Do you guys think you're Pinduoduo? Why can't you ever get past this last little bit of progress?"

"..."

"Big... probably because he's somewhat different from the other test subjects."

The person on the other end of the headset was also struggling to explain, "Perhaps it's because he fed himself too much pain, or perhaps, after all, he is the Subject Zero with 100% source synchronization, so his resistance is stronger than that of other test subjects."

"However, it is clear that the progress has not stopped; it has been moving forward."

"It's just that we're walking a little slower..."

"..."

The person carrying the silver briefcase immediately asked, "How much slower?"

"... the kind that stops indefinitely."

"..."

"Call..."

The conversation finally stalled, and the man carrying the silver briefcase immediately said, "What other methods are there? Let's increase our efforts."

"We cannot stay in this chaotic mental world for too long."

"..."

"Of course there are solutions."

The person on the other end of the headset said, "The signal has been successfully transmitted and is working. The fact that so many areas of his brain have been shut down also indicates that there is no problem with the reception."

"The only thing we can adjust is the influence of the spiritual ocean on him."

"Then let's increase the power output!"

"..."

As soon as this suggestion was made, the researchers on the island hidden outside this world, who had deliberately maintained a connection with the Shepherds, immediately got to work. They adjusted the computers around them, and all of these computers were connected to rows and rows of almost endless transparent glass tanks. Inside each tank were brains, forming a vast and bizarre matrix of human brains. Countless electrical currents were transmitted between these brains, exerting their effects.

"Mr. Shepherds, this is your only chance to visit the facilities on the island, so I hope you can see them clearly."

Another person stood in front of this brain matrix and calmly explained to the Shepherds had connected, "The Black Forest has always controlled this world, never giving up, and never losing its advantage."

"You should know that our world has given birth to its own will, and has split into Twelve Guideposts."

"However, what is often misunderstood is that the World Will is not born on its own, but is part of our World Upgrade Project."

"..."

The Shepherds watched all this in shock and greed, and couldn't help but ask, "What about Dante and Hell...?"

"They also possess fragments of the World Will."

The guide said calmly, "Some of them were indeed stolen by them, but some were specifically found by the Black Forest."

"Why?"

The Shepherds suddenly didn't understand: if the Black Forest really had such great privileges, how could it allow others to obtain fragments of the World Will?

If I give it to someone else, wouldn't I no longer be whole?

"The World Will does not need to be complete; on the contrary, it needs to be constantly eliminated and impurities driven out."

The guide said coldly, "Therefore, we don't mind if a fragment of the World Will is obtained by others. Of course, we must also admit that those two crazy organizations do have some abilities of their own."

"They were already discussing this part of the terms when they began fulfilling their pact with the Black Forest and helping to temporarily imprison the woman."

"The Black Forest leadership discussed the matter and decided that it would not harm the overall situation, which is why they were allowed to obtain it."

"However, whether it's the four items in Dante Organization or the three items in Hell Organization, they are actually irrelevant, because the Black Forest has always held the five most important items..."

"..."

Five items?

The Shepherds was slightly surprised; this was somewhat different from what he had expected.

The guide, however, remained remarkably calm and revealed the crux of the matter. "That's right, the Mysterious Guidepost codenamed 'Compass of Fate' that appeared in Black Gate City has always been under the control of the Black Forest."

"It was sent to Black Gate City to work with you and guide the Pioneer Project."

"So, part of your earlier discussion with your subordinates was correct; the Black Forest has never given up on the World Upgrade Project."

"What's a little different from what you think is that we not only haven't given up, but we've never stopped."

"Even though that one out-of-control mental resonance project caused us a lot of losses and almost got out of control, we never stopped."

"..."

"This..."

The Shepherds's lips trembled slightly.

He had once been disappointed with the Black Forest's leadership, believing that those old guys were intimidated by the mysterious power controlled by the outsiders, making them hesitant and unable to do anything properly.

How can such Black Forest be worthy of the grand vision that once changed the world?

Only now did he suddenly realize that the group of people who had disappointed him were merely branch office managers, or even deliberately placed there to attract attention. The real upper echelons of the Black Forest had never disappointed him; in fact, they had instilled fear in him. They were a group of people who had nearly destroyed the entire world, yet continued their research without hesitation the next day. They were obsessive, arrogant, and cold-blooded, their eyes filled only with their own ambitions and plans, without even considering the consequences of failure...

Or perhaps, the Black Forest once had such a profound impact on the world that, in reality, no one could restrain them anymore?

"If..."

He paused for a long time before slowly speaking, "Or perhaps you have truly been paying attention to all of this all along, and have been in control of all of this. Then what is the purpose of the laboratory in Black Gate City?"

"Why were you... willing to delegate authority to me regarding the previous Pioneer Project?"

"..."

The guide listened to him and then fell silent for a while before saying, "We also had a period of uncertainty, and we needed some bold people to try more things."

"This..."

As if sensing his hesitation, the Shepherds suddenly understood and took a deep breath:

"So you were also confused and afraid at one time?"

"The Pioneer Project was authorized to us because you were also at a loss during that period of chaos?"

"Through this unique experimental subject, we broke the deadlock that had been causing you so much trouble. Through him, we advanced the Noah Project, and now we even see a glimmer of hope for success..."

"But since you chose to believe before, why are you interfering now?"

"..."

The facilitator turned his head coldly and glanced at the Shepherds on the screen, seemingly strongly disagreeing with what he had just said.

But for a moment, I didn't know what to say to shut him up.

"I see..."

Meeting his gaze, the Shepherds seemed to have a sudden realization. "You ultimately don't believe him, because the closer you get to the possibility of success, the more worried you become."

"I was worried about unforeseen circumstances, so I wanted to exert even deeper control over him..."

"..."

"Call..."

Only then did the guide let out a soft sigh, remaining noncommittal and simply replying, "Those experimental subjects, after all, were just a bunch of lunatics. How can anyone trust them?"

"The Noah Project must succeed, therefore, the final execution of the plan must be reliable."

"..."

"Hehehehe..."

Hearing his words, the Shepherds knew his guess was correct. A surge of emotions welled up within him, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly. Slowly, he asked, word by word:

"If that's the case, then I have a question..."

Is it more dangerous to believe in a madman, or to try to completely control a madman?

"..."

This sudden question caused the guide, as well as those who had been paying close attention to the experimental subject recovery plan, to fall into deep thought.

Inside the laboratory, the air was heavy and eerily quiet.

After a long while, someone, as if venting their frustration, roared with all their might, "Increase the spiritual ocean's infusion into him!"

"Retrieval of Subject Zero is complete!"

"Immediately, right now!"

"We could even start making adjustments to him right now!"

"..."

The massive human brain matrix began releasing signals to shut down Xiao Xiao's thinking abilities, gathering the power of five World Will fragments, influencing the entire spiritual ocean, and converging on Xiao Xiao.

All the forces had only one goal: to influence Xiao Xiao and completely shut him down.

"So it was the power of the World Will?"

As that surging and immense power swept towards Xiao Xiao, a sense of Xiao Xiao arose in his heart.

He currently has no idea about the ongoing conversations or activities on the Lost Island, nor does he know how he was shut down, leaving only remnants of Yang Jia's consciousness. His current state, with only his thought processes still functioning, allows him to sense the immense spiritual power around him attempting to influence and change him. In this endlessly stretching time, he has ruled out various possibilities and is slowly beginning to realize the problem...

They don't understand how the original principles were implemented, but they can understand how the World Will affects them now.

It would be quite simple for the World Will to shut itself off.

This world can mold us into any shape it wants, and it won't accept your personal resistance.

You can be an insecure person or a proud person; you can be dignified and confident, dealing with anyone with ease, or you can be insecure and shy, unwilling to face those around you.

But this is not who you really are.

Because of the power of the world, starting from childhood, starting from your genes, it shapes you little by little.

A confident and composed person, if they change their living environment from a young age and experience the environment that others need to experience, may become an insecure and sensitive person.

Our family background, our upbringing, even our appearance and genes are all given to us by this world.

That "me".

The pure, true "I" has absolutely nothing to boast about.

Xiao Xiao now senses the changes the world has made to him. He doesn't know where the world obtained his original data, but it knows at least what frequency and state it needs to reach to shut him down. So it can use all sorts of abilities and methods to try to transform itself, and it has to admit that this method is very effective against it. Now, apart from the ability to Mind Burst, which can prolong this process, he has no other methods left...

I have been squeezed to the deepest part of this world, and I am still sinking.

Unable to escape the will of the world, one can only submit to its manipulation.

I could even feel that during this sinking process, my past experiences and memories began to become distorted.

He doesn't know if the changed version of himself is still himself.

"The people on the Lost Island have finally made their move..."

In another location, Lost Island, this clandestine operation was still detected by some people with special sensory abilities.

The two leaders of the Dante Organization and the Hell Organization seem to be torn. "Should we help him, or take this opportunity to complete our own plans?"

"We gave him a chance."

The Old Chairman of the Dante Organization said calmly, "If he had chosen to join us back then, we would have even been willing to reserve a place for him, but in the end he did nothing."

"Then we have no other choice."

"Let's go..."

"This world has always been like this; the only thing we can do is escape..."

"..."

"That's it?"

In Black Gate City, a woman in a white dress looked out the window. Her own power was being used in a massive reorganization operation. She was unwilling, but she could not disobey the order.

Just as people are always driven by desires, so was she.

But she was truly unwilling. She could feel the child becoming a different person, and she couldn't help but think of him from back then, sitting on the sofa, facing her, and uttering that murmur:

"What, isn't anyone thinking of helping her?"

"..."

That's a rather naive idea...

Unfortunately, this world despises naiveté and is never willing to give it a chance.

He vaguely sensed that the pressure around him was getting greater and greater, and Xiao Xiao sank deeper and deeper, to the point that even Yang Jia could no longer perceive him.

In this endless sinking space, he didn't know if he was hallucinating. It was as if the surrounding darkness had come alive, transforming into enormous flesh and blood. They swelled and crowded together, spreading out layer upon layer before him. He felt as if he were becoming part of this massive flesh and blood, and this enormous difference made him utterly powerless to resist it. He could only become a part of it, completely controlled by it, carrying out every command it gave him...

Then he suddenly heard a sigh, "You came too..."

Xiao Xiao sensed a familiar presence. As he was thinking, a faint light seemed to appear in his vision, and he saw an old man.

At first, he couldn't quite place it, but gradually, the familiar aura began to take shape, and finally, he realized who he was seeing.

The old man, dressed in a white suit and with a weathered face, looked at me with deep, helpless eyes.

Xiao Xiao remembered that he had met him once, when he inherited the Lord Pact from the Old Chairman of Black Gate City.

He was the guild master of Black Gate City who had already died.

"So, this is where the dead go?"

He looked at the Old Chairman, hesitated slightly, and thought curiously.

"This is a prison of despair, but not a final resting place for the dead."

The Old Chairman sighed softly, "In the spiritual world, there is no concept of death. Within the clan, the spiritual power of everyone converges in one place. Therefore, those who die in the physical world continue to exist in the spiritual ocean until time passes, until no one remembers them anymore, until they can no longer influence anyone. Then they gradually erode and become part of this vast ocean, but they still exist, only they have lost their self-awareness..."

Listening to his words, Xiao Xiao gradually recalled the advice he had received when they first met.

At the time, those words seemed meaningless to me—things like "don't forget hope," or "you might have been wrong in the past"...

Now, Xiao Xiao understands why he said that back then, but it's no use.

"So, all along, you were just a pawn in the hands of Lost Island, which is why you said you couldn't escape?"

Xiao Xiao looked at him, his voice suddenly sounding somewhat mocking. "But you still say we should escape, what's the use? You already know what you're fighting against, and you still think we can win?"

"You've also erased half of the information from the Ten Commandments for Strangers. What are you trying to say?"

"You say we can eventually escape, but how?"

"..."

"I did fail, and I failed miserably."

The Old Chairman's voice was low and weak as he choked out, "I once wanted to lead people away from this bizarre world and back to the familiar, normal world we know. But I realized I was wrong. We were just living in a fantasy, and escaping that fantasy is so difficult. So, I also thought that I would end it all. I would board that great ship and head to the mysterious end, close the singularity, so that I, and all those who are willing to believe in me, can truly be freed from this endless suffering..."

"But this is also despairing."

The Old Chairman said slowly, "We are too weak. In the face of the World Will, we are just a cog in the machine."

"The pulled trigger has no idea that it is about to fire a deadly bullet."

"I don't understand why my plan to save people ended up turning into a killing spree. So, I've even thought about destroying the whole plan..."

"Of course, I still didn't succeed."

"Firstly, too many people believe in me, and I can't bear to see their disappointed expressions."

"Secondly, the world wouldn't allow me to do that, so they killed me and imprisoned me in this hopeless world forever."

"..."

"Since that's the case..."

Xiao Xiao looked at that weathered and unreal face and said in a low voice, "Why didn't you just tell me to give up from the beginning?"

Why are you assuring me that you can definitely escape?

"..."

"Because..."

The Old Chairman's answer seemed somewhat difficult, and also extremely unreal. "If you despair from the very beginning, you will truly sink into the abyss."

"That's just how the world is..."

"If you give up the struggle, you will sink into the abyss; if you keep struggling, you may also eventually sink into the abyss, but you will still be slower than others..."

"..."

"So..."

Xiao Xiao listened, he suddenly jolted awake, seemingly becoming more alert.

He realized once again that there was no Old Chairman around, nor any darkness that had turned into flesh and blood; there was only his own consciousness, which sank into the deepest part of his mind.

Because his brain is being modified, he is now in a state of deep despair.

Did the Old Chairman really have a conversation with me, or was it just my understanding of the Old Chairman that shaped me and led me to attempt a spiritual exchange with him?

This exchange seemed to have changed nothing, but it still stirred up a strong sense of resentment in him. He almost exhausted all his strength, trying to sense the remnants of his consciousness that he had left with Yang Jia, and through this consciousness, he observed himself in Yang Jia's eyes. He couldn't see any difference, but in the chaotic flow of his mind, the person carrying the briefcase was approaching him step by step, whispering some seductive words, "Zero, don't fall into this hypocritical self-pity anymore."

"You need to face reality so that you will understand that some things will eventually happen."

"For example, this little boy who starved to death on the street."

"For example, the woman who became a stepping stone in the World Upgrade Project..."

"Go..."

"..."

He said slowly, "Don't fight against this world, and no one can fight against this world. We just need to understand this world and become a part of it..."

From Yang Jia's perspective, she seemed to have been persuaded and was subconsciously nodding.

Yang Jia was probably frightened by this scene. She didn't realize that the person she was was no longer herself. She just hesitated, worried, and dared not speak or touch the person she was in at this moment.

"Yes..."

He suddenly sighed softly, "This world has always been like this."

"There will always be a little boy who starves to death on the street, there will always be a man who drowns in the sea of life, and there will always be someone who, because of something else, collapses in a coffee shop, clutching painful memories..."

"So what if the little girl is rotting?"

"What about the male patient who lives in agony and the female caregiver who dies in despair?"

"..."

He thought to himself, and it seemed as if he was unconsciously saying, "This world has always been like this, and it doesn't accept change."

"We can only accomplish certain things by adapting to the world."

"Or, escape."

"..."

"Um?"

The man carrying the briefcase seemed to pause slightly, then his face lit up with joy. He could sense that Xiao Xiao's mental world was rapidly changing in the direction he had been hoping for.

"Progress has begun again..."

Meanwhile, on the Lost Island, researchers were also very excited. "Although we haven't been able to completely shut it down, the adjustments we've made have yielded unexpected results..."

"Is the experiment really going to succeed?"

"..."

They stared intently at the screen, barely daring to breathe, filled with nervous anticipation.

"Did it really change him?"

Even the Shepherds who was now connected with them had a slight change in expression.

He didn't know how to describe his feelings. Indeed, he was a member of the Black Forest, and he should stand on the side of the Lost Island. In fact, the fact that the Lost Island was willing to connect with him meant that his previous work had been recognized by them, and they were absorbing him. Only by agreeing with them and identifying with them could he possibly join the Lost Island, which was the real Black Forest. But he didn't know why, watching the Subject Zero being reprogrammed, he felt an immense sadness...

"But..."

Similarly, as everyone watched with hope as a new, controlled, and true executor of the Noah Project appeared, Xiao Xiao uttered a barely perceptible murmur:

"I really don't like this kind of world..."

"..."

"What?"

On a practical level, the special envoy, who had been keeping a close eye on Xiao Xiao, suddenly frowned. "You don't like it?"

Does this world need your approval?

What can you possibly do?

"..."

Xiao Xiao remained silent. Then, seemingly having shut down and adjusted countless areas of his brain, he suddenly took a step and walked in one direction, as if in a daze.

That's where the little boy who died was.

He saw the little boy through Yang Jia and tried to control his body by drawing on the power of the spiritual ocean.

He walked slowly towards the little boy, step by step. As he did this, three eyes began to slowly split off from his body. These were his Eye of the Seer, his own. The brain on the Lost Island had the same structure as him, but it did not have these three eyes. That brain could shut down Xiao Xiao, but it could not stop him from controlling these three eyes if Xiao Xiao was not completely shut down.

And these three eyes are gradually overlapping.

Thus, in the dark red vision, the little boy in Xiao Xiao's eyes began to experience life in reverse. He gradually woke up, resting his chin on his hand.

The blood on his head began to slowly seep into his wound, and the movie in the glass window started playing again.

The owner of the music store, as time reversed, slowly awoke, opened his eyes, and looked at the world with a bewildered expression.

How could that be?

On the Lost Island, everyone was suddenly taken aback. Looking at the data on the screen, the data that had been progressing rapidly and was even close to reaching its limit was now declining wildly.

On a practical level, Xiao Xiao is moving faster and faster, and more and more naturally.

In his eyes, the little boy and the boss had gone back to when they first became acquainted and started watching movies together.

This was merely a rewind of time using the Eye of the Seer, not real. Yet, in this rewind of time, Xiao Xiao's steps grew increasingly firm. He slowly walked to the little boy's side and gently stood still. Thus, the little boy, who was squatting outside the glass window on the street, and the owner of the video store now had him between them. He was also quietly watching the movie. Both the little boy and the video store owner saw him. One wanted to slip away quietly, while the other wanted to stand up and greet this unexpected customer.

"Take this and buy something to eat!"

Xiao Xiao called out to the little boy who was trying to slip away, handed him a banknote, then turned to the owner of the music store and said softly, "If I were you, I would invite him into the store."

"After all, dying alone on a recliner would leave many regrets."

"..."

The owner of the video store was suddenly stunned. He didn't understand why this strange customer would say such a thing.

But inexplicably, what he said to me stirred something within me, as if I had truly experienced the regret he spoke of.

"Let's go!"

Xiao Xiao greeted the shopkeeper with a smile, took out all the money he had on him, bought the movie that was playing, and then put it back in the shopkeeper's hand, saying with a smile, "Give this to him for me!"

As he turned and left, this gray world began to radiate light.

Gradually, more and more pedestrians entered this world, and the sunlight overhead began to shine into it.

The video store owner, holding the film, looked at the little boy standing helplessly on the street corner, suddenly made up his mind, smiled and beckoned to him, "Come here, kid, sit on the sofa and watch... Can you sweep the floor?"

What was originally a fictional time travel turned into a real scene when Xiao Xiao left, and gradually synchronized with reality.

At this moment, even Yang Jia stared wide-eyed at Xiao Xiao in disbelief:

She didn't understand how that was done.

"Reality reset, Overlord..."

Not far away, the person carrying the silver briefcase, who witnessed this scene, turned ashen-faced and hissed in a low voice, "This is unreasonable! The World Will cannot be defied..."

"Yes!"

Xiao Xiao stood on the street, bathed in sunlight, and slowly turned to look at him, saying, "The World Will is indeed irresistible."

"But I am also a member of the World Will..."

Even if I only represent a tiny fraction of the countless people in this world, I am still influencing the will of the world...

"This world may be terrifyingly indifferent, but I can always use my insignificant little thing to make up for what's missing in this world, right?"

"..."

He laughed as he spoke, saying, "There's too much suffering in this world; I don't like it."

"So, I want her to have more of something beautiful."

"You may weep, you may not understand, but I think only you, along with me, can truly represent the essence of this world, right?"

Nine thousand words! I feel like I've done it again!!