Twelve Mysterious Guideposts (Six Thousand Words)

The first mental resonance only affected the trial participants and those who had already profited from certain products from Black Forest.

Some of them became the Mysterious Source, while others became among the first strangers. Because of their appearance, countless mysterious phenomena and Aberrant Creature began to appear in this world. But for most people in this world, they didn't know what was happening. They only felt that the world was becoming increasingly oppressive and numb, and that social order was on the verge of collapse, yet it was barely clinging to life. People became dull and sluggish, almost losing their pursuit of anything new and beautiful.

But now, Xiao Xiao has brought about a second spiritual resonance.

He wasn't as powerful Patient Zero, nor did he bring about a fundamental change to the world.

But he made a breakthrough in breadth; his spiritual resonance has influenced everyone in the world.

After all, he was a man living in the cracks, and after forty years of fermentation, the mysterious power had affected everyone in the world. Therefore, Xiao Xiao had essentially activated this power.

These ordinary people also felt a spiritual shock at this moment.

Some people will see the same writhing flesh and blood as the strangers in the land; some will have nightmares; and some will hear the woman crying.

The world will inevitably descend into chaos.

In this chaos, they will see each other's malice, the spiritual state of this vast city, their distorted neighbors, and things they usually deliberately ignore.

Some people might think this is destroying the world...

Xiao Xiao thought to himself: It's okay!

He wasn't going to explain; let's just say he was destroying the world.

Thinking about all this, Xiao Xiao, with Yang Jia in tow, sank into the enormous flesh and blood beneath his feet. The next moment, he returned to Black Gate City.

Now, with the emergence of spiritual resonance, Black Gate City is also engulfed in that enormous nightmare. Some are wailing in the streets, some are screaming in their rooms, and countless others are terrified of the enormous flesh and blood around them, worshipping it. But not everyone is like that; some are curious, looking at the world with eyes full of exploration. At the same time, Ling Ping, Old Zhou Under the Bridge, the Serpent Sisters, Ruan Ruan, Little Four, and a group of strangers all landed on the tops of various buildings, watching the city warily.

They were also somewhat bewildered, not understanding how this phenomenon had occurred.

Go tell them to get ready!

Xiao Xiao whispered to Yang Jia, "I'm going to see someone, I'll be back soon!"

After saying all that, his figure disappeared again. Centered on him, the entire city shifted thousands of meters horizontally, and his figure reappeared in his own alley.

At the end of an upward flight of stairs, the door had quietly opened.

Unlike before when she always avoided Xiao Xiao, and the last time when Xiao Xiao had to knock on the door for a long time, this time, the World Will, or rather, Lady Fate, actually opened the door ahead of time and waited for Xiao Xiao to come over.

Seeing this change, Xiao Xiao knew that his guess was correct, so he breathed a sigh of relief and went upstairs.

This time, the room seemed to come alive. There was a water glass on the table, the TV was on, showing some chaotic situations in the world, but there was no sound. The sofa was covered with fluffy cushions, and there were even a few bottles lying next to it...

... Red nail polish?

Xiao Xiao glanced over and suddenly understood. "Toenail polish."

He saw Lady Fate, still wearing a white dress, her toenails painted bright and lovely, gracefully holding a wine glass, twirling around the room.

She snapped her fingers together, and the Record Player Miss reluctantly started playing music.

"You seem to be in a good mood?"

Xiao Xiao looked around the room, then found a sofa to sit on. He wasn't far from the Record Player Miss, and without even saying hello, the music playing on the Record Player Miss suddenly sounded a bit melancholic.

"Yes..."

Lady Fate gracefully went to the wine cabinet, poured a glass of wine for Xiao Xiao, and placed it in front of him.

With a smile in her eyes, she looked into Xiao Xiao's eyes and asked, "Why did you do this?"

Although she didn't ask explicitly, the television screen behind her showed countless figures of people caught in panic and struggle, seemingly asking Xiao Xiao why he had triggered this second mental resonance.

"And you?"

Xiao Xiao wasn't in a hurry to answer. He looked at her and said, "Why are you cooperating with them to try to turn me into someone else?"

Earlier, when he was fighting against the people from Lost Island, he clearly felt that Lost Island possessed a brain cloned from his own. By stimulating that brain, it could influence him. However, that brain was only the source, but the one that played this role was the World Will. At that time, he was under the oppression of almost the entire world and all the spiritual oceans. Naturally, the shadow of the Lady Fate in front of him was also present. Therefore, now that he was back, Xiao Xiao naturally had to ask her about this matter.

"Because I was created by them..."

Lady Fate was surprisingly more agreeable this time, saying softly, "The Black Forest... I mean the people of the Black Forest before, which is now the Lost Island. They want to upgrade this world, so of course they need tools. That's why we were created. Our main purpose in being created is to control the Spirit Ocean. In the Black Forest's original plan, we would become the twelve components that link and control the Spirit Ocean. When they complete this plan, they will control the entire ocean."

"From now on, human history, the future, memory, emotions, and will will all be subject to them."

"It has to be admitted that even forty years later, the thought of their great courage is still awe-inspiring..."

"..."

So, this is the truth behind the Twelve Divine Guides?

World Will...

They are merely masquerading as the World Will; in reality, they are not the true World Will, but rather implanted wills.

"Since that's the case..."

Xiao Xiao took a deep breath, looked at her again, and said, "Then why did you help me?"

This is precisely the question that Xiao Xiao came here specifically to ask.

When Lost Island attempted to shut itself down, Lady Fate did participate, but when it was close to being shut down, she helped it. If it weren't for the fact that it still had a little bit of consciousness, which it had entrusted to Yang Jia, it might not have woken up so smoothly.

Is this the real reason she gave herself that ring?

Or perhaps she already knew that in her subsequent confrontations with certain people, she needed to leave a backup plan for her own consciousness.

"Because..."

In response to Xiao Xiao's question, Lady Fate gently sat down beside him, sighed softly, and said, "Although I was created, I have truly become the will of this world..."

"Our role is to control the entire spiritual ocean on behalf of Lost Island. Since we are to control it, we have to merge with the spiritual ocean. I was the first one sent out for testing, and I was also used to guide the Noah Project to proceed smoothly. When I merged with the spiritual ocean, I could feel the countless thoughts and emotions in this ocean, and see their memories. Lost Island only focused on the role I could play, but did not realize that in this process, I would also be contaminated... contaminated by human characteristics."

"So, I've been waiting for this opportunity, waiting for someone like you..."

"..."

Xiao Xiao frowned, then suddenly asked, "What about the others? Are the other Mysterious Guidepost like yours?"

"That's not the case."

Lady Fate gently shook her head, downed the wine in her glass in one gulp, and slowly said:

"The Compass of Fate, the Glass Crown, the Cradle of Birth, the Blade-less Sword, the Midnight Veil, the Coveted Black Box, the Whispering Serpent, the Blue Princess Dress, the Shattered Teardrop Necklace, the Slumber Pillow, and... the Singing Key."

"These are the Twelve Mysterious Guidepost, which can also be understood as the twelve most powerful special items in the world."

"..."

Xiao Xiao listened silently, and suddenly seemed to have guessed something. After a slight silence, he looked at Lady Fate seriously and said softly, "So, how were you created?"

"Of course it's her."

Lady Fate seemed to hesitate slightly when faced with Xiao Xiao's question, but in the end, she smiled gently and said, "There are countless Enhancement Element and aberrations in this world, so why are we called the most powerful?"

"Because we are products of her emotions..."

"..."

"Her? Her own emotions?"

Xiao Xiao's heart suddenly trembled, and he looked at Lady Fate with a solemn expression.

He now understands many secrets of this world, such as the emergence of Aberrant Creature. Each Aberrant Creature arises from pain, which generates intense mental fluctuations with unique frequencies. When these fluctuations resonate with the woman's spirit, they become a specific weapon. Therefore, all the Enhancement Element and Aberrant Creature in this world are related to her, which is why that woman is called the Singularity.

But Xiao Xiao never expected that the origin of the twelve Mysterious Guidepost actually came from that woman.

"Yes, the Twelve Mysterious Guidepost, which are the twelve qualities she possesses. This was the Black Forest's most successful research before the first spiritual resonance."

Lady Fate whispered to Xiao Xiao, "We came because of her, so we treat her the same way you treat the special weapons you bought. Therefore, although the Black Forest controls us, she is our true master."

"And you..."

"..."

Meeting his gaze, Xiao Xiao suddenly understood why she had called him "Little Master" before.

This is because he possesses that woman's qualities, and at 100% concentration, so to the Twelve Mysterious Guidepost, he is that woman's incarnation.

No wonder, they resemble that woman so much more than other Mysterious Source.

Because they themselves came from that woman, although they were merely some kind of spiritual crystallization of that woman, they were indeed closer to her than any Mysterious Source.

"If each of the twelve Mysterious Guidepost represents a certain quality she possesses, then you..."

"I represent destiny!"

Lady Fate said softly, "So, theoretically speaking, I am the weakest, because she has never been able to control her own destiny."

"But because her fate was so tortuous and bizarre, I was also the most cunning."

"She is not dead yet, so her fate is uncertain, which is why I was finally able to find an opportunity to escape the Black Forest."

"Moreover, because I represent her fate, I don't want her to continue to suffer in such pain and despair. So, I chose you. I hope you can give her at least a warmer ending."

"..."

Xiao Xiao looked at her intently for a long time before softly asking, "Would other Mysterious Guidepost think the same way you do?"

"Every Mysterious Guidepost is different."

Lady Fate sighed softly and said, "Some of them represent her aspirations for life, some represent her loneliness and numbness, and some even represent her negative emotions and her self-destructive desires..."

"She is indeed our master, but Dante, Hell, or the Lost Island all have various ways to control them."

"I understand why you did this, and I did indeed benefit greatly from this spiritual resonance, but I think it will force them to use all their strength to deal with us..."

"..."

"I know."

Xiao Xiao finally laughed and said, "But that's not important."

Lady Fate looked at him with some surprise.

Xiao Xiao had now found his answer. He stood up, picked up his coat, and prepared to go out. He smiled and said to her, "Knowing what you want to do is the most important thing."

When he appeared on the second floor of the Iceberg Bar, all the outsiders in Black Gate City had already gathered, including some newcomers being trained by Red Eyes Ling Ping. They were clearly panicked; the madness unfolding in various cities was beyond their comprehension, and they didn't know how to handle it. They were already anxiously waiting for Xiao Xiao's return, but when they learned from Yang Jia that Xiao Xiao was the one who had caused all this, their expressions became even more uneasy. They looked at each other, completely at a loss...

Holy crap, I was just wondering who caused such a terrifying thing...

... So it was us?

"President..."

Upon seeing Xiao Xiao, they immediately surrounded him, clearly having a lot to say.

But Xiao Xiao interrupted them directly, saying, "I've been gone for so long, how's Noah coming along?"

"... Should we still build it?"

Everyone was momentarily stunned. Then, Mister Ye's voice came through the phone. "We already possess the Dragonbone to build this massive ship, ensuring we can withstand the impact and tearing of various mental currents in the Mist Sea. We also possess the seven major components for building this ship. The last component was delivered by Deep Dark City half a month ago. However, we didn't anticipate the world would descend into such chaos, which is very disadvantageous for us, especially when we need to clear our course..."

Even though Mister Ye spoke calmly, and the others around him were looking at him cautiously, Xiao Xiao could sense their subtle confusion.

The third step of Noah Project is to clear the flight path. This was something that could have been handled when Xiao Xiao left Black Gate City.

Because a major war was raging in the foreigner community at the time, Black Gate City could easily use the conflicts between the cities to accomplish this.

But now things are different. The whole world is in a state of great panic and in complete chaos. As a result, if Black Gate City wants to complete this step, it will need to remeasure, which will require a massive amount of work and may even be impossible to complete.

"Clear the flight path?"

But upon hearing his words, Xiao Xiao suddenly laughed and said, "We don't need to clear the flight path anymore."

Everyone was taken aback and looked at him with some confusion.

Xiao Xiao also let out a slow breath, looked out the window, and said in a low voice, "When the flood submerges the whole world, our shipping routes will be everywhere."

"When the world is gripped by fear, any direction leads to hell."

"So, it's time for us to build a ship."

"..."

After these words were spoken, there was a long silence in the room, but then, a hint of joy began to appear on everyone's faces.

The chaos and panic they experienced this time were unexpected, so they were inevitably affected. Xiao Xiao's explanation did not immediately make them understand what to do.

However, the firmness in Xiao Xiao's words was something they could directly feel.

In particular, if shipbuilding really starts now, wouldn't that mean that Black Gate City's Noah Project, which has been working hard for so many years, is finally about to take that substantial step?

"I'll take charge of building this big ship."

Mister Ye was the first to speak, and he whispered his assurance over the phone, "It will be quick."

"I... I..."

Ruan Ruan and the Serpent Sisters also looked delighted. "I'll go help."

Of course, there's no need for division of labor now. Since we're really going to start building this huge ship, everyone in Black Gate City has to get involved. Whether it's building the ship, preparing necessities for the Noah Project, or selling tickets, everyone's faces are filled with undisguised joy. Even Old Zhou Under the Bridge, who usually has a gloomy expression, has a noticeably wider smile. But amidst the hustle and bustle, only Yang Jia, after everyone has left, suddenly Xiao Xiao, "Are we really going to start this plan?"

"I can sense that you seem to be hiding something..."

"..."

"I didn't intentionally hide it, it's just that they didn't need to know."

Xiao Xiao turned to look at her and said with a smile, "Just do your own job. For example, I saved you your favorite one."

"What you like?"

Xiao Xiao paused for a moment before saying, "What?"

"Boom!"

At that very moment, the entire Black Gate City was suddenly shaken.

If the city is viewed as a whole, it is as if some enormous thing has crashed into it, causing her to tremble slightly and seem unsteady on her feet.

What is that?

Caught off guard, Yang Jia immediately turned to look outside, and upon seeing what was there, she almost completely lost control of her expression.

Xiao Xiao turned around, his gaze piercing through the layers of buildings, looking straight out of the city, and chuckled softly, "The gift I prepared for you..."

From the perspective of a stranger, Black Gate City has always been isolated in a vast Mist Sea, immense and profound, with lights like stars. But now, amidst the unfathomable mist and the flesh and blood that crisscross it, countless enormous, twisted, and indescribable monsters are slowly approaching Black Gate City. They seem to embody greed and danger themselves. The tremor just now was caused by the first enormous monster to arrive at Black Gate City, smashing its head against the ground.

It's not just these monsters.

In another direction, a massive black ship, drifting above the mist, slowly approached Black Gate City.

The ship bears the symbols of Hell Organization that strike fear into the hearts of all strangers.

In the opposite direction, trains sped along the flesh and blood, carrying countless strangers.

Behind the deep, Mist Sea, countless strange and terrifying things lurk, their cold, sinister eyes fixed on Black Gate City.

Yang Jia was almost speechless. "They..."

"I caused this massive flood, and they probably don't like that, so it's understandable that they're coming to settle scores with me."

Xiao Xiao smiled and explained to her, "However, this is also a necessary step for us to carry out the Noah Project. Once this is resolved, nothing will be able to stop our plan."

"But this..."

Yang Jia's expression turned tense. Countless words wanted to be said, but when they reached the tip of her tongue, she could only sigh helplessly, "You actually treated something like this as a gift..."

"You've been wanting to make a move for a while now, haven't you?"

Xiao Xiao laughed and said, "This time, you can vent your anger to your heart's content."

"President Xiao, you really don't need to take things this far."

Black Gate City, shrouded in darkness, emanated an astonishing spiritual power that startled the flesh-and-blood monsters that had first arrived above it, causing them to cower and retreat. On the foremost Black Gate City, the leader of the Hell Organization, dressed in a black suit, slowly emerged. He coldly gazed towards Black Gate City and said in a deep voice, "I don't understand why you would trigger such a spiritual shock, plunging this world into a nightmare. But have you considered this?"

"The effects of the first mental shock continue to corrode this world to this day, and only killing the one who sealed himself away can eliminate it."

"And the mental shock you triggered plunged the entire world into a nightmare, just like that..."

"Only by destroying you can this end!"

"..."

"Now, all the Mysterious Source want to devour you, and all the strangers and mysterious organizations cannot stand by and watch you destroy this world."

Another person took over the conversation. It was the Old Chairman of the Dante Organization who came from another direction. His voice was filled with deep helplessness and confusion. "You already have a terrifying opponent like the Lost Island, so why do you want to put yourself in a position of being at odds with the world?"

As they were talking, Xiao Xiao and Yang Jia's figures appeared above the city.

With a smile on his face, he said, "Because... I like it?"

It's really the last volume I've written; it's so hard to write.

You dug your own hole, and you have to fill it in while crying.