Compass of Fate and Whispering Serpent (Seven Thousand Words)

At this moment, Xiao Xiao himself didn't know whether he had summoned the Butcher or whether the Butcher had sensed something and appeared beside him on its own. He didn't know why, but he felt anger, and an unprecedented, despairing sadness...

It was precisely because of this that he unleashed unimaginable power the moment he made a move, dismembering countless Mysterious Source.

Should we protect the little girl's initial dream?

To be fair, the Butcher's power is indeed extremely strong, and has long since reached a level that can be prefixed with the word "hell." However, compared to the Mysterious Source, he should still be far behind. Especially now that the Mysterious Source has been driven here, it is a powerful force that was forcibly driven here by the Mysterious Guidepost Glass Crown. But the power that the Butcher has unleashed at this moment actually possesses a power that can rival such things, and can even be described as ferocious and powerful when facing them.

It can only be said that human emotions can always unleash power beyond limits.

Unfortunately, the Butcher's performance exceeded expectations, but the number of the driven Mysterious Source was too large, enough to overwhelm the entire Black Gate City.

No one has ever calculated how many Mysterious Source there are in this world.

All that is known is that, driven by the Glass Crown, the endless Mysterious Source surged forth like a black tide, madly attacking Xiao Xiao and Black Gate City.

Xiao Xiao wanted to bring a great flood to the world, but in the end, he himself was the first to be submerged by the sea.

Today, the two major organizations, Dante and Hell, as well as some other powerful Outlander organizations, are watching this scene from afar and are already feeling a chill run down their spines, unable to imagine what this level of impact represents.

This scene seems to confirm Dante Organization's assessment of Xiao Xiao:

Xiao Xiao now virtually unchallenged.

The only way to court death is to want to kill yourself.

Just like the Mysterious Source in the past, for some time, they wanted to kill him collectively, and even elected City of Rest as their representative. However, under those circumstances, this madman failed to make these Mysterious Source succeed. Instead, he successfully defeated City of Rest, causing the Mysterious Source to split up among themselves... But who would have thought that not long after, the Mysterious Source would actually launch a collective attack on Black Gate City? Most importantly, this crazy scene was actually caused by him.

What, you want to prove to others that you're so capable that you can kill yourself?

"Well..."

But just as everyone's mood reached its lowest point, almost unwilling to see Xiao Xiao, who had caused so much turmoil in this chaotic era, die in such a depressing atmosphere, a soft sigh rang out from within Black Gate City:

"Although I can vaguely guess why you would do this, I still have to admit that it's very risky..."

"..."

The speaker's voice was ethereal and uncertain, and only Xiao Xiao could hear it clearly. As the myriad Mysterious Source surged toward Black Gate City, he turned around and looked at the white dress that was faintly visible within Black Gate City.

Lady Fate's expression seemed ethereal and profound.

Xiao Xiao watched her from afar, saying nothing, but simply smiling and nodding gently.

This was telling her that she was indeed prepared to do it.

In Lady Fate's eyes, it was unclear whether she felt helpless or sighed. Just as the numerous, almost endless Mysterious Source were about to rush directly to Black Gate City and crush it, Lady Fate suddenly flickered. She was in the very center of Black Gate City, which had transformed into a gigantic flesh and blood entity. The space around her suddenly became layered, and her shadow also became unstable at this moment, as if countless shadows had overlapped to form her current appearance.

Even more fatally, as her shadow appeared in countless overlapping states, all the Mysterious Source that approached Black Gate City also appeared in overlapping states.

As if triggering a resonance, it forcibly pulled the other party into the scattered shadows.

"Huh?"

In this chaotic and overlapping state, both the Butcher and Cerberus suddenly realized something.

At first, they could hardly imagine or understand what was going on, but their instincts led them to seize the opportunity and charge forward in a frenzied and violent manner.

Facing their chainsaws and sharp teeth, these Mysterious Source should not have been afraid, or even taken seriously. But the truth was, the moment they made contact, Cerberus and the Butcher suddenly unleashed terrifying power. The enormous chainsaw grew to thousands of meters long, violently churning the space. The bodies of those Mysterious Source, as large as whales, strange and ferocious, were forcibly torn apart. Flesh, bones, and even the Pain Substance contained within them all rained down on Black Gate City.

Cerberus, also engulfed in rolling flames, scorched and roared as it burned the Mysterious Source.

"That is..."

Everyone watched this scene in horror, feeling their scalp tingle.

How is that possible?

In their eyes, they Mingming saw a pride of lions charging ferociously at a flock of only a few sheep. Everyone thought that the next step would be for those lambs to be torn to pieces by the lions.

But surprisingly, after the lion charged right up to them, the lamb suddenly unleashed its might, viciously biting the charging lion to death. Not only did it kill the lion, it also scattered the lion's flesh and blood everywhere as if it were free.

A lion killing a lamb is cruel.

But for a lamb to kill a lion is a nightmare.

Only Xiao Xiao, upon witnessing this scene, smiled and gave a grateful smile to the Lady Fate in the white dress behind him.

I am grateful that she believed in me and was willing to risk everything for me.

[Sequence 1 of the Twelve Mysterious Guidepost: The Compass of Destiny]

[Level: None]

[Points redemption: None]

[Note: Fate represents countless possibilities. We have all had countless fates—perhaps happy, perhaps tragic, perhaps beautiful, perhaps lonely. But her fate, at a certain point in time, began to slide uncontrollably into an abyss. From then on, every step she took was controlled by others. Knowing that the next step would bring her even more pain, she never had the power to choose. So, she once imagined, how wonderful it would be if she could choose her own fate...]

[Ability: To spin the compass and choose the fate for other spiritual beings.]

[The Price: Those who control their destiny will ultimately be devoured by it!]

[...]

Even Xiao Xiao only understood Lady Fate's true abilities at this moment.

Choose your destiny.

She and the other eleven Mysterious Guidepost all came from Patient Zero, and she was Patient Zero's despair at being unable to choose her own fate.

Patient Zero also hoped to choose his own destiny, which is why the Compass of Fate was created.

It was probably because of this trait that Lost Island sent her to Black Gate City, attempting to use her power to influence itself, and among countless possibilities, forced itself to become the executor of the Noah Project, to help them close the singularity.

But fate seems to be playing tricks on us, and those who control destiny are ultimately punished; the Lost Island is now being punished as well.

Lady Fate did indeed lead him in the direction the Lost Island most desired, but at the last moment, he disagreed with them, and they couldn't do anything about it...

... Isn't it infuriating?

However, now that Lady Fate's power has been revealed to the world, it has undoubtedly caused a huge uproar. The fact that the Glass Crown can control most of the Mysterious Source in this world is already terrifying enough, but Lady Fate's power is even more bizarre. She directly chooses the fate for those Mysterious Source, causing them to fall from their dimensions in a very short time and become their weakest selves. Thus, they, who should have been the Hunter, have become the hunted targets in front of Black Gate City...

Forced to weaken to the weakest point in the possibilities of fate.

It sounds unbelievable, but the Mysterious Guidepost does indeed possess such abilities.

"Traitor!"

In contrast to the astonishment of Dante Organization's and Hell Organization, the Lost Island side was now filled with rage, shouting, "Have you found out how she escaped our control?"

"No!"

The staff member reported in a low voice, "The second mental resonance came too quickly; we had no chance to investigate it at all."

"Madman, traitor!"

The higher-ups on Lost Island could barely control their emotions, shouting, "Then stop investigating! Destroy her! Just destroy her along with that out-of-control experimental subject!"

"Authorization: Sequence 5 Tier 0 Weapon".

"..."

"?"

Even the staff below were taken aback upon hearing this, and a sense of panic crept in.

"Have the higher-ups lost their minds in anger?"

"Why did you authorize the use of that... most twisted and insidious thing so easily?"

"That thing is ranked second in danger..."

"..."

But after the higher-ups gave the order, they had no other choice. Besides, looking at Black Gate City now, it had become a bloodbath, a scene that could only be described as mountains of corpses and seas of blood. The loss of any one of those countless Mysterious Source would have been a major event that would have shocked the entire alien community, but now, weakened by Lady Fate and driven mad by Butcher and Cerberus, their lives seemed to have become worthless. One by one, like giant whales, they piled up into huge mountains in Black Gate City...

They were nourishing Black Gate City like nutrients, providing it with a boost of spiritual power.

The original Black Gate City was at most a level two city, but these Mysterious Source brought a crazy and bizarre spiritual power, causing Black Gate City to expand exponentially.

Centered on Black Gate City, a vast spiritual domain far exceeding the T0 level is forming.

This kind of spiritual realm, capable of throwing the entire world out of balance, is undoubtedly extremely terrifying. This is probably why the Lost Island suddenly disregarded everything and directly decided to use another Mysterious Guidepost.

"Whoosh!"

It could be said that they were racing against time, trying to prevent the crazy mental domain of Black Gate City from expanding out of control. Among the staff sent out by Lost Island, some put on special masks and silently issued the "activation" command.

The next moment, a huge, terrifying electric current suddenly cascaded down from the mask and enveloped his entire body.

The officer screamed in pain, and at the same time, a black, eerie snake suddenly slithered out of his open mouth.

The snake was clearly visible at first, but after it completely emerged from the man's mouth, it immediately vanished into the surrounding layers of chaotic mental currents. No one knew where it went, but many who had reached certain levels suddenly felt a chill run down their spines. They looked around warily but found nothing amiss. However, the feeling of unease grew stronger, and when the change finally occurred, they realized that they no longer had the power to alter everything...

"Um?"

The Butcher, wildly wielding his chainsaw, suddenly realized that the hateful, eerie, and Mysterious Source around him had vanished.

There wasn't a single one in sight; the surroundings were completely empty.

Then, he discovered that the chainsaw in his hands was gone, and his hands were empty.

Before he could do anything in his rage, he suddenly noticed that his apron was gone, replaced by a white dress.

I've gotten shorter too.

There were no Butcher, no killings, only a helpless girl standing in this empty battlefield, unable to find an opponent, a weapon, or even herself.

Cerberus was also stunned; they had separated at some point and transformed into their own forms.

Some squatted on the ground, tilting their heads to look around.

Some remained vigilant, growling incessantly.

Some... have already started happily chasing after butterflies that don't even exist.

Even Xiao Xiao sensed something amiss. He had been standing atop the flesh-and-blood body of Black Gate City, controlling the entire battlefield, but suddenly the illusions around him vanished. He found himself standing in the middle of a street in Black Gate City, surrounded by bustling crowds. No one paid him any attention; they simply walked past him indifferently. He felt almost swallowed up by the city, unable to see the horizon, any familiar faces, or even where he was or where he should go...

He frowned slightly and moved his feet quietly.

Splash...

But just as he made that slight movement, the surrounding crowd suddenly stopped.

The scenes before his eyes began to distort. He saw brightly dressed Bosozoku Biker Gang shouting and beating passersby; he saw pimps leading a string of women on chains and selling them on the street; he saw a frenzied crowd breaking down shop doors. The familiarity of these scenes assaulted his vision and mind. He felt as if he had returned to the powerless state he had been in when he first woke up, back to this world, seeing its distortions and strangeness, yet powerless to make any changes.

"So..."

Xiao Xiao stood silently in the middle of the street, raising his palm to look at it, muttering to himself, "Is this the power of distortion?"

As he was thinking this, the chaotic scene around him began to approach, and those chaotic things began to threaten him.

"That's true..."

Xiao Xiao gradually became certain of his decision and sighed softly.

[Sequence 5 of the Twelve Mysterious Guidepost: The Whispering Serpent]

[Level: None]

[Points redemption: None]

[Note: Is it wrong, and shameful, for someone to have dark and twisted thoughts? She often suffers inner torment because she discovers that she isn't entirely honest either. Sometimes she refuses to admit things that are Mingming true, such as being crazy, not doing well enough, or being capable of doing something but simply not Mingming to, stubbornly making excuses for herself. She feels so ashamed of herself...]

Why do I have such dark and despicable thoughts? Is it because I am a bad person? Or is there a tempting snake lurking in the shadows, urging me on?

[Ability: To awaken and materialize the darkest and most somber scenes in everyone's heart, distorting all that is real]

[...]

The chaos around him had begun to affect Xiao Xiao. Those ugly faces flashed before his Xiao Xiao, constantly stirring up feelings of frustration and anger within him.

But at this moment, Xiao Xiao actually felt a deep sense of sympathy.

They all came from that Patient Zero.

These Mysterious Guidepost, no matter how powerful, all originated from her.

Even now, he had heard Lady Fate mention those names before, so he could guess that what was currently in use was that Mysterious Guidepost called "Whispering Serpent".

But unexpectedly, the origin of this thing was like this.

Everyone has dark and twisted thoughts, and everyone has an ugly side hidden inside. After all, there aren't that many saints in this world, or perhaps, the things hidden in the hearts of saints are even uglier.

But people are different. Why is it that some people, after revealing the ugly things in their hearts, still act dignified, while others, upon discovering such ugly things in their hearts, become ashamed and remorseful?

Is it because we deserve it?

"Buzz..."

As he pondered these thoughts, the chaotic crowd drew near.

Countless outstretched hands grasped his shadow, creating a chaotic and intertwined mental current that made his figure flicker unpredictably.

A profound sense of shame and self-reproach sprouted from his heart, like thorns piercing out, as if he were facing accusations from countless people wearing clown masks.

This shame was accumulating, and all this distortion seemed to originate from myself.

He was blaming himself and wished he could die on the spot to atone for his sins.

Only...

... These are the emotions in that woman's heart!

Facing this endless chaos, Xiao Xiao suddenly sneered. He was also an observer, so he could better feel the pain that Patient Zero was experiencing because of this sensitivity. However, he felt very disdainful.

"So what if I'm ugly?"

"I can usually hide this ugliness because I want to be a decent and friendly person."

"But when you accuse me of not being able to have this ugly self, why don't I let you open your eyes and see just how distorted this world has become?"

"..."

So when he saw all these distorted things piled up in front of him, he actually laughed.

Then, he stood in the center of the city, looking at the chaotic crowd, and suddenly smiled and said, "Boss, you haven't had much time to rest and recuperate, it's time to get back to work, isn't it?"

As soon as he uttered those words, the chaotic crowd around him suddenly stopped moving.

Immediately afterwards, from deep within the crowd, a voice filled with resentment rang out. "I'm not your employee, I'm your boss. Why can you order me around so casually..."

"... And yet I'm still very happy?"

"..."

Xiao Xiao laughed and said, "Is it because you're a nice person?"

"That's right..."

The Rabbit Boss seemed pleased, but then added, "However, there's one thing you're wrong about. I'm not the one doing the work."

"It's revenge."

"..."

As these words fell, the surrounding crowd was suddenly torn apart, and the Rabbit Boss's eerie figure quietly appeared from the bottom of Black Gate City.

Beside her were the Iceberg Bar's countless VIP customers.

Earlier, under the key of Lost Island, Rabbit Boss was recycled and used as a weapon to restrain Xiao Xiao. Through her, they indirectly controlled these VIP customers, or rather, the Hell Legion. However, what Lost Island did not expect was that Xiao Xiao would then use his connection with the cloned brain to directly destroy the secret laboratory and destroy the key they used to control Rabbit Boss. But they did not care, because all their attention was focused on Xiao Xiao.

And the Rabbit Boss really didn't show up again, almost forgotten by them.

Only Xiao Xiao hadn't forgotten; he deeply understood just how terrifying the Rabbit Boss's potential truly was.

She has been recuperating and rebuilding, or rather, waiting for an opportunity to strengthen her power again, and now Black Gate City has become the world's largest breeding ground.

In just half an hour, countless Mysterious Source have perished here, turning Black Gate City into a city dozens, or even hundreds of times larger than before.

In the process, the Rabbit Boss also gained endless power.

It can be said that at this moment, she and the Hell Legion possessed a power that almost no one could control, not even Xiao Xiao.

But Xiao Xiao wasn't in control; he was just asking her for help.

The Rabbit Boss was delighted, and the people in the Hell Legion were also very happy...

... This is the request from the owner of the Iceberg Bar, this is the call of the idol, how could we not respond?

"Splash..."

A crazy scene appeared before this world in a very reasonable way.

Even the appearance of the Whispering Serpent caused Black Gate City to suddenly turn into a deathly silence, seemingly allowing Lost Island to easily reclaim the city. However, suddenly, countless chaotic crowds, carrying twisted and bizarre spiritual energy, emerged from the city. They were like a group of monsters... no, they were monsters to begin with. They swiftly climbed over the corpses of the Mysterious Source, laughing strangely, sniffing and searching for traces of Lost Island staff in the surrounding area...

"Impossible, why can't the Whispering Serpent affect them?"

In the delicately balanced world created by the Whispering Serpent, the appearance of such a chaotic group of madmen is simply devastating.

The staff at Lost Island also cried out in disbelief, finding it utterly unbelievable.

"It's not just that the Whispering Serpent can't affect them."

Meanwhile, the leader of the Hell Organization, dressed in a black suit, saw the crux of the problem, his expression turning helpless and strange. "They're influencing the Whispering Serpent..."

The more he looked at it, the more absurd it seemed. He had never imagined that things could be resolved this way. "The Whispering Serpent can bring distortion and chaos. Anyone who resists distortion and chaos will be targeted by the Whispering Serpent and trapped in an inescapable snare..."

"But only these lunatics!"

"Instead of resisting, they enjoy this distortion and chaos."

"They made no attempt to fight the Serpent of Repudiation; instead, they served it and amplified its power, so..."

"... They directly joined forces with them."

"..."

At first, he just noticed it, but the more he talked about it, the more admiring he became. "I have to admit, that Chairman Xiao really knows how to utilize this kind of wonderful bond..."

"But I really don't understand how he managed to make this group of lunatics and perverts so devoted to him?"

"Didn't the Lost Island's previous attempt to reclaim this legion also fail?"

"Logically, after being forcibly taken back once, the Hell Legion should be very resistant to being controlled, but now they..."

"..."

Amidst his questioning voice, the White Devil beside him, after carefully observing for a while, wondered, "Perhaps... he's not in control of this legion, but simply that the legion worships him?"

"?"

The leader of the Hell Organization was stunned. "Things can't be going to turn out like this?"

In their speculation, this world is becoming increasingly lively.

The Whispering Serpent did achieve its desired result, but unexpectedly, it not only achieved it, but also went too far. This situation completely stunned the people of Lost Island. They felt that the distortion and chaos, which was originally intended to be controlled only within Black Gate City, suddenly spread. The Whispering Serpent's power was rapidly increasing and spreading, and in the blink of an eye, it had broken through the boundaries of Black Gate City, like an out-of-control wildfire, raging wildly towards the surrounding world...

This terrified them.

The Whispering Serpent is already the second most dangerous monster, and the most difficult to control.

Now things are getting worse; its rate of loss of control is escalating rapidly, and it looks like it's about to exceed the control limits of Lost Island.

"Is this what it feels like to be normal and fight against madmen?"

Even the personnel on Lost Island felt a deep sense of helplessness. "You have no idea what they're trying to do, so how are you supposed to deal with them?"

At the same time, some people also thought of another question:

"If the behavior of these madmen is unpredictable, then what is the biggest madman in Black Gate City thinking?"

This is a bit of a challenge. These twelve Mysterious Guidepost are crucial to the entire book, and designing them is incredibly difficult. Mingming, I could have just filled in some filler later on, so why did I take on such a difficult task for myself...