ActZero | Act Zero
What does it feel like to surrender your body to your subconscious? It's a feeling of freedom, a joyful and unrestrained state.
Law, morality, benevolence, and etiquette can all be thrown to the wind; language has become superfluous. The moment the plague of dementia spread in Ivory Tower, the Council of Five Kings descended into chaos.
Never underestimate the power of this psychic energy. It is precisely by using this special ability that Kim Taekang has been able to overcome difficulties time and time again. He doesn't consider himself a smart person, and he believes that he has survived to this day entirely thanks to his talent and luck.
Although the Ivory Tower has no destructive power, it possesses extremely high speed and a unique spiritual structure that is difficult to detect.
Amidst the chaotic boardroom counters, occasionally a streak of gray lightning could be seen flying low overhead. Wherever it touched, people would be struck and lose their minds, instantly transforming into a completely different mental state.
This tiny spirit is Kim Taekang's true form, a goldfinch—the smallest bird in the world. It weighs only about five grams and is about eight centimeters long, but this little bird has an amazing appetite and is better at catching insects than a swallow.
As a spirit, it is extremely efficient at spreading spiritual power. [Hell Highway], which is also a type of mind control, is far inferior to [Ivory Tower] in terms of spreading spiritual energy. Teacher Victor needs to control the spirit or use tools to combine spirit and body to write commands on the target in order to complete mind control.
Therefore, without a doubt, this Immortals is not a comedian; his entire reliance in coming here depends on his own soul and determination.
As long as chaos is spread within the Council of Five Kings, too many casualties are unnecessary. After all, most of the passengers here are psionicists. Once manipulated by their subconscious, the hot-tempered psionicists will actively attack their companions. To live in the most comfortable way, one must find their own psychological comfort zone.
Humans are creatures that desperately need solitude and freedom. When people's territories overlap, they may be able to be bound by rules and educated through various formalities. However, once these shackles are broken, fierce conflicts and struggles will occur.
Psychic tides surged through the walls of the hall. About a third of the people were attacked by [Ivory Tower]. After more than 160 psychics were subconsciously controlled, the spirits within their bodies involuntarily began to emanate outwards.
The beings that had emerged from their pupae extended their spiritual threads, exploring the unfamiliar world with the curiosity of infants. They collided with the spiritual bodies of others around them, and due to the unfamiliarity and fear, they immediately displayed an extremely aggressive posture.
Lacking weapons, they unleashed their fury and fear with their fists. This Inspiration spiritual pressure, tinged with gunpowder and bloodshed, quickly spread to others, further fueling the chaos within the Council of Five Kings.
At first glance, neither Victor nor the other two VIPs present noticed [Ivory Tower]'s presence. Kim Taekang was hiding in the chaotic crowd, slowly approaching the cabinet.
At the next moment, the Blue Gold Watchman finally caught a whiff of something amiss in the air. This bloodline unit, standing guard beside the elevator door, caught sight of the high-speed flying bird spirit of [Ivory Tower] amidst the chaotic spiritual pressure.
"Victor! This is a Soul Might attack! All groups, be alert!"
The lapis lazuli half-wolf picked up the radio to call for backup from the various security teams, but halfway through his sentence, he heard all sorts of strange noises of laughter and commotion coming from the radio crew.
Meanwhile, outside Joestar's bar, at the children's playground that stretches out along Construction Road, twenty-eight security guards with childlike hearts were playing in the sand.
They chased each other, as if they had returned to their childhood, with men pushing women's backs to put them on the swings. Several good brothers from the same work group squeezed onto the slide and fell down like a human pyramid, causing the plastic frame to collapse. They landed on the sand, their mouths full of sand, but they weren't angry at all.
They laughed and joked happily until a frail, ordinary person in the team got injured. This poor fellow wasn't as tough as Qingjin, and the team members just looked at this "little toy" with curiosity.
They were cheering, raising their arms in celebration of the children's playground, now a complete mess.
"What the hell!" The leader of the Guangling Zhixi Battle Group was also present. After hearing the Azure Wolf's shout, this veteran was at a loss for what to do with such domineering mind control.
Victor had already come to his senses, but it was too late.
He could only grab shameless pedestrians one by one and quickly write the phrase "sleep" on their bodies. It was a matter of catching one and putting them to sleep, which was far less efficient than the chaos spread by [Ivory Tower].
Fortunately, there weren't many weapons on site. Apart from the stun guns carried by the security personnel, all the firearms they carried had unlocking mechanisms. It was also thanks to the gunsmith's system designed to prevent enemies from seizing their weapons; otherwise, these mentally unstable children, if given real weapons, would probably have immediately become curious—trying to see if their heads were harder than bullets.
Even with VIP memberships proving ineffective, two young girls from Eleventh District resolutely stepped forward.
They were from the same hometown as Flavia and Cici, and worked in the spice shop of the Rare People Mansion. The two sisters had grown up listening to the stories of the Nameless One. When the gunsmith fell into trouble, they were entrusted by the White Snake to deliver a dose of calming incense as a gift of comfort to the children of 9527 and Jiang Xueming.
Two girls who spend their lives wielding incense-slicing spatulas, gathering oil and clay, and living amidst all sorts of psychedelic spices, have developed some resistance to the mind control of [Ivory Tower]. Originally working behind the scenes, crafting consumables for passengers to withstand the special spiritual pressure environment, they are now stepping forward to confront the terrifying Immortals.
In just over ten seconds, a gentle breeze carrying the scent of grain stalks and medicinal liquid blew past the council counter of the Council of Five Kings, and the various people who were acting crazy in different ways immediately quieted down.
Those controlled by [Ivory Tower] did not wake up immediately, but instead became listless and dull under two different forms of mental control.
This little bit of help wouldn't change anything. The two perfumers found a quiet corner to prepare some medicine on the spot with their medicine packets and paulownia powder to combat this psionic energy, but they needed time and couldn't be of much help in the short term.
Kim Taekang was only a few dozen meters away from the parliament. He walked very slowly, hiding in the chaotic crowd. He had suffered many injuries, like a panicked victim, skillfully concealing himself in the crowd. This was survival experience gained over countless years. He had to reach the cabinet and find out whether the gunsmith was dead or alive.
This was too important for the Immortals; they wouldn't care even if Kim Taekang lost his life. It concerned the fate of the alliance.
Once we reach that place, and use [Ivory Tower] to control 9527 and the gunsmith's children, they will surely tell the truth.
The only obstacle blocking their path is David Victor!
"Mr. Victor! Help me!" The Korean man frantically appealed to the renowned VIP for help, feigning weakness and helplessness, his face bruised and swollen, his clothes tattered, as if he had been beaten by others, hoping to lower Victor's guard in this way.
"Help me!"
Kim Taekang was jostled and pushed by the surging crowd. Among the "children" running, jumping and playing, he was knocked around and staggered. After taking a few steps forward, he was immediately punched by a passerby. He could hear the passersby laughing at the sight of blood, which had a strange and comical feel to it.
Victor remained unmoved, like a cold-blooded judge, staring coldly at the "drowning man," watching Kim Taekang gradually approach.
"Just stay there. If you're scared, just fall asleep for now." When the battered Korean-American student reached Victor's cordon, the teacher put down the victim beside him and spoke to the stranger across the distance, "My soul power can make you forget this pain. If you come any closer, I will attack you."
Kim Taekang, however, persisted, shouting in surprise and fear, "What's wrong with these guys? Mr. Victor! I... I'm scared. Can I hide in the cabinet? I..."
"In that case," Victor frowned, "I'll beat you up first, and then consider whether you're lying or not!"
"[Highway to Hell Highway]! -- Subdue this suspicious guy!"
A red-skinned devil emerged from David's gaunt figure. It opened its eyes wide, one hand pressed against the halo above its head, the other held as a telescope in front of its eyes, trying to see what was hidden in the mind of this uninvited guest, Kim Taekang.
At this very moment--
--[Ivory Tower] Having crossed the devil's blockade, this nimble bird almost brushed the arm of the Hell Highway and flew into Victor's forehead!
The warbler emerged from the back of Victor's head without leaving any damage or causing any destruction. Its incredible speed was beyond the reach of the naked eye; even Victor's spirit could not catch it!
As the bird passed through the halo of the hellish demon, its feathers were scorched by the intense heat of the spirits and instantly turned into flames. This was a clash between the spirits of two immortal beings, and Kim Taekang was no match for Victor. He suffered severe mental damage.
Suddenly, his body went out of control. He forced himself to stay alert and hovered in front of the Gate of Death, doing everything in his power to keep his soul power running.
"Vomit!--"
Gastric juices sprayed from Kim Taekang's mouth and nose, he vomited all over the floor, and successfully seized victory.
Victor has been taken under control by [Ivory Tower]!
"I won this knightly duel! In an instant! I won!"
[Ivory Tower] is much faster than [Hell Highway to Hell], even though it looks so weak and its impact on people feels "meaningless," but at this moment— Kim Taekang has won.
"What's going on? I..." Victor's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, his spinal nerves seemingly out of control, completely paralyzed before the doorway.
He could no longer control his legs, and all sorts of thoughts flooded his mind like a raging torrent. Memories that had been carefully planned out on shelves of books also surged forth like water released from a dam.
"So... so I never wanted to walk all along?"
Subconsciously, Mr. Victor had always hated traveling on foot. Having grown up in luxury, he had hardly ever walked on the muddy roads of the countryside. To fight this instinct, his love for writing material overwhelmed everything else. Only when his legs were occasionally broken would he remember the sense of security he felt in a wheelchair.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!"
He muttered to himself, the specific deadline for submitting the manuscript appearing in his mind.
"If I don't start writing today, my drama class schedule will be booked until Saturday, and I also have six speeches to write. How am I supposed to describe the heroine of my new book? Who is she? What is her social status? What are her noteworthy qualities?"
"This is absolutely infuriating!!!"
He was growling angrily, his attention completely lost, manipulated by all sorts of thoughts.
"If I want to use more authentic mythological legends as a background, then I need to consult Scandinavian historical books, whether it's biographies of heroes or dynastic records. In any case, I'll need to do on-site research, but where? Where should I go? Do I have an assistant? Should I hire one?"
"No, no, no, I have to do everything myself, Victor. You need to calm down, you can't be lazy."
Why can't I concentrate?
"Oh no, this is terrible. My brain feels like it's been damaged by alcohol and drugs, why is it like this?"
I really want to.
Suddenly, Victor's expression also froze, and a look of joy appeared on his face.
"I really want to sit in a wheelchair again, with my feet off the ground, and an electric motor or gas engine to take me to all sorts of places."
Hehehe, I really want to.
Kim Taekang had no intention of lingering. With the weapons he could find, killing this VIP would take too much time. He walked straight toward the doorway, and as he brushed past Victor, a contemptuous smile involuntarily appeared on his face.
This is the judge of the Qingjin, the most powerful historian by Ming De's side, and the translator for Taowu.
In the battle of minds, it was I, an unknown nobody in the Immortals Alliance, who utterly and overwhelmingly defeated David Victor!
"Where are you going?!"
In an instant, Victor gripped the intruder's clothes tightly.
This action truly startled Kim Taekang, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
No one can escape the control of [Ivory Tower], no matter how powerful the calming incense or how potent the medium tool, it cannot break free from this control!
Does Victor also have this habit within his comfort zone?
Does he like to grab my clothes?
He grabbed my clothes simply because it felt good to do so!
Is he still capable of performing such complex brain activities?
The Immortals tried to break free from Victor's grip, but Victor was like a leech, his lower body completely paralyzed, urine stains seeping from his trousers. Yet the teacher still clung tightly to the intruder's sleeves and clothes.
You can't go in.
As he said this, lines of golden characters appeared on Victor's face and body, the marks left by the Hell Highway.
[No matter what, even if the sky falls, the earth cracks, the mountains shift, and the sea changes, Victor, you must protect the Cabinet, you must protect the gunsmith's children, you must protect the gunsmith's family.]
"How could this happen!" Mr. Jin was almost frantic. He grabbed the registration desk next to the doorway, picked up the wooden base, and smashed it hard against Victor's head, again and again.
Victor didn't have much hand-to-hand combat ability to begin with. Like Kim Taekang, he was a scholar who relied on psionic powers to protect himself. He was hit hard on the head and immediately lost consciousness with his eyes rolling back—but his body was still carrying out commands and showed no intention of letting go.
Armed personnel who witnessed the scene immediately tried to help, but were scattered by the chaotic crowd and couldn't even unlock their pistols—shooting under such circumstances was extremely dangerous, and they couldn't bear the responsibility if they accidentally blew the passengers' heads off.
The leader who gave the orders was also embroiled in trouble and couldn't spare any time to help Victor. The birds that flew low from time to time had already robbed these Lapis Lazuli Guards of some of their senses, and they could only calm down when they hid within the spellcasting range of the two perfumers.
Right before everyone's eyes, Kim Taekang dragged Victor's body back to the doorway, took off his coat, and immediately some of Victor's fervent fans came and tugged at Victor's thighs, trying to kidnap this great writer.
With the help of the chaotic crowd, Mr. Jin finally escaped.
He breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly pushed open the cabinet door to look for the gunsmith's relatives. The sudden burst of intense ultraviolet light inside the room made it impossible for him to open his eyes.
The intense burning sensation revealed his true form; his blood-soaked body became scalding hot—the last line of defense against the virus. A bird's beak sprouted from Mr. Jin's head, and his eyes reverted to their orange-red, beastly pupils. In the instant his spiritual energy was exhausted, he was about to reach the end of his life.
He pulled a Chaos Egg from his clothes, cut open his arm to perform a blood enchantment on the POS machine, dialed the leader's number, and used the pheromone network of Chaos to achieve ultra-long-distance psionic communication.
"I've arrived at the cabinet; I'm only a little bit away from my goal."
"She's hiding. There are many traces of children living here; I can feel it."
"The gunsmith isn't here, he's not with his wife and children, and there's a wolf. I can smell it—it must be the nameless soldier's dog."
"Chief, I might not be able to come back. I'm so hungry, so very hungry."
"Controlling so many people, conquering their souls, is just too, too difficult."
"I feel the Vita Imprint within me is out of control, Leader, I need to return to oneness."
"She"
The Immortals arrived at Ming De's dormitory. As soon as he opened the door, he saw 9527 sending the children into the ventilation duct one by one. The mother frantically tried to squeeze into the duct, but the passage was too small for her to fit through.
The nameless military dog stood guard beside Xiao Qi, baring its teeth and howling at the approaching enemy.
Kim Kang-tae hesitated almost without hesitation.
He called out to [Ivory Tower] to attack the military dog, but at the same time he was pounced on by the huge wolfhound.
"No, no, no, no! No, no, no!" Xiao Qi screamed in alarm, "Don't bite him! Xiao Ju! This beast's blood is very potent!"
But the beasts influenced by [Ivory Tower] would never obey their master's commands. Little Orange could no longer hear any instructions; all it knew was that this piece of meat was both smelly and delicious, and tasted really good.
Kim Kang-tae was tackled by the wolfhound, several of his ribs were gnawed open by the sharp teeth and crushed by the wolfhound's terrifying bite force; he was about to lose his heart and liver.
"--Listen carefully, Chief! Listen carefully! I only have this one chance! Children don't lie!"
The nimble bird crashed into the ventilation duct and flew towards Jiang Zhengyang. The Second Young Master, who was still crawling in the duct, felt a chill on his feet and immediately shouted loudly.
"Mommy, save me! Mommy, save me! I'm scared!"
Jin Kangtai was taking in more air than exhaling. Seeing the insect nest in his abdomen spewing out thick, white fluid, he knew his time was up. With his last burst of energy, he roared, giving his final psychological suggestion.
"Kid! Why didn't you call your dad to save you! Hahahaha! Hahahahahahahahaha!"
"Dad," Jiang Zhengyang said without hesitation, "Dad is dead! Dad is finally dead!"
This is the Second Young Master's true inner thought; this brat weighs only 60 pounds but has the rebellious spirit of 59 pounds.
The Chaos Egg slipped from Jin Kangtai's palm, and the phantom bird of [Ivory Tower] gradually turned into scattered specks of light—he was completely dead.
Still shaken, Xiao Qi hadn't even figured out this guy's soul power ability. The divine power displayed by [Ivory Tower] was too obscure and too unbelievable.
Little Orange still had patches of red and white blood around its mouth. When it regained consciousness, it began to vomit. The holy blood within the Immortals was about to plant an even more terrifying worm nest in its body.
The riots at the Council of Five Kings suddenly ceased, and people fell silent in the moment of accepting their social death.
Ling Weng was driven to distraction by the passengers on the Glorious Road. All sorts of pyroxene jewelry became toys, which people threw onto rooftops, into Lava Lake, and some even swallowed whole.
Sixteen naked exhibitionists remained in the lobby, having just found their discarded clothes, and, filled with shame and indignation, fled back to their guest rooms as fast as they could.
The others all bore injuries of varying degrees, their faces bruised and swollen, and they stood there dumbfounded.
Three days later, when Ming De rushed back to the cabinet from other sites, Xiao Qi was nowhere to be found, leaving several babies in the care of JoeRank's uncles and elders.
After consuming most of Kim Taekang's essence, Xiaoju still couldn't survive. When it was returned to the wolf mother, it was already severely contaminated and was about to become a walking source of plague. Universal Elixir couldn't cure it. If it were allowed to live any longer, the holy blood and wolf blood in its body would nurture a batch of extremely resilient Madness Butterfly.
There was barely time to say goodbye. The researchers in the Arcane Library and the people in the Qingjin immediately sentenced Xiao Ju to death. Xiao Ju would have to undergo euthanasia before Ming De could even return.
Xiao Qi and Bailu left without saying goodbye, and didn't even go looking for the gunsmith. They took two sets of Flash Butterfly Armor from JoeStar's bar, and called Thumb along. Before heading to Shambhala, they had some things to do—the host family was going on a long trip, and they wanted to make sure the house was cleaned before they left.
In the freight car of the train heading to District 54, Xiao Qi hid herself in the shadows. Her phone still held a photo of the three puppies when they were puppies, when the children had just turned one month old, and the couple, along with Shooting Star, were taking a family photo. Now, she had thrown the phone, along with her dirty clothes, into the trash can, opened the freight car door, and tossed it into the wilderness.
"Sister-in-law, you need to calm down." Bailu removed her helmet and said to Bai Ziqing, "Only one military dog died, which is a good thing. At least the children and you were not injured, and no one lost their lives because of this terrorist attack."
"I have to do something." 9527 her rage, her eyes were still red. "Xiao Ju is my family!"
In the fourth year of the expedition, military dogs began to be deployed to the front lines to help the unnamed soldiers with carrying tasks and provide heavy firepower support.
The three siblings cleared mines and carried out demolition operations on the battlefield. They lost countless legs in the process. They carried machine guns and transported ammunition for the soldiers. Black Brother was very sensitive to the sound of gunfire and was the most timid. Little Orange, on the other hand, was the dumbest and bravest.
It's dead now. The diagnosis was given four hours ago, the final verdict was given three hours ago, then it was sent to the operating table for anesthesia, then to the incinerator, and turned into a small box.
Before it died, Little Orange still didn't know what it had done wrong. X-ray and ultrasound scans, as well as the results of various psionic instruments, showed that because it had been harmed and controlled by the enemy's soul power, Little Orange had caused a disaster due to its momentary craving. The incurable Holy Blood Virus Prototype had begun to hatch in its body.
It just looked innocently at the "two mothers" outside the isolation room. Xiao Qi and Bailu were its biological mothers, and Red Sister was its wet nurse. Its consciousness gradually became frantic and violent, and it could no longer understand human speech.
These wolfhounds have become family; children grow up under their protection, and the bond between humans and dogs is something that cannot be broken overnight. For Ming De, at least one-tenth of the Unsung Heroes' Medals should be awarded to these military dogs.
Bailu remained silent. She had accompanied her sister-in-law on this long trip not only to look after her, but also because of a personal grudge. She also adored Xiao Ju, having practically watched her grow up.
--The Thumb can find the accomplices who extradite Immortals, and it can find the worms hiding in the railway system.
These people are Armadillo Hunters, merchants operating in the gray area, and remnants of war gangs from all walks of life. The insects usually abide by the law, but once they seize an opportunity, they will immediately give the green light to the vicious demons, because only demons can bring bad times, and these bad people can gain convenience in bad times and find a path to success in chaotic times.
"This is very simple, right?! Bailu, tell me, isn't it simple? Let Thumb show us the way, and then we'll do exactly what we're supposed to do!"
Xiao Qi loaded bullets into the magazine, polishing the token of love her husband had given her until it shone brightly. Her Ash 12.7 and P320X5 hadn't been fired in a very, very long time.
"They want my dog's life, so I'll take theirs."