The Schizophrenic Diablo and the Statue of a Beauty

Chapter 19: The Schizophrenic Diablo and the Statue of a Beauty

(Seeking votes and follows. Apologies for the late update.)

"You're Diablo?" Diya stared in astonishment at the red figure that had appeared abruptly in mid-air.

"That's me, the Great One," Diablo said, floating down to land before Diya. He stood roughly as tall as an average human, and his appearance was identical to the one in the game, save for a greater sense of realism. Simply put, he looked like a miniature version of Diablo.

After touching down, the fellow sat on a rock, rested his tail naturally against it, and crossed his legs, swinging them leisurely. The sight left Diya speechless.

This was Diablo—the terrifying Destroyer who made everyone tremble with fear. How did he look like some street hoodlum wearing a Diablo-skin costume for cosplay?

"Are you feeling very surprised? Not what you imagined?" Diablo seemed to sense Diya's thoughts, smiling as he spoke before shifting to a tone of indignant grief: "I used to be exactly what you imagined. But the assimilation power of Earthlings is just too strong. I only stayed on Earth for fifteen years and met a few people, and my personality ended up like this."

"Er..." Diya was at a loss for words. It was true that Earthlings, especially the Han Chinese, had a terrifying capacity for assimilation. Poor Diablo.

"But I've discovered that this is actually what I want," Diablo continued happily before Diya could finish his reflection. "On Earth, the people who possessed the Horadric Cube included students, workers, white-collar professionals, hoodlums, gang members, and even terrorists. They taught me many things I didn't know before."

"You really are unique," Diya muttered helplessly.

"That's right. You know," Diablo suddenly jumped off the rock, approached Diya, and said mysteriously, "I followed a few people with severe schizophrenia before, and then... hehehe."

"Don't tell me you got assimilated by them too."

"Bingo! I'm schizophrenic now, too," Diablo laughed triumphantly. His aura suddenly shifted. He returned to the rock and sat with rigid, formal posture, leaving Diya stunned. He seemed different. Diablo stared at him coldly, giving Diya the eerie illusion that he was looking at a stranger.

Then, that peculiar feeling vanished.

"What was that just now?" Diya asked, puzzled.

"That was my other half, the Moge that emerged after the schizophrenia," Diablo explained. "He's different from me. That guy is a taciturn, brooding type, cold as ice. I use Hellfire, while he wields Nether Prison Thunder. Before the split, Hellfire and Nether Prison Thunder were fused together."

"Uh," Diya nodded, feeling a bit dazed. To be honest, this was truly bizarre. Seeing Diablo had already been a shock, but seeing a hoodlum-like Diablo, and now a schizophrenic one, made Diya feel like the world had gone completely off the rails.

"Under normal circumstances, I'm in control. That brooding guy doesn't like to talk or show his face, so he usually stays hidden," Diablo chatted away.

"Alright, then how should I address you both?"

"You already called me Diablo, so keep that. I like it. As for the other guy, decide for yourself."

"Then let's call him Radish. It's simple and easy to remember," Diya said offhandedly.

"Radish? That's good. He agrees. Not that he would object anyway; to him, names are all the same. He's an extremely rational guy," Diablo said, tireless in his chatter.

"Fine. Now, I have some questions that need answering." Diya took a deep breath and fired them off like machine-gun rounds: "Why did you appear in my soul? Is the function of the Horadric Cube the same as in the game? How did I enter this place, and why is it called the Rogue Encampment?"

"One by one. First, I must tell you that there are countless planes in the universe. Perhaps what you saw in your game is one complete plane. Why did I appear in your soul? Because you came into contact with the Horadric Cube and claimed it as yours. Why did it recognize you as its master? In the words of your Earthlings, it was fate. Who told you to let your computer explode, causing that game world to explode along with it?"

"Second, I don't know the exact functions of the Horadric Cube. I only know that different worlds have different rules. Perhaps its functions have changed, but you'll have to explore what those changes are for yourself."

"Third, the body you're using to enter this place is composed of your mental energy. Here, your mental energy can materialize, but it possesses no combat capability. You only gain your original combat strength once your actual body enters. As for how to do that? It's simple: your mental energy must be strong enough to support your physical body. How strong? That's for you to discover."

"Fourth, you've played the game Diablo. The first stop upon entering the game is the Rogue Encampment. The thirty-nine fragments of the shattered Hell were formed according to the game's map. Naturally, the first one is the Rogue Encampment."

Diablo finished in one breath. Diya listened, only to realize by the end that the answers were no different than having no answers at all.

He looked around. This so-called Rogue Encampment did indeed look identical to the one in the game. It wasn't large—roughly a thousand meters in length and width. The perimeter was lined with sharpened logs as thick as a human thigh, forming a palisade. Beyond the fence lay an pitch-black, deep, and unfathomable void. Inside the camp, Akara's tent, Charsi's smithy, and the various wooden houses were all present, yet they were completely empty.

"Hell exploded, and the vast majority of humans died. Only a few things remained. In this Rogue Encampment, only one thing has been preserved," Diablo said.

"Where?" Diya asked eagerly.

"Right there," Diablo pointed. Diya rushed over to the building that once housed the Mercenary Guild managed by Kashya. Standing there was a woman who looked like a statue. Dark brown, tight-fitting leather armor traced the beautiful curves of her body, blending charm and athleticism into a heroic, spirited image.

The beauty's eyes were tightly shut. Her brown hair was tied into a ponytail that cascaded down her back, extending straight to her round, pert buttocks. The statue stood straight with her legs parted and her hands raised, gripping a wooden bow with an arrow nocked, as if she were about to fire. She was brimming with Sha Qi.

Overall, she looked like a real human, vivid and lifelike.

"This really looks like a real person," Diya reached out and poked the statue's body in several places. He found no hardness of stone, but rather the softness and resilience of a real human. It felt excellent—just like touching a living person.

"Cackle! She is a real human," Diablo laughed wildly. "Look at you, still groping her with those filthy hands."

"This is a real human?" Diya's eyes widened in disbelief, his right hand still resting on her prominent chest, having given it a few unconscious squeezes.

"That's right. She's a human mercenary from the Rogue Encampment who survived by luck, but fell into a deep sleep as a result," Diablo said. Diya let out an "oh" and withdrew his hand with a straight face.

"I've discovered that you're the real brooding one," Diablo said upon seeing Diya's expression, his eyes twitching in a way that made Diya feel very strange.

"What do I need to do to wake her up?" Diya ignored Diablo's remark.

"What, looking to take advantage of a real person? As long as your mental energy can support your body entering this place, you can wake her up," Diablo chuckled.

"Oh, then I'll just wait. By the way, how do you know about my life experiences?"

"You're only asking this now? Sigh. Because we're bound together. I live while you live, and if you die, my soul dissipates. We're one, just with different consciousnesses and thoughts."

"Then why can you know my experiences, but I can't know yours?"

"Because your soul is weaker than mine. I don't want you to know, so you won't." Diya felt instantly depressed. His privacy was completely gone.

"Anyway, Xiao Li, don't be pessimistic or disappointed. As a promising young man..." Diablo rambled on, spittle flying. Diya, however, drifted into memories. Xiao Li—it sounded like a nickname for some palace eunuch, but 'Li' was indeed the surname Diya used back on Earth.

"What's there to reminisce about? Look at your life on Earth: living day to day, mediocre and accomplishing nothing. Now that you've come to this world, you're still being bullied. This isn't the life you should lead. Our goal is a fierce and legendary life! Hurry up, improve your strength, and let's go establish the largest terrorist organization in this other world. We'll specialize in conducting terrorist activities in every country and region to destroy this world!" Diablo declared passionately, painting a grand vision.

Diya was utterly speechless. It was impossible to communicate with this guy; his train of thought was too erratic. Could it be that one of the previous owners of the Horadric Cube was Uncle Bin Laden?

Diya stopped paying attention to Diablo and let him ramble on while he wandered around the camp to see if anything else had been left behind.

"Don't walk away! The first thing we need to do is get revenge. For those guys who bullied you, burn their whole families, and for the women... well, let's start with those guys named Porter and Clarena."