Had Luo Li Gone Mad?

The sea above the Mariana Trench is now more "lively" than ever before.

Flagships, research vessels, and media ships from the five major powers, along with some private vessels that rushed to the scene, hoping to get a share or simply to witness history, surrounded this once-dead sea area like sharks smelling blood.

When Luo Li appeared on the deck of a Longxia flagship without warning, all the long guns and cannons that had been waiting for a long time were instantly aimed at him.

The blinding flashes of the cameras nearly engulfed him, and a torrent of excited, choked questions from reporters flooded in:

"Mr. Luo Li! May I ask how you managed to single-handedly slay the seven major vampire sources?"

"You are now undoubtedly the strongest human being! What are your plans for the future?"

What are your views on the new era's landscape?

"Can you share your feelings right now? Having saved the world, do you feel incredibly excited and proud?"

Under the flashing lights, Luo Li remained expressionless.

He was dressed in a simple, even somewhat tattered, black outfit, standing out starkly from the surrounding crowd of people in suits and sharp military uniforms.

He lowered his head slightly, his silver-purple hair falling down, partially obscuring his eyes and making it impossible to see his expression.

He remained silent when faced with questions that would have stirred the heart of any hero.

There was no excitement, no pride, not even a trace of fatigue or relaxation after completing the task.

He stood there like a lifeless statue, creating an extremely eerie contrast with the surrounding frenzied, excited, and post-disaster-like atmosphere.

"Mr. Luo Li?"

"Please say a few words!"

Are you dissatisfied with our arrangements?

The reporters and officials were somewhat embarrassed and puzzled, and tried to guide him with a more enthusiastic tone.

Just then, Luo Li suddenly let out a very soft, low chuckle.

The laughter was soft, yet carried an indescribable coldness and... self-mockery, clearly transmitted through several highly sensitive microphones.

Everyone was stunned for a moment.

What is he laughing at?

Saving the world, isn't that something to be happy about?

Finally, when a highly respected veteran Europa journalist asked him in an almost pleading tone whether he needed a rest or if he had any personal wishes to fulfill, Luo Li slowly raised his head.

His gaze was somewhat unfocused, as if he were looking through the crowd in front of him and into some distant, Nihility place.

He didn't answer the question about rest or desire, but instead murmured in a dreamlike, deeply sarcastic tone, as if asking someone else, yet also as if asking himself:

"What about the reward...?"

"Where are the... coordinates...?"

"Heh... I cleared the level... What about the prize...? Did the system... swallow it...?"

His voice wasn't loud, but those nearby could hear it clearly.

Rewards? Coordinates? System? Clearance?

What is he saying?

The reporters exchanged bewildered glances, while the officials frowned.

"Mr. Luo Li, are you referring to... the commendations and resource allocation promised by the Joint Command? Please rest assured, these..."

A senior America official attempted to explain.

"Not that one!"

Luo Li abruptly interrupted him, her eyes suddenly becoming sharp, but that sharpness revealed a crazy obsession.

"It's the coordinates! The coordinates to Amphoreus! Promise me! Promise me!!"

His voice suddenly rose, carrying a barely perceptible tremor and a desperate hoarseness.

Amphoreus?

Everyone was even more confused.

Where is Amphoreus? And who is she? I've never heard of her before!

"Mr. Luo Li, please calm down. Are you too tired...?"

The representative from Longxia, a high-ranking general who was acquainted with Lu Jingheng, attempted to step forward to appease him.

"Tired?"

Luo Li sneered again, her gaze sweeping over everyone present, her coldness sending chills down one's spine.

"Yeah... I'm tired... I've killed so many... I've shed so much blood... What's the point?"

"Where's the trophy? Huh? Where's the trophy for saving the world? Give it to me!"

He spread his hands, making a demanding gesture, his face bearing an exaggerated, almost distorted, mocking smile.

His incoherent, chaotic, and paranoid remarks, along with his frenzied state that was completely inconsistent with his "savior" identity, instantly silenced the deck.

Everyone, from journalists to high-ranking officials, and to global viewers watching the live broadcast, felt an unbelievable yet gradually clear thought arise in their minds—

he...

Could it be that he endured immense mental stress and trauma during the continuous slaying of the seven major vampire sources...?

Are you crazy?

This speculation spread like wildfire among the population.

Considering his previous solitary actions, taciturn nature, and the cold aura honed by countless battles that kept strangers at bay, it seems... everything makes sense now.

Extreme power often comes at an extreme cost.

He saved the world, but at the cost of his sanity.

A complex emotion spread through the crowd—sympathy, regret, relief, and a hint of... barely perceptible relaxation.

A rational and controllable savior is a hero.

A mad, uncontrollable "god among men" is a disaster.

Soon, with the urgent consultation and tacit approval of the top leaders of the five major forces, a pre-prepared "contingency plan" was activated.

Officially, it's "to protect the physical and mental health of human heroes and provide them with the most comprehensive and top-notch recuperation and treatment."

In reality, it was to control this highly unstable and destructive "dangerous substance."

"Mr. Luo Li, you seem to need to rest. Please come with us to a more comfortable environment."

Several calm and collected individuals, clearly top-tier psychologists and medical superhumans, cautiously approached Luo Li, their tone as gentle as possible, under the "protection" of a team of fully armed and tense S-class superhumans.

Luo Li did not resist.

He even let out another low, ambiguous chuckle, and then very "cooperatively" followed them.

Just before leaving the deck and entering the cabin, he glanced back at the vast blue sea that had just buried the last of the sinners, his eyes vacant, and muttered something no one could understand, "The sea... is salty... but not as salty as tears..."

This statement further confirmed people's judgment that he was "mentally unstable".

The process of confiscating his belongings, however, was far from "smooth."

Although Luo Li herself showed no reaction to this, or even indifference.

But the demonic blade, which had become one with his heart and drunk the blood of patriarchal sins, unleashed an extremely terrifying backlash when it sensed the touch of a strange power and its attempt to possess him.

A dark red light shot into the sky, and the violent killing intent and patriarchal power, like a tangible shockwave, instantly devoured the three S-class ability users from different factions, who claimed to be "war gods," who were trying to approach and forcibly seize it.

They didn't even have time to scream before they turned to ashes in the dark red light, their souls torn apart and absorbed by Enma.

This scene stunned everyone!

Finally, after paying a heavy price, and with Lu Jingheng personally stepping in and using a special technology obtained from the "Star Rail Research Institute" to temporarily seal the restless Enma in a specially made alloy box filled with energy suppression runes, they were able to barely separate him from Luo Li.

This matter was kept strictly confidential, but the high-ranking officials involved in the operation were still shaken.

Even after its owner "went mad," the weapon, left unattended, was so terrifying; its owner's power at his peak must have been unimaginable!

A few days later, Luo Li was secretly sent to the "Seventh Psychiatric Hospital Recovery and Wellness Center," located deep in the mountains within Longxia, and renowned as the world's most advanced and heavily guarded facility.

The place boasts a beautiful environment, advanced facilities, and a top-notch medical team and mental health experts.

But in essence, it is the most magnificent cage, imprisoning top-level superhumans whose powers have gone out of control or who have developed serious mental problems.

Luo Li was placed in a "special care ward" with floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views of the entire valley and stream.

He no longer mentions coordinates, systems, or Amphoreus.

Most of the time, he simply sat quietly by the window, watching the clouds drift by, his eyes vacant, like a soulless shell.

Occasionally, he would chuckle inexplicably, or mutter to himself incomprehensible nonsense about "game completion," "bugs," or "fraudulent systems."

After consultation with all the experts, a consensus was reached:

Due to unknown reasons (most likely caused by continuous high-intensity combat and absorption of excessive alien energy), he suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) accompanied by derealization and paranoid delusions, partial impairment of cognitive function, and emotional apathy, exhibiting high unpredictability and potential danger.

Recommendation: Long-term isolation and observation, supportive treatment, and avoidance of all irritants.

In short, he's gone mad.

At least in the eyes of everyone in the world, this most powerful and tragic hero, who had just saved the world, was crushed by his own victory as the dawn of triumph arrived, and went completely... insane.

No one knows what kind of despair and madness is frozen deep within those empty eyes.

No one knows whether, beneath that seemingly collapsed mental state, a flicker of undying, obsessive flame still lingers.

The world is celebrating the dawn of a new life.

Its savior, however, was forgotten in this most beautiful valley, isolated from the world.

Only Xiao Hong, the Memory Spirit that cannot be detected by ordinary means, still anxiously and silently accompanied him, circling around him and making sad chirping sounds that only she could hear.

"Master... you're not crazy, are you...?"

"You're just... too sad, too sad..."

"What should Xiao Hong do...? Can anyone help its owner...?"