For nearly ten minutes, my Golden-Eyed Doppelganger kept talking about Luo Yang and Sophie Young, his words sinking the mood into sorrow. I cried out louder, my grief overwhelming.
But after trembling for so long, exhaustion gnawed at me—I was running out of strength. Yet Martin Ouyang still hadn't shown himself.
"Pretend to be vacant."
A voice echoed inside me. I hurriedly sprawled on the ground, motionless, forcing my mind to quiet. My eyes stared blankly ahead, crossing slightly, my vision beginning to blur.
I felt a hand lift me up. My Golden-Eyed Doppelganger snarled threats, vowing to kill me and make my death even more miserable than his.
Just then, I saw my Golden-Eyed Doppelganger loosen his grip. He froze, as if turned to stone, utterly still. Though I feigned a vacant, broken state, I could sense it: the fierce wind had stopped, and the clouds that nearly covered the moon hung motionless overhead.
A surge of energy nearly burst from my chest. I endured, collapsing like a heap of mud. At that moment, I sensed something approaching from above.
"Heh, already lost consciousness? Good." It was Nathan Ouyang's wretched, aged voice. As he descended, he yanked me up by my hair, dragging me aside. My Golden-Eyed Doppelganger remained motionless.
I waited quietly for my chance. Nathan Ouyang clamped my mouth with one hand, twisting my head roughly. Rage burned inside me.
"Pathetic. Who would've thought that someone with Instinct could be so weak? Master, is this enough?"
Nathan Ouyang asked, and after a long pause, he rolled up his sleeve, revealing the spot where the Endbringer Shard was embedded. He raised his arm, bringing it close to my head.
"Now!" I roared, grabbing Nathan Ouyang's hand. Deathbane Aura surged out instantly. With a scream, Nathan Ouyang's entire arm was severed by my aura. I held up his arm as black light flashed in an instant.
With a bang, Nathan Ouyang's arm turned to ash. The Endbringer Shard fell slowly—I reached out and grabbed it.
But the next moment, my mind buzzed. A tidal wave of pressure crashed down, threatening to blow my brain apart. My consciousness felt like it was melting, and I couldn't help but scream.
My mind was about to vanish, crushed by some force. The pain wasn't physical—it was mental. It felt like countless minds invaded my skull at once, ready to make my head explode.
My vision truly began to blur.
"Useless trash. Die."
A young voice rang out. Nathan Ouyang immediately began to beg for mercy.
"Master, please—"
Suddenly, I saw Nathan Ouyang's body split open like an insect shedding its cocoon, purple light flashing all around. A beautiful youth in white stepped out from Nathan Ouyang's body, reaching out to grab me.
My mind was flooded with countless wails, each one steeped in despair, like the lament of the apocalypse. Every cry stabbed at my heart like a knife. Visions filled my head—scenes of carnage, humans and beasts alike, even the horrors of war.
My consciousness was on the verge of collapse, my body no longer felt like my own, as if something was about to strip it away.
"Brother, you still have so much left unfinished, don't you?"
I screamed, clutching the Endbringer Shard in fury. Deathbane Aura surged through me, black light erupting skyward. John Chou's voice echoed in my mind as I struggled, eyes wide, gripping the shard until my bones creaked.
It felt like I was fighting against an unknown, overwhelming force—the power of the Endbringer itself. My body and even my soul were close to being crushed. The invisible pressure forced me to my knees.
Fortunately, as my Deathbane Aura overflowed, Martin Ouyang kept his distance, backing away quickly.
The ground and space around me split apart. The immense power was tearing this story's world to pieces—high-rises collapsed, and everything around me was vanishing bit by bit.
Black lightning crackled in my hand, threatening to consume me at any moment. My mind burned as if stabbed by knives.
"Synchronize with your Instinct, Ethan Zhang!" My shadow rose up, shouting at me.
Gritting my teeth, I began to fall. The buildings had collapsed. My hand holding the Endbringer was now nothing but bone, and my entire skeleton creaked and groaned.
"Tell me, Ethan Zhang—are you here for the Dreamborn, for the other world, or for something else? Answer me."
A deep voice echoed in my mind.
"Ah, it's not for something so simple. It's just..."
I bit my lip until it bled, landing hard on the ground. My hand crackled with energy, the bones splintering, ready to shatter at any moment.
"It's just infuriating—the way they do things, it's unbearable..."
I roared, and suddenly the painful voices in my head began to fade. The Endbringer Shard crackled in my grip as I squeezed it into a ball. I opened my mouth wide and swallowed the shard whole.
"Go to Simon Wang's house. Hurry!"
My Golden-Eyed Doppelganger shouted. Before I could even process it, black wings unfurled from my back, propelling me toward the only part of this world left standing—Simon Wang's shop.
[Irrelevant passage skipped.]
"Ethan, move!" Simon Wang was already outside the shop, inside a swirling, multicolored vortex—the gateway back to the Dream Realm. I flew toward it with all my strength.
Suddenly, the piercing cries of infants echoed all around, followed by the clatter of chains. Before I could react, the road ahead was blocked by pitch-black chains—Infernal Ghost Chains. I tried to stop, but in an instant, chains sealed me off from every direction.
It was the Howling Elder from the Ghost Syndicate. The moment I realized it, the wings on my back and the Deathbane Aura around me vanished. Chains wrapped around me, suspending me in midair.
"Mr. Ouyang, I know you still don't trust us. But if we let Ethan Zhang escape, things will get messy."
I looked up in shock. Floating in the sky was the Howling Elder, his forehead lined with baby faces, a massive jar strapped to his back. Beside him was the Blue-Faced Man, who had fought John Chou before—his severed arm was restored.
"Hmph. Since when do you get to meddle in my affairs?"
"No, Mr. Ouyang, you saw how dire things were just now. The Horror Stories book knows we can't let Ethan Zhang get away. You saw it yourself—he suppressed the Endbringer Shard. His Instinct is crucial to us."
"Hmph. Howling Elder, Blue-Faced Man, I can't fully trust either of you. You're rotten to the core, like decaying fruit."
The Blue-Faced Man clapped and laughed.
"Heh, Ethan Zhang, this time, no one can save you. Now that you're trapped by the Infernal Ghost Chains, escape is impossible. Last time, John Chou rescued you, but this time, he can't get in."
"You—!" I roared, glaring at the Blue-Faced Man. He was strong—even though I'd never fought him myself, I'd seen him battle John Chou. The closer he got, the more terror gripped me.
"Now things are complicated, Mr. Ouyang. Ethan Zhang has suppressed the Endbringer—he might even end the Horror Stories book itself."
"Howling Elder, that's none of your concern. Hmph. Simon Wang, so you still have your consciousness? Seems last time's torment didn't teach you a lesson. Soon, I'll wipe away both your memories and Ethan Zhang's." As Martin Ouyang spoke, the Horror Stories book appeared in his hand.
With a swift motion, Martin Ouyang tore out a page.
"Clever of you, sneaking your story onto the Horror Stories page." As he spoke, the page burst into ashes with a boom. I shouted and struggled.
Martin Ouyang glared furiously at the Howling Elder and Blue-Faced Man. Both backed away helplessly.
"Mr. Ouyang, I have something to say. Since our three factions are in cooperation, we've shown enough sincerity. I hope you won't hold any grudges—it's the worst thing for an alliance."
"Cooperation? Bah..."
Martin Ouyang spat and laughed loudly.
"It's mutual exploitation. For people like us, that's just a waste."
Then Martin Ouyang fixed his gaze on me.
"Ethan Zhang, if you want to blame someone, blame John Chou. He's the one who awakened your Instinct, Nightmare Pyre."
As Martin Ouyang spoke, a mass of gray energy formed in his hand. I stared in shock—the power resembled Mona Ouyang's.
"Who says no one can save Ethan Zhang?"
Suddenly, a voice rang out—it was Victor Duan.
The three in the sky flew toward me. With a swish, the chains binding me were sliced apart. Before I could react, I was out of their reach, standing beside Simon Wang, Victor Duan holding me tight.
The three had only just reached the chains.
"If it's a race, I won't lose to you. Can you match the speed of light?"
Victor Duan spoke, and in an instant, I was in the air, held tight by him, while Martin Ouyang fumed below.