"Hey, wait up for me!"
The scorching sun beat down overhead. I kept my head low, sweat pouring down my back. All I wanted was to leave this garbage heap as fast as possible. The black Curse Lake behind me was sluggish, but if it caught up, it would be a nightmare to deal with. I had no desire to invite trouble. My only reason for existing in this world was the Blood Jade. Now, with the world undergoing such violent changes, the Blood Jade must have been exposed—and most likely ended up in the hands of the Human Soul, Ethan Zhang.
I glanced back at Entity 001. This little troublemaker had been acting strangely since yesterday—sometimes even showing a rare hint of kindness toward me. My impression of her had always been terrible: reckless, cruel, almost torturing me to death. I’d suffered plenty before, but this time, the impression cut deeper.
Right now, Entity 001 was holding a black umbrella, still dressed in her black dress. Only now, she’d hitched up the skirt and tied it at her waist, exposing her slender, pale legs—and a faint trace of purple.
"What are you staring at, pervert?"
I quickly turned my head away and muttered under my breath.
"There's nothing worth looking at. Scrawny figure, flat chest, and a vile temper. Just glancing at a woman like you makes me feel sick."
"You..."
Something was definitely wrong. I couldn’t waste any more time arguing with Qi. It was a force bent on annihilating everything—a rumbling sound echoed, and for a moment, Qi froze, staring silently at the sky above.
"If I'd known, I wouldn't have saved you. Letting you die would've been better."
"Could you really let me die?"
Entity 001 grinned at me. I snorted, picked up my pace, but was immediately grabbed by the hand. Turning around, I found her face lit up with a sweet smile.
Two days ago...
Everything underground was shrouded in darkness, surrounded by a deep, bloody red. I’d lost track of how many days had passed. In this haze, only unconsciousness brought relief; the rest of the time, I was trapped in agony—not just physical pain, but a torment of the mind that was even worse.
The Despair Thorns slowly devoured my consciousness, accompanied by a chilling, wicked laughter—the kind that made your skin crawl. Entity 001 appeared before me again, grinning as she grabbed my chin.
Today, Entity 001 seemed much better. Earlier, while I was unconscious, she must have gone out, and when she returned, she looked utterly drained. She’d clearly suffered some massive injury, cursing furiously about that wretched woman.
"Didn't expect you to be so stubborn. All these days, and you still haven't been assimilated!"
I grinned, baring my teeth. The Despair Thorns loosened slightly, and for a moment, my mind felt a surge of relief, like surfacing for air after nearly drowning.
"You've had your fun. Why not let me go now?"
Looking closely, you and that person may look exactly the same, but you are truly different people.
"How did you get those wounds?"
I stared at Entity 001’s chest. There was still a hole there, a patch of unusual color—silvery, and inside, a power I’d never felt before.
"It’s nothing. A few days ago, some wretched woman hurt me. Hmph, one day I’ll pay her back twice over."
Right away, I sensed something was wrong. There was someone in this world even stronger than Entity 001, someone who could actually injure her. The crucial thing was, Entity 001 managed to return alive—almost as if the other party had shown mercy. Normally, an enemy stronger than Entity 001 would never let her go.
"Do you really think you can beat her?"
I muttered, and the words seemed to hit a nerve. Entity 001’s face twisted with rage as she snarled.
"Shut up."
Entity 001 stormed off, but she didn’t let the Despair Thorns keep tormenting me. I breathed a little easier. My strength was almost drained, and the thorns had already burrowed into my body. Just as she’d said, I was on the verge of being assimilated. The others who’d come here before me probably suffered the same fate—turned into fertilizer for these things.
At least now my mind was a little clearer, giving me time to think. No one was coming to save me. I tried to call upon my Instinct, but it was as if the connection had been severed—no matter how hard I tried, nothing happened.
After a short while, exhaustion overtook me and I closed my eyes. Suddenly, I snapped them open—Entity 001’s chest wound was from a gunshot, I was sure of it. In this world, the only one who could use such a weapon—almost a fantasy here—was the Human Soul, Ethan Zhang.
"Who was it?"
After thinking for a while, I gave up. Entity 001 clearly wasn’t going to tell me who had hurt her.
Half-awake, half-asleep, I came to. I felt myself moving, and in front of me was Entity 001, smiling brightly. With one finger, she dragged me out from the thorns. I screamed—the Despair Thorns embedded in my body felt like they were part of me now, and the agony was all-consuming.
"What are you planning to do?"
I grinned through ragged breaths, blood streaming from every inch of my skin. Sweat and blood mingled, seeping from the open wounds—sharp pain stung everywhere.
"Nothing much. I suddenly don’t feel like killing you anymore. I’ll just make you my pet. This time, I’m being generous—you get to choose. So, what do you want to become?"
"Stop joking around, you bastard."
I roared, and suddenly, I felt my Instinct again—the connection had been restored.
"Hey, don’t be so mean to me! I’ll treat you so well, you know!"
I said nothing, just stared quietly at the single patch of sky above. Something felt off.
"Do you feel anything?"
I asked urgently. Entity 001 blinked her left eye in confusion and shook her head.
"Take me up there."
I blurted out, but Entity 001’s face darkened. She let out a cold, cackling laugh.
"Looks like you’re going to die here after all. If you won’t listen to me, you’ll end up just like the others—all the disobedient ones must die."
Something was definitely wrong. I couldn’t waste any more time arguing with Entity 001. It was a force bent on annihilating everything—a rumbling sound echoed, and for a moment, Entity 001 froze, staring silently at the sky above.
"So it’s come after all. I didn’t expect it to be so soon."
I suddenly remembered what Entity 001 had told me before: this world would soon be destroyed.
"It’s Curse Power."
I cried out in shock. I’d sensed it before in the Four Sacred Realm, but now, I saw the dark red Despair Thorns behind Entity 001 withering away, dissolving into scattered black particles. A vast darkness surged toward us.
Entity 001 looked at me with a peaceful expression, but there was a trace of sorrow in her eyes.
"It’s all over."
Suddenly, the restraints on my body vanished. I started to fall, and as soon as I saw my chance, I landed on a vine and leapt with all my strength, passing right in front of Entity 001. She didn’t move at all—just waited quietly, as if resigned to her fate.
With a whoosh, I leapt out of the pit. My eyes widened—in front of me, a towering black wave surged closer, threatening to crush me. I didn’t hesitate; the moment I hit the ground, I started running. My body still ached, but in this situation, I had to run—no matter what, I had to survive.
Suddenly, the face of the Human Soul flashed in my mind. I shook my head angrily and muttered under my breath.
"Is this really the time?"
My strength was fading fast. I knew I couldn’t hold out much longer. If I kept running, I’d collapse for sure. Behind me, a thunderous roar echoed, and the ground trembled violently. I stumbled and fell into a pile of trash. When I looked back, the towering black wave had vanished. The ground had split open; the massive pit I’d jumped from had completely caved in, and the black water formed by Curse Power flooded in.
I’d barely escaped with my life. Facing such overwhelming Curse Power, I gasped for breath. After a long while, I finally calmed down. Before me stretched a vast, endless black lake—the water formed by Curse Power had stopped flowing.
I lay down and rested quietly. Entity 001 had probably been swallowed by the overwhelming Curse Power. I’d never seen anything like it before—the Curse Power had even materialized as water, which was beyond belief.
I glanced back at the endless trash heap. After a while, I got up, lost and directionless. I didn’t know where to go, but I knew I had to keep moving. The Curse Lake was devouring everything in its path—even the heaps of garbage were soon submerged by the slowly advancing water.
I stood up, my body recovering a little. I glanced once more at the calm Curse Lake. Just as I was about to leave, bubbles appeared on the nearby surface. Gradually, I saw something—a flash of purple. My eyes widened. It was Entity 001, floating in agony, struggling and flailing her arms as if she were drowning.
I sneered and turned away. Suddenly, the Human Soul’s disgusting face flashed in my mind, and my legs felt like they were weighed down with lead—I couldn’t move. The splashing behind me grew even more frantic.
Entity 001 shouldn’t be defeated by just this much Curse Power. The only explanation was that wound—whoever left it had weakened her drastically.