Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 72 – A Twisted Truth
“A futile struggle.”
“Qin Wen,” her lips curled into a cold, seductive smile, watched the writhing, entangled crimson tentacles.
She stood near the Ember Furnace, a hair’s breadth from Sun Biwu, yet he was completely oblivious to her presence.
No one, not even the patrolling guards, could see the tentacles.
Even when a stray tentacle almost brushed against a guard, they remained unaware of the danger.
However, no one was injured in this silent struggle.
Because at least half of the tentacles were fighting against the other half, desperately preventing them from attacking.
“Qin Wen’s” crimson eyes, hidden beneath her bangs, glinted coldly.
“But I have to admit… quite resilient, worthy of being descendants of those God’s Chosen… A bit troublesome to assimilate.”
Qin Wen’s soul and consciousness had been overwritten by the “Witch of Envy.” The “Fear” mark Luo Yan had planted allowed for only a temporary escape, not a complete severing of the connection.
When Luo Yan’s consciousness returned to the real world, the “Witch of Envy” had glanced at Qin Wen, instantly rewriting her mind.
But… unlike Frick, this rewriting wasn’t complete.
Not because Qin Wen was stronger than Frick, but because Frick had already stolen the power of “Envy” before being targeted, a dangerous power directly from the Witch.
The “Witch of Envy” hadn’t needed much effort; a single glance had shattered Frick’s mind, turning him into a true servant.
But Qin Wen was different. She hadn’t touched any demonic power and carried Luo Yan’s “Fear” mark.
And… Qin Wen hadn’t given up, even after being infected.
Therefore, even the “Witch of Envy’s” will fragment couldn’t completely control her.
To resist, Qin Wen had even relinquished control of her body, focusing all her remaining consciousness on the crimson tentacles, trying to restrain the “Witch of Envy.”
The Witch wanted to assimilate the Ember Furnace, to claim its endless energy, but Qin Wen’s resistance prevented her.
However… she was patient.
She had always been patient, just like back then, patiently waiting for the God’s Chosen to break.
And assimilating the Furnace was just a whim; the more important task… had already been completed.
Within the Wall of Resentment, the Ice Coffin in the small room was gone.
And her visit to the Ember Furnace had simply been out of curiosity, sensing the fading aura of “Greed.”
“Now, the ‘Eye of Malice’ is in my grasp… My return… is only a matter of time.”
“Qin Wen” sneered, looking towards the distance, the intense clash of esper abilities sending powerful energy fluctuations, the brutality of the battle palpable even from afar.
“These insignificant humans… still engaging in their meaningless squabbles… after all these years… nothing has changed…”
Sensing her connection to the real world strengthening, she smiled.
…
When… had she fallen asleep again?
Luo Yan opened her eyes, or at least she thought she did.
But she was surrounded by an absolute darkness, nothing visible.
And a terrifying silence, not a single sound.
“The Void…?”
This time, Luo Yan quickly regained her senses, the memories of her recent experiences vivid in her mind.
Including her conversation with One in the void, and the truth she had glimpsed through Nine’s final act at the Ember Furnace.
However…
Luo Yan looked around. There was no one beside her, no childish yet ancient voice whispering in her ear.
“It seems… One has truly left…”
A sense of loss washed over Luo Yan as she recalled their conversation.
But she had obtained the answers she sought.
“Gods…?”
She had read about “gods” in the files (meaning novels) in Yan City, but she hadn’t thought such lofty beings had anything to do with her.
She was just an ordinary person, with a… special ability.
However, one thing was certain: “Luo Yan” and Absolute Death had sacrificed themselves to create her.
That’s why Luo Yan possessed “Luo Yan’s” life force and Absolute Death’s appearance.
Everyone who found her familiar had met either Absolute Death or “Luo Yan.”
Their confusion stemmed from Luo Yan embodying both, making her a mystery.
And just now…
Recalling Nine’s shocked expression upon seeing her, Luo Yan sighed softly.
“To see his sister again in his final moments… Nine must have been very happy.”
Luo Yan now realized that she had gone to the Ember Furnace in One’s body.
One’s body had been on the verge of losing control before being sealed in the Ice Coffin. The long years of confinement had only delayed the inevitable, not reversed it.
That’s why Luo Yan had seen those chaotic, fragmented images and memories, all buried deep within One’s mind.
One’s consciousness had briefly surfaced, uttering a final word to the dying Nine, then vanished completely.
This wasn’t surprising. Having been trapped in the void for so long, One’s consciousness had been fading.
And returning to her body, the rampaging “End” power, had accelerated the process.
Being able to speak at all was because Luo Yan’s consciousness had been controlling that out-of-control body, a body that was now just a “weapon.”
Now, everything was finally over…
No, not yet.
Luo Yan’s expression turned serious, the clues she had gathered connecting in her mind.
“One is Yan City’s ‘Ice Coffin Weapon’… but she’s also Dawn’s First Mister.”
Luo Yan’s strongest impression of Dawn was their treatment of their members, like family.
Besides Mister, the only Dawn member she knew was Grifres, whom she had met in “Ghost Town.”
He had been there to rescue Ling Qi.
And now it seemed that even for a “Calamity” level member trapped in “Ghost Town,” they wouldn’t hesitate to send two Cadres…
Although it was likely a convenient side quest, it still showed Dawn’s care and concern for their members.
Let alone… this was a Mister’s remains. If they learned that One was in Yan City’s hands, being used as an “Ice Coffin Weapon”…
Dawn’s reason for starting this war was clear.
Luo Yan recalled Mister’s words during their walk in the rain.
“Perhaps… I understand now,” Luo Yan sighed. “Should this be attributed to fate… or destiny…?”
One hadn’t minded being used as a weapon; she had even been grateful to be able to protect a city, even in death.
Nine felt the same. This was the mindset of those who had lived through the harsh early days of the New Era.
Everything… was for humanity’s survival.
But the current world couldn’t tolerate such naive ideals.
“But perhaps… I can stop Dawn…”
Luo Yan thought, restless.
She had seen the devastation in Yan City, the countless innocent lives lost.
And even now, more lives were being lost in Dawn’s relentless attack.
This wasn’t about taking sides. Even though she was indebted to One and Nine, Luo Yan couldn’t condone their organization taking innocent lives, regardless of their reasons.
But… there was another, more pressing issue.
“How do I get out of here?”
In this empty void, Luo Yan could only sense her own consciousness, nothing else.
She couldn’t even sense her own body, as if it were separated from her by some barrier.
Wait, what if it wasn’t her body?
Luo Yan suddenly realized that when she entered the void, she had been using One’s body.
“If it’s One’s…”
Luo Yan pictured One, her final, relieved smile as she rushed towards her.
As this image appeared in her mind, a wave of dizziness washed over her, and images flashed through her mind, gradually shifting to One’s perspective.
From One’s perspective, she saw her own panicked expression.
…Seeing herself from this perspective was strange.
But just then, Luo Yan finally sensed a connection between her soul and consciousness, a faint link to somewhere distant.
It seemed she just had to… reach out… and she could leave this void.
“Did I… succeed…?”
As this thought crossed her mind, Luo Yan’s consciousness faded once more.
…
A silent march.
After their tears and mourning, Dawn hadn’t given up their attack.
Their resolve was strengthened, determined not only to retrieve the Eldest Mister’s remains, but also to bring Nine back to his rightful resting place.
…They deserved a proper burial, not to be used as weapons, their bodies desecrated.
While the weather conditions were still favorable, Rhine gathered the sandstorm once more, its power devastating as it advanced.
Yan City couldn’t establish an effective defense against such a powerful weather manipulation ability; all their fortifications were easily crushed.
To stop Dawn’s advance, they had to bypass the sandstorm and attack from the flanks or the rear.
However… Dawn’s forces weren’t to be trifled with. Such an interception would only delay them, at a heavy cost.
From a strategic perspective, it was a losing proposition; the cost to Yan City would far outweigh the benefits.
But…
Time was victory.
“Team Three, Team Seventeen, Team Eight, cover the Pulse Cannon Battalion, flanking from the left,” Li Ping calmly directed his teams, facing the approaching sandstorm. “City Lord Lin and I will hold the right flank and alleviate the pressure as much as possible… May our forefathers protect Yan City.”
“May our forefathers protect Yan City.”
A chorus of voices echoed from the communicators, and countless figures moved through the streets of the core district, their footsteps, although muffled by the rain, still audible in the silent night.
Dawn, composed entirely of high-level ability users, immediately detected Yan City’s movements. Two teams split off, intending to intercept the Pulse Cannon Battalion before they could set up.
However, as they approached, several Yan City ability user teams charged out, desperately holding them off.
The pulse cannons were Yan City’s main weapon against Dawn; without them, they couldn’t even hold the line, let alone stop their advance.
Even “Peril” level ability users, except for those with defense-enhancing mutations, couldn’t withstand the pulse cannons.
They could endure a few hits, but the accumulated damage would be fatal.
Dawn knew this, so as their two elite teams were stalled, another team split off to eliminate the interference.
However… how could Lin Cheng and Li Ping allow Dawn to freely reposition their forces?
Two sword beams flashed, and Lin Cheng and Li Ping, drawing upon the “Ember’s” power, ignited their spiritual energy, instantly reaching “Peril” level.
And not ordinary “Peril” level.
Lin Cheng and Li Ping had the potential to reach “Peril” level naturally, but they had suffered hidden injuries from Calamity infections during the pioneering days.
As pioneers, they lacked the resources and medicine to heal these injuries.
And by the time they had access to such resources, they were too old to progress further.
Their physical bodies had aged; they lacked the strength to reach “Peril” level.
But this didn’t mean their combat skills were inferior to “Peril” level ability users; their spiritual energy levels were simply lower.
Years of experience in the Wasteland, and the swordsmanship taught by the Sword Saint Sect Master himself, allowed them to hold their own against “Peril” level opponents, even at “Ruin” level.
And now, using the same secret technique as Sun Biwu, they had finally reached this realm.
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