Chapter Seventy: The Imaginary Interloper

Still that blood-red space, like the insides of a living creature, where crimson tendrils gently swayed like grass. The young boy, incarnation of Adonsa, stood quietly before yet another immense cocoon of flesh, waiting in silence.

Through this form, he experienced the sensations proper to intelligent beings. Though the long wait never stirred any impatience in Adonsa, it was still a kind of experience.

The soft grass was gently pressed down as a petite figure approached the waiting Adonsa.

Helena covered her mouth with a teasing laugh. "That was quite the lively speech—you nearly convinced even me."

Adonsa replied casually, "It was nothing. Just using provocative rhetoric to stir up rebellious feelings in young people. It's a simple method. Lin Jicang is quite indecisive among humans, so I simply planted a seed of rebellion to encourage him to grow stronger. As long as he internalizes the belief that strength is paramount, he'll be more likely to break his own limits and convince himself to use any means necessary to become powerful. As for his insistence on justice, I can't say how that'll turn out in the end."

Hypnosis isn't simply the circus trick that people imagine—waving a pendulum back and forth. Any deliberate, subtle influence over another can be considered hypnosis, and Adonsa had merely employed basic techniques of provocation.

Helena clicked her tongue in admiration. "You really would make a fine demon—your ways of manipulating hearts are just like ours."

"I have no interest in being a demon. To me, you and humans are far too similar. The flaws of humanity appear in you as well."

"Let’s drop this topic." Helena eyed the violently pulsing cocoon before her with curiosity. "Adonsa, what monster are you nurturing this time? Wait—no, no, no."

As soon as she spoke, Helena realized the error: Wasn't she, too, being considered a monster?

Though not entirely inaccurate, Helena always prided herself as a higher demon and would never demean herself as a mere monster.

Adonsa said, "Just a new experiment. Why are you here?"

"I heard you struck a deal with the Pulsebearers?"

"Yes, they want my help against Zhang Liaoyuan."

Helena scoffed, "Fools bargaining with the tiger, thinking they can drive the wolf to devour it. But are you really planning to confront Zhang Liaoyuan? Remember, he's kept all the Pulsebearers of Tianjing Nation at bay for you. If there are a few more of his caliber, and they support each other, you’d have no choice but to withdraw."

Adonsa answered, "To be my enemy is to start a war. The chaotic Tianjing Nation lacks the nerve for that now. Weng Dongqi came to me with genuine intent to negotiate, but his subordinate Qi Qiuchan chose to kill Lin Jicang to provoke me, clearly trying to sabotage the negotiations."

Helena tapped her chin thoughtfully. "That shows the Pulsebearers aren’t united—they have various factions. Weng Dongqi leads the appeasement faction, and Qi Qiuchan is obviously pro-war."

"Politics is essentially the relationships among the many. Two people are easy enough to manage, but what about ten thousand? The Pulsebearers can't possibly be of one mind, nor will their attitudes toward me be the same. But one thing is certain: to a creature like me, if they ever get the chance, they won’t hesitate to strike."

Helena suddenly chuckled softly. "Adonsa, you truly are fascinated by humanity, to study such weak beings so deeply."

Adonsa was noncommittal. "Know your enemy and yourself, and you’ll never be defeated. Besides, I admit humanity’s subjective initiative has given me much inspiration."

Helena paced gently. "The negative emotions of intelligent life and the increase of entropy in matter together form the foundation of hell throughout the multiverse. Humanity is, naturally, one of hell’s sources. I rather like humans—provided they’re my servants."

"To rule over humanity—is that hell’s goal?"

"No, no, no, that’s merely my personal aim. Hell manifests differently in every universe, sometimes as the nine circles, sometimes as the endless abyss. Demons born within are equally diverse. I’m just one of the more capricious types. If you insist on hell’s purpose, it’s a garbage dump. No matter how filthy, all things from the multiverse can be thrown in. This nature makes most lesser demons harbor a natural hatred and envy toward the material plane."

Adonsa nodded, understanding the gist.

"I need time—not much, but I can’t say exactly how long." Adonsa said, "I must break through several key technological bottlenecks and create biological weapons capable of confronting a modern army head-on."

Helena lowered her gaze, her thoughts elsewhere.

Adonsa knew well what she was thinking.

"Watch over this place for me. Someday, I’ll let you out to see the world."

Helena snorted, "Do you take me for a child clamoring to go play? I am a high demon, born as a candidate lord of hell. When I commanded the Burning Legion to slaughter the Sacred Paradise, you hadn’t even been born!"

Yet a hint of melancholy crept into her tone. "But Livida truly wants to see the snowy mountains and deserts. Her dreams are mine as well."

Adonsa said, "Don’t worry, my consciousness remains here, only..."

He feared a repeat of the previous incident when all his split forms were incapacitated.

"In any case, I’ve left many contingencies. Act as you see fit."

Suddenly, the cocoon ceased its throbbing, and Adonsa’s gaze returned to it.

Helena looked curious. "What’s happening?"

"It’s about to be born."

"How exciting. What darling have you cultivated this time?"

The boy incarnation’s violet eyes gleamed. "Now I independently govern the entire split network, meaning that if anything happens to me, the whole network will suffer. So, I need a way for the network to operate autonomously, while still ensuring my command. That requires a deep understanding of how consciousness functions. Thus, I created a blank individual, inputted various parameters, crafted an independent personality, and now I observe, to master the laws of consciousness."

"Sounds like some kind of simulation game. Interesting. Let’s see it." Helena’s interest was piqued.

"It’s about to emerge."

The cocoon shuddered violently, a massive shadow struggling within.

A sharp protrusion appeared, then a hooked claw tore through the cocoon and emerged, squatting on the ground, panting.

As it struggled into the world, Helena’s expression shifted from anticipation to astonishment, then disgust, finally to outright complaint.

"I should never have trusted your aesthetics," Helena lamented. "How could you design a giant cockroach?"

Adonsa said, "Mind your words. In a sense, it is your sibling—they’re both my children."

Helena immediately shouted, "No! I refuse to have such a brother!"

"There are worse things in hell. Are you constrained by human thinking?" Adonsa pondered anew.

It emerged fully, the pale exoskeleton hardening and darkening in the air, quickly gaining command of its body. Newly born, it was already a mature specimen.

This creature—a two-meter-tall, bipedal giant cockroach—knelt respectfully on one knee before Adonsa. "Praise be to you, my creator. You have birthed me—Judas."

Judas the cockroach spoke in a deep, magnetic baritone; if not for the appearance, one might imagine a gentleman.

A giant cockroach, walking upright, with long armored wings, two pairs of thick limbs hanging from its abdomen, muscular frog-like legs, slick glossy shell, and mandibles that never stopped chewing, unmistakably a cockroach that would make any ordinary person scream.

"The name Judas is unsettling... What did you design it to be?"

Helena shivered, finding the scene before her utterly incongruous with the voice in her ears—like having a candlelit dinner with a cockroach.

"For stress testing, I made it quite extreme. It has an overly self-projecting personality, combined with intense curiosity and obedience. Such extremes are ideal for experimentation."

"Overly self-projecting? That is..."

"Narcissism."

Helena rolled her eyes. "I’m leaving. Play by yourself."

Watching Helena depart, Judas shook his cockroach head, antennae swaying. "The princess is too bound by human thinking. Beauty comes in many forms. Among cockroaches, I am quite beautiful."

Adonsa examined his creation, seemingly surprised.

But he spoke, "Judas, my child. I have given you nearly infinite potential. Your task is to show me the limits of these possibilities."

Judas nodded, kneeling again. "Yes, Creator. Grant me a mission, and I shall execute it perfectly."

Adonsa nodded. "You shall join this mission: explore the Tomb of the Black Death Emperor."

"A dangerous journey—I smell the scent of epic tales. It’s an honor."

Adonsa thought for a moment. "And that man, Lin Jicang—he needs a more intense environment to evolve. Just make sure he doesn’t die."

Judas bowed deeply. "As you command, Creator."

————————————————————

On a night when the stars were sparse, a single star suddenly plummeted, as though an omen. A tunnel threading through the gaps of space and time pierced the universe’s barrier, silently injecting new variables into this world.

The quantum sea at the foundation of reality surged briefly and fell still, while a group of uninvited guests had already entered, occupying this node in space-time.

"Transmission complete. Begin calibrating for law discrepancies."

"This world has no deities; divine skills cannot be used, nor can divine power be restored."

"Physics laws are intact, scales consistent. This is a world with a highly developed technological civilization."

"Abilities can be used; underlying world logic is compatible, no observational barriers."

"Both cultivation and martial arts systems will work fine—after all, this is Qi Qiuchan’s homeland, a world where Pulsebearer civilization flourishes."

After a bout of busy activity, a woman’s voice sounded. "I didn’t expect this mission to take place in Qi Qiuchan’s home world... We must contact her quickly for help. Let’s reconfirm our objectives, Vulture."

"Yes. Our task in this garden is to explore the Tomb of the Black Death Emperor. The minimum requirement is to obtain fifty grams of his cellular tissue; further rewards depend on the degree of exploration. Notably, the mission warns of multiple native factions contending openly and covertly inside the tomb—very complex."

"Then let’s act fast, secure the Black Death Emperor’s cells, and consider other matters afterward."

A chorus of assent echoed. "Understood."

"As long as we complete this transfer mission, we can finally cast off the shackles of Fallen Heaven’s hell, and join the ranks of Mourning City. We will succeed!"

All was once more hidden in darkness.

The actors were in place, the stage long prepared.

Forces everywhere stirred restlessly—another earth-shattering storm was about to begin.