The copy has 0 error tolerance, and the last words on the ground are all wrong for me.

Chapter 566 The Monster on the Tenth Floor
Wu Chang did not bring Jian Xing and the others with him this time, but instead asked them to stay on the eighth floor and wait for his return.

It wasn't that he wanted to hog the benefits. As he climbed from the first floor to the eighth, the strength of the flesh monsters continued to rise. Although the puppet monsters lacked divinity, in terms of combat power, they might not be weaker than ordinary demigods.

If they were to encounter danger further up, he feared he wouldn't have enough time to save Jianxing and the others.

He entered the elevator alone and pressed the button for the 10th floor.

The elevator doors closed and began to ascend. The elevator rose at least a hundred meters before stopping. After a ding, the elevator doors behind him opened.

He left the elevator and saw that the tenth floor of the research institute was completely empty, except for a soft, pale white light.

Being there, a strange sense of peace rose from the bottom of his heart, making him feel exceptionally calm.

This reassuring and tranquil atmosphere comes from the vast area that envelops the entire research institute.

From the moment you enter the ground floor of the research institute, you can feel this atmosphere, no matter which floor you're on.

It appears harmless, even beneficial, but in reality, it lowers people's guard and opens up their willpower to a certain extent, making them more susceptible to the influence of the flesh-and-blood monsters on each floor.

At least half of the players who died on the floor did so because of it.

The creator of the great realm did not appear because of his arrival. The other party was well hidden, and even he could not find the other party's trace immediately. He could only follow the guidance of his inspiration and move in a certain direction.

As Wu Chang walked, he said:
"Come out. I know you're here, and I know you can see me."

"As the only reader who has read all of your works and come to you in person, eager to share your reading experiences with you offline, shouldn't you come out and meet your fans?"

The tenth floor of the research institute was deathly silent; there was no response from any direction.

Wu Chang shrugged and continued talking to himself:

"The first layer of pain is the second layer, which evokes painful memories, reminds people of all the difficulties they encountered when they were at their lowest point, and makes them realize the insignificance of human beings when faced with great difficulties."

"The monster of pain only released its domain and did not exterminate all those who entered. This is because it is not powerful enough and it is only the prologue to the story. It is also because you are planting a seed for something."

"All intruders who can get through the second floor need to use supernatural power to withstand the pain. You are telling them in this way that only external supernatural power is the only way to solve the problem."

"In conjunction with your domain that encompasses the entire research institute, this idea will subconsciously guide their actions."

This time, the tenth floor finally responded. A tired, weak male voice asked:
"And you, how did you pass?"

Upon hearing a response, Wu Chang smiled and said matter-of-factly:
"I'm different from them."

The monster on the tenth floor asked curiously:
What makes you different?

Wu Chang said:

"I am stronger than them. My superhuman strength can truly solve problems."

Wu Chang's reasons were so compelling that the monster on the tenth floor could not refute them and fell silent.

He continued:
"Other intruders, once influenced by the seeds you planted and becoming overly reliant on supernatural powers, will encounter a second problem: the elevator monster on the fourth floor, namely, the ascent."

“Once a person overcomes difficulties through extraordinary power, their life will inevitably enter an upward phase. When in favorable circumstances, people become blind and cannot see the dangers that exist behind the favorable circumstances.”

"The higher you rise, the harder you will fall."

"The idea is good, but unfortunately the elevator monster's abilities are limited. It uses the same tricks to measure others and has never failed. For it, isn't it in a favorable position of rising? When it really encounters a crisis, won't it also fall?"

"As I just said, my supernatural powers can really solve problems."

The tenth-floor monster, who had remained silent, spoke again, saying:
“I admit, you are indeed different from other intruders.”

Wu Chang looked around and said:
"I'd rather hear you say that to my face."

The tenth-floor monster didn't respond, and the atmosphere grew cold again.

Wu Chang shook his head slightly and continued:
"After a period of rapid growth, people will reach their peak at some point and achieve great success in their field. At this time, people will become arrogant."

"Arrogant people disdain to avoid battle or dodge attacks, which often leads to their own demise due to their arrogance."

"Arrogant people are usually conceited and think they can overcome any challenge. They look down on those who run away. So, by using stealth, they can easily evade the armed monsters on the fifth floor. Or should I call him the security chief of the Central Research Institute?"

The tenth-floor monster asked in surprise:

"Who are you?"

This time it was Wu Changliang's turn to face the ten-layered monster. He didn't answer, but continued talking.

"When intruders discover in their agony that superhuman power is the only solution to their difficulties, and after experiencing the arrogance of their rise and peak, what awaits them is the backlash of superhuman power, and the despair of falling into the abyss."

"On the eighth level, Peyton's Despair Domain will trap intruders and, following their dependence on supernatural power, destroy their beliefs, leaving them in utter despair."

“I have read this story many times. Every person who comes to Jacques has experienced the same life trajectory.”

When Wu Chang first entered the ground floor of the research institute and sensed the vast domain emanating from the ten-story monster, he felt very strange.

The ten-layered monster's domain could cover the entire research institute; such a vast domain was second only to the gods.

A domain of this magnitude would be incredibly powerful. If the goal was simply to eliminate intruders, this massive domain would be enough to wipe them all out, making the second level of the Painful Monsters unnecessary.

The vast domain not only doesn't attack intruders, but it also provides them with mental relaxation, allowing them to focus more on the task at hand.

The flesh-and-blood monsters encountered on each level from bottom to top all influence people's spirit and will through their domains.

If the vast domain isn't assisting, then it's making the intruder's mind more susceptible to influence.

If we consider the entire ground space as a work of art, the role of the large area is to increase the sense of immersion, allowing intruders to better feel the expression of each layer of fleshy monsters.

When he discovered that the large and small domains were nested together, forming a whole, and that each flesh monster had writing marks on the back of its neck, he began to focus on the connections between these flesh monsters.

Upon reaching the eighth floor, he witnessed the resentment of Miss Angel Candidate and Peyton. A flash of inspiration struck him, reminding him of Havel's experience, and he then understood the tenth-floor monster's expression.

When faced with difficulties in life, if one is powerless to overcome them on one's own, one can only change the status quo by relying on biological networks.

Lost in the powerful capabilities of the biological network, they overdraw their future and keep moving forward, all to reach the heights of their dreams.

Reaching the pinnacle of his career, he was adored by countless people and entered the extravagant and decadent upper class.

The bio-network dissolution disorder erupted, and he suddenly fell from grace. He spent all his money trying to repair the bio-network, but in the end, he was powerless and could only fall into boundless despair.

If he hadn't known that the Lullaby Protocol was a systematic way to exploit patients with bioreactivity disorder, he would have thought it was Havel's autobiography.

At this moment, Wu Chang had already followed his inspiration and found a special white door.

He opened the white door and saw a treatment pod inside, in which lay a thin, listless young man.

Although the man was so thin he looked unrecognizable, his facial features hadn't changed much, which allowed Wu Chang to recognize him.

When Mason tried to recruit his true form at the Sky Tower at Jacques University, he showed the true form a database of patients who had participated in the treatment.

Two individuals in the database are exceptionally special. Due to their exceptionally high level of inspiration and talent, the pressure on their bio-networks became too great, and they developed bio-network dissolution syndrome after only three years.

Besides them, even artists hailed worldwide as once-in-a-millennium geniuses took nearly ten years to fall ill.

The two were a painter named Mary and a writer named Nils.

The man before him was none other than Nils from the file. When Wu Chang saw the writing on the flesh monster, he suspected that the tenth-layer monster was him, and the result was exactly as he expected.

Although Niels's biological awareness network was exceptionally developed, his will barrier had not yet shattered, and his body had not yet been taken over by the biological awareness network and turned into a flesh and blood monster.

Wu Chang met Niels's gaze through the glass of the treatment pod. The first four stages were merely setup for the story; what the ten-layered monster truly wanted to express was the outcome for the modified individuals after arriving in Jacques City. "I want to know, in your story, after pain, success, peak, and despair, what will be the final stage?"

When Niels saw the military tactical vest on Wu Chang, his gaze instantly turned cold. He began to release his will barrier, and his bio-awareness network became intensely active.

He said coldly:
"They are new students."

"It's a pity, but there's no place for people like you in this story."

Wu Chang glanced down at his tactical vest. When they entered the instance, they were identified as elite special forces of the military, dressed the same as the regular army that attacked the Central Research Institute that day.

No wonder Niels reacted so strongly to the sight of that outfit that he was willing to transform into a blood monster to fight him to the death.

Having finally met an important insider, he certainly wouldn't let Nils turn into a flesh monster. He swung his elbow and shouted:

"Man!"

He was using his true self at this moment. With the Sea Giant transformation, his strength reached 663 points. The special medical pod that could withstand heavy weapon bombardment was as fragile as paper in front of his elbow strike.

He shattered the medical pod with his elbow, weakening the force just before it hit Niels' face.

Although he had used the lightest force he could muster, it was still a bit too much for the weakened Nils. The elbow struck his face, and Nils' nose instantly bled profusely. His eyes rolled back and he passed out.

The abnormal effect of the Mamba Iron Elbow successfully interrupted Nils's flesh-and-blood monster transformation.

Wu Changtong then contacted Raven and, following Raven's guidance, first stabilized Nils's condition to ensure he could not regain consciousness before continuing the transformation. He then stood next to the medical pod and waited for Nils to wake up.

Because he withdrew his strength in time, Niels did not suffer much damage. He fainted simply because he was in poor condition and could not withstand the accumulated negative effects.

No matter what, Niels was among the top in the Domain level. He regained his senses in just one minute. The moment he saw Wu Chang, he recalled the elbow strike that seemed to shatter space, and a look of fear flashed in his eyes.

Wu Chang seized the opportunity and entered the other man's mind the moment Nils recalled him.

The vision in Niels's mental world, on the same night the Light of Collapse occurred, connects with Perrin's resentment.

At that time, all the people on the tenth floor of the research institute had been evacuated, leaving only two people on site. Besides Niels, the other person was Professor Eugene, whose portrait was printed in the textbook.

Explosions continued to come from outside the tenth floor, as the military's regular troops were trying to break down the tenth-floor door.

Wu Chang noticed that Niels, who remained on the tenth floor, was not wearing a staff uniform or the white patient gown worn by the experimental modifiers in the Jacques University Tower, but rather the casual clothes of a mob.

In other words, on the night of the Collapse Light, Niels was not a member of the institute, but rather a mob attempting to seize it.

Wu Chang frowned slightly. In Payton's memory, the mob had clearly not breached the upper two floors. In order to gain access to the upper two floors, they had even engaged in a melee with the guards on the eighth floor, trying to persuade Payton and the others to surrender.

Until the regular army arrived, the passage to the upper level should not have been breached. How did Nils get up there?
Judging from the atmosphere between the two, Eugene and Nils have a harmonious relationship and are not enemies. It is likely that Eugene is supporting Nils behind the scenes in order to reach the tenth level.

Hearing the explosion outside, Niels remained calm. After a moment's thought, he understood what had happened. He gave a cold laugh and said:

"The Conservative Party learned of our plan and wanted to use our actions to seize the research findings from the institute. True to their style, they would probably pin all the blame on us afterward."

Unlike Niels, Eugene, as a scholar, found real combat somewhat beyond his comprehension.

Hearing the faint screams outside the door, he became extremely nervous. While quickly adjusting the equipment, he said:
“These studies absolutely cannot fall into the hands of the Conservative Party. The door can hold out for another ten minutes. That’s enough time for me to set up the self-destruct program. Once the self-destruction begins, I’ll leave with you.”

Niels pondered for a moment and asked:

"Professor Eugene, the Lullaby Protocol relies on the core Sky Tower within the research institute. If you destroy this place, how long will it take to rebuild the entire system?"

Professor Eugene slowed his typing, and said in a somewhat bitter voice:
"At least three years."

Niels sighed and said:

"If the Sky Tower is gone, how many people in Jacques City can survive for three years?"

Eugene said helplessly:
"But I have no other choice."

Niels took a deep breath and said:
"If the Lullaby Agreement falls into the hands of the Conservatives, we won't survive. If the Sky Tower collapses, we won't survive either. In that case, let me give it a try."

“Professor Eugene, give me control of the Sky Tower. I’ll try to activate part of the Lullaby Protocol ahead of time to stop all of this.”

Professor Eugene looked very troubled and said:
“Niels, I know your bio-networking abilities are strong, but the complexity of Project Lullaby is beyond your imagination; you can't control it…”

Niels interrupted:

"I know I will only activate a small portion of it, temporarily giving our people enough fighting power to hold off those guys."

“We don’t have time to hesitate. You have no choice but to trust me. Even if we fail, we can still protect the Sky Tower and give you a chance to start over, right?”

Eugene seemed to be persuaded by Nils, and seeing the alarms constantly coming from the gate, he handed over control of the Sky Tower to Nils.

Niels lay down in the treatment pod connected to the Sky Tower. His bio-network merged with the treatment pod, and he chose to activate the Lullaby Project.

As Niels's command was activated, the Sky Tower next to the Central Research Institute began to glow, initially a gentle pale yellow light, slowly approaching the research institute building.

The moment the light entered the research building and began to affect the modifiers, Niels inside the treatment pod let out a scream. Then, the pale yellow light grew brighter and brighter, turning into a blinding white light, which then became the light of collapse that caused the bio-network to go out of control.

As the one who directly activated the Lullaby Protocol and connected to the Sky Tower, Niels was the most stimulated. His bio-network instantly went out of control and took over his body.

Like everyone else, he was transformed into a flesh and blood monster, but after an unknown amount of time, a miserable howl rang out, which reawakened his consciousness, repaired his broken will barrier, and restored him to human form.

When he woke up, there were no living people left in the research institute, only a few fleshy monsters wandering around the floors.

Having merged with the Sky Tower, he could vaguely sense the situation inside the research institute. He did not find Professor Eugene's body, knowing that the other party must have left safely.

As he said before, even if he fails to activate the Lullaby Protocol, he can still protect the Sky Tower and give Professor Eugene a second chance.

He used his domain to suppress several flesh monsters, and with his abilities, he further amplified their power, arranging them on different floors to prevent subsequent members of the Civil Rights Party and the Conservative Party from entering the research institute building.

Having done all this, the visions in Niels's mental world ceased.

Wu Chang used the technique of condensing emptiness into reality to appear in Niels's mental world. The moment he appeared, Niels looked at him.

Niels's inspiration was able to trigger the biological network dissolution disease within three years, and he also possessed 80 points of luck, clearly making him a favored prodigy of the plane.

Unlike the other targets Wu Chang encountered, his spiritual body was indeed suppressed by Wu Chang upon first meeting him. However, his power could affect the soul and spirit. He carved some characters on the surface of his body, and his spiritual body instantly solidified. At least in terms of momentum, he was not completely suppressed by Wu Chang and dared not resist.

Wu Chang looked at Nils and asked curiously:
"Can you remain clear-headed in the realm of the mind?"

Niels looked at Wu Chang warily and said:
"From the time I became conscious, all my dreams have been lucid dreams."

Wu Chang raised an eyebrow and exclaimed in admiration:

"Exceptionally talented, truly a chosen one of heaven."

Wu Chang's entry into Nils's inner world and his exploration of Nils's inner secrets was like a dream to Nils.

Niels had the talent to control dreams, so he naturally knew what he had just dreamed about. After a moment's thought, he realized that Wu Chang had used his dream to spy on his secrets.

He couldn't stand it, and with a glare, he was about to confront Wu Changbao.

Seeing this, Wu quickly said:

"Wait, don't make a move yet. Although I'm wearing a military uniform, I'm not a member of the military."

Niels didn't believe Wu Chang's words. He snorted and asked:

"How do you prove it?"

(End of this chapter)