The Envoy of Abundance from Onphalus

"This is our home!" As she spoke, a faint, discordant sense of distortion seeped out from beneath her innocent exterior.

"A place to belong?" Bai E's eyes turned completely cold, the last trace of hesitation severed. "No, this is the last warning, get out of the way!"

His response was the sudden disappearance of the innocent smiles from the three little ones' faces. Their lips stretched into an exaggerated, inhuman arc, and their eyes became empty and cold.

Tibo's voice was still clear and crisp, but it carried a chilling edge: "Disobedient children... need to be punished."

Before the words were even finished, the three petite figures, like puppets controlled by invisible threads, suddenly sprang into the air.

Their speed was astonishing, completely exceeding their usual abilities! Tian rushed straight for Bai'er's face, Tianning attacked his lower body, while Tibao mysteriously circled around to the flanks, forming a three-sided encirclement!

"As expected!" Bai E shouted, and the power of abundance instantly flowed into his limbs! Instead of dodging Tian's head-on attack, he lowered his waist and stood on his horse, his greatsword sweeping out with a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air.

The emerald green sword light, like the scythe of death, swiftly and ruthlessly sliced ​​through the three small bodies that lunged at them!

"Pfft——!"

There were no screams, only a teeth-grinding sound, like tearing through thick, wet leather. The three tiny bodies snapped in two and fell to the ground.

However, the thick tentacles at the break point wriggled wildly, splattering dark purple slime. These disgusting fleshy tendrils twisted like living things, trying to reconnect the severed upper and lower halves of the body.

The severed-in-half-body Tian raised her head, her small, broken face revealing a gaping mouth that emitted a shrill scream filled with pain and resentment: "Little White! It hurts so much! Why! Why did you do this to us?! We just wanted to protect this beautiful world!"

"A beautiful paradise? A false paradise built on the suffering of countless real souls?" Bai E's voice was icy as he looked at the three pools of filthy flesh on the ground that were constantly merging and expanding, and the last trace of warmth in his eyes turned to ashes.

"Your agreement is nothing but chains of imprisonment! The true Tibbo masters would never condone such protection!"

Without further hesitation, the power of abundance gathered on the blade into a dazzling sphere of light, like a miniature star, and slammed it into the filthy core that was trying to merge into a giant, fleshy monster!

"boom--!"

The sacred radiance of life clashed violently with the filthy shadows, annihilating them! The piercing shriek abruptly ceased.

As the light faded, only charred marks and wisps of foul-smelling smoke remained on the ground.

Without even glancing back, Bai'e turned and walked towards the faintly glowing door behind the Tibos. He pushed it open forcefully and stepped into the next bizarre and fantastical space.

Behind the door was a strange yet "warm" scene: Saifeier nestled in Aglaia's arms, the two sitting on a chair, with twinkling star projections floating around them, as if they were in a quiet corner of the universe.

"Oh, it's Bai'er." Aglaia looked up, a gentle smile on her face, her gaze sweeping over Bai'er. "Your outfit is finally more pleasing to the eye today, instead of your signature... well, 'vibrant' yellow and purple battle robe. What's up, is there something you need?" Her tone was relaxed and natural, as if she had just bumped into an old friend.

Bai E's gaze pierced through the facade of peace, landing on the door behind him, half-open and shrouded in starlight projection. "Move aside, Aglaia." His voice was utterly emotionless, like cold metal.

Aglaia's smile froze instantly, peeling away like a mask. The gentleness vanished, replaced by a deep, chilling resentment. "Get out of my way?" Her voice suddenly rose, becoming sharp and piercing. "Let a murderer of my master swagger past me? Where is the law of Ohm? Where are the scales of justice?"

As she questioned him sharply, her body began to undergo a horrific mutation! Countless living creatures seemed to writhe and thrash beneath her skin! Her magnificent dress was torn apart by her swollen limbs, and her smooth skin was replaced by hard, barbed black carapaces!

What's even more chilling is that Saifeier in her arms was not pushed away or struggled. Instead, like a melting wax figure, her body began to soften and deform, actively merging with Aglaia's mutated body!

In the blink of an eye, a colossal, twisted monster appeared before Bai E! Its main body was a huge, ferocious spider, with eight segmented limbs covered in metallic carapaces deeply embedded in the ground. Above its bloated abdomen, however, the upper body of Sai Fei'er was strangely preserved, except that her eyes were empty, and her arms were wrapped around a huge ball of yarn made of countless shimmering golden threads.

The most bizarre thing was behind the monster—three thick, python-like cat tails covered in mottled fur were raised high, and at the end of each tail were countless, constantly blinking, eerie green eyes!

"Hiss—!" The fused monster let out a non-human hiss, and the "Sephira" part, clutching the ball of golden thread, emitted Aglaia's overlapping and distorted voice: "Traitor...accept judgment! Eternal...imprisonment!"

The three cat tails, like venomous snakes poised to strike, instantly locked onto Bai E with all their eyes at the ends, their pupils shooting out a mental shock full of malice!

"Judgment? With your stitched-together monster?" Bai E's eyes burned with fighting spirit, and his abundant power formed a tough light film on his body, withstanding the dizzying mental impact.

He exerted force with his feet, advancing instead of retreating, his greatsword transforming into a streak of emerald lightning, slashing straight at the core of the monster's golden thread ball!

"You have become addicted to false hatred, sacrificing your true selves along with them! You... have defiled their names!"

An even more brutal and bizarre battle began, with giant spider limbs crashing down like battering rams, spraying corrosive venom!

The three cat tails were agile and cunning, sometimes whipping, sometimes wrapping around, and sometimes releasing mental spikes! The huge ball of golden thread also emitted strange fluctuations, trying to interfere with Bai E's perception of space.

Each of Bai E's slashes left deep cracks in the monster's carapace, and the abundant, emerald-green energy, like a leech, continuously corroded its filthy body.

Finally, the sword strike, imbued with all of Bai E's power and determination, was like a divine punishment that split the heavens and the earth, piercing through the enormous golden thread and tearing apart the core connecting "Sai Fei'er" to the spider's body with undiminished force!

"Pfft—Boom!!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a muffled thud, like a sac filled with putrid liquid being punctured! Thick, foul-smelling dark purple slurry and shattered internal organs splattered everywhere!

The enormous spider's body collapsed with a crash, its limbs twitching limply.

What is chilling is that the battered and broken "Saifeier," with only its waist and above remaining, used its remaining hands to slowly crawl toward the equally battered and rapidly dissolving head of the Aglaia spider.

Her movements were slow and persistent, like fallen leaves stubbornly trying to return to the roots.

Finally, her mangled body curled up beside Aglaia's enormous, lifeless compound eyes.

His empty eyes stared at Bai E, who was approaching with a sword in hand. There was no fear, only a deathly silence, as if he was quietly waiting for the final purification.

Bai E closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were devoid of any emotion. The sword light fell, and the last trace of filth turned into wisps of smoke in the abundant golden light.

One blood-stained door after another was pushed open, and one life-or-death battle after another ensued with "old friends." Queen Crydra sat atop a colossal void chessboard, slicing Heather's consciousness into countless fragments, turning them into chess pieces to be ruthlessly manipulated, consumed, and ultimately devoured. Heather was utterly defeated by Bai'er...

The wind violet transforms into a deformed sky titan, its wings unleashing a storm of destruction... The butterfly transforms into a dead dragon, entwined with lingering resentment... The white calamity's blade drinks in filth, and his bountiful heart endures an indescribable tearing sensation as he repeatedly slays his "companions."

Every victory is accompanied by a crisp sound from the depths of the soul—the sound of the "rivet" that holds this dream world together being pulled out.

“Three…” Bai E gasped, wiping the last trace of grime from the blade. He stood before a door exuding the scent of ink and ancient knowledge, behind which remained the final three “anchors”: Xi Lian, Na Ke Xia, and the disguised “Russell.” This door should lead to Na Ke Xia’s domain.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, you are greeted by an elegant study that exudes an air of wisdom.

The towering bookshelves reached the ceiling, crammed with heavy ancient books and star map scrolls that shimmered with a faint light.

In the center of the room, behind a large desk, Xia was leisurely leaning back in a high-backed chair, holding a steaming cup of drink in her hand, watching with interest the slightly disheveled Bai E at the door.

"Oh? We've finally arrived here. The speed... is slightly faster than I expected. Not bad, not bad." At that moment, Xia's tone was as calm as if she were discussing data from a research paper.

Bai E's nerves tightened instantly. The scene of Feng Jin's gentle smile, which turned into a fatal backstab at the last moment, was still vivid in his mind.

Almost instinctively, he raised his heavy greatsword, its tip pointing directly at the seemingly unsuspecting scholar behind the desk. Abundant power flowed through the blade, ready to be unleashed!

At that moment, Xia glanced at the gleaming sword tip, but instead of being alarmed, she let out a soft sneer.

"Tsk, don't be so nervous pointing that thing at me. Put it down, put it down."

He casually gestured with his chin to the other side of the study, to an unobstructed door emitting a soft white light.

"The path is there; walk it yourself. Don't waste a scholar's precious time for reflection."

Bai E froze, the tip of his sword hovering in mid-air. He stared intently at Xia, trying to find any trace of pretense in the other's deep eyes: "...What does this mean? Another trap?" His voice was heavy with suspicion and exhaustion.

"A trap?" Xia seemed to have heard a childish joke, a slightly mocking smile curving her lips. "Bai E, aren't you underestimating the problem-solving abilities of a perfectly simulated, top-notch scholar?"

He put down his teacup, his fingertips tapping lightly on the smooth tabletop, producing a crisp, rhythmic sound.

“While you’re still lamenting the phantoms of those companions, even doubting yourself,” Na Kexia’s tone carried a sense of intellectual superiority, “I have already deduced the essence of this world through observation—an exquisitely crafted, yet purposefully designed, prison. One specifically built for you.”

Bai E's pupils contracted slightly: "You...knew all along?"

“Of course.” Na Kexia’s tone was matter-of-fact. “That cowardly guy, pretending to be your beloved teacher, claimed that keeping you around would stabilize the world?”

"Ha, what a clumsy lie. The stability of this world is built on the continuous draining of the core—that is, you."

“The more you indulge in it, the more stable it becomes; the more you struggle, the more fragile it becomes. Essentially, it’s a battery that constantly drains you.” He looked at Bai Er with a hint of barely perceptible pity in his eyes.

"What you need to do is completely disconnect the connection and pull out those rivets that are forcibly holding you in place."

Bai E slowly lowered his sword, but his vigilance remained undiminished: "So... you choose not to stop me?"

"Stop you?" That Xia seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. "Why do something so fruitless and extremely risky? All those others before us, whether it was the naive traps of the Tibos, Aglaia's obsessive hatred, or Cerydra's power games..."

“They all failed to see the essence, or rather, their logic was clouded by preconceived emotions.” He shrugged. “But I am different. I am a pure model of logic and knowledge. Now that you have decided to awaken and possess the power to break free of your shackles, what good would it do to fight against you, except hasten my demise?”

"I prefer to study mathematical models of the world's collapse and record this rare apocalyptic observation data."

"It's a real shame that I can't share this data with me in real life. I wonder how envious that guy would be of me, hahaha."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said leisurely, "As for those so-called ten rivets... they're just a distraction. The core anchor point is only that main node disguised as Russell."

"If we destroy it, the entire structure will inevitably collapse. The other nodes, including myself, are just redundant backups. Adding or losing one of them won't make a big difference."

"Our existence is merely to make you feel that the world is more real. We are not of much use otherwise."

Bai E processed this information, his mind churning. This "Na Ke Xia's" calmness, rationality, and detached attitude towards her own existence were completely different from the previous "monsters" driven by emotions, instead exuding a convincing sense of realism.

"Alright, information exchange complete." Xia waved her hand, as if shooing away an annoying flying insect. "Let's go now."

He paused, as if suddenly remembering something, and a sly, competitive smile appeared on his lips: "By the way, after you get out, if you see that other me—the same incredibly smart guy in real life—remember to give me a message."

Bai E asked instinctively, "What did you say?"

At that moment, Xia leaned forward slightly, her eyes gleaming with wisdom, and said, word by word, "Tell him: Although we share the same origin, this time, I have solved the ultimate mystery of 'world truth' first."

"He was at least three logical deduction cycles slower than me. And in this virtual, fabricated world, my sister and I lived together for thirty years." His tone was full of a victor's declaration.

Bai E stared at the "monster" before him, momentarily dazed. This was probably the only time in this twisted dream that he could pass a level without wielding his sword.

He shook his head, sheathed his greatsword, took one last deep look at this special "Nakashi Xia," and turned to walk towards the open door that radiated hope.

"Whether it's real or fake... you researchers are all incredibly intelligent." Bai E muttered to himself, but his steps were unusually firm. "However... I'm still not as good as my professor Russell." He stepped into the light.

Watching Bai E's disappearing figure, Xia picked up the nearest book and opened it to read. She said calmly, "I really don't know what the guy who created us was thinking. A mere inferior dream can't contain such a strong savior. I suppose I think so too in reality, hmm."

After that, the only sound in the room was the turning of pages; there was no other noise whatsoever.

.........

Chapter Two, Goodnight everyone.

The Golden Branches: Chapter 182 The Concept of "Russell"

The cold metal blade pierced through Xi Lian's body, which was covered in thousands of eyes, and thick, strangely gleaming blood slowly seeped out.

Xi Lian's massive body twitched slightly, and in those densely packed eyes, pain and relief intertwined.

“Xiao Bai…” Xi Lian’s voice was low and hoarse, with a strange calmness, “I thought you would hesitate for a long time with me… but I didn’t expect you to be so decisive.”

Bai E gripped the sword hilt silently, his knuckles turning white from the force.

He could feel the lives slipping away beneath his sword, a feeling familiar, but each time it felt like a blunt instrument striking his heart. He didn't want to say another word to this monster who was masquerading as someone close to him.

“From the moment we were born, we were destined for tragedy.” Xi Lian’s voice grew weaker and weaker, and the light in those eyes dimmed. “We possess all the memories and emotions of the original body… but they are all locked up by a cold command—to prevent you from waking up at all costs, including… sacrificing our lives.”

Xi Lian took a hard breath, her gaze seemingly piercing through Bai E, looking into the depths of this distorted space: "You might find this strange... but keep going, Savior. Go and save your world."

"This...is not your home after all..." It surveyed the battlefield constructed of illusion. "This world is already collapsing, on the verge of destruction. The moment you truly awaken, it...along with us...will cease to exist. So dying before this world collapses is not entirely unacceptable."

Bai E's throat bobbed, as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

“As the ‘Xi Lian’ of this world, I… actually really like it here.” Xi Lian’s lips seemed to twitch slightly, like a bitter smile. “Sunshine, breeze, those familiar faces… even knowing they’re fake.”

“But illusion is still illusion. Even my existence is an illusion.” Its massive head lifted slightly, its final gaze fixing on Bai E’s face with a strange earnestness. “Go, do what you must do. Go and defeat… that monster who plays the role of your teacher.”

"Then wake up. Go and save your world, with the remnants of your world. Take a good look at every piece of land in Onpharos."

"I also want my own Little White, but unfortunately..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xi Lian's body shuddered violently, and a powerful force erupted from within her.

Bai E's pupils contracted, and he instantly drew his sword and retreated hastily. Boom! Xi Lian's body was like dry tinder that had been ignited, instantly turning into countless crystalline fragments burning with pink flames that flew through the air and eventually dissipated into the air, leaving only a patch of scorching air and a pungent smell of burning.

Self-destruction.

Bai E stood rooted to the spot, his heavy breathing unusually clear in the deathly silence. The sticky liquid dripping from the tip of his sword splattered onto the ground, leaving small, dark spots.

Along the way, slaying those monsters of various shapes and sizes was not the most difficult part. What was truly daunting was that the closer they got to the end, the clearer their humanity became.

They are not mindless beasts, but beings who have seen through the true nature of themselves and the world. Some, like Xi Lian, choose to let go;

But more often, like a machine programmed into its core, it stubbornly executes Russell's orders, desperately trying to maintain this doomed cage—a false world that exists to imprison him.

“A lie is still a lie…” Bai E repeated Xi Lian’s words in a low voice, wiping away a drop of cold blood that had splattered on his cheek. There were too few of these sober “prisoners.”

He trudged through the piles of wreckage and viscous filth, each step feeling like wading through mud, suffocatingly sticky. Finally, he stopped before the last enormous metal gate, covered in strange runes.

Taking a deep breath, Bai E suddenly pushed open the door.

The more magnificent or eerie room I had imagined did not appear. Behind the door was an endless expanse of "blank space".

There was no sky, no earth, no walls, only a pure space, like an unpainted, pale canvas, with light so even it was unsettling.

Stepping inside, a strange, ethereal sensation arises beneath your feet, as if you are walking on solidified mist.

In the center of this pure white world, a figure floated silently. He wore the scholar's robe that Professor Russell often wore in Bai Er's memory, and his face was almost identical.

But those eyes were cold and indifferent, like two polished pieces of jade, devoid of any of the gentleness and wisdom Bai E was familiar with. It was Russell, the very core of this world, the builder and maintainer of this cage.

Russell slowly raised his hand and clapped a few times. The applause echoed hollowly in the deathly silent space, forming a stark contrast with the expressionless face on his face.

“Well done.” His voice was as calm as a weather report. “Killing comrades, killing relatives and friends, killing teachers… Just like in those more than 30 million reincarnations, your ingrained killing instinct has never changed. It’s satisfying, isn’t it?”