Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 462 - 432 Invisible God 2

Chapter 462: 432 Invisible God 2

Xiaoqiao looked at me as if she was seeing me for the first time. Of course, I too had the common desire to feel a bit smug when a beautiful junior gazed at me with such admiration. However, it was not the time to indulge in such emotions.

"Don’t just stare at me. He can’t see me, but he can still notice your unusual behavior," I reminded her.

Upon hearing this, Xiaoqiao quickly averted her gaze. The reminder was just a precaution, since her eye movements directly related to my presence seemed inconspicuous to the "Preacher."

As we continued on our way, I sensed that Xiaoqiao’s steps were more confident, perhaps because she realized the protection I, as a supernatural power user, could provide was much stronger than previously assumed.

Fortunately, she did not completely let down her guard. Perhaps it was because I hadn’t openly acknowledged my identity as Impermanence. She might speculate that my invisibility to the "Preacher" wasn’t due to God-like powers but rather some clever trickery. I felt it was beneficial for her to maintain an appropriate level of tension, so I didn’t explain the truth, shadowing her and the "Preacher" closely.

After a while, we arrived at the abandoned construction site.

The charred, half-demolished building, the empty space cluttered with construction debris, and the yellow caution tape prohibiting entry to the dangerous area were all quite somber.

Perhaps the two agents originally patrolling here had cleaned up recently. The place seemed tidier. Before, there was a lot of litter, like empty bottles and plastic bags; now it was desolate enough to seem refreshing. Some grass was growing fittingly in the corners, and the wall was overgrown with climbing plants, giving the abandoned building a unique aesthetic that, even then, stirred a childish urge within me to explore.

Additionally, I sensed Zhu Shi’s presence from afar, as she stood by, observing.

The "Preacher" walked into the half-demolished building with ease, proceeding up the stairs until reaching the rooftop. Though labeled the roof, it was just a middle section, with skeletal structures stacked above without flooring. Xiaoqiao was not in good shape physically, and by the time we reached there, she was panting heavily, supporting herself with her hands on her knees, as if about to collapse.

Not far from us were a few others, who seemed to have arrived earlier. They varied in gender and attire, with expressions of panic, looking like ordinary people.

On the opposite side stood a silhouette made entirely of shadows, clearly the Preacher’s shadow clone. Beneath the shadow clone was a person lying motionless, their exposed limbs and face shriveled like dried meat, making it hard to discern their gender.

Xiaoqiao noticed the fallen person, anxiety surfacing on her face, as she muttered softly, "That person, could it be..."

"That’s a corpse," I said, "Probably just died, with some residual body warmth remaining."

Xiaoqiao trembled uncontrollably.

The shadow clone merged into the shadow beneath the "Preacher." The "Preacher" turned to face Xiaoqiao.

"You’re the last one. Now everyone is here," he said calmly. "Since others arrived earlier, I used a clone to conduct the ’trial’ on one of them. Regrettably, it seems that person wasn’t chosen by the dreamland talisman."

"Dreamland talisman...?" Xiaoqiao murmured.

The "Preacher" raised his palm, revealing a blue particle of light in his hand. I had seen something similar before, a white particle of light was used when a monster creator transformed into a monster. Although the color was different, I sensed it had the same nature. It was likely the seed of the heart that made monsters.

"If you can harbor the dreamland talisman within your body, you can become a ’Paradise’ messenger, gaining the qualification to enter ’Paradise’ before anyone else in the future," said the "Preacher." "Only those who are disappointed or even despair about the world, with wounded hearts, can accept this beautiful yet dangerous gift. It will enter your heart’s wounds, rooting and growing in them, drawing nourishment.

"As long as your spirit hasn’t succumbed to bleak reality, and you maintain the will to dream despite the repeated tearing and prodding of heart wounds, then you’re eligible for this power.

"The larger the scar on your heart, the more nutrition the dreamland talisman can absorb, and the stronger the feedback power; correspondingly, the pain from its stimulation is more intense, and the trial becomes more difficult.

"The greater the risk, the greater the reward. This rule applies here too."

It seemed quite fair. The clear display of risk strangely brought some reassurance. The "Preacher’s" gaze swept over everyone present. Fear mingled with desire marked their expressions. Even Xiaoqiao showed slightly wavering emotions.

"If the seed of the heart... dreamland talisman can absorb nourishment from the scars of the heart and transform them entirely into power, then where would the heart, deprived of ’nutrition,’ find replenishment?" I said. "Xiaoqiao, let me warn you here and now, once you become the so-called ’Dreamland Messenger,’ you’ll be forced into a cycle of killing humans and devouring their souls.

"What they call ’Dreamland Messenger’ is termed a ’monster’ where I come from. You can understand it literally as ’a human turned monster.’ At that time, you will become a monster captured by the desire to kill, and resisting will be futile. The thirst for slaughter will grow stronger, pushing you towards madness."

This was what I knew about monsters. In truth, hearts—or souls—don’t follow the conservation laws of the material universe. Ming Zhuo can endlessly regenerate his soul, and I still have a lot of "cinders" obtained from burning his soul.

However, not everyone can exhibit this counterintuitive nature, just as mana theoretically bears infinite potential, yet humans can only manifest a small portion due to cognitive limits. If someone accepts the seed of the heart with an exploitative mindset, it would only lead to their doom.

Upon hearing my warning, Xiaoqiao’s eyes became crystal clear.

The others hadn’t heard my words, and they seemed to still harbor delusions about the seed of the heart in the "Preacher’s" hand, with faces marked by fervor. They were deeply enticed by the "Paradise" depicted in the white book; even with the shadow of death looming over them, they would go through fire and water to enter "Paradise."

The "Preacher" approached one person holding the heart’s seed. That person seemed torn between a desire to avoid and an eagerness to undergo the "trial," gain immense power, and become a "Dreamland Messenger." Ultimately, their expression froze in anticipation and greed, as they stood still with closed eyes, as if to accept their fate.

I was quite intrigued by how exactly people were transformed into monsters. Though I had read related information in the Human Bureau’s secret database, I hadn’t seen it firsthand. If I were alone here, I might have simply observed what would unfold, regardless of whether the individual failed the "trial" and couldn’t endure, or became a soul-consuming monster out of necessity; the person willingly accepted it, so I wouldn’t care.

Moreover, I who turned enemies’ souls into "cinders" and used them as weapons, wasn’t that also a kind of soul-refining monster?

Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one here. Xiaoqiao was watching, and this floor of the demolished building lacked exterior walls, allowing Zhu Shi to observe my actions from afar, too. Often, I acted with regard for how those around me saw me, trying to do good deeds, and this time was no exception. Though there might be intelligence to gather through covert observation, it seemed I had to intervene first.

Just as I was about to move, a sharp wind sound suddenly erupted from afar. The "Preacher" also stopped and abruptly turned to look. A figure in a black uniform shot over from a high point outside the building, like a bullet, plunging into the floor without walls, targeting the "Preacher."

In a blink of an eye, the "Preacher" swiftly transformed into a three-meter-tall monster form and collided head-on with the figure.

The impact generated a shockwave that flung those nearby into the air. Thick dust accumulated on the floor was swept around in a gust, causing the whole building to tremble violently, forming a massive hole in the floor beneath the two.

Many around were likely knocked unconscious with concussions and internal injuries. Even those not unconscious were in a disoriented state.

Having those brainwashed by the white book quiet down temporarily was beneficial, and later healing them would be straightforward. As for Xiaoqiao, I shielded her behind me to protect against the shockwave and excessive noise.

Then, I turned my gaze to the uninvited guest who had burst onto the scene.