Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 546 - 512 Murder Rule 2

Chapter 546: 512 Murder Rule 2

"——Did you finish it off?"

Watching that strange scene of ashes scattering, Tan Xiang seemed to subconsciously utter this sentence.

Based on my experience reading many fantasy stories, if a character in the story utters this sentence during a battle or crisis, the source of danger usually makes a comeback. Tan Xiang also seemed to realize belatedly that her words were ominous, hurriedly covering her mouth as if she had messed up.

But this time, I believe that strange being won’t reappear.

The wandering spirit silently crawled up from the ground, first glancing in the direction of the strange disappearance, then looking at me.

He seemed to want to inquire about my powers, but after hesitating, he first asked about the previous incident: "What... did you do? From my perspective, you seemed to just ordinarily burn that strange being... Did you erase the rule of killing that it embodied from this world?"

After considering, I replied, "From the outcome, yes."

"... ’Outcome’?" the wandering spirit asked.

My method of dealing with that strange creature, frankly, wasn’t complicated.

Even if that strange being could transform into something akin to physical laws, it ultimately revealed a flaw that genuine physical laws wouldn’t.

As the saying goes, the highest good is like water, which benefits all things without competing. The world’s rules are like this, equally distributed throughout every part of this world. For such a grand scale object, with my current power, I’m incapable of erasing it.

However, the strange being is different; as a rule, it targets specific objects — its prey.

Just like the cartographer said, its killing rule won’t affect multiple witnesses simultaneously. And since it targets only me, it means its effective range shrinks from the world down to my individual sphere. As Impermanence, although I cannot make a physical law stop globally, I can make it fail around me.

Then the next step is simple: manipulate my power to span from now to the future, killing it now and simultaneously eliminating its potential future resurrection. To put it more straightforwardly, I infused my flames with a strong curse intention, not only targeting it now but also swearing to affect it if it appears around me in the future.

The love and hatred of Impermanence can transform into blessings and curses to affect others — I rarely use this skill, but once actively employed, its power far exceeds the definition of curses within the demon hunter’s system.

This can even be seen as establishing a new rule in one’s grasp. Perhaps this is the way power ought to be used: make clear your will, impose with force, compelling everything around to submit to you — this is how rules in the human world are established.

Of course, such a method is easily achievable in the modern world but much less so in the chaotic Doomsday Era.

The wandering spirit can undoubtedly also think of this, after hearing my explanation, he asks in bewilderment: "After Doomsday’s arrival, the concept of ’time’ shattered, and ’past and future’ no longer exist... how could you possibly attack future targets?"

"Only the objective timeline doesn’t exist, our subjective timeline still does." I said, "For instance, I first met the cartographer, then Tan Xiang, and finally you... no matter when we’re randomly transported, the sequence of this set of events remains unchanged in my consciousness."

The wandering spirit asked with uncertainty: "So you’re saying you reestablished a timeline centered around yourself in the timeline-less Doomsday Era?"

After thinking, I nodded, "Pretty much."

Time can also be interpreted as a narrative tool. "Re-establishing time" may sound mysterious, but anyone with narrative ability can establish a timeline for themselves again. It’s not just me; in theory, Tan Xiang and the wandering spirit can also.

Initially arriving, I couldn’t find this angle, which is one of the outcomes of continuous observation and analysis of Doomsday Era’s chaotic time-space through the blessing lamp in my hands.

From my observations, the chaos of time and space doesn’t necessarily cause survivors’ spirits to become chaotic too... no, perhaps the survivors repeatedly losing themselves and becoming Sin Demons in Doomsday Era is inseparable from the chaos of time and space. But at least when one’s mind is clear, spiritual memory can become the most stable reference point.

Especially since frenzy seems unable to easily invade my soul, I can become the best reference for reestablishing the timeline. This isn’t just talk; the existence of Impermanence itself is the most potent mystical medium, and the timeline I personally affirm has immense power.

And as long as my Fatian Xiangdi restarts in the future, it might be possible to use my will to stabilize the surrounding time and space.

"But you’re still unable to observe your future, right? You can’t even observe it, so how could you intervene in the future?" the wandering spirit seemed confused.

"I certainly can." I said.

"How is that possible? Even human gods, under such space-time..." the wandering spirit was incredulous.

"It’s not that mysterious, you can do it too, even ordinary people like Tan Xiang can." I said, "As long as one has a strong enough willpower, making promises within one’s abilities, such as never willingly abandoning commitments one has made, or no matter what happens, never regretting things one has done...

"Then, even without supernatural divine skills to observe destiny, one can rectify one’s future within one’s power, eliminate some elements from destiny. Perhaps you still can’t know what path your future self will take, but you can at least be sure what paths you won’t take.

"This ’Power of Destiny Intervention’ is something ordinary people can master."

This is not something I’ve randomly concocted, but a mystical theory I read from Luo Mountain’s records. Honestly, even I find it somewhat "spiritual soup-like." However, in Luo Mountain’s mysticism, the sufficient strong and unwavering willpower, execution, and actions of mortals are often considered a "powerful mana," and can even become the basis for immunity to some strong spells.

Actually, saying the wandering spirit and Tan Xiang can do it is somewhat imposing. Not that I belittle them, thinking they can never possess impregnable willpower, but in such a Doomsday environment, continuously remembering past promises is itself a luxury thought.

Upon hearing this unsophisticated theory, Tan Xiang said dumbfoundedly: "What sort of ’Power of Destiny Intervention’ is this..."

"So... you rely on similar imagery to wipe out all those strange beings that might resurrect in the future..." the wandering spirit mused.

"Whether they’re all eliminated, we’ll have to see the feedback later." I said.

Then, we left that area.

After some time passed, that strange being never reappeared.

The power I used to eliminate that strange being was mostly for destroying its potential future resurrection, not having much destruction power against its current form. If it were able to revive, it wouldn’t have delayed the time, and it should have appeared again long ago.

"It really was eliminated..." the wandering spirit murmured.

Then, he looked at me, his voice seemingly filled with newfound reverence, "Are you... truly a human god?"

"Exactly." I admitted straightforwardly, "What you said earlier makes sense, being with Little Bowl indeed decreases her luck. But now, since Little Bowl is hunted by the Catastrophe Demon, it’s not something her luck alone can resolve. I must go to her.

In fact, before the wandering spirit pointed it out, I didn’t even consider being with Little Bowl might endanger her, and this big banner I came up with spontaneously. In the past, Little Bowl concealed her Right Positioning Heavenly Phenomena from Mazao because she didn’t want Mazao to worry about it.

Simultaneously, I can sense from the wandering spirit a unique feeling.

"Just as I can eliminate that strange being earlier, wandering spirit, I can also break your undying body and directly kill you." I said, "Your wish is death, right? I have the power to fulfill your desire."

Tan Xiang, listening in, was shocked while the wandering spirit fell into prolonged silence.

Of course, I wouldn’t actually kill the wandering spirit because I still need him to find the Three-Life Stone Powder. However, I can observe that whenever he mentions the Three-Life Stone Powder, some incomprehensible yearning flashes in his soul.

The only point I’m sure of now is that his desire extends beyond death itself, also craving the Three-Life Stone Powder.

I want to ask him his true feelings. Since his recovery of memory and resolving Little Bowl’s crisis are intricately linked, his motivation for pursuing memory recovery might provide a clue.

After quite a while, the wandering spirit spoke again.

"... Please, have great mercy, forgive my previous disrespect, unfamiliar human god."

He lowered his posture significantly and said humbly, "However... I don’t want to die now. If you wish to punish me with death, I hope you do so after I’ve taken the Three-Life Stone Powder, and then execute me. No matter how tragic that death is, I will accept it willingly."