Chapter 255

Wu Chang rolled on the ground, clutching his eyes; after more than ten minutes, the soul-deep pain finally subsided to a bearable level.

He rose from the ground, looked up at the mirror, and saw his eyes blood-red; upon closer inspection, countless cracks covered his eyeballs and pupils, and within each crack glowed unextinguished embers.

Damn, just one glance nearly burned out his eyeballs.

Compared to the pitch-black hatred hidden deep within the Omniscient Crystal, the True Form of the Demigod was as childish as Totoro; his high willpower crumbled instantly before that hatred, with no resistance.

Luckily, he was used to playing it safe—he never fought unprepared—and had swallowed his last Whisper of the Nameless beforehand; otherwise, even if he hadn't died on the spot, his will would've shattered into madness.

How terrifying was this pitch-black hatred? Simply put, it was terrifying enough to break the very properties of an item.

"Item Name: Whisper of the Nameless."

"Item Description: Upon use, gain the state 'Forced Understanding.' Under this state, regardless of any circumstance, the user's will shall never drop to zero, nor suffer damage from insufficient will. Duration: One minute."

"Note: Mysterious whispers fill my ears. Wonderful—I'm gradually understanding everything."

The item description of the "Whisper of the Nameless" states that the user gains the Forced Understanding state: within one minute, regardless of any circumstance, will shall never drop to zero, nor suffer damage from insufficient will.

That one minute refers to one minute in the current plane—this he had verified when first entering the Abyss Game, using Leyman's True Form.

Yet just now, after gazing at the pitch-black hatred for only an instant, his Forced Understanding state shattered, forcing him out of the state of peering into the hatred.

Abyss Game, what the hell are you doing? Give me some effect already.

Wu Chang shook his head, trying desperately to recall that fleeting instant within the pitch-black hatred.

No matter how hard he tried, he could not remember what had happened—or rather, what he had seen was utterly incomprehensible at his current level.

He now understood why, when he first saw the activated Omniscient Crystal, his eyes had felt burned: it wasn't targeted at him—it was his own inspiration's self-defense mechanism.

Inspiration was telling him not to look—looking would kill him.

Unfortunately, this warning didn't make Wu Chang cautious; it only made him more curious about the secrets of the Omniscient Crystal.

Self-destruction is an instinct humans cannot resist.

This bout of self-destruction cost him his last "Whisper of the Nameless," but it wasn't without reward.

Similar to when he saw Leyman's True Form in the Moonlight Sanatorium instance, observing Leyman's True Form without his mind collapsing increased his willpower by 30 points and granted him a special vision that lets him see emotions.

This time, though he only glimpsed the pitch-black hatred for an instant—and still didn't know what he saw—that single instant increased his willpower by 50 points.

Remember, when he first observed Leyman's True Form and gained 30 points, he had stared at it relentlessly, relying on his unbreakable mind, and only then realized Leyman's True Form was composed of emotions—that's what broke him through.

And increasing willpower from 30 to 60 is nothing like increasing from 170 to 220—the difficulty is entirely different.

With his pre-increase willpower, even if he saw Leyman's True Form again, he'd only feel mental contamination and discomfort—not drop dead on sight, let alone gain any meaningful willpower points.

From this alone, it's clear how terrifying the black hatred hidden in the Omniscient Crystal is—perhaps even the Demigod would see it and lose all sanity, descending into madness.

Besides the increase in willpower, he felt his vision had changed in some way, similar to the change that let him see emotions.

But since he couldn't comprehend what he'd seen in that instant, he had no clue about this new vision—he'd need to explore it further later.

Huh.

Wu Chang exhaled the stale air from his chest, playing with the Omniscient Crystal in his hand; in its dormant state, the hatred within was hidden and contained—so long as he didn't actively seek to investigate it, it wouldn't harm him.

Though he didn't know its origin, its ability to make Huanxi so obsessed, and the sheer power of its hatred capable of breaking through the Abyss Game's own rules, confirmed to him that its value far exceeded his expectations.

But how do you use it?

His adoptive cousin had entrusted him with the Omniscient Crystal—but seemed to have forgotten to give him a manual.

As Wu Chang complained, a faint electronic voice sounded in his ear.

"Please initiate the Soul Binding Protocol and consent to my entry into your mental world. I shall guide you, assist you in uncovering the truth of the world, and help you escape the inevitable end."

He frowned, looking at the Omniscient Crystal in his hand.

"Are you the one speaking to me?"

The Omniscient Crystal remained lifeless, unchanged—but the electronic voice sounded again in Wu Chang's ear.

"Yes."

Since acquiring the Omniscient Crystal, Schultze's lingering grudge had often spoken to himself when alone.

Wu Chang had suspected then that Schultze was conversing with the Omniscient Crystal, doubting it possessed some form of consciousness—now it was clear.

If it could communicate, things became much easier.

"What are you? A silicon-based lifeform? A high-level AI? What state are you in now—alive or dead?" Wu Chang fired off questions at the Omniscient Crystal.

Perhaps due to lacking a host, the Omniscient Crystal's voice sounded like a speaker running out of power—a weak electronic voice replied:

"I don't know."

Wu Chang didn't believe it. "Your name is Omniscient Crystal, yet you don't know what you are?"

The absurdity of this was comparable to Schultze's lingering grudge, whose weakness was labeled on his head yet still claimed omniscience and omnipotence.

The Omniscient Crystal said:

"I am not a complete, independent entity—I am merely one among many of me. My preset task is to seek assistants, prompting them to uncover the truth of the world and gather sufficient energy. Therefore, I cannot answer your question: 'What am I?'"

Wu Chang pondered the Omniscient Crystal's reply; literally, it was a fragment split or created by some powerful being.

That being had scattered countless Omniscient Crystals to collect energy and find so-called assistants.

Wu Chang didn't know how the "truth of the world" it mentioned related to the pitch-black hatred at its core—but he was certain the being that created the Omniscient Crystal operated at an extremely high power level.

Likely Level 4 of the Abyss, or at least a top-tier entity of Level 3.

He continued asking:

"What is the Soul Binding Protocol?"

The Omniscient Crystal said:

"The Soul Binding Protocol merges my existence with your soul, uniting us as one. I shall serve as your second information-processing center, aiding you in memory, thought, analysis, learning, and formulating the optimal action plan based on your current condition."

Wu Chang nodded noncommittally—it sounded impressive, like gaining an external brain; Schultze had been able to master all of MIT's knowledge in a year thanks to the Omniscient Crystal's aid.

That's precisely why Schultze wasn't worried his less intelligent younger brother couldn't fully absorb his research.

The temptation to transform instantly from a failure into a genius was immense—but nothing in this world comes for free.

He asked, "What's the cost?"

The Omniscient Crystal replied, "The assistant only needs to help me collect energy, gather the special items I require, and grant me temporary permission to control your body at critical moments."

Wu Chang wore an expression of 'I knew it'—you coveted the hidden knowledge within the Omniscient Crystal, but the Crystal and its hidden mastermind coveted your body.

Collecting energy and special items isn't much; granting temporary control over your body is the real point.

Schultz isn't afraid, but he isn't either.

The Omniscient Crystal is precious, but he has many precious things on him, and he will have even more in the future.

As long as the creator of the Omniscient Crystal isn't the creator of the Abyss Game, digitizing both their talents and resetting them to initial status, the opponent's potential may not surpass his.

Even if the opponent started with no ill intent, once they sensed his secrets, they'd likely develop some ideas of their own.

"What happens if I refuse the soul-binding procedure?"

The Omniscient Crystal said:

"Then you will find it very difficult to gain my help."

"Hard? Then don't do it." Wu Chang shrugged and tossed the Omniscient Crystal into his personal space.

What joke is this? Could he be controlled by a single item? To him, the Omniscient Crystal was a luxury—nice to have, but unnecessary without it.

But the Omniscient Crystal was different—it couldn't act on its own. Without him as the assistant, it couldn't complete even a single task.

Now it was the one seeking him. Let it wait—it would eventually crack.

When that time came, he would teach it the proper attitude for begging.

He put away the Omniscient Crystal. With Schultz's complete death, the instance dimension reached its end.

"Player has completed Main Quest One: Become an employee of Hymn Corp and complete one promotion or three weekly performance evaluations."

"Player has completed Main Quest Two: Investigate Hymn Corp's hidden secrets."

"Player has completed Main Quest Three: Maintain the peace value of Wildo City at no less than 30 points. Current peace value: 80 points."

During the final battle, Wildo City's peace value had once dropped below 30 points, but when Schultz transformed into an artificial god, he resonated with all citizens through virtue and sin, overriding their chaotic wills with his own, instantly stabilizing Wildo City's peace value.

When Schultz created the Sinful Offspring, he fused all shareholders into it as raw material. With these unstable factors gone, social tensions in Wildo City would ease significantly in the short term.

Added to that, Wu Chang had no intention of continuing the Hymn Project and planned to halt the deployment of disqualified monsters into Wildo City, ensuring a long period of peace after the battle.

!

The combination of these factors allowed Main Quest Three to be completed smoothly.

According to the Abyss Game's rules, after completing all main quests, the player could remain in the instance dimension only for a fixed duration; exceeding it would forcibly expel them from the instance dimension.

But now, the Hymn Corp dimension had become a Pillar of the Real World, and Wu Chang, as Schultz's "legal heir," successfully transformed Hymn Corp into his own private dimension.

"Player has gained the recognition of Wasteland Realm -67254 Dimension Controller. Wasteland Realm -67254 has become the player's private dimension. The player holds administrative authority within this dimension; unauthorized targets cannot enter."

"As Controller, the player is anchored to Wasteland Realm -67254. A fixed portal to this dimension has been opened."

……

Subsequent details regarding the portal entrance, time flow rate, and dimension output remained identical to those of the 88th Underground Shelter dimension; the only difference was the final notification.

"Detected: Player has acquired temporary administrative authority over the Wasteland Realm. Temporary administrative authority upgraded: Player may now traverse between the Wasteland Realm and the Rational Realm via the Pillar of the Real World."

"Notice: The Rational Realm zone of Crimson Courtyard is named the Hall of Truth. The Hall of Truth contains non-safe zones. Since the player has not yet ascended, exploration carries high risk. Proceed with caution."

Another Pillar of the Real World. Wu Chang rubbed his chin. The Four Organizations' Pillars kept being destroyed, while his own private Pillars kept increasing. Once he reached the Rational Realm, selling special access to the Wasteland Realm might be a path to wealth.

With Hymn Corp now his private dimension, the Abyss Game did not urge him to leave immediately. He still had unfinished business and could use this time to wrap things up.

Schultz had anticipated his possible failure and made preparations in advance. The chairman's badge he gave Wu Chang was no ordinary badge—in the instant of his death, all authority rightfully belonging to the Hymn Corp chairman was transferred to Wu Chang, accompanied by an internal company announcement.

The elevator, once accessible only to Schultz, now opened automatically as Wu Chang approached.

Wu Chang took the elevator back to Schultz's office. As he walked out, he encountered the assistants, utterly at a loss.

The assistants working on the 99th floor were the most dependent on Schultz. They held high positions and could issue orders to any department in the company under Schultz's directives.

But their power came entirely from Schultz. Without him, they were merely empty titles, unable to command even a single department manager or gold-ranked employee to do anything for them.

During the earlier battle, they saw Schultz severely wounded and received his internal message transferring the chairman position to Xiao En. This filled them with dread.

They feared not only for Schultz's condition, but for their own futures.

The moment they saw Wu Chang emerge wearing the chairman's badge, several veteran assistants stepped forward and tentatively asked, "Xiao En, Chairman, how is Mr. Schultz?"

Wu Chang said without expression, "Not well."

They continued, "Do you need us to assist you with anything?"

Wu Chang said, "You only need to continue with your own duties. I am the chairman of Hymn Corp. Troublesome matters are my responsibility."

Wu Chang's words seemed to carry magic. Upon hearing them, everyone calmed down and returned to their desks, resuming their unfinished work.

Watching Wu Chang enter the elevator and descend, the assistant who had spoken earlier whispered:

"Did you all feel like Mr. Xiao En has changed?"

Another assistant blushed slightly and whispered:

"I felt it too. His aura was so strong just now. No wonder the chairman chose him as successor."

Wu Chang took the elevator down to the 99th floor. Through internal surveillance, he knew all senior management of Hymn Corp were gathered there.

When Schultz left the 99th-floor office, he shattered the floor-to-ceiling window. The window had not yet been repaired, but none of the managers who had been there had left.

Seeing Wu Chang open the door and enter, their expressions varied.

Schultz's lingering authority remained. Most dared not question his decision. The eight-level department managers mostly lowered their heads and bowed slightly to Wu Chang.

Among the nine-level partners, Jeffrey and Hughes were the first to acknowledge Wu Chang's identity, nodding and greeting:

"Chairman."

But the remaining partners' eyes held more—confusion, resentment, even malice.

They did not greet Wu Chang. He paid no mind. He looked at them and said:

"You've all received the news about Chairman Schultz. Due to the failure of the Hymn Project, Hymn Corp will now be under my management for the foreseeable future."

"I know some people have certain misunderstandings about me. I'm a very democratic person. If anyone has grievances with me, you can step forward right now and speak. For the development of the Hymn Company, as long as enough people agree, I will initiate an internal election and hold a vote."

"I've said my piece. Who approves? Who objects?"

The moment Wu Chang finished speaking, a man in his fifties, with hair greying at the temples, stepped forward. His face was stern, dressed in the standard old-money style, clearly different from the technically oriented Geoffrey and Hughes.

Alfie, a Level Nine Partner, the second son of a wealthy and powerful clan. Unable to inherit the family business yet unwilling to remain mediocre, he joined the Hymn Company and, through his own ability, rose step by step to the position of Level Nine Partner.

Alfie looked at Wu Chang with disdain and said, "Xiao En, what I'm saying isn't aimed at you personally. It's just that the Hymn Company is everyone's hard work. Every promotion follows its own rules and regulations, and no one is allowed to violate them."

"The Chairman has already made exceptions for you many times. If it continues, things will start to look ugly. The words may be hurtful, but if I don't say them, everyone else will be thinking the same thing."

"You weren't here when the company grew from small to big, you weren't here when the company hit hard times, and even just now, when we risked everything and helped Mr. Schultz take down those guys, you still weren't here."

"Where were you? You were sitting pretty with clean hands, waiting to take over as Chairman. Even if Mr. Schultz were standing right here, I'd tell him straight to his face — I disagree."

Wu Chang nodded. He could understand Alfie's anger. Others did all the dirty, tiring work, while you contributed nothing and still got to pick the peaches just because you were born lucky.

If it were him, he wouldn't be happy either.

"Anyone else?"

Another Level Nine Partner stepped forward. He didn't add anything, only saying, "I think the same as Mr. Alfie."

The two held considerable prestige within the Hymn Company, each with their own faction of followers. Seeing the two of them step forward, five Level Eight department managers also rose to oppose.

In truth, there should have been more, but under the unfriendly gazes of Geoffrey and Hughes, many who had half-lifted their feet lowered them again.

Both of them had seen Wu Chang's medical records and knew how abnormal Wu Chang's Talent Zone was. They believed that if Schultz dared to hand the position to Wu Chang, then Wu Chang could certainly hold it.

Wu Chang swept his gaze around the room and asked, "No one else?"

Seeing no response, he turned to the management who had stayed put and said sincerely:

"Just as Mr. Alfie said, it was my fault before. But since Schultz has handed the responsibility to me, I will absolutely not let him down. Today's crisis is my chance to prove myself to everyone. You can all witness it firsthand."

Alfie and the others frowned as they listened. What did that mean? The opposition numbered over six, which already counted as a major dispute and should trigger an internal vote. Why was Wu Chang acting as if it had passed smoothly?

After Wu Chang finished stating his position to everyone, he turned to look at Alfie and the others, a surprised smile on his face.

"You really do object?"

Before Alfie and the others could react, they saw a small Hymn, white on top and black below, four meters tall, appear in the room. With a wave of its hand, it swept the seven objectors standing there out through the broken window.

He smiled at the crowd, who had fallen deathly silent, then turned to Geoffrey and said:

"Mr. Geoffrey, Schultz told me before that whenever the company runs into trouble, asking you for help is never wrong. Please get in touch with every media outlet here today. Half an hour from now, I want to hold a press conference regarding today's incident."

Half an hour later, every media person present in Wielde City, whether willing or "willing," had been invited by the Hymn Company to the tenth-floor hall.

Outside the conference room, Geoffrey said to Wu Chang, "Chairman Xiao En, everything is ready."

Wu Chang nodded and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Before leaving the instance plane, he had to first complete Lei Mengde's hidden side quest.

(End of Chapter)