Chapter 338: Performance and Combat

Wu Chang had originally thought that once Hercules was discovered by the guards, an encounter battle would break out.

However, contrary to what he had imagined, the three guards showed no intention of attacking.

Just as he was doubting whether the Doom Space ability was broken, wondering why they wouldn't strike in such a situation, the rules for using Doom Space surfaced in his mind.

In Doom Space, the attacks of Mind-Image Monsters are divided into two stages.

These are the Performance Stage and the Combat Stage, respectively.

During the Performance Stage, the Mind-Image Monster improvises freely, editing the scene based on the target's mental vulnerabilities to conduct a performance of protective will and inner heart with the target.

In the Performance Stage, the Mind-Image Monster does not inflict substantial damage on the target; instead, it expands the target's mental vulnerabilities to strengthen itself.

When the mental vulnerabilities can no longer be expanded, the Mind-Image Monster ends the performance and directly inflicts damage on the target.

From the moment damage is dealt, it officially enters the Combat Stage, a fight to the death.

More specific details were not clearly written in the skill description, and Wu Chang needed to use the first test subject of Doom Space, Hercules, to find out.

Because as soon as damage is dealt to the target, it wakes the target from the performance atmosphere, interrupting the Performance Stage.

Therefore, as the tester of the ability, Wu Chang could not intervene in this stage and could only stand from a god's-eye view as a bystander.

He looked at the utility room below, where Hercules, cornered by the three guards, appeared exceptionally weak, pitiful, and helpless.

Having obtained the Fantasy Divinity and passed most of the Twelve Trials, he who could summon wind and rain in the Rational Realm seemed to have had his consciousness return to childhood, to that night when his escape failed.

Let alone resisting, he found it difficult even to remain standing.

The leader of the guards asked:

"Little mouse, escaping without permission is a big deal. Do you know what the consequences will be for you?"

Hercules bit the bullet and said, "It's just death, anyway. If we keep being tortured by you, we won't live long either."

The guard leader wagged his index finger and shook his head, saying, "No, no, no, you are too naive. This time is different from the past. When you escaped, someone attacked the Saw Blade of the Body Modification Research Department, cut off one of his hands, and poked out one of his eyes."

"Saw Blade usually likes to use scrap to do strange experiments. This time, when he wakes up, he has threatened to tear the escapees into pieces."

"Believe me, you don't want to enter that black hut of Saw Blade's."

Hercules shuddered, as if recalling some terrifying memory, and the courage that had just risen in his eyes instantly dissipated.

The guard leader squatted down, patted Hercules on the shoulder, and whispered:

"Bring me to your companions, and we'll pretend we never saw you, how about that?"

The cowering Hercules, hearing this, felt as if he had been granted amnesty; he nodded immediately and said:

"No problem, I know where they are hiding!"

"Then what are you waiting for? Lead the way."

Hercules led the way in front, with the three guards following behind with eerie smiles; Hercules did not notice that as he chose to abandon his companions and cooperate with the guards, the three guards' bodies swelled by a circle, and a fourth guard emerged from the darkness.

"The target has been attacked by a Mind-Image Monster; cracks have appeared in the Will Barrier, and the Mind-Image Monster's attributes have increased by 30%."

In the darkness, Wu Chang, from his god's-eye view, watched in a daze.

It felt right; the malice of the Mind-Image Monster had that same flavor as Amber's inner demon in the Doom-Entangled dungeon.

They didn't actually attack the target directly, but instead utilized the weaknesses in the target's heart to attack the target's Will Barrier, developing themselves first before taking action.

He still remembered Amber's state at that time; when facing a Mind-Image Monster, if one did not resist to the end during the first encounter, one would only sink deeper and deeper, with mental vulnerabilities constantly expanding until collapse.

Led by the traitor, the five of them soon discovered an escaped test subject in a small cubicle in the water room.

The guard leader said kindly to Hercules:

"Well done. I knew you would stand on the side of justice and help us maintain order."

"These little mice escape every few days, causing us a lot of trouble and implicating everyone in being punished along with them; they are simply black sheep. To clear them out and give everyone a clean living space, be our undercover agent."

"Next time they have an evil escape plan, just come and tell me secretly. I can guarantee that you won't experience any dangerous experiments in the future, how about it?"

Hercules, who had already cowered once, now had no way back; facing the guard leader's amiable expression, he nodded.

"Very good!" The guard leader patted his shoulder with satisfaction, stuffed the metal baton from his hand into Hercules's hand, and then pointed at the test subject who had just been caught, saying softly:

"Go kill him."

Hercules trembled, "Haven't I already agreed to your conditions?"

The guard leader maintained his smiling face and said in a gentle tone: "I'll give you three seconds. If you don't kill him, I'll let him kill you."

"3..."

Bang!

Just as the countdown began, Hercules struck his companion on the back of the head with the baton; the moment he killed his companion, the muscles on his body withered by half, and the fear in his eyes grew even stronger.

"The target has been attacked by a Mind-Image Monster; the Will Barrier is partially damaged, the Mind-Image Monster's attributes have increased by 30%, and while the target is in Doom Space, all attributes are weakened to 70%."

The watching Wu Chang gasped; it was worthy of being a talent enhanced by an S-rank Book of Inspiration.

Before using it, he knew the effect of Calamity Spirit was not simple, but he hadn't expected it to be this complex.

The effect of Doom Space had actually inherited the attribute suppression mechanism of Doom-Entangled.

Could it be that he had wronged the S-rank Book of Inspiration before—that it wasn't too weak, but that his other abilities were too strong?

The shattering of the Will Barrier was like an avalanche; once it started, it was difficult to stop.

As Hercules led the guards to catch more companions, the flaws in his heart grew larger.

Not long after, the number of guards following behind him had reached six, each of them burly and holding batons that resembled spiked clubs.

When the last test subject attempting to escape was caught, the night's operation came to an end.

Just as the guards' amiable expressions gradually turned eerie and they glared at Hercules with murderous intent, Hercules seemed to sense the danger and said loudly:

"Actually, there is one more person!"

"There is another test subject named Tinder; she has always been acting with us. Although I can't find her, she manages to survive every time. I suspect she has received help from the research institute's internal staff!"

"I can help you find out, believe me!"

As Hercules took the initiative to go further, his Will Barrier moved a step closer to shattering; however, to his surprise, facing the information he proactively offered, the guards were not interested.

"Tinder is not like you mice; you don't need to worry about her."

This sentence completely broke Hercules's defense, and the crisp sound of shattering echoed throughout the entire Doom Space.

"The target has been attacked by a Mind-Image Monster; the Will Barrier is significantly damaged, the Mind-Image Monster's attributes have increased by 50%, and while the target is in Doom Space, all attributes are weakened to 40%."

The guards' attitude was not caused by Wu Chang's secret manipulation.

The Mind-Image Monster of Doom Space, like Amber's inner demon mechanism, was based on the target's personal experience, evolving into a monster on that basis.

That this sentence could cause such a strong reaction in Hercules meant that the meaning represented by this sentence—that is, the point that Amber was different from the ordinary mice—was the biggest inner demon in the depths of his heart.

This matter, to him, was something he brooded over far more than the fact that he had once betrayed his companions and acted as an undercover agent to tip them off.

Wu Chang realized something in the dark; no wonder that in the secret research institute, every time an escape operation failed, Amber was able to survive.

There were reasons for her abilities and Amanda's management, but the more important reason came from the connivance of the secret research institute's officials.

They were using this method to plant an inner demon in Amber to facilitate her control later, or for some other purpose.

Wu Chang shook his head, withdrew his thoughts, and turned his attention back to Doom Space.

As Hercules's Will Barrier was significantly damaged and the deepest vulnerabilities in his heart were drawn out by the Mind-Image Monsters, this play also reached its finale.

The prelude was over; it was time to enter the flesh-and-blood combat segment.

Before Hercules could think of anything that could prove his value more than reporting Tinder, the guard leader had already swung the spiked club from bottom to top, smashing it fiercely against his chin.

Hercules's small body flew up instantly, and he spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with his front teeth.

The damage caused by the Mind-Image Monster was soul damage that struck directly at the source; even if he were wearing lion-skin armor, he could not be immune.

From the moment he was damaged, Hercules's body changed from a child back to an adult man.

He clutched his chin and said in a slurred tone: "Why? I've already said everything I should have."

The guard leader swung the spiked club and said with a smile:

"There is no why; I just feel that you are useless now, and it's time to end this."

Following the guard leader's attack, Hercules stepped out of the atmosphere of the Performance Stage; after a brief moment of dullness, he regained his senses.

Hercules, having regained consciousness, recalled everything that had just happened; his blood boiled, and he instantly entered a state of overlapping red-heat and blood-rage.

"You deserve to die! And that kid from the Desolate Realm deserves to die too!"

He took out his sword and shield from his personal space and, with a leap, charged straight at the guard leader.

During the Performance Stage, the Mind-Image Monster's attribute increase exceeded 150%, but it was still not enough in front of the enraged Hercules.

Hercules blocked the guard leader's spiked club with his shield, pushed the shield in his hand, and slammed it into the guard leader's face while holding the club.

Taking advantage of the guard leader's cry of pain, he turned his long sword and stabbed it straight down into the base of the guard leader's neck, all the way to the hilt.

Then he stirred it forcefully, cutting off the guard leader's head.

He held the guard leader's head with his shield-bearing hand and shouted, as if to vent all the previous frustration and fear.

If it were normal times, if he had executed the ringleader in such a fierce and brutal way, the other targets would have been intimidated, acting timidly or fleeing directly.

But the Mind-Image Monster didn't care about that, nor did it care about the atmosphere.

While Hercules was roaring at the sky, four or five spiked clubs had already struck his head and chest.

Facing ordinary iron arms, Hercules wouldn't have cared, but when the clubs hit his body, he noticed something wrong; that vibration that struck directly at his soul made his head buzz.

His high-pitched roar was interrupted halfway by the relentless beating of the clubs.

He held his shield over his head, swung his long sword in all directions, and took advantage of the gap when the guards retreated to run out of the encirclement in a sorry state.

It seemed that the feeling of being attacked just now was not an illusion; these guards were strange. Their strength was clearly very low, but their attacks could pass through the lion-skin armor and cause him damage.

Besides the guards, this space was also strange, actually being able to suppress his attributes.

The power he could exert at this moment was less than half of his peak period, and after taking that concentrated attack just now, a quarter of his life had been knocked away.

Where did that kid from the Desolate Realm get such a weird ability?

Having learned his lesson, Hercules was much more cautious this time; he dared not take damage head-on anymore and chose to approach slowly, not letting the guards form an encirclement, fighting steadily to grind these guards to death.

Who is he? The Hercules who completed the Twelve Labors, possessing near-infinite stamina.

As long as he plays it steady, ensures he takes no damage, and waits for the right opportunity to counterattack slowly, it is impossible for him to lose to these guards.

The battle begins once more, and Hercules, adopting a turtle-shell tactic, shifts to a defense-oriented style.

No matter the attack, he blocks with his shield first, and when a guard becomes sluggish from their own attack, he strikes out with his sword from behind the shield.

After a counterattack, he never gets greedy, immediately shrinking back behind his shield to ensure he gives the guards no opportunity to exploit.

If things continue to develop as they are now, it is only a matter of time before Hercules wins.

But unless something unexpected happens, something unexpected is about to happen.

The guards swarm forward, brandishing their spiked clubs at Hercules; this situation has occurred many times before, and Hercules uses his superb technique, dancing his shield so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass through, blocking all attacks.

His gaze scans the battlefield, searching for which guard has failed to retract their strike in time, so he can deliver a sword blow.

But this time, the situation is different; he discovers that one of the guards is not swinging a club, but instead throwing an elbow at him.

"Man!"

He raises his shield to block, only to find the opponent's elbow strike pressing against the shield, sliding along the arc of the shield like a drop of water; the elbow strike, at an incredible angle, drills into his defensive perimeter and strikes his face.

Everything goes black before his eyes; although the opponent's attack cannot hurt him, the abnormal status effect attached to the attack causes him to temporarily lose control of his body.

Next, he sees several spiked clubs smashing toward him continuously.

"Target has been attacked by a mental-image monster, soul severely damaged; while in the Doom Space, the target's total attributes are reduced to 30%."

If this continues, the mental-image monster guards could beat Hercules into a meatball alive.

But Wu Chang does not let them continue; he has them stand by, then walks in front of Hercules and, imitating the tone of the guard leader, says:

"I have a question. Answer it, and I won't let them hit you."

"Are you an experimental subject from the secret laboratory, a Deep Abyss game player, or both?"

Hercules cannot be sure if Wu Chang will keep his word, but he loses his nerve anyway and replies:

"I am a player of the Deep Abyss, not an experimental subject."

Wu Chang asks curiously: "Then why did the mental loophole of Experimental Subject No. 46 appear on you? Can the Imaginary Divinity inherit the memories of the experimental subjects who nurtured the divinity?"

Hercules looks suspicious and uncertain; he did not expect a player from the Wild Realm to know of the existence of Imaginary Divinity.

Seeing he cannot hide it from the other, he hesitates for a moment and replies:

"You can understand it that way. The method to extract Imaginary Divinity is not to pull the divinity out of the experimental subject, but to make the divinity within them go berserk, devouring the existence of the experimental subject along the mental loophole, using their flesh and blood as nutrients to form the Fruit of Divinity."

"When we swallow the Fruit of Divinity, we are also swallowing the entirety of the experimental subject; they merge with us along with the divinity. Their memories also become our memories."

Wu Chang clicks his tongue after hearing this; when he first heard the process of creating Imaginary Divinity, he felt the whole thing was wicked.

If it were truly so easy to extract divinity, then why raise the experimental subjects like poisonous insects in a jar, and why make them live in high pressure and terror, deliberately causing them to have mental loopholes?

Wouldn't it be easier to let the divinity mature by using gentler methods?

Now it seems that all of this was to ensure that when the divinity goes berserk in the future, it can devour the experimental subject through the mental loophole.

But that makes sense; if divinity were really that easy to seize, it wouldn't be worth much.

Hercules looks at Wu Chang and says:

"I have answered your question; now it is your turn to fulfill your promise."

Wu Chang shrugs and says:

"Don't worry, there is no reason for me, Heping, to go back on my word."

Hercules lets out a long breath, but his brow furrows, and his heart, which had just settled, suddenly tightens again.

Heping—why does this name sound so familiar?

Was that the name of the newcomer monster from the Wild Realm who made Boss Huanxi look bad earlier?

Before Hercules can react, Wu Chang asks:

"Has your Strength attribute exceeded five hundred?"

Hercules answers subconsciously: "No, it's still a little short."

Wu Chang glances at the attribute panel and says with a smile: "That's great."

In his Sea Giant transformation state, his Strength attribute is 163.

Since Hercules's Strength attribute is under five hundred, under the attribute suppression of the Doom Space, his Strength will not exceed 150 points.

Wu Chang straightens the lion-skin armor for Hercules and says:

"In consideration of me keeping my promise, you answer me one question: did No. 46 really want to betray the Fire Seed?"

Hercules does not know why Wu Chang is asking this, but the question is harmless, so he replies: "Yes."

Wu Chang follows up: "Jealousy?"

Hercules: "Yes."

Wu Chang says: "What a pity, he is already dead; then you can take a punch from me on his behalf."

Hercules: ?

Without waiting for Hercules to argue, Wu Chang has already punched him in the face.

The lion-skin armor can withstand all non-divine damage, but it has one weakness: as long as the Strength check is greater than the wearer's, the damage of the attack will reach the origin directly, and the damage dealt is doubled.

Hercules does not have much health left; Wu Chang's punch, which reaches the origin directly, combined with the God-Slayer effect that triggers after the Strength check, shatters his head instantly.

As Hercules's corpse falls to the ground, Wu Chang dispels the Doom Space and returns to the Reason Realm.

In the Reason Realm, Xu Dejun grips his blade with both hands, waiting anxiously for Wu Chang.

He does not know what method Wu Chang used to take Hercules away temporarily, nor does he know if Wu Chang will return, but he cannot leave and can only wait here.

Because right now, only Wu Chang can travel between the Wild Realm and the Reason Realm, and only he can pass that message back.

Just as he is waiting anxiously, the black mist from before appears again, and Wu Chang reappears carrying Hercules's headless corpse.

"The trouble has been resolved; tell me, what exactly is the intelligence you insisted on giving me?"

(End of chapter)