Chapter 82: An Unexpected Outcome

Xu Jing had been locked up in the laboratory all along, so she witnessed firsthand the changes that took place there. The transformation happened in an instant: on the very day the apocalypse descended, the corpses in the laboratory suddenly turned into Lost Ones.

It was then that Xu Jing discovered she herself had changed as well. She found she could control a portion of the Lost Ones, though she only learned the reason later. That reason made her want to end her own life—she was able to command part of the Lost Ones because some of their body parts had been grafted onto her.

What Xu Yu sought was a vessel that could contain a soul and live forever; in other words, she was after immortality. The so-called “charlatan” had told her that her younger sister was the best possible vessel. In truth, Xu Yu hadn’t only met this charlatan in September; she had known him since childhood. Xu Jing only learned all of this after becoming what she was now.

Upon realizing she could control the Lost Ones, Xu Jing used them to escape the laboratory, only to run into Xu Yu. Xu Yu was surprised to see Xu Jing break free, but she didn’t panic. Instead, she wore a sickening smile, her gaze brimming with naked anticipation and a desire to possess.

“Sister, I never imagined you’d be so remarkable, able to control these Lost Ones,” she said.

Xu Jing only learned the term “Lost Ones” later on.

“Elder sister…” Xu Jing looked at Xu Yu, her eyes filled with terror.

It was then that a horde of Lost Ones suddenly appeared behind Xu Yu, rushing toward Xu Jing. At the same time, Xu Yu declared, “You’re impressive, but you’ll never surpass me. Look, I can control far more Lost Ones than you. Hahaha!”

“Just offer me your body! Hahaha!”

Xu Yu’s laughter verged on madness as she unleashed every method at her disposal to catch Xu Jing.

Knowing now what Xu Yu wanted, Xu Jing fought back with all her might. Then, for reasons she couldn’t comprehend, Xu Yu—who had once been so much stronger—suddenly lost her grip on the Lost Ones. That was how Xu Jing managed to kill her.

Xu Jing wanted to leave the amusement park, but she found she could not, and to her surprise, she realized she no longer wanted to die. Even though she knew the nature of her own body, the thought of death was just that—a thought. It was as if someone had implanted a command into her memory, instilling in her an overwhelming desire to survive.

Later, Xu Jing discovered that if she moved too far from Xu Yu’s corpse, her own body would begin to rot. So she placed Xu Yu in a crystal coffin.

At this point, Xu Jing fell silent, but Xi Yan picked up the thread of her story.

“After that, you became obsessed with killing, and with your sister’s corpse, didn’t you?” Xi Yan asked.

Xu Jing stared at him in surprise. “How did you know? You’re right. I did become obsessed with killing. To be precise, I became obsessed with experimentation. Hahaha, it turns out the experiments my sister conducted were truly fascinating.”

Xi Yan frowned. “You experimented on your sister as well, didn’t you?”

“Of course! In her eyes, I was the perfect experimental vessel, and in mine, so was she. That charlatan wasn’t a charlatan at all! He’s a god—the god of this continent!”

To Xi Yan, Xu Jing now seemed utterly deranged. He grew more and more curious about this “charlatan” she spoke of. For some reason, he felt that all of this stemmed from that man’s machinations. But could an ordinary person wield such power?

Unknowingly, Xi Yan’s thoughts drifted to the origins of the apocalypse and the Lost Ones.

“My sister’s body is exquisite,” Xu Jing said. “I can’t break away from her because I was grafted with her fingers; we’re inseparable. I truly owe her—without her experiments, I wouldn’t be who I am today. Hahaha!”

Her mind has been tampered with! That was Xi Yan’s first thought. Both Xu Jing and Xu Yu seemed to have been influenced by that “charlatan.” But who was he, truly?

“Why did your diary ask anyone who saw it to help save your sister?” Xi Yan pressed.

Xu Jing let out a contemptuous snort. “Because I love her. Even though she experimented on me, I experienced real joy! Hahaha! That’s why I wanted someone to save her, to bring her back—so I could kill her myself. That feeling—hahaha!”

Xi Yan was chilled to the core. Xu Jing’s mind was no longer remotely human.

“Well? Have you heard enough? Are you satisfied?” Xu Jing regained her composure and gazed at Xi Yan in silence.

A vague sense of dread crept into Xi Yan’s heart, making him hesitate to answer. Instead, he asked another question.

“That charlatan, or the god you speak of—do you remember his name?”

“Of course! I’ll never forget the name of a god. She is Orina Isabelle! What a beautiful name~” Xu Jing’s eyes gleamed with longing.

But Xi Yan felt differently. The name Orina Isabelle was all too familiar to him—she had once helped him clear a dungeon. The smiling, refined figure of Isabelle was etched into his mind, impossible to forget.

Not long after, Xu Jing regained her composure and asked again, “Well? Have you heard enough? Are you satisfied?”

Hearing her repeat this question, Xi Yan’s alarm bells rang louder. He was certain he must not answer her. “Let us go, and I won’t destroy your sister’s body.”

“Leave? Of course, but answer my question first. Are you satisfied by my story?” Xu Jing gave an innocent, harmless smile. Coupled with her sweet appearance, Xi Yan almost replied “yes” without thinking.

But at the last moment, he caught himself.

“Why are you so fixated on this question?” he demanded.

“No reason. I just want to know,” Xu Jing replied, still smiling sweetly.

Yet Xi Yan felt something was deeply wrong with that smile. He gripped the “Radiant Wooden Sword,” intent on destroying Xu Yu’s corpse. But as he pressed the sword to her body, he found himself hesitating. He turned to look at Xu Jing.

She made no move to stop him—in fact, there was a trace of anticipation in her eyes.

Xi Yan’s mind raced, and then his face suddenly turned ashen as he stared at Xu Jing. “This is what you really want, isn’t it? You want me to destroy Xu Yu’s body!”

“Oh my, how did you figure it out?” Xu Jing replied sweetly, her smile like a death knell in Xi Yan’s eyes. “You really are clever—I’ve never met anyone like you. But it’s too late now~”

In an instant, Xu Jing transformed again into the form of the “Slit-mouthed Woman” and said to Xi Yan, “I bet you didn’t expect this. It hardly matters anymore whether you act or not—hahaha!”