Chapter 309

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Chapter 309: Jealousy

Mu Ling watched helplessly as the “host” in front of her turned into a withered corpse. Subconsciously, she sensed something was wrong and immediately stayed on high alert. However, her body still couldn’t move on its own; it remained under the remote control of the “savior.” Even though she was vigilant, she couldn’t defend herself.

Suddenly, Mu Ling understood.

So that’s how it is. The truth is, the real “host” of the Mercury Ball has never been the person wearing the mask. Nor is it the people who have worn the Mercury Mask throughout the generations. The true mastermind behind the Mercury Ball is actually the Mercury Mask itself!

Her gaze fixed on the Mercury Mask lying on the corpse. It seemed alive, the patterns on its surface flowing and growing more intricate, as though blood was being poured into it.

For tens of thousands of years—since the Mercury Ball first appeared—this exquisite Mercury Mask had never been destroyed or lost. Regardless of the deaths of countless Color Assassins or the mysterious disappearances of past “hosts,” a new “host” would always appear out of nowhere. And this flawless Mercury Mask never changed.

It had accompanied the Mercury Ball’s existence from beginning to end.

In other words, it was the true… host of the ball.

【So, you’ve noticed, huh.】

Mu Ling’s body instinctively tensed up as she felt an overwhelming malice surge through her. It was as if evil thoughts were erupting from the depths of her heart.

The voice of a middle-aged man, cold and dripping with sarcasm, echoed in her mind.

Psychic power!

Mu Ling froze for a moment. Suddenly, the Mercury Mask twisted into a squirming, liquid-like state. It became an utterly grotesque sight—like a pile of silver snails writhing in their death throes.

The next moment, it leapt toward her face, crossing several meters in an instant, as if teleporting. It didn’t give her any time to react.

A wave of immense fear surged into Mu Ling’s heart as ancient, distorted incantations flooded her mind.

Her vision was completely obscured, and her will began to battle against an unknown, sinister consciousness.

That voice returned. This time, it carried an even darker and more malicious intent.

【Disappear, insignificant consciousness.】

【End your meaningless life.】

【Your body will become my new puppet.】

【I will rebuild the Mercury Ball.】

Mu Ling trembled with terror. She instinctively wanted to tear the Mercury Mask off her face, but to her shock, her body still wouldn’t obey her. She remained under the “savior’s” control.

Then, a strange sense of calm washed over her.

If that was the case… nothing would happen to her. The great savior was definitely protecting her soul.

【Why aren’t you resisting?】

【A rare situation… but incredibly foolish. Your soul will be wiped away even faster by my psychic power. Not that resistance would change the outcome.】

Suddenly, an eerie black mist emerged from Mu Ling’s body. It severed the connection between her and the Mercury Mask in an instant!

The Mercury Mask was hurled several meters away, landing on the ground as it transformed into a boiling, silvery liquid.

Its voice howled in rage.

“What!”

“No… this is the power of the Connector!”

“Why is it you?”

“I understand now. The savior of the Babel Tower… that foolish ‘Connector’? Hahaha! I didn’t expect this! So, that’s how it is!”

The Mercury Mask’s voice was filled with shock and derision.

“Connector… nice to meet you. I am a special being born from the profound otherworld, envied even by the ‘tower’… Connector, you should have already vanished into nothingness.”

Mu Ling listened silently, barely comprehending but eager to hear more.

Connector—was that the true name of the “savior”?

She desperately wanted to know everything about the savior, even if it seemed useless. Mu Ling longed to draw closer to that lofty existence.

Perhaps this was what people called faith.

Suddenly, the Mercury Mask’s voice fell silent, as though it realized it had been talking to itself. The Connector didn’t respond.

“Forget it,” it muttered. “It’s useless to say these things to a mere pawn like you. What I must seize is immensely important. Perhaps there’s a chance for me to escape the ‘apocalypse’… I can’t let you stand in my way.”

“I originally planned to use these assassins as cannon fodder to retrieve the Relic from that location, but now it seems I must accelerate my plans.”

We must leave Annottales before the Incarnation of Dark Light reacts!

Mu Ling’s cold voice cut through the air. “You won’t get anything. You won’t go anywhere. You will perish here!”

The voice of jealousy was filled with disdain.

It didn’t believe for a moment that the girl standing before it could be its opponent. Even if she was powerful, there couldn’t be more than two individuals in the entire country capable of defeating her.

But so what?

It was part of the mysterious and inscrutable “Tower” organization.

For tens of thousands of years, the Tower had worshipped the god of strategy and games, dominating the multiverse and obliterating countless civilizations.

What could a mere indigenous strong individual—a native girl who hadn’t even reached the so-called “half-god territory” of “Apocalypse”—possibly amount to?

Nothing.

Its voice dripped with malice and scorn.

“For over ten thousand years, I’ve collected a vast amount of malice generated from jealousy. You can’t imagine its power…

Pawns of the Babel Tower…

You are nothing more than pawns. It is impossible for you to defeat me!”

Mu Ling furrowed her brows slightly.

So that’s the true purpose of the Mercury Ball’s existence…

The Mercury Mask in front of her, self-proclaimed as “Envy,” had the ability to absorb power from people’s jealousy.

For over ten thousand years, countless individuals had succumbed to its temptation, hiring assassins and leaving behind a trail of emotional energy. That energy, overflowing with envy and desperation, was absorbed by this powerful wielder of psychic power.

With such accumulation over millennia, its strength was indeed terrifying. Mu Ling fell into deep thought, staying alert, and felt ready to act if necessary.

Suddenly, the silent Sword of Demons launched the first attack!

In truth, it was Bai Yan, operating from another location, who had switched the target in Babel Tower and directed the Sword of Demons to strike.

The Sword of Demons darted toward the Mercury Mask with astonishing speed.

But Envy reacted.

A surge of psychic power erupted like an avalanche, clashing against the descending Sword of Demons.

The force was overwhelming, making the sword’s actions seem like a moth flying into a flame or a sparrow colliding with a mountain.

However, Mu Ling surpassed both the demonic sword and Envy.

Because she could transcend time.

Deep Blue World!

Even attacks faster than time—how could they possibly be defended against?

Without hesitation, the silver-haired girl appeared in front of the Mercury Mask and swung her sword downward.

But the blade passed through without any resistance.

Mu Ling froze, stunned.

What just happened?

The sensation was off—it didn’t feel like hitting a solid object, nor like cutting through mercury. Instead, it was as if the Mercury Mask didn’t exist in reality at all.

Recalling the moment the mask first appeared on her face, Mu Ling realized it had materialized instantly, without any physical movement—an entirely baffling phenomenon.

Could it be that it doesn’t exist in the real world?

Raising her sword again, Mu Ling attempted multiple strikes, but all were fruitless.

Five seconds later, the Mercury Mask vanished into thin air.

“It’s gone,” the girl murmured to herself.

The tsunami of psychic energy also disappeared, as if it had never existed. The Sword of Demons’ attack, which had been aimed at it, naturally missed.

Had the two forces actually collided, the demonic sword itself might have suffered damage.

Mu Ling remained vigilant, pondering when her enemy would reappear and what kind of attack it might launch.

Her opponent was similar to Maryse—both wielded extremely powerful psychic abilities. But Envy’s psychic power was even more formidable, more than twice as strong as Maryse’s.

Just then, a steady, calm voice echoed in the secret room.

“It possesses psychic power strong enough to manipulate the real world to some extent. It can also evade physical attacks by entering the dimension of the mind.”

Startled, Mu Ling turned around and saw a middle-aged man with graying temples, elegant and composed.

Dressed in a black suit, he leaned on a shiny black cane, his gaze steady and assured.

Upon noticing Mu Ling, the man nodded slightly.

Even if Mu Ling wracked her brain, she couldn’t connect the gentleman in front of her with titles like “Savior” or “Profligate.”

The man introduced himself calmly.

“I am the ‘Keeper of Secrets’ from Babel Tower. Nightsaber, you should have heard of me on the Babel Tower forum.”

“Hmm,” Mu Ling replied with a slight nod, her guard still up. She couldn’t determine whether the man was trustworthy.

“Relax. We are not enemies,” Bai Yan reassured her, shaking his head.

“This opponent’s ability is tricky. It can shift between reality and illusion by consuming a massive amount of psychic energy. Physical attacks are meaningless against it.”

Bai Yan’s confidence stemmed from his use of the “Connection” ability, which allowed him to gather hidden information.

After hearing his explanation, Mu Ling asked, “If it consumes a huge amount of energy, how many times can it perform this reality-illusion shift?”

Bai Yan shook his head, correcting her.

“It doesn’t work that way. Over the past ten thousand years, it has amassed nearly inexhaustible emotional energy. It could perform hundreds or even thousands of reality-illusion conversions. This is not its weakness.”

“However,” Bai Yan continued, “it seems to have temporarily left.”

Indeed, during their conversation, the “Jealousy” that had vanished earlier had not reappeared.

Mu Ling furrowed her brows, sensing something unusual.

After thinking it over, Bai Yan concluded, “It’s likely gone to Tulip Manor. That thing wants to retrieve something buried beneath the manor.”

The Tulip Manor? What is buried down there?

Mu Ling furrowed her brows, a deep sense of uncertainty washing over her. She realized she didn’t know many things about the world she was part of.

Bai Yan gently shook his head, his expression solemn. “I can only say… it’s something very tricky,” he replied.

An ancient relic was buried beneath the Tulip Manor. Bai Yan had learned this during the first playthrough. However, its purpose beyond attracting Outer Gods remained a mystery to him.

In the first playthrough, the relic was always labeled as a “mission item” and could not be used directly.

But now, Bai Yan had a premonition. Things in the second playthrough were bound to take a different turn.

***

The Tulip Manor

The servants bustled about with their daily tasks, supervised by the meticulous butler Carson, ensuring everything was in perfect order.

None of them had the faintest inkling of the crisis looming over their heads.

Suddenly, a strange silver light appeared in the sky.

In the blink of an eye, a Mercury Mask materialized from the light. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, no one noticed it.

【Before the “Incarnation of Dark Light” discovers us, retrieve the Ruin-level Relic buried beneath the manor, leave this city immediately, and escape this world.】

The Mercury Mask ignored everyone present and dove straight down, sinking into the ground without hesitation.

Its goal was clear—it had no intention of confronting the Babel Tower.

Jealousy was desperate. It needed to seize the Ruin-level Relic as quickly as possible. If the Incarnation of Dark Light caught up, survival would be impossible.

Unlike the reckless Cruelty or the timid Timidity, Jealousy was cautious, especially in Noah’s world. Here, death was final. It couldn’t afford to be careless.

Jealousy hadn’t informed anyone in the “Tower” organization about the Ruin-level Relic hidden in Noah’s world. It intended to monopolize the artifact’s overwhelming power. Only by doing so could it hope to avert the multiverse’s impending “end.”

***

Soil, stones, and physical barriers posed no hindrance to Jealousy’s descent.

It sank deeper and deeper, as though existing in a separate “layer” from everything around it.

Hundreds of meters. A kilometer. Three thousand seven hundred meters.

Finally, it sensed an extraordinarily peculiar aura.

Had it not been this close, the aura—so faint and restrained—would have gone entirely unnoticed.

This was precisely why the coveted Ruin-level Relic had remained hidden for so long, even in a place as perilous as Annottales.

【Found it!】

【Finally, it’s mine!】

Before Jealousy lay a fist-sized, diamond-shaped black crystal. It exuded a bizarre, distorted, and chaotic aura.

This was the Ruin-level Relic known as the “Mysterious Heart,” also referred to as the “Mysterious Core” and the “Relic Creator.”

Its corresponding affinity was “casting,” and it was tied to the Outer God of the sixteenth hour of the day.

Legend held that the Mysterious Heart was the origin of all Relics in the multiverse.

It possessed the power to “remake useful things from debris and ruins.”

When the souls of the mighty were annihilated and great cities fell, mysterious Relics would emerge centuries later.

When gods and civilizations perished, powerful Civilization-level Relics were born from the ashes.

And when a universe was completely obliterated, there was a faint possibility of a Ruin-level Relic—corresponding to the Outer Gods—arising from the remnants.

The black crystal before Jealousy was one such Ruin-level Relic.

Its name was “Thousands of Ruins, Everything Is Used.”

***

【I wonder how much time is left…】

If it could leave quietly, the Incarnation of Dark Light might remain unaware of its actions.

Without hesitation, Jealousy extended its psychic power from the Mercury Mask. The energy carefully enveloped the black crystal before pulling it upward.

And then, the unimaginable happened.

The moment the black crystal moved, everything it touched—soil, stones, debris—began to undergo bizarre transformations.

They were rapidly reshaped into “Relics.”

Relics—prized objects fought over and coveted by the world—were now being mass-produced like worthless trinkets by “Thousands of Ruins, Everything Is Used.”

The sheer magnitude of this power left Jealousy in awe.

【Indeed, this is why they are among the twenty-seven Ruin-level Relics in the multiverse…】

But Jealousy had no time to marvel. The strongest entity in this city—the Incarnation of Dark Light—was no ordinary foe.

As the pinnacle of mortal strength in Noah’s world, the Incarnation of Dark Light was a being so powerful it could almost be considered a *”quasi-god.”

[*”Quasi-god” is a term that refers to something that is elevated to a god-like status, or a state that is treated as a god.]

If it sensed the presence of this Ruin-level Relic and attempted to intervene and seize it, things would undoubtedly become tricky.

Jealousy’s own power was the weakest among the “Tower,” second only to Apocalypse.

Yet even so, it believed it could overpower most Apocalypses at lower levels by drawing on the emotional energy it had accumulated over thousands of years. It even considered itself capable of holding its ground against mid-level Apocalypses.

However, Jealousy knew it had no chance of victory against the “Incarnation of Dark Light,” nor did it think it could escape easily if confronted.

Finally, Jealousy erupted from the ground, clutching a black crystal, intending to flee Annottales with its prize.

[Why leave so soon, guest from afar?]

A voice suddenly echoed in its mind, forcing Jealousy to pause.

In the next moment, a massive white pillar of light descended from the sky—a spear that would never miss—striking the ground with the precision and majesty of the White Emperor’s Holy Sword.

“Crack!”

A visible crack formed on the “Mercury Mask.”

As a pure user of psychic power, Jealousy’s true form was incredibly fragile. It excelled at manipulating the virtual and controlling the mind rather than engaging in physical combat.

Without the passive defense granted by “Mang,” a trait of Apocalypses, the Mercury Mask’s true form would have been no tougher than an ordinary mask.

Nearby, Bai Yan stood in the guise of the Profligate, smiling.

“Indeed, it never misses. Even when you briefly removed yourself from the physical world, it still struck… in the dimension of the mind.”

[Cursed Babel Tower! Why do you stand in my way?]

Jealousy’s fury distorted the delicate patterns on the Mercury Mask, which twisted into a grimacing face.

“Firstly, because the Relic you seek is something I desire as well,” Bai Yan said calmly. “Secondly, your ‘head’ is quite valuable. And lastly, you are an unforgivable villain.”

Bai Yan smiled faintly as he finished. His reasoning seemed sufficient, didn’t it?

“Torturing evil brings me great pleasure!”

[I have no time to waste on you.]

In the blink of an eye, Jealousy split into hundreds of identical Mercury Masks, scattering in all directions.

[Let’s see how you’ll stop me now.]

Just as its main body began to flee, another voice suddenly rang out.

“Summoning me here without warning… How rude. So, you’re the enemy?”

Startled, Jealousy turned to see a woman blazing like fire descending from the sky—a fiery meteor streaking toward it!

In an instant, the tremendous force of her attack forced Jealousy to the ground. Its mental power and psychic radiance couldn’t fully neutralize the blow.

Jealousy struggled to understand why another member of Babel Tower had appeared and why it had been struck again.

“The ‘Bad Inflammation,’ a Civilization-level Relic in my hands, directly attacks the soul,” the woman said coldly. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t exist in the material world.”

Scarlet Moon, her expression devoid of emotion, unleashed the full power of “Bad Inflammation,” which flared larger than ever before. Using this much power required a vast amount of spiritual energy, but Scarlet Moon’s “infinite” reserves made exhaustion impossible.

More cracks spread across the Mercury Mask.

Jealousy, desperate, unleashed an immense burst of mental power, scattering Scarlet Moon and fleeing several kilometers away in an instant.

[Babel Tower… you can’t stop me. This Relic belongs to me!]

Then, Jealousy witnessed something extraordinary.

Half the sky changed.

A colossal platinum sun appeared above Annottales, its brilliance resembling a scene from a fairy tale. The sight captivated countless citizens, who looked up in awe.

To them, it was a miracle—beautiful and divine.

But to Jealousy, the scene was filled with an aura that was pure, opposite, and utterly discordant with its own existence.

Several kilometers away, Mu Ling sat astride a unicorn, taking a deep breath. The short-haired beauty raised her blade, her expression determined.

Her “Black Prince” potential had awakened new power after reaching the “Potential Apocalypse” level.

Under this potential, Mu Ling could unleash one strike of overwhelming power—an attack that surpassed her own level and could harm a far stronger enemy.

However, the strike came at a cost: after using it, she would lose her strength and temporarily be unable to use any extraordinary power.

This strike was like something out of a fairy tale—illogical, almost unbelievable.

To unleash it, two conditions had to be met. One, a pure and just heart, and the second, belief in love and hope.

Even if the enemy existed beyond the material world, as long as the wielder firmly believed in victory, they would always strike true.

Because, in a fairy tale, that was the logic of the world.

Mu Ling shouted loudly:

“The Sword of the Rainbow!”

Rainbow-colored light enveloped Mu Ling and the unicorn, radiating from her blade. The brilliance transformed into a magnificent rainbow that spanned the sky, crossing several kilometers in an instant.

The citizens of Annottales stared in wonder at the beautiful rainbow under the platinum sun, feeling an immense power filled with hope.

That power resembled the “Heart of Radiance.”

Realizing the imminent danger, Jealousy attempted to escape. But time suddenly froze, rendering all its efforts useless.

In the next moment, the rainbow struck the Mercury Mask with overwhelming force.

This mask, which had existed for countless years, manipulating hearts and causing untold tragedies, finally shattered under the weight of the attack.