Chapter 32: The Price of the First Embrace |
Wu Zhong felt utterly miserable - all he wanted was to be an ordinary mercenary slacking off.
Delivering packages, running errands, but before he could even start, a massive disaster had landed on him.
Completely inexplicably, he now faced countless powerful enemies.
Unit 985 went without saying, but beyond that, he originally thought he only needed to guard against the ghosts and gods. Instead, they stopped acting directly and started playing strategic games.
Now countless mercenaries were targeting him, investigating his whereabouts.
His reputation had spread throughout the disaster world, making him the so-called super rookie, the target of everyone's arrows.
And families like the Ruan family and Tijuana family - he had thoroughly offended them to the death. The Day Wandering Deity had killed their family members, yet they were coming after him for revenge.
And this was just the beginning... Unless he died, or unless the Mount Lu ghosts and gods were resolved, he could forget about living a peaceful life.
"How could the Day Wandering Deity, being so weak, manage to kill three multiversal Awakened?"
Wu Zhong felt like crying but had no tears, wondering in his heart if the three who died were just too weak? He figured these two great families couldn't be particularly powerful forces.
Unexpectedly, Xia Heng said: "It's hard to say how many Awakened families exist worldwide, but the Ruan and Tijuana families definitely rank in the top ten."
Wu Zhong's eyes widened - two in the top ten? That meant they weren't weak at all.
"But... how did they die at the hands of the Day Wandering Deity?"
Luo Yi stroked his chin: "Little brother, do you have some misunderstanding about Awakened?"
"If they have no other means, then no matter how powerful an Awakened is, when not activating the Multivariate Moment, they're no different from ordinary people."
"The Day Wandering Deity created an accident while they were crossing the river by boat, causing an explosion. Six people were involved - three died instantly, two were injured."
"Only one person was unharmed because they were a full-time multiversal user."
Wu Zhong had indeed been curious why Xia Heng and Yang Chunsha always snapped their fingers to activate the Multivariate Moment before using their abilities.
Now it seemed it wasn't just for show, but a necessary condition for activating abilities.
Moreover, depending on their abilities, Awakened might have additional conditions - like Yang Chunsha couldn't cast spells without her book.
Those poor three Awakened who died didn't even have time to activate their Multivariate Moment before the Day Wandering Deity instantly killed them.
Thinking about it carefully, this made sense. With premeditation against the unprepared, combined with sneak attacks and accidents, multiversal experts would still die unless they kept their bodies hardened constantly.
Even during the weakest truck assassination attempt on the first day by the Day Wandering Deity, the intensity was quite high. If Yang Chunsha had been there, she'd likely be dead beyond dead.
As for survivors - that didn't matter either. The ghosts and gods were using this method to make enemies for him. Even if they failed, they could use the survivors to spread rumors.
Wu Zhong touched his arm: "Is there really no way to keep the Multivariate Moment activated constantly?"
Luo Yi laughed: "It's not that easy. The Multivariate Moment has time limits - it refreshes every twenty-four hours."
"The daily usable time varies by person - some have longer, some shorter. The minimum is twelve minutes per day, while longer durations are positive integer multiples of that, up to 120 times, meaning they can use it twenty-four hours a day."
"This is considered a special 'talent potential' unique to Awakened. Some are born with only 1x duration, while others are naturally born with 120x duration."
"The latter are considered heaven's favorites, since 120x duration combined with daily refresh allows them to maintain the Multivariate Moment around the clock."
Wu Zhong nodded. He still had part of Xia Heng's symbiote armor in his arm.
These past few days he could constantly feel the thing in his arm, and ever since receiving it, Xia Heng hadn't said 'Multivariate Moment' when using his abilities.
Clearly, to lend him this power, Xia Heng was maintaining the multiversal state constantly.
"Brother Xia, you're a full-time multiversal user, right?"
Xia Heng said softly: "You could say that."
"Besides the initially randomized 'common duration', it's possible to improve individual host duration through later training, even duration for single abilities."
"This depends on your understanding of the host. When we synchronize with hosts, we can experience their entire life's experiences."
"Theoretically, after completely experiencing one host's entire life, borrowing any of their powers would be available twenty-four hours, meaning no time limits."
Wu Zhong understood.
But Luo Yi narrowed his eyes: "But that's only theoretical."
"Synchronization is usually just a rough experience. If you want to meticulously and completely experience it once, the required time is basically the same."
"Meaning if the host lived thirty years, you'd need thirty years to experience every second of their life..."
"Thus, the idea that thoroughly comprehending a host can achieve twenty-four hour access is essentially something almost impossible to accomplish."
"Because the host is still living, their life continues, experiences keep growing."
"You spend thirty years comprehending someone's thirty-year life, but by then they're sixty years old - you've only comprehended half their lifetime."
"So those with low duration talent specialize in one or two 'Polymorphic Powers'."
"That means picking a good ability and undergoing specialized experience, completely experiencing all content related to that ability. Then when borrowing that ability, you can approach twenty-four hour access."
"But it's only approaching, because unless the host stops using it, that ability's experiences keep accumulating too."
Xia Heng shrugged: "What you're describing assumes both have the same thinking speed."
"If their thinking speed is 0.1 seconds, and mine is 0.01 seconds, ten times faster than them."
"Then what's called thirty years of life would only take me three years to completely comprehend."
Luo Yi lit another cigarette: "That's true in theory, but comprehending life is something multiversal power can't help with."
"I figure your thinking speed isn't that fast either. So, do you have other disaster artifacts that can temporarily accelerate your thinking speed, allowing short-term comprehension of hosts?"
Xia Heng raised an eyebrow: "You could say that, but sorry, I can't tell you."
"Tch... fine, don't tell me. Cheers." Luo Yi drank heavily.
The two chatted while drinking, but Xia Heng's alcohol tolerance wasn't that great. After drinking for a while, he couldn't keep up and signaled Wu Zhong to take over.
Wu Zhong sighed helplessly but had to accompany them.
Fortunately, Yang Chunsha also had good alcohol tolerance. With the two taking turns, they managed to keep the atmosphere from dying down.
After who knows how many rounds of drinking, Luo Yi remained completely unaffected while the other three were already dizzy.
Xia Heng's face was flushed as he said: "...That's basically the situation."
"The ghostly mark is essentially just a sacrifice mark, and now we have a bunch of mercenaries looking for us. So what do we do?"
Luo Yi chuckled lightly: "With your abilities, you could leave in an instant if you wanted. Yet you came to me for help because of a rookie - this rookie must be anything but ordinary. Are you sure he can't command ghosts and gods?"
Wu Zhong made a bitter face.
Meanwhile, he wondered internally: How many disaster artifacts did Xia Heng actually have? According to Luo Yi's implication, he had another hidden one?
Not counting his Awakened identity, he already had the ghost tattoo, teleportation, and the mysterious thinking acceleration artifact - three disaster artifacts total.
And he had the nerve to claim the ghost tattoo was his only disaster artifact.
Xia Heng pursed his lips: "Why would I lie to you? I saved him not because he's particularly powerful, but to deal with the ghosts and gods."
"Oh?" Luo Yi tilted his head.
Xia Heng, looking drunk, slumped back on the sofa, holding his wine glass against his chest with both hands: "These ghosts and gods gain no benefit from killing people unless Ji Meng first marks someone as a special sacrifice."
"Only after that do they gain huge benefits from killing. What benefits exactly I haven't investigated clearly yet, but I'm certain there can only be one sacrifice at a time. If the previous one isn't dead, they can't mark the next."
"After discovering this, I decided to block Ji Meng's sacrifice chain, so I rescued Little Wu, partly just to test this theory."
"Sure enough, the ghosts and gods grew anxious, even starting to use their brains to spread rumors, trying to kill through proxies."
"Unless absolutely necessary, I don't want Little Wu to die, because I know if he dies, the next one the ghosts and gods mark will definitely be me!"
Wu Zhong nodded nearby, putting on a grateful expression.
Internally, he thought: Damn, Brother Xia, your ability to fabricate stories is something I still need to learn from you.
Luo Yi stroked his chin: "I see, that's quite interesting."
"Once the ghostly mark is branded, it cannot be erased - you'll be hunted relentlessly until death."
"And the ghosts and gods grow stronger daily. Looking at the long time scale, the sacrifice is essentially guaranteed to die, it's just a matter of time."
"Unless there's a way to completely resolve the Mount Lu ghosts and gods."
"Xia Heng, I bought the intelligence you uploaded. When you introduced the ghostly mark, why didn't you mention deliberately blocking the sacrifice chain?"
Xia Heng finished the remainder in his glass: "Why would I say that? Let people know Ji Meng hates me, that his next sacrifice would definitely be me?"
"Wouldn't that make my enemies even more determined to kill Little Wu to screw me over? In a sense, Little Wu is my weakness."
Luo Yi glanced faintly at Wu Zhong. What weakness? Clearly a human shield, serving as a buffer.
"Fine, rest assured, Xia Heng. It's rare for you to ask me for help. Since I'm already here, I can't not help you."
"Just tell me, which path do we take..."
Xia Heng drank his final glass: "The key isn't which path we take, but that the mercenary world has hidden dragons and crouching tigers. With so many people, even if just by luck, we'll definitely be tracked down eventually..."
"When that happens, Little Wu has no means of self-defense."
Xia Heng finally brought this up, making Wu Zhong somewhat excited.
Luo Yi understood his meaning and frowned slightly: "You want me to transform him into a Mad Blood Clan member? Are you serious?"
"Yes, Luo Yi. Consider it me owing you a huge favor." Xia Heng requested.
Seeing no response, just the other drinking, he added: "Besides that, I'll give you a two-meter-long 'Speech Wood'."
Luo Yi raised an eyebrow: "Speech Wood is good stuff, but not very useful for me."
"Xia Heng, you know the cost of me performing an Embrace on others, right? I gain a random mental disorder - the risk is huge."
Xia Heng said: "I know, I know... How about this - I'll add twenty kilograms of Dan Wood and twenty kilograms of Lightningwood."
Yang Chunsha nearby was stunned. She knew the value of these things and thought to herself that Xia Heng was ridiculously wealthy.
Meanwhile, Wu Zhong was more concerned about the so-called cost. So transforming someone into a Mad Blood Clan member meant randomly gaining a mental disorder?
That was extremely dangerous.
It was clear that Luo Yi had no mental resistance. The reason he could live relatively normally was that the mental disorders he fed on were within acceptable ranges.
Things like obsessive-compulsive disorder, addiction disorders to cigarettes and alcohol - these allowed him to maintain clear rationality.
But a random one? That was hard to say - it could directly destroy him!
Wu Zhong thought becoming a Mad Blood Clan member just required someone's help. He never imagined the cost would be this huge. If they weren't good friends, it would be difficult to even bring it up.
"Xia Heng, I could acquire those things myself if I had money."
"I wouldn't perform an Embrace on someone just for these."
As expected, Luo Yi refused. Wu Zhong completely understood - if it were him, he'd refuse too.
Xia Heng sighed: "You tell me what conditions you want. Just name them - if I can do it, I will; if not, then forget it."
Luo Yi thought for a moment: "Sigh, I really don't want to contract an unknown mental disorder."
"Conditions? I don't lack anything. For me, being able to smoke, drink, and sleep soundly is already satisfying enough."
Wu Zhong found this hard to understand: "I get it, Lord Luo. Forget about the Mad Blood Clan thing - Brother Xia was just talking."
"Actually, I don't want this ability that much either. Just thinking about it makes me nervous - why would a normal person like me deliberately contract a mental disorder?"
"Since Lord Luo came to help, you've already saved my life. I don't want you to bear such a huge cost for me either."
He gave up first, making Luo Yi glance at him.
Xia Heng frowned deeply, somewhat displeased.
The Mad Blood Clan was extremely compatible with Wu Zhong because Wu Zhong had mental fortification. Combined, he would inevitably become one of the strongest Mad Blood Clan members in the future.
But he couldn't say this in front of Luo Yi.
"Little brother, you're quite considerate of others." Luo Yi smiled faintly.
Xia Heng said seriously: "Don't listen to him, Luo Yi. Think about it again."
Luo Yi smiled and nodded: "Easy to discuss, actually everything's easy to discuss. Since you're asking me personally..."
"An Embrace is no big deal. Let me think about the exchange conditions first, okay? Really, any conditions?"
Xia Heng nodded, knowing there was hope: "Think about it carefully. If I can do it, I'll agree to anything."
"Well, is business finished?" Luo Yi stood up, stretched, and yawned.
Wu Zhong quickly stood up too: "Finished, Lord Luo. You should rest early."
Luo Yi was stunned: "Huh? Business is finished, doesn't that mean we can start drinking?"
"..." Wu Zhong was speechless.
Looking at the two large empty alcohol barrels on the table, what did he mean 'can we start'?
"The four of us have already drunk twenty jin..."
Before Luo Yi could speak, Xia Heng shook his head: "Only twenty jin? Can't you see he's getting sleepy from drinking?"
Wu Zhong didn't understand - wasn't sleepiness a sign of being drunk?
"But... didn't you just yawn?"
Luo Yi scratched his head: "This white beer isn't strong enough. Drinking this little ultimately gives me some withdrawal symptoms - need to drink baijiu."
Wu Zhong stared blankly, and Yang Chunsha was shocked too.
Was this human language? They knew he had severe alcohol dependence, but never imagined it was this bad!
He alone had drunk six or seven jin of white beer, yet could still experience withdrawal symptoms?
Wu Zhong felt his scalp tingle: "But... Lord Luo, exactly how much can you drink?"
Luo Yi extended one finger and waved it.
"One hundred jin?" Wu Zhong felt he was already exaggerating wildly.
Luo Yi chuckled lightly.
Xia Heng said: "He can drink continuously. With his physique, beer gets metabolized as he drinks. He once drank for three days straight, totaling five hundred jin... mainly because he couldn't buy more alcohol nearby."
"Huh?" Wu Zhong was utterly shocked.
Luo Yi clapped his hands, looking excited: "Start, start, officially start!"
"Drinking is only fun with company. Hurry up and buy more alcohol."
He rubbed his hands together and went to use the bathroom: "Quickly, get some baijiu."