Slaughter? Or Salvation?

“Is this why the 【Twisted Resentful Spirits】 are born?”

“What kind of monsters are they?”

“…”

Fewer players knew the real situation than one might think. This was especially true for the Rogue Players and the members of the Tower of Order.

Their understanding of 【Aiguyi Town】 was still limited to the information they had gathered from the townsfolk.

But for the players from the Abnormal Affairs Bureau, especially those like the Duke and Xiezhi who supposedly knew more of the inside story, the shock was beyond words.

“What do we do now? Kill them?” Yun Ze asked, looking a little lost.

The Poet of the Myriad Springs Division, however, turned his gaze to Wu Wang. He wanted to see what the man would do.

In this Hidden Map, Wu Wang was their de facto leader, guiding those of them who had stumbled into this place.

And they needed a leader.

The Poet was well aware that despite exploring the area for years, this was the first time the Abnormal Affairs Bureau had found this location.

If his small group didn't band together in an Instance where their powers were useless, they would be at a grave disadvantage. Numbers were their only strength.

He couldn't guarantee that none of the Rogue Players harbored ulterior motives. He wouldn't dare bet against it.

People were greedy, and high-level players were still, at their core, people.

If their small group fractured, they would stand no chance against the Abnormal Affairs Bureau.

Wu Wang now served as the linchpin holding their small group together. That was why the Poet had followed his previous instructions so strictly, using his status as a member of the Tower of Order to make his stance clear.

He was no fool.

There were no fools here.

“Lilith, go and confirm. Do these husks truly have no souls?”

Wu Wang suddenly asked, a hint of doubt in his voice.

In fact, he didn't need to say a word. The nun, Lilith, had already pressed herself against one of the twisted, fish-headed monsters to examine it.

Wu Wang was very familiar with this creature's appearance. It was Matthews, one of the loving couple from the town's entrance, the same fish-headed monster that had roared and charged at him in the looping 【Aiguyi Town】.

Now, it was embedded in the wall, unable to move.

It didn't even react when the nun placed a hand on it.

“Hiss…”

A grating sound came from the sides of its gills, like thousand-year-old phlegm stuck in a throat.

Yet this seemingly meaningless sound made the nun's expression change. Her hand, touching the Merfolk, began to tremble. A cry of sorrow welled up in her heart.

The 【Miracle of Suffering】 triggered, fulfilling her current wish. It allowed everyone to clearly hear the monster's pained cry.

In an instant, the Merfolk's hissing grew distinct.

“Hiss… ah… k-kill… me…”

“Please… I beg you… kill me!”

The tone shifted from a muffled rasp to a clear plea. The sheer suffering in its voice made everyone's heart tremble.

Then, the other twisted monsters embedded in the surrounding walls also began to wail. Some of them no longer even had mouths, yet a sorrowful and desperate plea for death still emanated from them.

One by one, the sounds grew from barely audible whispers to a horrifying chorus that echoed throughout the massive cave. Like demonic whispers, the sound made the players' eardrums ache.

Crack.

The crowd watched in horror as 【Twisted Resentful Spirits】 began to crawl up from the ground, one after another.

Resentment poured from the embedded monsters. At the same time, the seed in the center of the cave, which connected all the vines, began to glow with a dark green light. The formation of the 【Twisted Resentful Spirits】 was clearly linked to it.

Wu Wang, who had been sitting on the ground observing, slowly rose to his feet. His expression turned grave.

His 【Vision of Truth】 revealed everything. Information about the bizarre seed appeared before him.

【Tree of Sighs (Legendary): A creation woven from the combined powers of several great existences. It can grow by absorbing 【Suffering】, 【The Twisted】, and 【Hope】 from its surroundings as energy.】

【Effect 1: Can convert the above emotions into energy to remove the user's abnormal statuses or directly provide energy.】

【Effect 2: Can use negative emotions to create 【Twisted Resentful Spirits】 for the user to command.】

【Effect 3: When it reaches its mature form, it can open an 【Exclusive】 equipment trial Instance for the user.】

【Effect 4: ???】

【Effect 5: ???】

【Current Status: Not yet sprouted, effects not fully unlocked.】

【Remark: I am Groot!】

Wu Wang knew it instantly. This was it. The very thing he and the Abnormal Affairs Bureau were looking for.

They didn't know what 【Suffering】 and 【The Twisted】 were trying to achieve by experimenting with this town. But the thing that 【Hope】 wanted to create had already appeared.

Unfortunately, it seemed the seed had not yet fully developed. It was still in its nascent state, with two of its effects still hidden.

That it was undeveloped was a stroke of luck. It gave the players a chance to seize it.

Otherwise, if 【Hope】 had come down personally to reap its harvest, they wouldn't stand a damn chance.

"Their souls have all been shackled outside, there's no doubt about that, but a part of them remains within the husks."

The nun said, her voice filled with grief.

"Because without the perception of a soul, 【Hope】 cannot be born, and 【Suffering】 cannot be felt."

“Lord! Is this your answer?”

She fell weakly to her knees, trembling.

From these husks, she could feel the presence of the 【Miracle of Suffering】. It was this very miracle that had detained a part of the townsfolk's souls within their bodies, preventing them from being completely banished.

At this point, how could the nun not see the truth?

The 【Lord of Suffering】 was one of the masterminds behind all this.

She had once believed the Venerable she worshiped had bestowed the 【Miracle of Suffering】 to protect Aiguyi Town, a shelter provided for its followers. She never expected their faith to be nothing but a joke.

Deep within the nun's heart, something ingrained for hundreds of years shattered.

The greatest irony was that the power of 【Suffering】 within her did not dissipate. Instead, it grew even stronger.

Because right now, she was in far more pain than when she had watched helplessly as 【Aiguyi Town】 was destroyed.

This kind of pain was greatly favored by the 【Lord of Suffering】.

Pat.

The nun felt a hand pat her shoulder. She raised her head, bewildered. She saw Mary's concerned expression and heard Wu Wang's reassuring voice.

“Lilith, tell me. What do you want to do now?”

“【Desire】 will help you achieve it all.”

Hearing this, the nun shuddered. She gritted her teeth.

"I want to set their souls free. I want to bury this place. I want…"

"Suffering to pay the price!"

Ding.

【Kill the High Priest of Suffering】 【Completed】

Wu Wang helped her to her feet.

He raised an arm toward the surrounding players and said slowly, "Brothers, level this place."

"Let the husks in the walls find release."

"This is the only way to eliminate the 【Twisted Resentful Spirits】 at their source."

"Let us, with slaughter, answer Hope."