Yin Zhu looked down at the frozen crow with satisfaction as a glint of malicious light flashed in his eyes.

He was once just an ordinary worker at the Tower Research Institute. Back then, the Tower was still just a newly established private research facility with only a few employees.

The first time Yin Zhu saw that bright-smiling boy was when he was standing behind Mr. Will.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ai Sa, Mr. Will's personal assistant, and ah, his student too." the boy with black hair and eyes introduced, smiling as he greeted Yin Zhu.

Yin Zhu rarely saw him afterward. For a while, he had been busy handling the inheritance of his parents, who had died in the "Great Pollution", and had left behind a massive estate including a private island.

At the funeral, everyone cried their eyes out, but Yin Zhu's face remained blank.

He had grown up in an orphanage. To him, suddenly gaining parents and their inheritance meant nothing. Not even the pollution did. He had joined the Tower purely to study mysterious abilities. His goal was simple: to live longer or live forever.

He hated death.

Yin Zhu arrived at that island, isolated and constantly battered by storms.

There, he saw Will, and at the same time, he discovered a tower-shaped building.

It was nearly identical to the Tower.

Or rather, the Tower was a cheap imitation.

“Did you kill the owner of this island?” Yin Zhu asked, voice trembling without even realizing it.

"No," Will replied with a smile. "He simply contributed his strength to the cause. Just like how you are about to contribute this island."

"Why should I? You're just my superior, not my master."

At that time, Will wasn't how he is now. His soft black hair framed a gentle face, and his voice was smooth and pleasant.

"No, you're wrong," Will said. "I'm not your superior or your master. I'm your partner."

He showed Yin Zhu the results of his research, his tone brimming with excitement. "Isn't it fascinating? Once we fully master this power, immortality will no longer be a dream."

Yin Zhu agreed. Will allowed him to freely conduct his own research as long as he protected the tower.

Unlike Will, who was obsessed with intangible souls, Yin Zhu scoffed at things that couldn't be seen or touched. What convinced him was actual, physical cells.

He needed a massive population, but in a post-apocalyptic world, that wasn't easy. Still, he succeeded. Using stem cells from one couple, he reproduced an entire city's population.

Will was stunned. "Hundreds of thousands?"

Yin Zhu only smiled. "There were failures, too."

Even with special methods, endless inbreeding led to horrifying mutation and death rates, especially in a world where pollution ran rampant and genetic diseases were high.

The best way to reduce deformities was to introduce new genes.

The Tower’s underground base provided an excellent option.

As a result, countless black-haired humans were transported to the Holy City like livestock. The purpose was simple: to neutralize diseased genes and reduce mutation rates.

This was the original, and still functioning, human production factory. Every day, at least a dozen new humans are born here. Servants carefully screened them, selecting suitable individuals to release into the city, while the deformed ones were recycled endlessly, turned into Yin Zhu’s reserve feed.

Over the decades, Yin Zhu lost count of how many human lives he had drained. Now, at over a hundred years old, his physical condition rivaled even the elite members of the Investigation Corps.

Later, the research took a new turn. Yin Zhu introduced pollutants into his dominion, perfecting the entire city's system and transformed Mist City into the Holy City.

Or rather, his personal domain.

Many years after the apocalypse, he saw Ai Sa again. This time, Ai Sa wore a delicate ankle chain and stood on Will's arm, the other end of the chain looped around Will's wrist.

Will toyed with the crow as he chatted with Yin Zhu. "Looks like our research has come a long way. Say hi, Ai Sa."

Yin Zhu's pupils trembled. A madman who would even use the people closest to him!

That was the last time Yin Zhu had seen the crow.

Who would have thought they would meet again like this?

Looking at the youth in front of him, Yin Zhu felt a flicker of jealousy.

Could it be that the true path to immortality lay in the transformation of the soul?

His own decaying shell was falling apart, yet both Will and this youth were still full of life.

Ruan Xing had no idea about the storm of thoughts going through Yin Zhu's mind. He glanced at the fluffed-up crow by his side, annoyed.

"You're Will's pet?"

Fu Gui immediately denied it. "No! I was forced! Don't get the wrong idea! This guy's trying to stir up trouble."

Yin Zhu understood Fu Gui's words.

"Where did you find this thing? For a traitor like this to still be alive… pathetic."

Fu Gui snapped back instantly. "You're old and still breathing? You should do the world a favor and die already. Look at you, neither man nor ghost. Dumbass."

The moment he opened his beak, he was nothing like the bright-eyed youth that Yin Zhu remembered. The contrast was so jarring that Yin Zhu doubted if he had mistaken someone else entirely.

"You… you're insulting me?" Yin Zhu said in disbelief.

Fu Gui shouted, "Not just you, but everyone at the Tower! You lot should be bowing down to Ruan Xing in thanks! If it weren't for him, you short-lived worms would all be dead! Now get down and call him Daddy!"

Yin Zhu was livid. "I only did what I had to in order to survive! What's wrong with that?!"

The spider-like man he controlled suddenly lunged at Ruan Xing. Its eyes turned pitch black, and its expression was frozen stiff.

Ruan Xing released his mycelium. Fine white threads unfurled around him like drifting clouds before surging toward the monster.

Despite being a spider-type creature, it lacked the ability to weave a web. It was quickly defeated as its body was sliced into pieces.

Yin Zhu was shocked. He didn't expect Ruan Xing to wield such a weapon. While drawing attention, he focused his energy.

His black tentacle-like appendages bristled with tiny anemone-like barbs that waved in the air.

Fu Gui cursed, "Your mistake was being born in this world at all! Trash belongs in the trash cans! Got no talent but still trying to play scientist? Have you even looked at your disgusting face? You turned yourself into this and still never reflected on yourself?!"

Then he turned to warn Ruan Xing: [Careful! His pollution level is through the roof!]

Ruan Xing didn't understand how someone this polluted could become a Tower Knight. Were the people at the Tower blind?

Fu Gui explained: [The other two knights are Will's tools. But Yin Zhu is different. His purification ability exists just to balance his internal pollution. He is basically a super pollutant, at least S-class by now!]

Ruan Xing quickly understood what S-class meant.

Driven into a frenzy by the crow’s taunts, Yin Zhu snapped. His supposedly unstoppable mycelium was suppressed, bundled into a tight mass that screamed in agony.

Ruan Xing raised his hand and unleashed a fog of black arrows. They struck, but Yin Zhu immediately restored himself by draining nearby life force like a perpetual motion machine. Unless the white-haired humans were destroyed, Yin Zhu would never die.

Now that Yin Zhu had the upper hand, he launched his own attacks. Every time his tendrils touched Ruan Xing, the wounds shriveled like withered flowers.

Expressionless, Ruan Xing carved away the rotting flesh from his arm, then used healing magic to stop the bleeding.

Yin Zhu's eyes turned red with greed at the sight of the glowing green light.

That ability could be used in such a way? If he learned it, he would never need to fear death again!

Fu Gui raged, "You sneaky bastard! What kind of coward attacks from the shadows?! Come down and fight one-on-one if you have the guts!"

But Yin Zhu wasn't stupid. He knew his advantage and wouldn't throw it away. If he went down, he might not survive.

Ruan Xing stared at the swarming octopus-like limbs sucking blood from the crowd below. A strange emotion flickered in his eyes.

He needed to cut off the source of power.

He remembered the slogan of the Holy City:

"Humans are the most precious resource."

Resource? A resource to be consumed?

Ruan Xing suspected that if it weren't for the need to maintain order, Yin Zhu would also drain the pollutants.

Seeing Ruan Xing hesitating, Yin Zhu laughed. "You're not killing me. You're killing them!"

The white-haired humans didn't understand what was happening, but their survival instincts made them inch away from Yin Zhu. But it was useless. They couldn't escape. Those nearest Ruan Xing, with two heads and four bewildered eyes, looked to him with longing and a desperate will to live.

Ruan Xing knew they had no self-awareness. They weren't truly human. But facing those eyes filled with intelligence, his attacks still slowed down.

Yin Zhu mocked, "Pollutants who saw your portraits think you're a God. Ridiculous! I'm the one who turned them into pollutants. I gave them power. But deep down, they would rather believe in some nonexistent thing than pledge loyalty to me. Now I understand. It's stupidity. All of you are equally foolish."

"I made humans suffer. I subjected them to the cruelest exploitation, racial oppression, and individual hatred to draw out their darkest sides. When it was time to let them seek revenge, I turned them into the most wicked and powerful pollutants. I wanted them to kill each other."

"But not every human becomes a killer. Some still follow rules. Some even care for their pets."

"I really don't get it. After suffering so much, how could these pollutants still have hope for this world?"

Yin Zhu tossed black blobs downward. Wherever they landed, humans turned into pollutants, driven by instinct to tear into those around them. Watching the carnage, he exhaled in relief.

"See? Not everything is filled with love."

Ruan Xing silently watched.

Yin Zhu added, "But really, thank you, dear mage. If it weren't for your research, this world wouldn't be like this. It was because of your powers that everything was completely destroyed."

Ruan Xing's pupils shrank. "What do you mean by that?"

Yin Zhu refused to explain. He only smirked and continued to power up.

Finally, he grew so massive that the ceiling could no longer hold him. From above, Yin Zhu released a long tendril that struck toward Ruan Xing's neck.

Ruan Xing raised his hand. A wall of fire appeared in front of him, burning the tendrils to ash, which fluttered down like black snow. The attack was effortlessly neutralized.

Yin Zhu's smile faltered, and then his eyes turned blood-red. "If you want answers, you need to be a part of me first!"

He leapt down from the cave ceiling, absorbing power as he trampled human limbs as he moved. His writhing black tendrils lashed out toward Ruan Xing again.

The dense mycelium formed a white wall, shielding Ruan Xing from the attack.

However, the tendrils began to corrode the wall. Black stains spread, indicating a sign of decay. Despite this, the mycelium refused to retreat and became the strongest shield for its master.

Ruan Xing saw a flash. For a moment, it felt like the one protecting him was not the mycelium, but that silver-haired man.

This time, Yin Zhu had focused all his strength on a few tendrils. One of them managed to pierce through a small section of the wall. A thick black tendril shot toward Ruan Xing.

Touching it meant instant death. He had to keep his distance.

Ruan Xing leaned back. A delicate pendant slipped from his neck. The tendril missed his body but touched the pendant.

A faint crack echoed.

Ruan Xing's expression changed. Fire ignited in his eyes as his emerald pupils darkened with rage.

You’re courting death?

He exhaled and began chanting in a complex rhythm. A massive fireball formed behind Yin Zhu.

A powerful sense of danger struck Yin Zhu. He tried to escape, but it was too late. While he was attacking the wall, thin threads had snared him tightly.

He gritted his teeth and prepared to sacrifice a limb, but countless black arrows burst through the wall, aimed directly at him.

Caught front and back, there was nowhere to run.

Yinzhu roared, stomping down on the humans beneath him. They collapsed en masse as he drained their lives, funneling them into himself like an inverted hourglass.

Bodies fell one by one, shrinking into withered husks.

On the other hand, the perpetrator only grew stronger. Even as a black arrow pierced his chest and the massive fireball burned his flesh and hair, Yin Zhu was still alive.

He sneered through the pain. "Is that all you've got?"

Ruan Xing’s lips curved in a cold smile.

Yin Zhu's face changed when he realized that the arrows had morphed. The shafts now bore razor-like blades that dug into his wounds.

Like meat grinders inside his body, they shredded not just flesh—

But his very soul.

It was a sensation unlike anything physical, as if thousands of copies of himself were being shredded, with no chance of restoration. Just pure dissolution of awareness.

His body remained intact, but his soul was fading.

Life force could maintain the body, but not heal the void within.

He needs to eat!

Yin Zhu frantically crawled toward the masses, but the humans scattered, screaming in terror.

"Why… why are you running from me?!"

His face twisted with panic as wrinkles crept over his once-smooth arms. He shriveled up, like a century-old man nearing death.

His strength drained away, and the horror of watching himself age and weaken swept over him, awakening his deepest fear.

"Mom… Dad… why are you avoiding me?!"

Yin Zhu wept, crawling toward the people, but they all fled from him in fear.

He froze.

He remembered the joy on his parents' faces when they found him.

"We never thought we would see you again, our beloved son! When you were kidnapped, your mother and I searched everywhere. Thank goodness you're alive!" his gray-haired father cried out, his voice trembling with emotion.

"I left that island for you."

"Sigh… Your mother and I are old now. We can't protect you anymore. You have to rely on yourself."

They had died in front of him, but before their cells died, Yin Zhu had extracted their stem cells and tried to recreate them.

But when he saw the young people who looked the same yet stared at him with blank eyes, his smile froze.

These weren't his parents.

A mad thought entered his mind—

Cells carried memory. In theory, repeated refining should produce identical individuals. If he could endlessly breed and purify, he would recreate his parents!

To wait for that day, he had to live long enough.

But after decades, he always failed. Inbreeding only led to more deformities and death.

His temper worsened, and the failures became his food.

Then Will gave him a new idea.

Introduce pollutant and outsider genes to enhance genetic diversity and create better offspring.

Yin Zhu fell into madness. He mixed human and pollutant DNA, but the results strayed even further from the original.

They were all impostors. All fake.

"Souls depend on bodies to exist. Your research direction is not wrong," Will said. "If the body is strong enough, the soul will regenerate."

"So why not select stronger pollutants? Perhaps you will find the genes you need among them."

"Maybe create a tournament. Offer rewards. Let the strongest pollutants emerge as your experimental subjects."

Following Will's suggestions, Yin Zhu unknowingly veered off his original path. He treated the entire Mist City as his lab, while Will controlled the direction with just a few casual words.

Ultimately, who was the researcher and who was the one being studied?

Perhaps trusting Will was the most stupid thing he had done.

Black marks spread across Yin Zhu's face. From the waist down, his body went out of control. Massive tendrils thrashed wildly, striking everything.

His soul was on the verge of collapse. This was his final struggle before death.

Ruan Xing raised his hand and pressed downward.

Yin Zhu's head rolled off into the massive pit, just like when he had executed the rebels.

Silence returned to the cave.

The humans in the pit had no idea what had happened. Their eyes were blank. Soon, many resumed the behavior written into their genes, as if nothing had changed.

Except this time, there were far fewer of them who could move.

Curious onlookers approached, staring at the strange corpse. A brave white-haired man picked up Yin Zhu's head and tilted his head curiously.

“S… son…?”

 

 

 

Author's Note: This story arc is nearing its end~.