Chapter 43: Changes in the Real World

“Misunderstanding, this is entirely a misunderstanding.” Quickly composing his expression, sincerity and earnestness shone in the figure’s eyes. “I am a Nightwatcher from Westphalia. The local branch of the Night Church housed the Greed Pot, but recently it bewitched a Nightwatcher who was nearing their limit due to mutant corruption. This Nightwatcher took it out from the branch, and I’ve come to retrieve it.”

Duan Wenxuan’s leg had already healed, and he walked up to the figure.

The figure appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with strikingly handsome features. Combined with his tall stature and slightly golden irises, along with his genuine demeanor at that moment, he effortlessly elicited a favorable impression.

“This thing is called the Greed Pot?” Duan Wenxuan’s initial anger gradually dissipated. With a casual motion of his left hand, as if engaging in idle conversation, a heavily rusted teapot materialized in his palm.

“Yes.” Despite trying, the figure couldn’t suppress a hint of complexity in his expression. “It has been contained within our branch for over fifty years. It’s a dangerous item, and under normal circumstances, we dare not use it. We estimate that continuous usage, harvesting lives with it, would eventually lead to its pot becoming full one day. At that point, it would become even more uncontrollable, potentially resulting in a catastrophic disaster.”

“You must have conducted experiments with the Greed Pot. What would happen if someone fused with it and made only one wish, then refrained from making any further wishes for a long time?”

“It would go berserk.” The figure’s expression held traces of reminiscence. “Over a decade ago, someone had it fused with a condemned prisoner, then allowed him to make a single wish. Afterwards, they extracted his teeth and tongue, continuing to imprison him so that he could live but not express more wishes.

Two years later, the condemned prisoner suddenly suffered cardiac arrest and died. That alone was troubling enough, but the sudden deaths spread throughout the area. Even three Nightwatchers unexpectedly succumbed to heart attacks. Across Westphalia, with our branch as the epicenter, around three to four thousand people perished. Eventually, Headquarters intervened to bring the situation under control.”

“And what else happened?”

”…Afterwards, we discovered that each bout of madness by the Greed Pot incurs a cost. Most notably, the ‘liquid’ within its body significantly decreased.”

“The name Greed Pot certainly fits well,” Duan Wenxuan said, putting away the teapot.

“First, let me go. You can perfectly utilize the Greed Pot and even tame monsters; such talent is rare even within Headquarters. Our conflict was initially a misunderstanding. I feared that if the Greed Pot fell into the hands of those blinded by greed, it could lead to disastrous consequences, which is why I took action against you.

Now that the misunderstanding is cleared, I will promptly return to the Night Church and explain the situation, ensuring other Nightwatchers won’t continuously come after you. Moreover, with your abilities, the Night Church would undoubtedly welcome your membership.”

Duan Wenxuan slightly crouched down to meet the figure’s gaze, “Releasing you is out of the question. From our first encounter, you sought my demise. Do you really think a few half-truths now would make me spare you?”

“What do you mean?!” The figure finally showed signs of panic. Initially, seeing Duan Wenxuan’s young age and his apparent persuasion, the figure had begun to relax.

However, Duan Wenxuan had no intention of continuing this conversation. Instead, he opened the door, leading both the figure and the slime back to the present world.

Upon arrival, the paper figurine swiftly flew out from Duan Wenxuan’s pocket, muttering under its breath.

Throughout their exchange, Duan Wenxuan never believed a single word the figure said. The prolonged dialogue was merely a tactic to ease the figure’s guard, allowing the paper figurine to uncover his secrets more conveniently.

The figure, originally named Hu Fu, had a relatively good upbringing as the only son of a wealthy merchant. With his substantial wealth and handsome appearance, he seemed like a quintessential template for life’s winners.

However, about one and a half years ago, the merchant purchased a painting depicting a valiant Radiant Knight, sword in hand, standing before a knight order. The knight, seated majestically on horseback, was receiving the surrender document and treasures from his kneeling enemies.

Unbeknownst to them at the time, that painting was actually a monstrous entity. Within just half a month, nearly all of Hu Fu’s family perished, leaving him unexpectedly fused with a mutant during this creature’s rampage. This mutant was identical to the treasure offered by the defeated enemy in the painting—a jade bracelet.

Following this tragedy, Hu Fu became utterly alone and was eventually recruited by the Westphalian branch as a Nightwatcher.

Before experiencing such drastic change, Hu Fu’s character wasn’t inherently bad; he was merely somewhat slick-tongued and enjoyed the superiority conferred by his wealth and looks. After the traumatic event, he turned rather gloomy and irritable. Over the course of a year, he frequently used the energy of his mutant without restraint.

As a result, within just one and a half years, the adverse effects of the mutant on him far exceeded those experienced by others.

The ‘bracelet’s’ ability was purification, exerting a certain level of suppression on most monsters, albeit varying in strength. Its primary function, however, was the thorough purification akin to what happened with Duan Wenxuan’s shadow - gradually disappearing from his legs upwards until completely erased without leaving any trace behind. Additionally, it could manipulate light and shadows to deceive eyes, making him virtually undetectable.

This demonstrated the bracelet’s immense power, but its detrimental effects were equally significant. The reason why Hu Fu appeared translucent to Duan Wenxuan was because he himself was undergoing ‘purification’.

His head seemed relatively unaffected, but his body, especially the chest and thighs, exhibited pronounced transparency, as if parts of a two-dimensional paper figurine had been erased by a rubber.

He was nearing death, likely having only a few months left at most.

Driven mad by his horrifying appearance and impending countdown to demise, Hu Fu stole the Greed Pot. Initially, he planned to find some ‘fools’ to fuse with the Greed Pot, hoping they would wish for his body to be restored.

However, inexplicably, after escaping Westphalia, he discovered that the Greed Pot had mysteriously vanished! It was rumored that the Greed Pot, being between mutant and unique item classifications, possessed a degree of self-preservation instinct. Clearly, once freed from the Night Church through Hu Fu, the Greed Pot found a way to escape further.

Hu Fu gnashed his teeth with hatred, but fortunately, he had left some trace on the Greed Pot. As long as it wasn’t too far away, he could perceive its presence and relentlessly pursued it.

Initially, he suspected that a dreaming Landgrave obtained the Greed Pot, leading to an explosion of greed. This resulted in the creation of the Universal Church within the manor, convinced they were truly chosen by destiny.

Having limited understanding, Hu Fu’s mindset became increasingly volatile after becoming a Nightwatcher, bordering on excessive self-satisfaction. In reality, he held little regard for ordinary people. Consequently, he ended up hitting a hard obstacle.

“So that’s how it is.”

Duan Wenxuan began contemplating what to do with Hu Fu. Just like Gongsun Wulong, there was no way he would let him return; instead, Hu Fu would be kept in the present world as a tool. Once his usefulness waned, disposing of him would suffice.

However, Hu Fu was essentially a traitor to the Night Church in the Fourth World, with Nightwatchers actively pursuing him. With the addition of the Greed Pot, it was inevitable that genuine Nightwatchers would soon come knocking. Duan Wenxuan hadn’t anticipated encountering Winter and Vena again so soon, less than a month after initially evading them.

But there was a chance Winter and Vena might not recognize him. After staying for a full 24 hours, which allowed free entry and exit from this world, Duan Wenxuan had altered his appearance.

The Nightwatchers could wait for him to deal with upon his return; if they weren’t friendly, Duan Wenxuan wouldn’t mind bringing them all to the present world and using them as pawns.

Suppressing those thoughts, Duan Wenxuan first instructed the Terror Slime to spit out Hu Fu.

At that moment, Hu Fu’s eyes were lifeless, displaying a dazed appearance.

Duan Wenxuan extended his hand. “Give me the Purification Bracelet.”

Unlike Duan Wenxuan’s deep fusion with the Greed Pot, which was virtually unmatched by the Fourth World’s Nightwatchers, mutants were typically worn or carried close by their users. Consequently, the Purification Bracelet was on Hu Fu’s wrist.

Staring at the Purification Bracelet, Duan Wenxuan decided to experiment initially, much like he had done before with the Greed Pot, by directing his consciousness towards it. He felt a similar resistance, akin to forcefully executing an operation.

But great force yields miracles.

Duan Wenxuan believed this method could succeed, but just as he began his trial, the previously motionless Hu Fu suddenly started trembling uncontrollably, and the area of his body originally fading rapidly expanded.

“Is this bypassing the ‘gate’s indestructibility buff?” Duan Wenxuan realized that forcibly merging the Purification Bracelet would lead to Hu Fu’s death. The rules of the Purification Bracelet differed from those of the Greed Pot; Bern had exploited a bug requiring gradual progression with the Greed Pot, but the Purification Bracelet clearly did not have such a flaw.

After pondering for a moment, Duan Wenxuan temporarily halted the fusion process.

Compared to just one Purification Bracelet, it was more crucial for Duan Wenxuan to acquire additional tools or helpers to identify the owners of the remaining door symbols and discover enigmatic entities similar to Little Peak Mountain’s white deer, thereby enhancing his own symbols.

Returning the Purification Bracelet to Hu Fu, Duan Wenxuan noticed that although he didn’t complete the fusion, there was still a benefit for Hu Fu. With the gate’s suppression, the bracelet, like Hu Fu himself, fell into a peculiar silence.

Under these circumstances, Hu Fu could now use the bracelet as before, but its reverse damage effect was suppressed to an extremely low level. Originally, continued use of the bracelet would have given Hu Fu only one or two months left, but now, surviving for five or six years posed no significant issue.

After further research, Duan Wenxuan firmly decided on his plan and began editing Hu Fu’s second personality.

‘Once, you had a prosperous family and striking good looks, leading to a life of indulgence amidst wealth and extravagance. It all changed dramatically when your family perished and your fortune vanished, bringing about a profound awakening.

Guided by the saint, you swore an oath before ‘Him’, pledging unwavering loyalty and righteousness, boldness, and fearlessness. Holding a sharp sword not for slaughter, but vowing to fight for the weak and helpless. You shall uphold bravery, justice, fearlessness, compassion, and even self-sacrifice until the end of your life, willingly dedicating your sacred soul to what the saint fought for.’

The second personality was swiftly edited, but it wasn’t yet time for its deployment. For now, Duan Wenxuan temporarily suppressed the personality, maintaining Hu Fu’s Silence, and confined him to the guest room.

Considering the elapsed time, he realized it had been nearly seven or eight days since he last ventured out, constantly traveling between the Fourth and Fifth Worlds. The food supplies previously purchased at home were also running low. Deciding to take half a day off, Duan Wenxuan changed his clothes, grabbed his phone, and stepped outside.

Upon reaching the street, Duan Wenxuan noticed it was much quieter than usual—an impossibility before. An City was renowned for its tourism, and even outside peak seasons, there would typically be no shortage of people.

Not only that, but those present seemed hurried. Along his way, Duan Wenxuan spotted armed police officers patrolling the streets in groups of four on multiple occasions.

Duan Wenxuan’s heart jolted. This indicated that during his immersion in the Fifth World, oblivious to worldly affairs, significant events must have unfolded in the present world. The frequent police patrols suggested that An City was no longer peaceful, exhibiting signs of unrest akin to troubled times.

As he walked, pondering these thoughts, Duan Wenxuan headed to a large supermarket to purchase supplies.

Firstly, he observed that although the supermarket was open, it appeared somewhat empty. Particularly in areas with staples like rice and flour, which usually had few customers, queues were now forming.

Duan Wenxuan casually browsed around and noticed that prices for everything had significantly increased. For common household items and food, the costs were outrageously higher compared to normal. In theory, the An City municipal government should have regulated this; their lack of intervention could only imply that under these circumstances, they reluctantly accepted such pricing.

Duan Wenxuan picked out some vegetables, meats, and eggs. After paying, he leisurely made his way home, taking the opportunity to call Qu Huachi.

Under Duan Wenxuan’s name were two houses and two storefronts. One of these storefronts housed his small general store, which was usually managed by Qu Huachi due to its limited size.

Qu Huachi was around thirty years old, hailing from a rural area with a somewhat slow-witted demeanor. He had become truly alone in the world after his parents died from illness just a couple of years ago. Originally working at a construction site, an accident left him with a permanent leg injury. Out of pity, Duan Wenxuan kept him employed.

Qu Huachi lived as an old bachelor, residing and eating within the small general store itself. Especially after losing his parents, Qu Huachi cared even less about money and diligently worked without complaint. His bank account savings remained under Duan Wenxuan’s control, with the understanding that they would be given back for his retirement; otherwise, he feared losing them.

Upon calling, Duan Wenxuan learned that a few days earlier, Qu Huachi had already closed down the general store. This happened because many people rushed to buy goods, with some even seizing items amidst the chaos without paying. Frightened, Qu Huachi shut the store immediately and tried contacting Duan Wenxuan but couldn’t reach him throughout.

“It’s alright, keep it closed for now. Just be cautious and stay at the store. Later on, I’ll come by to get some rice and flour. When I went to the supermarket just now, there were too many people waiting in line.”

Qu Huachi had no objections and urged Duan Wenxuan to quickly meet with him, as he felt uncertain and extremely anxious.

After agreeing, Duan Wenxuan hung up the phone, slightly postponing his plans to further develop the Fourth World. First, he needed to understand what events had transpired in An City over these past few days, given the atmosphere of fear and tension.