Chapter 59: SOS SOS... Nevermind, No Need to Come

“Just this?”

Duan Wenxuan was bewildered, suspecting that the clergyman might be withholding information. In the secret chamber, apart from the Twisted Eye, there were only two other mutants present.

He had anticipated completely plundering the Night Church’s branch for their mutants, but this chamber was so empty even rats would find no interest here.

The clergyman understood Duan Wenxuan’s desire to collect mutants but could only shake his head with a wry smile. “mutants aren’t inherently good, and amassing large quantities of them can trigger chain reactions. For our provincial branches stationed across Westphalia, most Nightwatchers are already overwhelmed dealing with monsters. Adding the burden of guarding mutants would only complicate matters further. Therefore, in most cases, once we discover mutants, we regularly send them to Headquarters. This isn’t unique to Westphalia; other provinces also treat mutants as burdens, periodically sending them away.”

“Alright.” Duan Wenxuan had no choice but to accept this reality. “You can leave now. After handling the mutant, I’ll come back for you.”

“Understood.” The clergyman glanced at the Twisted Eye and warned, “Be cautious with this mutant. Even though you have the Greed Pot, it is not infallible.” With that, the clergyman decisively departed. As just an ordinary person without any mutant protection, he was vulnerable to potential harm from such entities.

As soon as the secret room’s door closed, Duan Wenxuan picked up the three boxes and immediately returned to the real world.

“Let’s take a look,” Duan Wenxuan murmured to himself, starting by opening the box containing the Twisted Eye. The box was made of silver, as it has some inhibitory effect on the peculiar supernatural phenomena found in the Fourth World, making it suitable for storing idle mutants.

To Duan Wenxuan, the Twisted Eye appeared roughly as a one-inch diameter eyeball. Its only distinctive feature was its uncanny ability to vividly roll and move, with the pupil area being completely jet-black.

Upon closer inspection, Duan Wenxuan noticed that the pupil resembled the center of a small vortex, seemingly with something slowly swirling within. After staring at it for too long, he felt his thoughts beginning to slow down.

“Not right.” Fortunately, the Twisted Eye was currently suppressed by the gate’s influence, remaining silent; otherwise, Duan Wenxuan would have met his demise instantly upon seeing it.

This object indeed seemed somewhat terrifying, but paradoxically, the more fearsome it appeared, the more valuable it likely was.

Without further hesitation, Duan Wenxuan employed the same method he used against the Greed Pot to confront the Twisted Eye. The Twisted Eye resisted slightly longer than the Greed Pot, but ultimately, to avoid mutual destruction, it chose to deeply integrate with Duan Wenxuan just as the Greed Pot had done before.

In the instant fusion completed, Duan Wenxuan felt a sharp pain in his left eye, accompanied by warm streams trickling down his cheek. Upon touching it, he discovered his hand covered in blood.

The intense pain persisted for approximately ten minutes before gradually subsiding.

Throughout this process, Duan Wenxuan stood facing the mirror, observing his left eye closely. Initially, his left eye slowly shrank, then dissolved into a mass of flesh and completely disintegrated—a sight that would be unnerving to anyone. However, subsequently, a new eye emerged within its socket.

Grabbing some tissues, Duan Wenxuan casually wiped away the blood from his face, quickly gaining a clearer and more distinct view of his newly formed left eye.

At first glance, it appeared no different from his right eye. However, upon closer inspection, one would notice that Duan Wenxuan’s right eye was normal, with brown pupils. In contrast, his left eye stood out; not only did it possess exceptional vision, but more startlingly, its pupil was pitch-black like ink, resembling a tiny black hole contained within his eye.

The Twisted Eye has the ability to absorb all forms of negative energy, including the detrimental effects caused by mutants on Fusionists. If someone other than Duan Wenxuan possessed the Twisted Eye, their lifespan would be significantly shortened, even shorter than most Nightwatchers’.

Absorption through the Twisted Eye is a passive skill, continuously active at all times. While it can create a distorted magnetic field causing mental confusion or even distort monsters, the Fusionist themselves are also constantly bombarded by the absorbed negative energy.

However, Duan Wenxuan faced no significant issues. Firstly, his fusion with the Twisted Eye was deeply integrated, and secondly, the Twisted Eye perfectly complemented the Greed Pot.

The negative energy absorbed by the Twisted Eye could be continuously stored within the Greed Pot. Not only could this twisted power be released at once against enemies, but it also served as nourishment for the Greed Pot itself. No wonder the fat man promptly introduced the Twisted Eye to Duan Wenxuan after confirming he possessed the Greed Pot.

Having fused with the Twisted Eye, Duan Wenxuan decided to open the remaining two mutants earlier than planned, which were originally intended for delivery to Headquarters next quarter. One of them contained a Plant Heart, capable of accelerating plant growth. However, its drawback was that upon fusion, the person would gradually transform into a vegetative state, literally becoming akin to a plant.

Upon opening the other item, he found a pair of black gloves. Their effect allowed the wearer’s skin on both hands to become virtually indestructible. The downside was that once put on, they could not be removed, leading to an increasingly unbearable itch inside the gloves, so intense that one might wish to cut off their own hands.

Duan Wenxuan had always relied on the gate’s Mandatory Identification to effortlessly integrate these mutants. However, when fusing with the Plant Heart, he didn’t anticipate that its exceptional compatibility would allow for a smooth integration without needing the gate’s assistance.

Upon further reflection, Duan Wenxuan deduced a possible reason. The Plant Heart’s suitability might be due to his connection with the white deer from Little Peak Mountain; previously, he had acquired a slight portion of its innate abilities. Additionally, although there were some complications with the Hardened Gloves, compared to the Twisted Eye, those issues seemed minor.

After integrating all three mutants into his body, Duan Wenxuan assessed his physical state and felt remarkably enhanced.

Returning once more to the Fourth World, Duan Wenxuan casually tossed the three empty boxes back into the secret room.

As he leisurely approached the church, the clergyman could not hide his astonishment upon seeing him. ”… You… fused the Twisted Eye?!” There was no way to conceal it; Duan Wenxuan’s left eye resembled a miniature vortex of a black hole, gazing into which felt like losing one’s entire sanity.

“It’s quite simple. After joining the Universal Church, your task will be to collect more mutants. If you encounter any unique items, that would be even better. The rest, I’ll handle myself.”

“I understand.” The clergyman nodded, striving to suppress his astonishment.

Duan Wenxuan had previously mentioned helping Qiao Si alleviate some of his suffering, but he didn’t expect it to happen so swiftly. Based on the properties of the Twisted Eye, Duan Wenxuan was now fully capable of absorbing all the negative energy from Bai Di and others. Although their mutants would still remain, within a few months, the negative energy would accumulate again until they deteriorate as before.

However, Duan Wenxuan remained resolute and chose not to do so.

Qiao Si and the others had just joined the Universal Church, coming under his command. It would be unreasonable to reward them generously without them having accomplished anything for him first.

A competent leader wouldn’t commit such foolish acts.

Thus, even with Qiao Si, Duan Wenxuan only absorbed a portion of his negative energy, slightly easing the burden and making Qiao Si appear somewhat less afflicted.

Throughout this process, the clergyman observed Duan Wenxuan with astonishment, unable to comprehend what he witnessed. Everything today exceeded his understanding. It was his first time seeing someone capable of fusing multiple mutants.

Theoretically, it was possible for geniuses with exceptional traits, but in most cases, the clash between just two mutants would fatally harm the host.

That alone was concerning, but more importantly, Duan Wenxuan showed no signs of ‘conservation’ when using these mutants, as if they had absolutely no adverse effects on him.

It truly left the clergyman envious.

Although Qiao Si did not fear death, the relief from the reduced burden on his back brought him comfort, and he expressed his gratitude towards Duan Wenxuan.

The following morning, as soon as Winter entered the church, Bai Di and the doctor swiftly apprehended him together. Having witnessed Duan Wenxuan effortlessly use the Twisted Eye without any side effects, their flattery intensified.

Winter returned from his mission already exhausted. Upon arriving at their hideout, he was caught off guard by Bai Di and the doctor, who eagerly employed various tactics to seize him first, hoping to secure favor with Duan Wenxuan.

“Saint, I have captured Winter…” the doctor announced confidently, but beside him, Bai Di frowned slightly and cleared his throat.

“I collaborated with Bai Di to capture Winter,” the doctor eventually added.

Toward their old colleague Winter, they hesitated not at all, betraying him without any reservations.

Winter appeared as he did when Duan Wenxuan first met him: clad in long black trousers paired with a simple sweater and topped off with a trench coat. Combined with his exceptionally handsome face, he was undoubtedly capable of captivating hordes of young women. However, his current condition was grim—his mouth gagged, and blood slowly seeping from his waist area.

“Dead or alive, have the clergyman explain things to him.”

The clergyman sighed; lately, he had been sighing quite frequently. Nevertheless, he still needed to heed the instructions of his new boss, Duan Wenxuan.

After providing an explanation to Winter, followed by Duan Wenxuan slightly alleviating some of Winter’s symptoms, Winter finally expressed, with a complex look in his eyes, that he willingly embraced the Universal Church.

“In that case, we truly become one family now, don’t we?” Duan Wenxuan flashed a faint smile.

Winter exchanged glances with the clergyman, resignedly accepting their fate. Like Bai Di and the doctor before them, they bowed to Duan Wenxuan, fully committing themselves to this burgeoning Universal Church.

Meanwhile, in the distant Shoulong Continent of the Northern Province—the twenty-fourth continent known for its abundant resources and also the location of the Night Church Headquarters—

At that moment, a solemn-looking middle-aged man was reviewing a plea for assistance from the Westphalia branch. Although the content was tactfully phrased, it clearly indicated the emergence of a new religious faction causing the loss of at least two Nightwatchers.

The middle-aged man frowned disapprovingly; the clergyman in Westphalia was truly useless. The plea for help undoubtedly stemmed from his reluctance to fuse with the Twisted Eye.

Branches of the Night Church typically retained one or two powerful mutants precisely for critical situations. Yet, despite serving in Westphalia for so many years, this clergyman always sought aid rather than fusing with a mutant, constantly delaying the inevitable.

“Sir.” Just as the middle-aged man was about to mark a red check on the document, someone clad in the attire of the Night Church rushed in hurriedly. “An urgent letter has just arrived from Westphalia.”

The middle-aged man’s dissatisfaction deepened, assuming the letter was urging him to send reinforcements promptly. However, upon opening it, he was taken aback—the message stated there was no need to dispatch anyone, as the issue had already been resolved.

This seemed somewhat peculiar… but then again… he dealt with numerous matters every day. With that thought, the middle-aged man combined both letters and casually set them aside, paying them no further attention.