Beating Instances through Words Left by the Dead

Wu Chang clutched his eyes, rolling on the ground. It took over ten minutes for the soul-piercing pain to reduce to a bearable level.

He climbed up from the ground and looked towards the mirror, discovering that his eyes in the reflection were blood red. Upon closer inspection, he could see countless cracks covering his eyeballs and pupils, with unextinguished embers flickering within each fracture.

Oh dear, just one glance almost scorched his eyeballs. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Compared to the black grudge hidden deep within the All-Knowing Crystal, the true form of the Evil God was as childish as Teletubbies. His high will had no power to resist in front of that grudge; it was instantly dispersed.

Fortunately, he was used to surviving cautiously, never fighting unprepared battles, and had swallowed the last Whisper of the Nameless beforehand. Otherwise, even if he didn’t die on the spot, his will would collapse, turning him into an idiot.

Just how terrifying is the black grudge? In simple terms, it’s terrifying enough to break the attribute description of an item.

"Item Name: Whisper of the Nameless."

"Item Description: After using the item, gain the status of ’Forced Understanding’. Under the ’Forced Understanding’ status, regardless of any situation, the user’s will cannot drop to zero nor suffer damage due to low will. Duration: one minute."

"Note: Mysterious whispers fill my ears, it’s fantastic, I gradually understand everything."

The item description for "Whisper of the Nameless" indicates that the user will acquire the Forced Understanding status, whereby their will cannot drop to zero nor be harmed due to low will within one minute.

This one minute refers to one minute on the current plane, something he validated with Leman’s true form when he first entered the Abyssal Game.

Yet just a moment ago, he glanced at the black grudge for merely an instant, and because the Forced Understanding status shattered, he was disconnected from the state of probing the grudge.

Abyssal Game, what are you doing, give me something useful here.

Wu Chang shook his head, trying his best to recall that brief instant within the black grudge.

No matter how he tried to remember it, he couldn’t recall what happened, or perhaps what he saw was completely incomprehensible to him at his current level.

He now understood why his eyes felt scorched when he saw the activated All-Knowing Crystal. It wasn’t targeting him but rather a self-protection mechanism triggered by his inspiration.

His inspiration was warning him not to look, for looking meant death.

The unfortunate thing was, this warning not only failed to alert Wu Chang but instead heightened his curiosity about the secrets of the All-Knowing Crystal.

To court death is an irresistible human instinct.

This venture into death resulted in the loss of his last Whisper of the Nameless, but he didn’t come away empty-handed.

Much like when he saw Leman’s true form in the Moonlight Sanatorium instance, seeing Leman’s true form did not cause his mind to collapse, increasing his will attribute by 30 points and granting him a special vision to perceive emotions.

This observation of the black grudge, although lasting only a moment, increased his will by 50 points, despite him not knowing what occurred in that instance.

Back then, observing Leman’s true form could boost his will by 30 points because he dared to stare at Leman’s form without mental collapse, discovering that Leman’s form was made of emotions, allowing for such a breakthrough.

Moreover, elevating will from 30 to 60 points, as opposed to from 170 to 220, posed entirely different challenges.

Even with his will before the increase, seeing Leman’s true form would at most cause mental pollution and discomfort, not immediate death, let alone enhancing his will attribute significantly.

From this, it’s easy to see how terrifying the black grudge hidden within the All-Knowing Crystal is. Even an Evil God might lose their sanity, plunging into madness, if they saw it.

Beyond the increase in his will attribute, he also felt some changes in his vision, akin to the ability to perceive emotions.

However, because he couldn’t understand what he saw in that moment, he had no insight on his newly acquired vision, requiring further exploration in the future.

Huu.

Wu Chang exhaled the stale air from his chest, playing with the All-Knowing Crystal in his hand. In its dormant state, the grudge within is hidden and repressed, posing no harm unless he intentionally provokes curiosity.

Although its origins are unknown, considering it could make Joy obsess over it and its potent grudge could even break through the Abyssal Game’s rules, he could be sure its value far exceeds his expectations.

But how should he use it?

When his half-brother entrusted him with the All-Knowing Crystal, he seemed to forget to provide a manual.

Just as Wu Chang was complaining, a faint electronic sound echoed in his ears.

"Please initiate the soul binding program and agree to let me enter your spiritual world. I will provide guidance, assist you in seeking the truth of the world, and help you escape the destined end."

He furrowed his brows, looking at the All-Knowing Crystal in his hand.

"Is it you talking to me?"

The All-Knowing Crystal remained lifeless and unchanged, yet the electronic voice sounded again in Wu Chang’s ears.

"Yes."

Since Schultz acquired the All-Knowing Crystal, he often muttered to himself during solitary moments within Schultz’s grudge.

Back then, Wu Chang suspected Schultz was conversing with the All-Knowing Crystal, assuming it possessed some consciousness, which now seems confirmed.

Communication makes things significantly easier.

"What are you, a silicon-based life form? An advanced AI? What is your current status, alive or dead?" Facing the All-Knowing Crystal, Wu Chang fired off his questions like a machine gun.