139: Chapter 139 A Deformed World: The Revealed Truth

The engine of the [dream chaser] hummed steadily on the dark red highway. Outside the pale blue shield, the clouds of Honkai were wrapped in electric light, pressing in step by step, illuminating the road surface intermittently.

Zhang Hao stood beside the [soul gourd], the golden mark on his brow faint but unextinguished, his expression as calm as a deep pool.

He did not look at anyone, his gaze fixed on the floating pale blue light screen; the five-threaded thinking of the [Person of Logic] was running at full speed.

[Silver Star] poked its head out from his pocket, its bright, spirited mouse eyes flickering with deep light. The [All-Knowing Eye (Pseudo)] projected a slender, pale golden stream of data, weaving a logical diagram before him.

Inside the vehicle, it was silent. Lin Wan's fingers tightened slightly around her rabbit doll, her pupils dilating slightly from tension; Zhao Hu's originally relaxed fists subconsciously clenched, his lips pressed into a thin line; Chen Rui's motion of stroking [Thousand Faces] stopped abruptly, his eyes full of curiosity; Li Mubai's hand resting on the [Star Rail] panel exerted slight pressure, his knuckles turning white.

"This world is deformed at its very root." Zhang Hao's voice was calm yet highly penetrating, every word falling clearly into everyone's ears without the slightest ripple. "The Souls of the Original Humans in this world are not 'infected' by the soul virus; rather, they are born 'carrying' the soul virus—the soul virus itself is the distorted embodiment of the world's fundamental rule: [Advance]."

He flicked his finger, and the core entry of the Soul analysis report popped up in the data stream. The text "80% Original Soul + 10% soul virus + 10% Honkai Power" was particularly striking: "From birth, the underlying layer of their Souls has been branded with the distorted obsession of [Advance]. The so-called 'End' is merely a lie set up to keep the [Advance] rule running forever. They spend their entire lives moving forward on the road, trapped on this path from birth to death, when in reality, they are providing energy for the deformed [Advance] rule of this highway world, like 'batteries' that never stop."

[Silver Star]'s data stream suddenly flickered, quickly refreshing the Honkai index change curve. Zhang Hao's gaze did not shift as he continued: "The Lord of Collapse did not break this deformed world; instead, it precisely utilized the existence of the [soul virus]. [Honkai Power] is highly compatible with the deformed rules of this highway world. It can be said that this world's distorted obsession with [Advance] is also a form of 'Collapse.' The [soul virus], strengthened by [Honkai Power], gained the ability to cause the infected's physical gene sequences to collapse—turning them into zombies. It turned the Original Humans of this world from 'humans moving forward on the road their whole lives' into 'zombies moving forward on the road eternally.' And because of the appearance of us Hosts, these zombie-fied humans of this world have become 'pursuers driving aliens forward.'"

"In this world, we are those so-called aliens." His voice remained steady, yet it made Lin Wan subconsciously hold her breath, and Zhao Hu's Adam's apple bobbed. "The soul virus cannot affect us. Every team has, more or less, Hosts capable of healing/purification. We can also obtain zombie virus inhibitors, enhanced weapons, and Soul-series devices through the Supply Station—this has broken the world's original balance. Not only will we not be affected by the [soul virus] to [Advance], but we also use weapons to kill the zombies that follow this world's rules and [Advance] forever. We can even analyze the truth hidden within the Souls of this world's zombies through Soul-series devices."

The data stream outlined the travel trajectory of [Most Journey to the West], which intersected with the route of the [dream chaser] at a certain point. "The world's Honkai index skyrocketed from 15% to 50%; this is not natural evolution, but a joint 'driving' by the Lord of Collapse and this world. They are forcing us to 'Advance,' forcing us to obey these deformed rules."

"[Most Journey to the West] entered this world 3 days earlier than us. The [hundred-refined dragon steed]'s speed far exceeds the [dream chaser], yet it was able to meet us at the intersection of the two routes." Zhang Hao tapped his finger, and the data stream turned into a folded, intersecting highway model. "The answer is simple: This highway is a 'folded loop.' The Original Humans of this world are blinded by the distorted obsession within the [soul virus], forever spinning in cycles. Although we can slightly deviate from the trajectory, we are compressed by the constantly expanding range of Collapse and eventually pushed back to the same route—they were not caught up by us, but are, like us, trapped in the cage of rules. It is highly likely that this deformed world did not produce [World Collapse] before we aliens arrived. To make us also follow the [Advance] rule of this world, the [Lord of Collapse] and the world itself jointly catalyzed the birth of [World Collapse]."

[Silver Star] emitted a faint hum, and the data stream quickly compiled a "Supply Station Item List." Zhang Hao glanced over it, his tone carrying an unquestionable certainty: "The Supply Station of the God of Technology was never simply for 'supplies.' Inhibitors counter the virus, weapons counter zombies, and the soul gourd collects Soul samples—the [God of Technology] saw through the essence of the rules long ago. The existence of the Supply Station is to give us the 'capital to resist.' Maintaining one's own Soul, protecting one's own life, and revealing the truth of the world—this is the key given to us by the [Supply Station of the God of Technology] to complete this [Team Advance Upgrade Mission]."

"But before that, we have all been advancing passively." His gaze finally moved away from the light screen, sweeping over everyone, his eyes sharp yet composed. "Advancing and killing zombies -> Earning dream coins -> Upgrading vehicles -> Advancing and killing zombies. It seems like we are becoming stronger, but in reality, we are just being driven within the framework of the [Advance] rule. Every 'Advance' only accelerates the speed at which the Lord of Collapse and this world tighten the net. If we sink into the bloodlust of constantly killing zombies and the thrill of speeding in upgraded vehicles, then the only thing waiting for us is becoming another type of 'zombie' that follows the [Advance] rule of this deformed world."

Throughout the entire process, there was no superfluous explanation, no complex deduction. Zhang Hao's monologue was like peeling a cocoon to extract silk; from root to appearance, from rules to loopholes, it was clear and articulate, every word a gem. The [Talent] of the [Person of Logic] kept his expression filled with an earnestness that seemed to see through everything, and a composed aura enveloped the entire vehicle.

Lin Wan's breathing gradually became rapid, Zhao Hu's brows knitted into a knot, Chen Rui's eyes turned solemn, and Li Mubai's gaze gained a bit more clarity. They did not speak, but through every subtle movement and expression, they conveyed their inner shock.

[Silver Star]'s data stream suddenly froze on the entry for "System Feedback Authority." Zhang Hao raised his hand, resonating with the golden mark on his brow: "No matter how strict the rules are, there must be flaws." There was a hint of sharpness in his voice, yet he remained composed. "My Dream System authority has been upgraded to LV6, and [Silver Star] is currently integrating the loopholes of this mission—there is no 'End.' I will initiate precise feedback to the System."

He looked at the increasingly bright black light points in the [soul gourd] and said earnestly: "What we are looking for was never the non-existent 'End,' but the true exit to escape this deformed world. Perhaps there are other ways to reach the so-called 'End,' but since we possess the advantage of LV6 authority, why not use it?"

In Zhang Hao's mind echoed the speculation he hadn't shared with the others: "The [Deformed World] and the [Lord of Collapse] likely set the 'End' outside the folded loop of the highway. This way, all teams can 'Advance' infinitely in this mission that has an 'End.' They can never reach the 'End,' and thus the mission can never be completed. This is the malice coming from this deformed world."

The roar of the [dream chaser]'s engine suddenly became firm, and the pale blue shield refracted a cold, sharp light. The clouds of Honkai were getting closer and closer, and the zombies on both sides of the road roared as they accelerated and closed in. But inside the vehicle, the data streams of Zhang Hao and [Silver Star] were intertwined like an invisible net, capturing the key to breaking the situation—he stood composed, and in his earnest eyes, there was not the slightest panic, only the certainty and power that comes after seeing through the truth.