98: Chapter 98 Evolution Workshop and Discordant Sounds

When the [Numerology Maze] was promoted to B-rank, and the whole world drew ever closer to that mysterious [Root], Zhang Hao's consciousness sank completely into the construction of the fourth underground level. This construction was completely different from any previous ones.

The past first to third underground levels mostly followed a Logic of "natural" evolution: setting challenges, placing treasures, guiding emotions, and observing results. It was like laying roads in the wilderness, putting up signposts, and watching the reactions of travelers.

But the fourth underground level, from the very beginning of its conceptualization, carried an extremely strong sense of purpose and experimentation.

In Zhang Hao's mind, countless information streams flowed like a rushing river. These were the data from all the Talent evolution cases that had occurred in the maze over the past fifteen days—Rock's [Mountain-Crushing Strike] that erupted in a desperate situation, Flameblade's [Explosive Enchantment] comprehended amidst flames, Aubrey's [Wealth Resonance] achieved by fusing treasures driven by greed and the desire to survive, and even the [Fate Omen] just glimpsed by "Guan Xing" with the help of a strange crystal...

He was not simply recording results, but using his powerful [Logic] foundation to deeply analyze the key variables behind each case:

Extreme pressure: Life-and-death battles, desperate situations capable of crushing the mind. This is the most effective catalyst for breaking inherent Talent structures.

High-dimensional energy of the same origin: Stimulation from higher-level energy that is highly compatible with the Host's Talent root (such as Aubrey's wealth treasures, "Guan Xing's" fate crystal). This is the key to providing "fuel" and "blueprints" for evolution.

Drastic metamorphosis of the state of mind: From despair to hope, from obsession to relief, from fear to transcendence. The turning point of one's thoughts is often the moment when Talent resonance is strongest.

Re-cognition of one's own essence: In extreme states, the Host's re-examination and Breakthrough regarding their own abilities, desires, and beliefs. This is the internal driving force that causes the fundamental change in Talent form.

Based on these analyzed "Evolution Formulas," Zhang Hao began to use the entire fourth underground level as a canvas to conduct a grand and precise "weaving."

He was no longer satisfied with setting up isolated monsters or traps. He was creating integrated trial scenarios.

One area might be simultaneously filled with whispers that twist the spirit (source of pressure), while on the ground grew [Mind Flowers] capable of resonating with specific mental-type Talents (source of energy), and it required the Host to maintain absolute clarity of mind while resisting the whispers (mental requirement) in order to safely harvest them. The absence or imbalance of any link could lead to failure or even mental collapse.

Another place might be the [Law Fragment Corridor] that was constantly collapsing and reconstructing. The Host had to find the fragment most compatible with their own Talent root amidst the shards (recognizing their own essence), and while bearing the pressure of spatial tearing (source of pressure), fuse it into themselves (absorbing energy of the same origin) to stabilize the passage and continue forward.

Here, [causal threads] were no longer the naturally derived, slightly messy "spiderwebs" like those on the first to third levels. They were actively and densely woven by Zhang Hao with his powerful will and clear Logic, like the warp and weft threads on a loom. A cause of "entering a specific area" could be tightly connected to multiple "effects," such as "encountering tailor-made pressure," "discovering key evolution items," and "triggering mental trials." The entire fourth underground level was like a piece of fate fabric being carefully embroidered with extremely complex patterns, where every stitch and every thread pointed to the same ultimate goal—guiding, or even "forcing," the B-rank Hosts who entered into it to embark on the path of Talent evolution.

This was his testing ground for large-scale, systematic deflection of the specific [fate trajectory] of "Talent evolution." He wanted to verify whether, by relying on the deep weaving of [Karma] and the precise setting of [Fate] nodes, he could mass-produce "evolution" just like operating precision instruments.

He was fully focused, his consciousness deeply integrated with the maze core, guiding massive amounts of construction points to turn into tangible rules and landscapes. The Void Realm was opened up, strange terrains were shaped, minerals and plants containing specific rule energies were "planted," and powerful guardians with specific behavior patterns were "awakened"...

However, just as this grand weaving project reached a critical moment, an extremely tiny "variable," completely outside Zhang Hao's calculations, abruptly intruded into this world.

It was a faint speck of light, almost impossible to detect, like a forgotten speck of dust on the edge of a sea of stars. It did not enter through the regular "Host channel," but rather, like piercing through an invisible membrane, it appeared silently on the first underground level—in an abandoned tunnel of the "Trial Corridor" that had already been explored countless times, with only a few scattered monster skeletons remaining.

The speck of light drifted, finally landing on a skeleton leaning against the Rock wall that had been dead for who knows how long.

The next moment, a phenomenon that defied common sense occurred.

On the stark white bones, scarlet muscle fibers grew and spread rapidly like living things, covering them; a dark blue network of blood vessels followed closely behind, outlining the paths of circulation; immediately after, pale skin adhered to it like water-soaked paper, instantly becoming full and elastic.

In just a few breaths, a withered skeleton was reshaped into a complete, naked male body. He had a young face that looked ordinary but carried a certain strange charm, with short black hair plastered wetly against his forehead.

"Click... click-click..." A strange sound like bones rubbing together issued from the newborn's throat, and then, this sound quickly became smooth and fluid.

"Hee hee..."

A soft chuckle spilled from his newborn lips. The laughter was ethereal and eerie, filled with an indescribable sense of joy, as if he had discovered something extremely interesting. He slowly opened his eyes, and the pupils were not a normal color, but like the deepest vortex, reflecting grotesque and fragmented scenes.

He moved his newborn fingers, his joints emitting crisp cracking sounds, his face overflowing with pure and dangerous happiness.

"Oh my, what a... truly incredible place this is." He tilted his head, feeling the thick [Fate] and [Karma] aura permeating the air that made his Soul tremble, as well as the grand "weaving" act taking place deep within, the corners of his mouth curling into an exaggerated arc, "How could a party this lively be missing me?"

"Hee hee hee... Hahahaha..."

Unstoppable, louder laughter echoed in the empty abandoned tunnel, forming a stark and ominous contrast with Zhang Hao's orderly and logically rigorous construction project.

An unplanned "actor" had already taken the stage without authorization. And the director, busy weaving a grand fate, had not yet noticed this quietly sounding dissonant note.