59: Chapter 59 New Goals

The clamor of the celebration feast had not yet fully dissipated, but the chill brought by that soul delivery had already seeped into every corner of the Fortress like invisible frost. Everyone clearly realized what a cold and inviolable will their master, Lin Chen, possessed.

Observation Area, the private room where Lin Tian was located.

Compared to the grand feast outside, this place was as desolate as a grave. Lin Tian curled up in the corner of the hardboard bed, his arms tightly hugging his knees, his body trembling uncontrollably and violently. His face was deathly pale, his lips bitten until they bled, and his originally handsome features were distorted by extreme fear.

He had "seen" it—not with his eyes, but through the implanted perception within him that had a faint connection to the forces behind him. He had vaguely "perceived" the silent yet soul-shaking scream of despair emitted when Qin Weiwei's soul was forcibly extracted, sealed, and then packaged and sent away!

That was not death; it was a torture and eternal imprisonment a thousand times more terrifying than death!

"Next... I'm next... He'll do the same to me... He definitely will..." Lin Tian buried his face deep into his knees, his teeth chattering. Cold despair, like a venomous snake, coiled around his heart, nearly suffocating him. He regretted it. He regretted taking this mission, and he regretted provoking Lin Chen, a monster who completely disregarded common logic!

"Creak—"

The sound of the door being pushed open was exceptionally piercing in the deathly silent room.

Lin Tian snapped his head up like a startled rabbit, his bloodshot eyes filled with terror.

Zhang Hao entered, his face wearing an undisguised sinister grin and a cat-and-mouse sort of playfulness. He carried neither food nor water, merely tossing and catching a dagger that glinted with a cold light.

"Yo, our dear 'little brother,' what's wrong? Having a nightmare?" Zhang Hao spoke in a sarcastic tone, approaching step by step.

Lin Tian shrank back until his back was pressed tightly against the cold wall, with no way to retreat. "You... what do you want to do? My brother... my brother won't let you act recklessly!"

"My brother?" Zhang Hao sneered as if he had heard the world's biggest joke. "Kid, still dreaming? The Master said you still have some use, so he's sparing your dog life for now. However..."

With a flick of his wrist, the tip of the dagger rested lightly against Lin Tian's cheek. The cold sensation made Lin Tian's entire body stiffen.

"The Master sent me to ask you: will you honestly tell us everything you know to suffer less? Or will you wait for the Master to finish his business and personally 'entertain' you?" Zhang Hao leaned in and lowered his voice, his tone becoming even more chilling. "Let me remind you, you 'felt' the end of that bitch Qin Weiwei just now, didn't you? The Master won't be any more polite to you than he was to her."

The last trace of color drained from Lin Tian's face. The coldness of the blade and the threat in the words completely shattered his already crumbling psychological defenses. He remembered the terrifying images of the Ancient Netherworld's fallen sacrificial rites he had seen when his memories were implanted, and he thought of his ultimate fate as a 'Substitute Puppet'... In comparison, dying directly at Lin Chen's hands seemed like a form of relief.

"I'll talk... I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!" Lin Tian cried out in a breakdown, snot and tears mixing together. "It's... it's the 'Nether Shadow Council'! They were the ones who trained me! I'm not your brother. I'm a Vessel created by them using secret methods, meant for... for 'Substitute Possession' when the true Nether Lord Bloodline awakens!"

He spoke incoherently, pouring out everything he knew for the sake of survival, or perhaps just for a quicker death.

"...They sent me to get close to you, gain your trust, and monitor the degree of your bloodline's awakening... waiting for the right moment... That's all I know, really! I beg you, give me a quick end!" Lin Tian slumped on the floor like a dying fish.

Zhang Hao narrowed his eyes, memorizing Lin Tian's words. Although there were some terms he didn't understand, it didn't hinder him from grasping the general idea—this kid was indeed a fake, and there was a mastermind called the "Nether Shadow Council" behind him with grand schemes!

"Nether Shadow Council? Substitute Possession?" Zhang Hao sneered. "The names are quite intimidating." He put away the dagger and patted Lin Tian's face. "At least you're sensible. However, how to deal with you is up to the Master. You stay here and 'reminisce' well to see if you've missed anything!"

After saying that, Zhang Hao ignored the broken Lin Tian, turned, and left the room, locking the door again.

...

In the core area of the Fortress, Lin Chen finished listening to Zhang Hao's embellished report.

"Nether Shadow Council... Substitute Possession..." Lin Chen lightly tapped the armrest of his throne, a look of realization flashing in his eyes. This corroborated the information he had spent a million nether talismans to find, and even supplemented some details.

"It seems my 'Nether Lord Bloodline' is quite sought after." Lin Chen's tone carried a hint of self-deprecation, but more so a cold killing intent. The feeling of being treated as prey and a Vessel was not pleasant at all.

"Master, how should we handle that kid? Should I..." Zhang Hao made a throat-slitting gesture.

Lin Chen shook his head. "Keep him for now. We might be able to catch a bigger fish. Just keep a close eye on him."

"Understood!" Zhang Hao bowed.

At that moment, Su Qingyu also walked in, holding several organized reports.

"Lin Chen, the Fortress repair work is basically complete, and the spoils of war have been inventoried and stored. Also, this is the information related to the 'Ancient Netherworld' compiled from Wang Kun's token and previous documents." She handed a report to Lin Chen, her demeanor efficient, having fully stepped into her role as the "Head Manager."

Lin Chen took the report and scanned it quickly. It linked scattered information together, pointing to a conclusion: the Ancient Netherworld had shattered for unknown reasons, its fragments scattered across different Bizarre Realms. The lack and chaos of the Netherworld's authority were likely one of the root causes of the apocalypse and the infestation of Bizarre Monsters.

Simultaneously, a prompt popped up on the system interface at the right time:

[Detected key item "Shattered Netherworld Guide Token" and related clues...]

[Hidden Mission "Secrets of the Netherworld" Clue Completion: 65%]

[Next Stage Goal: Find and activate the "soul ferry boat" to travel to the specific Netherworld fragment area "River of Forgetfulness."]

[Hint: Constructing the "soul ferry boat" requires core materials "ferrymans dragon bone" and "styx river water," which can be obtained in the Bizarre Realm "Netherworld Ferry Crossing."]

soul ferry boat, River of Forgetfulness, Netherworld Ferry Crossing...

A new map, new challenges, and... a deeper truth slowly unfolded before Lin Chen.

He put down the report, his gaze seemingly piercing through the walls of the Fortress, looking into the depths of the endless Netherworld.

"Netherworld..." he whispered to himself, a smile full of aggression and anticipation slowly curling at the corners of his mouth. "Sounds like a good place worth 'investing' in."

He stood up and said to Su Qingyu and Zhang Hao:

"Get ready."

Su Qingyu seemed to sense something and looked up at him.

Lin Chen met her gaze, his tone calm yet carrying an unquestionable decisiveness:

"Next stop, we're going to the 'Netherworld Ferry Crossing' to get the materials for building the soul ferry boat."

He paused and added, his voice carrying a natural arrogance:

"While we're at it, let's see if we can stake out some land in that so-called 'Netherworld.'"

"This apocalypse needs some new scenery."