21: The stage has been set up, and the audience is welcome to eat melons

In the Sea of Concepts.

Gu Jianghan’s “gaze” pierced through endless dimensions.

Landing in that small guest room.

On that petite body, trembling slightly from fear.

She was like a pastry about to be baked.

Terror was her most delicious seasoning.

Since the actors were in place, the script sufficiently convoluted, and the stage lighting just right… yet something still felt missing… Ah, right! The audience!

Such a spectacular drama.

A live play about despair, struggle, and betrayal.

If it was just him, and a few Cthulhu from the Original Sin World.

It would be too lonely.

Gu Jianghan’s “lips” curved into a faint, indifferent arc.

He remembered an interesting function that unlocked when the group chat leveled up to 10.

It was time, for this performance.

To invite some entertaining spectators… A chilling fear gripped Su Ke Ke’s throat.

The text message coiled around her heart like a venomous snake.

Just as she was about to be swallowed by the sensation of suffocation.

That cold, emotionless system prompt.

Rang in her mind again.

【Detecting a sharp increase in the current plot’s “conflict” and “viewing pleasure”, meeting the “high-quality content” standard.】

【Would you like to enable the “Multiverse Live Stream” function?】

【Hint: During the live stream, any “brilliant” performance may receive “rewards” from super-dimensional viewers.】

【Reward forms include, but are not limited to: points, skills, items, and even fragments of authority.】

Su Ke Ke’s pupils suddenly contracted.

Live stream? Being watched by countless people?

This thought.

Filled her with a sense of humiliation and dread from the depths of her soul.

But the words “rewards” were like a devil’s whisper, carrying a fatal temptation.

She had nothing now, walking a tightrope over a bottomless abyss.

Any external force could be her only hope of survival.

The fear of being watched and the desire to survive fiercely battled within her heart.

A few seconds later, she bit her lip, and the taste of blood spread in her mouth.

“…I choose to enable it.”

She responded in her mind, using all her strength.

【Confirmed.】

【“Multiverse Live Stream” has been enabled.】

The system’s voice paused.

As if laced with an indescribable hint of mockery.

【Wishing you… a pleasant performance.】

At the exact same “moment”.

The 【Multiverse Live Stream Hall】, spanning across countless planes of the Multiverse.

Innumerable light screens floated here.

Playing scenes of god-demon wars, interstellar voyages, dynastic changes… However.

In an instant.

In the corner of all light screens.

A mandatory, top-pinned window popped up.

A live stream room with no flashy special effects.

And a title so simple it was arrogant.

Appeared in the sight of all beings.

【Old Days Ruler - Gu Jianghan】

The entire Multiverse Live Stream Hall fell silent.

A colossal beast, in the midst of devouring a star, paused its feeding, its enormous eyes turning towards the light screen.

In a pure land shrouded in immortal mist, an immortal emperor, mid-sermon, abruptly ceased speaking, causing thousands of disciples below him to stare in astonishment.

Within a cold mechanical divine kingdom, the supreme ruler interrupted his war simulations across several universes… Countless old monsters in secluded cultivation, ancient gods who had slept for billions of years, demon lords plotting conspiracies.

All shifted their attention from themselves.

Perfect World, deep within the Immortal Domain.

An Immortal King, who had been meditating for several epochs.

Suddenly opened his eyes, chaos splitting open in his gaze, star rivers forming and perishing.

“This name… He actually… started a live stream?”

In the Yitian Universe, within the Seven Great Life Restricted Zones.

The slumbering Supremes awakened one after another, casting gazes of alarm.

“It’s that being! What is he going to do? Is he going to settle accounts with another epoch?”

Doupo Great Thousand World, above the Endless Fire Domain.

The Flame Emperor, holding a fire lotus, had an unprecedentedly solemn expression.

Within the Martial Realm, the Martial Ancestor gripped his scepter, his brow furrowed.

For no other reason.

Than the title “Old Days Ruler - Gu Jianghan”.

To the Multiverse.

It inherently represented a taboo and a legend.

No one dared to disrespect him… In the live stream’s picture.

A frail young girl was pushing open her front door.

Innumerable top powerhouses, at this moment, held their breath.

Watching this “ant”, which in their eyes was even smaller than dust, begin her “performance”.

Su Ke Ke was completely unaware.

That she had become the focus of attention across the Multiverse.

She instinctively felt as if countless mountains were pressing down on her.

Every prying gaze.

Contained malice, curiosity, and an unspeakable greed.

Those gazes felt like knives, scraping against her skin.

She took a deep breath and quietly slipped out of Zhang Wei’s house.

Sneaking into the campus, she headed towards the stairs leading to the rooftop.

The cold midnight wind howled, blowing her long hair.

On the rooftop, moonlight was like water.

A slender figure stood by the railing, overlooking the myriad lights of the city below.

Hearing footsteps, the person slowly turned around.

It was the same short-haired young man from the corridor during the day.

The one who had watched her bring down disaster with an eerily calm gaze.

He was not from the Soul Suppression Bureau.

He didn’t have that rigid aura of order about him.

He was more like a lone wolf wandering the urban wilderness.

Dangerous and pure.

“You’re here.”

The young man spoke, his voice sounding somewhat ethereal in the wind.

He scrutinized Su Ke Ke from head to toe.

His gaze was like he was evaluating an item, then he revealed a contemptuous smile.

“’Nightingale’? The code name those idiots from the Soul Suppression Bureau gave you? How tacky and tasteless.”

He took a step forward.

An invisible pressure surged towards her.

“And in our Dark Crow Alliance, ‘anomalies’ like you have a more precise classification. Let me introduce myself, my name is Yang Feng, and I am a branch director here to ‘evaluate’ you.”

When the words “Dark Crow Alliance” left Yang Feng’s mouth.

Su Ke Ke’s pupils suddenly constricted to pinpoints.

A chill originating from the depths of her soul.

More biting than the rooftop’s night wind.

Instantly spread throughout her limbs and bones.

If the Soul Suppression Bureau were the guardians of order walking in the sunlight.

Then the Dark Crow Alliance were vultures lurking in the city’s shadows, feeding on blood and wails.

The crimes committed by this organization were too numerous to count.

Three incidents were particularly infamous.

First, the “West City Flesh Factory” incident.

They lured hundreds of homeless people to the factory.

Using living alchemy, they merged them into “Abomination Dolls” with no minds, only knowing how to kill.

Second, the “Crying Lullaby” incident.

They infiltrated hospitals to mentally pollute newborns.

Attempting to create “Abnormal Children” who could inherently distort reality.

Third, the “Silent Sacrifice” incident.

To open a wormhole to another world.

They razed a third-tier small city to the ground overnight.

The souls of all residents were drained, becoming fuel for the activation ritual.

This organization could no longer be described merely as “evil”.

They were out-and-out madmen, disasters walking among humans.

A terrorist organization repeatedly reported and sensationalized in countless news stories.

A group of mad scientists conducting cruel human experiments.

An abyss that all awakened individuals avoided.

The section on modern history in textbooks.

Devoted an entire page to describing the Dark Crow Alliance’s accumulated crimes.

Su Ke Ke bit her lip tightly, cold sweat breaking out.

Yang Feng was very satisfied with Su Ke Ke’s fear at this moment.

It was the most beautiful expression a prey could make when facing a hunter.

He took a step forward.

His terrifying aura made Su Ke Ke involuntarily retreat.

“It seems you’ve heard of us.”

He grinned, revealing stark white teeth.

“Enough nonsense. Your ‘Calamity’ power is a good thing, but you don’t know how to use it at all, it’s a sheer waste. Join us, the Dark Crow Alliance will teach you how to unleash this power to its fullest, making you a true ‘natural disaster’. Or…”

His eyes grew cold.

“…refuse, and I’ll tear you apart right now, extract your power core, and use it as material for a new experiment. Choose one.”

There was no recruitment, only an ultimatum.

Su Ke Ke’s body trembled.

But at the end of her fear, a stubborn flame ignited in her eyes.

Associate with these beasts? I’d rather die!

“I… refuse!”

“Foolish!”

Yang Feng lost his patience, his figure blurring instantly.

The next second.

An iron-clamp-like hand had already gripped Su Ke Ke’s neck, lifting her entirely into the air!

A sense of suffocation surged, and Su Ke Ke struggled desperately.

Her Calamity power instinctively activated.

Attempting to make the ground beneath Yang Feng’s feet crack, and the rooftop railing collapse.

However.

A stronger, ominous power erupted from Yang Feng’s body.

Easily suppressing her resistance.

His power level was far above Su Ke Ke’s!

“Too weak, too weak! Your calamity is as powerless as an infant’s cry!”

Yang Feng laughed maniacally, his eyes filled with disappointment and cruelty.

Just as Su Ke Ke’s consciousness began to blur from lack of oxygen.

That cold system prompt rang out again.

【Ding! Live stream viewer “Abyss Lord” has rewarded you with a one-time item — “Poison Blood of the Envious (Rare Grade)”】

【Effect: After use, can forcibly replicate one of the target’s skills, and deal 150% damage, lasting for 10 seconds. Side effect: After use, you will suffer severe soul backlash.】

A rhomboid crystal, solidified from dark green venom.

Appeared out of thin air before Su Ke Ke’s eyes.

This was her only chance!

Su Ke Ke used her last ounce of strength to raise her hand and grip the crystal.

And the moment she touched it.

The crystal shattered with a bang.

Transforming into countless resentful runes, branded into her palm!

A cold, tyrannical power, filled with envy and malice.

Instantly coursed through her entire body!

“Hm?”

Yang Feng noticed the anomaly and was about to strike hard.

But he was horrified to discover that a power originating from the same source as his.

Yet more violent and pure, erupted from Su Ke Ke’s body!

Su Ke Ke violently broke free from his grip.

Her eyes turned pitch black, devoid of any emotion.

She raised her hand, facing Yang Feng, her five fingers spread.

Yang Feng’s “Field Suppression” ability.

Activated with a power far more terrifying than when he used it himself, with a loud bang!

“Pfft—!”

Yang Feng was struck as if by a heavy hammer.

Slammed to the ground by an invisible force, the hard concrete floor cracked inch by inch with him as the center!

He violently spat out a mouthful of blood, an expression of unbelievable horror appearing on his face for the first time.

“How is this possible?! This is my ability! You…”

Su Ke Ke did not answer.

She walked step by step towards the fallen Yang Feng.

In the depths of her pitch-black pupils, it was as if countless envious vengeful spirits were screaming.

She had gained a moment of respite.

But the cost was that she felt her soul being frantically gnawed at by something.

However.

Yang Feng, lying in a pool of blood, after the initial shock.

A bizarre smile appeared on his face.

“So it’s like this… So it’s like this! You truly are the best ‘container’… My mission is complete…”