"From the beginning, natives like us do not recognize the Principles and must be guided and follow the path from Transformation to Destruction."
"Foreigners, upon recognizing the Principles, remain unaware of Transformation and will only know how to immediately destroy them."
"The puzzle of comprehending the Principles is about how you perceive them."
"Transformation is just to make it easier for you to accept Destruction."
"From the start, if you recognize the Principles, then destroy everything."
The Thousand Tails Yaoguai King understood to some extent.
Like a normal child who, when learning something new, must start from the basics taught by their teacher.
But for a genius, they have already understood the basics, so the teacher will directly teach them advanced things.
Teaching others how to recognize the Principles requires letting them experience Transformation.
Teaching someone who already recognizes the Principles requires only bringing them to the end.
"One hour."
"That's the time limit I asked you and Sam Sam to set for the Yaoguai Territory."
"Partly because the water there will gradually cause people to become mentally chaotic."
"Partly because human perception can easily become trapped."
"When someone tells you something, even if it's not true, that's the first piece of information you receive."
"If it lingers too long, you'll become stuck believing it's true. It's incredibly difficult to break."
"Even when broken, you'll still feel it's not right."
"Therefore, you must not let someone who is comprehending remain in that environment for too long."
"...This is also why I frequently inform the Yaoguais about the Principles."
The Yaoguais' understanding often deviates slightly from the norm of the world.
The Aqua Vulpes find it normal for a land animal to breathe underwater.
The Forest Wolf Yaoguai find being eyeless normal.
Very little, just a small deviation in perception from the world's Principles.
It will be a beginning for recognizing the Principles.
The Thousand Tails Yaoguai King understood.
"The more you speak, the more confident I am in No One," she said.
"See, I just changed your perception," the Heavenly Demon In Black laughed loudly.
"How amazing, even using words can change the Principles!" the Thousand Tails Yaoguai King joked along.
The Heavenly Demon In Black began walking towards the throne.
"That's why."
"That fool is sure to do something unthinkable again."
.
.
.
"Oh, so that's how it is."
Ha ha...
Ha ha ha ha...!
Ha ha ha ha ha...!
Inside No One's mind was in chaos.
Something within him had just snapped.
.
.
.
"He will definitely feel like he doesn't understand anything."
"Because only a madman truly understands the Principles."
Despair is the process.
The Heavenly Demon In Black already anticipated the emotions No One would experience.
For it was the same when she comprehended the Principles.
The Thousand Tails Yaoguai King, the Forest Wolf Yaoguai.
The Immortal Blade.
All of them had to first face despair.
In that moment of despair...
They would have two paths...
.
.
.
What does it mean? What does it mean?What does it mean? What does it mean? What does it mean? What does it mean? What does it mean? What does it mean? What does it mean? What does it mean?
Above? Below?
Water? Flower?
Is being nothing? Is nothing being?
So what does it mean?
Up or down?
What is right?
What is wrong?
No One's mind was in turmoil.
His hand continuously tugged at his hair.His eyes had become wild.
. . .
"People say, at the moment of utmost despair."
"When the pressure reaches a person's peak."
"There are two paths that may occur."
. . .
"A a a a ...!!!"
Time continued to pass.
An hour went by.
[[Time remaining: 00:09:12]]
Less than 10 minutes left.
Yet, due to the influence of this environment, No One no longer understood the concept of time.
For him, eternity happened in a moment.
. . .
"The environment of the Yaoguai Territory is designed to drive you insane."
"To make you forget the concept of time."
. . .
No One's eyes widened.
He gritted his teeth.His teeth chattered continuously.
He clawed fiercely.
Using his intact hand, he tore flesh from his crushed hand.
Letting the blood flow continuously upward.
The wound seemed to burst open, allowing the blood to flow freely.
There was too much blood.
The whirlpools merged and dispersed, merged and dispersed.
All driven by the ever-flowing blood.
There was too much blood.
It stirred the tendrils.
They began to form.
Then, because of the excessive blood,
They did not dissipate.
Instead, they started swirling downward.
Seeking the source of that blood.
"Ha ha..."
"Ha ha ha...!"
. . .
"The water in the Bottom of the Sea of Myriad Flowers disturbs the mind of anyone submerged in it."
"Don't think for a moment it's due to awareness. If someone stays in there too long,"
"Madness is inevitable."
. . ..
"Come!"
"Come, all of you!"
"Ha ha ha ha...!"
The whirlpools surged forward.
Slash.
Rip.
An arm was torn apart.
Floating up only to be devoured clean by the tendrils.
.
.
.
"Two paths for the one under pressure stronger than the ocean's depths."
"Calamity."
"Despair. Chaos. Madness. Savagery."
"For one to end everything in despair."
"And..."
.
.
.
"Come!"
"Come, all of you!"
"Devour me!"
"Tear me apart!"
"You bastards!"
Hurry up, come!
Come!
That's it. That's it. That's it.That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it.
Below? Above?
Flower? Water?
Ocean's bottom?
LIGHT!
Air bubbles frantically streamed out of No One's mouth.
His mouth never closed.
Allowing air to continuously escape from his lungs.
He screamed in the endless depths of the sea.
His voice echoed throughout the deserted Yaoguai Territory.
. . .
"Their Virtue will rise."
"Those who stand in the abyss yet retain their own virtue."
"Will be the ones to ascend to the highest place."
. .No One's body was being increasingly ravaged.
Both arms were destroyed.
No One turned his body.
Letting his feet point upward toward the water's surface.
Letting his face gaze down into the deep ocean floor.
Allowing the water tendrils to tear his legs apart.
This feeling of pain.
Pain that drove him insane.
Even virtual reality could not block the pain transmitting into his brain.
"I see it now."
He smiled.
Like a madman staring into the abyss.
"If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back at you."
Many people don't understand this saying.
It's a quote from the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.
Because the full quote is:
One who fights with monsters must look at oneself to ensure they do not become a monster.
If you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back.
"Ha ha ha...!"
"I'm looking into the abyss!!!"
"I'm looking at you!!!"No One gritted his teeth.
The tendrils had torn his body apart.
They were up to his chest now.
If this were reality, he would be dead.
The pain was enough to drive a person insane.
Yet, No One's eyes did not move even slightly.
He continued to stare into the bottomless abyss.
...
"Nietzsche's quote."
"It is a warning."
"A warning to those who fight evil, not to let evil taint themselves."
"Fight monsters long enough, and the blood-soaked hands of your own will turn you into a demon."
"In desperation, when the pressure becomes tangible."
"The demons within you go mad, screaming."
"If you want to escape it."
"If you want to rise."
...
"You must." The Heavenly Demon In Black smiled.
"Let your virtues be the anchor that pulls you back, lifting yourself from the abyss."
...
"You must." The Thousand Tails smiled.
"Let your faith be the force that propels you from the ocean's depths."
.
"You must."
No One's eyes revealed a clear determination.
His body was being torn apart, torn apart.
Even his chest had been ripped to shreds.
Only his head remained.
"Focus everything on what you are doing."
[[Time remaining: 00:07:33]]
.
.
.
The Thousand Tails Yaoguai King was startled.
This feeling.
The Yaoguai Territory was crumbling.
"He...?"
"Did he succeed?"
.
.
.
The previously torn-apart hand resurfaced.
An object floats on the surface of a liquid because the liquid's density is greater than the object's density.
His entire body wouldn't be able to float.
Then discard everything.
Let the tendrils tear the body to pieces.
Only the head remains, and that's enough.. . .
The Heavenly Demon In Black closed his eyes.
"Sometimes, you think someone has given up to fate."
"But in reality, he's just desperately fighting to move forward."
. . .
To fully reach the surface of the water.
Is a body necessary?
. . .
When a person loses a part of their body.
They still feel as if that part is still there.
The term is a phantom limb.
This happens because the human perception still believes their arms, legs exist.
Is my body still here?
I can still feel it.
My body.
The tendrils crazily rushed forward.
IS IN EVERYTHING THINGS!!!
Tearing apart the head of No One as it surfaced.
A A A A A!
He screamed.
He screamed until his own jaw was destroyed by the tendrils.
His entire body was gone, dissolved into the seawater.
Yet, No One's scream continued to echo eternally at the Bottom of the Sea of Myriad Flowers.
. . .
[[Time remaining: 00:07:06]]
[[]]
[[Achieved the Principle of Uncertainty.]]