Chapter 38: The Ancient Sages Society
Suddenly, a golden metallic bead appeared out of thin air and dropped into the cave.
Ding!
Zhou Tai No. 2 immediately sprang to his feet and assumed a defensive stance. The bodies held by other personalities quickly moved to shield him, because the body that Zhou Tai No. 2 was currently using was their original body.
The metallic bead rolled across the ground. Countless golden lines appeared on its surface, and the bead unfolded layer by layer along those lines, transforming into a golden lotus. From the lotus, innumerable golden threads spread outward, dividing the entire cave into countless tiny compartments.
A blonde, foreign-looking young man suddenly appeared behind Zhou Tai No. 2. Resting a hand on his shoulder, he casually greeted them. "Good morning, everyone."
Instead of panicking, Zhou Tai No. 2 calmed down. "Sir, you don't seem to be with the authorities. If you think we're useful, then feel free to say so. As long as it's within our power, we'll cooperate."
The blonde man smiled. "I like talking to smart people. Abe no Seimei's Golden Lotus Barrier can be maintained for only five minutes, so I'll keep this brief. I am Plato, the Twelfth Seat of the Ancient Sages Society. Our goal is to become true gods, not those so-called gods that are gods in name only. So... would you be interested in joining us?"
No. 2 smiled in return. "Of course. Between life and death, the choice isn't a difficult one."
Plato grinned. "Excellent. Then come with me."
Seeing that the two sides had reached an agreement, Zhou Tai No. 3 immediately reverted to his usual demeanor. "Hold on. No. 2 can go with you, but the rest of us are staying behind. This game hasn't even started yet."
Looking at Zhou Tai No. 3, Plato slowly drew a golden goblet from thin air. "I see. In that case, let me give you a little help. As it happens, Huaxia's Pangu, Nuwa, the River Diagram and Luo Script, and the Primordial Eight Trigrams Diagram are all targets of the Ancient Sages Society. If I can cause them even the slightest bit of trouble, that wouldn't be a bad outcome."
Holding the goblet, he gently swirled its contents. The crimson blood within it emitted a faint red glow. "This is the Death-Curse Blood. Anyone who willingly drinks it will gain a new ability, but their remaining lifespan will be reduced to a single day. The good news is that it affects only the body. It causes no harm whatsoever to the soul or consciousness. So, I wonder... would it suit you?"
Zhou Tai No. 3 grinned excitedly. "All I can say is that this stuff is amazing. I love it."
Plato looked at the remaining Zhou Tais and smiled. "Excellent. We're almost out of time, so drink up."
With so many willing test subjects prepared to drink the Death-Curse Blood, he was curious to see what sort of surprise awaited him. The possibility alone made lingering here a little longer worth the risk.
Zhou Tai No. 3 accepted the goblet and took a large gulp before passing it to No. 4. One after another, every Zhou Tai personality except No. 2, who was using the original body, drank from the goblet.
The reason they trusted Plato was simple. Anyone capable of finding them would have little difficulty killing them if he truly wished to do so. Besides, even if Plato did nothing, their chances of surviving what came next were slim at best. There was no point in creating unnecessary complications.
No. 3 was currently using a body that belonged to a middle-aged driver infected by an Aberrant Parasite. Suddenly, the parasite tore through the man's skin. Countless writhing tentacles intertwined with one another, forming a vaguely humanoid shape.
Crimson light glowed between the tentacles. Then all of them fused. A pair of massive horns sprouted from its head, while dense chitinous scales spread across its body, transforming it into a towering devil warlord.
"This feels incredible. My strength, my speed, and..." No. 3 opened his glowing red eyes and examined everything within the cave. "Unbelievable. So this world has these layers of depth to it."
His eyes were nothing but pools of red, devoid of pupils, yet they allowed him to perceive a world far richer in depth and detail than before. Through them, he could see countless scenes that ordinary people would never be able to comprehend.
Plato smiled. "It seems you've gained a rather useful ability."
No. 3 turned to look at Plato. In his vision, an illusory hell seemed to loom behind the man. Countless tormented souls struggled and wailed within its depths.
His mouth split into a grin, revealing rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth. "It is a remarkable ability. Pity it only lasts for a day."
Plato smiled. "I'll continue improving Death-Curse Blood. In the future, its effects may last far longer than a single day. Stay tuned."
Meanwhile, the other Zhou Tais completed their transformations. Their forms varied greatly. Some stronger, some weaker, but each had gained a unique ability.
Plato glanced at his watch. "It's about time."
He bent down and picked up the metallic lotus before turning to Zhou Tai No. 2. "Leave a drop of blood here. We need to go."
No. 2 nodded. After taking one last look at the others, he walked over to Plato. Once he had left a drop of blood, Plato placed the lotus on the ground and addressed the remaining Zhou Tais. "This lotus will take his place as the target locked onto by Huaxia's River Diagram and Luo Script. If you don't want to die quite so quickly, I'd advise staying well away from it."
Plato took hold of No. 2's arm and led him into the void. From No. 2's perspective, it felt as though he had passed through a thin membrane. The next moment, he found himself in a world filled with the fragrance of flowers and the singing of birds.
The sun shone brightly overhead, endless fields of flowers stretched in every direction, and countless fairies danced through the air, playing merrily among themselves.
No. 2 asked, "Mr. Plato, are all members of the Ancient Sages Society as powerful as you?"
Plato smiled. "Naturally, there are both strong and weak members. However, only fifteen are stronger than me. As for the rest, some may be close to my level, while others fall short."
"Then what does the Ancient Sages Society see in us?" asked No. 2.
Plato smiled. "To be honest, you caught our attention the moment you appeared. At the time, however, you possessed nothing worth mentioning. As an ancient eastern nation once said, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. Your performance in the Silver General Arena was spectacular. It allowed us to see your potential. And so... here I am."
"I see." No. 2 nodded. What the Ancient Sages Society valued was their ability to further awaken the supernatural creatures' bloodline.
It was indeed a formidable ability. Once they awakened those bloodlines, the Ancient Sages Society could harvest the supernatural creatures' blood and mass-produce more monsters of the same tier.
No. 2 wasn't afraid of being used. What he feared was having no value at all. That would be the worst possible outcome. As long as they were useful, they would be considered one of their own. If they weren't useful, they would most likely end up as lab rats on an operating table.
Back in the cave, with his newfound vision, No. 3 watched as Plato and No. 2 gradually disappeared into the hellscape before him. All around them stretched seas of fire and mountains of blades. Grotesque, horrifying corpses crawled across the ground in every direction.
One woman reached desperately for No. 2's foot, only for a flashing blade to sever her arm. She could do nothing but roll on the ground and scream in agony.
A thought flashed through No. 3's mind. Plato, is that your ideal world?
Watching Plato and No. 2 vanish beyond his sight, No. 3 let out a string of rough, booming laughter. "Interesting. Interesting! This is too much fun! Hahahahahaha! This world is simply too entertaining. I am nowhere near finished playing with it."