A lean young man stood by a huge black pool, with his brows furrowed, his expression indifferent, but the words "Van Garrow, I still prefer it when you're quiet" kept reverberating in his mind like a storm. "Quiet? Huh, when was I, Van Garrow, ever quiet?" The young man gritted his teeth and muttered, clenching his fists, as if restraining some emotion with all his might. Yes, Van Garrow suffered from mania. Since his first onset at the age of seven when he killed a kitten in a fit of madness, he knew very well that he could never stay calm for even ten minutes in his life. His body seemed like an active volcano, always on the verge of erupting. Whoever, even slightly, angered him would send him into mania and then a loss of control. Fighting, brawling, racing, shouting, dancing like a demon... this was his norm. He could grab a bottle to beat someone one second, and inexplicably burst into laughter the next. His emotions were like a pool of magma, always roiling violently, emitting scorching toxic fumes without any calm. Only with that person could he completely restrain his violence and pride, and willingly bow to them. But even then, he was feverishly attempting to draw their attention, so how could he be quiet? "I understand now. You didn't mean me, but those idiots, right?" Van Garrow continued to ponder, "You like the quiet me, okay, I will change for you. I will become the person you like..." Van Garrow finally raised his drooping eyes, revealing a distorted and frenzied face. Although he suffered from mania, he was also a multiple personality disorder sufferer. How many personalities lay hidden inside him? Even he himself couldn't count them, but as the main personality, he strongly detested the feeling of being controlled by these so-called secondary personalities. Thus, he constantly played recklessly day and night, trying to minimize his sleeping time to suppress these secondary personalities. He was the master of this body, and the rest were trash! However, no matter how vigorous his energy, there would always be times of fatigue. Occasionally, when he uncontrollably fell into a deep sleep, these secondary personalities would emerge, unscrupulously exploring the external world. Among these equally deranged secondary personalities, there were a few who liked peace and quiet. Van Garrow was not sure which personality prompted those words, but it didn't matter. Didn't the other person like peace and quiet? Once he devoured all the secondary personalities, fully integrating their memories, skills, and characteristics, he could display the appearance of tranquility. So that night, Van Garrow underwent deep hypnosis by a psychologist, entering the palace hidden within himself, ready to clean the place. He didn't know the exact number of secondary personalities, but it didn't matter. As long as he devoured the majority of them, he would possess the power to dominate this inner world. When that time comes, all he needed to do was destroy the palace, killing all the "rats" hiding inside it. When he arrived at this black pool, he had already killed twenty-four secondary personalities. A voice faintly told him that if he devoured the last one, he would gain the power to destroy this world. He originally intended to bypass the black pool and seek a new prey, but he inadvertently discovered at the bottom of the pool a quietly sleeping figure, fair-skinned, slender, and naked. Van Garrow had several secondary personalities—men, women, old, young, with faces ranging from delicate to ordinary to ugly, none of which gained Van Garrow's attention or evoked a sense of pity in him. But now, he couldn't seem to look away from the sleeping figure at the bottom of the pool. The figure looked serene in slumber, with gentle features and eyes as serene as flowing water. Yet his lips, as red as blood, burned with intensity. His translucent skin and pure black hair exuded an otherworldly vibe, reflecting a multitude of colors and lights, as if he were a monster from a dream. If this weren't Van Garrow's inner world, cut off from the outside, he would have mistaken this person for a specter. He stood by the pool for a long time before finally exhaling slowly and extending his arm, opening his hand in a gesture of empty grabbing. With many secondary personalities devoured, even without the power to destroy this world, he could freely manipulate everything here. His grab drew the water to the surface, causing the fair-skinned figure at the bottom to float up. Observing closely, the figure had flawless facial features. If he had such a face, he wouldn't have to worry about gaining Zhao Wenyan's attention. Van Garrow's heart was filled with ferocity, jealousy, and mania, causing his fingers to involuntarily tighten around the floating person's neck. The person's neck was elegant and graceful, and when it was broken, the twisted angle would surely be even more beautiful. As he thought, Van Garrow smirked slightly, applying more pressure with his fingers. Just as the neck was about to snap, the peacefully slumbering young man suddenly woke up, facing Van Garrow directly. He had pure black eyes, deep as an ocean with round pupils that, upon gazing at Van Garrow's face, instantly shrank to narrow slits. Even with his neck under the grip of a deadly force, his expression remained as tranquil as when he was asleep, not a trace of pain to be seen. He even took the time to size up Van Garrow, as if evaluating an object. Stared at unblinkingly, Van Garrow's fingers began to tremble. Despite needing just a little more force to kill the person, he couldn't do it no matter how hard he tried. His body froze under the man's gaze. The man gazed silently at Van Garrow, with a faint expression and deep eyes that exuded a hint of interest, as if the person strangled was someone else entirely. It seemed like a long time, but in reality, it was just an instant. He reached out his hands, cradling Van Garrow's face, and gently asked, "How many have you devoured?" The man's fingers were slender, delicate, yet carried a subtle chill as they touched Van Garrow's face, causing him to shiver involuntarily. The man used no force, yet Van Garrow felt as though his head was being held in place, even blinking became a challenge. His voice was so melodious, like mountain stream water, clear and melodious, with a hint of bewitching charm. Any person questioned by him would unconsciously open their mouth and honestly answer, despite any resistance. This feeling was strange, and this secondary personality even more so. Van Garrow became flustered, but remembering that he already possessed the power to dominate this world, he gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "I have devoured twenty-four secondary personalities, and you are the twenty-fifth. Do you know? I have the power to construct and dominate this place. Once I consume you, I can completely destroy this place!" So I'm not afraid of you!
Feeling that everything around is still within his control, Fangaruo's trembling heart quickly steadied. Yes, he had absolute and powerful strength, and didn't need to fear the inexplicable alter ego in front of him at all. In fact, he didn't need to use his hands. Just a little thought, and his will could crush this alter ego!
The tightly pursed lips of Fangaruo slowly stretched into a malicious smile, then he opened his consciousness and surrounded the man without a trace.
Just as he launched his consciousness to devour the opponent, he heard the man chuckle, "Alter ego? Are you sure that what you have devoured is called an alter ego?"
The man cupped Fangaruo's face, gradually approaching and stopping just inches away, then stared at the other, the bright red lips slightly curling with an ambiguous smile. His pure black eyes were like an abyss, unfathomable and filled with countless emotions, but not a hint of fear, not even a trace of dread. What was Fangaruo in his eyes? Nothing.
Under such a gaze, Fangaruo's body, even his consciousness, began to freeze.
"What, what do you mean? If they are not alter egos, then what are they?" Fangaruo involuntarily blurted this out.
The man chuckled twice, his flawless face still gentle, yet showing a profound evil, "Do you know, your body never belonged to you, but it is a vessel I created. Those alter egos, including you, are nothing more than lost souls absorbed into this vessel. You coexist and grow in this vessel, then engage in a battle. When one of you possesses enough power, you will become my sustenance, awaken me, and satisfy me..."
As he spoke, the man's face drew closer to Fangaruo's ear, then he extended a crimson tongue and lightly licked him. This action was like the hiss of a venomous snake, cold and sticky, instilling fear.
Fangaruo's eye sockets split open with a streak of blood because he couldn't believe what he had heard! Wasn't he raised in this body? How could he become a lost soul? How could the alter egos he devoured also be ghosts? How could such absurd things exist in the world!
At that moment, all of Fangaruo's understanding and meaning of existence over the past twenty years were denied, and feelings of fear tore through his trembling heart like a monstrous beast. He began to struggle fiercely, only to despairingly realize that his face was being held by the man, his body being suppressed, and even his consciousness being firmly confined by the man.
He couldn't move, and his body, containing immense power, turned into black mist in the man's hands, gradually sucked into the man's nostrils. The man casually laughed, then tilted his head back, slightly parted his red lips, and let out an extremely enjoyable hum. He looked satisfied, and at this moment, his gentle and delicate eyebrows and eyes became extremely sinister.
Fangaruo's body gradually became transparent, and in the moment of complete disappearance, he was horrified to find that the massive palace shrouded in mist was collapsing bit by bit. The alter egos fleeing from the palace screamed and turned into black mist, drawn into the man's nostrils to nourish his newly awakened body.
The man was right, he had been slumbering at the bottom of the pit for twenty years, waiting for this moment. All of them were his sacrifices!
Regretful emotions surged forth, then were instantly extinguished...