Chapter Fifteen: Walking Into the Trap?

There are generally three approaches to dealing with bizarre incidents.

The most effective is to identify the logic behind the anomaly’s behavior and the mechanism that triggers its power, addressing it at its root. However, this method is extremely difficult, requiring both a sharp mind to unravel and pinpoint the key to the anomaly, and hoping that this key can truly resolve its threat.

Take, for instance, the haunting of high heels in the skyscraper—the specific trigger mechanism is entering the Hongfeng Building and having heard about the serial killings. Knowing this... does that solve the anomaly? At best, it allows one to prevent more people from triggering it. Thus, this is by no means a universal solution.

The second approach is to rely on a powerful anomaly-walker to directly eliminate the anomaly, just as Qi Chen did inside the Hongfeng Building. Yet this method applies to only a very narrow scope; those capable of such feats are rare, and some anomalies cannot be destroyed by brute force at all. Sometimes, destroying their physical form leads only to even more catastrophic consequences.

That leaves the final approach: completely sealing off the area where the anomaly appears, as if it never existed in the world, thereby severing its connection to the outside and nullifying its threat. The shortcomings here are all too obvious—not only the enormous cost in manpower and resources, but also the fact that the first wave of innocent victims will be left with only one desperate fate: death.

"Intelligence is absolutely crucial when dealing with anomalies," said the Gentle Soul in a low voice, imparting his experience to Qi Chen. Possessing an anomaly himself, he could better endure the discomfort of the strangling rope around his neck, not suffering the breathlessness and inability to communicate that would afflict ordinary people.

Yet, even as he remained trapped within the guillotine’s domain, all the Gentle Soul’s attempts thus far had failed to yield any fundamental progress; he had only managed to prevent the anomaly’s influence from spreading any further.

Finding the key or forcibly breaking the anomaly—both seemed out of reach for him at the moment. And the longer the delay, the higher the chance of new victims.

"Help! Someone help me!"

A terrified scream suddenly rang out. The passersby, who had just been soothed, were startled again, opening their eyes in panic and ceasing their prayers to look at the pleading figure.

Another poor soul was about to be dragged to the guillotine!

"Gentle Soul! Wait!" Almost on instinct, Qi Chen guessed what the Gentle Soul was about to do and shouted urgently.

All he saw was the Gentle Soul’s back as he dashed forward.

That madman—he was charging straight toward the tiger-head guillotine, following the direction of the rope!

The strange rope only prevented people from escaping; it would not hinder a “lunatic” rushing toward it.

"Eagerness!" The anomaly’s power surged within the Gentle Soul. His slim companion, Eager Heart, responded to the call and accelerated ahead of him. Just as the unfortunate victim was about to be executed, Eager Heart threw a punch at the last possible moment!

Bang!

Qi Chen saw it clearly: Eager Heart's fist landed squarely on the pedestrian, and a dull, ghostly glow flickered briefly over the man’s skin before fading.

Given the Gentle Soul’s previously demonstrated abilities, Qi Chen had anticipated this. He most likely possessed the power to alter the hardness of objects, and now he was applying that power directly to a human body—could this save a life?

The tiger-head guillotine descended rapidly, as if eager to know the answer.

The blade, scarred and rusted by the passage of years, crashed down. The pedestrian, his neck tightly strangled by the ashen rope and nearly suffocated, could no longer see the blade falling above him—he could only feel a cold, deadly wind.

Creak!

It was like trying to cut through sheet metal with a dull knife—the shrill screech went on and on, and sparks seemed to flash where the blade met flesh.

With his skin’s hardness greatly enhanced, the man did not die immediately.

But the guillotine was not content with a single strike; it continued to carve deeper and deeper!

This cut was relentless, unstoppable. Even though the Gentle Soul had hardened the man’s skin, it could not be halted. The reinforced flesh only prolonged the victim’s agony.

A clean execution had turned into a drawn-out torment.

The Gentle Soul’s face darkened at the sight of the suffering he had inadvertently caused. He hurried forward several steps, while Eager Heart, caught at the edge of her range, gripped the handle of the guillotine tightly with both hands.

“It’s working!” The Gentle Soul’s eyes lit up. Thanks to his anomaly’s sensory link, he could clearly feel the guillotine could be moved!

What if they could pull the blade all the way back to its original position? Could this be the key to the guillotine’s mechanism? At the very least, it might buy time for the current victim!

However, the next message from Eager Heart made the Gentle Soul’s eyelids twitch madly—Eager Heart simply didn’t have the strength to lift the blade!

Bang!

With a heavy thud, the guillotine gleamed a deeper red, and the stench of blood in the air grew stronger.

Creak!

The ancient guillotine, having once again fulfilled its grim logic, sprang back automatically, its blood-slicked groove silently awaiting the next victim.

The brutal spectacle dealt a powerful psychological blow to the remaining sufferers, all still bound by the eerie ropes. Their already fragile mental defenses were on the verge of total collapse.

In an instant, more than a dozen victims ceased resisting and, in despair, let the ropes drag them away like cattle to slaughter.

“Don’t give up!” The Gentle Soul’s eyes were bloodshot as he willed Eager Heart to try again!

Bang, bang, bang!

Orange fists blurred the air with a flurry of punches, and the ground beneath the guillotine softened rapidly, transforming into a mire that swallowed the entire blade.

The strange ropes could not be stopped by material obstacles, but the guillotine, being tangible, could indeed be engulfed by the ground!

Seeing the tiger-head guillotine sink completely into the soft earth, the Gentle Soul finally breathed a sigh of relief—only for a tremendous force to explode around his neck, yanking him off his feet and dragging him across the ground!

“This guillotine—it can attack of its own will!”

Dragged along the floor, the Gentle Soul reacted instantly, recalling Eager Heart to his side to grasp the rope at his throat and prevent strangulation. But this also meant he couldn’t interfere with the guillotine for the moment.

In the distance, Qi Chen watched everything unfold, clenching his fists tightly as he frantically searched his memory for that room hung with masks. He was certain that, to summon the Overlord, he must find the Overlord’s mask within.

“I found it!”

In his mind, Qi Chen glimpsed the familiar, imposing mask. As his consciousness touched it, an overwhelming, icy power burst from his chest, making his whole body tremble. The familiar, violent flames instantly filled his heart.

“Roar!”

With a thunderous bellow, a towering, muscular apparition flashed behind Qi Chen!

Bang! Bang!

Two deafening crashes—the stone slabs binding Qi Chen’s feet were blasted to dust.

The surge of power did not escape the Gentle Soul’s senses.

“That thing... Is that the anomaly attached to Qi Chen?!”

Before the Gentle Soul could think further, Qi Chen had already strode forward.

He, too, had entered the guillotine’s domain.