Chapter Fifty-Nine: Original Sin, Innocent Eyes

“Tsk tsk, just entering Class A and already displaying such destructive power—remarkable indeed.”

The sky was beginning to pale with the first light of dawn, though the earth remained engulfed in darkness. At the epicenter of the ‘Blazing Silence · Crimson Lotus’ explosion stood two condemned prisoners. Their appearance and attire were no different from any other, yet the symbols engraved on the ‘Final Sentence’ collars around their necks set them apart.

One prisoner had a pair of hands carved into his ‘Final Sentence’: the left hand missing both thumb and middle finger, the right lacking the little finger, a grotesque sight at first glance. Facing the aftermath of Mu You’s rampage, he couldn’t help but utter a sound of admiration.

The other, with rare pink irises, bore an engraving of two eyes on his collar—one fully closed, the other barely open to a slit, evoking an uncanny feeling. Hearing the praise, he dismissed it with a suave retort:

“Really, Fei Mo, your habit of flattering people never ends. This is barely the preliminary destruction of the ground—does it even count as an explosion? The ‘Princess’ doesn’t even need to use her spiritual language to surpass this. I thought something major had happened, but the Condemned Paradise actually mobilized the two of us, the peak Class A prisoners, to handle the aftermath.”

Fei Mo shook his head. “You can’t say that, You Tong. The ‘Princess’ is a newly promoted Class S prisoner, her strength is beyond question. But this kid, I heard, just entered Condemned Paradise not long ago. To cause such a scene on his first project—neither of us could have managed that when we started. We should keep an eye on him in the future.”

With that, Fei Mo’s watch projected the original appearance of the artificial hill park. He carefully memorized every detail, then closed his eyes and pressed his right index finger to his forehead. As he reconstructed the scene in his mind, the engraved index finger on his ‘Final Sentence’ began to glow. A cold electronic voice followed:

“A-class prisoner Fei Mo, approval granted. Ability unlocked: ten percent.”

Fei Mo smiled slightly at the words, and pushed his finger forward from his brow:

“Universe · Restoration”

Fragments of stone were lifted from the ground by an unseen force, flying back to their original positions according to the image in Fei Mo’s mind. Gradually, the ravines filled in, the natural stone wall at the entrance reverted to its initial form, and in the blink of an eye, not a single crack remained on the shattered ground.

“I’ll lend you a hand.” You Tong said.

“A-class prisoner You Tong, approval granted. Ability unlocked: ten percent.”

The cold electronic voice sounded again. You Tong approached Fei Mo, the barely open eye on his ‘Final Sentence’ shimmered with a pink hue.

“Absolute · Obedience.” You Tong’s eyes flashed with pink brilliance. “I command you all—return to your former state!”

The broken flora on the ground was bathed in pink light. As if time itself reversed, the severed ends rejoined, and in an instant, everything was restored.

After finishing, the two dusted off their hands. You Tong remarked, “One hundred thousand points, just like that. Reminds me of when I first entered Condemned Paradise, earning a few hundred points nearly killed me. Who could have imagined living like this now?”

“Indeed.” Fei Mo echoed, gazing toward the world beyond Condemned Paradise. The Mo Yun Tower was gradually wrapped in golden haze. Lost in reminiscence, he sighed, “Only after entering Condemned Paradise did I realize how free life once was. Here, every day is a struggle near death. Yet in time, I found myself adapting—and even enjoying this extraordinary, thrilling rhythm.”

“That’s right. If I hadn’t become a condemned prisoner, I’d probably have lived a mundane life. Where else would I have gained the power to change my fate?” You Tong replied.

Fei Mo opened his hand to catch a falling, withered leaf. He clenched it, then opened his palm again—a fresh green leaf was blown from his hand and drifted to the ground, where You Tong crushed it underfoot.

“Unconsciously, we’ve been assimilated by Condemned Paradise, resigned to our fate. The ambition to overturn the world is no longer there; now, all I seek is stability.”

With those words, Fei Mo patted You Tong’s shoulder, signaling it was time to leave.

“I need to step outside Condemned Paradise for a while—handle the aftermath, collect the payments. The ‘Human Pursues Ghost’ group of freelancers really went wild this time; the penalty is over two hundred billion, nearly a fraction of a family’s entire assets.”

“Be careful. Never reveal the secrets of Condemned Paradise, or a storm will erupt. Let those lambs outside enjoy a few more years of ease, until the world of the awakened finally arrives.”

“Of course. They say condemned prisoners stripped of human rights aren’t fit to be called human. Hah, even if you made me a free man now, I wouldn’t take it.”

With that, You Tong vanished. Fei Mo looked toward the epicenter of the explosion. During the restoration, he sensed something buried a dozen meters deeper, but the feeling faded instantly. He cast a meaningful glance, then disappeared as well.

The morning glow bathed the land in golden brilliance. A crimson sun rose above the sea, casting hope upon the earth. Condemned Paradise was silent, as if nothing had ever happened...

Drip—

Mu You looked down. It was blood.

He now found himself in a world of blinding white. Before him knelt a boy identical to himself, except his left eye was twisted and terrifying, like a web of blood. The boy’s arms and legs were tightly bound by white chains, each chain bristling with short spikes, rendering him utterly immobile. The blood was flowing from the wounds of ‘Mu You’.

Hearing footsteps, ‘Mu You’ looked up. He saw Mu You and was not surprised, as if facing an old friend long lost. Calmly, he spoke:

“So, come to mock me, have you?”

Mu You said nothing.

As if expecting this, ‘Mu You’ continued, self-assured, “Your constitution is highly unusual—even I can’t fully decipher it. I intended to develop you completely, then devour you. That way, I might even challenge Original Sin and escape his control. But who would have thought you’d have the luck to possess an innate spirit body—a real trump card!”

Mu You: “Mou You is my sister, not a trump card.”

“Call it what you will.” ‘Mu You’ interrupted contemptuously, continuing, “I never imagined you’d sweet-talk her into willingly dying for you. Do you know how terrifyingly rare it is for an innate spirit body to form? Nearly impossible. Once formed by chance and awakened, it is an absolute force, governing the personality and fate of all living things and feeding on memory-controlling soul bodies. Over time, it can comprehend laws beyond our understanding, even create higher beings according to its will. Our Noon Soul-Breaking Worms were creations of Original Sin’s innate spirit body. I never expected you’d have one too!”

“You said Original Sin...” Mu You was astonished by Mou You’s power, but when he heard of Original Sin, his calm demeanor was instantly disturbed. Stepping through the blood, he grabbed ‘Mu You’ by the collar and demanded fiercely, “Is this Original Sin a headless blood man? Where is he now? Speak!”

“Heh heh, telling you is pointless. With your current strength, you couldn’t withstand a single move from Original Sin. He likely sensed your unique constitution and wants to make you a host for the Noon Soul-Breaking Worms, to cultivate even stronger ones. He even used me to parasitize you. But he never imagined your body and soul would be so unique that even when I’m awake, I can’t control you—and now you have the capital to truly oppose him: that little innate spirit girl.”

“You say I can’t even take one move from him...” Mu You’s teeth clenched painfully. Just how powerful was this Original Sin!

“He’s probably sensed that girl as well. Innate spirit bodies repel each other—they will inevitably try to devour one another. So, how about it? We join forces. My hacked abilities, you’ve felt them, haven’t you? If you fully open yourself to me, I might even remodel you into something greater than Original Sin. It will take time, but at least your little sister will survive in the end. What do you say?”

Hearing ‘Mu You’s coaxing, Mu You released his grip and turned to leave. ‘Mu You’ called after him, but Mu You didn’t pause, leaving only a cold reply:

“My family—I’ll protect them myself. No need for your concern.”

Watching Mu You’s departing figure, ‘Mu You’s expression darkened: “Heh heh. When faced with overwhelming power, you’ll come begging for me. And... you really think this place can hold me? I’m still transforming your body. One day, this perfect, soul-stirring vessel will completely belong to me. Just wait, insect...”