Chapter 57: The Bizarre Land

A flood of memories surged in, quickly digested by Gune.

After a long while, Gune finally let out a long breath.

His gaze swept over the corpses and blood carpet below, and the peculiar man named Ankalu, and Gune's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I was affected; my mind and self-awareness were completely distorted, and even my soul underwent a mutation."

"Indeed, what Senior Muland said was true—there really is a mysterious power here that affects transcendent masters, even a terrifying memetic infection. I fell for it without realizing."

"I've been flying here for five days, then crawling for four days."

"During that time, my soul core was eroded, my blood kept draining, and my body kept decaying."

"But I didn't feel the slightest abnormality; every change was rationalized by my perception."

"At the same time..."

Gune looked at the 'Ankalu' crouching nearby.

"This guy is interesting—a person no one notices, someone whose actions are never perceived by conscious beings. What a strange fellow."

"But this guy slapped me earlier. Logically, I felt it then, but my dulled senses and the influence here made me overlook it."

"Even when I noticed I was bleeding, I tried hard to see it as abnormal, but by then my soul seemed already twisted, infected."

"I still saw it as a reasonable thing."

"What is real is rational? This influence is too terrifying."

"Fortunately, I died under this severe meme, infection, alienation, and mutation."

"Once I revive, I'll gain resistance to all of this."

"The only thing is, after revival, I might not be able to see this guy named Ankalu, or even forget him."

"After all, he doesn't seem to have had a negative effect on me."

"No." Gune's expression shifted.

"He did affect me—making me unperceived also distorted or altered my perception, dulling my cognition."

"His mere presence nearby is an influence."

"After reviving, I should be able to see him and even remember him."

"If I don't remember him, then tough luck for him—he won't really starve to death anyway."

After some thought, Gune carefully looked at this Ankalu.

But after staring for a while, Gune found nothing unusual about him.

"After death, returning to that awakened state. This ability is quite bizarre! If I can sense him, maybe I can study it thoroughly."

After sorting through many aspects in his mind, Gune turned his attention to reincarnation.

Reincarnation count: 20 times.

"Unknowingly, I've already had twenty reincarnations." Gune muttered to himself.

Then he clicked on reincarnation.

"Whoosh whoosh..." A milky white light bloomed intensely on his body.

This sudden scene startled Ankalu.

Then, in Ankalu's astonished gaze, the bloodstained Gune, who seemed dead, actually stood up.

"This guy isn't dead?"

Before Ankalu could react,

"Boom boom..."

A violent surge of source power erupted from Gune's body.

Ankalu, unable to dodge in time, was sent flying by the blast.

Then he slammed hard onto the ground, and was rolled away by the continuous blast.

When the violent surge finally subsided,

Ankalu was in so much pain tears almost fell, and he had several big bumps on his head that hurt when touched.

"Has this guy gone mad? Why randomly burst out source power? Bastard." Ankalu couldn't help cursing.

After the burst, Gune sensed the guy named Ankalu and a slight smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"I can clearly sense this guy, and even hear what he says. It seems his influence on me has also been absorbed by the system."

"Not perceived by anyone else—I was affected by him, let alone others. This guy is very useful. Though just an ordinary person, if used well, he can be quite formidable."

"Sorry, I just burst out power to dispel those evil mutating influences, and it also impacted you." Gune walked over and said apologetically.

"Ah!" Ankalu was startled, ignoring the pain, and quickly scrambled up.

Then, with an incredulous look, he gaped at Gune.

"You... can see me?"

"I couldn't see you before, but after dispelling those evil powers, I can see you now."

"And I'll continue to see you from now on, even talk with you."

"Really?"

"Of course. Want me to slap you to test it?"

"No, no!" Ankalu quickly waved his hands.

He had experienced the other's strength; that face was as hard as steel.

One slap from that would either kill or injure him.

"Haha... finally someone can see me, finally I can talk normally with someone, haha..."

Overjoyed, Ankalu danced and shouted wildly.

After a long time, the ecstatic Ankalu finally calmed down.

"You really can see me? And talk with me, and we can keep talking from now on?"

Ankalu asked again.

"Mm." Gune could understand the other's feelings.

With Gune's nod, Ankalu's nose tingled, and he actually started crying.

This crying lasted another ten-plus minutes, with Ankalu speaking intermittently. Gune wasn't in a hurry and just listened nearby.

At the same time, he carefully observed this Ankalu.

After a thorough observation, Gune finally discovered Ankalu's unusualness.

There seemed to be something inside Ankalu's body.

What it was, Gune didn't know.

Perhaps it was because of that peculiar thing that Ankalu's own strange situation arose, making him a person unperceived by the outside world.

After crying for a long time, Ankalu finally wiped his tears, his eyes red.

"I'm sorry for pouring out so much to you. I haven't spoken normally with anyone for a very, very long time."

"I often go months alone too. Not talking to anyone for a long time and being trapped in one place is indeed very难受." Gune nodded.

Then Gune looked around and said softly,

"You said about a month ago, you woke up from sleep and came here, and then couldn't get out."

"Mm." Ankalu nodded.

"I've died many times, and each time I was trapped here."

"Before, I was also trapped in some places, even appeared in underground crevices, but after dying, I would appear elsewhere and could escape."

"But this time, I've been to every corner of this passage. It's not big, so logically I shouldn't be trapped, but as you see, I'm stuck. Earlier, you were too, completely lost, flying back and forth."

"So that's it." Gune's eyes narrowed.

"There really is something here affecting us. We must find it, or you won't get out, and eventually it will affect our entire world."

"But before that, I can give you some help."

"Help? Can you give me some food and water first?"

"Without food and water, I'll starve to death in a few days."

"Food and water, of course, I'll give you. But the help I'm offering is of another kind." Gune said softly.