Gains and Losses

"Hmm."

When the soul and consciousness were transferred into the eyes, Clark calmly watched his body melt at an extremely fast speed, then be reborn.

"You're still the same as always."

"Boring."

The reconstructed Clark mocked himself disdainfully.

"So, have you finally come to your senses?"

He lazily stood in place, his originally gentle and calm eyes now tinted with a bloody hue, continuing to speak.

"What's the point? Have you realized how ridiculous the things you've been persisting in are?"

"Why bother?"

"If you had let go of your inner hypocrisy and foolish ideas earlier, you wouldn't have ended up like a clown today."

"Because of kindness, the resources desperately accumulated were stolen by others, enduring hunger."

"Because of goodness, the first piece of equipment was stolen, almost dying on the road out of the city."

"Because of trust, the last chance to become stronger was stolen, barely surviving."

"Because of responsibility, then."

"How does it feel to be slowly devoured, Clark?"

Clark's expression suddenly became manic. From his face to his arms, flesh and blood began to disappear piece by piece. Even the reflection of himself in the mirror could feel that pain.

He was reliving the scene before his death. From the dim oil tank to the safe house outside the city, the warm lights inside, and Monica.

"Now, I'm doing well."

Clark, as if provoked, was no longer the calm person he used to be.

"I have the power to protect them now! I saved Dirk! Viola will come back too!"

"Do you call that 'doing well'?"

"If you were 'doing well,' you wouldn't be in here! You wouldn't have come to see me!"

As if hearing a joke, Clark suddenly leaned in close to the eyeball and spoke each word carefully.

"You know in your heart what you're going to face next."

"You've actually sensed it long ago, someone watching you."

"There aren't so many coincidences. To save Viola, you were given an antidote, and to establish a safe zone, you were given a base vehicle."

"To gain, you must pay a price, just like the power you wanted from me."

Clark sneered and straightened up.

"The first mission is to kill the Second Order pinnacle, The Stitcher."

"If it weren't for Black Dragon, do you think you would have survived?"

"Nen-fruit, equipment. You've taken everything you can. But is it useful?"

"The second mission is to face a wave of two hundred thousand zombies, and you even chose to raise the difficulty."

"A month after establishing the safe zone, you have to face it, and you're well aware that your chances aren't great."

"Forcing Arnold and Dirk to grow quickly, is it useful? Against a two hundred thousand zombie wave combined with attacks from mutants, what can you do?"

After a long silence, Clark's voice became hoarse as he slowly spoke:

"As long as I can subdue one of the Six Kings, the issue with mutants can be resolved. If I reach the Second Order, the zombie waves won't be a threat."

"With the energy extraction from the base vehicle and the skills of a professional architect, one month is enough."

Clark chuckled softly.

"It seems like you've already figured out how to do it, right? Well, it sounds like you can actually pull it off."

"What about the Great Catastrophe?"

"What are you going to do against the global catastrophe that comes after?"

After a long silence, Clark didn't answer. He couldn't provide a response. The version of himself in front of him seemed somewhat tired and slowly closed his eyes.

"I will give you what you want, but you know it," Clark said.

"What do I want?"

The shattered mirror reflected Clark's crimson eyes.

...

"Ding, acquired the Abyssal Eye [Item, Special, Key]."

"Abyssal Eye (Special): Can be used to reveal the target's deepest fear and will gradually mutate with the duration of direct eye contact."

"Note: The mutation effect may weaken or enhance one's abilities, depending on the inner state."

"Key Effect: Unlock the Door of Desire (Requirements: Fit with the Entity and Fear must reach 20%, current fit is 17%)."

"Ding, acquired the Manifestation of Fear Transformation."

"+1 Strength, +1 Agility, +1 Constitution, +1 Willpower."

"50% increase in life regeneration speed, 50% increase in mental energy regeneration speed."

"30% increase in movement speed, 30% increase in attack speed, 30% increase in reaction speed."

"Ding, acquired the Body of Fear. Under the influence of the Body of Fear, any injuries can be repaired by using the Abyssal Eye."

"Note: Each repair will accelerate the fit."

"Ding, the Judgment Eye level has increased."

"Judgment Eye Level 2:"

"1. Detects all information around based on the strength of mental power and marks weak points."

"2. Acquire Divine Sting (Mental Attack): Causes 1.5 times the damage of mental power when released and inflicts a dizziness effect."

"Ding, acquired the Abyssal Aura (Special)."

As the dense notifications poured down like a waterfall, Clark couldn't help but feel a trace of melancholy. With the attribute bonuses combined with the newly acquired skills, his current strength had completely reached the pinnacle of the Second Order, capable of taking on a small army single-handedly. Without fighting, without struggling, it seemed like a windfall from the heavens. But he knew the true cost he had paid.

The sunlight was blinding. Sandra, with a hint of curiosity, raised her head slightly and looked at Clark as he walked out in heavy steps.

Inexplicably, she felt that the Clark who had only been inside for a few minutes had become somewhat unfamiliar.

Clark noticed her gaze, and with a pale face, he slowly raised his head, giving her a gentle smile, with a strange flash of crimson in his eyes that quickly disappeared.

"I'm fine."

As a symbiote-sharing entity, Sandra keenly sensed that Clark seemed to be undergoing a transformation, much like herself.

"Have you completed your advancement, Sandra?" Clark looked at the serious girl who couldn't stop scrutinizing him and casually asked.

"Yes, take a look yourself."

Seeing that Clark didn't want to say much, Sandra gave up her probing thoughts and directly displayed her personal information.

"Symbiote: 1st Tier (0/10)"

"Strength: 11"

"Agility: 11"

"Constitution: 11"

"Willpower: 11"

1st Tier Symbiote Talent: Undead Affinity (You can freely walk among zombies, and the effect remains while attacking.)"

"Note: This effect does not work on mutants."

"1st Tier Symbiote Talent: Undead Summons (You can expend mental energy to summon nearby zombies and have a chance to summon 1st Tier mutants. It continuously consumes mental energy per second.)"

"Note: The summoned 1st Tier mutant will not attack you proactively, but the effect disappears if you deal damage to it."

After reading the girl's talents, Clark was pleasantly surprised. Sandra's advancement had turned out much better than he had anticipated. Summoning mutants, whether for proactive attacks against other players or as a defensive measure to lead away zombies, was a powerful trump card if used effectively.

"Very good."

Clark couldn't help but pat Sandra's head. The girl's skull was normal, her dark hair was smooth to the touch, and it felt as though he couldn't stop stroking her head like petting a cat.

Sandra: ...

After enduring the girl's visible annoyance, Clark ultimately chose to give up. Then, he turned his wrist, and a wisp of black aura floated in his palm, swirling.

"Dirk, come to my side."