All Realms and Worlds: The Lost Home

Two minutes and thirty seconds.

The chilling countdown, like a death knell, pounded relentlessly into the minds of the three.

With every second that beats, people's hearts break a little more.

A cold wind swirled in the dark stairwell, rustling the dried blood scabs scattered on the floor.

The clown stood at the edge of darkness, his scarlet lips splitting to his ears, his empty black eyes silently watching the three struggling figures before him.

He's not in a hurry.

A truly fun game is never one that ends in a flash.

It's about watching your prey tug at the fire between hope and despair, and watching humanity tear apart the very bottom line it has been holding onto.

"Ning Ye...is there really...is there really no other way?"

Su Qing's voice had completely gone hoarse.

Tears streamed down his face, blurring his vision, and his arm holding the little girl was stiff as if filled with ice.

The little girl in his arms was still unconscious, breathing weakly, her face pale and delicate.

She knows nothing.

Unaware that she was about to awaken and kill, unaware that those who protected her were risking their lives for her.

"Think about it again...please think about it again..."

Su Qing choked up, almost pleading.

"We can tie her up! We can trap her! We can find a way to subdue her! We don't necessarily have to kill her!"

"It's only three minutes! We'll hold on! We'll find a way!"

Ning Ye's hands, hanging by his sides, were clenched tightly at the knuckles.

His palms dug deep into his flesh, the piercing pain trying to keep him conscious for the last moment.

But it's no use.

From the moment the Joker appeared, an invisible, intangible, and imperceptible chill crept into the depths of his mind.

It's not a cold wind.

It's not ghostly energy.

It's not just outright fear or intimidation.

This is a higher-dimensional erosion—the subconscious contamination of an evil god.

Ordinary people believe that the terror of evil gods lies in making people afraid, breaking them down, and driving them mad.

Big mistakes.

True spiritual pollution never makes you aware that you have been polluted.

It doesn't create fear; it distorts cognition.

It doesn't drive you to madness; it quietly replaces the sense of right and wrong in your heart.

When you think you are rational, clear-headed, and decisive, every choice you make and every thought you have has already been secretly distorted.

"They can't be trapped."

Ning Ye's voice was low and deep, devoid of emotion, yet exuding an extreme coldness.

"You forgot? That rope behind her is the Joker's ultimate rule chain."

"Once it recovers, all the rules and shackles will be broken, and any restraints, seals, or confinements will be torn apart instantly."

Su Qing trembled violently, shaking her head desperately: "But she's a human being! She's a victim! We can't kill her now just because of potential future bloodshed!"

"This is indiscriminate killing! This is evil! Ning Ye, we cannot become demons!"

"We stayed up all night! We protected not only lives, but also the hearts of our people!"

Every word was written in blood.

Every word pierced my heart.

Ning Ye's eyes flickered slightly.

Normally, he would definitely agree.

In the face of dire straits, he remained true to his principles and never indiscriminately killed innocent people; this has always been his bottom line.

But at this moment, countless whispers were swirling, entwining, and permeating his mind.

It wasn't a hallucination.

It's the sound of the subconscious being manipulated.

Kindness is useless.

Being soft-hearted will lead to your demise.

She is inherently a vessel for evil; keeping her around will only bring disaster.

Kill her, everyone lives, and everyone is happy.

Sacrificing one person to save three is the most rational choice.

These thoughts are gentle, rational, and righteous.

There was not a trace of evil intent, nor a trace of insane manipulation.

Therefore, it is the most terrifying.

It makes you think that this is your own thinking, the clearest decision in a desperate situation.

Little did they know, this was a distorted perception quietly implanted by an evil god.

"I know."

Ning Ye's Adam's apple bobbed, and his speech was excessively steady.

"I know she is innocent."

"But Su Qing, you need to face reality."

"The rules of the Ghost City never concern right or wrong, only life and death."

"Three minutes later, she regained her strange nature, and Nancy was the first to die."

Upon hearing this, Nancy's small body stiffened abruptly.

She clutched Ning Ye's clothes tightly, her face pale, tears streaming down her face, but she dared not cry out loud.

"Brother Ning Ye... I... I'm not afraid to die..."

Nancy's voice was soft and delicate, carrying the purest tenderness of a child.

"Please don't kill me... please..."

"Even if I die... I don't want to see good people killed..."

At this moment, Su Qing completely broke down and burst into tears.

"Did you hear that, Ning Ye! Even a child understands this! How can we not understand?!"

"If we uphold kindness, even in death, we are still human!"

"But if we kill innocent people with our own hands, we'll become monsters even if we live!"

The clown stood in the darkness, chuckling softly.

Hahaha……

A soft, eerie laugh, tinged with endless mockery, filled the entire hallway.

"Innocent."

"How ridiculously naive."

"Do you really think that kindness is something you can protect just by wanting to?"

"Do you really think that your current rationality still belongs to you?"

The clown slowly raised his finger and pointed at Ning Ye, his scarlet fingertip carrying a deadly mockery.

"Look at him."

"Take a good look at your most trusted friends."

Su Qing was stunned, and turned to look at Ning Ye with teary eyes.

The next second, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, and the chill ran from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head!

Ning Ye's expression changed.

Still composed, still calm, without madness, without crimson, without any strange changes.

But he was just too calm.

It was a cruel calmness, a numb calmness, a calmness so profound it was inhuman.

He was just moments ago struggling, hesitating, and feeling sorry for the innocent child.

At this moment, there was no trace of reluctance in his eyes.

"Ning Ye... what's wrong with you?"

Su Qing's voice trembled, and an extreme sense of panic rose in her heart.

"Say something...don't scare me..."

Ning Ye looked at her, his gaze calm and unwavering, his tone as indifferent as if he were stating something trivial.

"I'm fine."

"I am perfectly sober."

"One minute and fifty seconds."

He even accurately reported the remaining time.

Clear logic, meticulous thinking, and well-organized approach.

To outsiders, he remains the only calm, the only reliable, and the only one capable of breaking the deadlock, Ning Ye.

But only the clown knows.

This is the most thorough form of spiritual pollution.

The corruption of evil gods never destroys reason.

It only destroys humanity.

It retains all your wisdom, all your judgment, and all your composure.

It quietly steals away the tenderness, compassion, bottom line, and conscience in your heart.

It forces you to make the most agonizing choices while in a state of absolute rationality.

"You've been getting one thing wrong all along."

The clown spoke lazily, his voice piercing the darkness, each word like a knife to the heart.

"Do you think mental pollution is madness, fear, or loss of control?"

"Wrong."

"True high-level subconscious pollution is subtle and gradual."

"It makes you unafraid of the eerie, unafraid of killing, and unburdened by the conflict between good and evil."

"It makes you feel that sacrificing the weak to save yourself is a self-evident truth."

Su Qing's pupils constricted, and she shook her head frantically: "Impossible! Ning Ye wouldn't do that! You're lying!"

"He's just under too much pressure! He's just too anxious! He's not corrupted!"

The clown chuckled softly, a laugh both manic and cruel:

"Yeah?"

"Then ask him."

"Ask him if, at this moment, he still feels even the slightest bit of reluctance?"

Su Qing suddenly looked at Ning Ye, with a last glimmer of hope: "Ning Ye! Tell it! You can't bear it, right! You just can't help it, right!"

Ning Ye remained silent for two seconds.

Then, he gently shook his head.

There was no struggle, no pain, no exhaustion.

Calm and indifferent.

"There is no reluctance."

One sentence shattered all of Su Qing's hopes in an instant!

"W-What did you say?!"

Su Qing's face turned deathly pale instantly, and she took a half step back, feeling a chill run through her body.

"I said."

Ning Ye repeated it, his voice clear, firm, and without the slightest fluctuation.

"The best solution right now is to kill her."

"Her life was exchanged for three of ours."

"It's a great deal."

it's a bargain.

How cold, how rational, how devilish those three words are.

The Ning Ye of the past would never have said such a thing, even if it meant death.

Even when facing dire circumstances, he will always uphold the last vestige of humanity and respect every precious life.

But now, his values ​​have been subtly replaced in his subconscious.

Fear fuels the desire for self-preservation, which is amplified infinitely by the evil god.

Kindness is defined as foolishness.

Pity is defined as a burden.

Sacrificing the innocent has become a rational choice.

This is the terrifying aspect of subconscious pollution.

You're not crazy.

You will slowly become unlike yourself.