Nero nodded, his life force seemed to begin draining, so his nodding was very slight, his head had already started to droop, and his voice had become faint:
"This thing, called the Split Heart... was given to Libra by a woman."
Wen Xishu said coldly:
"Aries?"
Nero was again surprised, but he could no longer make facial expressions, he said softly:
"Yes... she believed this could help Libra resurrect a god, but she’s not talking about me."
"But rather... someone else. I was just an experiment, once proven with me, Libra would consider conducting the most perfect... experiment on someone else."
Wen Xishu was puzzled:
"Could it be that this person also has the same power as you?"
Nero said:
"I don’t know... but if possible... please kill him... after killing him, this curse born from the Balance of Life and Death can be dismantled."
"Also, please kill me, I’m really tired."
After Nero said this, Wen Xishu had already absorbed a total of twenty-one Tower Power Value from the Split Heart.
Yes, he could guess Aries was involved because of the Tower Power Value brought by the Split Heart.
He could destroy the Split Heart because he absorbed the ancient tool’s inner power.
Now Wen Xishu had enough Tower Power Value to activate a Profound Meaning.
He was naturally joyful, it indeed was a major boost at this stage.
However, he also obtained information enough to make him worry:
"How does the perfect experimental body compare to you?"
Nero said:
"The individual he split off... will obey his command. Also, his power is far greater than mine."
"Moreover, he has no moral constraints over himself."
"That’s Libra’s exact words."
Wen Xishu understood, conceptually more perfect, and more useful loyalty, as well as numerically stronger.
Nero also said his final words as this boss:
"Please end this all..."
The Split Heart completely shattered.
Wen Xishu saw many memories.
Honestly, these memories weren’t much to talk about, a child of ten or so naturally held fantasies about becoming a hero.
At that time, Libra appeared, in the apocalyptic backdrop, Libra assigned him a mission, making him a hero possessing Divine Power.
But he wasn’t a true hero, once he realized he was a Demon King condemned by waves of heroes, he longed for death, yet could never die.
Death would bring more births, births would bring more curses and despair to the world.
Over time, the child’s face bore a deep weariness, a weariness of still being alive.
Enzo sighed:
"Did he die?"
Wen Xishu nodded:
"Yes, he died."
Nero’s death symbolized the emergence of a passage door.
The painting in Enzo’s hand finally cooled down because the Split Heart’s shattering caused all split-off entities to vanish.
Wen Xishu said:
"Fortunately, we managed to deal with this level."
"Let’s go and meet the others, hopefully, they are unharmed. Next, prepare for the fifth level."
Enzo said:
"Won’t the opponent in the fifth level be tougher than Nero?"
Wen Xishu surprisingly shook his head.
Because in Wen Xishu’s view, the following cue appeared.
[You have unlocked a hidden storyline, once back at Balance Tavern, you will have three choices when setting out.]
Wen Xishu still didn’t know what these three choices were, so wasn’t clear what the fifth level would be like.
Yet he knew this Deceit Tower journey was nearing its end.
...
...
Balance Tavern.
Unquestionably, Wen Xishu achieved another great victory.
However, tavern currency wasn’t enough to upgrade his population, though Wen Xishu wasn’t too concerned about that this time.
Unlike past times, the SSS-ranked clearance provided information about the next level.
This time Wen Xishu got three pieces of information.
Many games, in mid or late stages, unlock multiple routes.
Depending on different routes, different endings can be obtained.
Everyone else was asking Enzo about the intensity and thrill of the boss battle.
In Enzo’s account, the commandant was incredibly heroic, earning everyone’s admiration.
And in this round, Wen Xishu triggered an achievement—leading the team to victory while ’lying down.’
If you didn’t abandon your teammate and the teammate didn’t slay any monsters or get affected by them—
You could let one of your idle heroes undergo ascension evolution.
Simply put, Wen Xishu could let Colonel Devon, Cavendish, or others, evolve to their highest possible grade.
This naturally was a good thing.
Which would be extremely beneficial for the next level.
But Wen Xishu did not discuss this with everyone else.
Others also knew that after each victory, the commandant needed to be alone for a while, to decide how to reasonably use the resources obtained from victory.
What Wen Xishu was thinking about wasn’t how to use resources, whether to buy equipment or upgrade the tavern’s scope.
He was considering how to choose the next route.
Normally, someone without special means could not kill Nero at this level.
If Nero was not dead, Wen Xishu could not unlock the hidden route.
Counting the hidden route, Wen Xishu had the following three lines:
[Guide: You will head to other areas affected by the curse, unlocking more heroes and saving more whose fate was twisted by the influence of the curse. The change in level difficulty will no longer abruptly rise, it could lower depending on the heroes’ relevant power.]
This is the normal clearance route, becoming a true commandant, leading all heroes lost in the curse, out of the cursed land.
But the curse still persists.
If the power isn’t enough, this route is acceptable.
If Wen Xishu hadn’t killed Nero, he could only choose this route.
But Nero died. So Wen Xishu faced choices similar to those in Reversed Seven Mansion.
Libra or Scorpio, choose one.
[Curse Termination: You explored to the source of everything, and found the truth from Nero’s memory. Everyone advised you not to face that godly existence, that most perfect deity of creation and slaughter. Everyone hoped you’d bypass that god, and choose to leave cursed lands, but you determined resolutely to take your strongest partners, and head to the god’s location, to kill the god.]
Unquestionably, this is the Scorpio line.
This line can completely end the curse, but the issue is the Demon King this time is no longer an Inferior Demon King.
This Demon King, while lesser than Libra, is almost Libra’s incarnation on Earth.
Without Albert, never mind fighting stars, even in the Red House, he wouldn’t be confident.
What can be confirmed is, this Demon King’s power definitely surpasses typical Red House strength.
Escaping the curse feels suffocating, ending it feels satisfying.
Yet it’s challenging.
The third line is the Libra line.
[Embrace the Coming of the New World: The apocalypse arrives, tragedy spreads everywhere, monsters rampage, curses run rampant, peculiarities descend occasionally; this world, it is time for a new god to be born. Despite countless shattered in the Balance Curse, countless sacrificed all in vengeance against the curse, God’s arrival will make the world more beautiful, with life and death both under control, the apocalypse could end sooner.]
Lead the heroes to the curse’s source location and receive God’s blessing.
[Note, choosing New World arrival will grant Libra’s favor, as the favor increases significantly. Those not receiving Libra’s Gift will receive a gift.
And those already gaining Chaotic Libra’s favor, Chaotic Libra will be strengthened, creating a third-party force during birth, leading to a corresponding number of deaths. And the new force created by Chaotic Libra will never attack you.]
Undoubtedly, this is the Fallen line.
Also Libra’s backup.
Honestly, it’s extremely enticing.
Chaotic Libra’s reinforcement effect is second only to Mad Dice’s super-cheats.
Creating friendly forces while killing the same number of enemies...
This in levels with few enemies is an absolute killer.
Very tempting.
But Wen Xishu... does not favor this choice.
Nero, Enzo, Devon, Borg, Cavendish, Elsa...
These people all underwent shattering, he also saw the thirst for revenge akin to the old headmaster in their eyes.
He hopes for a world where no one else bears such fate.
Nor does he favor a world... where people’s lives are controlled by others.
Where Wen Xishu faces Libra’s perfect experimental body against all odds, he shouldn’t choose this.
Yet he still chose the Scorpio line.
"Curse dismantling, that’s seeing this level thoroughly through, isn’t it? I suppose I’m not without means to kill a god."