At least in Wen Xishu's past life, if it wasn't because that world had no apocalypse, no mention of a tower... Wen Xishu would certainly be a more pathological existence than Charlie and Tang Rui.
Starting off, it would surely begin with a Red House.
Unconsciously, he recalled past experiences, and a massive sense of hunger quickly assailed him.
But soon, another soul within him suppressed the hunger.
When Wen Chaohua's name appeared, Wen Xishu immediately felt the hunger subside slightly, and his sanity could barely remain intact.
The old principal, Zheng Zai, Nissen, Ah Miao, Wen Xiangge, Yue Yun...
Many faces flashed through Wen Xishu's mind, and naturally, the turning point of his life was the time he crossed over. Suddenly, he smiled.
Because the immense hunger faded a bit more.
"If no one had ever cared for me... coming to the Land of Dust, I might quickly become just a part of the dust, right?"
At first, Wen Xishu's breathing was somewhat intense and rapid, but gradually, as he recalled those important people in his life, it began to calm down.
He looked at his abdomen, and like a glutton, a massive "mouth" appeared there.
The holes in his waist, where the Hanged Man released its ropes, remained intact. He could now be considered... a gluttonous Hanged Man.
Possessing the Hanged Man's ability to hang suspended at will using ropes, and he also had immense strength.
"If I continue to die, it seems like more abilities will unlock?"
"But... I don't know how many more times I can withstand death."
Wen Xishu also discovered one thing, that the chapter names seem to be related to the time of his contact.
The Ever-hungry Kitchen is the second chapter, but if the first contact was with the Ever-hungry Kitchen, then the Ever-hungry Kitchen should be the first chapter.
It's the same now, the title is displayed as Chapter Three: "The Land of Endings" "The Wall of Rejection."
Although it's the third chapter, the Land of Endings, along with this enormous city wall, made Wen Xishu feel... that perhaps this is the final barrier.
As long as this wall is crossed, the child can be found.
To find a way to leave the Land of Dust.
He wasn't mistaken.
Not long ago, he'd heard the crying of a child at the first checkpoint, and now it's nearby.
Soon after the thought flashed through Wen Xishu's mind, a child's crying started.
On the other side of the wall, the child needing rescue was there.
Wen Xishu immediately approached the wall. But as he got closer, the arms on the wall immediately lifted up.
The arms were covered with eyes and mouths.
Those eyes opened, looking at Wen Xishu with disdain:
"Leave, leave, hateful human!"
"Leave, leave, disgusting human!"
Of course, Wen Xishu wouldn't leave, now that he had gained the power from the gluttonous ones, even if he had to tear down these arms of the wall, he intended to enter.
Of course, he didn't immediately resort to brute force but instead attempted to first use the rope, throwing it over to locate the child.
But as his rope crossed over the wall...
Countless arms began to extend, like enormous vines suddenly growing, blocking the rope.
At the same time, a massive force tossed Wen Xishu away.
Suddenly, a foreign thought appeared in Wen Xishu's mind.
"I am a disgusting human, I am a hated human... I cannot approach here."
This foreign thought wasn't too strong under the influence of his Anti-Magic Value.
He quickly figured it out:
"It seems..."
"The Wall of Rejection isn't just physical rejection, but psychological too."
"This feeling of self-negation makes it difficult for me to muster a strong desire to save this child."
Wen Xishu stood in place.
At this moment, he saw a bizarre scene.
The arms that intercepted Wen Xishu's rope started clapping joyously. The eyes on the arms formed into smiling eyes, cheering joyfully:
"We protected you again! Hooray, hooray."
"No humans approaching, no getting hurt! No humans approaching, no sadness!"
At this moment, Wen Xishu understood what this Wall of Rejection truly is.
It's despair, self-protection, denial of the world.
It's a fear of all pain.
What did this child go through? What made him believe that everyone is dangerous? That anyone could bring him pain?
He no longer trusts anyone, constructing a huge Wall of Rejection in his heart.
He even self-suggests that refusing contact with anyone means not getting hurt, and that's something to be happy about.
Seeing this, Wen Xishu suddenly realized...
He still had to die.
Because this is the final checkpoint, it's not a place for his current self.
"I need to rectify other places so that these arms believe I am not the one to harm him, only then can the wall be opened."
In fact, Wen Xishu also thought of summoning Sagittarius, to simply pierce through the wall with an arrow.
With Sagittarius's abilities, he could definitely achieve that.
But...
What would be the point of that?
The meaning of it would be akin to forcibly rescuing a misanthrope, and without any convincing methods, telling them... 'Don't hate this world, it's wonderful.'
But what's wonderful about it?
Perhaps, in the eyes of the other, you're not saving him, you're just forcibly returning a prisoner to their cell. You're exactly like countless others who've harmed him.
You're even depriving him of the right to leave the world.
Wen Xishu sighed:
"Charlie, we'll meet later."
On the other side of the wall, the crying continued without pause, and the laughs on the wall gradually disappeared, because Wen Xishu approached the Wall of Rejection once more.
This time, Wen Xishu had no desire to violently break through the wall...
He only felt sorrow for the child within it.
As his body approached the Wall of Rejection, soon, those arms seemed to sense the same aura and didn't push Wen Xishu away.
Each extended, and numerous palms covered Wen Xishu's face, grasping his body and dragging him into the wall.
Of course, he didn't pass through the wall so easily.
He merely became a part of it, just as shadows become food for dust and decay.
Wen Xishu, perished.
...
...
[Current Death Count: 3.]
[Chapter One: The Hanged Man.]
Upon opening his eyes again, many arms extended from Wen Xishu's back.
In his mind, he thought of many people who had hurt him.
He began to develop a thought...
"I became stronger because I started to understand I don't need anyone's love, I don't need anyone stepping into my life..."
At this moment, Wen Xishu began to feel a deep sadness.
This world, you've experienced moments where right and wrong are reversed, knowing you're right, but others are wrong, you're the bullied, others are the bullies...
But everyone sides with the bullies.
Just like in his past life, Wen Xishu had seen some news where someone was simply reading in a library, was falsely accused of harassment; you are innocent, yet you become engulfed in pain, while the accuser lives happily.
The world twists right and wrong; you develop self-loathing, become stronger, becoming a Hanged Man.
No one is concerned about your needs; parents simply tell you to satisfy their emotions as they've provided materially for you.
So, you too think it's that way, but you're never happy. Material things can never fill the craving for emotions, and the more it is so, the more parents think you want more material things, then you become a glutton.
As more people hurt you... within you, numerous arms grow, pushing away everyone who approaches.
You become a many-armed monster.
Wen Xishu felt himself becoming stronger, possessing the Hanged Man's levitating ability, defensive arms to ward off enemy attacks, and the savagery of a glutton...
But he was becoming less and less like a human.
"I am a monster, a monster destined to be eliminated."
"Do I really contribute anything to this world?"
"Someone like me living in this world... would only make everyone hate me, right?"
When the great fire came, when his parents were burned to death, Wen Xishu also asked these questions.
These questions might have appeared over and over... on the child named Charlie.
After a while, Wen Xishu withstood this wave of depression.
He became clear-headed again, realizing he was back at the critical belltower.
The mission kept him from turning into a monster.
"I will save you, Charlie."
Once again, Wen Xishu set off on the path toward the clock tower.