Chapter 2182: If You Have a Mental Illness, Go Get Treatment
The man in the suit's expression was extremely ugly. He stared at Xu Huo, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
"You... how did you do it?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.
Xu Huo looked at him calmly, a faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corner of his mouth. "Do what? I just told you the truth."
"The truth?" The man in the suit sneered, but the smile on his face was a bit forced. "What truth? That you can see through everything?"
"Not everything," Xu Huo said lightly. "But enough to know that you're not really here."
The man in the suit's pupils suddenly contracted. His body began to flicker, like a faulty holographic projection.
"You..." he said, his voice becoming distorted.
"I've been wondering why you always appear at the most critical moments," Xu Huo continued, ignoring the other's change. "And why you always know things that shouldn't be known. Now I understand."
"You're not a real person. You're a projection of someone's consciousness, or perhaps... a fragment of a memory."
The man in the suit's face twisted. His body began to disintegrate, turning into countless light spots.
"You're wrong!" he roared, his voice echoing in the space. "I am real! I am..."
Before he could finish, his figure completely dissipated, leaving only a faint afterimage in the air.
Xu Huo watched all this, his expression unchanged. He turned around and looked at the space around him.
The originally empty room began to warp, as if a mirror had shattered. Cracks spread from the center, spreading to every corner.
"Interesting," Xu Huo muttered to himself. "A mental trap built with memory fragments. It seems the person behind this has put a lot of thought into it."
He raised his hand and gently pressed it against the air. A ripple spread from his palm, and the cracks instantly expanded, the entire space collapsing like a broken mirror.
When the last crack disappeared, Xu Huo found himself standing in a completely different place.
This was a spacious hall, the walls covered with strange patterns, flickering with a faint blue light. In the center of the hall stood a huge crystal ball, inside which a blurry figure could be seen.
"Welcome to my world," a voice came from the crystal ball. The tone was calm, but carried an undeniable authority.
Xu Huo looked at the crystal ball and asked calmly, "Who are you?"
"Me?" The voice chuckled. "I am the one you're looking for. Or rather, the one who's been looking for you."
"You've been watching me all along," Xu Huo said.
"That's right." The figure in the crystal ball gradually became clear, revealing a middle-aged man's face. He was wearing a white robe, his expression gentle, but his eyes sharp. "I've been watching you since you entered this game."
"Why?" Xu Huo asked.
"Because you're special," the middle-aged man said. "Your mental power far exceeds that of ordinary people, even surpassing most Super Evolvers. You know, such talent is very rare."
"So?" Xu Huo's tone remained calm.
"So, I want to invite you to join us," the middle-aged man said. "Join our organization, and you will gain greater power and more knowledge."
"What organization?" Xu Huo asked.
"The Truth Transcends All," the middle-aged man said, a hint of pride in his tone. "We are a group dedicated to uncovering the truth of this world. We have members all over the game, including many high-level players and Super Evolvers."
"Sounds impressive," Xu Huo said lightly. "But I'm not interested."
The middle-aged man's smile froze. "Why?"
"Because I don't like being controlled," Xu Huo said. "And I don't like people who hide in the shadows and play tricks."
"Control?" The middle-aged man frowned. "I'm not controlling you. I'm giving you a choice."
"Is that so?" Xu Huo smiled slightly. "Then why did you set up that mental trap? Why did you use memory fragments to build a fake world?"
"That's just a test," the middle-aged man explained. "I want to see if you're qualified to join us."
"Test?" Xu Huo shook his head. "You call it a test, but I call it an invasion. You invaded my consciousness without my permission and tried to manipulate my perception. That's not a test, it's an attack."
The middle-aged man's expression turned serious. "You're being too sensitive. We have no ill intentions."
"Whether you have ill intentions or not, I'm not interested," Xu Huo said. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going."
"Wait." The middle-aged man's tone became urgent. "You can't leave. You've already seen me, and you know some of our secrets. If you don't join us, I can't let you go."
"Oh?" Xu Huo raised an eyebrow. "Are you threatening me?"
"Not a threat, just stating a fact," the middle-aged man said. "Our organization has rules. Anyone who knows our existence must either join or be eliminated."
"Then there's nothing to say." Xu Huo's expression turned cold. "If you want to fight, then fight."
As soon as he finished speaking, a powerful mental force burst out from him, forming invisible ripples that swept through the entire hall.
The middle-aged man's expression changed. He quickly manipulated the crystal ball, releasing a blue light to meet Xu Huo's mental attack.
Boom!
The two forces collided in mid-air, producing a deafening explosion. The entire hall shook, cracks appearing on the walls.
"Impressive," the middle-aged man said, a hint of surprise in his tone. "Your mental power is even stronger than I imagined."
"You're not bad either," Xu Huo said lightly. "But if this is all you've got, then you're going to lose."
"Hmph, arrogant." The middle-aged man snorted coldly. The crystal ball in his hand suddenly brightened, emitting a dazzling light that enveloped the entire hall.
Xu Huo felt a strong pulling force, as if something was trying to drag his consciousness into another space.
"Mental domain?" Xu Huo raised an eyebrow. "Interesting."
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, a golden light flashed in his pupils. His mental power instantly condensed, forming an invisible barrier that blocked the pulling force.
"What?!" The middle-aged man's expression changed dramatically. "You can resist my mental domain?"
"Mental domain is nothing special," Xu Huo said calmly. "I've seen stronger ones."
He raised his hand and made a grasping motion in the air. The golden light in his palm condensed into a long sword, which he swung at the crystal ball.
"Stop!" the middle-aged man shouted in panic, quickly manipulating the crystal ball to dodge.
But Xu Huo's sword was too fast. Although the crystal ball dodged the main attack, it was still grazed by the sword's edge, leaving a crack.
"Ah!" The middle-aged man let out a painful cry. His figure flickered, as if about to dissipate.
"You... how could you..." he said, his voice weak.
"I told you, if you have a mental illness, go get treatment," Xu Huo said coldly. "Don't go around causing trouble."
With that, he swung his sword again, this time directly at the crystal ball.
Boom!
The crystal ball shattered, and the middle-aged man's figure completely dissipated. The entire hall began to collapse, pieces of debris falling from the ceiling.
Xu Huo stood still, watching everything around him collapse. When the last piece of debris fell, he found himself back in the original room.
Everything seemed to have never happened. The room was still the same as before, as if the battle just now was just an illusion.
But Xu Huo knew it wasn't an illusion. He looked down at his hand, where a faint golden light still flickered.
"Truth Transcends All..." he muttered to himself. "Interesting organization."
He put away his mental power, turned around, and walked out of the room.
Outside the door, Carol Field was waiting for him. Seeing him come out, she asked with concern, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Xu Huo said lightly. "Let's go."
"Where to?" Carol asked.
"To find the real mastermind," Xu Huo said, a meaningful smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "This game is just beginning."