024 I Have No Idea

"A world of unparalleled cruelty?"

Hearing this, Mo Bai couldn't help but blurt out, "The action guidelines for a cruel angel?"

Mo Mo: "..."

Sometimes, she really couldn't fathom just how deep the craters in her brother's brain went. What was most frustrating was that, due to being influenced by Mo Bai since childhood, she actually knew exactly what he was talking about. Thus, Mo Mo had developed the healthy habit of selectively ignoring him.

She spread her arms and, right before Mo Bai's eyes, summoned countless slender, translucent threads: the Alaya Consciousness.

"This is my Blood Source. You can simply think of it as my superpower." Mo Mo began her professional explanation. "Its name is the Alaya Consciousness, and its purpose is to capture and replicate records. It can also be used as ordinary rope, just like this."

Under her control, the Alaya Consciousness swiftly wrapped around Mo Bai's hands, binding them once again just after he had managed to slip them out of his handcuffs—much like a bear cub apprehended by the police.

Mo Bai pulled hard, trying to snap the threads, but the seemingly delicate filaments didn't budge. He raised an eyebrow. "This strength is impressive."

The threads loosened and returned to Mo Mo's hands.

"A person can only have one Blood Source, and it evolves continuously. The first stage is Initial Origin, meaning the awakening of the Blood Source. It is the most basic stage; once you awaken, you are at this level."

Mo Bai nodded. "I get it, like a Level 1 esper."

"Then comes the second stage, Incarnation. It means that after the Blood Source is sufficiently mastered, it begins to integrate with one's body. I am currently at this stage."

Mo Mo raised her hand, and to Mo Bai's surprise, her hand morphed into a twisted mass of threads; neither veins nor bones were visible.

"This is..." Mo Bai's eyes lit up. "Stone Free's Möbius strip!"

Mo Mo: "..."

Fine, she knew that one too. Once again ignoring him, she let her hand return to normal. "The enemy from before, Lu Yuan, his alienated arm was also a sign of the second stage, Incarnation."

"After Incarnation comes the third stage, Star-Sync, which means the fusion of the Blood Source with the soul. By this stage, the Blood Source has become a part of one's personal concept and cannot be severed. Most importantly, a Blood Source at the Star-Sync stage can, under certain conditions, consume its host and go berserk. Such beings are known as Abominations. Lu Yuan was a Transcendent at the Star-Sync stage, and the finger he consumed was the remnant of an Abomination called 'The Hundred-Faced Omen'."

"I see." Mo Bai felt he understood everything now. "A Blood Source devouring its host and going berserk? I get it, like the Inverse forms of Spirits. What's the next stage?"

"The fourth stage is Soul-Bond, representing the comprehensive evolution of individual existence. Uh... in your words, it’s becoming an 'ultimate lifeform'."

Mo Bai gave a thumbs-up. "As expected of my sister, I understood that instantly."

"And the fifth stage is the final one." Mo Mo's expression became incredibly grave. "The fifth stage, [Crown King]. In the entire world, there are only seven such beings who stand at the pinnacle."

Ten billion people in the world, and only seven? What kind of Level 5 esper is this? The value of such a title was self-evident.

Mo Bai nodded. "Worthy of the title of King."

"Upon reaching the Crown King stage, the Blood Source has reached its limit. At this point, their very bodily fluids can mass-produce Transcendents. They have high floors but low ceilings, and there are quite a few side effects. Because of this, almost every King has a large number of subordinates, known as the King's Clan."

Mo Mo began to list them: "The Black King of Soul, the White King of Destruction, the Red King of Origins, the Blue King of Stagnation, the Yellow King of Mass, the Silver King of Decoration, and the Rainbow King of Construction. Seven, the strongest beings in this world."

"Wait," Mo Bai asked curiously, "Why are they all color-coded titles? Are these Kings that uniform?"

"Because that's how the first King referred to himself," Mo Mo explained patiently. "It started that way, and those who followed kept it up. The colors are named after the Kings' signature impressions. For example, if the Black King's power manifests as pitch-black shadows, he is the Black King. By that logic, even if a King doesn't acknowledge the title, the world and the other Kings will call him that, so it has become an unwritten tradition."

"I see," Mo Bai nodded. "Very reasonable." After all, the traditions of the ancestors cannot be changed.

"The seven Kings are scattered across the world. East Xia has two: the Red King and the Rainbow King. However, the Rainbow King went missing over twenty years ago, so East Xia only really has one King now. The Authority Bureau is the organization East Xia uses to monitor Transcendents and contain Taboos. I am the team leader of our local branch, Sister Chu is the branch director, and the Red King is effectively the boss of my boss's boss."

Mo Mo blinked and took a sip of water. "Brother, is there anything else you don't understand?"

"I mostly get it, but little sis, you've said so much, yet you haven't mentioned the Red Moon." Mo Bai recalled the irritable red-haired girl who had pinned him down and beaten him. "What exactly is that Red Moon?"

At the mention of the Red Moon, Mo Mo's eyes turned serious. "The Crimson Moon is one of the Taboos the Authority Bureau is preparing to contain. She is also known as the Sovereign—the Lord of the Heavens. Her true form exists outside this world, in the cosmos. Her moonlight stirs the desires of living beings, turning them into slaves to their own greed. There are many such beings in this world."

Mo Mo lowered her gaze. "The war between the seven Kings, the Black Tide, the Four Great Moons, the ancient sacrificial evil gods, the twisted evil alchemists, the insane jesters who destroy worlds, witches of unknown origin..."

"Honestly, in times we are unaware of, this world has been destroyed countless times and saved just as many."

Mo Bai sighed with emotion. "Indeed. The daily life we take for granted is nothing but a series of continuous miracles."

Mo Mo glanced at her brother; she had to admit, the description was quite apt.

"In short, for an existence like the Red Moon to be so obsessed with you will invite the gaze of many. What Sister Chu did to you earlier wasn't an exaggeration." Mo Mo said earnestly, "Those people would truly cut out your kidneys without anesthesia."

Mo Bai: "That savage?!" His kidneys felt a phantom ache.

"It is that savage." Mo Mo nodded. "So, when you are outside, you must never speak of anything related to the Red Moon. But here, with your sister, it's fine."

Mo Mo took Mo Bai's hand. "Tell me, brother, why would the Red Moon bestow her moonlight only upon you?"

Mo Bai was at a loss as to why the Red Moon had targeted him. He decided to tell her about how the Red Moon had posed as their mother in his dreams for eight years, only to beat him up in the end.

But...

*ZA WARUDO!*

Time ceased to flow. No, time only stopped in Mo Bai's eyes; in reality, his thoughts began to accelerate, creating a disconnect with a reality that couldn't keep up with his mind.

What was happening?

Before Mo Bai could react in his confusion, the Red Moon—that girl with crimson hair—appeared before him again. She stood beside Mo Mo, staring fixedly at him, and hissed viciously:

"If you dare speak of my affairs, I will turn your sister into the ultimate yandere."

Mo Bai: "...Huh?"

How could she be so vicious?!

The thought acceleration faded. Mo Bai returned to normal, and the Red Moon vanished. Everything just now seemed to be a hallucination. He looked at Mo Mo, who was watching him with a questioning expression, gave a dry laugh, and shook his head.

"I have no idea."