The Spiritual Realm

Luo Shu's attempt to seize control of the Possession Mask was no impulsive act—it was a calculated move.

With the mental shielding from Abnormal Item-148 and the 10% suppression from the Abnormality Buster Milestone, if he still didn't dare to confront the Possession Mask head-on, then he might as well surrender and wait for death the next time he encountered a Keter-class anomaly.

As it turned out, his judgment was correct.

Though the Possession Mask currently held the upper hand, it was still missing that crucial 10% needed for total victory.

Because of this gap, despite synchronizing its brainwaves with Luo Shu's, it couldn't fully replace him.

Luo Shu's consciousness was like a stubborn sailboat defiantly cutting through stormy waves—no matter how violent the tempest, it refused to yield.

The stalemate dragged on. Though Luo Shu appeared battered, his mind remained crystal clear.

Once he realized the Possession Mask couldn't enslave him, he tried moving his body.

His fingers twitched—almost imperceptibly.

This small victory reassured him.

If he could still control his body, it meant he could break contact with the mask at any time, cutting off its mental invasion.

The only reason he hadn't done so yet was his reluctance to waste his last Mental Domination attempt.

After all, Luo Shu's version of Mental Domination was a bootleg—he hadn't obtained the "official authorization" from the original owner.

But if he could successfully enslave the Possession Mask, it would be like acquiring the copyright—he could use it freely from then on, no longer at anyone's mercy.

After enduring the mask's mental assault for a while, Luo Shu gradually adapted to its rhythm and began counterattacking.

Carefully, he split off a wisp of his consciousness and traced it against the current of the mask's mental onslaught, swimming upstream.

After what felt like an eternity, his consciousness finally broke through the storm and arrived at a calm expanse.

There, a small figure crouched in a corner, sobbing uncontrollably while muttering to itself.

"I'm so close to winning! No one escapes my Mental Domination!"

"I hate him! I loathe him! I'll kill him!"

"Waaah… I'm just lonely… I just want a friend…"

"Hah! Who needs friends? I've gotten used to solitude."

It was then that Luo Shu noticed—this ethereal little figure wore four masks, each displaying a different emotion: joy, anger, sorrow, and mirth.

The conflicting words came from the masks, each expressing their own feelings.

This was the true spiritual form of the Possession Mask!

It had multiple personalities coexisting—no wonder it was so talkative.

Luo Shu's sudden intrusion finally drew the mask's attention.

The Joy Mask grinned. "Oh? You delivered yourself to me? Perfect! Let me enslave you! Possess you!"

In contrast, the Anger Mask seethed. "He humiliated me! I'll slaughter him!"

The Sorrow Mask wept pitifully. "No… don't hurt him… I want him to stay with me… I'm so lonely…" (The crying Luo Shu had heard earlier came from this one.)

The Mirth Mask, meanwhile, cheerfully sang to itself: "Haha~ Tonight's loneliness makes me so beautiful… I don't need anyone disturbing my sorrows and joys…"

This guy had clearly gone mad from isolation.

The four masks bickered endlessly, their thoughts utterly disjointed.

Luo Shu realized that despite only sending a sliver of his consciousness, he faced minimal resistance.

The mask's multiple personalities were too busy fighting each other.

This was his chance!

But when he had used Mental Domination on "The Bashful One," he had simply activated the ability and let it work—he hadn't actively intervened in the enslavement process.

So now, he wasn't entirely sure what to do.

After some thought, he figured he needed to subdue the masked figure.

He cautiously stepped forward.

Finally, the mask's personalities sensed the danger.

The Joy Mask remained blindly optimistic. "Come closer! Let me enslave you!"

The Anger Mask roared. "You dare approach me?! I'll destroy you!"

Luo Shu couldn't help but mock, "Can't you change your lines? We're both intelligent beings—must everything be about killing?"

The Sorrow Mask trembled fearfully. "Stay back! Friends should keep their distance…"

The Mirth Mask switched songs. "Oh friend, oh friend~ Have you remembered me…?"

Luo Shu was speechless.

At this point, he realized only two of the personalities posed a real threat: Joy and Anger.

Sorrow and Mirth were just along for the ride.

He lunged forward and punched the masked figure.

The Joy Mask froze in confusion.

The Anger Mask erupted. "YOU DARE HIT ME?! YOU'RE DEAD! DEAD!"

The Sorrow Mask wailed. "Don't hit me! It hurts! Waaah…!"

The Mirth Mask sang again. "Ahhh~ What a painful epiphany…"

Seeing that this was working, Luo Shu decided to go all out.

He tackled the figure, pinned it down, and started pummeling it.

The Anger Mask screamed at the others. "STOP SCREWING AROUND! HELP ME KILL HIM!"

The Mirth Mask giggled. "Okay, okay~ It's been so long since I had fun. Let's fight!"

The Sorrow Mask kept crying, refusing to engage.

The Joy Mask snapped out of it. "I'll recall my mental energy! Crush him! Enslave him!"

And so, within Luo Shu's spiritual realm, the mental storm began to weaken.

For the first time, he was on the offensive!

Knowing that a single wisp of consciousness couldn't withstand the full force of the mask's mental power, Luo Shu decisively sent most of his consciousness in pursuit, leaving only a small part to guard his own mind.

As the Possession Mask's true spiritual form returned, the masked figure began to expand.

Earlier, it had been child-sized—easy prey for Luo Shu's lone strand of consciousness.

But now, it swelled rapidly, first matching Luo Shu's size, then doubling, tripling…

Luo Shu's eyes narrowed.

If this continued, the mask's spiritual form would grow dozens of times larger—an impossible foe.

Without hesitation, he leaped onto its head, gripping one of the masks with both hands.

By the time the Possession Mask's spirit fully reformed, it had become a colossal titan, towering dozens of meters tall.

How the hell was he supposed to enslave something this massive?