I STACK ATTRIBUTES IN THE APOCALYPSE -MyOwnEdit-

“Do you know why this place is called the Black Mist Zone?” Zero spoke slowly, posing what seemed to be an unremarkable question.

Upon hearing it, Jiu Han fell into deep thought. In the past, the answer had always been straightforward: every generation of Tribulation Transcenders who arrived here did so through the descent of the black mist—hence the name, the Black Mist Zone.

But now, with Zero bringing it up, the original answer felt inadequate.

Jiu Han gazed at the rolling black mist in the distance, his voice deep as he asked, “Is it because of that?”

“Exactly because of that,” Zero replied. “Every so often, the Black Mist Zone enters its harvest period. During this time, all beings with Origin Power are harvested. When the harvest period fully arrives, the entire zone will be engulfed by the black mist... and that is why it’s called the Black Mist Zone.”

Zero paused briefly before adding, “Of course, the spread of the name Black Mist Zone was also influenced by certain individuals.”

Jiu Han absorbed this information thoughtfully before asking, “Where did you learn all this?”

“The full extent of the harvest period’s terror is only starting to unfold,” Zero remarked quietly. “What we’ve witnessed so far is merely a prelude. The true horror will be realized when the black mist envelops the entire zone.”

Zero’s tone darkened as he continued, “However, this calamity is not completely unavoidable. Some extremely special beings can survive the harvest and move on to the next era.”

“And that’s where my knowledge comes from.”

Jiu Han couldn't help but ask, “Who survived the last harvest period?”

“The Beast King,” Zero answered gravely. “As far as we know, he was the only one.”

Though the Beast King had long since passed, his legends lived on.

“According to the legend of the Beast King, the high-ranking figures within the current Black Mist Zone were fully aware of the immense power of the Primordial Dao Patterns, said to rival the Divine Origin of the gods. But beyond that, nothing more was known…”

When Zero mentioned the legend of the Beast King, Jiu Han was momentarily taken aback. He muttered, “It’s said that the original ruler of the Black Mist Zone was the Beast King... until the Tribulation Transcenders emerged. They fought a great war against the exotic beasts, forcing the Beast King into the Hundred Thousand Mountains, where he was eventually surrounded and killed...”

Zero smiled faintly. “Naturally, we had to surround and kill him. Something that ancient, a remnant from a past era, has no place in this one. If he didn’t die, who would?”

Jiu Han frowned. “But there’s a problem.”

Zero tilted his head, listening.

“Since it was the Tribulation Transcenders who surrounded and killed the Beast King,” Jiu Han began, “the Beast King would surely have tried to warn the new generations of Tribulation Transcenders about this. After all, they too will eventually face the harvest period. Their positions are aligned. I don’t see why there would be a reason for them to fight...”

His voice trailed off. He realized the logic was sound—but the facts didn’t match. The Beast King had died, and the news about the harvest period had been completely suppressed.

There could only be one explanation.

“Someone’s pulling strings from behind the scenes?” Jiu Han’s eyes narrowed.

Zero shrugged, his expression suggesting inevitability. There was no need to ask who the mastermind was... Jiu Han already had a name forming in his mind.

“Lord Eternity?” Jiu Han whispered. “But the timeline doesn’t match…”

Zero chuckled. “The timeline doesn’t matter. For a qualified mastermind, the more identities one has, the better.”

There was no need for Zero to elaborate further.

Jiu Han had already deduced the cause and effect behind the battle.

“Subverters... seeking to overthrow the established order of the Black Mist Zone and secure a path for the myriad races to survive. The greatest obstacles before us are the Supreme God of the Eternal Clan and the clan he commands,” he said quietly.

Zero nodded slightly and continued, “It was your Eternal Clan that first established the practice of hunting exotic species. To further this agenda, you even created the Sky-Monitoring Bureau.”

Jiu Han’s eyes narrowed as Zero spoke, his tone carrying an undercurrent of disdain. “Eternity really believes everyone else to be fools. He thinks his hands are clean, his actions untraceable, but he doesn’t realize the Beast King had already found a way to secretly transmit crucial information.”

Zero muttered this almost to himself, while Jiu Han listened selectively. He knew better than to take one person’s words at face value, especially on matters as grave as this.

After Zero finished, Jiu Han pondered for a moment before posing three questions in quick succession.

“So, why does something like the harvest period exist in the Black Mist Zone?”

“Why did you Subverters choose to detonate the harvest period in advance?”

“And finally, how can one survive this harvest period you speak of?”

Zero responded deliberately, addressing each question one at a time.

“The first question—why the harvest period exists...” Zero paused, then admitted, “Unfortunately, I can’t answer that. I don’t know. The Beast King’s intelligence doesn’t include that detail. For now, we define the harvest period as a natural disaster—that’s the internal understanding among us Subverters.”

Jiu Han digested this answer in silence as Zero continued.

“The second question: why did we detonate the harvest period in advance?” Zero’s expression darkened. “Firstly, it was to deal with Eternity. Secondly, it was to achieve our second major goal in this whole matter.”

The first major goal—detonating the harvest period—had already been completed by the Desolate Demon Lord.

As for the second major goal and how to achieve it, Zero wasn’t ready to disclose that to Jiu Han just yet. Wisely, Jiu Han didn’t press further.

Zero continued, “The third question—how to survive the harvest period.”

“For now, I have three methods.”

“Three? That many?” Jiu Han asked in surprise, eyeing Zero skeptically. But Zero nodded slightly.

“Yes, three.”

“First, learn from the Beast King. Use the unparalleled power of Primordial Dao Patterns to resist the harvest period. The difficulty is high, the risk even higher, and it’s only suitable for individuals.”

“Second,” Zero added, his tone shifting, “this method involves our second major goal, which I can’t go into right now.”

“Third, rely on the power of exotic species.”

Zero paused for a moment, letting the implications sink in, then continued. “There’s something peculiar about the anomalies in the black mist—they only hunt awakened beings who use Origin Power systems. They ignore the exotic species entirely.”

“By utilizing the power of the exotic species, I believe there’s a certain probability we could protect more people.”

Of course, it was only a probability. Much of the information Zero had gathered about the harvest period was inferred from scattered clues. Whether the power of exotic species could actually protect the majority of people from the harvest remained uncertain.

Jiu Han caught the underlying uncertainty in Zero’s words.

“So, the real focus is on the second point, right?” Jiu Han asked, his voice steady.

Zero nodded gently. “Yes, the emphasis is on the second point—our next big goal. The first and third options are merely safeguards, and uncertain ones at that.”

Jiu Han thought in silence for a long time before finally speaking again.

“One last question.”

Zero inclined his head, listening.

“What’s wrong with the Origin Power System?”

Jiu Han had now confirmed that something was gravely wrong with the Origin Power system—something far beyond what he’d initially thought.

Jiu Han had already suspected something was amiss with the Silver Dao Patterns and the Divinity, but he hadn’t been able to pinpoint the exact problem. Now, hearing that the harvest period specifically targeted beings who cultivate Origin Power, it became clear to him. If he still couldn’t see the flaw in this transcendent system, he’d truly be wasting his intellect.

Hearing Jiu Han’s question, Zero responded in a quiet voice.

“The issue with Origin Power and the issue with Divinity are deeply connected,” Zero began. “These two forces—Origin Power and Divinity—are not things we obtain on our own. They are bestowed upon us by others.”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “Perhaps it’s best to think of it this way: the Origin Power in this world, and everything tied to it, all have masters.”

Jiu Han’s eyes flickered with realization. Stroking his beard thoughtfully, he said, “And now that master wants to reclaim what belongs to him.”

“Hence, the harvest period,” he murmured, answering his own question about the reason behind the harvest period.

Zero paused, considering Jiu Han’s conclusion before adding, “Perhaps. But the harvest period doesn’t appear to be a mechanism controlled by human hands. It feels more like a natural phenomenon—something that unfolds on its own. That’s why we were able to detonate it in advance.”

Zero leaned back slightly, his gaze steady. “And so, I still maintain the same position: I cannot give you a definitive answer to your first question.”