The Mysterious Resurrection at the Beginning of Infinite Terror

Chapter 56 Zhang Jie and A Nightmare on Elm Street

Zheng Zha's roar, like the final howl of a wounded beast, carried a furious and resolute rage that seemed to burn the very earth, echoing throughout the crumbling cavern. He transformed into a streak of red and white, his energy burning to near boiling point, ignoring the churning filth of the blood pool and the lingering evil aura emanating from the altar. His target was singular—the dark heart, its light dimmed and its pulse erratic under the impact of the previous resonance of rules, yet still radiating a dying malice!

Ba Wang and Li Shuaixi followed closely behind, the roar of heavy machine guns and the gleaming light of blades tearing through the last waves of filthy tentacles surging from the blood pool. Zero calmly pulled the trigger, the specially crafted anti-magic armor-piercing rounds precisely striking the thickest dark red energy veins connecting the "Heart of Nightmare" to the blood pool and altar below. Ming Yanwei's energy arrows rained down like a storm, covering any defensive or counter-attack nodes that might be hidden around the altar. Zhao Yingkong's figure appeared ghost-like behind the altar, her short sword gleaming with a ghostly blue poisonous light, stabbing fiercely at a rune node on the altar's base that flickered with unstable light.

Despite the excruciating pain and exhaustion in their souls, Wang Lin and Zhan Lan poured their last bit of mental energy into the joint mental barrier, desperately protecting Zheng Zha and the other two who were directly attacking them. They also did their best to purify and counteract the increasingly chaotic and manic waves of mental pollution emitted by the "Heart of Nightmare" as it struggled to its death.

Chu Xuan, meanwhile, stared intently at the rapidly updating data on the terminal. The trajectory of energy flow and the fragile structural markings were reflected on his glasses. He issued cold, millisecond-precise commands within his mental matrix, guiding each attack to its most lethal point.

"Attack effective! 37% of the core energy channels have been severed! The altar's structural integrity has decreased to 41%! The 'Heart of Nightmare's' fundamental fluctuations continue to weaken!"

boom--!!!

Zheng Zha's fist, enveloped in vampire energy and internal energy compressed to the extreme and then violently "exploding," slammed solidly and without any frills onto that suspended, pulsating dark heart!

There was no earth-shattering explosion. Instead, there was a grating, soul-crushing cracking sound, as if countless panes of glass were being crushed simultaneously!

The "Nightmare Heart," compressed from the purest darkness, fear, and resentment, was instantly covered with countless spiderweb-like cracks shimmering with ominous red light by Zheng Zha's ultimate physical/energy hybrid strike, which combined the team's anger, despair, and hope into one punch, as well as the precise destruction of its energy supply and structural support by Zero Point, Ming Yanwei, Zhao Yingkong, and others!

Immediately afterwards—

puff!

Like a punctured abscess filled with foul blood, the Dark Heart suddenly contracted inward and then exploded! But what exploded was not flesh or energy fragments, but large amounts of thick, viscous, filthy, dark red to almost black nightmare essence, exuding an extreme stench and madness! This essence, as if alive, frantically splashed and spread in all directions, attempting to contaminate and corrode everything it touched. Some even darted towards Zhang Jie, who lay slumped against the rock wall, barely breathing, like venomous snakes in their final moments!

"Don't even think about it!" Wang Lin's eyes were bloodshot. Ignoring his nearly exhausted mental energy, he forcibly rekindled the nascent light of his mind, which, combined with the mental barrier that Zhan Lan had desperately erected, transformed into a thin but incredibly firm golden-white light screen that blocked Zhang Jie's path! Sizzle sizzle sizzle—! The nightmare slurry crashed into the light screen, corroding it like strong acid. The light screen fluctuated violently and rapidly thinned. Wang Lin and Zhan Lan both groaned, blood spilling from their mouths and noses, but they ultimately managed to block this dying counterattack.

Without the support of its "heart," the deformed altar below groaned under its strain. The charred bones, rusted metal, twisted wood, and sinister crystals, as if stripped of their adhesive, crumbled and collapsed, plunging into the churning pool of blood below. The blood pool, as if drained of its power, quickly subsided its boiling, its color changing from dark red to a murky brownish-black, emanating an even stronger aura of death and decay. The evil symbols and patterns on the cave walls, their light extinguished, rapidly peeled away and weathered, as if eroded by millions of years.

Throughout the cave, the suffocating, omnipresent nightmarish pressure and mental pollution dissipated rapidly, like the receding tide. Although the stench and coldness still lingered in the air, the deep-seated terror, as if being watched by an invisible demon, had vanished.

The core of the nightmare on Elm Street—the "Heart of Nightmares"—has been destroyed.

The Supreme God's notification, cold and precise, rang in the minds of all survivors:

Destroy Freddy Krueger's Nightmare Origin Core to complete Main Quest 3 (optional).

[Rewards: One A-level side quest and 8000 reward points for each participant.]

[The "Elm Street Nightmare Rule Field" has been found to have a fundamental breakdown; ongoing contamination removal is underway...]

[Main Mission Two: Uncover the truth about "Freddy Krueger" and obtain at least one "token" or "credential" related to his origins. Completed. Rating: S.]

[Received: One B-rank side quest for the entire team, 5000 reward points.]

Main Quest 1: Survive for seven days in Elm Street. Time remaining: six days. Quest ongoing...

[Warning: Although the core is destroyed, the lingering resentment and low-intensity nightmare factors on the land will need time to dissipate naturally, and a minor threat still exists.]

The notification that the reward had been credited to their accounts failed to evoke any joy in the crowd. All eyes immediately turned to the corner of the cave, to the figure leaning against the cold rock wall, his breath so faint it seemed he might vanish at any moment.

Zhang Jie.

"Zhang Jie!" Zheng Zha was the first to rush over, his speed leaving afterimages. He knelt beside Zhang Jie, looking at his paper-white face, covered with fine cracks, feeling the barely perceptible breath. This man, who had roared countless times on the brink of death, now had his hands trembling slightly, wanting to touch him yet hesitant to. "Old Zhang! Hold on! We won! We're going back right away! The God of War can heal you! He definitely can!"

Wang Lin and Zhan Lan stumbled over as well. Ignoring the excruciating pain that felt as if his soul had been hollowed out, Wang Lin once again gathered his remaining spiritual energy and cautiously probed towards Zhang Jie. This probe made his already pale face turn even more ashen.

Inside Zhang Jie's body, it was now like a ruin ravaged by an apocalyptic storm. The three-way structure—the "Guide Protocol," the "Fragment of the Solar Golden Scripture," and "Zhang Jie's Personality"—that had been barely "welded" together, was completely torn apart, disrupted, and on the verge of collapse in that frenzied "self-destructive rule resonance." The cold data stream representing the Guide Protocol scattered and clashed in all directions; the warm purifying power of the Solar Fragment became extremely dim and unstable, like a candle flickering in the wind; and the core of Zhang Jie's personality and emotions became fragmented, like shattered mirrors scattered in every corner of consciousness, barely maintaining an extremely fragile overall outline that could dissipate completely at any moment.

Most seriously, beneath the cracks on the surface of his body (or rather, his physical form), chaotic energy lights flicker constantly, a sign that his structure is completely unstable and on the verge of "disintegration." He is now like a piece of porcelain that has been forcibly glued together and then subjected to a heavy blow; it may still have shape, but in reality, its interior is already riddled with cracks, and a slight touch could cause it to crumble into dust.

"His condition... is very bad." Wang Lin's voice was terribly hoarse, each word seeming to be squeezed out of his throat. "His structure is completely messed up, on the verge of... existential collapse. Conventional treatment... is probably useless."

"Is the main god repairing it?" Zheng Zha asked anxiously.

"I don't know." Wang Lin shook his head, his face showing unprecedented heaviness and bewilderment. "His situation is too special. It's not just simple physical or mental damage; it's a structural trauma to the 'essence of existence.' The main god's repair beam... may not be able to handle this kind of deep collapse involving the levels of 'definition' and 'rules' caused by the collision of multiple high-level forces (the Guide Protocol, fragments of the Sun Scripture, Freddy's Nightmare Power, and the will of all of us). Forcibly repairing it might, like last time in Ruins Zero, 'format' it again, or even, because the structure is more chaotic, it might turn into... an unpredictable monster after repair, or simply... dissipate."

These words sank everyone's hearts to the bottom. Even the Supreme God's repair might be useless? Or even worse?

Did they risk their lives to briefly "complete" Zhang Jie from a "half" state into a fully human being, and then fight side by side to destroy the nightmare core, only to watch him completely "disappear" in the end because he saved everyone?

"No! There must be a way!" Zheng Zha roared, his eyes bloodshot. "Chu Xuan! Aren't you the smartest? Think of a way! Think of a way now!"

Chu Xuan had already approached, his portable terminal extending several hair-thin probes that connected to key energy nodes in Zhang Jie's body. The data stream on the screen was refreshing wildly, even more frantically than when he analyzed the magic array earlier. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his gaze behind his glasses was so sharp it seemed to pierce through the data, seeing the deepest essence.

"The situation is more complicated than Wang Lin described." Chu Xuan's voice remained calm, but his speech was extremely rapid. "There are three main types of 'remains' of power within the target's body: 1. Fragments of the Guide Protocol Framework (a product of the Main God's rules, highly ordered but rigid). 2. Residual power of fragments from the Golden Scripture of the Sun (order and purification attributes, but not fully compatible with the target, in an inert state). 3. Fragments of the target's own personality, memories, and emotional data (chaotic, but containing a powerful 'will to exist' and a 'connection' with us). In addition, there are trace amounts of residual Freddy's Nightmare power contamination, as well as the aftershocks of the rule disturbances left over from the resonance eruption just now."

"Currently, the three are in a state of absolute conflict, disordered mixing, mutual annihilation, and weak checks and balances—a 'chaotic state.' Any strong external intervention (including the main god's repair) could break this fragile balance, causing the 'chaotic state' to completely spiral out of control, resulting in what Wang Lin called—an existential collapse."

"What can we do? Are we just going to watch him slowly... disintegrate like this?" the Overlord roared, his eyes red.

"No." Chu Xuan pushed up his glasses, his eyes suddenly focusing on an extremely complex dynamic model. "A chaotic state means there is no stable structure, but it also means... extremely high plasticity. It's like an extremely unstable 'primordial nebula' composed of 'materials' of different properties. Forcibly shaping it into a fixed 'form' (like the original Zhang Jie, or a pure guide) is almost impossible and extremely risky. But if we don't pursue 'shaping,' but rather pursue..."

He paused, looked at Wang Lin, and then at Zhang Jie's body, which was weak but still stubbornly maintained a trace of "existence".

"...guide it to 'spontaneously collapse' into a temporary, as stable as possible, and 'low-entropy state' that retains the maximum 'Zhang Jie' characteristics."

"Spontaneous collapse?" Wang Lin grasped the key point.

"Yes. Chaotic states are unstable; they have a tendency to 'collapse' into lower-energy, more ordered states, just like nebulae condense into stars. But this spontaneous process is random; it could collapse into anything, or even annihilate itself. What we need to do is provide a sufficiently powerful and clearly directional 'gravitational core' and 'stable framework' to guide the collapse of this chaotic state in the direction we desire," Chu Xuan explained quickly.

"A gravitational core? A stable framework?" Zhan Lan mused. "Like... how Wang Lin 'defined' that resonance attack just now using the Light of the Mind?"

"Similar, but with completely different objectives. Last time, we defined 'Aggressive Rule Resonance,' with the goal of destruction. This time, we need to define 'Existence, Stability, Connection, and Return.'" Chu Xuan looked at Wang Lin. "Your Light of the Soul is characterized by 'Connection' and 'Definition,' currently our only ability to touch the rule level and perform 'definition' operations. The power of the fragments of the Golden Scripture of the Sun can serve as the foundation for 'Order' and 'Purification,' stabilizing the collapse process and expelling pollution. And all of us' cognition, memories, and emotions towards 'Zhang Jie' can serve as the 'raw materials' and 'anchors of will' that constitute this 'temporary stable state.'"

"You mean..." Wang Lin's eyes gradually brightened. Despite his exhaustion, a new hope began to burn within him. "Let me once again use the light of my soul, combined with the power of the sun fragments and the will of all of us, to define a temporary, stable 'form of existence' for that chaotic 'nebula' within Zhang Jie? Like... giving him a temporary 'soul mold'?"

"That's one way to understand it. But this 'mold' can't be fixed; it must be dynamic, inclusive, and a 'flexible framework' that can temporarily accommodate the three conflicting forces within him. The goal is to make him collapse into a temporarily stable 'transitional state' that retains most of 'Zhang Jie' characteristics and can safely accept the God's repair (at least it won't collapse during the repair). As for what he will become after the repair—whether he will revert to the 'fully human state' he was in during the battle or become some other form—we can't guarantee that. But at least... the possibility that he can 'exist' and retain his 'connection' and memories with us will be greatly increased."

Chu Xuan's words were like a faint lamp lit in the darkness. Although the road ahead was still uncertain and fraught with great risks, at least there was a path worth trying.

"Success rate?" Zheng Zha asked in a deep voice, his eyes fixed on Chu Xuan.

"Based on the existing data model, the success rate... is less than 15%." Chu Xuan stated a chilling figure. "Potential failures include: definition failure, resulting in the direct collapse of the chaotic state; definition deviation, leading to the collapse into an unpredictable monster or the loss of all 'Zhang Jie' characteristics; energy leakage during the process triggering a secondary disaster; or even your spiritual light (Wang Lin) being completely extinguished due to overexertion. The risk is extremely high."

15%... less than 20% success rate.

However, seeing Zhang Jie's extremely weak breath and feeling the increasingly unstable, chaotic energy within him, as if it were about to explode at any moment, everyone knew they had no choice. If they didn't try, Zhang Jie would surely die (his existence would dissipate). If they tried, there was still a sliver of hope for survival.

"Let's do it." Wang Lin said without hesitation, his voice calm yet carrying an unwavering strength. He looked at Zheng Zha, at Zhan Lan, and at every teammate around him, scarred yet with resolute eyes.

"Just like before. But this time, we're not going to 'destroy through resonance,' but rather 'define rebirth.'"

"Transmit all your thoughts, memories, and hopes for Lao Zhang's 'return' to me through the matrix, without reservation."

"Chu Xuan, provide me with the structural model of the stable framework and the energy steering path simultaneously."

"Zhan Lan, help me stabilize the mental connection and purify the interference."

"Everyone else, protectors. Until we finish, even if the sky falls, you must hold it up!"

There were no grand pronouncements, only the simplest division of labor and the most resolute will.

Everyone sprang into action immediately. Zheng Zha, Ba Wang, Li Shuaixi, Ling Dian, Ming Yanwei, and Zhao Yingkong quickly dispersed, forming the most stringent physical and energy defense line centered on Zhang Jie and Wang Lin, vigilantly watching the cave entrance and the still-tainted blood pool. O'Connor and his two companions were also assigned to the perimeter, responsible for some simple early warning. Chu Xuan synchronized the extremely complex dynamic "flexible framework" model he had constructed into Wang Lin's consciousness via data stream. Zhan Lan took a deep breath, transforming her last bit of mental energy into the purest and most resilient bridge, connecting Wang Lin, the others, and the chaotic edge of Zhang Jie's consciousness.

Wang Lin sat cross-legged in front of Zhang Jie and closed his eyes.

He poured his last ounce of consciousness into that faint, yet essential, nascent light of the soul, representing "connection" and "definition." This time, he didn't expand outward, but inward, towards the deepest part of his own spiritual sea, towards the source that faintly resonated with the fragment of the "Golden Sun Sutra," towards the vast, warm torrent of emotions and perceptions about "Zhang Jie" from all his teammates within the spiritual matrix.

He "saw" the soldier from Zheng Zha's memory, the one who, in the Biohazard warehouse, was smoking and introducing the God Space in a slightly roguish yet reliable tone.

"Seeing" in Zhan Lan's memory was that of the veteran who, though tired, had sharp eyes and warned the newcomers to be careful of the Kayako illusion outside the Ju-on mansion.

"Seeing" in Zero's memory was that of his companion in the alien spaceship, who silently but precisely coordinated the shooting, occasionally muttering "bullshit luck" under his breath.

They "saw" Zhang Jie in the fragments of each person's memory—some clear, some blurry, but all bearing a unique mark: Ba Wang, Li Shuaixi, Ming Yanwei, Zhao Yingkong, Chu Xuan… There was laziness, there was sharpness, there was cynicism, there was a heavy burden, there was a thirst for power, there was the quiet protection of teammates, there was the pain and determination when the Zero Ruins finally erupted, and there was the unparalleled domineering aura of shattering Freddy's nightmare source in the consciousness space as a "complete human" and… that word "brothers."

All memories, all emotions, all perceptions, were no longer scattered fragments. Guided by Wang Lin's spiritual light and driven by everyone's shared and intense will to "hope for his existence and his return," they began to slowly rotate, converge, and merge, transforming into a warm, bright, and incredibly resilient nebula of will, filled with the aura of "humanity" and the power of "connection."

At the same time, Wang Lin carefully guided the power of the fragment of the "Sun Sutra" that resonated faintly with his soul. This time, instead of stimulating its purifying and aggressive nature, he guided out its most primal and gentle qualities of "order" and "stability," transforming them into golden-white, vibrant streams of light that flowed into the "Will Nebula," providing it with the most solid foundation of order. The light then began to slowly seep into the edge of the raging "Chaotic Nebula" within Zhang Jie's body, performing initial purification and stabilization.

Then, Wang Lin opened his eyes.

His eyes no longer held weariness and weakness, but instead burned with an almost sacred, pure, and unwavering golden-white light. He stretched out his hands, one hand lightly pressing on Zhang Jie's forehead, and the other lightly pressing on his own heart.

The light of the soul, unleash its full power!

"With my spirit, I define existence!"

"With these fragments, forge your foundation!"

"By our thoughts, we shape your true form!"

"In this chaotic wasteland, in the ruins of collapse—"

"Draw your nebula, and it will collapse towards the light!"

"Return!"

"Zhang Jie!"

The final roar was no longer a sound, but the most intense "definition" will that directly impacted the level of rules! The warm and bright "Will Nebula," composed of the will of the masses and the power of the order of the sun fragments, under the full guidance and "definition" of Wang Lin's spiritual light, transformed into a golden bridge condensed to its extreme, containing all the concepts of "existence," "stability," "connection," and "return." It fiercely, yet incredibly gently, pierced into the very center of the raging and chaotic "Chaotic Nebula" within Zhang Jie's body!

boom--!

A silent thunderclap resounded in the deepest part of Zhang Jie's soul!

That chaotic energy, disordered and on the verge of collapse, was guided by this sudden, clear, powerful "bridge of will" that resonated deeply with the remaining fragments of "Zhang Jie's" personality within it. It was as if a lost traveler had seen a lighthouse, and a raging nebula had found its gravitational core!

The chaotic vortex began to slowly change direction.

The cold conflict-driven data stream, guided by the foundation of "order" and the call of the will of "return," no longer attempts to annihilate everything, but begins to seek a way to coexist with the fragments of "Zhang Jie's" personality and the power of the fragments of the sun with minimal conflict.

The scattered fragments of Zhang Jie's personality and emotions, under the call of the power of "connection" and the warm embrace of the "will nebula," are like weary birds returning to their nests, slowly converging and piecing together towards the core guided by the "bridge."

The purifying power of the solar fragments, within the framework of the definition of "stability," gently and continuously purifies the remaining nightmare pollution and smooths out the waves of energy conflict.

A dynamic, fragile, yet unprecedentedly clear temporary low-entropy stable state—centered on the personality of "Zhang Jie," incorporating some of the functional framework of the guides, based on the power of the order of the solar fragments, and reinforced by the will of the masses—began to slowly and tenaciously condense and take shape within the chaos within Zhang Jie's body!

The cracked, flickering energy patterns on Zhang Jie's body gradually stabilized and softened, no longer raging. His extremely weak aura began to slowly but steadily... rise again. Although still very weak, it was no longer the desperate, imminent "dissipation" that threatened to break at any moment, but rather a deep, profound "dormant" state, as if it had fallen into the deepest level of repair and reconstruction.

It's a success! At least, it's a temporary success! That dangerous, collapsing "chaotic state" has been successfully guided and collapsed into a "transitional state" that, while still fragile, is at least temporarily stable and retains the core characteristics of "Zhang Jie"!

"He... has stabilized!" Wang Lin felt the new, weak yet tenacious "presence" within Zhang Jie's body. His extremely tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and he felt as if his bones had been removed. His vision went black, and he fell backward, only to be caught by Zheng Zha, who reacted quickly.

"Wang Lin!" Zhan Lan exclaimed in surprise. Her mental strength was already exhausted, and her heart tightened when she saw Wang Lin fall.

"I'm fine... just... a little tired..." Wang Lin leaned against Zheng Zha, too weak to even lift a finger, but managed a weak yet relieved smile. "He... won't... dissipate for now..."

Zheng Zha nodded heavily, his eyes reddening slightly. He looked at Zhang Jie, who was still unconscious and pale, but his chest was rising and falling slightly and steadily—a real sign of being alive.

"Return to the Main God Space immediately!" Chu Xuan's voice rang out, decisive and firm. "Zhang Jie's 'transitional state' is extremely fragile and requires the Main God's repair pillar for final stabilization and adaptive adjustments. Wang Lin and Zhan Lan also urgently need deep repair. This place is not safe to stay any longer; return immediately!"

No one objected. Zheng Zha carried Zhang Jie on his back, Ba Wang helped Wang Lin up, and Li Shuaixi supported Zhan Lan. The group rushed out of the ominous Kruger mansion and out of Elm Street at top speed, arriving at a relatively open space.

"God! All return! Immediately!" Zheng Zha roared at the sky (although it was replaced by the white light of the God's Space).

A pure white, warm pillar of light, carrying the power of comfort and restoration, descended as scheduled, enveloping the entire Zhongzhou team.

In the last moment before his consciousness was withdrawn, Wang Lin struggled to turn his head and look at Zhang Jie on Zheng Zha's back, whose figure in the pillar of light was gradually becoming blurry but whose breathing was steady.

"Old Zhang..." he said silently to himself, "This time, I'd better... do it right."

The white light engulfed everything. The nightmare of Elm Street, along with that harrowing rescue, was left behind.

Beneath the eternal light of the Main God Space, a restoration and rebirth concerning "existence" itself has only just begun.