As long as you have the courage, fierce ghosts go on maternity leave.

Chapter 311: Go on then, whip me!

Stunned!

Alexander was utterly gobsmacked!

Because they were all duplicates, numbering their foreheads to distinguish their identities was a spontaneous act.

Perhaps it was because their thought patterns were too similar. Just like how people often overlook their own little quirks or trivial matters due to daily habits.

For example, glaring typos that remain undetected despite one’s best efforts to check. Words that are reversed but automatically corrected when read, as if the mind conveniently arranges them in the proper order.

Even in places one has visited a few times, when searching earnestly, doubt creeps in, questioning if this is the right place. Sometimes one can even take a wrong turn.

But when one is lost in thought, strangely enough, the path becomes clear without any conscious effort.

That was precisely Alexander’s situation. He had combed through everything meticulously, thinking himself clever while ignoring the most obvious clue.

How embarrassing!

"To think that this is how my deception was discovered!"

Compared to Alexander’s awkwardness, Zoe was utterly exasperated. With both hands clutching her head in disbelief, she stared at Alexander and inquired,

"Tell me honestly, if I’d kept denying it and continued the act, would you have doubted your own judgment?"

"Why would I! Let’s not get hung up on the small stuff, shall we?" Alexander replied, managing an awkward smile.

Doubting his own assumptions was unlikely for Alexander; at most, he would have resorted to other methods, like sending the person into the real world for verification.

If it was a genuine obsession, it wouldn’t dissipate.

If it did, it would mean that it was merely a simulated construct by the system, similar to that couple, and Alexander wouldn’t bear any emotional burden.

"Since you’ve discovered my existence, isn’t your goal to duplicate yourself? You could just leave once you’ve made enough copies. Why expose me?

While I can sustain and duplicate people in the Instance, this is a result of my obsession being amplified by the Mist system. These duplications are not unlimited. As the cycle’s maintainer, I can’t leave the Instance, let alone mass-produce copies for you. We still have to play by the rules."

"Ah, time, dear sister," Alexander responded.

"Every cycle’s start wastes a considerable amount of time. Even though you’ve sped up the duplication process, several hours are still lost. My time is limited; I must attempt another plan and can’t stay longer than ten more days."

"You’re asking me to stop the cycle, to cease tormenting the bastards who killed my brother? Impossible. Anyone who interferes with me, I’ll kill."

Zoe grew increasingly infuriated. Terrifying Ghost Energy began to surge around her, rendering her form ethereal, like a hazy white shadow. At a glance, she seemed more like a true ghost than any entity from the Horror World.

However, as her Ghost Energy externalized, her aura didn’t diminish. Instead, it ascended to an almost frenzied intensity—Prince level, King level, Imperial level, up to Ghost Emperor. In the end, her fearsome Ghost Energy was just as powerful as an Inheritance Ghost Emperor, if not more so.

"Don’t be impulsive!" Alexander hurriedly interjected as he saw Zoe on the brink of aggression.

"I revealed your identity to propose a deal."

"A deal? Don’t tell me you’re trying to tempt me with the promise of breaking the cycle?" Zoe sneered, glancing dismissively past Alexander to the spatial rift before him.

As a self-obsession, she could indeed leave the Mist Instance. Even without the Mist system, while her strength would diminish significantly, she wouldn’t vanish like those other system-induced obsessions.

Most natives indeed crave to break free from the cycle, their yearning reaching a fever pitch.

But the issue is, this Nightclub’s perpetual cycling is a manifestation of her intense yearning for vengeance. She relishes the torment of Dominic, how could she willingly leave?

"Of course not! This endless cycle, all you’re tormenting are mere obsessions created by the Mist system!" Alexander rapidly shook his head, noticing Zoe’s unwavering stance and continued,

"Moreover, a new cycle is a new beginning. Unless he wakes up, his memories will keep resetting. Duplication is a neat trick, but for a desperado, how much pain can really be inflicted? You help me keep the Instance cycling, and I’ll introduce him to real pain."

"You?" Zoe was obviously skeptical, scoffing, "He’s a desperado. He was once captured and tortured by a rival gang and didn’t make a peep. What could you do?"

"How about death by a thousand cuts? I have a friend who enjoys slicing people into 36,000 pieces. I have a Ghost Skill that’s perfect for the job," Alexander said, as countless blades floated around him.

"36,000 slices... wouldn’t that turn him into threads?" Zoe looked astonished, a flicker of intrigue crossing her face. This wasn’t slicing; it was shredding like grated potatoes.

"128 times!" Alexander suddenly blurted out a number. Zoe was momentarily confused, asking subconsciously, "36,000 slices multiplied by 128 times?"

Good grief! That’s brutal. How many pieces would 36,000 multiplied by 128 be? Alexander was no mathematician, but common sense told him you couldn’t even grind meat that finely. This was turning shredded potatoes into mush; one would need a microscope to see clearly.

Shaking his head, Alexander hurriedly clarified, "No, not that. That many cuts would kill him instantly. I’m talking about intensifying the pain. I have a skill that amplifies sensations by 128 times."

"A skill like that? Show me!" Zoe’s Ghost Energy rapidly contracted, and in the blink of an eye, the ethereal spirit transformed into a bare-skinned, beautiful young woman.

"Punish the Soul!" Alexander’s Ghost Energy surged, and seven black whips, as thick as his wrist, extended from him.

"Tentacle monster!" the young woman shrieked.

Alexander’s face turned red, and he hastily retorted, "Ignore these minor details! It may look ugly, but it’s useful! Each whip doubles the sensation, stacking geometrically. Seven whips in total, enough to amplify the feeling 128 times! Shouldn’t this level of pain surpass all expectations?"

"Absolutely! But who knows if you’re telling the truth? We’ll only know if we try!" Zoe said and turned her back toward Alexander,

"Go on then, whip me!"