At the mention of "Lord,"
the shadow's grotesque face twisted into fanatical devotion.
Jackie Chan Adventures Universe – Section 13
"Lord?"
Chief Black rubbed his temples. "Are we dealing with a god now?"
Jackie's mind flashed to the eerie totems and murals.
Connecting the dots, his eyes widened.
"Oh no—we missed something crucial!"
Under everyone's puzzled gaze, he uttered two words:
"A cult."
"Cult?!" Jade yelped, jumping up. "You mean those Satanic murders in the farmhouse's history?"
The others paled.
"So this 'Lord' is..."
"An eldritch god?"
The agents exchanged horrified glances.
The Shadow's Revelation
"To free this power without destroying it... When the heart loses its energy supply but hasn't fully died, we use the 'key' to unlock the cage."
Its voice swelled with zeal.
"Our Lord needs us. The more who 'evolve,' the closer His will merges with ours—lifting us to new heights."
A smug edge crept in.
"Simple in theory, but the rituals are... tedious. And we require... assistance."
D-14134 shuddered violently before snapping:
"If the monsters exist, the hearts failed as cages! Destroying them can't hurt!"
The audience clung to this logic.
The shadow's grin stretched unnaturally.
"The 'key' alone isn't enough. The heart's bonds are tenacious—traces of power remain. That's why..."
It leaned in.
"...a prayer and silver bullet still kill us. We can't damage the hearts. We need outsiders."
Mocking pride laced its tone.
"Haven't you noticed we... helped you?"
Chatroom Realization
"FUCK! No way a D-Class pulled this off alone!"
"Right?! Even the agents couldn't handle these demons!"
"And why he faced fewer monsters..."
"This was all planned?!"
On-screen, D-14134's expression mirrored theirs.
His resolve crumbled into hollow futility.
Now he understood:
Why monsters conveniently scattered.
Why no reinforcements came during his raids.
Why it felt too easy.
Since when does hell surrender?
"Waiting for outsiders is... inconvenient," the shadow mused. "Time flows differently here. Years might pass before one stumbles in."
It spoke as if discussing weather.
"To avoid suspicion, we reduced our intellect to animalistic instincts. But when you attacked the hearts..."
"...our residual reason lowered the difficulty for you."
Each word drained more color from D-14134's face.
The shadow feigned consolation:
"Still, you did remarkably well. Otherwise, we'd have to manipulate those other two—far messier."
The final blow.
It had exploited:
His resolve.
His courage.
Even his weakness.
The truth crystallized:
He wasn't the hero.
Just a pawn.
Across the multiverse, viewers shared his crushing defeat.
Three-Body Universe – Earth
Luo Ji saw himself in the broken D-14134.
Facing the Trisolarans' overwhelming tech, he too had tasted powerlessness.
"Watching everything spiral to ruin... That is true bitterness."
He studied the screen.
Perhaps death is mercy for him now.
Yet—
Why does this injustice still sting?
After all he did!
The End Approaches
The shadow chuckled at D-14134's despair.
A shrill whistle—
The house shuddered.
Monsters converged.