Zoey

After crossing the river, they had officially entered the territory of the Netherworld.

The deceased of the Netherworld weren't just background props; they were enthusiastically welcoming Bai Wei and Faen, their faces filled with genuine smiles.

"Forget all the unpleasant things!"

"Death is rebirth!"

They shouted these words.

"Is this some kind of special ritual?" Bai Wei asked the two Soul Guides beside him.

"Yes, and no," one of the Soul Guides replied, shaking his head and explaining with a smile, "Welcoming newcomers isn't a ritual written in the rules, but something we genuinely want to do. We are truly family."

"Family..." Hearing this word, Faen thought of his granddaughter again, his expression dimming once more. "Ai Na... how is she doing now?"

"She'll be alright, Faen," the Soul Guide told him. "If you're really worried, you can go out and see for yourself."

Upon hearing this, Faen's dimmed pupils immediately brightened. He asked tremblingly, "Can I... can I still see Ai Na?"

"Generally, no," the Soul Guide said. "There's a clear distinction between the living and the dead. Unless you become a Soul Guide like us, you can't leave here. And becoming a Soul Guide requires hundreds of years of training. By then, your granddaughter will surely be gone."

Faen asked anxiously, "Then why did you say..."

"The Blossom Spirit Festival," the Soul Guide said with a smile. "You're very lucky; the Blossom Spirit Festival is coming soon."

"Blossom Spirit Festival?"

"Yes, it's the grandest festival in the Netherworld," the Soul Guide explained. "Those who are fortunate enough will receive the Lord's favor, and the Lord will grant their wish. At that time, you can use that wish to go see your granddaughter."

Faen opened his mouth and asked anxiously, "Then what exactly do I need to do?"

"You don't need to do anything," the Soul Guide shook his head. "Just wait and keep hope in your heart."

Faen wanted to ask more, but by then, the Soul Guide had led them to a simple thatched hut.

"Alright, this is where you'll be staying," the Soul Guide asked with a smile. "Are you satisfied?"

Bai Wei looked up at the thatched hut before him and asked, "Will we live here from now on?"

"Ah, of course not," the Soul Guide shook his head. "We don't have that many rules. You can live wherever you want. In fact, most people in the Netherworld don't live in houses."

"Then where do they live?"

"Anywhere," the Soul Guide pointed to the flower bushes in front of them. "You can live directly among the Blossom Spirit Flowers."

"Sleep among the flowers?"

"Yes, many people do that," the Soul Guide said. "We are the dead; we don't get sick, and the Netherworld doesn't have any harsh weather. Living among the flowers is no different from living in a house; it's just a matter of whether you can accept it mentally. The longer someone has been dead, the more carefree they become. Those who have recently died still retain their habits from life and find it hard to adapt, so most of the houses here are prepared for newcomers like you."

"I see," Bai Wei said. He then asked, "What do we need to do on a daily basis?"

"Do whatever you want."

"Huh?"

"Do whatever you want," the Soul Guide repeated, then smiled. "Come on, we're already dead. Do we still need to work?"

"But aren't you working?"

"This isn't work; it's a hobby," the Soul Guide waved his hand. "I just wanted to be a Soul Guide, so I became one. If you don't want to do anything, then don't do anything. Don't forget, we are dead. The dead don't need to work like the living. The only thing the dead need to do here is enjoy life, and that's all."

"Is it enough to just enjoy life?" Bai Wei said with a smile. "It sounds a bit unreal."

"For those of you who have just died, this kind of life does take some getting used to," the Soul Guide patted Bai Wei's shoulder. "But you'll soon understand that this is our life. We suffered too much in life, and we don't need to toil anymore. Let me give you some advice."

"Go ahead."

"Go walk around, look around," the Soul Guide said. "Compared to words, your eyes can give you a more direct understanding of this world, can't they?"

"Indeed," Bai Wei nodded slightly. "Thank you for your advice. I'll go take a look."

"Actually, you don't need me to specifically advise you. Most people's first reaction upon arriving here is to go look around and feel this land with their feet," the Soul Guide said with a smile. "Go boldly. As I said before, this world has no taboos for you and me. You can stop anytime, or enter any house you see. The owner of the house will not only not stop you but will also warmly entertain you. If you get tired, just pick a couple of Blossom Spirit Flowers to eat."

"Do the dead still need to eat?"

"Of course, souls still get hungry," the Soul Guide shrugged. "But even without eating, you won't die, you'll just feel weak. Some people like this feeling, so they go thousands of years without eating. How you choose is up to you. Oh, and there's a special type of dead person you should be aware of."

"Special dead people?"

"Yes," the Soul Guide nodded slightly. "You should know that not all the dead can maintain the integrity of their souls. And those with incomplete souls cannot live normally even after death. Their spiritual bodies appear in a very strange state, like a flame about to be extinguished."

"Are there people like that?" Bai Wei asked, feigning surprise. "What would be the manifestations of such people?"

"That depends on the extent of damage to their soul," the Soul Guide said. "Most of these deceased cannot think completely or communicate effectively. They are more easily bound by obsessions from their past lives, exhibiting an almost pathological attachment to certain things. You'll know when you meet them."

"I understand," Bai Wei nodded, then asked his final question, "Then what kind of dead people would have incomplete souls?"

"Those caught in abnormal, incomprehensible wars, affected by unimaginable powers," the Soul Guide replied. "So, most of these people died thousands of years ago, in that war against someone named Visas."

After answering this question, the Soul Guide left.

Bai Wei looked at Faen beside him. "How about it, want to go for a walk together?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Bai Wei," as Bai Wei expected, Faen shook his head. "I'm really not in the mood."

"Still thinking about your granddaughter?"

"Yes," Faen said softly. "Her parents are gone, and I'm her only relative. I really don't know how she'll manage to live. Ah... she's never been away from me for this long, never."

Faen kept rambling, clearly needing more time before he could let go of everything as the two Soul Guides had said.

Bai Wei had no intention of persuading him, merely nodding and saying "Take care then" before leaving. After all, he didn't have the luxury of leisurely spending centuries or millennia here. He had only one thing to do: find the Lord of the Netherworld and retrieve his heart. The Lord of the Netherworld was undoubtedly within this realm.

But what puzzled Bai Wei was that the Lord of the Netherworld must surely anticipate his arrival. So, what preparations would He make?

Other churches had already descended into chaos with Bai Wei's return, and those deities had resorted to any means necessary to counter him.

Only the Netherworld remained serene, as if untouched by time, even continuing to absorb the deceased into its realm as usual, acting as if Bai Wei was of no concern.

Why was that?

Was it because the Lord of the Netherworld had truly become indifferent to life and death, or did He possess some hidden strength to deal with Bai Wei?

Bai Wei couldn't be sure. In the past, he probably would have played it safe, lying low and patiently waiting for the Lord of the Netherworld to reveal a weakness.

But now... all he needed to do was find the Lord of the Netherworld.

So, how should he go about finding Him?

Bai Wei pondered for a moment.

Right, he'd find someone to lead the way.

Bai Wei's understanding of this territory was not as extensive as other places, so the people he could turn to were few. He wasn't even sure if they could help him find the Lord of the Netherworld.

However, there was one person he definitely wanted to see.

After a series of winding turns, Bai Wei arrived beneath a colossal tree.

The plants of the Netherworld were, naturally, not real but were shaped by the power of the Lord of the Netherworld. Therefore, theoretically, any form the plants took was possible.

As long as it was something the residents of the Netherworld wished to see, there were no issues.

And the towering tree before Bai Wei was none other than the one from Peach Blossom Paradise.

Except the tree in Peach Blossom Paradise had withered, while this one remained lush and verdant, casting vast shadows on the ground.

Beneath the shadows, a small, short girl stood, tilting her head back to gaze at the ancient tree before her.

Her body, bathed in the tree's shade, flickered in and out of visibility, like a flame on the verge of being extinguished.

Bai Wei walked up behind her and lowered his voice, "Hello."

The little girl's body flickered, but she didn't respond.

Bai Wei knew she wasn't doing it intentionally, but rather, she was unable to respond. This was because she was the soul-fragmented individual the Soul Guide had mentioned earlier. Even though she had reached the realm of the dead, she remained incomplete.

Bai Wei knew her name—Zoey.

In the less fleshed-out chapters of the Netherworld, she was arguably the NPC that left the deepest impression on all players.

The reason was that she was the designated target of persecution in this game.

As mentioned before, individuals with incomplete souls were bound by Obsession, causing them to react only to specific things.

And the one thing that could elicit a reaction from Zoey was... Visas.

Yes, she was the only character the players could interact with who had a direct connection to Visas in the entirety of the main Profane game. One could even say she was the only confirmed follower of Visas in the game.

However, players only learned this not because the game depicted Zoey's story from a thousand years ago, nor could Zoey, in her current state, tell players any stories. Under normal circumstances, no matter how players interacted with Zoey, she wouldn't react at all.

Unless players possessed "Visas' Corpse Pieces."

Zoey only reacted to Visas' Corpse Pieces. As long as players held Visas' Corpse Pieces, they could engage in extremely simple communication with Zoey. However, these interactions still yielded no information, akin to a useless easter egg. This continued until one day, a player, on a whim, said to Zoey, "I am Visas, I am about to revive, please send me 50 for final assistance."

Upon hearing this, Zoey finally broke her silence and gave the player a Soul Shard.

In the game, Soul Shards were the currency of the Netherworld, usable for purchasing special Netherworld items.

But Soul Shards, as their name implied, were items that consumed soul. For the deceased with complete souls, the missing soul could be replenished. However, for Zoey, with her fragmented soul, this was impossible.

This resulted in Zoey becoming weaker each time she gave a player a Soul Shard. Yet, if players continuously demanded them, Zoey would keep giving until her soul was completely annihilated.

Thus, draining Zoey of all her soul became one of the first things many players did upon entering the Netherworld map. Even Bai Wei himself was no exception back then, as Soul Shards were truly rare in the game.

Of course, after being a scoundrel for too long, a sense of guilt would occasionally arise, wondering if this pitiable little girl could be saved.

But unfortunately, no matter how players tried, she was like Hachiko in Hachi: A Dog's Tale, waiting for her deceased master's return, ultimately finding no salvation.

And this became a regret for many players.

However, now, Bai Wei finally had the chance to personally mend this regret.

He placed his hand on Zoey's shoulder.

"You don't have to wait anymore," he said with a smile. "I'm back."

Bai Wei watched as Zoey's vacant eyes gradually regained their luster. A buried, blurry memory surfaced, making him feel somewhat dazed.

"Ah, yes, it's you," Bai Wei seemed to recall something and then repeated with a smile, "I'm back."

He remembered who Zoey was, and Zoey recognized him.

But that was all. Zoey didn't say anything more, nor did she do anything that would be expected of a reunion after a thousand years. She simply looked at Bai Wei quietly, just as she had looked at the tree above her for the past thousand years.

"Is this all it can be?" Bai Wei felt a pang of regret but shook his head and said, "Never mind, take me to find the Lord of the Netherworld, Zoey."

Zoey nodded.