End of the World and... [Orchard]

Just as Bai Zhi had guessed before, the mission in this Dungeon had already come to an end long after he had figured out everything about this world.

The following scenes are beyond the Players' control; for the sake of their lives, leaving before the climax of the movie is the best option.

--For others.

With two flashes of white light, OriginDeficit and Young Feather disappeared.

Aren't you coming back?

After glancing at the bandages wrapped all over Bai Zhi's right arm, Ink-Stained Crystal asked him a question.

"The injuries on your hands need more professional treatment. Leaving here as soon as possible would be a better choice, wouldn't it?"

"I'll be leaving in a bit."

Bai Zhi shrugged slightly.

"To be honest, I still have a few things to finish up."

"... Healing tools and medicines are rarely seen in Auction House; these resources are usually concentrated in the hands of Large Organization. If you need them, I can get you some."

After a moment of silence, Ink-Stained Crystal began to speak.

"I owe you two favors in this Dungeon."

"It's just a minor scratch, nothing serious."

Bai Zhi waved his hand, as if he was in a hurry to send people away.

"If there's nothing else, you should go back quickly. Staying here for too long isn't good."

"..."

She glanced at him, but didn't seem inclined to say anything more. She bit her lip silently, and with a flash of white light, Ink-Stained Crystal's figure vanished from the spot.

"I think you should have left sooner."

Turning his gaze away from the window, the Fuzi turned to look at him.

"What's about to happen is extremely dangerous. One wrong move and you could die here, especially since you're already injured."

"These things aren't important. What's important is that I want to see what happens next... You should be able to time it right, right?"

He walked to the window, looked up at the Tian Kong, Bai Zhi squinted slightly.

"This is the final scene of a world as it is destroyed. Wouldn't it be such a waste to leave like this?"

"..."

The Fuzi did not answer, but instead looked up at the Tian Kong in a daze.

They were currently positioned two floors below the top floor, from which they could clearly see the entire figure of the Dominator on the rooftop of a building not far away.

As early as dawn, he and Ink-Stained Crystal had already relinquished their identities Dominator.

Before a new Dominator was born to replace them, and after Ink-Stained Crystal and the others had all left, Bai Zhi had already instructed the Shadow Guard to take out the Racial Token of one of the Dominator.

In other words, only the last Dominator remains in this city.

--The Final Moment is approaching.

First, a Gale swept across the entire world.

Driven by the wind, the Blood-colored Fishhook that dangled from the Tian Kong and floated throughout the city danced in the wind. All the Fish Hook, as if by unspoken agreement, slowly rose upwards at the same moment, as if someone above was beginning to reel them in.

The once Pure White Sky was now silently covered with countless cracks, and as the Fish Hook were retrieved one by one, the number of cracks in the Tian Kong increased.

Finally, after the number and extent of the cracks reached a critical point, accompanied by an unusually crisp sound, like the sound of a fragile porcelain vase falling to the ground, the invisible barrier surrounding the city shattered, revealing the true scene outside.

It was a tree so enormous it was unimaginable, and it sent chills down the spines of everyone who saw it...

The entire tree was bare, without a single leaf, only a crisscrossing and intertwined trunk. In place of the leaves were vines and branches extending from the crown, with thousands upon thousands of blood-red silken Fish Hook... those silken threads were slowly retracting upwards, leading to the invisible top of the crown.

And on the tree trunk, which stretched for who knows how long, countless human faces were appearing densely... the faces of humans who once belonged to this world.

The countless faces that appeared on the tree trunks were mostly in excruciating pain, their expressions twisted and ferocious, like Evil Spirit from Hell, all of them opening their mouths and silently roaring something.

They are still alive, but the environment they are in is even more terrifying than that of the dead.

... a scene resembling Avici Hell.

"..."

Looking at the scene before him, a sight so horrifying it would make anyone's Sanity Drop, Bai Zhi remained expressionless.

The Fuzi could not see the tree, and naturally could not see the scene on the trunk, but for her, this might be a good thing.

In the face of Anomaly, death is the greatest luxury.

Then, the Unique remaining Dominator in the city also underwent a complete transformation.

The vine that tightly bound him pulled his figure upwards rapidly, disappearing into the layers of tree trunks in the blink of an eye. Following the trajectory of the Dominator's ascent, Bai Zhi could vaguely see a pale golden fruit in the very center of the tree canopy.

In the blink of an eye, the Dominator was completely devoured by the fruit. As the last Nutrient Element returned to its place, the trunk of the Giant Tree trembled violently.

One by one, the layers of tree trunks began to break apart, and the countless faces that had appeared on the trunks quickly disappeared into the pale golden fruit as the trunks broke apart.

True liberation finally arrived at this moment.

That entire enormous tree was beginning to break apart.

The ground beneath Bai Zhi and his companions also began to crumble. The earth cracked, countless large and small stones flew into the Tian Kong, buildings broke apart, and everything began to vanish into nothingness.

The entire tree shattered incredibly quickly. Just as the building beneath Bai Zhi and the others began to collapse and fly into the Tian Kong to vanish, the enormous tree had completely disappeared, replaced by a pale golden fruit with the most Perfect color, Levitation in the air.

"This really is Orchard..."

Looking at everything before him, the Fuzi murmured to himself.

Although she couldn't see the tree, she could see other things. After the huge tree was completely shattered, the surrounding scenery that had been obscured by it gradually became clear.

Beside their tree, there were other similar trees, some already bearing fruit, others still in the process of Gestation it.

In their world, they were nothing more than a common Fruit Tree in this Orchard.

"Aren't you leaving yet? If you don't leave now, it'll be too late!"

Bai Zhi glanced back at the Fuzi beside him and frowned deeply.

"And what about you? How long are you going to stay here?"

The Fuzi raised his head and looked at him.

As the world crumbles, the Curse imposed upon her by the world itself and the book is gradually dissipating.

"I originally wanted to see what kind of person the [Orchardist] was... but now it seems that it's just the ripening of a single fruit, not worth his attention at all."

Looking around at the trees that were either in the Gestation or had already completed their Gestation... or rather, at the world, Bai Zhi's face remained expressionless.

"One day, I'll tear this [Orchard] down and plant that [Orchardist] in the soil."

"... I have connected to a completely new system."

After a moment of silence, the Fuzi suddenly spoke.

"Your previous speculations were correct. The Auction House contains various Item sold by other Player; it's a completely new Sub-system unique to our Outside the World. I'll need to contact other Player to learn more about it."

"Really? Then it must be a Sub-system specifically designed for Player like you..."

Bai Zhi turned his gaze away from the Tian Kong and looked thoughtfully at the other person.

"We should leave now, or we'll be stuck here."

The Fuzi seemed to let out a faint sigh, as if trying to discern something, and then began to speak.

"And... next time we meet, I'll give you a real surprise."