Three Paths

After hearing Ophelia's translation, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. "Three paths? What does that mean?"

Ophelia glanced at the signpost beneath the stone. "The left is the Anger Road, the middle is the Desire Road, and the right is the Greed Road. There's nothing else to say."

"However, in the Ancient Parami legend, there is a story about the Path of Vice. The gist of it is that people are born good, but on the path of life, they will encounter all kinds of temptations and slowly become tainted with bad qualities. Only those who can overcome these temptations and maintain virtue throughout their lives can receive the invitation from the great god Karruth after death, become immortal, and enter the Holy Temple."

After listening to Ophelia's explanation, everyone looked at the three paths in front of them.

"If the central pyramid represents the Holy Temple, then does that mean that on these three paths, one will encounter temptations of these vile qualities? Only by resisting them can one reach the pyramid?" Jin Fei stroked his chin, looking at the central Lust Road: "I want to challenge my weakness!"

"This is not the time for jokes." Zhuge Chi waved his hand. "This place is filled with ancient Supernatural Power, and no one knows exactly what will happen. We'd better figure out the principles first."

"Whatever the challenge, it's safer to go together," Rolf said in a deep voice. "If someone really can't handle it, the others can help."

"What if those who can't handle it become a burden?" O'Toss scoffed. "Wouldn't everyone else become babysitters? If you ask me, everyone should choose the path they feel is suitable, and whether they can succeed depends on their individual abilities!"

"No, the three paths lead to completely different directions, and the maze here is very complex. If we scatter completely, it will be very difficult for us to reunite." Zhuge Chi rejected the suggestion. "It's best if we all stay together. The question is, which path should we choose?"

"I think whether we act alone or together is no longer up to us." Mu Ning pointed to the crossroads in front of them. "Although my perception is suppressed, I can still maintain a range of several dozen meters around me. But here, my detection ability is cut off at the intersection of these three roads, as if an invisible barrier is blocking my abilities. I can't sense any information behind me at all. I've only ever experienced this feeling when facing the Otherworld Gate."

"You mean... if we follow these three paths, we'll enter another space?" Jin Fei asked in surprise, "But we can clearly see the scenery deep inside the paths."

"This is probably an illusion," Mu Ning shook her head.

Ma Lei picked up a stone and threw it towards a road. When the stone crossed a certain line, it suddenly disappeared.

It's true!

"Since it's Different Space, we need to work together even more," Jin Fei said. "Who knows, there might be a huge monster waiting for us once we step across that line!"

Mu Ning shook her head. "Although I can't sense what's behind the intersection, I can clearly feel the line at that intersection. Its fluctuations aren't as stable as those of the Otherworld Gate; they change every moment. I speculate that even if we choose the same path, after crossing that line, we'll be teleported to different spaces."

"What if they enter at the same time?" Rolf asked.

"These spatial fluctuations are continuous; it's impossible to achieve complete synchronization." Zhuge Chi shook his head. "If Mu Ning's prediction is correct, no matter what we choose, we will ultimately have to act alone... In that case, we should indeed choose the path that suits us better."

"We'll see if we try." Ma Lei clenched her fists in front of her chest, her knuckles cracking. "I'm going to challenge the Greed Road. Anyone want to come along? Let's go in and see what's going on, then I'll come back and report to you."

"There's no guarantee of success." Mu Ning shook her head. "If that fluctuation really does cause you to be teleported to different spaces, it means that once you go in, you probably won't be able to return the way you came."

"Then the problem is simple," O'Toss laughed. "I'll go in with this lady. If we come back within a minute, we can bring back the information. If not, it proves your guess was correct."

That's one way. After some simple preparations, the two headed toward the Greed Road, and stopped at the boundary line at Mu Ning's reminder.

"Is this the place?" O'Toss asked.

"It's about thirty centimeters in front of you," Mu Ning said.

O'Toss reached out to test it, but after passing through, he felt nothing and could still see the hand.

"Is it really here?" O'Toss asked, turning around.

"As I said, this Space Gate isn't stable," Mu Ning explained. "You need to completely pass through it for it to be considered a complete crossing."

It seemed impossible to peek inside. Just as the two were about to go in, Jin Fei suddenly rushed over. "Wait, give me your hands, I'll hold you."

Upon hearing that this was a good idea, the two of them each took one of Jin Fei's hands and slowly crossed the boundary line.

However, the moment the two of them crossed the line completely, Jin Fei felt his hands go empty, and their hands, along with their entire bodies, disappeared before everyone's eyes.

Jin Fei quickly withdrew his hand. "So it seems that even if we enter hand in hand, we'll still be transported to different places, right?"

The group waited outside for a minute, but O'Toss and Ma Lei still hadn't come out, which basically confirmed that Mu Ning's judgment was correct.

"Pairing up is pointless now; everyone should choose the path that suits them best." As he spoke, Zhuge Chi gave Jin Fei a special look. "Be careful not to challenge your weaknesses."

"Oh, I was just kidding." Jin Fei waved his hand with a smile, then turned to Luo Jun: "By the way, 'Night,' which path are you planning to take?"

Although the men had different temperaments and personalities, they were all at least officially registered, so we knew a little about their backgrounds. Only this man remained mysterious, his origins unknown. Perhaps we could glean some information from the path he chose?

Luo Jun glanced at him, then casually pulled out a small knife, tossed it into the air, and after it landed, the tip of the knife pointed directly at the Lust Road in the middle. He then picked up the knife and decisively walked towards the center.

"So casually?" Jin Fei was stunned for a moment. He instinctively wanted to follow, but after hesitating for a while, he sighed and chose the left Anger Road.

The others also made their choices and disappeared one by one at the crossroads, leaving only Ophelia in the end.

The strangely behaving nun kept her head down and walked toward the Anger Road, but when she was almost there, she suddenly turned back and walked toward the Greed Road... But when she was about to cross the line, she turned back again, hesitated for a few seconds, and finally stepped onto the Lust Road.

(End of this chapter)