Disappointment and amnesia

In reality, in a desolate mountain in Unknown Province and City.

The barren mountain was no longer what it once was. The already sparse forests had turned into Rotten Wood, and as far as the eye could see, it was a scene of decay.

Amidst this desolate landscape, a pair of long, gleaming white legs were rhythmically swinging back and forth on a massive tree stump.

Her fine, bluish-white hair fluttered in the wind, and the Daggers in her hand spun and twirled.

Such a tranquil and leisurely scene, if it weren't for the "wooden stake" standing nearby who dared not speak out, would truly be considered peaceful.

Unfortunately, the person who ruined all the beauty didn't feel "guilty," because the "wooden stake" belonged here, while that color clearly belonged to an outsider!

Outsiders deserve to die!

However, if the outsider brings an imperial edict... that wouldn't be out of the question either.

Indeed, the person silently staring blankly while brandishing Daggers is Poison. This [Filth and Decay] Chosen of God, devoid of desire, is idly occupying someone else's territory and relaxing himself.

Qu Yan stood silently to the side, waiting.

Just like his name, and just like the current situation, he remains silent and resigned.

After the Special Trial ended, Poison came here. This was not her first time here. After she and Chameleon found their second Faith under the Lord Foolish Play, they "spontaneously and instinctively" formed a subtle alliance.

Poison felt this was weak players banding together for warmth, while Qu Yan believed that subordinates should unite as one, only in this way could they solve Lord Foolish Play's problems and please the gods.

Therefore, when Poison said that he had encountered Lord Foolish Play again and brought him an imperial edict, Qu Yan remained silent.

This isn't a matter of resistance, because he already Faith [Silence].

Just by looking into those excited eyes, you could tell that the other person was not at peace. He desperately wanted to know what Lord Foolish Play had said, but Poison wouldn't say, and just kept emptying his mind in the mountains.

Only after the sun had set and the mountain wind had grown cold did she put away her Daggers and smile as she said to Qu Yan:

"I told the master a big secret, and as a reward, he gave me you, this little Chameleon, as his subordinate."

Before the words were finished, Poison flew up, a flash of silver light from the dagger between his Daggers, deflecting a Withered Vine Thorn Arrow, then flipped back and landed steadily on the decaying leaves, saying in a mocking tone:

"What, are the Chameleon rebelling?"

Qu Yan's face darkened, and he ignored the other party.

He knew that Lord Foolish Play wouldn't make such a decision. He might not understand Fool's Game, but he understood himself.

Players like myself, who are "unknown," are unlikely to be mentioned by adults unless they encounter them. Otherwise, the other party wouldn't have refrained from assigning me any other tasks for so long.

He knew the Poison was deceiving him, but he still held onto hope; after all, who could resist following a god in this game?

Unfortunately, when the Poison uttered those words, Qu Yan's expectations were shattered. He put away his bow and arrows, sat cross-legged on the ground, and closed his eyes.

Seeing that he had lost his fun, Poison sighed with a complicated expression, sat down on the ground with Qu Yan, and shook his head, saying:

"What exactly does the lust for power taste like?"

I'm not lying to you. I did see the adult, and I did tell him a secret.

Drachirko is dead. Before he died, he took my desires with him. Now I am like you, a 'silent' Believer, unsure how to 'express' myself.

Qu Yan remained unmoved, seemingly not recognizing Drachirko.

Seeing that the conversation was going nowhere, Poison sighed again, looked into the distance, and said softly:

Sometimes I envy people like you. You don't know anything, but you can be full of energy for the goal of becoming stronger.

But what's the point of trying so hard? In the end, won't we all just die a confused and meaningless death at the end of an era?

If I told you that there is no hope left in this world, that everything you see is just a wedding dress woven for others, and that gods are fighting over a Fool's Game, would you still feel that your life, your game, has any meaning?

"..."

Qu Yan remained silent.

Poison didn't expect any response. She didn't know what she was doing or what she should be doing. She just instinctively wanted to continue her game mode and try her best to play the role of her original self.

Seeing that it was getting late, she stood up, dusted herself off, and left without a word.

After the Poison figure disappeared, Qu Yan raised an eyebrow and took out a pair of earplugs from his Ear.

Yes, he didn't hear what Poison was saying after that. After Poison tricked him once, he never wanted to hear this "wicked woman's" lies again.

Indeed, the more beautiful a woman is, the less trustworthy she is.

Thank goodness I didn't listen.

Nothingness, a gap in the rules, beyond the world.

When a flaming greatsword shattered the tranquility of the place, a dark and indistinct face was revealed in the Transition light and shadow.

"Grand Marshal" Hu Wei.

This is the first time he's returned here since discovering it!

The reason he returned here was simple: he discovered that the Wooden Bell he used to connect with Wei Mu had disappeared.

As a player with an extensive network of connections, Hu Wei values the contact information of every "friend" extremely, especially those Chosen of God. So when he discovered that Wooden Bell had disappeared, he instinctively felt that something must have happened.

However, upon reviewing the entire Trials, he found nothing unusual, nor had any of his teammates had come into contact with him.

Although the tricksters orchestrated the entire Trials, he was certain he remained conscious throughout and never used the Wooden Bell. If so, how did it disappear?

Did Wei Mu tamper with the Wooden Bell Token he gave it to him, so that it would disappear over time?

He doesn't want to have any contact with me?

No, that's not right.

If this place is truly, as Wei Mu claims, a loophole in the rules that exists independently of the world, then its significance is immense. No matter how clever Wei Mu is, he couldn't possibly fail to find a collaborator for this, and he himself is the most suitable choice; he surely understands this.

So, how did the Wooden Bell get lost?

Hu Wei was completely baffled, so after the Trials ended, he risked returning here, hoping to find out if he had any undiscovered secrets or lost Memory.

But before he could even begin to explore, he saw a familiar figure appear under the distant Starry Sky.

Wei Mu!

The Puppet arrived almost immediately after him!

Upon seeing Wei Mu, Hu Wei was momentarily dazed. He couldn't help but wonder if he had forgotten the Memory of ringing the Wooden Bell just now.

But when Hu Wei saw the same question in the Puppet's eyes, his pupils contracted, realizing that something big must have happened!

The Puppet slowly floated to the Grand Marshal's side, and its first words revealed the reason why Hu Wei was there.

"The bell is lost?"

Hu Wei's expression changed, then he sighed, seemingly unsurprised, and said, "Yes, it seems you've already guessed what happened?"

Wei Mu shook his head, a rare occurrence for him.

"Strange, I always feel like I've done something incredibly Foolish Deed that I'll never forget, but I have absolutely no Memory."

I suspected it was the influence of [Memory], but when I discovered that the Wooden Bell that summoned [Folly] had disappeared, I ruled that out.

[Memory] may affect Mortals, but it cannot affect [Folly].

Even the [Folly] and incompetent cannot be bound by [Existence].

However, not all [Existence] belongs to this Starry Sky, so I followed my instinctive doubts and came here to see if time here has Change, and whether the synchronization inside and outside is no longer aligned.

But now, none of that matters anymore. The fact that I saw you means that something has indeed Change in this world that we are unaware of.

"Tell me, Grand Marshal, what have you been through lately? The timing is perfect; I suspect there's something wrong with the Special Trial."

Hu Wei listened intently, trying to keep up with Wei Mu's pace, but he still couldn't grasp the other's leaps of thought. In the end, he gave up thinking and focused only on answering the other's questions.

"A Trials Deception, neither ordinary nor particularly exciting, had an ending that surprised me, yet was also entirely logical..."

"Trials of [Deception]?" The Puppet paused, then nodded slightly. "It seems He has told another outrageous lie to deceive the world..."

A book only gets one chance; I should have written it more like an ending. What a pity.

Hehe~