Those Trustworthy, Pitiful...

In reality, in an office building in Unknown Province and City.

Ji Yue didn't move the moment she opened her eyes.

She lay on the bed with her eyes glazed over, her pupils unfocused as she stared at the Pure White ceiling, her expression complex and inscrutable.

A short while later, there was a knock on the door.

"Thump thump thump—"

"The Ji Yue?"

It is Fang Jue.

Ji Yue withdrew her gaze, looked at the door, and softly called out, "Come in."

Fang Jue didn't push the door open; he simply turned the doorknob, leaned against the doorframe, and smiled jokingly at Ji Yue:

"You're different today. Everyone else has been out for a while, why are you still lying in bed?"

Another failure?

Clearly, Fang Jue knew what she was looking for, but the process had been going on for so long that the friends in the Mutual Aid Society were starting to worry about her.

Ji Yue sat up in bed, looked at the man in front of her who was almost a confidant, and suddenly smiled.

"Fail?

No, I succeeded.

"?"

Fang Jue was stunned, but then he burst out laughing.

"Don't try to scare me like that. You don't look like you've succeeded."

Before she could finish speaking, Ji Yue extended her hand in front of Fang Jue.

These slender, jade-like fingers moved nimbly in mid-air, and soon, wisps of blazing flames ignited at each fingertip.

Fire!

It's on fire!

Fang Jue seeing this, Fang Jue's pupils constricted, and he instantly stood up straight, exclaiming in disbelief:

"You really succeeded?"

The fires of war?

Are you the second Ji Yue?

Where is your original body?

Hearing this series of surprised and doubtful words, Ji Yue extinguished the flame at her fingertips, stared blankly at her hand, and her eyes became unfocused again.

"Success?

No, I failed.

"???" Fang Jue was stunned, standing there dumbfounded. "What does this mean?"

What's the meaning?

I don't know what He meant either.

Ji Yue gave a wry smile and looked at her player panel.

Ji Yue, female, 30 years old

[Path of Fate: Civilization]

[Faith: War]

[Class: Mage]

[Path to Godhood: 2604, Global Ranking:]

[Ladder of Audience: 181, Path of Fate Ranking: 34]

[Talent:

Truth Unseen (SS): Truth has renounced its gift, and impatience is the Foolish Deed that buries Truth. Scholar remains Scholar, but no longer walks the path of Truth; therefore, you may retain His blessings, but you will never again receive His gaze.

Yes, Ji Yue broke her vow.

In that Trials just now.

After drinking the "Twin Potion" that she had practiced countless times and could almost make with her eyes closed, she instantly fell into a critical, near-death state.

This is because the so-called Twin Potion never existed, and the records that remain in history are nothing more than the imagination and fabrication of later generations.

Without being able to verify much, and in the previous life-or-death crisis, Ji Yue had the courage to burn her bridges, but was not blessed with good fortune.

Or perhaps she once had it, but her good fortune left at some point.

Fortunately, at this critical moment, the guidance that [Truth] had given her once again saved her life.

The desolate battlefield she had hidden in the Void suddenly came to life, pulling her back from the Ghost Gate with its viscous blood and raging flames.

At that moment, with no other choice, Ji Yue grasped this only helping hand and, amidst the chants of Blood and Fire, renounced her vow to become the Mage of [War], the Purgatory Bishop.

Ji Yue slowly recounted the entire story, then stared into Fang Jue's eyes and asked softly:

"So tell me, did I succeed, or... fail?"

"..."

Success and failure may not be easily judged, but one thing is certain: Fang Jue has become a fool.

With a similarly complicated expression, he closed the door for Ji Yue, thinking that at this moment, perhaps what she needed was not company, but quiet.

Indeed, Fang Jue guessed correctly; Ji Yue did want some peace and quiet.

But she wasn't trying to calm herself down; she was considering Fang Shiqing's invitation.

An invitation from an organization called "The Fire Keeper".

"Interesting." Ji Yue shook her head and chuckled. She lit the flame at her fingertips again and stared at the leaping light, lost in thought.

"When I am able to light a fire, does that mean that I... have the qualifications and ability to Passing the Flame?"

The Void, the Fire-Keeping Path.

Fang Shiqing held the somewhat dim-looking Whispering Flower Petal in her hand and walked quickly up the steps that rose from the Void.

She sensed the power of existence emanating from the petals, so she wanted to deliver them to that person as quickly as possible, hoping he could think of a way to salvage the situation.

These petals were hard-won, and she would never forgive herself if they were to become worthless due to preservation issues.

But just as she was hurrying on her way, a "person" appeared above her head.

Hope's Flame!

This being who was protecting the Fire Keeper, hung upside down in mid-air and stopped face-to-face in front of Fang Shiqing, blocking her way.

Fang Shiqing stopped abruptly, her expression anxious, and said:

"Whatever new jokes you have, tell them when I get back, I'm really in a hurry."

However, upon hearing this, the Hope's Flame not only remained unmoved, but its flames intensified. It looked solemnly into Fang Shiqing's eyes, unusually serious, and said in a deep voice:

"Qingqing, your Memory has been tampered with."

"!!!"

Fang Shiqing's pupils contracted sharply, and a look of fear appeared on her pretty face.

Are you sure!?

She panicked. She began to recall everything that had happened to her recently, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find anyone who had tampered with her Memory.

It is important to know that the Hope's Flame promised the Fire Keeper that He would protect all Memory of the Passing the Flame from being altered, unless [He] himself did so...

Could it be...?

Did they make their move?

Who? [Memory]? Was I discovered by [Memory]?

When? Where? What did He know?

Has the Fire Keeper been exposed?

Fang Shiqing's body tensed abruptly, and her face turned deathly pale. Her eyes, filled with pleading, looked at the "Hope's Flame," begging for the answer she wanted.

But now it seems that this answer might not be what she wanted.

"Don't panic, it wasn't Him, at least not Him personally."

Let me see. Hmm, it is His creation, a very powerful creation.

Wow, someone has used His creations to erase your Memory, and just now, just now, during the Trials you were going through.

I saw someone familiar to you in your lost Memory. Uh, I didn't mean to look through your Memory, I just saw it by accident...

Upon hearing that it wasn't [Memory] who personally took action, Fang Shiqing's heart, which had been pounding in her throat, shrank back slightly. She clenched her fists and blurted out:

"Have we been exposed?"

"No, relax, we're still safe."

"Phew—that's good, that's good..."

Fang Shiqing felt her back was covered in sweat, her legs went weak, and she almost lost her strength and fell to the ground.

[The Hope's Flame] used divine Divine Power to stabilize her body and asked:

"Are you... prepared to reclaim these Memory?"

Fang Shiqing nodded with great certainty:

"Yes, I must get these Memory back. I need to know who I met and what I said in these lost Memory."

The safety of the Fire Keeper rests on my shoulders; I cannot allow myself to be deceived without understanding the situation.

[The Hope's Flame] nodded and gently snapped its fingers with its candle-shaped fingers.

"Smack!"

After a crisp sound, the vanished Memory surged back like a tidal wave, instantly overwhelming Fang Shiqing's consciousness.

At that moment when her consciousness Chaos, [Hope's Flame] chuckled softly and secretly snapped his fingers twice silently.