Dawn Piercing the Dark Night

In reality, in an apartment in an unknown city and province.

Bailing woke up in bed, feeling the sunlight streaming through the window onto her cheeks, a slightly warm sensation.

She raised her hand and touched her face, pinching herself hard.

It hurt!

She wasn't dead.

The Final Gate was real.

She had survived again!

Joy first lit up her eyes, and she let out a giggle, but then the smile froze on her face, slowly fading.

Her eyes, devoid of their usual spark, stared at the white ceiling.

"Why did you choose Him?"

Cheng Shi's question kept circling in her mind, and she remembered her answer.

"Isn't it because I like him?"

Yes, wasn't it because she liked him?

But after all... what did she like?

She slowly got up, shedding her clothes as she had after previous trials. Standing naked before the mirror, she turned in a circle, examining the marks left on her body by Filth Fall.

The feeling of embracing desire wasn't unpleasant, but did she truly like it?

Perhaps.

Bailing gave a self-deprecating laugh and walked towards the bathroom.

This was an old, dilapidated apartment, but thanks to the combined prayers of the surrounding players, the hot water supply was still quite sufficient.

She turned the showerhead to its maximum setting and the temperature to its highest, letting the hot water cascade over her, turning her skin red.

She rubbed her body repeatedly with her hands, even though nothing could be scrubbed off her reddened skin, she continued to scrub with all her might.

Only when she collapsed in the bathroom, utterly exhausted, and fell asleep did this "torture" finally end.

In her dream, she seemed to return to the day the Gods descended. Facing the only choice before her, Bailing had asked with a naive confusion:

"If I believe in you, what should I do?"

She still remembered that captivating voice.

[Flesh, power, money, selfishness, greed, laziness... all will be desires you can pursue.]

"But I... I don't want to hurt anyone."

[Then bring others joy.]

Joy?

From that day on, a sensory hunter pursuing "carnal indulgence" was born.

She had never hurt anyone, only brought others...

Joy.

After an unknown number of hours, Bailing slowly woke up.

A smile returned to her face. She slowly got up, dried herself, and chose a brand new dress from the fitting room, leisurely putting it on.

For players, old clothes had only one destination: the trash can.

But Bailing never threw away her clothes. Each dress was like a memory tape, allowing her to recall the details of every trial.

She carefully hung up the dress, tidying it meticulously, and recalling every scene that had just transpired.

However, as she smoothed out the hem of the skirt, she suddenly discovered a letter tucked away in the folds of the hem.

A letter written on paper.

Bailing gasped, covering her mouth. She disbelievingly pulled out the letter and, with trembling hands, unfolded it.

The beautifully written script on the letter met her eyes, one character after another.

"An invitation... from the Fire Keeper?"

In reality, in a classroom in an unknown city and province.

Fang Shiqing picked up a piece of chalk and skillfully drew a symbol on the blackboard.

The moment she finished the stroke, the blackboard suddenly distorted into a pure black door. Without hesitation, her gaze firm, she walked into the door.

Beyond the door lay an endless void.

The instant she stepped through, invisible steps rose beneath her feet, guiding her to a designated place.

After walking only a few dozen steps, Fang Shiqing saw a "person" sitting opposite her. A "person" formed by flickering candlelight, sitting in a high place and looking down at her.

Feeling the gaze of this "person," Fang Shiqing shook her head and gave a wry smile:

"Do you have to be so over the top?"

"Qingqing, this is the treatment I deserve. I opened up a passage that even The Gods can't see to help you guys exchange information. Shouldn't you praise me every time we meet?"

"Stop, stop, stop. Praise you, praise the great Hope's Flame. But please, stop calling me Qingqing. It's annoyingly creepy."

"Okay, Qingqing."

"..." Fang Shiqing rubbed her forehead in exasperation. "Did he arrive?"

"He did. He's just ahead."

Fang Shiqing nodded and started to walk, but stopped after a couple of steps, turning back with a confused expression.

"By the way, why don't you call him 'Xinxin'?"

"..."

The Candlelight Man paused, answering awkwardly, "I'm afraid he'll beat me up..."

"Pfft." Fang Shiqing couldn't help but laugh out loud, and even her subsequent steps became much lighter.

Not long after, she saw the tall man in a brightly lit hall.

"You seem happy. Is there good news?"

"You're injured?" Fang Shiqing frowned slightly.

"A minor injury, nothing serious. I ran into a Chosen of Filth Fall and we exchanged blows twice."

The man said it casually, but anyone could imagine how terrifying the danger was with a little thought.

The difficulty of that segmented trial was almost beyond the imagination of ordinary players.

Fang Shiqing didn't ask any more questions, just nodded.

"Go ahead, time is precious."

"Mhm, I've sent out two new invitations. One is to the Doctor of Forgetfulness, and the other is to the Sense Hunter."

The man raised an eyebrow, looking a bit surprised. "A follower of Filth Fall?"

"Mhm, a follower of Filth Fall."

"And then?"

"The Doctor refused. The Hunter... probably won't."

"Oh?" The man's interest was piqued, and he chuckled, "Why?"

"Because her heartstrings are tuned just like yours and mine, filled with compassion and leaping with the symbols of hope."

"Are you sure she's a follower of Filth Fall?"

"I'm sure."

"Mhm... You're the Fire Seeker, so your word is final. Then, can I prepare a welcoming ceremony for our new companion?"

Fang Shiqing seemed to think of someone, but she shook her head, casting aside her stray thoughts, and nodded with a smile.

"She'll come."

In a residence in an unknown province and city in reality.

Xu Lu woke up with a scream, suddenly standing up from her desk, scattering the crystal ball and cards on it.

She struggled for a moment as if someone had grabbed her by the neck, only regaining her senses when her back hit the wall, realizing she was no longer in the trial.

This is...

The resting area?

When The Gods allocated fragmented activity zones to all players, the term "home" had essentially faded from people's minds.

Most players called their living spaces the resting area; some called it a temporary stop, or even a place to barely survive.

Xu Lu looked at her hands in disbelief, then quickly fumbled over herself.

But when she found herself alive and unharmed, the fear on her face became even more pronounced.

Why!?

Why was she dragged into the wrong Final Gate by someone surnamed Cheng, yet still alive?

Why, when he had the chance, did he not choose to kill her?

Why did Destiny's revelation tell her not to trust followers of Time? But judging by the outcome, the followers of Time were clearly right!

Why is this happening?

Could it be that Destiny's will is for me to die!?

By what right!!??

Ever since I began believing in Destiny, not a single day has passed where I haven't revered you, not a single day where I haven't praised you, not a single day where I dared to disobey you.

But in the end, you actually told me to die?

Why?!

Is this my destiny?

I refuse to accept it!

Fear and anger warred in Xu Lu's eyes, her unwillingness and hatred growing. She tightly gripped the Dice of Destiny in her hand, her face a mask of gloom, her expression shifting several times.

Xie Yang, on the rooftop, seemed to hear the commotion below. He leaned over the edge of the rooftop and asked anxiously:

"Lulu, Lulu? Are you okay? What happened?"

Xie Yang's call pulled Xu Lu back to some semblance of reason. She withdrew her hand, which had been about to throw the dice, and silenced herself with a hateful hiss.

Then, she quickly resumed her previous tone, responding with a wavering voice:

"Brother Xie, I'm fine. I just accidentally bumped into the table."

But from beginning to end, she didn't take a single step towards the balcony where Xie Yang could see her.

"It's good that you're fine, it's good that you're fine. Were you injured in the trial?"

"Thanks to your potions, Brother, I'm fine. It's just that the potions... seem to be used up."

"Ah? Oh! It's okay, I'll ask Cheng Shi for another bottle. He might still have one."

Cheng Shi!!

It's Cheng Shi again!!

Xu Lu's thoughts were a mystery, her eyes flashing with hatred several times. Finally, she said softly and weakly:

"Then... it won't trouble you, will it, Brother?"

"Hey, no trouble at all!"

Reality, outskirts of an unknown province and city.

A'ming lay on the ground, gazing up at the scorching sun, his mind in turmoil.

After receiving the decree from Order to eliminate the followers of Chaos, only to be countered by Huang Bo, he knew he was going to die.

Imprisoned on the wall by his enemies and subjected to inhuman torture, feeling his life ebb away, he had even despaired to the point of giving up.

But unexpectedly, just as he felt his life was about to dissipate, a snap of fingers from the depths of the void pulled his consciousness back to reality.

He woke up on the wall, completely unharmed.

Just as he had been when he first entered the trial.

A'ming looked at himself, his stats fully restored, and was filled with shock.

He ripped out the blood nails and struggled to jump down from the wall. He glanced at the time; there were 2 hours left.

Time?

A'ming suddenly understood.

It was the Doctor of Forgetfulness's doing, the trick of Time, a state reversal.

That doctor named Cheng Shi had saved him.

Praise be to Time, for allowing him to survive once more.

Afterwards, he searched everywhere for the Memory Gate and his teammates, only to find that his teammates had already left the trial.

What's more, outside each Memory Gate, they had left him guidance to the answers.

It was as if he had dreamt a dream, a dream where he was abused and about to die.

But after waking from the dream, the trial had automatically passed.

"Cheng Shi... thankfully, I have you..."