The Mother Goddess Flower Seed of the Dream Realm

The crow's feathers were pitch-black, with a streak of white around its neck. Its beak was curved and sharp. As if sensing Yang Qizhou's gaze, it tilted its head and blinked. It was actually alive.

Was this the Doom-Bringing Raven?

Yang Qizhou wasn't stupid. He immediately connected it to the Fate Blessing in World of Weirdness.

Things from the game had appeared in the real world.

Yang Qizhou felt as if he were dreaming.

"Brother Qizhou, what are you doing? Why haven't you opened the door yet? Stop doing your right-hand exercises and let me in already. I've got too many snacks to carry."

The childish voice rang out again from beyond the door.

Yang Qizhou's face darkened. Little Bean was so young—where had he learned all this nonsense?

The Doom-Bringing Raven on the back of his hand was too conspicuous. It looked like he'd have to wear gloves whenever he went out.

Just then, Yang Qizhou noticed the Doom-Bringing Raven had disappeared. It hadn't vanished, though; it had simply hidden itself, as if it had heard its master's thoughts.

Yang Qizhou had countless questions. What was the mysterious World of Weirdness? Were there other players besides him? Did the Ancient Earth really exist?

But with someone shouting outside, he could only set those questions aside for now and open the door.

A girl of about seven stood outside, her hair tied into twin ponytails and her cheeks round and rosy. She held a large bag of snacks in her hands. Her big eyes blinked as she saw the door open, and she walked in, complaining as she went.

"Brother Qizhou, you took way too long. Couldn't you stop your right-hand exercises for a minute?"

The girl was named Ding Xiaolan, and she was the landlady's daughter. Since she was young and small, Yang Qizhou had casually nicknamed her Little Bean. Her mother and she knew that Yang Qizhou was struggling to make a living on his own in Kyoto, so they looked after him. Sometimes they'd make dumplings or cook a nice meal and invite him over.

Perhaps because Yang Qizhou carried himself with a bit of a roguish air, he got along especially well with Ding Xiaolan.

"Who taught you all this nonsense?" Yang Qizhou scowled. The little girl was becoming more and more uninhibited.

Ding Xiaolan tilted her head. "Lots of adults say it. If a man locks the door, there's a good chance he's doing right-hand exercises, because it makes him feel happy."

Whoever said that, I hope he dies a hundred times over.

"Anyway, Brother Qizhou, look! I brought lots of snacks. Of course, they're not all for you. You can pick three, no, two, no, one... That's right, just one. I'm being very generous."

"You're usually so protective of your snacks. What made you decide to share some with me today?"

"Well, I heard Mom say you lost your job and you're really sad now, so I came to cheer you up."

Warmth welled up in Yang Qizhou's heart. If it weren't for Ding Xiaolan and her mother looking after him, he might have been driven out of Kyoto long ago.

Then he'd just pick one.

A strange feeling suddenly came over Yang Qizhou. The Doom-Bringing Raven was watching him, and the thought gave him a bold idea.

"I'll take the cucumber-flavored chips."

"Huh? That's weird, Brother Qizhou. You're acting strange. Before, you would've taken all my chips. Are you really the same Brother Qizhou? Did someone possess you?"

Yang Qizhou's face darkened. "Was I really so vicious that I'd steal snacks from a little kid like you?"

Ding Xiaolan nodded solemnly.

"Yep."

All right. He had, in fact, behaved that badly when teasing Little Bean in the past.

After handing over the snacks, Ding Xiaolan earnestly tried to cheer Yang Qizhou up. It wasn't until a very beautiful woman came to pick her up that the room finally fell quiet.

The Doom-Bringing Raven reappeared on the back of his hand. Yang Qizhou's roguish smile faded, his gaze turning serious as he looked at the cucumber-flavored chips in his hand. After a moment, he put them in the wardrobe.

"If my guess is right, something extraordinary is about to happen."

"Doom-Bringing Raven."

"I want to choose my chips again."

Yang Qizhou suddenly felt a searing heat on the back of his hand. The scene before him turned illusory and twisted, chaotic and irregular, impossible to describe. The world seemed to melt in the heat.

A rosy-cheeked girl appeared before him, her hair tied into twin ponytails and her big eyes blinking. Trying to hide how much it pained her, she opened the bag to show him the snacks. It was Ding Xiaolan, who should already have left.

"Brother Qizhou, look! I brought lots of snacks. Of course, they're not all for you. You can pick three, no, two, no, one... That's right, just one. I'm being very generous."

The familiar scene and familiar words were as if time had turned back and yesterday were happening all over again. Yang Qizhou had been prepared for it, but when the Doom-Bringing Raven's power activated and it all became real, he still looked horrified.

"Brother Qizhou, you look scary. Are you going to take all my snacks? No way! I'm putting up a fight this time!"

Ding Xiaolan clutched the snacks protectively, like a little dog.

Yang Qizhou fought down his shock. "I'll just pick one. I'm not taking your snacks."

"That's better. Go ahead."

This time, Yang Qizhou chose the wasabi-flavored chips. After they chatted for a bit, the beautiful woman came to pick Ding Xiaolan up again, just as before. It was as if two worldlines had overlapped and fate had gone awry, leaving him momentarily dazed.

After Ding Xiaolan left, Yang Qizhou opened the wardrobe. The cucumber-flavored chips he'd gotten in the previous worldline were still there.

He placed the wasabi-flavored chips beside the cucumber-flavored ones, returned to the sofa, and immediately picked up his phone to keep playing the game. If he still didn't realize that World of Weirdness was more than just a game, he'd be an idiot.

A sense of urgency rose in Yang Qizhou's heart. The Ancient Earth held more than the Doom-Bringing Raven. There were also the ancient Dominators of the past, twisted deities, indescribable horrors, and more. Now that even the Doom-Bringing Raven had appeared, would those strange, ineffable beings descend into the real world as well?

Or had they already appeared, without him knowing?

Pale text continued to scroll.

"You found an inscription at the base of the strange statue. Still full of yourself, you stepped closer to examine it."

"You couldn't recognize the writing and felt disappointed. The power of fate took effect once more, and you were able to understand the words."

"This is the Moonlight Ancient God's sacrificial ground. This ancient deity had existed since the previous era and possessed immeasurable divine power. The Moonlight Ancient God protected the Hundred Tribes of the Forest through the cataclysm of the transition between eras. Whenever moonlight bathed the land, the Moonlight Ancient God's followers would gather at the sacrificial ground and offer devout prayers."

"You find it strange. Since the Moonlight Ancient God was a mighty deity of the Ancient Earth, capable of protecting the Hundred Tribes of the Forest through the transition between eras, why is the sacrificial ground so desolate? You suspect this ancient deity may have perished."

"The explorer's greedy nature takes over. Unwilling to leave empty-handed, you search around the Moonlight Ancient God's sacred statue."

"You found the 'Mother Goddess Flower Seed of the Dream Realm.'"

"Would you like to pick it up?"

"Yes/No."

You found something! Yang Qizhou immediately chose Yes.

"You picked up the 'Mother Goddess Flower Seed of the Dream Realm.' The Moonlight Ancient God's sacred statue suddenly collapsed, crushing you into a pulp."

"You died."