So that was it.
Dreaming could lead to serious trouble. Even gods were no exception.
The Ancient Earth was terrifying indeed.
"Good thing I'm a Fourth Calamity."
Yang Qizhou reined in his smugness and focused on the game again. So far, he had used two rewinds and one resurrection, which was enough to push the story a little further.
"You felt confused and asked what she meant."
"You saw Lena's expression turn grave. She said what she was about to tell you was a taboo that shouldn't be spoken of lightly, and that learning it might bring misfortune."
"You replied that explorers never feared death."
"Lena gave you a long look, then finally revealed the secret she knew."
"It turned out that dreaming itself wasn't a problem, but dreams could attract the attention of beings who wielded the corresponding 'authority.' They might be gods, evil gods, or ancient and powerful mysterious lifeforms. If they meant well, you might have a pleasant, wonderful dream. But if they harbored ill intent..."
"Lena didn't finish what she was saying, but you already understood."
"Lena soon left. The Ancient Fire-Stealing God had encountered an unknown crisis in the dream, and the divine protection was about to fade. On top of that, the Fire-Stealing Priest had died. She had to deal with all of it."
"You returned to the lodgings Yixiu had arranged for you."
"Night was drawing near. You took out the 'Ancient God Fire Lamp' and used 'Fire-Stealing' to ward off the horrors in the darkness."
"The next morning,"
"You noticed that the scenery in Fire-Stealing Village looked somewhat dim. The Sacred Fire in the Basin, which had once symbolized the 'Ancient Fire-Stealing God,' was much fainter than before. The villagers were all terrified, and even the little girl you'd spoken to earlier had lost her usual liveliness. In the distance, you could just make out a terrifying figure prowling outside the village. It had drawn very close, and its hateful gaze was fixed on the village."
It was still lurking out there?
All because you'd tricked it out of the "Night Watcher Remains" and deceived it once? What a grudge to hold.
Yang Qizhou was speechless. The text didn't say who the figure prowling outside Fire-Stealing Village was, but he didn't need to think hard to know. It had to be Aliceina, the suspected follower of an Old God.
The woman clearly still held a grudge over the game character's deception. She wouldn't be satisfied until she killed him several times.
Yang Qizhou shifted his position on the sofa and continued playing.
"Lena happened to arrive just then. She looked at the terrifying figure outside Fire-Stealing Village, her expression grave. She said the Night Watcher squad had long known that an unknown horror was watching the village from the Wilderness. Many Night Watchers who had investigated the 'Moonlight Ancient God Altar' had died at its hands, but they didn't know where it came from."
"You showed curiosity about the strange state of Fire-Stealing Village and asked Lena what had happened."
"You saw Lena's expression grow grave. Her body trembled, and her voice could no longer remain calm."
"She replied that, just as the 'Fire-Stealing Priest' had prophesied, something had gone terribly wrong with the Ancient Fire-Stealing God. Its divine domain was shrinking, and its protection was fading. In five days at most, the 'Sacred Fire in the Basin' would vanish completely. Then the horrors of the Wilderness would overwhelm Fire-Stealing Village."
"You expressed your regret."
"Lena turned her eyes toward you and blinked her beautiful eyes, making it hard for you to stay calm, since you had never been able to resist a pretty face."
"She formally asked you to undertake a commission. She hoped you could cross the mysterious and unknown Wilderness via the Divine Path and reach Dark Fog Town to seek help. Lena said she would offer a satisfactory reward in return."
"Without thinking, you almost blurted out, 'I don't want a reward. I only want you.'"
"But you didn't want to get beaten up."
"You held back."
"So, explorer, you who were always making improper advances toward the lovely Lena, another fork in your fate appeared."
"You could refuse Lena's commission, say you were leaving Fire-Stealing Village right away, and then run for it."
"Accept Lena's commission and generously say you didn't need a reward."
"Accept Lena's commission and say that if she offered you the secret of the 'Blasphemy Slate' as payment, you'd make the trip."
"Accept Lena's commission and say that if she offered the 'Night Watcher Remains' as payment, you'd make the trip."
"Accept Lena's commission and tell her to give you whatever reward she thought appropriate."
"Or accept Lena's commission, but insist that she come with you."
"Please make your choice."
Holy crap, did they really need to break it down into so many options?
Yang Qizhou was stunned. Even the previous time, when he learned the secret of the "Fire-Stealing Priest," there had only been four choices at most. This time, there were a whole six.
Now Yang Qizhou had no choice but to think carefully about what to pick.
After all, the "Doom-Bringing Raven" could only give him one chance to undo a mistake. If he chose wrong twice, the rest of the game would probably be miserable.
He quickly decided to choose the third storyline.
The reason was simple: he'd already been curious about "Wizards" and wanted to know what they had done to become so hated by both gods and ghosts across the Ancient Earth. The "Blasphemy Slate" recorded secrets about "Wizards," which was right up his alley.
As for the "helping others" route, where he generously said he needed no reward, and the "travel together" route, which was clearly about winning Lena over—
Yang Qizhou rejected them both.
Come on, this wasn't a blockbuster game with cinematic cutscenes. It was just a text game. No matter how beautifully Lena was described, he couldn't see her. And what use was a woman in a game with a Lovecraftian setting?
Having made his choice, he continued playing.
"Curious explorer, you had already made up your mind. You told 'Lena' that you were very interested in the Blasphemy Slate."
"You saw Lena's expression grow grave. She hesitated, worried about the risks. But thinking of the villagers' lives, she finally made the difficult decision. She said that once the crisis facing 'Fire-Stealing Village' had passed, she would take you to where the Blasphemy Slate was."
"Lena then proposed an 'Oath Ritual': under the witness of the King of Oaths, one of the three Kings of Ancient Gods who ruled the Radiant Kingdom, you would sign an unbreakable oath."
"You had never heard of the 'King of Oaths' or the 'Radiant Kingdom,' so you asked Lena about them curiously."
"Lena didn't hold back and answered your question."
"The Radiant Kingdom was the oldest and most powerful divine realm on the Ancient Earth, home to many ancient gods. Since the beginning of creation, they had protected humanity through countless calamities, including the turning of the ages. The rulers of the Radiant Kingdom were the three most exalted Kings of Ancient Gods."
"Lena continued, saying that Fire-Stealing Village was also within the territory of the Radiant Kingdom. It was simply so close to the Wilderness and so far from the radiance of the gods that their protection here was so weak."
"Stunned by this information, you gladly agreed to Lena's proposal."
"You soon completed the oath ritual, and Lena told you the Divine Road Signpost for 'Dark Fog Town.'"
"You obtained the Divine Road Signpost for 'Dark Fog Town.'"
Yang Qizhou's eyes lit up. The world of the Ancient Earth had finally revealed the tip of the iceberg.
The text had revealed quite a lot. Fire-Stealing Village lay within the territory of the Radiant Kingdom, but it was so far away that the radiance of the gods couldn't reach it. And as one of the three Kings of Ancient Gods who ruled the Radiant Kingdom, the King of Oaths might be among the most powerful of the gods.
A new map was finally opening, too. "Dark Fog Town" was clearly a town-level instance, and it should offer better rewards.
Yang Qizhou sat up, filled with energy.
The game continued.
"'Fire-Stealing' drove away the horrors of the night. Early the next morning, you arrived at the Divine Road Signpost leading to 'Dark Fog Town,' where Lena came to see you off."
Before you continue