Golden Kingdom

After he activated the Doom-Bringing Raven's ability, three choices appeared before Yang Qizhou again.

Waiting where he was was out of the question.

There was no point in staying. He'd only get killed by the Resentful Maiden, Aliceina, all over again. Worse, she might camp his respawn point, and then he'd be screwed. Until she finished venting her anger, he could forget about playing normally.

That left only two options: keep going toward Dark Fog Town or return to Fire-Stealing Village and report to Lena.

"The Doom-Bringing Raven's ability has already been used. There won't be another chance to rewind until a new choice appears, so this time I really have to make a decision between the two."

"Returning to Fire-Stealing Village is the safest choice."

"You can tell from the descriptions alone how terrifying the Wilderness is. It's crawling with evil creatures, twisted life, Old God worshippers, and hidden entities. It's like stepping on a land mine every other step. Sooner or later, one of them is bound to blow you up."

"But the Divine Path back to the village is still there, protected by the gods. The horrors of the Wilderness can't harm you on it, so it's clearly much safer."

"Once I'm back in the village, I can tell Lena that the Divine Path has been severed and discuss what to do next."

"So my choice is..."

Yang Qizhou chose "1," continuing onward by following the signposts toward Dark Fog Town.

Danger and opportunity went hand in hand. Yang Qizhou understood that. Returning to Fire-Stealing Village might seem like the safest option, but it would also bring him the least in return. Continuing toward Dark Fog Town meant crossing the mysterious, unknown Wilderness, but if he made it and unlocked a new area, the rewards would be immense.

Besides, he had his reasons for making this choice.

[Garment of the Hidden World] effect activated...

"You put on the Garment of the Hidden World. Now, no one can identify you without your permission. You can also enter a hidden state in which no one can perceive you. This effect will automatically end if you attempt to interact with reality."

"You entered a hidden state."

"The near-legendary Old Day Item's effects were powerful. You felt confident you could easily cross the mysterious, unknown Wilderness and reach Dark Fog Town to complete Lena's request."

"You left the Divine Path and continued toward the signposts for Dark Fog Town."

"You continued on your way."

"You came across a giant serpent. Since you were hidden, it didn't notice you."

"You continued on your way."

"You were still making your way forward."

"You saw Aliceina. It turned out she'd sensed your presence and was searching along the Divine Path. This goes to show you should never offend a woman who holds a grudge."

"You were hidden, so Aliceina didn't notice you. She left in a huff, full of resentment."

Nice.

Yang Qizhou was in a great mood. He took another big swig of cola, his heart pounding with excitement.

Besides the two gods, Lord of the Dreamy Hidden World and Mother of Beauty and Fertility, Aliceina was the most terrifying boss he'd encountered so far. She could make Fire-Stealing Village decay in an instant, and her roar could kill twisted life within a hundred meters. Her power was downright despair-inducing.

If she couldn't see through his disguise, then the near-legendary Old Day Item really was worth its weight in gold. The Garment of the Hidden World was the best.

"Dark Fog Town, here I come!"

Yang Qizhou thought this run was in the bag.

He continued playing.

"You escaped Aliceina's pursuit and breathed a sigh of relief. Your confidence surged, and you thought that with the Garment of the Hidden World, you could reach Dark Fog Town without any trouble."

"You continued on your way."

"You hummed a tune as you went."

"You encountered a Wandering Undead of the Wilderness and even waved cheekily at him. The Wandering Undead of the Wilderness didn't notice you in your hidden state."

"You grew even more pleased with yourself."

"You continued on your way."

"You encountered a Giant as big as a small mountain. You were hidden, so it didn't notice you."

"The Giant didn't notice you. As it walked by, it accidentally stepped on you and crushed you to pulp."

"You died."

????

"Motherfu—" Yang Qizhou angrily slammed his fist on the desk. He'd thought that if he could fool even Aliceina, who might be an Old God worshipper, then reaching Dark Fog Town with the Garment of the Hidden World would be a piece of cake.

But it turned out...

He really hadn't been noticed. The problem was that the Giant was so huge it had stepped on his character and killed him.

So he really was an ant.

Still, this was a wake-up call for Yang Qizhou. The Garment of the Hidden World was powerful, but it wasn't invincible. Plenty of things could still get his character killed.

The same went for reality.

"I hope things go smoothly today and I can reach Dark Fog Town. Please, no more surprises. My heart can't take it."

Muttering to himself, Yang Qizhou turned his gaze back to the game.

The death sequence was the same as before. His soul reached the River of Death and was watched by an unknown presence. But since he'd already used the Doom-Bringing Raven's ability on his previous choice, he couldn't rewind again and had to choose to respawn normally.

"You opened your eyes again on the ground of the Wilderness. Remembering how you'd been crushed to pulp, you couldn't help shuddering."

"You activated the Garment of the Hidden World again and set out for Dark Fog Town."

"You continued onward."

"You saw a small town, brightly lit, its residents laughing and talking. It looked prosperous."

"Of course, this wasn't your destination. You were still some distance from Dark Fog Town, and as far as you knew, this town shouldn't exist. Lena had said that the closest town to Fire-Stealing Village was Dark Fog Town."

"Another crossroads of fate appeared before you. The ever-adventurous explorer..."

"Would you enter this mysterious town, see what life was like there, and have a couple of drinks?"

"Or would you keep going toward Dark Fog Town and complete Lena's request?"

Another surprise?

As he'd expected from a trash game like World of Weirdness, the road to Dark Fog Town wasn't going to let the player relax. And now it seemed to be full of unexpected twists.

A mysterious town? Of course he had to check it out.

Yang Qizhou was different from other players. He wasn't afraid of making the wrong choice. With the Doom-Bringing Raven, he could always start over if things went badly.

"Am I using cheats that are a little too powerful?"

He said that, but Yang Qizhou had no intention of giving up the Doom-Bringing Raven. It was an official cheat he'd drawn through sheer skill. Why wouldn't he use it?

"You chose to enter the town and take a look."

"The town was warm and welcoming. The residents greeted you and brought out their finest fruit wine and most fragrant roasted meat."

"You remarked on how simple and honest the people seemed, then asked a little boy on your right what the town was called."

"The boy said this was Windbell Town. The residents had once suffered from the unknown horrors of the Wilderness, until an emissary from the Golden Kingdom arrived."

"He was an enforcer of the Court of Truth, a sword-bearer of order."

"He rewrote the laws of the town and led us to worship the True Blazing Sun hanging high in the sky. It protects us from the unknown horrors of the Wilderness."

"The town worshipped the 'sun'?"

"You felt your scalp prickle."