Just as expected, he died without a hitch.
Yang Qizhou felt nothing at all. If anything, he wanted to laugh. In a weird-world game, if a player didn't die a few times a day, the game was garbage and deserved a one-star review.
Yang Qizhou checked the item he'd just obtained.
Mother Goddess Flower Seed of the Dream Realm (Epic): A seed from the Dream Realm, born from the authority of the "Mother of Beauty and Fertility." It bears the aura of the "Dream Realm's Ruler." This plant should exist only in dreams, yet for some reason it has appeared in the waking world. Effect: It can make you pregnant and give birth to offspring imbued with the power of dreams. Note: No gender restrictions.
???
So men could use it too? Was this the legendary "man-mom"?
Yang Qizhou nearly tossed his phone aside. In an ordinary game, he'd have thought this item had a real Lovecraftian vibe. Being both father and mother sounded hilarious, and he'd have used it without a second thought. But [World of Weirdness] wasn't an ordinary game. What happened to a character could feed back onto the player.
Imagining his belly rapidly swelling as he carried a child for ten months and became both father and mother gave Yang Qizhou goosebumps.
He tried to take out the "Mother Goddess Flower Seed of the Dream Realm." As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a seed appeared in his palm. It was about the size of a billiard ball, purple, with dark spiral patterns.
"So it really works like that. The benefits players get in the game can all manifest in reality."
Yang Qizhou put the dangerous item that could make a man a mother back with his character, then continued playing.
Pale text scrolled across the screen.
"Explorer, who could even be killed by a rock, your soul has once again arrived before the turbulent, gray River of Death. Countless spirits sleep eternally in its depths, and you are about to become one of them."
"The power of fate remains. The flame of protection still flickers. You can rewrite the ending of your death."
"The 'Doom-Bringing Raven' is calling. A bizarre revelation echoes in your mind: the power to blaspheme against fate can take you back to the moment before you picked up the 'Mother Goddess Flower Seed of the Dream Realm.'"
"So, Explorer who was killed by a rock, will you rewrite the ending of your death and be reborn in the Ancient Earth, or use the power of the 'Doom-Bringing Raven' to make your choice again?"
"Of course, you can also choose to sink into the River of Death."
Just as expected, his soul had arrived at the River of Death, and the game was offering him a chance to revive. The Doom-Bringing Raven had taken effect. But why the hell did it have to emphasize the words "killed by a rock"?
Yang Qizhou gritted his teeth. He felt like the narration was sneering at the player between the lines.
It took him a while to calm down. Then Yang Qizhou gave it some serious thought.
"There should've been more than just the 'Mother Goddess Flower Seed of the Dream Realm' near the Moonlight Ancient God's statue. There were probably other side quests, but with the statue collapsed, those questlines likely no longer exist."
"But..."
"I've got the 'Doom-Bringing Raven.' It can not only restart the timeline, but also let me keep the benefits I got before."
"Scoring free loot is fun."
"So naturally, I should go for twice the fun."
Yang Qizhou chose the effect of the "Doom-Bringing Raven." Uses remaining today: 3.
"Vile Explorer, who knows nothing but how to use cheats. You activated the 'Doom-Bringing Raven's' ability and returned to the moment before picking up the 'Mother Goddess Flower Seed of the Dream Realm.'"
"You found the 'Mother Goddess Flower Seed of the Dream Realm' again. Would you like to pick it up?"
"Yes/No."
Who wanted to be a man-mom? Yang Qizhou already couldn't stand the "Mother Goddess Flower Seed of the Dream Realm" in his possession, let alone getting it again. Rather than pick up a burden that had an "Epic" rating but was useless to him, he'd rather keep searching for other possibilities.
"You restrained the Explorer's itchy-fingers instinct and chose not to pick up the 'Mother Goddess Flower Seed of the Dream Realm.' You searched the area around the Moonlight Ancient God's statue again."
"You found nothing and cursed the Moonlight Ancient God for being a cheapskate."
"You turned your attention to the Moonlight Ancient God's statue."
"You thought the inscription on the base would be valuable and decided to chisel it off. You made a mistake and damaged the stone slab in the process. You thought this would greatly reduce its value, and flew into a rage."
"Just as you were feeling dejected, you spotted a strange bronze ring embedded in the base. A hazy glow seemed to flow across it."
"You found 'Kanrui's Wizard Ring.' Would you like to pick it up?"
"Yes/No."
Just as expected. Aside from the "Mother Goddess Flower Seed of the Dream Realm," there were other things to be found near the Moonlight Ancient God's statue.
In a good mood, Yang Qizhou chose to pick it up.
"You picked up 'Kanrui's Wizard Ring.' The ancient power of protection faded, and the 'Mother Goddess Flower Seed of the Dream Realm' began to bloom. The Moonlight Ancient God's statue became pregnant."
"The Moonlight Ancient God's statue gave birth to a Dream Offspring."
"The Dream Offspring dragged you into a dream and tortured you to death."
"You died."
Well, now. That was quite something.
Yang Qizhou had thought being a man-mom was already outrageous, but apparently there were even more bizarre tricks. They'd made a stone pregnant. The World of Weirdness was terrifying indeed.
Kanrui's Wizard Ring (Common): Kanrui was once a powerful wizard active in the previous era, but perished in the cataclysm that accompanied the transition between eras. The ring's once-powerful energy had also drained away over the endless years. Perhaps you can find a way to repair it. Effect: You can see in the dark. Your body is strengthened when bathed in moonlight.
A trash item. It was only Common, nowhere near as good as the "Mother Goddess Flower Seed of the Dream Realm."
Still, its properties after being repaired might be worth looking forward to.
Yang Qizhou thought about it, and a bronze ring soon appeared in his hand. Unfortunately, it wasn't night yet, and there was no moonlight, so he couldn't test its effects.
"The ring has the power of moonlight. Could this wizard Kanrui be the Moonlight Ancient God?"
"But that doesn't add up. The wizard Kanrui perished in the cataclysm of the previous era, while the Moonlight Ancient God was the deity who protected the Hundred Tribes of the Forest through the calamity that ended the era."
"Of course, there's another possibility."
"Wizard Kanrui was killed by the Moonlight Ancient God."
Yang Qizhou felt that the whole thing was shrouded in mystery, but he didn't pay it much mind. The vast world of the Ancient Earth was waiting for him to explore. The ancient gods and countless indescribable beings had yet to be revealed, and he still didn't know why looking at the sun could kill him. There was no need to spend too much time thinking about the grudge between Wizard Kanrui and the Moonlight Ancient God.
When the time came, he'd find out.
The game continued.
"You arrived at the River of Death with practiced ease, about to sink into its depths and sleep eternally."
"The power of fate remains immense. The flame of protection has not yet died out. Will you rewrite the ending of your death and return to the waking world, or choose to sink into the River of Death?"
"The 'Doom-Bringing Raven' is calling, revealing that you still have one chance to blaspheme against fate. You can return to the moment before picking up 'Kanrui's Wizard Ring.'"
"So, Explorer, who's both lousy and greedy and uses cheats—what will you choose?"
Before you continue