Again?
Yang Qizhou found the scenario strangely familiar. Hadn't he heard a cry for help on the way to Fire-Stealing Village, right after entering the game?
As it turned out, the person crying for help, Aliceina, was an unknown terror wandering the Wilderness, possibly an old god's follower who worshipped Lord of the Dark Night. In an earlier timeline, she had also tricked the game character into trusting her, followed him into the village, and wiped everyone out.
And now the game was pulling the same trick again.
Yang Qizhou thought for a moment, then made up his mind.
Let's go take a look...
What if the cry for help was a "key" to triggering the plot? Wouldn't he miss out if he ignored it?
Besides, with the "Doom-Bringing Raven" to rely on, even if the cry was a trap—a way for an unknown terror to lure in its prey—he could simply rewind to this moment and make a different choice, escaping the danger.
Yang Qizhou gave himself a mental thumbs-up for his brilliant analytical skills. If he lived in the Ke-style World, he'd surely be a famous detective.
Having made up his mind, Yang Qizhou chose "1."
The game text continued to refresh.
"You think the cry for help is simply too pitiful. It's full of despair, pain, and indignation. As a righteous adventurer, you can't just leave someone in such a plight."
"Of course, you wouldn't admit that you're willing to help because you want to see if you can get anything out of the person calling for help."
"Relying on the effect of the 'Garment of the Hidden World,' you evade numerous mutated residents of Dark Fog Town."
"You enter the temple."
"It is a magnificent temple. The walls gleam with a dazzling gold finish, and the glass is made of precious colored gemstones that cast a dreamlike light. Six statues stand on the temple's altar. One of them bears a sacred emblem with a burning flame. It looks familiar. Isn't this the symbol of the 'Ancient Fire-Stealing God'?"
"You only sweep a quick glance over the scene before you, then fix your gaze on what lies ahead. You can't look away."
"You're stunned by the sight before you."
"It's a monster like a giant ball of flesh, covered in boils and oozing pus and blood. It has six faces, and its limbs are so misshapen that words can't describe them. Ugliness, filth, distortion, and horror—all the things that repulse you have come together in this creature."
"The cry for help comes from this monster."
"Because of the 'Garment of the Hidden World,' the monster doesn't notice you. It continues to cry for help in a shrill, hoarse, nauseating voice."
"You fight the urge to turn and leave."
"You have too many questions. What disaster has befallen Dark Fog Town? Why have all the villagers twisted and mutated into monsters? This monster still seems to have some semblance of reason and can be spoken to. Perhaps it can give you all the answers."
"Of course, after your previous experience of being devoured by the residents of Dark Fog Town, you're prepared to die again."
So he'd gotten used to dying. That was a fact he couldn't deny. But could the game maybe not say it so casually, huh?
Yang Qizhou gritted his teeth at the mockery that seemed to seep from every line of the game text.
Too bad there was nothing he could do about it.
After all, you can't hit an enemy who doesn't even exist.
The game continued.
"You dispel the effect of the 'Garment of the Hidden World,' wave, and greet the enormous monster before you."
"You've already prepared yourself to die."
"You don't expect that your sudden appearance will startle the monster instead."
"You greet it and explain that you're a Traveler from the Wilderness. You were sent by Lena, the Night Watcher captain of 'Fire-Stealing Village,' to Dark Fog Town in search of resources. You heard the cries for help while wandering around, so you came here. You mean no harm."
"You see five of the monster's faces turn to look at another: the kindly face of a blue-eyed old man. It's as if they're asking him whether your words can be trusted."
"That face seems to be in unimaginable pain, its features already twisted. Its eyes flicker between lucidity and madness, and only now and then can it stay clear-headed long enough to look kind. He nods and says, in a slightly surprised voice, that the young man isn't lying."
"You see the other five faces light up with joy. One of them even laughs, but the pain is too intense, and their expressions soon twist again."
"The monster believes you so easily? That can't be right. You fall into thought."
"A middle-aged face notices your confusion and, struggling through the pain, explains in an awkward tone..."
"As it turns out, the kindly old man's face belongs to Arian, the leader of the 'Star-Color Cult.' He worships the 'Ancient Star-Color God,' who holds the upper reaches of the subconscious sea. He is a beacon in the ocean of the mind, blessed by the divine, and possesses the ability to discern lies."
"This old man's face belongs to the leader of an ancient god cult in Dark Fog Town?"
"You realize something, and your expression turns fearful."
"Because you've thought of a question."
"Then who are the other faces, and how did they end up looking like this?"
A mighty leader of an ancient god cult had ended up in this state. How awful.
Yang Qizhou didn't even need to refresh the next lines of text to guess the truth. Dark Fog Town was the regional center for more than a dozen villages in the Wilderness. Not only did the "Fire-Stealing Cult" live there, but followers of other ancient god cults did as well. The earlier text had already described the six statues and sacred emblems in the temple, representing six ancient gods. The monster had six faces, and one belonged to the leader of the "Star-Color Cult." The identities of the others were obvious.
Those six faces—
They were the leaders of Dark Fog Town's six great ancient god cults.
"Dark Fog Town was the regional center for Fire-Stealing Village, after all. Six great ancient god cults had established themselves there, and it was full of big shots. It had far more prestige than the likes of Lena and the other Night Watchers. Yet before anything even happened to Fire-Stealing Village, Dark Fog Town had already turned into this hellhole."
"Sure."
"This is so very Ancient Earth."
Yang Qizhou muttered to himself, thinking that even hearing about Ancient Earth through text was chilling. It was hard to imagine how terrible it must be to survive in that world.
Anyway, it had nothing to do with him. Back to the game, back to the game...
"The six faces on the monster notice your confusion and introduce themselves one after another. Besides Arian, the leader of the 'Star-Color Cult,' the other five are Petev, leader of the 'Fire-Stealing Cult'; Liezuowen, leader of the 'Fate-Commanding Cult'; Nalin, leader of the 'Dulu Cult'; Evans, leader of the 'Judgment Cult'; and Tulage, leader of the 'Frost Cult.'"
"You ask them what happened in Dark Fog Town and how it came to look like this."
"The six faces on the monster look visibly terrified."
"Trembling, they begin to explain!"
Before you continue