Fire-Stealing Village

Yang Qizhou glanced out the window. The night was deep, and the streets were deserted.

Conducting a census at midnight.

Who did they think they were fooling?

Panicking wouldn't help. He'd assess the situation first. Yang Qizhou drew a deep breath and went to the door, peering outside through the peephole.

What met his eyes was a man in a blue plaid outfit. A faint scar on his left cheek stood out, and he wore a white cap and a backpack. He also held a document folder, looking for all the world like a community worker conducting a census.

Bang, bang, bang.

"Sir, please open the door and cooperate with our work."

The knocking grew more urgent. After a long while without any response, the man outside grew increasingly impatient.

I've only just entered the World of Weirdness. Although I've obtained the Mother Goddess Flower Seed of the Dream Realm and Kanrui's Wizard Ring, I'm definitely far behind the veteran players. I mustn't make contact with anyone outside, or I'll lose the initiative.

Just then, the clock's hands ticked forward to midnight.

The uses of the Doom-Bringing Raven... had refreshed.

Yang Qizhou smiled.

"Sorry, brother outside the door. It seems we weren't meant to meet today, so I'll pass. If we get the chance another time, I'll treat you to a meal."

"Doom-Bringing Raven,"

"I want to choose again whether to search for the World of Weirdness..."

A raven's cry echoed through his mind. The scene before him warped, turned illusory, and shattered, as if the world were melting away.

When Yang Qizhou opened his eyes again, he found himself sitting in front of his computer. He had opened the search engine but hadn't entered anything yet. The time was exactly 11:27.

He... had gone back half an hour.

"Holy shit, that was intense. If I hadn't had the Doom-Bringing Raven's power to restart fate, I'd have been done for this time."

Yang Qizhou shuddered at the thought. The person knocking might have meant well, but that didn't stop him from assuming the worst. After all, the chain of suspicion described by the Dark Forest theory was eternal: the unknown was the enemy, an everlasting threat.

After midnight, when the Blasphemous Raven's uses refreshed, Yang Qizhou had considered making contact with the man. But he worried that doing so might overwrite the moment when he'd chosen to search online for "World of Weirdness." After all, the Blasphemous Raven's ability let him return to the moment of his last choice, not to the moment of any choice he wanted.

If that were the case, even rewinding time would only take him back to the moment before he opened the door. He'd still be exposed to the gaze of an unknown force.

With the danger past,

Yang Qizhou calmed down and began to analyze the situation.

"Though I can't be certain, that person most likely came from some government agency. They're the only ones who could find someone who searched for the World of Weirdness online within half an hour."

"Of course, that's not guaranteed."

"The number of players in the World of Weirdness is unknown. One of them might have gained an ability related to 'searching' or 'divination.'"

"Then there's the Secret Cultivator. He and the unknown force that came looking for me probably aren't on the same side. Otherwise, he wouldn't have warned me in the fifth note. But he left traces of the World of Weirdness online and even posted something only 'Weirdness players' could see. And he probably hasn't been found. That must have something to do with the abilities he obtained from the World of Weirdness."

"Based on that,"

"Perhaps this world isn't nearly as peaceful as it looks. With the World of Weirdness driving things forward, the waters have already been churning beneath the surface."

A sense of understanding dawned on him, and Yang Qizhou felt the pressure closing in once again.

He'd saved the group chat the Secret Cultivator left behind, but had no intention of joining. He didn't want to invite more trouble.

It was just past midnight, and his revives had refreshed, but the Doom-Bringing Raven's uses hadn't. He'd already used one when he went back to the moment before searching online for the World of Weirdness, so he had four chances left.

Yang Qizhou couldn't help feeling it was a pity. If he'd waited until the Doom-Bringing Raven's uses refreshed at midnight, then immediately rewound to the past, waited for midnight again, and rewound once more—then refreshed, rewound, refreshed, rewound—wouldn't he have created a time loop?

It was already dark, but Yang Qizhou couldn't sleep as he lay on the sofa. His mind was full of the World of Weirdness.

Then he might as well keep playing.

"Your soul returns to the River of Death as if it's done this a thousand times. You choose to harness the power of fate and rewrite the outcome of your death."

"You return to the protection of the Ancient Fire-Stealing God."

"You, who were hacked in half by a Night Watcher and left with your entrails spilling everywhere in a gruesome death, know full well that Kanrui's Wizard Ring comes with an aura that draws attacks. You quickly take it off."

"A Night Watcher has been drawn by Aliceina's supernatural phenomenon, and you happen to run into him."

"The Night Watcher is surprised to see you, because Fire-Stealing Village hasn't had a Traveler for a long time. After all, the Wilderness is so terrifying that few living people can cross it."

"You introduce yourself and tell him about Aliceina."

"This draws the Night Watcher's serious attention. He takes you back to the village and plans to report the matter to Lena, the captain of the Night Watcher Squad."

"During your conversation, you learn that this Night Watcher is called Yixiu. His words always reveal his admiration and affection for Captain Lena, making you look forward to meeting her."

At last, the story was finally able to proceed normally. Yang Qizhou felt a surge of emotion. Though he'd accepted the world's Lovecraftian outlook and gotten used to "die, die, die, die," that didn't lessen his anticipation of triggering the story.

Yang Qizhou thought again of the Remains of the Night Watcher. He wondered if taking them out might trigger another side story.

"Back in Fire-Stealing Village, Yixiu arranges temporary lodgings for you, then leaves after exchanging a few words."

"You sit quietly for a few minutes."

"Your explorer's nature makes it hard to sit around doing nothing, so you decide to go for a walk."

"The villagers of Fire-Stealing Village gather around to watch you. They're just as curious about an outsider like you, and you smile and greet them."

"You think back to your first death and ask a little girl nearby whether people here ever look at the sun."

"The little girl tilts her head and answers that the sun isn't meant to be looked at in the first place. Otherwise, terrible things will happen. Everyone in the village knows that."

"You ask why they mustn't look at the sun."

"The little girl can't answer and falls into a dilemma."

"You're drawn to a large house and feel that it's very different from an ordinary villager's home. There's no one inside, and your adventurous nature leads you to sneak in and wander around."

"You discover a strange room, with a faint purple glow seeping from within."

"Once again, a fork in fate lies before you, greedy, hypocritical, and reckless explorer."

"Will you open the door and go inside to investigate?"

"Or will you take another look around?"

"Please make your choice."