Curtain Call

Though he had met every requirement and successfully reached the sixth-tier "Game" arcana in his mind, he still failed to advance.

The arcana had abnormally ejected Gilan's consciousness.

It was as though some indelible barrier were carrying out a command of resistance, forbidding Gilan from completing his advancement.

Why is this happening?!

Gilan could not make sense of it no matter how he thought.

He closed his eyes again and tried to bring his consciousness closer to the arcana.

The process remained smooth, but the moment he touched the arcana, that repulsive force appeared again and knocked him away.

Something's wrong...

Gilan opened his eyes, his brow tightly furrowed.

He recalled the many occult tomes he had read, as well as certain mystical biographies and legends. None had ever recorded anything similar.

In the occult world, as long as one met the requirements, climbing the "Path of the Flaming Sword" guaranteed advancement. This was a law of truth.

Yet Gilan had become the exception!

Refusing to accept it, he kept trying, but after dozens, even hundreds of attempts, the result remained unchanged.

Unease welled up in Gilan's heart.

He could not help but wonder:

Could it be... that I can't advance any further?!

The thought startled him.

He found it hard to believe.

If he could no longer advance and remained stuck here forever, Gilan would feel unbearably unwilling to accept it.

If he could, how could he not want to ascend, not want to become a god? Even the Director had clearly hinted that transmigrators like them were "pests," destined to suffer this other world's malicious targeting. Only by ascending and becoming an Hour-God could they escape such a fate...

Hm?

At that thought, Gilan suddenly realized something.

*Could this be the world's laws targeting me because I'm a