Void Realm

"So the claim that the Calamity took the Oracle away from this world was meant literally, wasn't it?"

"The Oracle was simply trapped in some space."

"And those people who died challenging the Calamity were just trying to rescue the Oracle!"

"Am I right?"

Uncle Yan and Lanxin exchanged a look, their expressions complicated.

Yet Lin Jie did not relent in the slightest.

"I demand to know the truth."

Uncle Yan sighed helplessly.

"That temper of yours really hasn't changed since you were little."

"I still can't hide anything from you."

He sat back down and began slowly.

"Your deductions are essentially correct."

"But there's one thing I didn't lie to you about."

"The Oracle really is little different from being dead."

Lin Jie frowned. "What exactly happened?"

Then Lanxin spoke, looking somewhat sorrowful.

"A long time ago, Teacher became trapped in the Void Realm."

Void Realm?

Uncle Yan sighed.

"The Void Realm is that Calamity."

"Before I tell you, you have to promise me one thing."

"No matter what, don't enter the Void Realm."

"Whatever happens, don't try to save the Oracle."

But Lin Jie's tone was cool.

"Until I hear the whole story, I can't promise anything."

Uncle Yan laughed instead. "You brat. Still as stubborn as ever..."

"All right, all right. I know you too well."

"Even if I don't tell you, you'll find a way to figure it out yourself."

Uncle Yan paused, then brought up an unrelated topic.

"By the way, after you cleared your first game, did the administrator let you return to reality?"

Lin Jie nodded. "That's right, but what does that have to do with what happened to the Oracle?"

Uncle Yan continued, "That reality is a weaker version of the Void Realm."

"After experiencing that reality, did you notice anything wrong?"

Lin Jie thought back carefully. "Nothing seemed wrong at the time."

"There was just one thing that really bothered me."

"Everyone who went back seemed bound to die again for some reason, no matter what, and then return to the Realm of the Dead."

He paused. "There's something else. I once asked my younger sister about what she experienced in reality."

"Her experience seemed to differ somewhat from mine."

Uncle Yan's tone was grave. "Exactly."

"Have you realized anything at this point?"

Lin Jie looked up. "That reality is fake."

Uncle Yan nodded emphatically. "The whole idea of returning to reality is a scam!"

"It's a lie carefully woven by the Administrators."

"To make you obediently participate in the Death Games, they falsely claim that winning will earn you time among the living."

"But when you actually win a game, all you enter is a false reality."

"In that kind of reality, you can't avoid death. You'll end up back here anyway."

"Some whose performance isn't outstanding enough even have their memories erased."

"Those players will think it's still their first time coming to the Realm of the Dead."

"And so they keep participating in the Death Games."

"Until they qualify, or die."

So that was it.

Lin Jie finally understood why, after returning, those people had all seemed to lose their memories of the Realm of the Dead.

It turned out the Administrators had done it deliberately.

"In fact, once you come to the Realm of the Dead, there's no way to return to reality."

"Even the Administrators can't do it."

"But the Oracles gave everyone hope. They said a Savior would descend upon the Realm of the Dead and lead everyone out."

"That person is you."

Uncle Yan looked at Lin Jie, his eyes full of trust.

But Lin Jie frowned. "That's not right, is it?"

He slowly raised his head. "The Administrators can't return to reality?"

"That's impossible!"

Lin Jie paused, then keenly pointed out the contradiction.

"The Administrators created that false reality, right?"

"And aside from my absence, the reality Lin Zhi experienced was essentially identical to what I saw in the false reality!"

"If the Administrators can't observe reality, how did they create such a similar illusory realm?"

"If they have no way to communicate with reality, how did they make the illusion imitate it so faithfully?"

Uncle Yan froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"That's you all right, kid. You think fast!"

He composed himself. "But you're not the first person to think of that."

"Our Oracle thought of it too."

"He believed that since the Administrators could create illusions so similar to reality, they must have some means of observing reality."

A bitter smile suddenly appeared on Uncle Yan's face. "But that idea was what doomed her."

"She believed there was only one way to figure it out-"

"To experience the Administrators' false reality in person."

"So she entered the Void Realm."

Lin Jie raised his head. "So what exactly is this Void Realm? And what does it have to do with false reality?"

Uncle Yan's voice was heavy. "The Void Realm is the source of all false realities."

"In other words, false reality is a more low-level Void Realm."

"The Administrators create illusions through the Void Realm."

"The main feature of false reality is that once you go in, there's always a chance to get out."

"But once you enter the Void Realm, you're certain to lose your way and never escape."

"Anyone trapped inside is as good as dead."

"Our Oracle believed the risk was worth taking."

"But she never came out again."

"And that wasn't all. Our brothers tried every possible way to rescue her."

"And so, not a single one returned from the Void Realm."

"We call that incident the Calamity."

"There was no gunsmoke in that Calamity, no artillery fire."

"Just one little space of illusions wiped out nearly half our people."

"So-"

At that point, Uncle Yan abruptly stopped.

He stood, placed both hands on Lin Jie's shoulders, and looked straight into his eyes.

"Now do you understand why I wouldn't tell you where the Oracle was?"

"So many people thought they could escape the Void Realm. Every one of them thought they would be the exception."

"Before entering the Void Realm, every one of them imagined becoming the great hero who saved the Oracle."

"But not a single one succeeded."

"The reason I made the Void Realm a taboo subject wasn't to avoid talking about death."

"It was because I didn't want our brothers throwing their lives away for nothing."

"I know your temperament. I was very worried that after I told you about this, you'd get hotheaded and choose to challenge the Void Realm."

"Now promise me you won't touch the Void Realm!"

Uncle Yan's eyes were full of pleading.

Lin Jie spoke. "Uncle Yan..."

"If this were back when I was young and hot-blooded, I'd definitely have acted impulsively."

"But now I'm an adult, and I've become much steadier and more mature."

"I still have my younger sister to look after. My life isn't mine alone."

"Don't worry, Uncle Yan. I promise I won't enter the Void Realm."

Uncle Yan's face filled with relief.

He was just about to offer some words of encouragement when an unfamiliar, elderly woman's voice suddenly came from beside him.

The voice was ethereal and hoarse.

"No... he must enter the Void Realm."