You'll Face a Trial This Year

Damn, it turns out it was just a ghost from a game! That scared the hell out of me.

"Holy crap, that was your voice?"

The vengeful spirit of Manst Moonwalker cried out, "You bastard! You killed me and even wore my skin! You will pay for your actions! I Curse you! I Curse you!" The Archdruid's ghost floated in the air, its face contorted in a grotesque grimace as it lunged at Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu was initially startled, but quickly realized that the ghost couldn't inflict any real harm on him; it simply passed right through him without drawing a drop of blood.

He was also a little puzzled. Logically speaking, ghosts in games should be considered Undead monsters, right? How come he couldn't take any damage from them? And this ghost didn't even have a health bar, which didn't make sense.

Merlin (Astral Plane Wizard): "Hmph, how dare a mere vengeful spirit be so presumptuous— Begone, Evil Spirit!" Merlin pointed his staff sharply at the ghost, and a beam of green light shot out from his staff, instantly obliterating the Moonwalker's vengeful spirit. With a wail, it vanished into thin air.

Having defeated the Archdruid's ghost, Merlin smiled at Xiao Yu and said, "See? I told you so, you were haunted by a vengeful spirit. I wasn't lying."

Xiao Yu was somewhat amused and exasperated. He had initially thought it was a vengeful ghost in real life, but it turned out to be just a game. He realized he had been overthinking things; there were no ghosts in this world.

However, spending 100 yuan to acquire a ghost in the game feels a bit like a rip-off. Also, what was that skill he just used? I don't think I've ever seen it before. Xiao Yu looked at Merlin and couldn't help but feel that the old man was a bit mysterious.

"Thanks, here's 100 points. By the way, if you're a fortune teller, why are you in a game?"

Merlin (Astral Plane Wizard): "I used to be a fortune teller, but these days young people all stay at home like couch potatoes. Nobody comes to the park to have their fortune told or their faces read anymore. So, I had no choice but to expand my business and make a living in the game. I originally just planned to tell fortunes and read faces, but I didn't expect there to be so many vengeful spirits and evil ghosts in this game. It's a good opportunity to expand my business, so I've also taken care of exorcising demons and catching ghosts on the side."

(Are the vengeful spirits and evil ghosts referring to the Undead?)

Xiao Yu said, "So when you tell fortunes, you're telling fortunes in real life?"

Merlin (Astral Plane Wizard): "Not at all. Fate can be predicted in real life, and fate can be predicted in this game too."

Xiao Yu thought to himself, "Are you kidding me? How can you tell fortunes in a game?"

I couldn't help but laugh and ask, "So, when you tell someone's fate in the game, do you look at their face or do you use the Eight Characters (Ba Zi)?"

Merlin (Astral Plane Wizard): "Either way, actually, game characters do have facial features. Although most game characters look exaggerated and bizarre, there are still general clues to follow. I didn't think of that before, but after entering the game, I found that this method of face reading also applies to game characters."

Furthermore, the birth charts of game characters can also be analyzed, and not only game characters, but also real-life ones. As the saying goes, all methods are interconnected; as long as you find the right approach, both game and real-life fortunes can be calculated.

The old man, with his air of a reclusive sage, said something rather out of place.

Xiao Yu thought to himself, "I just don't believe it." He felt that the other party must have used some kind of skill to see the ghost on his body, such as the All-Seeing Eye or a spell to Detect Undead. As for killing the ghost, he figured it was probably done with spells like "Let the Dead Return to Death" or "Dispel Undead," but he had never seen that spell before. But how could fortune telling come true?

Eric (Goblin Flame Mage): "So, how much do you charge for a fortune telling?"

Merlin (Astral Plane Wizard): "A divination in real life costs 70 yuan, and in the game it costs 60 yuan. If you want both divinations done together, I'll give you a discount and charge you 100 yuan."

Eric (Goblin Pyromancer): "Then tell me my character's fate."

He thought to himself, "I'm about to die. If you dare to say anything about your character being rich and powerful, hehe, I'll expose you."

The old man scrutinized you from side to side. "Hmm, hmm, interesting. I noticed your forehead was dark before, and I thought you were haunted by a vengeful ghost. But now that the ghost has been driven away, the bad luck between your brows seems to have gotten even worse. It seems this calamity has another cause. If I'm not mistaken, you're doomed in no time, probably not even a month from now."

"Wow, this old man's got some skills!" Xiao Yu was startled, but then he was incredulous. He thought to himself, "Could this old man have some special ability to see my Flame Mark? Just like when he caught the ghost before, he used skills from a game."

"Do you think there's any hope for my character?"

Merlin (Astral Plane Wizard): "There is hope, but ultimately, your calamity stemmed from greed, so only you can save yourself."

Xiao Yu was even more astonished. He really did have a way to save himself. If he handed the Seed of Elements over to Kalax, he would not only avoid death but might even get the mission reward. However, he regretted that he would not do that.

However, this only made him admire the old man even more.

Eric (Goblin Pyromancer): "Old man, you're really something. Could you tell my fortune in real life too?"

He told the other person his birth date and name, thinking to himself that fortune telling in games can be faked, but there's no such thing as faking it in real life. If you can still get this right, I'll really be impressed. You're definitely really capable. Don't even mention being a half-immortal, I'd believe you if you said you were a real immortal.

The old man stroked his beard and began to calculate carefully with his fingers. As he calculated, his brows furrowed, and his expression shifted between worry and relief. It was truly remarkable that this game could so vividly portray human psychological activity.

Merlin (Astral Plane Wizard): "I've figured it out, I've figured it out! I've figured out that you'll soon face a great calamity!"

Xiao Yu's heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself, "What I feared most has come to pass." If this old man had said this before, he would probably have laughed out loud by now. If a fortune teller couldn't predict a major calamity, would he still be a fortune teller? If he were to ask how to avert the calamity, he would have to spend money.

But after what he'd just done, he was starting to believe the old man, so his heart sank. However, he still asked, half-jokingly, "So, do I have to spend money to avert this calamity?"

The old man shook his head.

Merlin (Astral Plane Mystic): "No need, no need. This tribulation of yours is called the 'Soul-Shocking Tribulation,' also known as the 'Hanging by a Thread.' It seems perilous, but in reality, it's all fraught with danger. As long as you have a broad mind and let things take their natural course, everything will fall into place and the tribulation will be over. So, you don't need to worry too much. If you encounter any unpleasant things in the coming year, don't take them too seriously. As long as you follow your heart, nothing serious will happen."

Hearing this, Xiao Yu found it difficult to lash out. The old man's words sounded quite mystical. He hadn't mentioned spending money to avert disaster, which meant either he wasn't greedy and would be content with earning a hundred or two hundred, or he had truly calculated it. But there was no need to rush. A year wasn't a short time, but it wasn't a long time either. The truth would come out in time. If the old man's calculations were wrong, spending a hundred yuan wouldn't be a big deal. He could laugh at him then.

If you can predict the future accurately, you won't need to worry about it; just let things take their natural course.

Thinking of this, Xiao Yu nodded, "Then I'll take your good wishes to heart," and sent 100 points directly, along with a friend request.

Without a word, the old man smiled and added him as a friend.

Just as things were settled here, Black Rod came running over again. "Hey, are you ready? It's almost your turn."

In just a short while, the five adventurers had already defeated the second boss.

"Ready? I'm coming!" Xiao Yu said, nodding to the old man before turning and following Rod Black toward the arena.