ã€ŠScathing Reviewer [Satirical LitRPG Prog Fantasy]ã€‹ Chapter 1: The First Arc - Ep. 1, I ¡°I¡¯m Peijin.¡± That was how I usually introduced myself, and people, trying to be nice, would respond by saying: ¡°What a pretty name. You must be very ambitious.¡± Yes, exactly. To be precise, my name directly translated to "full of gemstones and fine jade," and my name was apparently associated with ambition and the essence of humanitarian ideals. However, my parents must have named their beloved daughter while ignoring that my name also insinuated tragedy, disappointment, and cynicism¡ªall of which my father deeply felt when I failed the National College Entrance Examination and was sentenced to a shameful job. The glow from my laptop screen illuminated my pale face in the dark apartment room. I sat on an old spinning chair, and my head rested atop my folded knees. My short black hair was brushed out of my face and tucked behind my ears, my bangs wrapped around a velcro hair roller stuck on the top of my head. I saw the notification pop up on my screen and opened up the web novel site, reading the comment under Chapter 3,649¡ªmy most recent chapter. Fourteen year old me thought a pen name would fix my doomed fate, even if it were just for a stupid web novel I was writing. I both bitterly and pridefully settled on JiaLi1825 which meant ¡°good¡± and ¡°beautiful¡± girl. Almost ten years later, my lonely and unremarkable life could be summed up as such: Wu Peijin, twenty-four, single, pest control. I kept updating the web novel daily, though, and I suppose that¡¯s where all my ambition ended up. It was a pretty clich¨¦, mass-produced web novel. A classic, depressed but resourceful, male protagonist with a lousy job, no prospects, a scummy apartment¡wait. Well, I guess writing was escapism. ¡°Damnit, my life sucks,¡± I groaned while bashing my head against my scraped and battered desk. The comment glared at me from my screen. Qiu Feiyu was my handsome and generic protagonist, but I had poured my heart into writing him. Sometimes, it felt like I was writing this entire story for him¡ or maybe for the stranger I based him off of. Teleported into a world dominated by divinities, demons, and ghosts under a game system, Feiyu had to cleverly escape dangerous challenges. Even in the first chapter, Feiyu had to intelligently navigate and survive a challenge that would kill more than half of the population in a flash. Things weren''t necessarily easy for him, and I took joy in that thought. Although I initially wrote for my own fulfillment, projecting myself into these characters, I started writing basic tropes for readers. Numbers going up on the infinite dungeon grind, blue boxes, Demon Kings, goblins¡ªall of it. Except for anything romantic. I was single. Hey, the people liked what they were familiar with. But at some point, I didn¡¯t. If a part of me was proud of my work, it was long, long gone. Thanks to my childhood self, I had enough funds to get through every month. Surviving My First Run was successful, having garnered around eight million total views. But it didn¡¯t help that the greedy web novel contract meant I was barely making any of my profits, or that I drove away most readers with my allegedly confrontational personality. My Paytron account was enough though, and I even let users buy their way into the storyline as characters.

HolyMapleSyrup: Thank you for the chapter! I¡¯m a bit confused¡ isn¡¯t Feiyu on his first run? He shouldn¡¯t have any buffs from previous regressions that wouldn¡¯t exist.
JiaLi1825: Does it really matter? He got the staff from a divinity anyway.
HolyMapleSyrup: Just wanted to point out a consistency issue if you cared to fix it.
JiaLi1825: Stop reading if it bothers you so much.
HolyMapleSyrup: It¡¯s a minor issue. No need to get so defensive.

I scoffed at the messages before reporting the user for harassment and deleting the comments. If HolyMapleSyrup cared so much about a story I was writing, he could write his own. I stood up, kicked my chair in, and walked through my cluttered and tiny apartment for a meal. After saying a short prayer half-heartedly, I used long black chopsticks to stir the steamed white rice with some marinated pork before going back to my cluttered room. The mailbox for private messages had a new little red notification, and I clicked on it apprehensively. Realizing it was HolyMapleSyrup, I let out a frustrated groan but continued reading.

HolyMapleSyrup: I didn¡¯t mean to offend you. I simply had a question about the content, but there was no need to act so rudely and report me for my feedback. You forget who your readers are, and how they¡¯ve brought you to this point. You¡¯re going to regret deleting my messages, Jia Li. Tomorrow, 1p.m. I have a surprise for you.

I glared at my computer screen for a moment longer before reporting HolyMapleSyrup again and blocking him. Seriously, who¡¯d go out of their way to threaten someone who had so generously written a story for an entire decade? What a narcissist. And his username was stupid. These were the ignorant thoughts I had the night before the entire world would change. And, please, don¡¯t look for me. If you¡¯re reading this, rest assured knowing this is what I wanted. Next Day ¡°This place is a complete dump.¡± I was donned in white protective gear, my black bob tied up in a short ponytail as I surveyed the infested house teeming with cockroaches and bedbugs. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how people live here much less let it get this bad.¡± Fat brown cockroaches hissed and clicked, some darting and flying away as I awkwardly shifted throughout the room. Yang stood up after wrapping the dirtied white couch with a clear plastic wrap to trap in the insects. He wore a matching plastic suit, oversized goggles plastered over his eyes. They were fogging up now, and sweat collected on the interior. ¡°Don¡¯t be so judgemental, Peijin. A lot of them struggle with their mental health.¡± ¡°If only I didn¡¯t flunk that stupid college test¡¡± I muttered, letting out an exaggerated sigh as I helped clean up. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I find it rewarding to help them,¡± Yang said with a light smile, and I could see the large beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. He was working much harder than I was. ¡°It¡¯s helping them get their life back in order, you know? I¡¯d hope someone would do the same for me.¡± I looked at him, my eyes narrowed in suspicion at his words. We¡¯d been working together for a while, and seeing him smiling up close, I could see why many in our office found him attractive¡ªlight brown hair and deep brown eyes that caught and reflected light perfectly, almost making his irises a sienna or orange color. Even as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his gloved hand, he looked as if he were glowing. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. But Yang was a completely different person than me, and we ended up at this job for those different reasons. I hated how perfect he was, but I didn¡¯t hate Yang. ¡°I don¡¯t get how people like you are real, or how you even survived this long,¡± I exhaled, suddenly slapping my leg when I felt a crawling sensation. I looked down, realizing there was a puncture in my suit and a crushed cockroach on my hand. ¡°Shit¡.¡± Yang peeked over, and I watched his face twist into a teasing grin. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You brought the steamer, right?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to pack it?¡± ¡°You always pack it, Peijin.¡± ¡°...¡± We always needed to bring a steamer to kill all of the bugs that might be on our clothing, jammed in the soles of our shoes, or hiding in furniture. Yang stared down at me considerately. ¡°Let me drive back to the office to pick one up. My suit is fine, so it¡¯s unlikely I¡¯ll bring back any bugs.¡± Damn his kindness! ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s my fault. I don¡¯t want you getting in trouble or bringing an infestation back to your home,¡± I insisted. ¡°Let¡¯s just finish up and when we get back to the office, I¡¯ll call them and ask for a steamer. I¡¯ll deal with the consequences.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Confident. I''m sorry about this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Rookie mistake,¡± he said, giving another toothy grin as he went to lift the couch into the truck. ¡°I¡¯ll head back with you and vouch for you if needed.¡± I didn¡¯t know how he could put up with me or how he could remain this calm, but I was glad I made the error with him there and not someone else. We lifted the couch into the car trunk and flung off any visible bugs before unsuiting. I thought back to my cluttered, dirty apartment; just a few bed bugs caught on my shoes could be a complete disaster. My face flushed a light pink as I remembered the earlier conversation where I had judged the client¡¯s home. I groaned, gripping the steering wheel and pressing my forehead against the center. ¡°Why is my life so bad?¡± I sniffled. ¡°Maybe because you failed your college entrance exam?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Yang typed the directions back to the office on my phone and set it on the dashboard for me to see. ¡°We¡¯ll get there by 1:17 pm. At worst, there might be just a few loose bed bugs, but I think we got most,¡± he grinned. ¡°Do you mind if I listen to my podcast?¡± ¡°You listen to podcasts? That¡¯s really weird.¡± ¡°H-hey!¡± He pointed a finger at me as I laughed, pulling onto the freeway. ¡°American politics are so fascinating. I want to move there in the future.¡± I hated to admit it, but it was thrilling to watch Yang speak¡ªhe was diligent and a good person, and when he spoke, his glowing eyes seemed to focus just on you, and it made you feel like the only person in the world. ¡°I¡¯m trying to learn English,¡± I reply in a feeble attempt to look cool, tilting my chin up a bit while keeping my eyes on the freeway to ignore his stare. ¡°Oh really? Are you watching English shows or taking any lessons?¡± ¡°I read English novels.¡± ¡°What novels?¡± I paused, trying and failing to elaborate on the lie. Well, it wasn¡¯t like I was completely lying, but I wasn¡¯t going to list off English web novels¡ªthat would be completely embarrassing in front of someone as studious as Yang. Suddenly, The Potentate by BananaDragon became Shakespeare. ¡°I¡¯m reading¡ Shakespeare.¡± Yang gasped, looking at me in awe from the passenger seat. ¡°Really? Wow, that¡¯s so impressive! You should help me with my English. Which story are you reading?¡± ¡°Umm¡ the one about the two lovers.¡± ¡°Oh, Romeo and Juliet?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah that one.¡± Yang¡¯s face lit up into a bright smile as he continued, ¡°I¡¯m reading Fitzgerald right now, and it¡¯s been very difficult. Do you have any advice?¡± I didn¡¯t even recognize the name of that author. ¡°Just read a lot. You¡¯ll get there, since you¡¯re very smart.¡± I laughed awkwardly before turning my focus back to the road, both embarrassed and a bit ashamed. A notification pinged suddenly on my phone, blocking the map¡¯s directions. Yang was quick to react: ¡°Let me switch it back to the map,¡± he chimed in. He went to tap on my phone but paused. ¡°HolyMapleSyrup sent you a message. They said ¡®Thanks for writing Surviving My First Round. As promised, here¡¯s the surprise. [Open attachment.]¡¯¡± My eyes widened as I looked at the time. 12:59 pm. They couldn¡¯t even time it right. Didn¡¯t I block them? They shouldn¡¯t be able to send any messages. ¡°Oh, I have no idea what they¡¯re talking about,¡± I played it off, rubbing the back of my neck. ¡°Do you write web novels? Isn¡¯t Surviving My First Round super famous?¡± he turned to me, looking amazed. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯ve never heard of that,¡± I pursed my lips, swallowing and continuing to look down the freeway. My phone pinged again, and Yang peeked over. ¡°They sent another message. ¡®Why hide it if you wrote it?¡¯¡± My blood ran cold, and I could feel my throat thickening from anxiety and anticipation. Was this guy some freaky stalker?

Your free trial on Planet-2099 has ended.

¡ What? I looked at the time on my phone. 1 p.m. On the dot. I reread the blue screen that had appeared in front of me, and by the shocked expression on Yang¡¯s face, I could tell he saw it, too. A sudden bright flash and subsequent boom erupted on the freeway a few cars ahead of me. Yang screamed out and gripped my arm as I suddenly swerved into the emergency lane, trying to avoid the ensuing chaos. Cars crashed and swerved desperately, their drivers and passengers surprised by the explosion and trying to get away. A small dragon, no bigger than a toy poodle, appeared out of the bright blue blast, floating in the air and unfurling itself. It moved its limbs awkwardly, like a newborn giraffe trying to learn how to stand, and it blinked each eye at different times before they would eventually sync. My jaw dropped as I stared at the creature. [??¡ê¡é¡Þ¡ì??ao] The dragon seemed to speak in a foreign language¡ªno, a completely new language¡ªbefore opening up a glowing blue table, fidgeting with the buttons. One of the four navigational Gods would suddenly appear on the freeway, and for the first time, it would open its eyes and find humanity. In their craze and panic, humans would recognize it as the Azure Dragon. I knew this. I knew this setting perfectly as that sentence popped into my mind¡ªthat sentence I wrote. ¡°Peijin? What is this?¡± Yang seemed to shrink in front of me as he tugged on my sleeve, shaking. I gave him a reassuring squeeze, my heart beating out of my chest. ¡°Yang, don¡¯t say a word. I need you to trust me on this.¡± [Hello? Hello? Can you guys hear me now? Sorry about that, you guys have a lot of dialects, and I got confused. I''ve never seen this specific planet assignment before¡ªmy boss just assigned it this morning.] The dragon¡¯s voice boomed out, heard by everyone within the vicinity. He saw all the bewildered glances as people slowly exited their cars, and he let out a cackling laugh. [China is open for business!]

The first arc has begun.

Now commencing Chapter - Prerequisite.

Chapter 2: The First Arc - Ep. 1, II The small dragon brought up a clawed hand to its snout, loudly clearing its throat. [You humans have been living such an easy life, free of worries or concerns. Isn¡¯t it unfair you could live without paying for anything?] Had I really written something like that? I guess fourteen year old me would be disappointed we ended up at pest control. [Finally, you beings will join your own beloved entertainment industry. It¡¯s time you all did something wort¡ª] A young boy¡¯s words cut off the dragon. ¡°Mommy, is that a talking lizard?¡± He pointed at the dragon, his head sticking out from the back seat window. ¡°This must be a hologram advertisement for that web novel. I read the first few chapters, and this is exactly how it started,¡± a man chimed in, getting out of his car and standing in front of the dragon. Did that make me a celebrity? [Huh? No!] The dragon exclaimed out of anger, though it was contrasted by its small, almost adorable blue body. [I am one of the Four Gods!] He roared, and a miniscule flame equivalent to that of a cigarette lighter puffed from its open mouth, small rows of jagged white teeth lining his bright red gums. More people began to exit from their cars, obviously angry and frustrated at the disturbance. Those who swerved or got into accidents were now yelling at the dragon, raising angry fists into the air.

Channel #IS-2948 is now open.

Observers have been invited to watch Channel #IS-2948.

¡°Get this advertisement out of the way. I heard the author was scum, but who knew they¡¯d go as far as to block a freeway during the middle of a work day.¡± Never mind, definitely not a celebrity. [A web novel? This is the real deal. Don¡¯t mock me! Do you know how many planets I''ve streamed?!] Yang shook me on my arm, forcing me back into my new-found reality. ¡°They¡¯re not talking about you are they?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± This bickering dragon was really killing my incredible author reputation. As if on cue, the dragon was finally fed up with the crowd¡¯s shouting. [I told you¡ don¡¯t mock me!] He roared, his body seeming to grow as sharp, dagger-like scales tore through his skin. The row of people in front of him seemed to freeze before their limbs and faces compressed into a ball and exploded. I could hear their bones snapping and crunching before the wet gushing sound erupted and sent a mist of red blood flying all over the freeway. Little blue flames filtered up through the ground and began cleaning up the bodies, pocketing the eyes, teeth, and jewelry in little blue bins. They danced around before quickly vanishing back into the pits of the world. Yang and I both screamed, and I quickly clasped my hands over his gaping mouth, accidentally poking his eye. He screamed again while I repeatedly apologized, panicked. This couldn¡¯t be real, right? I mean, really, there was no way I could have been teleported into my own web novel. But what the hell were ¡®observers?¡¯ They definitely didn¡¯t exist. [Isn¡¯t this so exciting? Now you all know what the stakes are.] People shrieked, scrambling into their cars and attempting to drive off, yet they quickly imploded. With loud pops, car windows were suddenly splattered with blood that dripped beneath the car doors onto the light gray freeway, coloring the streets a dark red before silence would take over as people trembled in utter fear in front of the Azure Dragon. At least a quarter of people were now dead in front of me. ¡°W-where is the Liberation Army or the police?¡± A woman cried, screaming as she collapsed onto the ground, staring at the unfolding scene. A man wearing rectangular-rimmed glasses shouted back as he stared at his phone. ¡°The government has already been hit! Apparently these creatures are showing up globally!¡± ¡°Where¡¯d you read that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s on WeChat.¡± ¡°Then of course it¡¯s not true! The government is coming to save us, I¡¯m sure of it!¡± Of course, there was no government coming to save us. In fact, there was no government at all anymore. I ignored the ensuing panic and turned to the blue window that popped up in front of me, quickly skimming it after pocketing my phone. Whoever HolyMapleSyrup was, they¡¯d need to wait until the first arc was complete.

CHAPTER #1

PREREQUISITE

Difficulty

Task

Survive the ensuing onslaught of monsters, beasts, and insects. Half of the remaining human population must die within the time frame.

Time

20 minutes

Reward

100 stars per entity slain

Failure

Death

Ha, so that¡¯s how it was. This was verbatim what I had written ten years ago in Surviving My First Round. Admittedly, the scenario seemed incomplete¡ªwhat if more than half of the population survived? Theoretically, the population would randomly die until only half remained, but that wasn¡¯t a concern. Because, no matter how this chapter played out, half of the population was about to be slaughtered. I scanned the freeway as the timer began to tick down, preparing to drive off before I felt a sudden growth beneath my foot. Looking down I spotted the cockroach crawling out from beneath my foot. Its countless legs were spasming in the air as it rolled over onto its back, growing at rapid speeds while its wings fluttered desperately.

Observer ''Socrates'': It looks like Jia Li is in a bad spot. Maybe this is her karma lol

Socrates? My blood ran cold once I heard my pen name mentioned. That¡¯s right¡ªI knew Socrates. Socrates was one of the readers I reported. ¡°Damnit!¡± I cursed, another realization dawning upon me. If the car was infested with insects during this chapter, they¡¯d grow rapidly before becoming gigantic, man-eating beasts. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°P-Peijin, this isn¡¯t real, right? Can¡¯t we try and talk to the dragon? It might let us go,¡± Yang pleaded, tugging on my sleeve while fully unaware of the situation playing out. ¡°Do you want to argue about American politics with it?¡± ¡°Well, no, but¡ª¡± I gave Yang an annoyed look before crushing all the growing bugs beneath my hand. My hand made a dull sound as I desperately slapped my leg and stomped on the car floor, crushing a pregnant cockroach beneath my palm. A gross fluid oozed between my slim fingers, but I was preoccupied by the blue notifications popping up in front of me.

You have killed an entity.

You have received 100 stars.

You have killed an entity.

You have received 100 stars.

You have killed an entity.

You have received 100 stars.

Countless windows lit up before me, virtually blocking my view¡ªthere must have been at least forty eggs from that single roach. Ha¡ even in such a perilous situation, my heart was beating with joy for some reason. Had I always been this kind of person? Suddenly, the entire truck seemed to lurch forward before tipping dangerously to the side. A sharp buzzing could be heard from the back of the vehicle as the metal trunk loudly banged as it became marked by deep protrusions. Yang gave out a sharp yelp as he reached up to the ceiling of the truck, trying to balance himself. My gaze darted to the backseat where I grabbed multiple cans of the strongest bug spray before hopping out of the car. ¡°Yang, help me kill the ones in the back before they get even bigger!¡± If we didn¡¯t quickly handle the bug infestation, the situation would quickly escalate, and I wouldn¡¯t even survive past the first Chapter. I should¡¯ve quit my job. The truck door flung open as I covered my mouth using the inside of my shoulder, bracing myself with the open can of bug spray in my outstretched arm. A horrific sight greeted me; cockroaches as large as my forearm tumbled out of the trunk, their hooked brown arms flailing and mandibles snapping open and closed. Enlarged bed bugs crawled all over the walls as they spilled out and flailed on the ground before finally rolling over. I shook the can and sprayed as large cockroach antennae brushed against my bare skin. I choked on the overwhelming smell of pesticides despite trying to hold my breath. A cockroach lunged from the trunk, wings flapping as it moved to clamp its horrific jaws into my arm. The bottom of the can banged against its head as I smashed it onto the ground before repeatedly stomping its head in. ¡°Yang, where the hell are you?¡± I cried out, taking steps back as the bugs continued to lunge at me. They were growing larger and more aggressive by the second, and I could feel the spray¡¯s weight lightening in my hand. In an instant, countless small blue portals opened up all over the freeway, and grotesque green creatures stumbled out of them. With pointed noses, they awkwardly waddled around, small wooden sticks or rocks in their wrinkled hands. A cockroach bashed into me, sending me flying into the rocky and boiling hot pavement that tore up the soft skin on my elbows, leaving them red and raw. I struggled against the cockroach as its jaws snapped just before my face, menacing and deadly. Even in my own fabricated world, I was the exact same person. Well, at least I gave it my best shot. I shut my eyes, preparing to feel the cockroach dig its face into my flesh. The cockroach was launched off of me, and my eyes flew open in surprise. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± I said in a sharp, snarky tone.

You have received your first review!

2.5 / 5 : Very deus ex machina. Wu Peijin shouldn''t have survived, although I was very entertained by her struggle while it lasted.

Were observers leaving... ratings and reviews? Are you kidding me?

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Are the stakes really this low? Whatever, I don¡¯t understand why Jia Li is struggling when she literally created this world.

Observer ¡®Nipon23¡¯: Lmao imagine how much of a loser she must have been before.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Did you get blocked before, too? For what?

Observer ¡®Nipon23¡¯: I commented ¡°TYFTC¡± instead of ¡°thank you for the chapter.¡±

Great, there were more. Were observers only people I blocked? My face flushed in embarrassment from their comments, and I nervously met Yang¡¯s eyes, unaware if he could see the observers¡¯ notifications. But, based on his still glowing expression, I realized they could only be seen by me¡ªat least for now. Yang stood above me, holding a large spray bottle with a soapy mixture and crowbar in his hands. His chest heaved with each labored breath, but he quickly sprayed down the bugs while bashing the larger ones with the crowbar. I let out a shaky sigh of relief as I stood up, continuing to crush loose insects. The mix in Yang¡¯s hands was a combination of soap and water; since cockroaches and bed bugs breathed through spiracles¡ªholes in their skin¡ªthey would quickly suffocate. Surprisingly, soapy water was much more effective than some insecticides.

You have enough stars to purchase from the Azure Dragon store! Would you like to access the tutorial?

I flicked the notification away with my eyes, but Yang froze for a moment as he explored the store. His thumb was rubbing against the tip of his index finger anxiously, but he was adapting to the situation far faster than I anticipated. Once we had killed all of the bugs in the van and dragged the couch out from the trunk, I quickly hopped back into the driver¡¯s seat. Yang turned to face me, noticing the blood dribbling out of my skinned arms and onto the white seat behind me. ¡°Peijin, you¡¯re injured,¡± he said in a strange tone before popping open the glove compartment and sifting through the miscellaneous items inside. I didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. Scraped elbows were the last thing to worry about. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We need to get out of here first.¡± ¡°And go where? Everything is in shambles,¡± Yang replied, his voice higher from his anxiety. His brows were knitted together, and worry was clearly written in the wrinkles beside his eyes. I ignored his question and slammed down on the gas, weaving the white truck between the parked cars and wreckages. If I really teleported into my web novel, I had to catch up with the main characters before they split off. But the last person I¡¯d want to run into would be Qiu Feiyu, the protagonist. Yang trembled anxiously but nodded at my resolve, chewing on his lower lip. ¡°Why aren¡¯t the¡ goblins outside doing anything?¡± He paused on the word ¡°goblins¡± as he couldn¡¯t quite believe the reality before him. ¡°Can¡¯t we just kill them for more stars?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch them. If you do, then¡¡± I trailed off, realizing I seemed way too assertive and knowledgeable. I didn¡¯t exactly want Yang to know that I truly was the author of this world, though he was probably smart enough to have put it together. ¡°If you do, who knows what might happen. This is just like one of those apocalypse survival games, so let¡¯s just make it through the first round.¡±

Time left: 13 minutes 13 seconds

Percent killed: 14%

I doubled back to stare at the blue window. Fourteen percent? That couldn¡¯t be possible¡ it shouldn¡¯t have been that rapid of a decline. No one had even touched the goblins yet. I shrugged off the thought and continued to serve the freeway, searching for someone. Ah, there it was. The blue Toyota and the androgynous man standing beside it. He stuck out like a sore thumb; his waist length brown hair was partially tied up into a bun, and although he wore normal attire, one could see the white bandages wrapped around his forearms. A phone was pressed against his ear as he tried to call the police, shouting at the people on the road to remain calm. Ushering seniors and crying children to the side of the road, his overwhelming desire to protect them was obvious to any onlookers. I swerved the car and quickly parked, blocking two whole lanes¡ªyet just before I could hop out, the freeway rumbled as parading footsteps and a deafening roar sounded, sending spit flying everywhere. I glanced up to see a black bear the size of a large truck charging straight toward my vehicle. Chapter 3: The First Arc - Ep. 1, III Other than the human realm, or Planet-2099 in this case, there were three main realms: the Heavenly Realm for divinities, the Demon Realm for powerful beasts that rejected divine status, and the Ghost Realm for regular humans who fell from grace and became resentful spirits. All of them would invest into humans, who became known as disciples, in order to increase their personal fame and recognition. According to my stellar and very original worldbuilding from Surviving My First Round, these three realms had always existed but only became accessible to Planet-2099 at the start of the web novel. Of course, there were always anomalies given transmigrators, reincarnation, et cetera et cetera, but I avoided most of the complexities by avidly banning any form of regression from my novel. Call it lazy writing, but I considered it caring for my mental health. Jun Wei, however, transcended this system. Yet he had no knowledge of this fact, and he was now the man standing just beside his blue Toyota, watching as the bear stormed toward my truck. Yang thrust his arm across my chest and forced me back into my seat as he leaned over, blaring the car horn and flashing the headlights at the bear. I exhaled in surprise before squeezing my eyes shut in anticipation of a sudden attack, but I slowly realized the sound had upset the bear, causing it to let out a roar before scrambling backward. ¡°Black bears hate noise,¡± Yang whispered, his hand still firmly pressed on the car horn. The bear growled before standing on its hind legs, bringing an arm to shield its face before turning to another way in search of an easier meal. Once the bear retreated, Yang let out a tense breath and turned to face me. ¡°You alright?¡± A complicated expression crossed my face as I pushed his arm off. ¡°I was thinking of doing that. You just beat me to it.¡± He quickly withdrew like he was burned by red coals as realization set in. ¡°Ah, sorry,¡± he said in a nervous tone, waving his hands in front of his face. Weirdly enough, he almost sounded fearful in his frantic apology. Yang opened his mouth to say more in a panic, but I moved my hand in front of his lips in a gesture to shush him. The goblins were casually wandering the streets, never attacking people as they continued to panic, but that wouldn¡¯t last long. A sudden knock sounded from the car window causing me to jolt before I saw Wei¡¯s face. I rolled down the window a sliver, peeking at him through the crack. ¡°Jie, are you alright? Please don¡¯t panic¡ªI¡¯m sure officers will be here soon.¡± Aw, cute! Wait, did he just call me jie?

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: That was cruel, even if it¡¯s Jia Li.

One of my eyes twitched as I heard a slight laugh from Yang. Clearing my throat, I responded, ¡°Thank you, ge,¡± I said with a pressed smile, enunciating the title. ¡°Do you mind if we join you? What¡¯s your name?¡± Wei¡¯s face flushed bright red at the correction, and he awkwardly choked on his own words for a moment. ¡°My family name is Jun, and my given name is Wei. Please feel free to join. I¡¯ve already called the police¡ mei nu.¡± * Did I look that old?? Yang made a sputtering sound beside me as he did his best to hold in a violent laugh. Wei¡¯s eyes lingered on me for a long moment before he spoke up, seeming rather flustered. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh,¡± I mumbled. I had zoned out for a moment, and my hand had moved as if trying to push up Wei¡¯s sleeve to look at his bandages. ¡°My name is Wu Peijin.¡± ¡°What a nice name. You must be very ambitious.¡± Before I could respond, a quick flash appeared beside us, causing both of us to turn away from the burning light. The Azure Dragon appeared and gave a little wave toward me with its small clawed hand. [You seem to have adapted pretty fast.] ¡°Move your broadcast somewhere else. I¡¯m kind of in the middle of something if you haven¡¯t noticed,¡± I replied in a snarky tone, waving my hand back and forth as if shooing an annoying fly. [Do you wanna die?!] The Azure Dragon initially served as a mix of a moderator and streamer, bringing entertainment to the gods by the demise of countless planets; however, it seems as if observers, or my past commenters, had overtaken the audience market. How thrilling. ¡°You haven¡¯t done anything since the chapter began, so I doubt you¡¯re allowed to. Besides, I¡¯m bringing you a lot of viewers, right? I¡¯m already receiving notifications.¡± The Azure Dragon gave me a stunned look as it continued to float on its tail in the air. After all, what I said was true. What did concern me, though, was that there were thousands, if not millions of moderators once the Vermillion Birds, White Tigers, and Black Tortoises were included. So, what incentive would observers have to watch other broadcasts? Did they not automatically know that I was Jia Li? And if that was the case¡ how did Socrates and Nipon23 immediately recognize me? The Azure Dragon opened its long snout to respond, but its attention quickly turned toward the sound of a desperate cry down the freeway. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Right, the real challenge was going to start soon. The timer was ticking down, and people were panicking. In testing times like these, people became the real monsters.

Time left: 10 minutes 39 seconds

Percent killed: 34%

A woman stumbled out of her car, wielding a baseball bat. ¡°I-I can¡¯t take it anymore! I don¡¯t want to die!¡± Tears streamed down her face, and she raised her arms in the air before bashing the bat down on the head of a curious goblin that had been peering inside her car. Its skull quickly cracked in half as the goblin collapsed onto the ground, convulsing as she continued to strike it. More and more people seemed to join the woman as they attacked the goblins, tearing off their small limbs as the goblins cried out in pain, trying to scramble away. They let out pained, vulnerable cries, but they continued to be massacred. Even some of the elders and children that Wei had escorted began to attack the goblins out of sheer fear. Yang stared at the sight, his glowing orange eyes seemingly enchanted. ¡°Peijin, what happens if more than half of us survive the chapter? Don¡¯t half of us need to die in the time constraint?¡± As if on cue, a ghastly, animalistic scream rang out into the crowd. The woman who had first attacked was suddenly swarmed by goblins. They grabbed her hair and pummeled her onto the ground. One picked up a sharp skewer and stood above her face as she let out blood-curdling cries. He lifted up the skewer and pierced it through her eye and into the soft flesh of her brain, killing her instantly. She fell limp as her eye slowly oozed out onto the hot pavement below her and sizzled, cooking. More and more goblins began to attack people, swarming the ones that had assaulted or killed others. Wei scrambled forward to protect the children who were now being cornered, but I gripped his hand and pulled him back toward the truck. ¡°You can¡¯t change their fate! If you do, the goblins will kill you next. You can¡¯t save the kids and avoid the goblins!¡± I shouted, my fingers pressing so tightly into his arm that I left red finger-shaped imprints.

Time left: 8 minutes 38 seconds

Percent killed: 36%

Wei turned to me, a mixed expression of shock and disgust on his face as he tore his non-bandaged arm from my grasp. ¡°I can do both!¡± Whipping his head around, he darted forward to help them. A small smile crossed my lips as I unbuckled the seatbelt and jumped out of the car, signaling for Yang to follow. I looked up at the sky, spotting the bright, twinkling star just overhead. As long as I could paint Wei as someone who fought for justice, things were going just as I planned. Wei reached down and picked up a young child being assaulted by the goblins and dashed toward his car, quickly locking her in the backseat. I watched as he darted back to try and reach an older man who had fallen while trying to run from the chanting goblins that were slowly surrounding him. Suddenly, a young girl wearing her school uniform lunged at the elderly man and bashed her fists into his face, goring him and assisting the goblins. She panted, her fists drenched in blood with deep purple bruises already forming, and the goblins began to clamor around her, seeming to cheer as they circled her. The goblins almost appeared to be performing a ritual to an outsider as they clamored, banging their sticks and rocks together. Liu Yue. She was a truly despicable character, and it was easy to see how she became a wrath¡ªa Demon Queen of the highest rank. Cruel, calculating, and menacingly intelligent, she approached her newfound world in a purely statistical manner. But, did she originally appear in the first scene? I thought she joined later on? ¡°No!¡± Wei cried as he made a mad dash to try and tend to the elderly man. But, it was far too late for him as he laid on the pavement completely gored. Yue cackled as she slowly stood up, blood dripping down her arms in thick black streaks. Glittering blue particles seemed to explode from her feet, creating a halo of light around her. Lifting a finger, she pointed it at a parked car¡ªthe same car that Wei had just left the child in¡ªand watched as the goblins raided it, smashing the window and goring the child inside. I scowled. I hated Yue the most out of every character I created. She adapted too fast, far too fast, as if she had waited for this very situation just like me. ¡°How dare you!¡± Wei shouted, his fists balled and trembling in sheer rage. ¡°How could you ever kill another person!¡± Yue¡¯s head swiveled over to face him in a nonchalant manner as she gave a wide and thin smile. ¡°Just trying to get some more stars.¡± It was like watching two parts of myself fight one another. Had I not known anything about this world, who was to say I wouldn¡¯t have taken a similar route to Yue? Even now, my actions were guided by a form of author manipulation; I had a desired conclusion for Wei, and I was simply pushing him toward my goal. My eyes shifted to Wei¡¯s arm, where it seemed as if the bandages started snaking around his arm. Now was my time to jump in. ¡°Hey, Yue!¡± I shouted, walking toward her, cracking my knuckles before shaking out my hand. She whipped her head around and stared at me with insane eyes. She let out a scoff as she turned toward me, the goblins eagerly awaiting her orders. ¡°Using my first name? You¡¯re entitled. Who are you?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I said a few words to myself in my head: invest 500 stars into strength and 1000 into physique.

Strength level 1 ¡ú level 5

Physique level 1 ¡ú level 10

Yue¡¯s eyes trailed to the truck behind me, reading the large company font. ¡°So you¡¯re in pest control, too? That¡¯s pathetic.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a fortune teller, actually.¡± She tilted her chin up, mocking an impressed look. ¡°Really? Then go and predict the future. What¡¯s about to happen?¡±

Time left 5 minutes 59 seconds

Hundreds of observers are following you with immense interest!

¡°I¡¯m about to beat the shit out of you.¡± Chapter 4: The First Arc - Ep. 1, IV Yue stared at me for a moment before reeling over and laughing, clutching her stomach as she bent over and her shoulders shook. Grabbing a small blade from one of the goblins, she lunged forward and slashed the blade with vicious speed toward my throat. ¡°Peijin!¡± Yang shouted, rushing forward. The blade made contact with my throat with astounding force, but it simply clattered against my skin. Yue froze before readjusting her hand to grip the knife as an extension of her fist and drive it into my stomach. The blade snapped in half as I smirked down at Yue, my expression smug. ¡°What are you?¡± When Yue looked up to face me, her voice trembled slightly as her brown eyes shook. I gave a cocky shrug. ¡°Just a pest control worker,¡± I replied before balling my hand and slamming my fist into her liver, watching her fly back and slam into a car. She let out a surprised yelp as she bounced off of the now totaled car and skidded on the ground. The freeway was filled with more and more dead bodies as people continued to fight and lose against the violent horde of goblins. Blood and gore littered the streets, painting the initially dusty gray and cracked asphalt with a deep red. I shook out my fist in the air, rubbing my knuckles, and waited for Yue¡¯s retaliation.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: This is the action I wanted to see. Keep this up, and maybe I¡¯ll send a few stars your way.

¡°Am I a street performer and pest control worker now?¡± I grumbled under my breath before I looked up at the sky once more. A few more stars were present, signifiers for the divinities, so at least some showed interest.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Woooow, that was the first time you responded to me. I almost thought these weren''t getting through. I¡¯ll send more now, though.

The Azure Dragon gasped at the sight of me hovering over Yue and covered his snout with stubby hands. ¡°Do I really have a fortune teller in my channel? This is so good for business!¡± I glared at the Azure Dragon and looked back to the freeway, watching the horde of goblins sprint toward me, since I had attacked their ¡°ruler.¡± With a simple sweep of my foot, they easily dissolved into speckled black ash that blew into the air. More and more charged and met a similar fate, and I continued to leisurely walk closer and closer to Yue.

Time left: 2 minutes 21 seconds

She coughed up blood but wiped the side of her mouth with skinned hands turned pink. ¡°Yue,¡± I say in a firm voice, kneeling down beside her, ¡°I want you to team up with me.¡± Yue was, unfortunately, part of the main cast, but more importantly, she¡¯d become one of the strongest of the demon disciples in Surviving My First Round with the Demon Bull King as her sponsor. As one of the only beings to ever match Sun Wukong, the greatest Chinese divinity, the Demon Bull King was a truly formidable wrath. Wei looked over, admiration and idolism glinting in his surprised expression. He nudged Yang¡¯s arm while Yang was trying to wipe off the bug guts from his hands. ¡°Peijin is so generous,¡± Wei whispered when I extended my hand out toward Yue. Wei was too far to be in earshot, but he was receptive to my actions. Yue snickered and tilted her head back, eyeing me as I stared at her busted lip. ¡°I don¡¯t really have a choice, do I?¡± ¡°No, not really,¡± I gave a toothy grin as she sat up and reached for my hand. Suddenly, her hand slammed against my gut with unexpected force, causing me to fall back onto the ground mostly from surprise. ¡°These observers and stars do come in handy, huh?¡± Yue dusted herself off, readjusted her school skirt, and crossed her arms as she hovered over me. How could she possibly have enough stars to level up her strength that much? I groaned, getting up rather quickly. She should have what, maybe 500 or 600 stars? That wasn¡¯t enough to overpower my physique level.

Observer ''Nipon23'': Sorry not sorry Jia Li

You have received a new review!

0.5 / 5: Liu Yue needs to win this fight. Wu Peijin is beyond incompetent.

Seriously? That guy gave Yue stars? And, if these insulting observer ratings had an impact on my progression, I was completely fucked. I quickly checked to see how the chapter was progressing, looking at the blue screen.

Percent killed: 52%

The Azure Dragon gawked as it redirected the broadcast back toward my fight with Yue. [Seems like a lot is going on here, too! Feel free to donate some more stars to my broadcast, so I can bring you better content!] The Azure Dragon batted his long gold lashes at an invisible camera just above Yue and me. Looks like the goblins had done their job at killing the majority of the population¡ but still, something about this was unsettling. The number shouldn¡¯t have climbed so quickly. As per the Azure Dragon¡¯s comment, where else would a cooler disciple interaction be taking place? I was at a better spot than Feiyu at this point of the story. Returning my focus to Yue, she must not have invested many stars into physique given her labored breathing and the sweat on the brow. I didn¡¯t want to use this many stars for the prerequisite arc, but it looked like I had to. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

2000 stars used.

Strength level 5 ¡ú level 15

¡°Sorry, Yue, I don¡¯t think you understand what¡¯s happening,¡± I slowly stood up and lowered my hands to my sides, trying to avoid intimidation. ¡°Your fortune ends here.¡±

Disciple Yue has unlocked skill ¡®Demonic Fire!¡¯

Disciple Yue has activated ¡®Demonic Fire!¡¯

Yue¡¯s fists started glowing with an ominous black and purple flame that flickered up her arm. She looked down in amazement, a chaotic grin lighting up her expression. ¡°Did you predict this, then?¡± This time on impact, her fist threw me backward and hurdled me straight into the fence on the side of the freeway. My body crashed straight through the metal railing before I collapsed into the ground like a starfish, groaning. Wei sprinted over to me, lifting me up and slapping my face to try and keep me conscious. He stood before me, blocking Yue from me as he armed himself with metal rubble from the car accidents.

You have unlocked skill ¡®Hindsight!¡¯

Hindsight activated!

[... This seems to be a very embarrassing play on behalf of our¡ fortune teller.] At once, my eyes began glowing a deep blue and the entire world like frames on a film. Yue''s hands continued to a glow with the demonic flames, but she was overshadowed by a blue tint and countless white text before her describing every potential move, every potential detail. The amount of information was overwhelming, and with every breath she took, it constantly shifted to show possibilities in blips of red and purple frames. Above her, a strange, ominous green creature with pointed ears and a squished face lurked, glaring at me with glowing eyes¡ªonly hindsight allowed me to see him. The demon ''King of Resourceful Goblins.'' That bastard was still mad at me for killing all those goblins, and now, he was controlling Yue''s movements in an attempt to kill me.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: You just lost a bunch of observers from that hit, Jia Li.

I grabbed Wei¡¯s shoulder, gently pushing him to the side. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Wei. I¡¯m just really pissed off now.¡± Yue faced me, angling her chin up with both of her arms now blazing with demonic fire. Admittedly, I hadn¡¯t quite seen this coming; even though the skill was the same as in Surviving My First Run, she hadn¡¯t activated it until the second arc. These observers were seriously throwing off my entire story just like they did before the apocalypse. ¡°Come back for more, Peijin?¡± She must have picked up my name earlier from Yang¡¯s shout. Yue announced my name, and it only sounded more like an insult. I spit out blood onto the freeway, causing a thick splatter just a few feet away. ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever.¡± My two hands were raised in front of me and gestured for her to make the first move. "I''m not here to fight you." Yue stared at me, dumbfounded, before she burst out laughing, borderline cackling like a hyena. "Ha! You''re really something." "I''m not talking about you, you narcissist. I''m talking about the demon you made a deal with." As soon as Yue moved, the blue frames highlighted the most likely possibility before vanishing, forcing me to synthesize all the information in a mere moment. Yue¡¯s fist barely missed my right cheek as I dodged, side-stepping at the last possible moment. I let out a sigh of relief¡ªmaybe I¡¯d be able to keep a sliver of dignity despite the Azure Dragon¡¯s convoluted broadcasting. I shouted over the sound of chaos, sucking in a quick breath. "These aren''t your movements! You let the Goblin King control your body to kill me, didn''t you?" I spat. A flaming fist narrowly missed the top of my head before I quickly ducked down, jumping out to the side and quickly regaining my footing. Yue¡¯s jaw was clenched tightly, her brows furrowed in rage, but she continued to throw violent punch one after another. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Yue? Cat got your tongue?¡± I smirked, lightly jumping back and forth between my two feet. Growing more comfortable with the hindsight skill, I danced around her in a teasing, mocking manner.

You have received a new review!

4.5 / 5: Wu Peijin is very quick to understands her opponents, and she pieces together complex deals or relationships with seeming ease. She''s not as good as Qiu Feiyu, though

Yue let out a frustrated cry as she battered me with her fists, yet I easily blocked every single move with the side of my forearms. The positive review seemed to fill my body with a sudden burst of revitalized energy. Each burst of flames would leave the top-most surface of my skin charred black, but thanks to my physique level, it quickly dusted off. My leg smashed into her side, launching her into the pavement once more. Her body crunched on the pavement, leaving a human-shaped indent, before she skid a few feet further. Yue drooped, unconscious, as she laid on the crusted asphalt with spit dripping out of her open mouth. Flipping through the Azure Dragon store, I quickly purchased a weak exorcism potion and shoved it into her mouth, forcing her to swallow the black liquid. With a rancid puff of smoke, the goblin demon''s energy burst out of her mouth with a loud cry before exploding into sparks. A god influencing such an early chapter would undoubtedly be subjected to the horrific punishments of karma. After all, karma was all-powerful. My feet crunched on the broken glass that was scattered around the freeway as I picked Yue up, wrapped my jacket around her waist, and threw her over my shoulder. I held onto her thighs and walked back to the pest control car, dumping her body in the back seat. At the assault of their leader, dozens of goblins shrieked and charged at me, furiously wielding their battered sticks and stones. A clever few even picked up shards of glass and attempted to slash my legs. With a light side kick, an entire row of them faded into black ash as I made my way back to the van. Countless of the grotesque green creatures, however, continued to swarm people on the streets that previously tried to attack them.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li!! You¡¯re so popular! Wait till they find out you wrote Surviving My First Run! That''s the ultimate review bomb LOL

I finally made it back to the pest control van and let out a heavy sigh, sinking against the side of the battered truck. This had become much more convoluted than I was hoping for. It seemed like they had already invested their stars. Yang moved to assist me, but Wei shot me a conflicted expression as he eyed Yue with disdain in his expression. ¡°I don¡¯t like her either,¡± I reassured Wei, ¡°but you can¡¯t deny how powerful she is.¡± With a blue flash, the timer for the first chapter flashed, marking the end of the first challenge.

Chapter #1 - Prerequisite has concluded

Stars received: 21,400

Chapter 5: The First Arc - Ep. 1, V

Name	Peijin Wu
Age	24
Sponsor	?
Skills	Hindsight lvl. 1, Editor''s Pen lvl. 1, Scathing Reviewer (awaiting application)
Stats	Strength lvl. 15, Physique lvl. 10, Agility lvl. 1, Mana lvl. 1, Health lvl. 1
Evaluation	After living a miserable and wasted life, Wu Peijin finds salvation in the apocalypse.

¡ Who the hell wrote my evaluation? I gently scratched the bottom of my chin as I evaluated my skill set, tapping my foot on the ground as the blue window continued to glow in front of me. None of these skills were recognizable to me, but they were tailored to me being the author; I already used ¡®Hindsight,¡¯ but I was curious what ¡®Editor¡¯s Pen¡¯ could do. My mind flashed back to the attachment HolyMapleSyrup sent me. Was ¡®Scathing Reviewer¡¯ the gift he was referring to?

Editor¡¯s Pen skill activated!

Please type the edit you¡¯d like to make.

My face twisted into a slight grin as I opened up the digital keyboard and typed out an edit. If this skill really worked the way I thought, surviving this apocalypse would be a breeze.

After Chapter-Prerequisite, the richest disciple in the area will receive a star bonus of 5,000 and gold-tier access to the Azure Dragon store.

I couldn¡¯t give any higher boosts¡ªif anything, this skill¡¯s existence already pushed the limits. Despite being the writer, I had to give some care to the laws of the narrative within the confines of the reader¡¯s expectations. In Surviving My First Run, such laws became known as the karmic powers; karmic powers meant every single action taken, positive or negative, would come back and impact the entity in the future. A divinity outright murdering disciples they didn¡¯t like? Karma would kick in and bring immense sorrow, death, or destruction of temples of worshippers. A moderator, like the Azure Dragon, changing the course of a chapter or arc? Karma meant they''d face the brunt of a grotesque death or eternal financial failure. This rule was the same reason powerful divinities couldn¡¯t communicate with disciples at this moment. The only way around karma would be overriding it with an abundant amount of spiritual energy¡ªclearly, despite the Goblin King''s attempts, the flurry of sparks that assaulted him meant karma had already claimed him. Editor¡¯s Pen already seemed to test karma, and I didn¡¯t want to find out what would happen if I broke it.

Edit granted.

I awkwardly waited for the star payout while watching Yang and Wei play around with the Azure Dragon store, but nothing came.

Observer ''Socrates'': ... this is seriously painful to watch

Was I using the skill wrong? It says it was granted. I waved down the Azure Dragon who quickly popped up in front of me. [We¡¯re starting the next scenario soon, so could you keep this brief?] I gave the dragon an annoyed stare. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± [Chang.] ¡°Chang, who¡¯s the richest disciple right now for this specific area?¡± The Azure Dragon puffed and grabbed one of his whiskers twirling it in between his claws. [As an astute and hard-working moderator, I cannot give such classified information to a mere and puny disciple such as yourself.] ¡°Do they have more than me?¡± [A bit less than double.] Less than double? Who was strong enough to kill that many people or goblins this early on? Even Feiyu got less stars than I did during this chapter, and he was the richest in his area. ¡°Who the hell came up with this stupid system?¡± I grumbled, kicking the side of the van and putting my hands in my pockets. I looked down and saw Yang sitting beside Yue, holding a miniature vial of kraken mucus that he must have bought from the store. Yang looked up, sensing my eyes on him, and said, ¡°I bought it from the store. It said it was good healing and soothing injuries.¡± His hands were covered in the slimy substance as he gently rubbed it onto Yue¡¯s skinned joints and oozing cuts. Even during the end of the world, Yang was still preoccupied with caring for others even at his own expense. The kraken mucus must have cost him a few hundred stars, even if he got the smallest size. ¡°You should save your stars for more important purchases. Yue could have healed from those alone.¡± ¡°Sorry, it was my idea,¡± Wei jumped in, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head and avoiding my gaze. No, it definitely wasn¡¯t, but whatever. I was more worried about the next scenario, even though it was easy.

CHAPTER #2

PARTY TIME!

Difficulty

Task

Team up with at least 2 other people by high-fiving them. Appoint a group leader and choose a name.

Time

5 minutes

Reward

100 stars

Failure

Death

This chapter was solely meant to sabotage people like Yue, rendering the savages incapable of finding teammates; however, seeing her potential, Feiyu would confidently team up with her; but, for some reason, Feiyu was nowhere to be found now. Oh well, more for me. I turned to face the group, tying my shoulder-length black hair into a short ponytail behind me. ¡°We¡¯ll be a party, but keep it just to us four.¡± I raised my hand into the air and slapped all of their hands, lifting up the unconscious Yue¡¯s arm and giving her an unnecessarily hard slap. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Observer ¡®Nipon23¡¯: Why are you bitchy in real life, online, and in your own fictional world?

¡ Okay. I was definitely not going to check HolyMapleSyrup¡¯s attachment, and hopefully whatever the hell my skill ¡®Scathing Reviewer¡¯ was, it would remain far, far away. However, I wondered why HolyMapleSyrup wasn¡¯t sending any observer messages. I did block him if that was a requirement to be an observer. Suddenly, someone gripped the back of my leg. I turned my head to see a desperate woman with tears in her eyes as she got blood on my dark brown pants. ¡°Please,¡± she pleaded, lowering her head and pressing her sweaty forehead against my leg, ¡°please let me team up with you.¡±

Hindsight activated!

A blue box hovered over her head to identify her, but I immediately recognized her frail limbs and tired expression as those belonging to Liu Simei. In the third arc, when her party was running out of food, she stole and hid it all for herself before dying soon after, leaving all her team members to starve to death. Obviously, there was no reason to team with Simei nor was there a reason she should live as a character. I kicked her off of me, a look of disgust on my face. ¡°Sorry, but we¡¯re full. Find someone else.¡± Simei tugged on my pants once more, this time virtually climbing up my leg. ¡°Please! I¡¯ll do anything. I-I promise you now. I¡¯ll even pay you money!¡± This was getting really annoying. I scoffed at her before kicking her off as if she were a rabid dog.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: ?? Jia Li, what are you doing? have you lost your mind ????

Yang gave Simei a sympathetic look as she cried before begging the next passerby. ¡°How can you be alright with all of this, Peijin?¡± His words startled me, but I quickly regained my composure. ¡°We¡¯re only alive because more than fifty percent of the population had to die. If we have to team up, I need a group without liabilities.¡± ¡°You have an awfully transactional mindset for someone who complained about their exploitative job all the time.¡± I glared at Yang, pursing my lips, but I knew a part of what he said was true. Rather, none of this felt real to me. I was trapped in a job I hated for years with no hope or fulfillment in sight, but I was now in a world that I had crafted with own my two hands for a decade. Still, this was only a story with fabricated characters and fabricated opportunities. Suddenly, an even larger group of people seemed to race toward my party with their arms raised in the air and their voices clamoring and overlaying each other. ¡°Everyone, get into the van!¡± I ordered, jumping into the driver¡¯s seat. I hopped back into the driver''s seat as Wei was trapped in the backseat with an unconscious Yue. I started the car and drove further down the freeway, trying to throw the hoard off my tracks. Survival meant partnering with people who adapted the fastest and oftentimes abandoning people like Yue, so I wasn¡¯t surprised that they were flocking around me. A small girl caught my eye on the side of the freeway. No one was near her, and she was weeping into the pelt of a small puppy in her arms, her shoulders shaking with each racking sob. The puppy was clearly deformed, with some of its limbs and features bulging out more than others from the previous chapter¡¯s monsterization. I quickly shook my head. No, don¡¯t let it get to you. You made it clear, and the party has already been solidified. What kind of party leader would I be if I broke my own rules? I immediately pulled the van up beside the little girl. Her blond hair waved in front of her face, and she had stunning and crystal-like blue eyes that peered back up at me with tears spilling down her face. The dew of youth seemed to have kissed her skin and gave it a lively, desperate appearance as I gave her a warm smile, my hand outstretched. Her hair and eye color told me she was a foreigner or tourist. I peeked into the destroyed car behind her and winced at the sight of her two dead parents, having been gored by goblins. She must have been forced to kill her puppy to survive the chapter. ¡°Do you have a party yet?¡±

Time left: 2 minutes 03 seconds

I turned around and saw the crowd of people storming toward me again, and I desperately turned back to the girl with an almost impatient look that was disguised under my hopefully sympathetic expression. She responded with a language I couldn¡¯t understand, tears streaming down her face as she backed away from me on all fours in fear. I gave a little sigh and shut my eyes, slightly frustrated. Would I really have to buy this skill? The Azure Dragon store opened up before me as I swiped, looking for the ¡®Translator¡¯ skill. Before I could purchase the skill, the little girl slapped my hand, and the puppy¡¯s corpse was now carefully laid down on the car seat. ¡°Amelia.¡± She murmured the words under her breath with hesitation, her large blue eyes still full of tears that clung onto her blond lashes. This was the world I had created and thrown her into. Even if this was just a story, I felt an odd pang in my heart at the pathetic sight. ¡°Amelia,¡± I awkwardly repeated, unfamiliar with the consonant sounds. I grabbed her forearm and threw her over my back in one movement, running back into the car while people clattered against the locked door. Yang was far more fit for this than I was, and he could probably speak to the girl if he wanted to. If Yang and I traded positions, he was much more likely to be the main character of this world. Our lives were in different genres. ¡°Stop banging on the door!¡± I shouted angrily at the people outside the locked truck while I passed Amelia over to Wei. ¡°This isn¡¯t an orphanage! Just team up with the people next to you!¡± I drove off once more while Wei tightly held Amelia in his lap, both of them swaying with my atrocious driving; Yang let out a surprised cry as Yue rolled onto the floor of the van, banging against his seat. For some odd reason, Yang seemed unnecessarily tense around her, even though he was in the front of the van. His brow sweated more when he saw her, and he would nervously bite his lower lip, but he hadn¡¯t made any complaints. Yang spoke to Amelia in English and she gave a little nod of her head, receptive. He guided her through the Azure Dragon store and transferred enough stars to her to purchase the Translator skill. This man spent money like water. Good thing I was the richest disciple so far. Richest disciple in this group. Stupid Editor¡¯s Pen skill.

Time left: 1 minutes 38 seconds

¡°We need to come up with a group name. It¡¯s temporary for the next few rounds, but does anyone have any ideas?¡± ¡°You should pick, Peijin!¡± Wei said enthusiastically, leaning into the gap between the driver and passenger seat. ¡°You should be the party leader for sure. You saved all of us.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯d be party leader,¡± I replied with a satisfied expression on my face, my chin held high. ¡°I love your confidence, too!¡± That sounded passive aggressive. Wei¡¯s childish character was predominately based on the type of character I idolized since I was a child. Funny, brave, and handsome. I garnered the inspiration for his character based on my weirdly idealized version of my first school crush, and Wei was the complete opposite to Feiyu. I was deep in thought for a moment before replying. ¡°What about ¡®Peijin¡¯s Pest Control Corporation?¡¯¡± Yang let out a boisterous laugh before going dead silent when I shot him a glare. He replied, seeming perfectly serious. ¡°Why not ¡®Yang¡¯s Pest Control Corporation?¡¯ People might be driven away if they see your name in the title.¡± I stuck my tongue out at him, blowing a raspberry. ¡°Not a single entity in this world would want to watch a group with that stupid of a name.¡±

Party Leader	Wu Peijin
Party Name	Peijin''s World Dominion

I winked into the rearview mirror and giggled before leaning over to cover Amelia¡¯s eyes as the scenario ended, and anyone who failed to complete the scenario exploded, their heads seeming to swell as their eyes popped up before they turned into a puddle of red sludge. Yue was beginning to wake up in the back of the car, groaning as she sat up before punching Wei straight in the face, startled. Amelia let out a horrified shriek, and Yue became even more panicked at the sight of an unknown child. This was going to be a fun party. If things worked out how I planned, we¡¯d be in the top thirty strongest parties in China by the second arc.

Chapter #2 - Party Time has concluded

Stars received: 100

Chapter 6: The First Arc - Ep. 1, VI Although currency in Surviving My First Run was technically based on stars, there was one thing far more valuable: believers. Every believer meant the chance your story was passed down increased, more temples were constructed, and more sacrifices were conducted. Nothing in this world was immortal, not even the divinities, and once someone died, they could only live through the stories people passed down. Every experience or life event was a story, and the more well-known you were, the more widespread your existence became. That story always included sacrifices. Everything needed to be perfectly balanced in the eyes of karma, but I wanted to change that now that I¡¯d become a part of this very story. Gods, which included divinities, ghosts, and demons, all rose to their powerful status because their many believers heard their stories and worshipped them. So, more powerful gods belonged to more well-known myths or stories, and in turn, they had more spiritual power available to them. The same applied for everyone swept into this world. The more arcs you survived, the more fame you gained, the more believers you earned, and the gods or observers were starving to live off the mere entertainment that could be garnered through these broadcasts. Which was why choosing a good sponsor was critical. Not only would they be able to support disciples materially but through skills as well. This was one of the only early moments where disciples could communicate more freely with gods.

CHAPTER #3

SPONSOR SELECTION

Difficulty

Task

Select a sponsorship from any of the gods that have made offers. Once you have picked a sponsorship, declined gods may offer to other members in your party.

Time

15 minutes

Reward

Sponsor

As expected, my list of sponsors was pretty impressive¡ªthough I was disappointed to see no ghost offers. None of the gods used their true names, but I could determine who they were based on their pseudo titles.

Great Sage Equaling Heaven

Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven

The One Who Fights in Front

Abyssal Kraken of Black Seas

Eternal Wish

Sun Wukong was here? If I got Sun Wukong as my sponsor¡ that was the dream. I let out a nervous laugh, itching the side of my head once I finished rereading the list. This might have been a bad list, actually. I was doing pretty good in terms of the number of offers, considering that Chang¡¯s channel was tiny and new, but this list was¡ contradictory to say the least. There was no failure scenario for this arc, which meant that if I didn¡¯t pick a sponsor, nothing would really happen; however, I¡¯d miss out on a lot of buffs. Feiyu never picked a sponsor to rebel against the gods, but I didn¡¯t have the luck of the protagonist. I opened the Azure Dragon store before buying ten prayer candles with decadent designs carved onto the wax, laying them out across the dashboard of the car. "Yue, light them." She let out a loud huff before using demonic fire to ignite all the candles¡ªalthough I supposed it was a bit offensive to use a demon''s power to worship divinities, I didn''t want to spend extra money on a lighter. I whispered the names of all my divinities under my breath, and five of the candles turned into a crimson red. Now, my sponsors would be allowed to communicate; the candles served as a gift of worship and helped manifest their spiritual powers into early rounds without drawbacks of karma. Yang looked at me curiously. "Are you praying?" "Say the epithet of your sponsor. This serves as a prayer gift and will let you communicate minimally." The first of my sponsors was Sun Wukong from the iconic Journey to the West, and he was arguably the strongest Chinese God who I¡¯d been dead set on selecting at first. His epithet was ¡°Great Sage Equaling Heaven,¡± and despite being arrogant and snobby, the only one who¡¯d ever been able to beat him was Buddha. The second was Sun Wukong¡¯s main enemy, the Bull Demon King. Although, I never really considered him much of an enemy more so as an antagonist. He was defeated by Sun Wukong, but he virtually matched his level, and his true goal was vengeance. Picking Sun Wukong would turn him directly against me unless I found a way to keep them both. The Bull Demon King¡¯s epithet was similar, but he cockily made it ¡°Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven,¡± to appear superior to Sun Wukong.

Demon King ¡®Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven¡¯ sponsors 1,000 stars.

Divinity ¡®Great Sage Equaling Heaven¡¯ expresses contempt toward ¡®Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven.¡¯

Divinity ¡®Great Sage Equaling Heaven¡¯ sponsors 1,001 stars.

I placed my hands on my hips and faced the wide sky. ¡°Don¡¯t bother bribing me with stars. I already know who I plan on picking,¡± I shouted up at the heavens. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Divinity ¡®Great Sage Equaling Heaven¡¯ says to not make stupid considerations.

¡°Your third sponsor is Athena, right?¡± Yang chimed in, peeking over at my screen. ¡°That¡¯s one of her epithets. It''s how the Greeks referred to her.¡± I shifted away, awkwardly leaning over to try and block my screen. ¡°Stop being nosey.¡± Yang sarcastically placed a hand to his chest, moving his hands around for dramatic effect. ¡°Sorry CEO Wu, but this requires teamwork and talking. Yue also got a Greek goddess sponsor.¡± ¡°Who the hell would sponsor Yue?¡± I grumbled, turning to the back of the car. Yue was slumped in the back seat, her arms crossed and her lips forming a slight pout shape. She looked far smaller and less¡ unhinged than earlier. The scrapes and cuts on her arms were already healing thanks to the kraken mucus. I gawked when I read her screen. She had only gotten two offers, a far cry from the original novel, but I hadn¡¯t expected such a good divinity.

King of Resourceful Goblins

Far Shooting Queen of Beasts

I looked back and forth between the blue screen and Yue. ¡°You got Artemis? You didn¡¯t even do anything in the Prerequisite chapter!¡± I exclaimed, slightly jealous as I fully ignored the Goblin King¡¯s offer. ¡°Beast class divinities usually don¡¯t make offerings un¡ª¡± I awkwardly paused, realizing I let too much slip. ¡°Until they see something more impressive. At least they don¡¯t in video games.¡± Yue snorted at my response. ¡°You jealous?¡± ¡°Me? Jealous?!¡± I grabbed the back of Yang¡¯s seat and leaned over to the back of the van. ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t spend the last two rounds blacked out in a va¡ª¡± Yang let out an awkward laugh and clasped his hand over my mouth. My fingertips gripped the front of my blue screen and shifted it in front of Yue¡¯s view, showing her my list of offers. ¡°Oh.¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: It¡¯s almost like you¡¯re a cheap cosplay of Feiyu! Did you know observers might be able to sponsor stars after this arc?? Better be nice to me :)

Socrates was really pissing me off. Besides, there was no way observers would get access to an abundance of stars when one needed to be a powerful god to have any impact. I shot a judgemental look at Yue, my brown eyes narrowing to form an exaggerated expression, before I looked back at my own offers. The third was Athena, who was undeniably one of the most well known mythological figures. If I had her, I¡¯d receive the best war advice and immediate connections to the Greek divinities. But¡ My eyes wandered to the fourth offer. The kraken was by far the most powerful water beast in Surviving My First Round. And, of course, he had indirect anger toward Athena, since the sea serpent, a fellow water beast, was slain due to Athena lending Perseus Medusa¡¯s head and a shield. No one else in my party though had any beast offerings or any water skills, so lacking in those categories could put us at an early disadvantage¡ªa disadvantage that Artemis could bridge. As for ¡°Eternal Wish,¡± I had no idea who that was. I¡¯d never even thought about a character or god with that name when writing Surviving My First Run. Given the rather weak and stupid epithet, I assumed he must have been a pathetic god. ¡°Wei, Yang, and Amelia, what offers did you get?¡± Amelia looked nervous before speaking, brushing her hair behind her ear and looking down at the ground. ¡°I didn¡¯t get any,¡± she whispered, barely audible. In the short time I had known Amelia, I had grown strangely attached to her¡ªher nervousness and simultaneously determined nature. It reminded me of someone or something I couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°It¡¯s alright, that¡¯s why we¡¯re in a party,¡± I gave her a toothy grin before rubbing the top of her head, her blond hair immediately frizzing. ¡°Peijin is so understanding,¡± Wei chimed in from the backseat, turning over to Yue. Yue rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah right. All of you are delusional,¡± she muttered, kicking her feet against the back of my seat to throw me forward into the steering wheel. I looked up at Yang, who seemed to also be looking at Amelia with a mixture of fondness and protection. ¡°Yang, who do you have?¡± ¡°I have Chang¡¯e. She must be good for healing then, right? I can pick her if you think that¡¯ll help the rest of the group.¡± Chang¡¯e was an incredibly popular and beloved goddess among Chinese culture, and she was frequently celebrated at the moon festival, but if Yang picked her, he¡¯d be limited to being a healer. Even though that was a crucial role to every group, couldn¡¯t Yang do more? I looked up at him and inspected his features once more. In the mere time that the world had turned into this devastated apocalypse, he quickly adapted into a supporting role. ¡°Let me think about it. What about you, Wei?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± he said, seemingly startled, ¡°I got the ¡°Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts.¡± My face lit up into a stupid grin as I gave him a massive double thumbs up. Some things remained the same as the web novel. ¡°Pick him, that¡¯s perfect.¡± Without any hesitation, Wei selected his sponsor. Despite his almost intimidating appearance, he was an incredibly trusting and kind man, and that nature stuck with him even later into Surviving My First Run. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Peijin, but I¡¯m not as good at recognizing myths as you or Yang. Who exactly is my sponsor?¡±

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ lets out a booming laugh.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ sponsors 1,500 stars.

I didn¡¯t get what was so funny, but I appreciated the fat paycheck. ¡°Archangel Michael. He¡¯s one of the strongest divinities from the Abrahamic religions. Don¡¯t worry about it, he¡¯s perfect for you,¡± I reassured Wei, ¡°He¡¯s a symbol of justice and strength against evil.¡± Wei teared up, bringing both of his hands in front of his face. ¡°Do you really think so highly of me, Peijin?¡± I let out an awkward laugh, patting his broad shoulder. I could see why Feiyu liked him¡ª he was kind of like a golden retriever. ¡°Yeah, yeah, but don¡¯t start crying or you¡¯ll change my mind.¡±

Time left: 6 minutes 29 seconds

¡°Amelia, Yang, and Yue. Don¡¯t pick a sponsor yet. The arc instructions show that there¡¯s no failure, so there must be another time for us to pick a god in the future. I¡¯ll close my window first, and we¡¯ll see if any of my gods move to one of you.¡± I moved to click on the glowing white ¡°X¡± on the top corner of the blue box, but an invisible force suddenly slammed my hand into one of the sponsor options.

Congratulations! You have selected ''Eternal Wish'' as your sponsor!

¡Eh? Chapter 7: The First Arc - Ep. 1, VII

Divinity ¡®Great Sage Equaling Heaven¡¯ tears out his hair in offense!

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ no longer thinks you¡¯re very wise.

¡°Huh?!¡± I cry out in anger, staring at the blue screens in front of me. ¡°I swear, something pushed my hand!¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li literally what are you doing. You had Sun Wukong.

Observer ''Hedgehog1938'': LMFAO NO WAY SHE JUST FUMBLED THAT HARD

You have received a new review!

0.5 / 5: Wu Peijin is an absolute idiot when it comes to her decisions. Not only is she hypocritical in who she saves, but she can''t even make rational decisions during chapters.

You have received a new review!

5 / 5: Wu Peijin is SO bad at this that it''s seriously the most entertaining thing i''ve ever seen LOL

I could hear Yue burst out laughing in the back of the car, clearly finding my disastrous error to be funny. ¡°What happened to being an fortune teller?¡± All of a sudden, the Azure Dragon appeared in the center of the car with a small blue flash. [What¡¯s with all the commotion here? This is a no-risk scenario, and you still manage to blow up my system with messages.]

Many observers are leaving to watch a different broadcast.

Fuck! If I wanted to grow in status, I needed as many cheerleaders as possible. ¡°Can you please let me reselect my sponsor?¡± I desperately pleaded with Chang. ¡°There must have been some other interference; something pushed my hand, and I made an accidental selection.¡± [If something interfered, I would have been alerted. There¡¯s no godly interference this early in the scenario.] I buried my face into my hands and groaned in sheer frustration. Where the hell was karma? Influencing a disciple¡¯s decision like that should¡¯ve been immediate sentencing.

Editor¡¯s Pen activated!

Allow disciples to make edits to their sponsors if there is still time left in the scenario.

Whatever, if Chang couldn¡¯t fix this, then I¡¯d solve it myself.

System Error: Edit cannot be processed.

¡°What the fuck?¡± I cried out angrily, waving my hands around me. ¡°How can you call this a system when sponsor selection and my skills don¡¯t even work! Can¡¯t you open up an error ticket?¡± [I-I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m a new moderator, so I don¡¯t have the authority to open up tickets.] ¡°Are you kidding me?! You''re not even a new moderator! At the start of this you said you worked on other planets before! What the hell happened to all of those?!" [A-All the disciples there died, so my boss moved me!] Without processing his words, I continued scolding the dragon. "How can you criticize humans for working their monotonous jobs when you can¡¯t even do yours?! You¡¯re the equivalent of a minimum wage customer service worker!¡± Chang¡¯s blue skin flushed a deep purple as he nervously looked around the car, surprised at the angry outburst. We were now centered on a bridge above a deep bay. [Haha, you see, I¡¯d love to help, but I¡¯m actually getting a call to the metro station, so I need to go. I wish you luck, though!] The dragon vanished with a poof and a swish of his pointy tale through the air. ¡°Ugh,¡± I groaned, bashing my head repeatedly onto the car horn. This sucked. I was just as unlucky as my original pest control life.

Time left: 4 minutes 39 seconds

I looked over at the readjusted blue screens now that the gods were forced to shift their offerings to different party members. I had to put together a team fast, since my original plan wasn¡¯t working out. If more class types were needed, there would be some characters in the next few arcs to recruit. ¡°Yang, you should pick Sun Wukong as your sponsor. We¡¯ll find a healer later.¡± Fucking Yang! If he wasn¡¯t so nice and virtuous and perfect I would¡¯ve murdered him already. Damnit, I really wanted Sun Wukong. ¡°As for you, Yue, pick the Bull Demon King. It¡¯ll be advantageous to have both of them in one party,¡± I ordered, facing Yue. ¡°And¡ he¡¯s a very fitting sponsor for you.¡± Before Yue could give a snarky remark, I looked over at Amelia. Both Artemis, Athena, and the Abyssal Kraken of Black Seas had shifted to her. This was a significant moment¡ªboth Artemis and the Abyssal Kraken of Black Seas could provide a beast controller to the team, with the Abyssal Kraken of Black Seas providing a vastly superior water advantage, but Athena was one of the strongest Greek warriors. ¡°Amelia, don¡¯t pick a sponsor yet. Let¡¯s wait till you have another opportunity, alright?¡±

Demon ¡®Abyssal Kraken of Black Seas¡¯ feels slightly sad.

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ seriously regrets trusting you.

I really had to give it to social media influencers. It was only more of a misfortune that there was no block or report feature. I¡¯d try Editor¡¯s Pen, but I¡¯ve had enough of my awful skills. ¡°Were none of my sponsors good?¡± Amelia frowned, her eyes tearing up again. ¡°Huh? No, that¡¯s not what I meant!¡± I grabbed her and squeezed her face, dramatically fake sniffling. ¡°You¡¯re perfect, don¡¯t worry about a thing.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Yue fake gagged in the back before letting out a surprised yelp as Wei punched the side of her leg.

Chapter #3 - Sponsor Selection has concluded!

You have completed the first arc.

You have earned the achivement ¡°Beginner¡¯s Luck.¡±

I hated my younger self a bit more with each passing hour.

Please head over to Futian Station immediately for the next arc which will commence in 23 hours and 59 minutes. Outdoor air will become more toxic with each passing hour.

You will now be marked by a specific color and symbol for your party. These will remain private until the next arc.

¡°Futian Station?¡± Wei repeated, his head tilted a bit in confusion. ¡°Isn¡¯t that pretty far?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine since we have a full day. Right now, we should focus on our skills and get some more stars,¡± I grumbled, trying to mask my indignation, ¡°If we¡¯re going to the underground station, it¡¯s probably going to be some dungeon arc.¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li, don¡¯t piss off the observers

Motherfucker.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: We all have spiritual power, Jia Li. And there¡¯s a lot of us.

At that little blue notification, my blood immediately ran cold. If they ever found out I was the infamous author, I¡¯d be seriously screwed the moment they decided to work together. Yue sat up in the back of the van, running her fingers through her silky ink hair. ¡°You seem to know a lot about this world, Peijin. And, you¡¯re definitely not a fortune teller.¡±

Disciple Yue has activated ''Profiling!''

Her left brown eye glowed an orange hue as she stared at me, almost resembling Yang¡¯s eyes in the sun, while reading an invisible blue screen in front of her. ¡°What¡¯s ¡®Scathing Reviewer?¡¯ How do you have a skill that isn¡¯t equipped?¡± My face flushed bright red as I realized she could already view everyone¡¯s profile. I was hoping to gain that skill soon, but Yue beat me to it. ¡°H-hey!¡± I protested, waving my arms in front of myself. ¡°Should you really be so invasive of your party leader?¡± "My party leader? You kidnapped me!" I let out a dramatic sigh, slumping back in my chair. "Whatever, fine. I lied about part of that." Yue let out a satisfied huff and crossed her arms. "Then how do you know so much?" Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket, and I removed it with sweaty hands. That same notification appeared again, sounding off despite me dismissing it previously. I skimmed the popup without opening the message, and the attachment title was ¡°Scathing Reviewer.¡± Who was HolyMapleSyrup, and how could they have sent me a skill? Not to mention a skill that sounded detrimental to its user more than anything. ¡°Peijin, are you going to answer?¡± Yue cooed in a mocking tone. Wei turned to Yue, responding in my place. ¡°There¡¯s no need to interrogate Peijin. She¡¯s already saved us, so let¡¯s just trust in her.¡± Yang seemed more skeptical, eyeing me from the passenger¡¯s seat while still holding onto Amelia. ¡°How do you know so much about this world, Peijin?¡± ¡°I read a lot of novels,¡± I said, my face twisted into an embarrassed expression. I was ashamed to admit such a truth in front of someone as admirable and stellar as Yang, so I excluded the fact they were actually web novels. ¡°Like Shakespeare?¡± Yang asked. ¡°What? Why the hell would I read Shakespeare?¡± ¡°Nevermind,¡± Yang responded with a strange look of satisfaction with my response. "But you''re still lying." "Am I on trial for a crime or something? Look, we can host a slumber party and play truth or dare when we get to the station." I approached the top of the bridge that was drawn over a large, glistening lake. Thankfully, I fully refilled the gas tank, so we would be fine for the rest of the trip. ¡°If the air outside is going to be toxic, we should all buy ¡®pigeon¡¯s lung¡¯ from the store,¡± I said while swiping through the store, my eyes flickering between the blue screen and the road. It appeared first in Yang¡¯s hands, and he quickly attached it to his mouth. ¡°Are these actual pigeon lungs?¡± he mumbled, looking grossed out. ¡°I really hope not,¡± Wei gagged, covering his face with a spare hand. Laughing, I continued to drive, breathing through my own pigeon lung attachment. ¡°If it¡¯s a dungeon, then we¡¯ll probably have a good chance to level up our skills and get some weapons. But some skills will probably be unlocked later.¡± ¡°Peijin,¡± a sharp voice called out from the backseat. ¡°What?¡± I groaned when I heard Yue¡¯s voice. She finally seemed to get used to the set up and was much less tense, even leaning in toward the front of the vehicle. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll be alright, and that whatever this is, it¡¯s just temporary?¡± Yue quickly added on, ¡°I¡¯m only asking because you know a lot.¡± My face remained unfazed despite my surprise at her words. It surprised me to realize that even though these were characters I¡¯d created, characters as psychotic and insane as Yue, they still wanted to return to their own normal lives. Did they have lives before this, though? After all, they were just characters. Did they just randomly appear today and think they had existed? Before I could ask, a loud crash resonated a few hundred feet behind me as the bridge shook unsteadily, debris and dust blasting the car forward. ¡°Agh!¡± I cried out, squinting my eyes to try and see through the sudden dust. I slammed on the gas and swerved the car toward the side of the bridge. Everyone let out a loud shout, their bodies slamming into the sides of the car. Yang gripped onto the ceiling while Wei tightly held onto Yue and the passenger seat.

Hindsight activated!

A giant blue sea serpent with red accents around its face was crashing down onto the bridge, chomping through every vehicle. Its bright orange eyes suddenly darted over to stare at our van as it lunged. ¡°Everyone get out!¡± I cried out, ¡°Put your stars into agility and run to the station! Protect Amelia, and I¡¯ll catch up later!¡± Yang picked up Amelia and threw her over his back, turning back for a moment to make sure everyone was following suit. The car doors slammed shut as everyone quickly evacuated, the panic obvious in their frantic movements. I however, stayed in the car, my knuckles turning white while I gripped the steering wheel. ¡°Peijin!¡± Amelia cried, reaching out a feeble hand toward me as I drove the car back toward the serpent, trying to buy them some time. My eyes glowed an icy blue deep from my skill, and I was analyzing the situation. Had anything like this happened in Surviving my First Run? If anyone didn¡¯t make it past the sea serpent, they were presumed dead by both me and the readers. What a short career I led here. I looked in the rearview mirror, my vision blue once more with countless numerical and written possibilities scribbled all over the serpent¡ªyet this time, I couldn''t dodge. The sea serpent snapped its sharp teeth forward, gripping onto the trunk of the vehicle and crunching it with its teeth as if it were nothing more than a soft, malleable plastic. I opened the door and jumped out of the van, rolling on the ground as I watched the vehicle get devoured. Thankfully, my physique level prevented me from getting any injuries¡ªI tried to quickly get back on my feet before sprinting down the bridge. Damnit, damnit, damnit! I seriously did not want to die! If I died now, I¡¯d become a ghost and forever haunt this goddamn system. I swore it on Sun Wukong. The serpent stared at me for a moment before slamming its head down just beside me; the bridge erupted from the impact and crumbled, causing me to fly off and fall toward the black waters. Ha, so that¡¯s how it was when you weren¡¯t the protagonist. I looked up toward the sky and the open jaws of the sea serpent lined with horrific teeth as I tumbled backward toward the rippling water, reaching up as the wind battered into my back. Chapter 8: Leveling Up - Ep. 2, I

Physique level 10 ¡ú level 15

My body made thunder as I slammed against the storming water, and the wind was knocked straight out of me. I coughed and sputtered, wheezing as mouthfuls of polluted water flooded into my throat. ¡°Gah-!¡± Thankfully, spending more stars to upgrade my physique level made up for most of the pain, but my body still throbbed and ached from the force of impact. I would definitely have a nasty purple bruise in a few hours. Quickly reaching for the pigeon¡¯s lung, I reattached it to my mouth and took in a big breath of air. Before I had time to recover, the upper body of the sea serpent dove back down into the water, its body barely leaving a ripple in the raging waves. Damnit! There was no way I could get through this. It wasn¡¯t possible in my novel, and in a world governed by rules, my written word triumphed. The sea serpent suddenly whizzed past me, its gaping jaws wide open and unhinged as I jerked my body sideways to avoid it. I looked back up toward the collapsing bridge, squinting my eyes to see if the rest of the group made it. ¡°Good,¡± I whispered to myself, a little smile on my face as I saw their small black silhouettes reach the end of the bridge, peeking over the cliffside. Yang could take care of all of them. With Sun Wukong and Archangel Michael with them, they would be just fine without me. I quickly shook my head, disappointed in my own reaction. Yang and Amelia were the only non-characters; there was no need to get caught up over characters. After all, did they even have free will? Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood as I jerked my head to look below me. The sea serpent''s wide jaws snapped open beneath my legs before it flew upwards, sending me soaring into the sky with an explosive rush of water. My arms flailed in the air while I hovered in between its gaping jaws, looking down its burgundy and fleshy throat. I let out a surprised scream, and my eyes were squeezed shut out of sheer terror at the sight. This was far scarier than what I had originally imagined¡ªwhat would the rest of this world look like with cannibalistic demons, gored ghouls, and vile beasts??

Agility level 1 ¡ú level 10

I grabbed onto the fang of the serpent, holding on and trying to swing myself onto its scaly nostrils. A blue flash appeared before me as a small dragon popped up. Seeing these two side by side, they looked incredibly familiar with their same colored scales and red eyes. [My my, look at what we have here! It¡¯s very impressive you haven¡¯t died yet, but you¡¯re sure to meet your end soon.] That damn money hungry moderator. To these people, I was nothing more than a character. It was like they were tuning into their favorite show at night. I dug my nails into the serpent¡¯s scales, slowly pulling myself up and grabbing its whiskers. It let out a horrific cry, its voice reverberating throughout the air all around it. The sea serpent was one of the most powerful beasts. Unlike most dragons where there were hundreds of tales involving their brutal deaths, tales of a serpent¡¯s death were much less common¡ªexcept for when Medusa was involved.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: This is so cool. It¡¯s like I¡¯m watching you write a new chapter before my eyes. Unless you die, obviously

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Oh also Athena is watching you so don¡¯t be an embarrassment again

The serpent slammed back down into the water, dragging me along as I struggled to hold my grip; my fingers and knuckles turned white from the sheer pressure as I slowly inched up its whisker. The serpent violently flung me into the riverbed as I gagged, quickly spitting out mixtures of water and saliva down my chin. I scrambled for the pigeon¡¯s lung that started floating up toward the water¡¯s surface and reattached it to my mouth. It formed a small air bubble around me, but it wouldn¡¯t last long. [You¡¯re still putting up a pretty good fight. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not dead yet, Wu Peijin.] The Azure Dragon laughed under the water, bubbles exiting its mouth and floating up to the top as it cackled. [This is such fun! You really don¡¯t want to die!]

Stars left: 18,800

I quickly swam into a small cave in the riverbed, hiding as the sea serpent raged outside, slamming its wide-open jaws into the rock to try and grab me. I swam farther into the cave before reaching a small air pocket. Gasping for air, I pushed my slick hair off my face. ¡°Socrates! Give me some of your spiritual energy so I can talk to Athena!¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: What no

¡°Even if you hated me as a person, you can still like me as a character,¡± I gasped, barely able to steady my breath while treading water, ¡°You said you were excited by this, right? I¡¯ll show you something even better.¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: What makes you think I wouldn¡¯t watch another broadcast?

¡°You¡¯re the only one aware of¡ me other than Nipon and one other. You¡¯ve hidden your messages to me from my party members, so I know you¡¯re only interested in watching me through these arcs.¡± [Can you not do this whole secret messaging thing right now? You¡¯re upsetting the viewers. You¡¯re being a bit cryptic right now.] Suddenly, my breathing calmed completely as if a restorative wave rolled right through me. Ha, so Socrates really did give me a bit of spiritual energy. This would be enough just to spark a conversation and permit Athena to send me messages. ¡°Chang! I want to sign a contract with Athena!¡± I cried out at the creature, wet hair clinging onto my skin in the dark. [A contract? With Athena?] He burst out laughing, holding onto his stomach before his eyes turned menacing. Chang¡¯s fangs seemed to grow before me as he took on a horrific look reflecting that of the sea serpent outside. [You think you can open a contract with her? You¡¯re weak. Here you are about to die after making it past just the introduction to this world.] ¡°Athena!¡± I shouted, completely ignoring Chang, ¡°I know you¡¯re watching me! I have enough spiritual energy to communicate with you without the candle.¡± With the hindsight skill activated, I could see the faint silhouette of her figure staring at me, an owl perched on her shoulder.

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ is surprised by your bold request for a contract.

I scowled under my breath; the constant attacks of the sea serpent caused small rocks to crumble and smack down into the water beside me. Had I known it would play out like this, I would¡¯ve done more to gain Athena¡¯s favor. My eyes glistened blue in the cave as I activated hindsight to try and find a way out. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. I opened the Azure Dragon store, quickly swiping.

Shield of Truth: 20,000 stars.]

It was that expensive? It wasn¡¯t that strong of an item outside of any arcs involving Medusa, but I needed to try and replicate the original story to have a chance at escaping.

Editor¡¯s Pen activated!

Shield of Truth costs only 2,000 stars.

Error! Impossible within karmic restraints.

Potential edit: Broken Shield of Truth costs only 15,000 stars.

Was my skill seriously bargaining with me? Well, there goes all of my stars. I made the purchase and grabbed the item as it appeared before me, taking it into my hand. It was a large stone shield with good weight to it, but only half of it was present; a large crack ran down the center horizontally, but it thankfully still shielded most of my body.

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ realizes your plan.

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ sponsors 5,000 stars.

I glared at the notification before looking up at Chang.

You have returned 5,000 stars to divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front.¡¯

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ is angered by your hubris.

¡°Don¡¯t send me stars right now, Athena. I don¡¯t need money,¡± I declared loudly as I continued to search the Azure Dragon store for what I needed, ¡°I need you to sign a contract with me.¡± Sending back star sponsorships wasn¡¯t even something the disciples dared to do in Surviving my First Run. Admittedly, I desperately needed the money, but I had to get the contract signed if I wanted to survive. ¡°Chang, open up the contract.¡± Chang puffed out his chest and crossed his arms in a stubborn gesture. [You¡¯re making a lot of enemies, Peijin. I¡¯m going to have to put up an ad break if this continues. You¡¯re bringing me in a lot of viewers, but it¡¯s crashing my system.] ¡°Put on the ad break. I¡¯ll let you have a say in the contract terms.¡± My voice was firm and serious, and I was no longer playing around. [Deal.] I could virtually see Chang¡¯s eyes fill up with dollar signs as he floated up into the air, batting his long gold lashes. [I¡¯m so sorry to all my beloved viewers, but unfortunately the next segment will be ads. Feel free to buy the Platinum subscription to my channel to skip them in the future!]

Countless observers and gods are crying out in anger!

Observer ''Aslan'': ARE YOU KIDDING???

Observer ''ZebraMM'': This is corrupt! You''re a shitty moderator!

Observer ''CommerceADK'': This is such a bad story. Contemplating leaving a 0.5 / 5 review.

Countless observers and gods wish to see Disciple Peijin¡¯s death!

¡ Okay. He winked at the camera, bringing two of his claws beside his eye in a humorous peace sign before flicking off the broadcast. [I¡¯m sure they don¡¯t mean they want you to die. It¡¯s just so exciting!] The bright blue screen opened up in front of my eyes, yet this time it was iridescent, gleaming with an almost gold sheen. Half of my small cave had collapsed now, and I could see the sea serpent¡¯s bright orange eye staring at me through a gap, its thin line of a pupil flickering back and forth. Gold and brown veins gave it a horrific look as it continued to peer at me.

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ warns that you¡¯re setting dangerous precedents.

My face remained completely nonchalant as I proposed my plan. If other gods discovered that Athena was making this deal, she could face severe backlash¡ªsame for Chang, but I didn¡¯t care about what happened to him. ¡°My sponsor Eternal Wish isn¡¯t one anyone should recognize. Eternal Wish doesn¡¯t exist,¡± I stated confidently, looking up at Chang. ¡°More importantly, one of my skills is ¡®Editor¡¯s Pen.¡¯ I can fully rewrite aspects of the arcs to go the way I want to. That¡¯s how I afforded the shield,¡± I declared, lifting it up before me. ¡°Despite my ability to make edits, I couldn¡¯t influence anything involving Eternal Wish. Do you know why?¡± Chang blinked absentmindedly at me, clearly confused¡ªbut the blue notifications appearing before me gave me enough of a sign.

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ says what you¡¯re suggesting is impossible!]

I smirked at the blue screen, looking up at Chang with a cocky grin. ¡°Eternal Wish is a completely unknown god, but he has enough power to influence the early arcs. That should be impossible for any god given the karmic powers. That¡¯s what Editor¡¯s Pen told me when I tried to change my sponsor.¡± Editor¡¯s pen hadn¡¯t explicitly stated that; however, the fact my edits were impossible in the story implied that Eternal Wish had unspeakable power. Editor¡¯s pen wasn¡¯t even able to provide an alternate edit like it just did for the shield. [Eh?! How could you have put all of this together? Are you really a fortune teller?] Chang replied, completely stunned as he stressfully tugged on his whiskers. [Ahh, I could make so much money off of this! A disciple this powerful in my broadcast? But I thought Yue said you weren¡¯t a fortune teller.] I replied firmly, staring up at him. "Yue is right. I''m not a fortune teller." His small blue head cocked to the side as he stared at me, confused. [Then how do you know so much?] With the blue glow of the hindsight skill in my eyes, I appeared menacing in the cave while glaring at Chang. My voice remained cool despite the water splashing against my parted lips. "I''m a god." [Hahahahaha!] Chang burst out laughing, throwing a complete fit while rocking back and forth in the air. His clawed hands grabbed on his tail, tugging and pulling it with each cackle he let out. [You should go into comedy! There''s always an opening with a pretty good star salary.] "Qiu Feiyu is a disciple in this area who has not chosen a sponsor and has sworn to tear all gods down from the heavens or drag them through hell. The next arc is a personalized dungeon room that''ll test every single person in the parties we made. After that, the top parties will battle to pick, and the winning group will pick the following arc out of three proposed options. "In the ninth arc, Athena will fall at the hands of Feiyu." At my words, the entire cave fell silent except for the sloshing of water against the cave walls. Chang froze, staring at me with widened and shaking red eyes. Even Athena herself seemed to have vanished from the scene. [... What are you the god of?] "Fate and fortune." [Why are you here as a disciple? You should be in one of the realms if you''re this powerful.] "That''s where I''m trying to go back to. So help me, and I''ll make you unparalleled in your power and wealth."

Divinity ''The One Who Fights in Front'' is stunned.

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ says you¡¯re relying on too many assumptions.]

¡°No assumptions if I¡¯m a god,¡± I wink. ¡°Besides, what other disciple could have a skill as powerful as mine? Athena, grant me Medusa¡¯s head so I can survive this. If you do, I''ll show you the best story out of any other disciple here. I¡¯ll uncover Eternal Wish.¡± Chapter 9: Leveling Up - Ep. 2, II

SIDE STORY #1

SEA SERPENT

Difficulty

A-

Task

Successfully defeat the sea serpent.

Time

30 minutes

Reward

10,000 stars

Failure

Death

[Is that the side story you want?] I stare at the blue screen in front of me, the broadcast still hidden from the other gods. ¡°What about 15,000 for the reward?¡± [Stop being stingy.] ¡°Do you even know what that means?"

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ wants to discuss details of the contract.

¡°Whatever, that¡¯s fine for the side story. As soon as you restart the broadcast, assign it to me. As for the contract¡¡± I typed my own terms into the iridescent blue box first. If I left it up to Chang and Athena, there was absolutely no way I¡¯d beat the side quest. The entire system was, in a way, a manifestation of an uber-capitalistic society. One that had people turn into disciples and work as slaves for the gods and observers now as well. Simultaneously, it was the most pure and elite form of entertainment. That meant if I could do something interesting, more gods and observers would watch me. Although Socrates did go radio silent, that wasn¡¯t a big concern. I still had enough spiritual energy to get through this.

WU PEIJIN CONTRACT

Wu Peijin will receive 100% of profits from all messages sent within the broadcast.

Wu Peijin will receive Medusa''s head from Divinity ''The One Who Fights in Front.''

Wu Peijin must uncover ''Eternal Wish.''

Wu Peijin may only be streamed directly from Azure Dragon Chang''s broadcast.

Contract will only be terminated in the case of Wu Peijin''s death.

Under the circumstance that Wu Peijin fails to meet any of these obligations, Wu Peijin''s death will occur.

What a completely unfair and one-sided contract. But I figured there would be greater backlas¡ª [Are you insane?! 100% of profits earned? How do you ever expect me to agree to that?] There it was.

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ says this contract is unfair to you.

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ wants your reasoning behind the contract.

[Are you delusional, too? In what world does 100% of profits ever exist within a contract. You may be a god, but you are by no means a businesswoman. Peijin is completely screwing us both ov¡ª]

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ is warning the Azure Dragon to watch his tongue.

Every time one of the blue messages appeared, one of the gods or observers would have paid 50 stars to send that message. This was easy for most prominent gods like Athena or Archangel Michael, but smaller gods struggled without enough believers¡ªdisciples were a chance to bring more fame. At this point, I didn¡¯t know how much observer messages were costing, but I assumed they were under the same principles. As for who was providing all these stars and abundance of spiritual energy to observers, I was still unsure. Chang was a young Azure Dragon, barely longer than my forearm, and he was thus in charge of a relatively unimportant broadcast. Even though 100% sounded like a lot, it would only help me during early stages. Once story parameters permitted gods¡¯ descent, there would be no incentive to continue sending messages through the broadcast system. ¡°Athena is right. The profits will only help me in the short-term, and you gain most of your finances from channel subscribers anyway. Term D ensures that I¡¯ll only be streamed from your broadcast, and I can promise you that I¡¯ll give you the best stories out of any other disciple.¡±

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ says you¡¯re overestimating your abilities.

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ laughs and says you¡¯re not the most promising disciple in the area.

I glared at the words, biting my lower lips in thought¡ªSocrates made the same threat of leaving to watch other allegedly interesting disciples. I figured that I wasn¡¯t the richest disciple from the earlier failure of Editor¡¯s Pen, but this confirmed it. How could there be anyone else stronger than the writer of the story? Even Feiyu shouldn¡¯t be this far ahead. ¡°Well, there must have been a reason for you to sponsor me instead of them, right?¡± I smirked, grabbing the rock above my head and pulling myself up to avoid the rising water. ¡°Eternal Wish is my current sponsor, so I¡¯m the only disciple with the best shot at uncovering them. If I fail to, then I¡¯ll die for breaking the contract unless its terminated by my death.¡±

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ adds a condition you must read her fate.

"Ah, but if I do, then won''t that lock it in certainty? Even if I lied about your death, my knowledge on Feiyu and the future arcs were all correct." A wide smile was on my face. Saying I was the god of fortune and fate was especially impactful on any Greek gods; with their heavy religious emphasis on oracles, they were terrified of playing around with something inevitable.

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ adds a condition that she must become Amelia¡¯s sponsor.

¡°Can¡¯t do that either,¡± I said, a small grin on my face. ¡°That¡¯s her decision. I won¡¯t stop her from picking you if it¡¯s what she wants, but this deal is already against my favor. You want me to bring down my own undefeatable sponsor or I¡¯ll die.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. [Why would I make this deal with you if you aren¡¯t even the best disciple here?] ¡°I will be once you sign the contract. I¡¯ll even lower my profit to 86%.¡± The Azure Dragon huffed before signing his name down on the contract. [Do you have any idea what this means, fool?] Chang roared, growing in size as he unhinged this jaw. [If you fail Athena or me, you will di¡ª!] ¡°I¡¯ll die,¡± I sighed, annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± I typed my name into the screen and waited as Athena reasoned through her options. As soon as she agreed, the broadcast would open up once more, and I¡¯d need to defeat the sea serpent. If I failed? Well, there was no one else to blame but my own skill.

All signatories have signed! The contract is now in effect until Wu Peijin¡¯s death.

Chang quickly reopened the broadcast, and a flood of messages appeared from the flood during the ad break.

You have received 43 stars!

[Hello everyone! So sorry about the ad break, but it¡¯s mandatory in terms of my managers. Huh?! Special treatment? That could get me terminated! I take my job very, very seriously here. So does karma.] Any spiritual energy I had was fully expended now, and all messages from Athena were terminated. I was alone once more with not even Socrates to bother me. There was nothing Athena feared more than defeat. She was overwhelmed by her reason, but even then, her rage was unparalleled when she lost against those she viewed as weak enemies. Thus¡ The Shield of Truth glowed in my hands, and glowing orange light seemed to make up the missing half. It was incredibly heavy and glistened in the water, painting beautiful orange reflections in the blue waves. By buying the Shield of Truth, I would fight with a symbol of Athena. To lose against an easy enemy in her eyes would bring shame to her name. If I wanted to survive, I needed to play to the god¡¯s desires for entertainment, money, and greed. Wielding Medusa¡¯s head in my other hand, her mouth gaped open with water lapping in and out as her eyes stared forward, I dove under the water as the sea serpent slammed against the cave once more, finally forcing it to collapse in on itself.

Observers are clamoring in excitement and anticipation!

Observer ''Nipon23'': boo, the wicked witch of the west is back

The dark water surrounded me, and I quickly swam back from the sea serpent as its fangs became embedded in the rock from the collapsing cave. I hid Medusa¡¯s head behind my shield; I had only one shot to kill the serpent, and I couldn¡¯t let it discover my plan so soon. Just a few meters away, the sea serpent suddenly got free and darted toward me. I raised the shield in front of me, grunting as the glowing orange light forced the serpent back. It roared under water, sending a current that forced me back, but hindsight quickly calculated its next move. Was hindsight keeping me so calm and level headed? I brought the shield up and, with my right arm, stuck Medusa¡¯s head out from behind the shield as the sea serpent snaked closer, crying out. As soon as Medusa''s writhing head locked eyes with the sea serpent, the vicious beast began to turn into stone. First, its eyes took on a hazy gray as it seemed to freeze just before me, slowly turning into stone as the back end of its long body thrashed and slammed into the side of the river. Losing consciousness, its last operable limbs struggled to escape its fate. Fate. It was something I knew and could alter in this world. My survival was proof of that.

Countless observers are screaming in excitement or rage!

Observer ''Hedgehog1938'': How is Peijin pulling this off? I thought she was stupid

With the last ounce of its strength, the sea serpent crashed into the sides of the river, violently spasming and trying to break free of its curse. Suddenly, the river seemed to collapse in on itself, soil and rocks beginning to tremble and cave in toward me. Damnit! I quickly began to dodge the rocks, swimming toward the head of the sea serpent. If the sea serpent didn¡¯t kill me first, the subsequent underwater landslide would. Avoiding a crashing rock, I latched onto the now stone whiskers of the sea serpent. With the shield and head in my other hand, I began to pry out the eyes of the sea serpent. The entire river floor was shaking violently, causing countless rocks and sediments to cascade down. I dug into its eye. I was so close, it was almost loose. Just a bit more, and¡ª A rock smashed the front of my face, prying the pigeon¡¯s lung from my mouth.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is urging you to swim to the surface!

A divine message? Did Archangel Michael expend spiritual energy just for that message? I felt water flood into my nose, sending a sharp stinging pain as I felt myself losing oxygen. The serpent¡¯s eye finally fell loose, the eyelid crumbling away as fine gray dust. Kicking up desperately, I hacked underwater, my body spasming as I tried to kick up toward the surface. The sun¡¯s rays were breaking down into the deep river, casting bright ripples on my skin. The influx of messages had brought in thousands of stars, but I was forced to spend all of them once more.

Agility level 10 ¡ú level 20

I moved with unparalleled speed as my hand broke through the surface of the water. I sputtered, hacking up water while swimming over to floating debris from the bridge. Pulling myself onto the debris, I briefly vomited all over the scrap piece of metal, but I had made it. Broken Shield of Truth, Medusa¡¯s head, and Petrified Eye of the Sea Serpent. I had all of it.

Side Story #1 - Sea Serpent has concluded!

You have completed the side story.

You have earned the exclusive achievement ''Butcher of Abyssal Horrors.''

This was the world I knew. This was the world I fabricated with my own hands and mind, and it was a world I knew better than anyone. Hindsight, the skill that had served me most so far, began to flicker before me. The screen crackled, glitching as the pixels shifted into an unfamiliar deep red.

THE MAJOR ARCANA HAVE SPOTTED YOU.

¡ The Major Arcana? My eyes grew wide in a mixture of confusion and fear, my throat thick with anxiety. Had I written about such a thing in Surviving My First Run?

THE MAJOR ARCANA HAVE SPOTTED YOU.

The screen glowed in front of me, waving unsteadily as bright orange sparks flew off and burned my skin.

THE MAJOR ARCANA HAVE SPOTTED YOU.

Chapter 10: Leveling Up - Ep. 2, III I crawled back onto the shore, trudging up into the sweeping trees. The rest of Peijin¡¯s World Dominion was far gone; Yang likely dragged them to the station, regardless of if they wanted to go. Small scrapes and cuts littered my once jade skin, but I was lucky to have even survived. Whoever Eternal Wish was, they didn¡¯t seem remotely concerned with the status of their disciple despite the big investment made. Looking up at the sky, the sun was already setting behind the mountainous horizon. Today officially marked day one since the apocalypse began, and yet the sun still drew watercolor strokes of soft pinks, baby blues, and deep oranges that kissed the expansive sky. The world kept moving as if this situation was simply fate bestowed upon humans. It would typically take around one day to get to the metro station by foot, but it would only take me around six hours given my enhanced physique and agility. Yet, no matter how much was spent on status upgrades, I still needed rest. I quickly purchased a small tent and crawled inside. Once inside, it was far more expansive than its outer appearance lended to, and it shifted to accommodate my supplies. The weather was far cooler now, and given the fact that all my clothes were drenched, the icy air was stabbing into my skin. I tucked my legs beneath my chin and tried to ignore the weather. Rolling over onto my side, I felt an awkward lump on the side of my thigh. ¡°My phone!¡± I gasped, quickly sitting up and patting my side pocket. It was definitely dead now after being drenched from the earlier encounter with the sea serpent. I guess it didn¡¯t really matter, since it was the apocalypse and I didn¡¯t bring my charger, but still¡ My finger rapidly clicked on the power button, a result of my impatience and acceptance. But to my surprise, the black phone screen flickered to life in front of me, reflecting my shocked and wide-eyed expression. The same notification from HolyMapleSyrup was on the homescreen, and with a trembling finger, I clicked on it. Spiritual power could be used not only for a god¡¯s power, skills, or weapons, but also to influence the trajectory of the story by influencing karma. Therefore, divinities like Archangel Michael or Sun Wukong were especially powerful. If enough spiritual power was used, the story progression could be bent by their will. I knew for a fact I didn¡¯t select Eternal Wish as my sponsor. Whatever or whoever smacked my hand had an absolutely ungodly amount of spiritual power to have influenced my decision¡ªan amount of spiritual power that was unparalleled in Surviving My First Run. The same applied for the Major Arcana notification. Hijacking the blue screens wasn¡¯t something I ever considered possible. So who was HolyMapleSyrup? Were they the Eternal Wish?

HolyMapleSyrup: Thanks for writing Surviving My First Round. As promised, here¡¯s the surprise. [Open attachment.]

I moved to nervously chew on my lower lip¡ªa habit I most likely picked up from Yang¡ªbefore I remembered the pigeon¡¯s lung in my mouth. Why was my heart beating so fast? Was this not my world? [Download Scathing Reviewer?] [Cancel] [Download] I saw my trembling iris reflecting in the white pop up. Seriously, this skill had a name that seemed more detrimental to me than anything. ¡°Socrates? Are you still stalking me?¡± Nothing but an eerie silence and the muffled chirps of crickets followed my words. A thought suddenly popped into my head: what was my goal? Every protagonist or character had some goal or end in mind. Whether that was becoming the strongest being, falling in love, or being the richest entity, there was something. Did I even have something like that? Just yesterday, my only focus was surviving. I wasn¡¯t really living in any sense of the word more than I was scraping by. Writing was simply a means of survival¡ªan escape. But dammit, who the hell would even edit my absolute masterpiece of a story? That pissed me off more than anything. Sure, go ahead and send me into my weird web novel world, but don¡¯t go out and change the whole thing. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. In terms of my party, Wei and Yue were just characters, so did it really matter what happened to them? I wanted to protect Yang and Amelia first, more than I wanted to uncover who had altered my story. A strange pang was felt in my heart at those words, but they were the two I felt were truly innocent in this situation. But wasn¡¯t protection Wei¡¯s duty? Could two characters with the exact same goal exist in one story? I had fallen out of love with my story and its characters long ago, and if any of the millions of readers still loved this marred story, they could go ahead and uncover this world themself. [Downloading Scathing Reviewer.] 1%...5%...29%...48%...79%...89%...91%...95%... 99% [Scathing Reviewer has been successfully downloaded!]

Scathing Reviewer has been equipped.

My breath hitched as I anxiously awaited for something, anything to happen. My eyes skimmed across the inner seams of my tent, but only that familiar and eerie emptiness was there. The chirping outside of my tent continued aimlessly, and the wind continued to gently blow against the thin walls. ¡°Hah¡¡± I let out a pitiful laugh, putting my hand down as my hand ran through my short hair. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta have the worst skills and sponsors out of any other disciple here,¡± I muttered, collapsing onto my back and staring at the ceiling of the tent before slowly shutting my eyes. The next arc would be the dungeon series, and I should be able to get there just before it started. This arc would be when Wei would start to regain his memories, and I needed to be there. If I didn¡¯t make it in time¡ then hopefully Yang could kill Wei before he would kill everyone in that train station. Even though it was technically a dungeon, it was very loosely based on the term. It would initially start out similarly, with generic mobs, grinding, and rewards; however, it would contort and twist into individual rooms designed for each party member. At the end, the top three teams would compete against each other for a story. The rising sun¡¯s rays bled through the thin fabric of the tent and onto my face, waking me. I slowly rose, my back aching and sore as I let out an exhausted groan. Opening up the Azure Dragon store, I bought the Boundless Bag which had endless capacity, although the weight of all items held would remain the same. I packed the tent and Medusa¡¯s head into the bag before draping it over my shoulder while wielding the Shield of Truth in my other hand to begin the trek to the metro station. Despite still using the pigeon¡¯s lung, the air outside had gotten significantly more toxic. I could feel my lungs burning and tingling as I finally approached the train station. The air instantly cleared up, and I took in a deep breath, spitting out the pigeon¡¯s lung. I squinted my eyes to better make out a white figure walking in front of the entrance. ¡°Wei?¡± I called out, speeding up my pace as I approached. ¡°Wei!¡± I ran forward but stumbled over the heavy shield, falling forward. Wei darted forward with surprising speed and quickly stabilized me, grabbing me by my shoulders. ¡°Peijin?¡± He whispered in a surprised tone, ¡°H-how did you¡?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I''ll explain it when all the party members are here¡± I sighed, but there was still a look of relief on my face. I looked around the metro station, peeking down the escalator to notice how packed it was with people. ¡°Are you patrolling? It looks like you got new clothes, too,¡± I said, gesturing toward his long white robe. He gave a curt nod before peeking over his shoulder. ¡°When we got here, there was already another party in control, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll call Yang over to show you around.¡± My eyes were glued onto the white robes he was wearing. I was going to get the exact same outfit for him regardless, but it was rather surprising to see he already had them. It would make his dungeon much easier if he had this set, but it would be weird for him to be randomly wearing it if I hadn¡¯t ordered him to. After all, long white robes weren¡¯t the most convenient for an apocalypse. ¡°Did you get that outfit yourself?¡± I asked, gesturing toward the long sleeves. ¡°It looks stupid.¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, they were given to me by the other party. Not sure why, but it¡¯s nicer than my old blood soaked pair of clothes.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s strange they asked you to wear something like that during an apocalypse? I can buy you another set from the Azure Dragon store.¡± Wei cocked his head a bit, giving me a strange smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the other group. They¡¯re not suspicious.¡± He emphasized the last part slightly, trying to convince me. ¡°Peijin!¡± I heard the familiar voice call out to me, and I whipped my head around to meet Yang¡¯s arms. He gave me a tight hug, burying his head in my small shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re alright! You don¡¯t know how worried I was,¡± he rushed, the sentence barely comprehensible. I tried to power through his hug, but it was far too tight¡ªI could feel my limbs compress together as the air was forced out of my lungs. I lightly tapped his back, trying to signal for him to let go. ¡°Yang,¡± I choked out, heaving for air. ¡°Yang!¡± What the hell was his strength level for it to be suffocating despite my level fifteen physique?

Scathing Reviewer activated!

Chapter 11: Leveling Up - Ep. 2, IV Bright blue sparks flew out from my skin, causing Yang to let out a small yelp before leaping back. My hands still had a small blue sheen on them, miniscule particles flying off as if my skin were burning. This must have been from my Scathing Reviewer skill. Yang looked at me, wide-eyed and embarrassed. ¡°S-sorry! I¡¯m still trying to get used to the levels. I just upgraded my strength level a bit.¡± ¡°How high is your strength level for you to almost strangle me to death?!¡± I replied in an exacerbated tone, my hands on my hips like I was scolding him before I bent down to pick up my shield. ¡°It¡¯s only at level twenty-five.¡± My jaw dropped at his statement. ¡°Where¡¯d you get the money for that? Did you commit fraud or something during the few hours I was gone? Wei snickered from behind us before returning to his post, slowly beginning a lap around the main entrance to the train station. ¡°I¡¯ll show you around. There¡¯s a monster farming system inside the train station that was set up when we got here. Amelia and Yue are fine, too.¡± Yang led me inside, and the sight before me was astounding. Hundreds of people were gathered, sitting on the ground or leaning against the wall¡ªwhich was completely typical of a Chinese subway station¡ªbut the train station had been divided to include a food and water distribution system, a cooking station, a medical treatment room, and a strange rendering of a barracks with a constant flow of armed men and women heading in and out. ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel like I missed a lot when I was gone,¡± I muttered under my breath, feeling rather bitter that I didn¡¯t seem necessary in my own world. Yang let out a little laugh before picking up a glowing sword and hoisting it over his back. It was an intermediate level, not high enough to have any special functions, but Yang clearly established himself at the station. ¡°I want to introduce you to the other main party here. They put this all together.¡± My eyebrow quirked up. ¡°Oh, really? Seems pretty suspicious that they¡¯re this organized.¡± Pausing for a moment, I leaned in closer to whisper in his ear. "Yang, I need to talk to you in private after this." I crossed my arms over my chest before my eyes locked onto a figure polishing a blade. Based on the wide back profile, the person was a man who regularly worked on their physique. Wearing a black compression shirt, his defined muscles were highlighted as he continued to twirl the weapon in his hands and carefully examine it. ¡°Hmm?¡± Yang lowered his head to match my eye level, a mischievous grin on his face. ¡°Stop it. I¡¯m looking at his sword.¡± Was that a lie? Partially. ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention once that your type was men like him?¡± ¡°Men like what?¡± ¡°Brooding, wearing all black, and¡ª¡± ¡°No. Shut up or I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Yang snickered and continued to walk forward. However, as we were passing by, Yang suddenly shoved me straight into the stranger. I stumbled and fell straight onto him, quickly pushing myself off and blinking rapidly in my shock. I stammered, completely embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± My gaze looked up to see his face for the first time, and my jaw instantly dropped in a mixture of both horror and awe. The straight sharp nose complemented his angular features and drew one¡¯s eyes to his mischievous, slightly upturned lips that parted just enough to show pearly white teeth. His eyebrows were sharply drawn as if done by a single flick of an esteemed artist¡¯s wrist. His pitch black eyes looked down in a condescending manner with his usually long lashes twinkling under the harsh station lights.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Woah.

If one were to look at him and not be immediately infatuated, then they must be blind or have something very wrong with them. I swung forth my Shield of Truth just in time to clash against his sword as he aimed for my throat. Who else could this man be but Qiu Feiyu? His smile grew, and his chin cocked upwards as if observing all my movements. ¡°Not bad.¡± Yang awkwardly stood on the sidelines and brought both of his hands to cover his gaping mouth. The station quieted down at the sound of our clashing weapons before Feiyu pulled back. ¡°Do we really have to do this now? I was just finishing up polishing my sword,¡± he pouted, but his eyes were still mocking. I panted before pulling back, holding the shield in front of me. For once, I was glad the shield was so large and clunky for it hid my trembling arm. Yang awkwardly clapped and let out a very nervous laugh, walking between us and separating us with his long arms. ¡°Peijin, meet Feiyu. Feiyu, meet Peijin.¡± Feiyu took a step back and leaned on his sword casually, turning his head. ¡°Your name is Peijin? You must be very ambitious then.¡± Cocky bastard. ¡°There¡¯s not enough room in this station for the both of us,¡± I remarked, my voice cold and slow. I meant every single one of those words. Even the sword he was holding, a sharp black blade with dark purple iridescent highlights, was one I desperately wanted to snag at the station for myself, but somehow, he got it first. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Yang was burning up out of embarrassment from how poorly the introduction was going. ¡°Ha ha, you guys are both so¡ intense! Peijin and I will get out of your way now.¡± Yang bowed his head in an apologetic manner before dragging me off. We had only taken a few steps before Feiyu¡¯s deep and calculating voice rang out from behind. ¡°Wait,¡± he barked, his slow footsteps approaching until he leaned down to whisper in my ear. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re planning, it won¡¯t work. Look around at the system my party has created, and tell me you weren¡¯t surprised,¡± he sneered, his eyes squinting as if he were pleased. ¡°You can¡¯t even replicate it, so don¡¯t ruin it.¡± I looked over my shoulder to meet his gaze, my eyes cold. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t need to replicate it when I could make something greater.¡± ¡°You really are ambitious.¡± If I heard that phrase one more time, I would truly go insane. ¡°I¡¯m just a pest control worker.¡± Feiyu let out a sound of acknowledgement. ¡°Then you¡¯ll be pretty good at farming.¡± He nodded over toward the train tracks. ¡°Next arc starts in three hours. Get your level up. It¡¯s very low.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll regret saying that once my party beats yours,¡± I retorted, my lips trembling from a mixture of emotions. Truthfully, there was nothing inherently wrong with Feiyu as a character. His prior occupation was as a relatively popular online streamer, and once the apocalypse started, he was incredibly cunning, cold, and calculating. What sparked fear through me, however, was that he was created as a reflection of myself. He was equally selfish, pathetic, and looking at him caused rage to surge through me. It was as if I were staring at an alternate version of myself¡ªbut a far better one. Feiyu lacked all of the qualities that I hated about myself. If the appearance of Wei and Yue¡¯s argument earlier startled me, this was a punch straight to my liver. ¡°Peijn? Hello? Earth to Peijin¡¡± Yang waved his hand in front of my face. I quickly snapped out of my thoughts, jumping from the sound of his voice. ¡°Huh? Oh, sorry.¡± ¡°You look a little pale. Do you want to get some rest before the next arc commences or before we talk?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I should level up if anything. I could use the money anyway,¡± I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. Amelia and Yue are already there, and Wei did a lot yesterday,¡± Yang chimed in, grabbing a sword as we walked by the armory and tossing it toward me. The sword was relatively heavy as I inspected it, fiddling with the handle. It was by no means a very good one, but it could work for now. Yang and I headed for the train tracks in awkward silence, but just before I could jump down, a burly man blocked my path. ¡°Sorry, princess,¡± he sneered, leaning on a rundown and unimpressive ax. ¡°We¡¯re full here, and we wouldn¡¯t want you to get hurt, either.¡± I quirked a brow before peeking around him. The tracks were full of small monsters, but further back, it was clear that more giant and treacherous beasts weren¡¯t being fought. The entire station seemed to tremble at their roars as they pounded against the walls. Looking back up at the man, my cold eyes met his. ¡°I can see how many beasts are left behind you. Doesn¡¯t look very packed, either.¡± He gave a condescending frown before leaning down to match my eye level. ¡°Do I need to repeat myself? A little girl like you can¡¯t fight them.¡± ¡°She¡¯s with me. Let her in,¡± Yang retorted from behind me, taking a few steps forward. ¡°Yang, are you this girl¡¯s babysitter or something? Did boss tell you to watch over her?¡±

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ cries out at the man¡¯s injustice!

Another message from Archangel Michael. He was strangely devoted to my party.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Take this and I¡¯m never giving you spiritual energy again.

I let out a humored exhale before turning around, ignoring the man¡¯s comment. There was no point in arguing with trash like him when I could kill him in the next arc. As I began tying my cropped hair into a short ponytail, I stumbled forward as I felt two hands shove me as hard as possible. A normal person would have gone flying, but now, it was clear to me that my level was far higher than whatever this guy''s was. I whipped my head around, but Yang was a step faster, already shoving him to the wall. Suddenly, a sword let out a loud ring as it pierced the space between the man¡¯s wrinkly neck and the wall behind him. The man¡¯s pupils shrunk into tiny dots as he stared at me in horror.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ sponsors 3,500 stars.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯ sponsors 5 stars.

Yang turned around shocked to see me standing, and the sword he handed me just moments before mere millimeters away from having pierced the other man¡¯s neck. I walked up and pulled the sword out from the wall before turning my back on him. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that Peijin,¡± Yang apologized, running up behind me, ¡°I can get rid of him and have you go in instead if you still need stars. I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d act like that toward you.¡± At my silence, Yang grew increasingly apologetic. ¡°Peijin? Is everything okay?¡± He hurried his steps to try and see my facial expression but paused when he did catch up. I had clasped my hand over my mouth to silence my building laughter. I burst out laughing, clutching my stomach as I leaned forward; my hand gripped Yang¡¯s shoulder to stabilize myself. ¡°Did you see that look on his face? He won¡¯t last another arc! God, that was hilarious.¡± Yang paused in surprise at my reaction before letting out a little laugh himself, shaking his head. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be surprised by your reaction.¡± ¡°I¡¯m offended. Do you really think I need stars that bad?¡± ¡°Peijin!¡± A shrill voice called for me and I turned my head to see Amelia darting over, her arms outstretched. I hoisted her up and spun her in the air as Wei and Yue slowly approached.

Disciple Yue has activated ''Profiling!''

Yue let out a slow whistle as she read my new stats. ¡°Busy without us? Hey, you¡¯ve even activated ¡®Scathing Reviewer.¡¯¡± Before I could make a snarky retort, Yue let out a surprised gasp as sparks seemed to fly out around me, and she painfully clutched her eye, wincing. ¡°The fuck?!¡± She cried, vigorously rubbing her eyes and glaring up at me. ¡°Since when could you disable skills like that?¡± Shrugging nonchalantly, I turned away as I replied,¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to like you very much. Ready for the next arc?¡± The station rumbled as the sound of a shaky roaring erupted from the tunnels. A set of lights emerged from the darkness to reveal a train hurtling down the tracks, crushing all the creatures and beasts in its path. Yue cackled from behind me, cracking her knuckles. ¡°Bring it on.¡± Chapter 12: Dungeons of Great Turmoil - Ep. 3, I Hundreds of people shoved and clamored like rolling waves to reach the train while others held back, hesitant of what could potentially emerge. Feiyu was casually inspecting the clean cut in the wall from my sword, tapping the ground with his long blade. I held onto Amelia tightly as she buried her head into my shoulder before thrusting my sword at the train door, trying to pry it open. Whoever would enter the arc first would have the benefit of ending early¡ªalthough it sounded miniscule, it ensured that any alerts or items after the arc could be gathered first. The train skidded to a halt when I finally managed to crack the door open. With the nod of my head I gestured for my party to follow, but as I took the first step in, a strange barrier shoved me back. My back pressed into it as I held my breath, straining to enter, but it shoved me back with equal strength. ¡°Sorry, Peijin,¡± Feiyu called out, easily maneuvering around the crowd that shrunk in his presence, ¡°But my party has already claimed the first car.¡± I gawked as he led his party into the train, other characters I created eyeing me as they passed by. ¡°But this car just opened¡?¡± However, when I peered inside, forcefully pressing the side of my cheek against the invisible barrier, a small black figure at the very front of the train slowly turned to meet my gaze. Shrouded in darkness, I was unable to make out any discernible features. When did that figure get in, and how did they do it without me noticing? ¡°Nice one,¡± Yue called out, rolling her eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t even enter the arc properly.¡± Yang promptly elbowed her in the side which caused her to reel over for a moment before cursing. The sign in front of the car quickly changed to Feiyu¡¯s party name. My eyes widened as I read the words that slowly formed in black ink before me. ¡°Major Arcana.¡±

Hindsight activated!

Unlike the first time, the words seemed more like an invitation. When the Major Arcana initially hijacked the system and changed the blue boxes, it came off as a warning¡ªno, more like a threat. This time, it almost seemed monotonous or as if it was beckoning someone. The figure in the train was calling out to the Major Arcana. I shook my head, getting rid of the thought. Was I a hired detective or something? Why the hell would I care about any of this? Quite frankly, as long as I was rich and I didn¡¯t die, life was good. The cabin door shut as the train shifted, the next one opening with the sound of scraping metal. I jumped in along with my party members and entered our party name. ¡°Peijin¡¯s World Dominion.¡± ¡°More like tyranny¡¡± Yue muttered under her breath before quickly sitting on one of the cushioned rows of chairs. In retrospect, what I had considered a dungeon in Surviving my First Run wasn¡¯t actually a dungeon. Honestly, it didn¡¯t have anything to do with dungeons, but I figured it would get me more clicks¡ªand therefore money. In all honesty, I was very reliant on my Paytron account. That wasn¡¯t to say I completely strayed from the concept of a dungeon. It would start out similar, but as it progressed, the rooms would shift into intricately crafted horrors that wouldn¡¯t even resemble dungeons. I had already explained this to Athena and Chang in order to make myself appear as a god of fortune and fate; however, if they asked for any specific details, they would quickly discover me to be a fraud. I needed to convince the other disciples that I was a god, even if I was a fake. But, words and promises were more convincing to the gods¡ªman, however, would only consider a display of power as truth. I needed to become a stronger disciple before declaring I was a god. My gaze slowly shifted over to Wei; it was clear to any onlookers that he was¡ beyond strange. He resembled a cosplayer if anything. For him, this arc would instead rekindle lost memories. If things went awry, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill him here. ¡°Do you have to argue with everything Peijin does?¡± Yang sighed, peering up at the posters on the wall. Wei gently took Amelia from my arms and sat down with her on his lap, holding her still in case the train was to start moving. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Yang,¡± I replied in a cheery tone. ¡°Everything she says is either wrong or stupid. When she disagrees with me, it reassures me that my decision is the right one.¡± ¡°The hell? Are you sure you¡¯re older than me? You act like a child!¡± Yue spat back. I shrugged as Yue continued to yell at me. To my side, Wei covered Amelia¡¯s ears and made a hand puppet that seemed to blabber incessantly. ¡°Wait, Yue, how old are you?¡± Yang asked, seeming to be entranced as he stared at the posters lining the windows of the train. They were large and elaborate, detailing countless scenes with small plaques below them. Yue huffed as she crossed her arms, turning her head to the side. ¡°What a rude question to ask a woman.¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Yang then turned to me, jerking his chin up to signal for me to answer the question if Yue wouldn¡¯t. Noticing his gesture, Yue quickly chimed in before I could respond. ¡°I¡¯m twenty-two.¡± Yang¡¯s gaze then shifted to the next poster, his hand tracing the strange embossed plaque below. ¡°And Peijin is twenty-four¡ Amelia, how old are you?¡± ¡°If you already knew how old Peijin was, why were you acting like you were going to ask her?¡± Yue quizzed, her brows furrowed. ¡°Because that¡¯s the only way to get you to do something,¡± Yang replied nonchalantly. ¡°I really hate you guys.¡± Wei had uncovered Amelia¡¯s ears and quietly repeated the question for her. ¡°I¡¯m nine,¡± she replied, her voice still quiet and reserved. ¡°That¡¯s strange,¡± Yang whispered under his breath, still staring at the posters. ¡°All of these posters have our corresponding year of birth under them¡ Wei, how old are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m twenty-six, why?¡± ¡°Your poster... it''s not here.¡± Yue quickly scooted up behind, peeking around him to stare at her own posters. Her face immediately drained of color, turning a ghostly pale as she looked at what was depicted on her poster. ¡°What the hell¡¡± The poster displayed a girl that shared a shocking resemblance to Yue herself. She was reeled over in agony, screaming in an empty white room as dozens of black swords, spears, and staffs pierced through her abdomen, black blood leaking out and pooling beneath her. Behind her, the distinct silhouettes of people loomed over her, watching the scene take place but not doing anything. Amelia let out a choked gasp at the sight of her own poster. It was the first arc, a large sea serpent roaring as it hovered over a bridge. Wei quickly tightened his grip around her and shifted his weight to block her view. ¡°What do you mean my poster isn¡¯t here? I¡¯m eighteen. Just look for my year.¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one other poster,¡± Yang said, pointing all the way at the end of the car. ¡°And it¡¯s dated back to twelve hundred years ago.¡± Wei quickly stood up, gently passing Amelia to me before rushing up to Yang. He stared at his poster; it depicted an absolutely stunning ancient Chinese temple, with curved, red tiled ceilings and a golden bell in the center. Countless floral trees surrounded it, disguising the cliff edge. Out of all of the posters, it was the only one not outwardly horrific in its appearance. ¡°I¡¡± Wei trailed off, his eyes repeatedly darting between the written year and the poster in front of him. I watched Wei, glancing up his sleeve and noticing the band around his arm beginning to slither against him, slowly pulling away from his arm and into the outer fabric of his sleeve. ¡°Are you hiding something from us?" Yue questioned Wei, her voice pressing. ¡°The posters match for the rest of us. Why would yours be any different?¡± Wei put both his hands in the air as if surrendering. ¡°I swear, I¡¯m not! Believe me! I really am twenty-six. Do you want my autobiography?¡±

Disciple Yue has activated ''Lie Detector!''

Yue was constantly surprising me despite me being her creator. She was gaining key skills left and right, and although they weren¡¯t anything major to her character, her growth was unparalleled. The system truly rewarded people who shifted right into what it wanted.

Disciple Wei is telling the truth.

Both Yue and Yang¡¯s face contorted into mixtures of confusion, speculation, and hesitancy. My hand gripped suspended strap from the ceiling as I readjusted my hold on Amelia. Yue¡¯s eyes tracked my movement. ¡°What are you holding on for? We¡¯re not even mov¡ª¡± A surprised cry left Yue¡¯s mouth as the train lurched forward, sending her flying into Yang. Yang quickly steadied her, grabbing her shoulders and holding her still as the lights flickered out, sending everyone into pitch blackness.

Observer ''Socrates'': Jia Li, you already know what''s happening. Why aren''t you explaining it to them? You''re making Wei anxious

I felt my way along the wall until I brushed against loose, flowy robes. ¡°Wei,¡± I whispered quietly into his ear. ¡°Calm down. I believe you, but the last thing you should do is get overwhelmed right now. That¡¯s what the gods want to see.¡±

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is filled with a deep sense of dread.

The slithering on his arm seemed to calm for a moment as I could hear his breathing slow down. The lights soon flickered back on and the clinical interior of the train greeted us once more, but the doors were open now. The sight of a rundown and cracked dungeon appeared before us, stretching out from the train platform. As my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, I pointed at Yue and burst out laughing, reeling over as waves of laughter took over me. She was fearfully hanging onto an awkward Yang, his eyes wide and pleading and lips pressed into thin line. ¡°Shut up!¡± Yue cried, quickly moving to the other side of the dungeon.

Observer ''Nipon23'': Good luck, Jia Li. You''ll need it this time. Even if you pretend it doesn''t exist, you saw your poster, and you know exactly what it means.

ARC #2

DUNGEONS OF GREAT TURMOIL

Difficulty

Task

Survive the ensuing onslaught of monsters, beasts, and insects. Half of the remaining human population must die within the time frame.

TIme

20 minutes

Reward

All items collected from dungeons and 10,000 stars per party member.

Failure

Death

Chapter 13: Dungeons of Great Turmoil - Ep. 3, II Wei was clearly shaken from the posters and Yue¡¯s accusation, but he confidently held his sword in front of him, scanning the dungeon for any entities that might appear. A familiar blue flash appeared and Wei immediately swung his sword with terrifying force, but only a familiar creature popped out from the portal. [Agh!] Chang cried, curling his body like an armadillo to avoid Wei. A small jar of candy was held in his arms, and he quickly moved to protect it. Chang let out a fiery huff before unfurling, his body seeming longer and larger than when we had last met. I groaned at his appearance. This nuisance was back. ¡°What do you want, Chang? Why would you even appear during the middle of a dungeon arc when everyone is on edge?¡± [I didn¡¯t come to get scolded! But, Peijin¡ª] he cut himself off as he awkwardly surveyed the room. [...and Peijin¡¯s friends¡ do you mind putting on a big show for this arc? It would be much appreciated by your favorite moderator.] He put his clawed hands up in front of him like a prayer and bowed his head. ¡°I always put on a show. I can beat all the monsters in this room in a few seconds after they spawn, so keep the camera and all the divinities here,¡± I remarked with a wide smile, my eyes closed into happy crescents. ¡°By the way, what are you holding?¡± I gestured toward the candy jar in his hands. [Oh, this? One of the parties actually tipped me! Have you ever heard of something like that?] ¡°Mhm, that¡¯s really sweet, Chang,¡± I replied, nodding my head multiple times. ¡°Can I have one?¡± [What?] I opened my eyes to meet his distraught gaze, one of my eyebrows raised. Chang let out a sigh before popping open the jar and pushing it toward me, his eyes squeezed shut as he turned his head away. My hand shuffled through all the colorful wrapped candies before taking out an orange lollipop. I quickly unwrapped it and popped it into my mouth. ¡°Thanks Chang! You¡¯re the best,¡± I smiled, handing him the empty candy wrapper. Countless blue flashes appeared all over the dungeon as dozens of the same goblins spawned, wandering aimlessly. I stole an awkward glance toward Yue, but small blue particles were already sparking all around her. [Disciple Yue activated ¡®Speaker of Goblins!¡¯] The goblins quickly froze before bowing onto the ground before her, their pointy green noses awkwardly forcing their heads to turn when trying to press onto the ground. Yang¡¯s sword was drawn in front of him as he was preparing to attack, but his stance became loose and his shoulders fell. ¡°Can we clear the dungeon level just by taming them?¡± ¡°That would make this too easy for teams with beast tamers. We should all kill an equal number and get the coins before moving on,¡± I declared, bashing a goblin into a mushy pile of guts beneath my shield. Despite the gross impact and subsequent squelch, my shield was left spotless. Yue crossed her arms and glared at me. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I get kill the goblins and get the most coins? I¡¯m the one who tamed them.¡± I continued to kill more of the goblins while Yang followed suit, although Wei lagged behind, seemingly nervous from the posters. ¡°Are you the party leader? No? Okay. It¡¯s called working in a team, Yue.¡± Yue was visibly seething beside me, her fists clenched, but she thankfully kept her mouth shut and began to kill the goblins. Under her command, they didn¡¯t even spare a confused or hurt glance at her when she pierced her sword through their small, fleshy brains.

Disciple Yue has deeply betrayed demon ''King of Resourceful Goblins.''

Hindsight activated!

Now, when I looked at Yue through my skill, the only being behind her was the Bull Demon King, who I hardly considered a villain as much as an antagonist; however, there was now a blue box floating above her head.

Warning: This act will have unforeseen consequences.

"Wait, Yue," I called out, stopping her with my sword.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

"Let me do it. I''ll let you get the next room, alright?" I continued. My expression was serious as I looked down at Yue''s hard face¡ªalthough I usually tried to make her life more difficult, I couldn''t let her face a potential punishment under my orders.

Disciple Yue has activated ''Lie Detector!''

Disciple Peijin is telling the truth.

Yue let out an annoyed sigh before grumbling: "Fine, whatever." It finally seemed like there was a bit more trust between us. Once all the goblins were dead, each providing about ten coins, their bodies dissipated into dust and a deep brown chest appeared in the center of the dungeon. Wei popped it open with a single flick of his blade and peered into the glowing interior. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. The chest contained a handful of initially random swords and weapons. Amelia ran over and got on her tiptoes to peer inside, but I placed a hand on her shoulder to move her back. The most important thing in this chest, however, was the ''Gun,'' otherwise known as long staff. ¡°Yang, you should take the staff. It¡¯ll work best with you, since Sun Wukong wields the Ruyi Jingu Bang,¡± my hand gripped the wide band before I handed it to him. Yang spun it around for a moment, inspecting the ends before tracing the inscription with his fingers. ¡°The Golden-Bound Staff of Cruelty,¡± he whispered, reading out the engraved words. ¡°What a mouthful.¡± ¡°Think of it as just a weird rip-off version, but it suits you more than the rest of us.¡± The next thing I reached for was a small silver cuff. Shallow but highly ornate engravings of dragons, a phoenix, tigers, and serpents covered it, and it reflected a slight sheen of glowing white light. I popped it open before locking it around Amelia¡¯s wrist. My tone was much more hushed when I spoke to her and got down on my knee to speak to her eye-to-eye. ¡°The engravings here imply that it¡¯s either a defensive cuff or will help you with taming just like Yue-ayi.¡± Amelia inspected the cuff, gripping it with her other hand and fidgeting the fitting. ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t you give it to Yue-ayi?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yue huffed behind me. ¡°Am I even a party member?¡± ¡°Are you so weak that you need a protection amulet? Should I not give it to Amelia?¡± Yue quickly shut up after that, grabbing the two left over swords and giving one to Wei, keeping the other for herself. Both of the swords were clearly better than the ones they picked up from the armory, harboring a longer and glowing blade. Once the chest was cleared, it quickly vanished as a new portal opened to spawn in the next creatures. This time, six large ogres appeared; their crackled and dry skin was littered with deep, oozing scars. The largest, bearing two horns jutting out from its grotesque forehead, immediately roared and caused spit to splatter into Wei¡¯s face. The ogre lunged and gripped Wei¡¯s throat and hoisted him into the air, but Wei slashed through its arm in one clean movement. Blood splattered out from the ogre¡¯s small shoulder stump as it cried out, causing the rest to lunge toward Wei. Despite the ogres being much more formidable opponents than the goblins, everyone had leveled up enough to handle them with relative ease. Each level however would get five times harder than the previous, which meant the round after this would be exponentially more difficult and match the party¡¯s skill level. Yue and Yang charged forward together, slashing and dicing the ogres into small cubes as Wei freed himself to join them. The glow of gathered coins filled the air like shimmer, and Yue immediately reinvested them into her levels. If only I had the same plethora of skills, I would have done the same. I stood beside Amelia, helping her make rather feeble attempts at killing the ogres. The bloodied floor filled with chopped limbs vanished before a chest.

Observer ''Socrates'': This is so much more disgusting to watch than read about

This time, the chest was filled with different outfits. Hoodies, robes, suits¡ªit was enough for around half of the party members. I gasped as I grabbed a blue hoodie with a cartoonish graphic on the front and quickly threw it on; the fabric immediately readjusted to fit perfectly around my figure.

Physique level 15 ¡ú level 20

Agility level 20 ¡ú level 27

It was becoming more expensive now to upgrade levels, and the clothing was an easy way to increase personal stats while also adding a layer of very fashionable armor. Not liking the odd number for my agility level, I invested a few thousand coins.

Agility level 27 ¡ú level 30

¡°Wei, you should take the white robes again. It¡¯ll go around the top layer of the set you¡¯re currently wearing, but it should increase your stats some more.¡± His face awkwardly flushed as he took the set from my hands. ¡°You want me to put it on here?¡± ¡°Are you not dressed in layers beneath your outer robe?¡± ¡°I am, but it¡¯s just¡¡± he trailed off, fidgeting with the fabric in his hands. I gave Wei an exasperated look before waving him off with my hand. ¡°Whatever, tie it around your waist or something for now.¡± I continued to look through the chest, pulling up the last clothing item¡ªa black tuxedo suit and red tie. The suit was definitely one of the best finds in all the dungeon chests, since it offered the biggest boost in personal stats. I was biased in wanting to give it to Yang, for two reasons, but Yue needed it significantly more than he did. I groaned but relented, leaving it in the chest. ¡°Yue and Yang, you two can fight over this.¡± Yang looked awkward, balancing on his sword and rocking his weight back and forth. ¡°You can take it, Yue. I already got the staff.¡± For once, Yue seemed a bit hesitant. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Your poster was a bit more¡ strange than mine. You¡¯ll need it more.¡± Yang flushed at the mention of his poster, immediately straightening up and grabbing the suit while letting out little, hesitant laughs. His poster was admittedly the weirdest from the perspective of someone who knew what everyone else¡¯s experience during this arc was going to be. If each poster was personalized, then his was¡.

Observer ''Hedgehog1938'': Bye if I got that poster, you''d never hear from me again. I''m embarrassed just watching him

Once the suit was removed from the chest, the next round immediately began. This time, twelve giant portals appeared all over the dungeon, and the dungeon walls shot back dozens of feet to expand the room.

Time left: 3 minutes 42 seconds

Massive dire wolves spawned to form an entire pack over the dungeon. They were around fifteen feet long each, their hackles raised as they bore their teeth. The largest was around twenty feet long, and it led the pack to circle around my party members. The room suddenly filled with an ominous air; these wolves were clearly their most formidable opponent, and the sheer number made them incredibly dangerous. The largest immediately lunged for me, but I jumped to the side, bringing my shield up to force it back. Yang spun his staff in his hand before launching forward at incredible speed toward the flank of the pack, yet the wolves predicted his move and snapped for his leg. Before its teeth could latch on, Wei¡¯s sword made a loud clash with the wolf¡¯s jaw, and he quickly twisted his sword out of its mouth and thrust his sword into the wolf¡¯s flank. It let out a desperate howl and tore its side out, jumping back and snarling. Amelia screamed as a wolf snapped at her ankles, causing her to fall down and crawl back. Yue grabbed her and pulled her back, forcing Amelia into a protective circle formed by all the party members. ¡°Wait!¡± I cried out, blocking an incoming attack, ¡°Let Amelia try to tame one of them!¡± She was tightly gripping the silver cuff now, staring up at me with trembling blue eyes. Before I could say anymore, the alpha wolf saw an opening and its jaws flew wide open, wrapping around my entire abdomen and clamping down. Chapter 14: Dungeons of Great Turmoil - Ep. 3, III ¡°Peijin!¡± Yang screamed, darting toward me and flinging the spear forward, but the wolf had already reached me. Just before the wolf could clamp down, the blue sweatshirt seemed to be suddenly possessed by a great force as it thrusted upward into the air, dragging me with it. I slammed into the ceiling of the dungeon, cracking the bricks with my body before the sweatshirt dragged me across the ceiling like a mop. My hands wrangled with the sweatshirt as rocks and debris filled my mouth. ¡°S-stop! I¡¯m already out of the way!¡± I shouted, twisting the fabric of the sweatshirt while I was being flung like a ragdoll; my body was being smashed and dragged along the eroded walls of the dungeon, flinging loose debris and jagged rocks everywhere.

Observer ''Socrates'': ... this is giving me really bad second-hand embarrassment

Observer ''Hedgehog1938'': STOP IM LITERALLY GOING TO GET AN ANEURYSM AHAHAHA

Observer ''Nipon23'': I''m about to join you

Dammit! This was completely humiliating! I bit down on the fabric of the hoodie, but it seemed to retaliate by repeatedly flinging me up and down and smacking me on the ceiling, then floor, then ceiling again. I was a flattened pancake with all my screams cut short everytime I caught a mouthful of moldy brick.

Divinity ''Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ turns away from the broadcast and mutes it.

Even Archangel Michael??

Scathing Reviewer activated!

Blue sparks flew off of the hoodie as it fell limp, causing me to crash into the ground once last time and leave a human-shaped crater. I groaned as I got onto my feet, my legs trembling and my hair resembling a bird¡¯s nest. The shield was heavy in my hand, but I lifted it before me and prepared to face the wolves; however, as I looked around, the wolves were latched onto one another¡¯s throats, sending blood flying in long red streaks. With wild snarls, they launched at one another and gored each other. One dug its hind legs straight through another''s stomachs, digging with rapid and deep strokes, while another tore off its nose. My eyes widened at the sight before immediately flickering over toward Amelia. Amelia stood in the front, the hand with the silver cuff outstretched before her. Glowing a powerful white, she wielded the power and drove the beasts toward one another. Yue knelt down beside her and whispered into her ear, presumably guiding her.

Hindsight activated!

Hovering above Amelia''s small frame, the towering silhouette of a woman holding onto the antler of a deer in one hand and a bow in the other peered down: Artemis. Bingo! The alpha wolf snarled in front of Amelia, its massive scared nose a few inches from Amelia¡¯s own face, but it wouldn¡¯t move any closer. Wide blue and ferociously animalistic eyes peered into Amelia¡¯s own, but she didn¡¯t back up. Her hands began to tremble with the effort, and the light from the cuff began to flicker. I opened the Azure Dragon Store and searched for a powerful mana potion, throwing it at the ground before Amelia as it erupted into a deep blue gas that whirled around her in a blinding shimmer. Blood dribbled from the corner of my mouth, but I quickly wiped it away and darted up to Amelia, a mixture of amazement and awe in my expression. With one last violent snap in the air, the alpha wolf was subdued as it pointed its ears back and bowed before Amelia, pressing its head against the dungeon ground. Amelia let out an exhausted sigh and fell to her knees before the wolf. I gently guided the cuff to the wolf¡¯s nose, and the wolf exploded into white shimmer. Looking down at the amulet, a new engraving of a beastly dire wolf was etched into the metal.

Time left: 19 seconds

As soon as the chest appeared, I flipped it over and dumped out everything, immediately starting the next dungeon level. ¡°Peijin! We can¡¯t beat the next round!¡± Wei cried, trying to reach for the chest, but it was too late. I turned around to face my party while a giant portal formed behind me, my voice rushed and tight. The dungeon expanded once more, this time to accommodate a creature of horrific size. ¡°Trust me! Shut your eyes now!¡± A massive foot the size of a semi truck exited from the portal, causing the entire dungeon to violently shake and tremble. Then a pointed snout appeared from the portal, covered in azure-blue scales. Rows and rows of snaggle white teeth covered its face, and menacing red eyes peered down at me. It was a fully grown Azure dragon, the same kind as Chang. Appearing before me at three stories tall, I gawked at it in sheer amazement while it opened its jaws, letting out a deafening roar that threw all of us into the back wall of the dungeon. I scrambled back onto my feet and darted forward once more, a thin smile grew on my face as I took a step back, admiring the creation before me with a mixture of wonder and sheer horror. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Yang shouted for me again, his voice loud and hoarse. ¡°Peij-!¡± ¡°Keep your eyes shut!¡±

Time left: 4 seconds

At the sound of my roaring voice, the dragon launched toward me before I could even process the movement. I ducked down and buried my face into my shoulder while thrusting my arm forward. Medusa¡¯s head squirmed in my hand, and all at once, the dragon fell silent. I slowly opened my eyes to find myself peering straight down the throat of the dragon with its jaws unhinged. Its lower body thrashed, and its hind legs kicked against the walls in a futile attempt to escape before its entire body became no more than a stone statue. [¡®Peijin¡¯s World Dominion¡¯ has completed four dungeon levels. Your party now has five minutes to collect rewards before the next set of rooms.] I collapsed in exhaustion before the new, glowing chest. The rest of my party members uncovered their eyes, surveying the empty room. ¡°What happened?¡± Wei asked, walking up behind me. Amelia replied, her voice louder than it was prior to the arc. ¡°Adult Azure Dragon. A lot scarier than Chang.¡± Yue¡¯s hands were placed on her hips while she berated me. ¡°What the hell happened to splitting the coins and teamwork? How much did you get from that alone?¡± ¡°... five thousand coins," I whispered slightly embarrassed. ¡°I want to appeal for a shared party bank account. And a union,¡± Yue angrily retorted as Yang and Wei sifted through the chest. This time, the chest held various exclusive or rare items and three weapons: a dao, qiang, and jian. With Yang¡¯s spear, my party now had the four Chinese martial weapons. The jian was a double-edged sword, and this specific one was the Dragon Gulf sword, part of the legendary and precious swords of Ancient China. The initial owner stabbed himself in the thigh with the sword in an attempt to atone for killing an innocent person. An intricate gold dragon was detailed on the hilt and appeared to be swallowing the blade of the sword. This sword was excellent, even in later arcs, for disciples determined to be ¡°judges.¡± My gaze shifted over to Wei, who glanced at the sword with a conflicted expression. It was possible he recognized it from a past memory, but it wouldn¡¯t have been recognizable to him yet. ¡°You should take the Dragon Gulf sword, Wei.¡± To my surprise, it was Yang who had spoken. I gave Yang a surprised look, and he let out a repressed laugh before elaborating. ¡°I was a history major and mythology minor in university. This is a sword of justice, and if Wei¡¯s constellation sponsor is an Archangel, it fits him the most.¡± I nodded in agreement, and Wei took the sword. A part of me felt awkward now knowing that I had missed such a key part of Yang¡¯s personal life despite knowing him for years. No wonder he picked up faster on the constellation references than the rest of the party had. The qiang was a long spear with a glistening silver leaf-shaped blade and red horse-hair tassel below. A spear sword was attached to the long shaft to make it all the more deadly, and written on the blade was the name ¡°Hua Mulan.¡± ¡°The Mulan?¡± Yue posed the question with immense interest, immediately bending down to stare at the spear. I nodded and handed it to her. ¡°Do you want it? It¡¯s pretty powerful since Mulan is a popular legend.¡± For once, Yue actually seemed grateful as she took the spear, testing the weight of it in her hand. I sighed before looking into the chest. Clearly the only thing I had to do to get on her good side was to play into her fangirl tendencies. The last weapon left in the chest was a dao, also known as a saber. It was a long, thin single-sided sword. Despite recognizing which weapon family it belonged to, I didn¡¯t recognize the actual sword. It was a somewhat dull silver and seemed to have a dark gray stain within the detailed engravings. The end of the hilt was carved to resemble a flame, the rainguard twisted into opposite directions to look like snaggle teeth. Most notable, however, was the shut eye just below the rain guard. It was a simple, thin black line, almost unnoticeable. ¡°Yang, do you recognize this? I¡¯ve never read about a dao looking like this.¡± He shook his head, confirming my suspicion. ¡°It¡¯s not in any myth I¡¯ve studied.¡± It reeked of an ominous spiritual energy¡ªwas it potentially a ghost or demon¡¯s sword? Gods typically had spiritual weapons associated with them that were incredibly powerful, but they were subsequently deeply cherished. It should never be found in a dungeon chest of all places. ¡°Yue, can you grab it?¡± ¡°Why? So I die first if it¡¯s evil?¡± ¡°...¡± I mean, she wasn¡¯t wrong, but she didn¡¯t have to put it like that. I grabbed all the miscellaneous items around it, including a dragon¡¯s broken heart, countless powerful potions, and small sheets of glowing blue paper before dumping it into my expandable bag. ¡°Are you going to grab it or not, Yue?¡± ¡°Am I seriously going to die?¡± I shook my head and continued to stare at the sword. ¡°No, but your constellation sponsor is a demon, so he probably clashes with other demons,¡± I explained, trying to sound like I was crafting an elaborate theory. ¡°If you reach for it and can grab it, then it¡¯s a ghost¡¯s weapon. If you can¡¯t, then it¡¯s a demon''s.¡± Yue sighed but reached down to grab it, yet just before she could grab the hilt, an invisible boundary pushed her back and small blue sparks flew out. ¡°Must be demonic then. Thanks, Yue,¡± I gave her a friendly, but rather powerful, slap on the shoulder before bending down to grab the dao. It was rather heavy, not because of the material but rather how overwhelmingly powerful the evil spiritual energy was. I spun it around a bit before inspecting the stunning hilt once more. Although hindsight was helpful, it didn''t seem to recognize the weapon at all¡ªthis dao must not have originally existed in Surviving My First Run. But, was I going to turn down a demon''s spiritual weapon? Absolutely not. ¡°I¡¯ll take this one then. No clue what it is, though.¡± Suddenly, my arm locked, and my hand felt welded to the silver hilt. I let out a sharp cry as the dao began to violently tremble, sending giant orange sparks flying off of my arm. It carried waves through my body as I gripped my shoulder to try and regain control of my arm. The eye on the hilt opened instantaneously, revealing a blood red iris with a snake¡¯s pupil glaring straight at me. Chapter 15: Dungeons of Great Turmoil - Ep. 3, IV I wrestled with the sword, gritting my teeth by the amount of energy that was being forced through my arm. Stumbling backwards, I could feel my grip on the hilt beginning to slip, and the red eye darted all around the room as if taking in the sights for the very first time. ¡°Peijin!¡± Wei immediately reached out to try and help steady the hilt, but it suddenly zapped him with a violent spark of yellow electricity. He reeled back in pain, clutching his completely seared hand. My eyes matched the panic of the red one embedded into the dao. ¡°Don¡¯t come near me!¡± I shouted, taking a few stumbling steps back in a futile attempt to distance myself.

Observer ''Socrates'': Jia Li! Let go!

Divinity ''Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is warning you to let go!

A sudden burst of electricity shot out from my arm, sending beams of sparks and streams of lightning out and across the room. I let out a surprised shout, curling up to try and avoid the sporadic bursts. Lightning? Was this... karma? Amelia let out a horrified scream and barely dodged a massive bolt before Wei quickly picked her up with his non-injured arm and shielded her. An ominous burgundy began to creep up my arm before shooting up to my shoulder with alarming speed, a deep black following suit. In fact, it was such a deep shade it looked as if my arm had simply vanished entirely. The blue screens around me flashed with that familiar bright red, but the sparks suddenly froze.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

At once, the flying sparks immediately calmed down, and all the screens returned to their familiar blue color. The growing red and black patches on my arm were suddenly stamped out; my regular skin returned in large patches as if it were being slapped on. My arm was glitching back to its original appearance chunk by chunk. I let out a loud sigh of relief as I felt the energy sizzle out, but my eyes quickly widened at the image remaining on my arm. Now, just above my wrist and stretching partway up my forearm was a black ink tattoo; it depicted a crashing and inflamed building as a female goddess and demon were tearing it down. Lightning and fire erupted, the two parties raining heaven and hell down upon the structure. Just below the piece, Chinese characters marked my skin in blurry writing: the Tower. With a blinding flash, Chang appeared while the background of the dungeon slowly shifted back into the moving train, the posters once more plastered onto the wall. [My system reported that there was an unusual amount of spiritual energy here.] Chang spoke nervously, a massive array of blue screens in front of him. He was anxiously swiping them away, yet more continued to pop up like he had a system virus. The eye in the dao continued to stare at me before blinking once. Immediately, the entire train came to a crashing halt. Amelia let out a scream, but Yue quickly calmed her while Chang panicked more. [Peijin! You¡¯re emitting too much spiritual energy¡ªyou¡¯re going to destroy the arc!] ¡°I''m not emitting any spiritual energy!" The lights in the train burned out with a frightening, ¡°pop!¡± that shot the train into complete darkness except for the blue screens lighting up before Chang. Chang turned to me, gripping my ears with his pointy claws and violently shaking my head. [I mean it, Peijin, so stop fooling around! If you take advantage of this much spiritual energy so early on, you¡¯re going to summon a calamity. I don''t care if you''re a god of fortune and fate!]

Divinity ''Supreme Commander of Heavenly Hosts'' is deeply disturbed by the spiritual power you¡¯re emitting.

At Chang''s words, my entire party froze behind me. I let out an awkward laugh, grabbing Chang and removing his hands from my ears. I could feel the eyes of my entire party on me.

Observer ''Socrates'': God of fortune and fate? Hahaha is that what you told them?

Observer ''Hedgehog1938'': Peijin is a god??? No fucking way

Observer ''Rei10'': This must have been what they talked about when Chang turned off the broadcast!

Yue''s voice rang out first. "You''re a god? That''s how you''ve known everything?" With hurt and bewildered eyes, Yang silently stared at me, his lips tilted downward in a small frown. If anyone knew I was lying, it would be him¡ªand I refused to meet his eyes. The metro began to tremble violently, the entire train rumbling before lurching into the air, bouncing on the metal tracks. It creaked and groaned, seeming to cry out in pain as loud bangs were heard around the metal. This wasn¡¯t right¡ªreally, this wasn''t right at all. It was impossible for a mere disciple to emit spiritual energy unless they themselves were a god, and even so, the sheer amount present around me would throw the arc into complete chaos. If I potentially received this spiritual energy from another force, they were indescribably powerful to have bypassed all of the system controls and karma. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. I grasped my head, quickly panicking as my breaths became shallow and rapid. If a calamity spawned here, at this very moment¡ all of us would die. Absolutely nothing could save us. God or not, I wouldn''t be able to save them. With my unmarked hand, I immediately dug my nails into the tattoo, desperately trying to tear it off. ¡°Dammit¡¡± I grumbled, my voice a desperate whisper bordering on a plea. ¡°Dammit!¡±

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is pleading with you to stop!

Yang stumbled towards me, grabbing my tattooed arm and quickly pulling it back. His eyes peered into mine, and his expression seemed to demand that I calm down. I let out a shaky breath as my arms fell to my side, slowly taking in one breath at a time to try and calm down. The presence of the other party members slowly grew around me, and I could feel their reassuring presence. Wei¡¯s voice was a deep hum in the sound of screeching metal. ¡°Peijin, please, calm down. If there¡¯s a calamity, we¡¯ll deal with it as always.¡± What stupid, childish naivety. I would have thought the same, too, except that this was all wrong. None of this could exist in the world I created. Yue said nothing, but I could feel her hair gently brush my shoulder, signaling to me that she was nearby as well. Amelia clung onto the loose fabric of my pants tightly, and I could feel her straining the cotton material. A deep breath and subsequent sigh helped me loosen my tense shoulders, and the spiritual energy ceased immediately. Before my identity as a pest control worker, before my identity as Wu Peijin, before my identity as a god, I was a writer. I wasn¡¯t limited by the confines of my own work. ¡°It¡¯s probably my sponsor that¡¯s providing the spiritual power,¡± I declare resolutely, any hint of panic vanishing from my voice. ¡°I¡¯m still convinced they influenced the sponsorship selection, which means they¡¯d be powerful enough to allow me to wield this weapon.¡± I continued to inspect the sword before me. It was undoubtedly a spiritual weapon¡ªtherefore, similar to my purple coat, it had a consciousness of its own, yet it was forever bound to its creator. Some were deeply sentimental items that had ascended with the god; others were forged by the most talented and skilled blacksmiths. However, a very select few required the sacrifice of a loved or sacred life. My eyes flitted over to Wei. I looked down at the sword and smiled, petting the hilt. ¡°Aren¡¯t you cute!¡± I cooed, running my hand over the blade. ¡°What should I name you? You don¡¯t have an engraving.¡± Yue¡¯s face twisted into one of complete distaste and embarrassment. ¡°Peijin, have you seriously lost it? Yang and Wei, you need to stop enabling her.¡± The sword ''s eye pressed into a small crescent as if it were smiling before it vibrated and grew larger. The train immediately calmed down, the banging stopped, and the lights flickered back on, revealing my disgruntled party and a very stressed Chang. [Wha-?] My hands clapped together, and I was truly overjoyed in such a seemingly odd moment. Spiritual weapons were only attune to a few people¡ªpeople they had an immediate bond or soul connection with. ¡°Aw, you¡¯re just like a puppy,¡± I laughed, continuing to pet the sword. ¡°Should I name you?¡± ¡°Peijin, the next set of dungeon rooms are going to start soon,¡± Yang whispered into my ear, trying not to bother me. "Or should I call you a god? I froze at his words. That''s right, he absolutely knew. ¡°Then go inspect the posters,¡± I retorted. ¡°Let me play around with this sword.¡± The red eye blinked at me joyously now, and I decided to run my fingers directly down the sharpened edge; however, it immediately dulled itself upon sensing my intentions before sharpening after I removed my hand. ¡°What was your past name?¡± I whisper quietly to the sword. It jumped out of my hands, floating in the air before carving it into the metal walls of the metro. ¡°Appalling Horror of Bloody Fangs, but my owner called me ¡®haimo.¡¯¡± ¡°... that¡¯s not a very fitting or pretty name.¡± My brows furrowed, my expression deep in thought, before I came up with a response. ¡°What about ¡®zhige?¡¯ ¡®Zhi¡¯ for infantile, and ¡®ge¡¯ for dove.¡± Zhige moved to etch a response on the wall, but blue sparks appeared before Zhige clanged on the ground, having fallen. Well, he wasn''t fully immune to karma then. I leaned down, picking up the blade and staring at the wide snake eye. ¡°Zhige it is, unless you¡¯d rather go back to being haimo." Yang¡¯s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. ¡°Peijin, is your poster depicting a-¡± ¡°Yang, don¡¯t try and change the subject!¡± Yue shouted. ¡°What the hell is your poster? Are you some pervert?!¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Yang exclaimed, flinching back from her, his hands hovering in front of him as if he was trying to slowly back away from a predator. Yue took more steps forward, her hands on her hips. ¡°I¡¯m going to be so pissed off if I ended up in a party with a dirty pervert! I¡¯ll kill you myself!¡±

Observer ''Hedgehog1939'': OH MY GOD NO WAY

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ stares awkwardly at the poster.

Wei was attempting to distract Amelia with his own poster, pointing out the beautiful details. Out of all of the ones displayed, Wei¡¯s was the most gorgeous. Stunning, pastel colors, lavish red temples with dark cyan tiled ceilings, and a man dressed in all white in the center with ribbons of gold and red swirling around him. ¡°I swear! I¡¯m not a pervert! Why the hell would I be into plants?¡± ¡°Then explain your poster, you creep!¡± Yang covered his flushed cheeks with his hands, clearly deeply embarrassed and flustered. Taking another step forward, Yue was about to hoist him up by his collar, but the train suddenly opened up to a vast bridge. The party quickly exited to find themselves beside white pest control. Looking down, beautiful ripples of water were formed from the razor sharp spikes of a sea serpent slicing through the black waves. Amelia let out a violent shriek as she noticed the dead, deformed puppy in her arms, and with a deafening explosion, the serpent leapt out of the water and toward the freeway.

Custom rooms now commencing!

Tailored to: Disciple Amelia Silva.

Chapter 16: Dungeons of Great Turmoil - Ep. 3, V The custom dungeons were tailored to each party member¡¯s greatest fear; beginning with the youngest member to the oldest, the rooms would get increasingly more difficult. I wasn¡¯t enough of a monster to forcefully torment children and give them no chance of surviving. However¡ Amelia¡¯s face was deathly pale as she stared up at the sea serpent, her entire body trembling like a leaf. She was the weakest and least reliable member of the party despite being the only potential beast tamer. Now that I had defeated the sea serpent before and earned the achievement ¡°Butcher of Abyssal Horrors,¡± I could easily use Medusa¡¯s head to defeat this level in mere seconds without causing Amelia any unnecessary fear and harm. Yang quickly pieced this together and looked at me expectantly, but his face fell flat at my expression. ¡°Amelia!¡± Wei shouted, quickly reaching out to lift her into his arms. The sea serpent crashed down on the bridge, splintering it, and the force flung Amelia across the pavement. I pushed Wei back, preventing him from reaching Amelia even as she violently tumbled down the road. Tears sprung in her eyes while she looked up and desperately reached out for me. ¡°The wrist cuff! Use it!¡± I dodged the serpent¡¯s attack, Zhige trembling in my hand with an eager anticipation. Amelia blinked at me, unable to process or act to my words. The serpent roared, spraying water before it darted forward, chomping down on the bridge and quickly catching up with us. A sudden blunt pain was felt on my wrist, and I turned back to spot Yang tightly twisting my hand, his eyes glaring up at me. ¡°Peijin, what is the meaning of this?¡± He hissed, matching my speed. I glared at him coldly, tilting my head upward. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend your moral compass matters, Yang. It means nothing to one here,¡± my voice was almost a low threat. ¡°Amelia will survive.¡± The serpent chomped down on the bridge, barely missing Amelia¡¯s leg. She stumbled forward, trying to run, but her movements were frantic and desperate. Turning around, she held the cuff forward and a white light exploded with immense power.

Observer ''Socrates'': Jia Li, stop! She''ll fail without a sponsor!

The dire wolf appeared, immediately latching onto the sea serpent¡¯s nostrils. Violently chomp and tearing down into the flesh, the sea serpent let out a violent cry and swung its head in a futile attempt to throw off the wolf. With the bridge collapsing rapidly, Amelia stumbled forward and began to sprint down in hopes of making it to the mainland, but the wolf flew against the ground before her with a heavy thud. Amelia flinched, perhaps feeling the wolf¡¯s pain as her own, and the sea serpent continued its pursuit with renewed vigor. ¡°Peijin, stop this!¡± Wei screamed while adjusting the Dragon Gulf sword in his hands. He braced it against himself before bringing down a heavy cut between the eyes of the sea serpent, causing a long slit with blood spraying out like a hose with a thumb pressed over the nozzle. Amelia¡¯s eyes were squeezed shut, her forehead pressed against that of the wolf. Her hands cupped its gray cheeks, and she was desperately whispering to it as it unsteadily got onto its feet. I could barely make out the shape of her moving lips, but she was murmuring something with frantic speed. Soon after, the wolf got onto its feet and charged once more at the serpent, this time darting up the snake-like body. Its claws dug through the scales and into its flesh, causing crimson streaks to appear and bleed down all over the serpent. ¡°Amelia!¡± I screamed, the blue sweatshirt dragging me forward and making it appear as someone was dragging me down the freeway at alarming speeds. ¡°You need to tame the serpent!¡± Tears of sheer fear and exhaustion streamed down her scratched face. Her hands were outstretched and trembling in a failed attempt.

Disciple Amelia activated ''Beast Taming!''

Her voice shook violently as she shouted to me, ¡°It¡¯s too strong! I can¡¯t tame it!¡± Her voice was hoarse and unsteady. I intentionally spoke louder to ensure the rest of the party could hear me. ¡°Then we have to weaken it by attacking it!¡± I screamed over the chaos, sprinting toward Amelia and standing behind her. The blue sweatshirt quickly came off easily as I threw it over her head; it quickly shrunk to fit her, though it wouldn¡¯t do much to protect her in this situation. ¡°Amelia, these dungeons are custom rooms, because they¡¯re meant to help you evolve your skills. You¡¯re in this room because you¡¯re supposed to tame it,¡± I whispered into her ear. Yang, Yue, and Wei had begun to attack the sea serpent with intense vigor, since the situation was incredibly threatening, yet they were also motivated by their desire to protect Amelia. ¡°I-I can¡¯t do it,¡± she stammered, her hand flailing behind her in an attempt to hold onto mine. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°You can,¡± I insisted, my voice becoming forceful. ¡°Artemis sent me a message. She says that you must tame the serpent if you want her to consider sponsoring you.¡±

Divinity ¡®Far Shooting Queen of Beasts¡¯ is stunned by your lie.

Divinity ¡®Far Shooting Queen of Beasts¡¯ is enraged by your cruelty!

Yellow sparks immediately erupted from the blue message boxes, forcing them to disappear before Amelia could fully read them. Clearly, karma was still overpowering godly messages¡ªexcept for Archangel Michael. I continued holding onto Amelia¡¯s shoulders, but I now kneeled down to match her level. ¡°Amelia,¡± I whispered, ¡°turn off your system notifications. You must focus solely on my voice and the serpent.¡±

Divinity ''Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is mortified by your sudden actions.

Hindsight activated!

Artemis was now far closer to Amelia, her heavenly silhouette practically floating right above her. Reaching out a hand, she pressed through the shadows and tried to reach out for the young girl. Blue sparks flew around me from the sudden surge in spiritual energy, causing massive bursts of yellow lightning. Artemis was trying to interfere with the course of the scenario, but she was quickly forced out. I covered Amelia¡¯s ears and defiantly shout at the sky. ¡°Artemis, if you wish to protect this girl so badly, then sponsor her or give me money!¡±

Warning! You have outraged a divinity!

Observer ''Socrates'': Peijin! Stop this! You''re going to get her killed!

Of course, Athena wanted to be Amelia¡¯s initial sponsor, but it was clear now that Artemis was the superior fit. ¡°Amelia, raise your arm up toward the serpent, and ensure the cuff is well in your line of vision,¡± I instructed. ¡°Focus all of your attention on it, just as you did with the dire wolf.¡± Sweat dripped down her brow in thick streaks, her breathing rapid and shallow. Her jaw was tightly clenched, and I could see the immense concentration swirling in her wide blue eyes. With unbelievable horror, the sea serpent let out a pained and violent roar from the onslaught by the rest of the party. It flung its tail throughout the entire bay, crashing into the other half of the bridge that was barely stable and causing Amelia and I to fly into the air. Amelia¡¯s concentration immediately broke and she screamed, but I dug the dao into the flesh of the dragon and flung her up quickly, the blue hoodie pulling her onto the head of the serpent. ¡°Peijin!¡± Amelia shrieked, and her small hands reached out for me. I gave a curt nod before flashing her a bright smile. ¡°It¡¯s up to you, Amelia.¡± I fell back towards the water, but I dragged my dao down the entire length of the serpent. My feet suddenly landed on something solid, and I looked down to see myself standing on Yue¡¯s spear. ¡°Peijin, you fucking bitch!¡± Yue roared, hoisting herself up onto the other half of the spear and squatting to maintain her balance as the serpent continued to thrash. ¡°You have Medusa¡¯s head! End this!¡± In the end, the young woman before me was no more than a book character. It didn¡¯t matter if my work had suddenly become reality; Yue¡¯s fate was long predetermined. I could alter it based on how I reacted, but Yue was still Yue. Her personality was trapped in the confines of my own words. ¡°I can¡¯t!" I screamed back, "Amelia is on the serpent¡¯s head, so it¡¯s too big of a risk if she locks eyes with Medusa! The rest of you are still attacking it, so I can''t use it without hurting one of you,¡± I leapt off of her spear and scaled up the beast. Suddenly, her spear whizzed just past my head before impaling the beast¡¯s flesh. I looked around for Yue angrily before realizing that she was gripping my ankle, dangling above the water. ¡°What the hell are you attacking your own party leader for?¡± I shouted. ¡°I¡¯m not attacking you!¡± Yue retorted in a frustrated tone, trying to grab her spear. ¡°Look up!¡± With a loud crash, the serpent¡¯s tail smacked where I would have been had Yue not stopped me, and the violent thrashing almost threw me off the serpent. My head jerked up to stare at the serpent¡¯s head. Yang, Wei, and the wolf had restrained the serpent to some degree, digging their weapons or teeth into the flesh of its vulnerable snout, head, and neck. The serpent let out a violent scream, but Amelia clung onto its head using its horns. Her skin was deathly pale, but she was sweating profusely while murmuring under her breath. This was by far too big of a skill jump for her, and sparks were flying out of her skin as if she were a firework. ¡°Come on, come on¡¡± I whispered beneath my breath, looking up into sky. This would be a complete waste of time if she didn¡¯t interfere. An abnormal amount of blue sparks continued to explode all around the bay now. Yue was climbing up my leg, and her long fingers dug into my calf and knee. Her black hair whipped her face, and she spat out a mouthful of salt water. ¡°Stop scaling me like a damn monkey!¡± ¡°Do you want me to drop down and die instead?!¡± I remained silent while using her spear and dao to try and scale up the serpent¡¯s body, alternately stabbing one weapon into the serpent''s flesh then another before pulling myself up. Each slice sent a deep gush of blood flowing down the serpent''s body, and it was quickly becoming more and more frantic. Yue surveyed the scene for a moment before shouting a barely audible question over the sound of crashing waves. ¡°What the hell are you plotting, Peijin?¡± My lip turned white and bleed from how hard I was biting down on it. A thick line of blood trickled down from Amelia¡¯s face and into her mouth, but she quickly clasped a hand over the lower part of her face in shock. She swayed unsteadily as if she were about to fall off at any moment. ¡°...Nothing.¡± I replied coldly. Then, my hand grabbed onto Yue¡¯s forearm and threw her back onto her spear. ¡°Stop Amelia when you reach her! She¡¯s going to faint and fall!¡± But before either of us could begin our mad dash, Amelia let out a blood-curdling scream as the serpent finally threw her off. Chapter 17: Dungeons of Great Turmoil - Ep. 3, VI Amelia¡¯s small body flew in the air for a moment as Wei made a desperate attempt to reach her, but a massive explosion of blue sparks prevented him. The explosion was so violent and bright that for a moment, everything seemed to freeze before chaos ensued. The figure of a small child with flowing auburn locks materialized from the sparks, and the sight of her could be described as none other than blinding. Her skin practically glowed white, and every detail glimmered like gold as she erupted from the wave of blue sparks. Artemis. How much spiritual power did she exhaust just to appear in the weak form of a child? My eyes widened at the sight of the glowing, luminous girl lifting Amelia and gently setting her upon the serpent''s head before pressing it with her own forehead; the serpent immediately slumped down. With a deafening scream, the auburn-haired girl vanished in a flurry of yellow sparks, and a single star in the sky flicked out. The punishment for interfering so heavily in an early scenario would be absolutely detrimental, especially given Artemis¡¯ power. She had clearly grown incredibly attached to Amelia during the short extent they noticed one another.

Observer ''Socrates'': Jia Li... did you plan this?

Observer ''Socrates'': You''ve sent the divinities into a flurry in heaven. They''re astonished

Amelia weakly pressed the iron cuff to the tip of the sea serpent, and it quickly vanished, becoming no more than a silver engraving. Suddenly, the entire party was free falling straight toward the ground, shrieking and screaming, but Amelia made no sound. Her body was limp, and the blue sweatshirt was desperately trying to jerk her higher into the air, yet it was too difficult of a feat for a mere piece of cloth. ¡°Zhige! Get her!¡± I commanded, throwing the sword in her direction. Zhige pierced through the coat and tried to lift Amelia up in the air, but even with their strength combined, the two struggled to offset her weight. I nervously looked down as my body hurdled toward the water.

You have received a new review!

4.5 / 5: Wu Peijin is wickedly cruel, and it is thrilling to watch her actions. However, I pity her party members. Even though she cares for Amelia the most, she was willing to sacrifice Amelia''s security to boost her skill.

Lengthening his staff, Yang managed to hang onto it as the other half dug into the riverbed below. Wei grabbed onto his arm and swung below him before they both descended into the water below. My limbs flailed in the air as I wrestled for my bag. Before I could pull my shield out, I felt a strong hand pull me in. ¡°Peijin,¡± Yue whispered, looking at me with a frightened expression. She held onto me tightly, yet we were both still hurtling toward the bay. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I reassured her, shutting my eyes due to the wind blowing debris into them. ¡°I¡¯ll break our fall. My physique level is high enough.¡± Riding his staff, Yang reached out to grab onto Amelia, hooking her small and limp body into his arm. Wei, Amelia, and Yang soon crashed into the water with an explosive splash, but they quickly resurfaced alive. I shifted Yue on top of me while lying in the inner curve of my shield. When we hit the water, the shield and I would break her fall, and if any of us were hurt, I¡¯d use the potions collected from the last dungeon room. My muscles tensed up as I prepared for impact, but suddenly the sound of crashing waves ceased and my back crashed into a hard metal surface. Blood spurted up from my mouth, and it felt as if every bone in my body shattered on the impact.

Observer ''Nipon23'': Karma.

We were back in the train station, and I looked around to see the beast-themed chest beside me. Yue seemed unharmed as she crawled off of me, clutching her spear. I was splayed out like a starfish on the ground, and the entire impact was absorbed into the metal train rather than the rippling water I intended to land on. ¡°Amelia,¡± I groaned, trying to sit up despite the pain. ¡°Amelia,¡± I repeated. Her small body clung onto Yang who was rubbing the leftover kraken mucus into her wounds. I wheezed while searching through my bag for a restorative potion to help her recover her physical health and mana. There were only two, and I pulled one out and crawled over to her, dribbling the liquid into her mouth. I tried to take her from Yang, but he held onto her tightly. Amelia swallowed the liquid as I wiped the blood off of her face, and she slowly opened her eyes. ¡°Peijin,¡± she sobbed, reaching her small arms out to hook them around my neck. Yang relented and begrudgingly handed her over, and I gently threw her over my shoulder while rocking her in an attempt to soothe her. When I stood up, pain seared through my body, but I ignored it and paced around the train. ¡°You did well, Amelia. I¡¯m proud of you. You were the reason we beat that level,¡± I whispered into her ear while patting her back. I discreetly looked over my shoulder and gestured for the rest of the party to raid the rewards chest. With Amelia now possessing two beasts under her command despite being an initially very weak disciple, there was no doubt that she could survive alone in this world. Admittedly, a part of me felt remorse over forcing her through such an experience, but she was insignificant to this story and nothing more than an anomaly in a fictional world.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

Her small hands tightly gripped onto the back of my shirt, and I suddenly felt the strange urge to comfort her. I sighed, continuing to move around the train while I approached her poster. Her poster now depicted a new image¡ªone of her with countless beasts and creatures all around her, following her lead. ¡°See your poster, Amelia? That¡¯s what you¡¯ve accomplished just now,¡± I reassured her until she seemed to calm down. ¡°You should check out the chest. There will probably be some awards for you.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. I inspect the silver cuff on her arm, and the sea serpent is now a part of the intricate ornamentation. The cuff seemed to already contain other beasts including a phoenix and white tiger, but those would be far too strong for her. Yang¡¯s voice called out from the chest. ¡°Amelia! There are three skills for you to pick from.¡± Three blue screens were glowing from above the chest. The rest of the rewards seemed like miscellaneous items that the rest of the party had already bagged.

Universal Communication

Stone''s Aura

Mark of the Beast

Universal Communication would allow Amelia the ability to communicate with all creatures: wolves, dragons, serpents, insects. However, Amelia had already proven herself capable. It was a rather useless skill for her. Stone¡¯s Aura was a rather interesting skill; when equipped, the user¡¯s aura or energy would vanish and become nothing more than a stone. In later rounds where demons or ghosts could detect people and divinities, it would completely protect her. It was a primarily defensive move, but it was perfect for an ambush. Mark of the Beast was by far the most complicated one. As per the same, it inherited evil or demon connotations and would compete with the Abrahamic gods. But it wasn¡¯t a demonic skill. The user would be able to merge and turn into a beast hybrid for a period of time if they so desired. It got its name from the fact that demons were humans who had to merge themself permanently with a creature¡ªtypically serpents, bulls, and dragons.

Demon ''Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven¡¯ encourages Disciple Amelia to select ''Mark of the Beast.''

That was the first time the Bull Demon King expended a significant amount of spiritual energy, and it was over a weak disciple''s skill. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t ¡®Mark of the Beast¡¯ align Amelia with demons?¡± Yang asked, looking skeptically toward me for an answer. I could tell that he had much more to say to me, but he bit back his tongue in front of Amelia. ¡°The description reads more as a temporary shift. It probably is just named after the fact that demons are typically merged with some kind of animal, and the skill permits that.¡±

Observer ''Hedgehog1938'': That''s sick asf pick it

I wasn''t sure how far I should take my lie of being a god. Should I presume omniscience or take a middle-ground?

Divinity ''Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ says Stone¡¯s Aura is difficult to attain.

Demon ''Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven¡¯ says ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ disagrees just to disagree.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ has taken offense to such a claim.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is threatening to torture ¡®Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven¡¯ for fun.

Yue was now glaring at Wei, her arms crossed over her chest while the spear was held in a threatening manner. ¡°Your sponsor better mind his place, Wei.¡± ¡°... I¡¯m just a disciple. There¡¯s nothing I can do.¡±

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ finds Disciple Yue to be very entertaining.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ has sponsored Disciple Yue 2,000 stars.

2,000 stars?! "Maybe I should piss off more demons," I grumbled, sighing and rubbing my temples.

Observer ''Socrates'': Why are you like this Jia Li

Yue¡¯s body immediately tensed at the mocking sponsorship, but after noticing the amount, she kept her mouth shut. In a monotone voice, Wei replied, ¡°Is money the only way to shut you up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of the ways.¡± If the Bull Demon King and Archangel Michael theoretically fought, it would be a rather difficult battle for both sides; however, Archangel Michael had the advantage of killing many demons in the past. He was by far one of the cruelest Abrahamic gods, and he frequently tortured and mutilated Demon Kings when bored. The only reason he wasn¡¯t doing so now, was because he was more entertained by the splendid show I was putting on. Amelia, still wearing the blue sweatshirt, tugged on the bottom of my dark brown pants. ¡°Peijin, does ¡®Stone¡¯s Aura¡¯ apply to the animals I tame?¡± ¡°Uhh¡¡±

Editor¡¯s Pen is activated!

When equipped, the skill ¡®Stone¡¯s Aura applies to all of the disciple¡¯s tamed entities.

Edit granted!

My face softened, and I smile down at her. ¡°I believe so.¡± ¡°Then I should pick that one, right?¡± She paused and stammered, seemingly to turn back on her decision. ¡°I don¡¯t know. What would you pick, Peijin?¡± ¡°¡®Stone¡¯s Aura¡¯ is a daoist and defensive technique, and ¡®Mark of the Beast¡¯ is more offensive and has indirect correlations with the Demon Kings,¡± I replied. ¡°Both are good options. It just depends on what you want, although you can theoretically work your way to both.¡± I wasn¡¯t really lying this time. Whichever she picked, both would work out well. Personally, I doubted her ability to get ¡®Mark of the Beast¡¯ herself¡ªshe was still rather weak and not a very formidable opponent, but ¡®Stone¡¯s Aura¡¯ would take the average disciple hundreds of years to attain. Amelia¡¯s small hand reached up and selected a skill just before the timer ran out. The metro began to fade once more, this time slowly crumbling away into a black void. I confidently turned to Yue, spinning my blade and readjusting it in my hand. ¡°Yue, do you have any idea on what your room-¡± ¡°No.¡± My expression immediately turned back to one of disdain. ¡°Are you seriously going to act like this right now?¡± ¡°These rooms are based on our biggest fears, right?¡± She asked back, ignoring my question. I paused for a moment before giving a slight nod. Yang gently placed his hand behind Yue¡¯s shoulder, looking at her with those reassuring orange eyes. ¡°What do you want us to do in the next room?¡± His question felt like a direct attack on my reaction to Amelia¡¯s room. ¡°Don¡¯t leave.¡± Yue¡¯s voice was cold and commanding, but she spared a small glance up at Yang, and the hand that clutched her spear trembled. With that, the metro soon faded and rumbled into complete darkness, nothing but the whirring of the tracks beneath us ringing out. The doors opened and the metro vanished, but large theatre lights popped up and illuminated the room. My eyes took a moment to adjust to the light, but I was blinking rapidly to help the adjustment. ¡°Is everyone here?¡± The spot beside Yang once occupied was now empty, yet his hand was still hovering in the air as if it were on a shoulder. Yang¡¯s eyes widened as he quickly pulled back. ¡°Yue?¡± Chapter 18: Donéˆ¥æª› Leave - Ep. 4, I Zhige quickly swung through the air where Yue was once standing, creating a sharp ringing sound. ¡°She¡¯s not here,¡± I confidently declared. If she was, Zhige would have found her and sliced her apart, regardless of whatever arc spells or scenarios she might¡¯ve been under. I was confident, however, that she wasn''t, and I needed to prove my power to Chang and the gods. These rooms strayed from what I had originally written¡ªbut I was the writer, nonetheless. The arc quickly pieced itself together in my head.

Hindsight activated!

Countless rows of black theater chairs surrounded all of us, and just at the end, there was a glass wall. I peeked over and noticed that we were on the theater balcony, and below us was a still dark stage. ¡°Peijin, what are you thinking?¡± Yang asked me, stepping forward to look over the edge with me. ¡°Now I¡¯m thinking about your annoying voice.¡± ¡°...¡± Yue¡¯s poster was the most disturbing in my opinion, even though Yang¡¯s had been the most... peculiar. In it, she was being brutally stabbed through by hundreds of weapons, and her face was covered by the theatrical yet horrifying half-smiling half-crying mask. My blood suddenly ran cold, and my gaze quickly jumped between each party member. ¡°What is it? Peijin?¡± Yang asked, growing increasingly nervous. His face fell, his lower lip quivering, as he came to the same conclusion. The lights to the stage now flickered on, blaring down on a small female figure proudly standing. Behind her were four other figures¡ªtheir features were completely indistinguishable and they shifted and floated like a black fog. Ghosts. Yang¡¯s voice shook, and he quickly grabbed my arm, shaking it. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t do that!¡± In the original poster, there were multiple weapons piercing through the masked Yue: a dao, a staff, and a jian. At the time, I wouldn¡¯t have considered such a miniscule detail. Yet now that we had cleared through countless dungeons, they became the three weapons the rest of us were carrying. But the fourth weapon¡ it was a spear; in the poster, there was only one¡ªand it was piercing straight through her heart. The four figures on stage behind Yue slowly transformed, their bodies warping and shifting to encompass my party''s features perfectly. They now took the form of two men, one woman, and a young girl. The illusion was so masterfully crafted that they looked identical to all of us. Mine stood back for a moment and turned to face me, bringing a small finger over her lips in a ¡®silence¡¯ gesture. ¡°Backstabbing,¡± I murmured under my breath. ¡°That¡¯s her biggest fear.¡±

Divinity ''Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts'' feels pitiful for Disciple Yue.

Observer ''Socrates'': Jia Li you should be nicer to your party members. You''re probably the cause of her fear.

Wei reacted first, holding onto his sword and stabbing the glass barrier. Sparks flew off and landed on his skin, but with an echoing boom, he was sent flying back. Not a single scratch showed on the glass. This was a psychological room, and these were by far the most ruining and horrifying for the victims. By unleashing such a deep and core fear, the chance a disciple could become traumatized and never recover was high; in fact, most would end up killing themselves before escaping. Yue¡¯s memory of the poster and her senses would be severely diminished, and she¡¯d inherently be reliant on the puppet versions of my party. For someone as headstrong and stubborn as Yue, such a dungeon room would be absolutely crippling. Yang rushed forward and elongated his staff, stabilizing it between the back of the theater and the glass. It was a feeble attempt to use the back of the room as a solid wall to pierce through the glass, but his staff instead shot straight through the wall. ¡°Yue!¡± There were two ways to pass: one, Yue quickly recognized the mental manipulation and finished the room; two, Feiyu broke her out. In Surviving My First Run, Yue¡¯s dungeon wasn¡¯t centered around abandonment, although it still was a psychological room. With a mighty roar, Feiyu raised his sword to the sky, called down a god, and tore apart the entire dungeon. Was I Feiyu? No. Was Yue strong enough to withstand the room alone? Maybe, but probably not considering that part of her fear was me abandoning her.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

A foreign pang pierced my chest. I was a part of Yue¡¯s biggest fear, even though I had written a predetermined fear for her. Was it that fundamental of a shift in her character, or were my words not as set in stone as I thought? I stabbed Zhige straight at the glass, and its red eye blinked wildly at me, the eyelid fluttering. Under its immense pressure, the glass seemed to warp around Zhige like hot plastic, trying to mold the two together. Zhige quickly shrunk into my hand before elongating once it escaped the shifting glass. On the stage, Yue was solving puzzles with the puppet party, running around a stage that resembled a complicated maze. In her hand was a cube, and with every twist, certain maze corridors would shift. The puppet version of Amelia suddenly wandered into a hall out of Yue¡¯s vision. The stimulation was now truly starting. Wei cried out, his knuckles bleeding from his desperate attempts at breaking through the glass. His chest heaved with every breath, and his shoulders were beginning to slump in defeat. ¡°Peijin, what do we do? Do you have a plan this time?¡± Yang¡¯s expression was cold and hard, and he continued to violently bash at the glass; blue waves erupted like raging waves out of each hit. Amelia had summoned the dire wolf, as the sea serpent was too large, but even its vicious fangs and claws wouldn¡¯t leave a scratch on the glass. ¡°I¡¯m thinking!¡± I shouted back, my hands trembling fiercely. Damnit. What the hell, there was no way I could get the luck of the protagonist. In Feiyu¡¯s dungeon, he received a rare item that would allow him to call down a god for an arc. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Wei grew more and more desperate, his strikes becoming quick and frantic. ¡°Can you call down a god like you did with Artemis?¡± His voice was high-pitched, and I could barely hear him over the sounds of Yang¡¯s strikes.

Warning! Many gods are glaring at you with overwhelming animosity.

Artemis'' descent was a bootleg attempt at the same premise, but without the item, she had faced the immediate consequences of karma despite manifesting in the weak form of a child. She would undoubtedly have faced immense scrutiny from the other Greek gods, but it was a risk she took in hopes of securing Amelia as a disciple. Yue held the cube in her hand, examining it with puppet Yang. The maze-like corridors pressed them closely together, and puppet Yang was twisting and interlocking the different pieces with one another to shift the doors of the maze. Glancing up at him with a strange expression, Yue seemed a bit confused by puppet Yang¡¯s demeanor. Please, let her realize. She knew it just as well as I did¡ªYang was frightened of her and trembled everytime she was near. Yet here, puppet Yang moved confidently and intelligently. Such a sight seemed to send Yang into an even greater frenzy as he continued to violently swing at the glass. Amelia¡¯s eyes welled with tears, and her brows knitted together as she looked down at the pitiful situation. ¡°Amelia, can you use stone¡¯s aura to get through the glass?¡± My voice raised an intonation out of the pressure I began to feel. Puppet Wei had slipped away into one of the corridors. Amelia quickly activated the skill before reaching her hand out to touch the glass. Her hand slipped right through, and she looked up at me with large, hopeful eyes. I grabbed onto her arm and quickly pulled it back. ¡°Don¡¯t go in there. Yue will think that you¡¯re the imposter.¡± ¡°We¡¯re running out of time, Peijin!¡± Wei ushered me. ¡°At any moment, your puppet or Yang¡¯s puppet is going to leave!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not blind, Wei! I can literally see that happening!¡± My eyes were still glowing blue from the activation of hindsight. Even though Yue seemed to be growing suspicious, she hadn¡¯t realized that the puppet versions were ulterior versions of the party. If I were writing this scene, how would I have it play out? The people who Yue would least expect to betray her would lead her to the very end before backstabbing her, leaving her trapped. It would''ve been the ultimate heartache for her. I looked up, shouting toward the ceiling of the theater. ¡°Bull Demon King! Sign a contract with me!¡± His silhouette immediately vanished from above me.

Demon ''Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven¡¯ adamantly declines!

¡ ¡°What the hell do you mean no?¡± I angrily shouted. ¡°Do you want your disciple to die? You¡¯d be a complete laughing stock given how powerful you are!¡±

Observer ''Socrates'': Because you''re poor, I''ll lend you enough spiritual energy to talk to him. But if you let Yue die, I''m reporting you

Report me for what? I didn''t even do anything.

Demon ¡®Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven¡¯ asks what you want.

¡°Grant me the ability to use stone¡¯s aura for the next five minutes.¡±

Demon Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven¡¯ says that is an even greater violation of the rules than Artemis.

¡°Are you saying you¡¯re weaker than her? You can recover from that.¡± The constant bangs and slashes of the party¡¯s weapons continued on the glass.

Demon ¡®Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven¡¯ says he¡¯ll agree to a contract if you pay the price for the violation.

¡°What do you want in exchange?¡±

Demon ¡®Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven¡¯ says he¡¯ll agree to a contract if you feed him an immediate family member.

¡°...¡± I forgot he was a gross cannibal in Journey to the West. However, his words had reminded me of a third method. I pulled down on one of the black theater chairs, pushing down the cushion to sit on it. Zhige was sheathed on my hip as I shut my eyes with my feet planted in the ground. Gods like Hermes were famous for gambling, but in Surviving My First Run, such sins were much more prosperous in the Ghost realm. Red light districts, gambling, alcoholism¡ªall of it ran rampant in Ghost cities. Deals were far riskier, but they were faster and direct with no compromise needed. With Wei, Yang, and Amelia distracted, I began to whisper under my breath. ¡°Chance Sought Gold Serendipity¡ I would like to wager a bet with you.¡± A few moments passed, yet nothing happened. ¡°Ahem," I loudly cleared my throat, "Chance Sought Gold Serendipity. I would like to wager a bet with you.¡± This time, a long and empty pause ensued. ¡°What the hell, are you too entitled to answer or something? I said I¡¯d like to wager a bet!¡± Suddenly, a pair of small red dice rolled out from beneath the chair and before my feet. They quickly stilled and the bright white dots taunted me, an ominous air to them. Chance Sought Gold Serendipity was a powerful Ghost King, though he spent most of his time gambling. Although he was practically a master and had never lost, he was always fair whenever it came to bets that did not involve him personally. Many disciples would travel to the Ghost realm and make countless bets: death of an enemy, infinite stars, to pass a scenario. To grant such wishes, Chance Sought Gold Serendipity had to be powerful enough to snap his fingers and confidently declare, ¡°There, your reward has been granted.¡± However, each bet came with an immense risk. I stared down at the dice. ¡°Allow Amelia to temporarily transfer her skill stone¡¯s aura to members in the same party.¡± A small flame appeared beside the dice before it quickly vanished, leaving a piece of rustic looking paper with inked black letters. Big reward. You want me to save a life, mess up the scenario, and transfer skills. What are you betting? ¡°I¡¯ll bet ten years of my life.¡± The note burned to ash before a new one appeared. Not enough.

Editor¡¯s Pen activated!

Lower the betting amount when gambling with ghosts.

Edit granted.

¡°I¡¯ll bet you twelve years of my life," I repeated. The note stayed, signaling that my payment if I lost still did not suffice. Really? Even with it being lowered? ¡°Seventeen years.¡± With a quick burst of flames, the note vanished and the dice rolled closer to me. Roll higher than or equal to seven to win. I reopened the editor¡¯s pen skill once more. Even though I had bet seventeen years of my life, I didn¡¯t plan on actually losing. It was a game of complete chance, and I knew Chance Sought Gold Serendipity wouldn¡¯t interfere.

A disciple¡¯s first bet will be a win for them.

Error! Impossible within karmic restraints.

As expected. My original input was too far of a stretch, but the system would automatically adjust my edit to the maximum capacity. I wasn¡¯t sure what that was, so allowing the system to decide was the most risk-free.

Potential edit: On a disciple¡¯s first roll, their luck will be tenfold.

My finger tapped on the ¡°accept¡± screen, and the blue screen vanished with a blip. My breath was shaky and shallow as I took the dice, shutting my eyes and shaking them around my enclosed hands. A tenfold increase was enough to practically guarantee me a number over seven. With a deep inhale, I gave one last shake and threw the dice on the ground. Chapter 19: Donéˆ¥æª› Leave - Ep. 4, II The first dice was a one. It was a rather terrible start, but it must have meant all my luck went into the second¡ªthe other could be a six. I leaned over in my chair, and counted the indents on the second dice. One. A terrible pain suddenly tore through my entire body as I keeled over, shrieking in pain. My voice shattered the intense focus of Wei and Yang as they suddenly sprinted toward me, both of them trying to hoist me back up. I gritted my teeth together to try and hold back the unspeakable pain. It traveled like seismic waves through my body, volcanic and explosive. ¡°Peijin! Are you alright?¡± Wei shouted in my ear, trying to stabilize me¡ªhis eyes were wide and panicked, and Yang was searching through the Azure Dragon store for something that could ease my pain. Amelia stared at me with a horrified expression, the dire wolf nudging her cheek in a feeble attempt of comfort. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I groan, reaching down and grabbing the dice. Sweat dripped down my face in thick beads, and I could taste the saltiness as they ran down the cusp of my upper lip and into my mouth. Parts of my body were flaking off in gold scribbles, and the pieces almost looked like short phrases. Those were all my future years slipping away. If that was my luck tenfold, and the chance of rolling a sum of two was already incredibly low, how bad was my luck? It must have been nearly zero if a tenfold increase still turned out with the worst outcome.

Observer ''Socrates'': So much for being a god of fortune

But even with the tenfold increase, I wasn¡¯t guaranteed to roll a sum over seven. Perhaps I¡¯d just gotten unlucky¡ªthough I knew it was flawed and weak logic in every sense. In part because I failed the probability assessment at school and also because if my luck was that bad with the editor''s pen, there would be no hope for me during a second bet. Yue nervously glanced through the maze, quickly becoming panicked as she struggled to reach the end. Beside her, puppet Yang used his staff to break through pieces of the maze to try and find the correct path while puppet Peijin scrambled with the maze ball. Yue wielded her spear, fighting off the creatures that were quickly approaching from behind. Puppet Yang slowly snuck up behind an unsuspecting Yue and lifted his glistening gold staff just behind her head, tensing his arm as he got ready to strike. "No!" I screamed, "Yue!" The staff sped right past Yue and pierced a humanoid creature in front of her, instantly killing it. Yue turned around, grateful, and let out a deep sigh in front of puppet Yang. With a warm smile and quick pat on the shoulder, the duo continued to fight back the beasts. I glanced back down at the two red dice in my white hands. This was the only way. Squeezing my eyes shut, I shook the dice, not bothering to read the ghost letter paper before rolling again. ¡°Same bet, alright? I¡¯m gonna get it this time you ghost asshole,¡± I swore under my breath.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is begging you to stop!

Yang looked at me, his brows furrowed and creating stress lines on his forehead. ¡°Peijin? Are you gambling?¡± The dice bounced on the carpeted ground before rolling to a stop. I scrambled forward to check the faces, my lips tightly pressed together to form a white line. One and one. This time, I was prepared for the pain. It ripped through me once more, and it felt like a sword had been stabbed through my stomach before stirring and tearing into all my organs. I gripped the soft ground and cried out in pain as more gold phrases flew out from my body. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Peijin, stop!¡± Yang shouted, gripping onto my shoulder and kneeling on the ground to keep himself level with me. His eyes peered straight into mine, and his expression was firm and unrelenting. Wei had left to comfort Amelia, who began to panic at the sight of my breakdown. I groaned and slowly sat down, facing him and panting. My hair was strewn across my face, and it stuck with the beaded sweat on my skin to form thin strands plastered my forehead and large clumps on my cheeks. ¡°Peijin,¡± Yang responded firmly. ¡°You need to tell us what you¡¯re doing. You can¡¯t keep doing everything on your own! I don''t care if you''re a god or not!¡± Ignoring him, I reached my hand out for the dice once more, but he quickly slapped my arm back. I shoved him back and crawled over to the dice, cupping them in my hand. ¡°Come on, Chance Sought Gold Serendipity. Do you offer discounts when I¡¯m rolling this many times for one outcome?¡± I let out a strained laugh, my spit thick in my throat. ¡°Thirty-four years is really cruel, you asshole.¡±

You have received a new review.

5 / 5: Peijin is like a tsundere. She pretends she doesn''t care about her party members, but here she is convulsing on the ground and giving up half her life span. Good stuff good stuff!

Yang tackled me to the ground, his hands gripping my forearms. One of his hands pressed right against the tower tattoo before lifting me and slamming me on the ground, causing me to fall backward with a loud thud. ¡°Let go of me! You¡¯re wasting our time!¡± I struggled against him before I kneed him between the ribs; he immediately coughed and his grip slackened. Yang hacked, struggling to catch his breath before grabbing my ankle and pulling me back. I immediately fell to the ground, my forehead ricocheting off the floor as I tried to crawl away. I kicked him repeatedly in the head during the struggle, but he flipped me over and his long arms reach up, trying to pry open my hands which still held the dice. Wrestling on the ground, Yang fought to catch his breath. ¡°Do you not trust us enough to tell us what you¡¯re doing?¡± Yang shouted over the chaos. ¡°What the hell are you thinking, Peijin?!¡± I pursed my lips and avoided his gaze¡ªmy focus was locked on breaking away so I could roll the dice again. If I told Yang or any of them my plan, they would have tried to stop me, and Yue¡¯s death would have been certain. A small flame burst beside my head, and another note appeared. Yang¡¯s eyes quickly flickered to it as he let go of my hands and pounced for the note. My shoulder pushed into the ground to propel myself forward, and I planted my knee into his lower back to stop him from grabbing onto the note. Looking over his shoulder, Yang shoved my head back and used the force to grab onto the note and quickly read it. Zhige unsheathed himself and jumped out of my holster, darting over to Yang¡¯s head to knock him out. ¡°Zhige, down!¡± I shouted, and the blade quickly halted mid-air before slowly returning to me like a scolded puppy. Practically crawling up Yang, I reached my hand out to grab the paper, but he had already read it. He flipped over to face me, and my face was twisted into a distinct expression of frustration and nervousness. Yang¡¯s voice was considerably softer, and his brows furrowed. ¡°Are you gambling years of your life away?¡± I couldn''t meet his gaze and tell a lie at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m not. Give me the paper back, or I¡¯ll roll the dice right now.¡± Kneeling above him, I raised my hand up in the air and showed the dice, reminding him that he couldn¡¯t stop me if I decided to roll now. ¡°If I give you the paper, are you going to roll the dice?¡± ¡°I¡¯m rolling either way.¡± His expression was complicated; his lips were pressed into a white line and the ends were curved downward as if he was trying to hide his offense or disappointment. ¡°Let me roll. Please.¡± Yang was practically pleading with me now. ¡°No.¡± My response was curt and cold. ¡°Hand me the paper.¡± ¡°It says the penalty will decrease by two years for each of your rolls. Tell me, how many years have you already lost? Were those the gold words coming off of you?¡± The phrases came in quick bursts, and the speed caused him to trip over his own words. ¡°Hand me the paper,¡± I repeated firmly. What Yang had told me was most likely the truth, since he was able to deduce the penalty, but I had to be sure. The dice began shaking in my hand once more as a threat.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

Admittedly, I was rather nervous to go through the pain again. Fearful I was not, but having pieces of my life forcefully extracted wasn''t the best thing. But if losing my years could save Yue, I''d do it over and over again until I''d die, and even then, I''d come back as a ghost to haunt this shitty world. "I''m sorry, Yang." I brought up my hands and shook them once last time, closing my eyes and praying the outcome would be better, but a blue notification suddenly appeared before me.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is willing to gamble with you.

Chapter 20: Donéˆ¥æª› Leave - Ep. 4, III My brows raised in surprise at the notification. I quickly got off of Yang and looked up toward the ceiling of the theater again. Even though there was a roof above me, I could see the small twinkle as if it transcended through. ¡°Chance Sought Gold Serendipity has the best deal,¡± I replied nervously, my hands unconsciously trembling.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is willing to take the consequences personally.

My spit thickened in my tightening throat. If I accepted, then we would most likely make a deal that wouldn¡¯t have such a severe payment, and he¡¯d have to boost my luck. To do such a thing would require an unbelievable amount of spiritual energy.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Take it Jia Li. You¡¯ll die otherwise. I¡¯ll try to get some observers to lend spiritual energy, but your reviews are so bad that most of it gets taxed

I blinked solemnly at that notification, not even noticing the latter half. So Socrates didn¡¯t know after all. I guess it couldn¡¯t be helped. Archangel Michael undoubtedly had enough spiritual power to execute the deal, but did he have enough to fully push back karma? He¡¯d fall victim like Artemis, and I just couldn¡¯t do that to him. This was different. Socrates¡¯ notification blinked beside me, but I refused to meet it.

Divinity ¡®Great Sage Equaling Heaven¡¯ is warning ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Host.

Gambling was a vice, and for an Abrahamic god to engage in such a deal with me, it would be absolutely crippling to his status. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Archangel Michael. But I can¡¯t,¡± I sighed deeply before shaking my hands to roll again. Although I was endlessly grateful that Archangel Michael would have made such a bold offer this early on, the rest of my party would have to deal with gods hesitant to help or pay back my debt. I¡¯d be screwing over everyone but myself, because no matter what, Yue would make it out.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is willing to create a contract with you.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ proposes that you ally your party with Paradise.

I hesitated, my hands freezing in the air. Taking this deal would mean my party would forever be bound to Paradise¡ªa collection of every Abrhamic divinity. My party would forever be bound to their will and their goals, along with their fight against the Demon realm. I hesitated because this would guarantee my party¡¯s safety for decades. Who was I to deny that for them? ¡°Archangel Michael, I¡¯ll sign a contract with you. I¡¯ll need you to trust me, though.¡± An iridescent blue screen appeared before me, and I quickly typed in the terms. As ironic as it sounded, I had faith in him.

All signatories have signed! The contract is now in effect until Wu Peijin¡¯s death.

Smiling solemnly, I whispered a quick thanks under my breath.

Observer ¡®Sage Drunk Kitty¡¯: Sending you my spiritual energy, Peijin. Just remember to return it to me later

A sudden pain stabbed into my spine and pinned me to the glass wall. Yang¡¯s face appeared beside mine as he pried the dice from my hand and shook them. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but let me place the same bet,¡± Yang quickly whispered into his hands. ¡°Zhige!¡± I cried, straining to break free as my entire body was squished and contorted on the glass. Zhige flew from my hip and its hilt smashed into Yang¡¯s back, making him stumble forward and lose the dice beneath random seats. He had rolled. Blue sparks burst throughout the theater¡ªthere was a considerable amount of spiritual energy flowing through the room now. My eyes darted around expectantly, but it was yet to appear. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Was this spiritual energy the work of the observers, then?

Divinity ¡®Great Sage Equaling Heaven¡¯ is fascinated by the story taking place before him.

Divinity ¡®Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven¡¯ reminds him that he should be concerned about his Disciples life instead.

Divinity ¡®Great Sage Equaling Heaven¡¯ sponsors Disciple Yang 500 stars.

Yang¡¯s staff quickly shrunk, and I fell onto the ground but quickly stumbled back on my feet to chase after him. Staff flying back into his hand, Yang began to destroy the seats in search of the dice. Wei¡¯s panicked voice could be heard over the chaos. ¡°Yue is almost at the end of the maze! Could you two hurry up?¡± As he spoke, Wei¡¯s hand was gently on Amelia¡¯s back. Beads of sweat fell down her head as she whispered to the dire wolf, their foreheads gently pressed together. If Yang never found the dice and knew their sum, then he would forever be in stalemate. There was no risk of him losing fifteen years of his life, but there would also be no chance of saving Yue. Chance Sough Gold Serendipity would try and force Yang to look at the results of the dice, but I could prevent that from happening if I increased my power. Yang froze, having suddenly spotted something. My gaze followed Yang¡¯s to a small, glistening shape on the ground. ¡°Zhige!¡± Zhige darted forward to stop Yang, but Yang leaped forward and covered the dice. He looked at it cupped between trembling hands, and his face ran cold. I had caught up to him now, and I peeked over to check the value. Two. ¡°... You stupid idiot,¡± I muttered, my chest heaving from how out of breath I was. God damnit, god damnit, god damnit. If Yang lost years of his life, I¡¯d never forgive myself. It was his first roll, so he¡¯d lose seventeen years. What if he didn¡¯t even have seventeen years left? What if the pain would be too much for him to handle? What if we still couldn¡¯t save Yue, and I¡¯d lose Yang in the process?

Observer Nipon23¡¯: Jia Li, stop it. You know this world better than anyone.

Observer Nipon23¡¯: This is your element.

¡°The second might be a five or a six,¡± Yang replied, but I could hear the wavering intonations that made him sound far less than confident. I slowly looked over at him, my voice soft. ¡°Don¡¯t take that risk, Yang. Don¡¯t search for the second dice.¡± Amelia activated the stone''s aura for the dire wolf, and it quietly slunk through the glass after both Amelia and Wei¡¯s encouragement. The dungeon didn¡¯t sense the beast, and he quietly slunk down into the maze in an attempt to reach a still unaware Yue. ¡°Alright,¡± Yang relented, slowly getting up from the ground and onto his knees. I tried to keep my breathing slow and steady, disguising my trembling frame. A small shape was wedged between my shoe and the ground. Amidst the chaos, I had managed to spot the red glint of the second cube and quickly stepped on top of it. The dire wolf let out a loud snarl before pouncing, snapping its jaws at puppet Yang and puppet Peijin. Yue looked at the wolf in surprise before gripping her spear and attempting to pierce it, but not before turning behind her and realizing that puppet Amelia and puppet Wei were already gone. She froze, stealing a nervous glance at the situation in front of her.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

I couldn¡¯t help but feel a deeply uncomfortable pang. Growing up as an adopted daughter, Yue¡¯s fear of abandonment was instilled due to my writing. She deeply fear being left again, deeply feared the unknowing emptiness that followed the word ¡°home¡±; however, this wasn¡¯t her original fear in Surviving My First Run. This was the result of me and my actions here, in this world. Even if Yue was nothing more than a character, she lived beyond the pages I¡¯d written. ¡°Yang, help Amelia and Wei,¡± I cocked my head toward them. He looked up at me. ¡°You first.¡± I hated smart people. Yue glanced around desperately in the maze, quickly becoming panicked as she realized puppet Wei and puppet Amelia were gone. Puppet Yang, however, shouted endless strings of reassurance and comfort, and she persisted. Mere words were all Yue needed to hear. I supposed I knew that very well, more than anyone in the world. ¡°Why? Do you not trust me?¡± I replied nonchalantly. My foot was still pressed over the dice, and I refused to budge. ¡°I trust you very much, which is why I think you¡¯d lie to me.¡± Yang gave me that smile of his, and I watched his eyes wrinkle into those thin crescents. I let out a weak laugh. ¡°When¡¯d you find out?¡± ¡°I know you very well, Peijin. You¡¯re a bad liar.¡± ¡°I think you mean god of fate and fortune?¡± ¡°Pretty bad luck for a fortune teller, I think.¡± With my eyes shut, I quickly thought of one last thing: thank you, Archangel Michael for that goddamned contract. I lowered my head and let my shoulders droop, letting out a deep sigh. Blue sparks erupted all around me like a firework now, creating a bright and radiant aura. Slowly lifting my foot, I revealed the glaring red dice. Chapter 21: Donéˆ¥æª› Leave - Ep. 4, IV Six. Yang let out a massive sigh of relief, letting his forehead fall and press against the carpeted ground.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is jumping with joy.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ sponsors everyone in ¡®Peijin¡¯s World Dominion¡¯ 5,000 stars.

I looked down, smiling slightly at Yang, before sprinting forward and heading straight toward Amelia. Gripping onto her shoulders, I shook her and watched as her head bounced back and forth quickly. ¡°Amelia! Call back the dire wolf and let me use stone''s aura!,¡± I urged, not waiting for a response. ¡°Keep the blue hoodie for now in case something goes wrong.¡± Amelia¡¯s large blue eyes widened in confusion, but I promptly pressed my forehead against hers and blue sparks flew between us.

You have temporarily acquired skill ¡®Stone¡¯s Aura.¡¯

With stone¡¯s aura equipped, I could easily bypass my way into the dungeon with Yue, as the karmic security parameters would not sense me. However, since Amelia would transfer stone¡¯s aura to me, it would leave the dire wolf vulnerable to the immediate onslaught of the dungeon¡¯s defense mechanisms. As soon as the dire wolf returned, I quickly flew through the glass with Zhige in tow. I quietly slunk forward through the maze, before turning to find puppet Wei. He held his sword tightly, and his steps were barely detectable as he stalked a distracted Yue. The white band on his arm, however, was not present. I drew in a deep breath before launching myself toward puppet Wei, slashing through his abdomen with Zhige. The utter power of Zhige was unbelieve, and I looked down in pure amazement from the clean cut. Puppet Wei let out a ghastly howl, turning over his shoulder and trying to stab me while his upper body slowly slid off his lower body. Zhige managed to cut straight through his entire body, but there was no blood or organs pooling out. He began to disintegrate¡ªblack ashes falling from his skin and leaving nothing behind but a foul stench. I kneeled down on the ground, bringing up my hands to my chest in a prayer. ¡°May you find peace beyond this world,¡± I whispered earnestly, my eyes closed in a solemn manner. After pausing for a moment, I gathered the ashes and placed them in my bag.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Who knew you¡¯d treat ghosts with such kindness and respect?

Observer ¡®Hedgehog1938¡¯: Damn :( Anyway, isn''t Zhige kinda OP? Sick

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is moved to tears by your generous display.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ sponsors 5,000 stars.

I smiled to myself at the sponsorship message but kept my expression solemn. Zhige looked at me, blinking expectantly. ¡°Good job, Zhige! Aren¡¯t you just the cutest?¡± I gently rubbed Zhige and the red eye squinted into a pleased crescent. Typically, the puppets used in arcs were lowly ghosts. In the ghost realm, ghosts still had to make a living and survive, and there were different categories¡ªthe ghosts impersonating my party members often forgot their past lives but struggled with poverty, illness, and abuse. Thus, they were easy for the broadcasters and gods to get a hold of for the arcs. Regardless, they were ghosts, not demons, and Archangel Michael inherently had a soft spot for wronged humans, even if they were alcoholics, gambling addicts, and pretty scummy people. They rejected becoming demons, and that was enough of a justification for salvation. Suddenly, the black ground shifted beneath my feet, sending me crashing into the walls. The maze walls shifted around me as if I were being teleported to different areas.

Hindsight activated!

Yue must have been playing with the cube again. I was running out of time¡ªsoon, one more puppet would leave. I darted through the maze, now unsure of where I was. The walls shifted once more, and I crashed face first into a black wall. ¡°Urgh! Hindsight, is this literally not your job?¡± The bridge of my nose ached from the impact, causing me to sniffle. Suddenly, my body immediately stiffened as hindsight analyzed the situation, and an ominous shadow loomed over me. I immediately leapt to the side of the wall, pinning myself against a corner as a vicious tarantula slammed through the wall where I was once standing. Shaking itself off, the insect crawled up the walls with its large furry legs striped red and black; its multiple beady black eyes and sharp fangs glistened under the theater lights. The tarantula raised its two front legs in the air in a threatening manner before pouncing for me¡ªI quickly ducked and slid under it, whipping my head around to see my attacker. Of course I was transported right in front of puppet Amelia! ¡°Zhige! Go!¡± Zhige flew out from my hand and immediately stabbed through puppet Amelia¡¯s stomach, twisting its blade before shooting up vertically and splitting her upper body in half. The two halves of her head slowly peeled away, but no blood gushed out since she quickly dissipated into ash. It was a rather gruesome sight to see the body of a small and beloved children get viciously torn apart. No longer under her control, the tarantula froze awkwardly on the wall. Zhige flew back into my hand, and I quickly slashed the head off of the spider. ¡°May you both find peace beyond this world,¡± I quickly prayed, bowing my head. I gently scooped up their ashes and mixed them together before putting them in another compartment in my bag. Before they became ghost and beast companions, they were probably owner and pet in the real world. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is searching for more tissues.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ sponsors 3,500 stars.

Observer ¡®Hedgehog1938¡¯: Supreme Commander is making this hella awkward

Demon ¡®Abyssal Kraken of Black Seas is happy you cared about the beast.

Demon ¡®Abyssal Kraken of Black Seas sponsors 1,000 stars.

A warm smile grew on my face from the Abyssal Kraken of Black Seas¡¯ messages¡ªthey were few and far between, but they carried an odd earnesty not found in many other gods.

Demon ¡®King of Resourceful Goblins¡¯ wishes for your death!

I guess that guy was earnest, too. Was he seriously back already? The amount of spiritual energy here must have been permitting more of the gods¡¯ involvement. Since the maze was shifting again, one of the puppets would soon slink away. Yue must have been close to the end of the maze and a step closer to her death. My hand brushed against the right side of the walls as I tried to quickly navigate toward the end using the age-old hack. I looked up and spotted the entire crew watching me from the glass, and they were pointing their fingers at me repeatedly, their mouths wording something I couldn¡¯t make out. I grinned and gave a big thumbs up, continuing to sprint down the maze. Yue¡¯s annoying and ear-piercing voice could be heard now; following the sound, I finally spotted them toward the end of the stage. Peeking past the black wall, puppet Yang and Yue seemed to be bickering. Yue held the ball high above her head, glaring up at puppet Yang as he tried to reason with her. Puppet Yang did a perfect job of mimicking the real version¡ªhis voice was firm but still soft enough that Yue didn¡¯t feel challenged. My blood ran cold at the sight. Where was I? Puppet Peijin was nowhere to be seen¡and if the person who Yue trusted most would leave last, then I was the wrong person to send down. I quickly shook my head, brushing off the idea. Even if Yue drove me up a wall, she knew that everything I did held the party¡¯s best interest at heart. ¡°Zhige, can you sense puppet Peijin?¡± I whispered at the blade, twisting it in my hands. Zhige slowly spun around before pointing at a corner, directing my body toward it. My arms trembled slightly as my grip tightened on the handle, and the giant black tattoo on my forearm wasn¡¯t helping ease my nerves. Above me, the rest of the party was still desperately gesturing toward me. They must have realized first. ¡°Good Zhige,¡± I praised under my breath, stealthily approaching the corner. After taking in a deep inhale, I burst out from the corner and surged toward puppet Peijin. To my surprise, she was coincidentally already facing my direction, and as I approached, she easily dodged and seemed to fly out of my path. Her face was cold as she faced me, and in her hand, she held a replica of Zhige without the blazing red eye. Zhige seemed to shake at the sight of the phony blade and grew larger in my hands, spiritual power raging through it. I prayed that stone''s aura would continue hiding its energy. Puppet Peijin brought the blade parallel to her cheek before soaring at me, aiming countless horrifying strikes at me. Sparks flew as our blades made contact, but she was quickly pushing me toward the wall. ¡°Damnit, I¡¯m not going to lose to a stupid puppet like you!¡± I hissed, jumping back and lifting my sword up into the air. At my words, puppet Peijin¡¯s face flared with incomprehensible rage, and I was quickly reminded that she, too, was human, even if she was not me. ¡°Zhige, go!¡± Zhige flew forward and pinned her against the wall before pulling back, fighting her alone. I sprinted away, heading toward Yue with my feet thumping on the hollow wooden stage. ¡°Yue!¡± I finally managed to catch up to her, and I was now staring at both her and puppet Yang. My chest heaved with every breath, and I was a far cry from the composed puppet Peijin fighting with Zhige back in the corridor. Yue¡¯s face immediately fell at the sight of me. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to look for any traps? Why are you suddenly being incompetent again?¡± ¡°Y-yeah,¡± I stammered, sparing an awkward glance at puppet Yang. ¡°I think I found one. You two should come check it out.¡± Even if Yue didn¡¯t trust me as much as Yang, I needed to pull this off. She must have noticed all of the red flags by now, especially when one of them was blaring alarm signals right next to her. Puppet Yang grabbed Yue¡¯s sleeve before she could step forward and quietly murmured into her ear. ¡°Why is Peijin suddenly so breathless? She was perfectly fine moments before.¡± My muscles tensed, and my throat ran dry. Yue turned toward Yang receptively before glancing at me one again. ¡°Seriously?¡± I gestured toward myself. ¡°Yue, remember that conversation we had fighting the sea serpent? The one where you called me a bitch?¡± I let out a big sigh of relief as soon as I saw her face drop in exasperation at my comment. Yue might have been insufferable, but so was I. ¡°Yang, she probably just ran back here to tell us quickly. Besides, we already found the end. Let¡¯s just check.¡± Yes! I loved Yue!

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Come on, Yue!! Get out of this!

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is leaning in closer on the table in anticipation.

Puppet Yang shook his head insistently. ¡°Do you seriously think the real Peijin would have told us that? When has she ever told you anything, Yue? And now, she suddenly wants us to head back into the maze.¡± Fuck! On cue, all the maze walls dropped immediately, revealing puppet Peijin fighting with Zhige. Zhige froze as if suddenly gaining stage fright and flew across the stage and into my hand. Putting on a perfect performance, puppet Peijin desperately called out to Yue. ¡°Yue, run! It¡¯s a trap!¡± Puppet Peijin cried before collapsing onto a knee, clutching an ¡°injury.¡± I now stood on a completely empty stage with the white lights searing into my skin, making me feel hot as sweat dripped down my brow. Holding Zhige¡¯s menacing blade in my hand, I realized how much of a monster I looked. Yue¡¯s eyes surfed the now-empty stage and quickly realized that puppet Amelia and puppet Wei vanished. Taking Yang¡¯s arm, the two of them quickly sprinted toward the exit. I looked back up at the glass window, watching my party scramble and pound against the glass frantically. Even if this was my world, this wasn¡¯t my arc to control. My unwavering finger pointed straight at Yang. ¡°You,¡± I mouthed, jumping back to avoid puppet Peijin¡¯s flurry of attacks. His eyes widened in realization, but I nodded my head in affirmation. Yang would use stone¡¯s aura and quickly descend; since I wouldn¡¯t have time to rush back behind the glass, I¡¯d have to deal with karma myself. ¡°Archangel Michael, are you ready?¡± I called out, balling my hands into fists.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is ready to fulfill his side of the contract.

With a loud crackle and explosion, all of the spiritual energy in the room seemed to suddenly condense into a glowing blue sphere at the center of the room before erupting in a blaze of light. Chapter 22: Donéˆ¥æª› Leave - Ep. 4, V A small doll appeared on stage before the sparks vanished, and it immediately fell limp on the ground. I darted forward, quickly picking it up. It was a traditional ragdoll with large black button eyes¡ªthe doll had curly pieces of yellow yarn for hair and white wings attached to its back with blue robes flowing out. In my hands, it looked like a normal angel ragdoll¡ªcompletely lifeless and still. To make a descent like this, it would have already cost Archangel Michael an unspeakable amount of spiritual energy.

You have received a new rating.

5 / 5: I want to see Peijin do cool things, and if bad reviews are what kills her, I might as well leave this one.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Hurry, Jia Li! You can only hold off karma for so long.

Gently placing the doll on my shoulder, I offered it a large smile. ¡°This form is quite cute. I wouldn¡¯t mind signing more contracts if I could keep you perched here like this.¡± The doll was still hunched over on my shoulder, the big button eyes unblinking. ¡°Zhige, here,¡± I called out, slapping the side of my leg as if the blade were a dog. ¡°Can you feel pain?¡± Amelia was now pressing her small forehead against Yang¡¯s, and soon, I would be thrust into the arc¡¯s punishment for invading the dungeon room. Zhige shook back and forth in an attempt to reassure me before pressing against me once more. ¡°Lucky you.¡± I lept off the stage and tried to run as far up the auditorium as I could toward the glass, but Yang quickly descended before I made it. At once, massive sparks flew out around me and, like a swarm of infuriated hornets, surrounded and seared into my skin. ¡°Urgh!¡± I cried out, falling onto a knee while my limbs kicked and convulsed, trying to get rid of the burning pain. More and more sparks emerged around me and bit into my skin, leaving burn wounds before vanishing. Zhige trembled violently against me and tried to ward off some of the sparks. Even if my physique level was at fifty or a hundred, the arc¡¯s punishment would¡¯ve overwhelmed me; I was breaking the most fundamental and core rule of the entire system¡ªallowing me to survive would be a massive flaw. I groaned, trying to stand up as the flurry around me began to completely block out my vision with nothing more but bright, angry sparks. ¡°Zhige, can¡¯t you try a bit harder?¡± Seeming rather offended by my remark, Zhige flew above my head and grew in size¡ªwith the blade pointed toward the ground, it spun rapidly in circles to deflect the sparks around me. Surprisingly, most likely due to Zhige¡¯s incredible spiritual power, it actually deflected nearly all of the sparks. Soon, the system would come for Zhige as well, but I could finally fight for a few desperate inhales. To outsiders, I would look like a burning tower, sparks of fire and pure energy exuding out of me. Before me, there was a sudden blue flash that I could hardly make out. It creeped closer until a small blue snout poked through the whirlpool of sparks. ¡°Chang?¡± Oddly enough, he seemed strangely concerned with his scaly brows furrowed and his lips dipping into a frown. [You need to get back behind the glass, Peijin.] ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± [You can never outdo karma. God of fortune and fate or not.] I laughed pitifully, standing up and readjusting the doll. ¡°You wanted a good show, right?¡± Before me, Yang was struggling against puppet Yang. Puppet Yang matched his skills, if not superior. He wielded the staff seamlessly, creating distance between the two as he continued pulling Yue toward the end of the stage. ¡°Yue! Stop!¡± Yang cried, desperately trying to reach her, but the staff beat him back ceaselessly. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Scathing Reviewer activated!]

I looked up at Chang with a small smile on my face. ¡°I can¡¯t leave until this dungeon ends. I trust Zhige and Archangel Michael.¡±

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ nods at your display of bravery.

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ also criticizes your behavior as unwise.

Chang¡¯s expression fell immediately at my words. [The doll¡ is that?] ¡°Yes, it is.¡± [Do you understand what you¡¯re doing, Peijin?! How did he even agree to let you do that?] Chang¡¯s voice grew louder and louder, and he tugged harshly on his whiskers, clearly stressed out. ¡°Aren¡¯t all your bosses gods? Since when did you start doubting them?¡± [If you¡¯re a god, I can see why you got banished from the heavens.] Sparks continued flying around me as Zhige attempted to swing them off, but he was slowly being forced closer and closer against me. ¡°Zhige, you need to leave me and get puppet Yang,¡± I whisper to the spinning blade above me. Faltering for a moment, Zhige hesitated with the command¡ªas soon as Zhige left, the sparks would reattach themselves to me. I let out a little laugh, brushing my hair back, ¡°I know. I¡¯m pissed off that Yang hasn¡¯t ended this yet.¡± Gripping the doll tightly, I took in one last breath. ¡°Zhige, go.¡± The blade darted forward, and I was immediately engulfed by the yellow sparks. ?????*???. ????*???.? *???? ?. ????*???. ????*???. ? *???? ? Wu Peijin has my best interest at heart. That was a phrase Yue truly believed. In fact, if she were asked to, she¡¯d swear her life on this belief; however, she¡¯d never confess to that. Peijin¡¯s ego would be far too boosted. The two deeply resented each other, but there was an unspoken tension of respect between them. Yue deeply admired Peijin¡¯s cunningness, and Peijin acknowledged Yue¡¯s unparalleled growth. But there was another truth that Yue believed. If it¡¯s in my best interest, Wu Peijin will abandon me. These two truths managed to coexist within Yue, and in only a few days, cultivated a deep garden of fear in her heart. For one, Yue did not yet know if Peijin would abandon her for Yang or Amelia or Wei, as Peijin always managed to achieve everything; she never had to make such decisions. Peijin, however, was still deeply cruel. Yue saw, felt, and accepted this when watching Amelia tremble with fear in the past room, and Peijin permitted it. In fact, Peijin fostered it. ¡°Y-Yang!¡± Yue screamed, wielding her spear nervously in front of her as the two identical figures viciously battled one another. How could anyone tell them apart? ¡°Get out of here!¡± Yang screamed, looking over his shoulder while slashing through the air with the golden staff. ¡°You¡¯re at the end. Make it through! Peijin and I will hold off these imposters.¡± The other Yang shouted, but his breaths were labored and weaker. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, Yue! He¡¯s not real!¡± The Peijin that had burst through the maze now vanished, erupting into no more than a golden flame, but the one that had been with her this entire time continued to fight relentlessly before a gray blade suddenly appeared. It swung at Peijin with unspeakable force, throwing her back with a loud cry. A blade that can move on its own? Yue couldn¡¯t quite recall through her foggy memory. The gray sword was immediately coated in thick layers of the yellow sparks, crackling and popping like a firework¡ªshaking it off, it lunged at Peijin again. Yang drew his staff into the air, swinging it down and causing the entire stage to splinter in half, sending everyone flying back. With a deeply fearful look, he turned around to make sure Yue was okay. That¡¯s right, he was the real Yang. The one who had gone through the maze with her, because Yang didn¡¯t leave. Yang was different from Peijin. It was clear he harbored a deeply odd fear for Yue, his entire body trembling like a weak autumn leaf around her, but Yang stayed. He stayed with her at the station, he stayed with Amelia during her level, and now, he stayed with her through the maze. With a loud cry, Yue darted forward, pinning the imposter Yang against the ground with a flurry of attacks. ¡°Yue? What¡¯s gotten into you? You can¡¯t recognize me?¡± The imposter shouted, looking up at her desperately while merely dodging her attacks, never once daring to strike back. Suddenly, his gaze flittered over to the glowing yellow figure in the audience, and his face immediately fell, his eyes growing wide in horror. ¡°Peijin¡?¡± That wasn¡¯t the real Peijin. It deserved to die. Yue¡¯s spear finally slashed into the imposter¡¯s face, causing a deep cut to bleed down his cheek. With a quick movement, the imposter tucked his legs in before kicking out, sending Yue flying with a loud cry. Suddenly, Peijin darted in, pinning the imposter to the ground. The blade chased after her tail, stabbing deeply into her back. Peijin let out a deep guttural cry but continued to beat back against the imposter. ¡°No! Peijin!¡± Yue screamed, reaching out for her, but she suddenly felt a hand firmly grip her wrist. ¡°There¡¯s no time, Yue. We need to get out of here! Peijin will catch up with us, believe in her!¡± Yang tugged her firmly, sprinting toward the end of the stage and flinging her forward. With one last jump, Yue lept for the end of the stage, her arms outstretched far in front of her. But she suddenly stopped. Two arms were hooked underneath her armpits, pinning her tightly against his body. Yue blinked up, confused, as she looked over her shoulder and met Yang¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yang?¡± Her voice faltered now as the betrayal set in. ¡°Yang?¡± A blade thrust straight through Yue¡¯s abdomen, causing a line of blood to shoot out and splatter onto the ground. The blade let out a metal ring as Peijin removed the sword in a quick movement before piercing Yue more, over and over and over while Yang held her. With a violent, guttural sound, Yue cried out as blood spurted from her mouth. Chapter 23: Donéˆ¥æª› Leave - Ep. 4, VI The yellow sparks erupted before flooding all around me, wrapping into thick layers until I could no longer see anything around me. Zhige immediately darted forward, temporarily forcing the sparks back, but they bombarded me once more. This time, they came in a massive flurry that immediately stung my skin, leaving red burns in the shape of scars. I pushed through the pain and waved them away, fighting to spot Yue. ¡°Yue! Yu-!¡± My words were cut off by a loud cry, and I keeled over, my eyes burning as it felt like they were being cut through.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia li, stop! Turn back!

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: You¡¯ll die if you continue for much longer!

Countless observers are telling ¡®Socrates¡¯ to shut up!

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯ has been muted by the moderator.

Suddenly, all the sparks flew back, leaving an empty halo around me as if I was suddenly covered in a protective layer. They clashed against the invisible barrier, but they couldn¡¯t pass through. I hissed air in through my teeth, trembling from the pain on my whole body. ¡°You couldn¡¯t do that sooner, Archangel Michael?¡± The little doll still hung limply on my shoulder before falling over closer toward my neck. I knew it was the best that Archangel Michael could do given the amount of karma surging around me, but I was still pissed off that it took so long. ¡°Thanks anyway. Save your energy until we get closer, then I need you to fling everything off. It¡¯ll only take a few seconds, and I¡¯ll try to save your energy.¡± I lifted a leg, lurching forward with each heavy step. It felt like I was dragging my body through quicksand; whipping my shield out from the bag, I began pressing my way forward. The entire theater was rumbling, loud crashing and bangs threw me back. I gripped onto the side of the chairs, shoving myself forward until I could finally see the elevated stage before me. Suddenly, I heard an ear splitting shriek cut through even the crashing stage. Yue. Yang and I cried out for her at the same time, our voices cracking and violent alongside the sounds of Yue¡¯s pained, animalistic screeches. ¡°Archangel Michael! Now!¡± The sparks all erupted away from me, glimmering and vanishing into the arc as I darted forward, leaping up onto the stage. Yue was being violently gored, puppet Peijin rapidly stabbing straight through her abdomen repeatedly as puppet Yang held her in place with nothing more than a cold, empty stare. ¡°No! No!¡± My voice was a quiet scream¡ªI couldn¡¯t let this happen to her. Goddamnit, even if Yue was the biggest pain in the party, she didn¡¯t deserve this. Yue¡¯s fists lit up with black, demonic fire, but it was smothered and weakened with each stab she faced. Tears streamed down her pale face as she kicked her feet desperately, screaming and crying and thrashing. At my appearance, Zhige flew into my hand, and I let out a loud scream as I lunged at puppet Peijin. Zhige pierced straight through puppet Peijin¡¯s back before I dragged the sword up, splitting her in half. With a brutal cry, she attempted to reach behind me and grip the sword, but Zhige¡¯s red eye furiously blinked and immediately cut off her arms. Zhige was in the process of dicing straight though puppet Peijin with such ferocity it seemed like Zhige had a personal vendetta against the ghost. The blade made quick work since puppet Peijin had been distracted by Yue, cutting her into small ghost cubes that quickly began to disintegrate. However, Yang continued to struggle against his demented self; his moves were frenzied, frantic, and panicked¡ªonly growing in intensity when puppet Yang suddenly lifted the staff and aimed it for Yue¡¯s heart. Some spare sparks cut into my skin like little paper cuts, but I swung my arms before me and pushed them back, stumbling forward in an attempt to control and speak with Zhige. The last thing I would die from was some stupid sparks but hell, if it meant saving Yue, I¡¯d tear through this entire dungeon myself. ¡°Zhige! Help Yang!¡± My voice was strained now from the repeated onslaught. I¡¯d need to use some of the elixirs and potions gathered from earlier rooms to heal my wounds, but I needed to make sure Yue survived. Zhige froze, looking back and forth between the two versions. ¡°Are you serious right now?! The real one!¡± Quickly swarmed once more, my voice and strength was fading. I cried out in obvious pain now, from my past injuries and I clutched the doll closely against me as if it were a protective amulet. I looked up at the seats locked behind that cursed glass¡ªWei was covering Amelia¡¯s eyes as she hugged his leg, clearly deeply frightened by the sight. I had to last until the end of this dungeon. Please, let that be soon. Or I¡¯d come back as a ghost to haunt Yue forever and give her a new fear. Puppet Yang flung his staff and smashed Yang against the stage wall, causing him to cough and spit a mixture of saliva and blood all over himself. The fall was hard, creating a loud crashing sound, but Yang quickly got up and ran over. Zhige was beside him, both of them moving as one to catch up to Yue. I sprinted toward Yue, gently taking her into my arms and lifting her. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry, Yue. Let¡¯s get out of here, okay?¡± I whispered, hooking her arms over my shoulder and running toward the end of the stage. It was awkward, as she was considerably taller than me, but I quickly readjusted her position. Puppet Yang lifted his staff up into the air with incredible strength, the muscles of his arm shifting under the theater light, before sending it straight through Yue¡¯s chest. My face fell immediately as the staff shrunk back¡ªhow skilled was he to have done that? ¡°It hurts! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!¡± Yue screamed, trying to maneuver away before falling on the ground, a puddle of deep red blood pooling out beneath her. She looked up with a horrified expression, not seeming to believe the situation playing out in front of her. Her face fell with a look of sheer horror and defeat, and her gaze flickered to the spear still clutched in her hand. Zhige finally reached puppet Yang, and with one clean cut, pierced straight through his hard skull. Puppet Yang froze for a moment before gripping the hilt of the sword and trying to pull it out, but Zhige shook violently before goring Yang repeatedly. Puppet Yang began dissipating while letting out a violent cry, dissipating into ashes. Knowing my tradition of collecting ashes, Zhige quickly gathered and piled the ashes of both puppet Yang and puppet Peijin together while Yang scrambled back onto his feet. Suddenly, Yue tightened her grip on her spear and aimed at her own chest, but I ripped the weapon out of her hands, glaring at her furiously before shouting. ¡°I didn¡¯t leave. None of us did!¡± I shouted at her. ¡°So don¡¯t ever do something so stupid!¡± ¡°...¡± Despite his words, Yue could only manage to blink up at me before blood spurted out of her mouth. Yang tore off his jacket, quickly tying it around her and helping me bring her to the end of the stage. Although his entire body was trembling with obvious fear, he never left Yue¡¯s side. Once Zhige ensured the ashes were dumped in my bag, Zhige flew back and squeezed under the shield alongside me. The tower tattoo on my arm was glowing white now, and it only seemed to attract more of the sparks. Yang and I dragged Yue¡¯s limp body past the edge of the stage, finally bringing the dungeon to an end as we leapt onto the metro. I groaned as I hit the cold ground of the metro, and the sparks immediately vanished. The small ragdoll was coated in blood, but it vanished before I could even process the sight. ¡°Thanks,¡± I choked, ¡°I hope the contract helps you avoid punishment from Paradise.¡± Each breath I took let out a small whistle sound, and my eyes were still squeezed shut from the overwhelming pain. The golden flakes continued to leak out of my body, but their rate had slowed. ¡°Peijin!¡± Amelia¡¯s voice rang out and I could see the shadows from her footsteps as she approached me, immediately bending down to lift the shield off of me. As soon as she did lift the shield, however, she dropped it beside me and covered her mouth in shock.

Observer ¡®Hedgehog1938¡¯: Oh my god¡

Observer ¡®Cjst123¡¯: Holy shit¡ even with all that spiritual energy it turned out like this?

You have received a new review!

5 / 5: Peijin has changed a lot. For someone who acts so cold and brutish, she is far more heroic than I¡¯d have ever expected.

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ is stunned by your pain tolerance.

The luminosity of the metro lights bore into me, and even with my eyes closed, I was blinded¡ªmy eyelids were worn so thin now, that they couldn¡¯t even block the light.

Divinity ¡®Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven¡¯ is amazed at how far you went for Disciple Yue.

Zhige nudged me, trying to get me to stand up. My skin was marred by deep red marks, some actively bleeding while others seemed to have tore chunks out of my skin; I took in a shuddering breath that stung my throat. If it weren¡¯t for the doll, I would have been immediately torn apart. This? This was nothing. No one could escape karma. That was why I was deeply afraid. ¡°Wei, take care of Amelia,¡± I croaked, opening my bag to pull out a pink elixir. Blood dripped into my eyes, causing me to see the metro through a strange red sheen, but I stumbled over to Yue on the ground, kneeling beside her. Yang held her tightly, and he tried to reach out to grab onto my arm, but he hesitated when he saw my condition. [Peijin¡] I hadn¡¯t realized that Chang followed me back here. That being said, I couldn¡¯t process any of his words right now through my pained, bloody haze. The pink elixir sloshed in the clear glass, and I tried to pry open the container¡¯s cork lid with my thumb; however, as soon as I put pressure on the lid, the skin on my thumb peeled off and revealed a raw, pink flesh. Yue¡¯s eyes followed my movements¡ªher expression was that of a stranger. Every few seconds, she¡¯d wince, and sweat that collected on her forehead would bead down her face and blood would gush out once more. ¡°I got it,¡± Yang whispered softly, gently taking the bottle from my hands and tilting it above my mouth. ¡°Here.¡± I shook my head and gestured at Yue, trying to take back the elixir. ¡°Give it to her first.¡± Yang gave me a rather surprised expression, and I felt glad that I hadn¡¯t looked in the reflective windows of the metro. Was my condition so bad that he thought I¡¯d need the elixir before Yue? I let out a small laugh. That being said, Yue was still bleeding out on the ground before me, obviously in visible pain. She needed it far more than I did. If anyone was going to beat her to the brink of death, it would be me, not some stupid scenario. Yang gently dripped the glittering pink elixir into her mouth before closing her chin, and she swallowed it with a wince. Her breath began to slow, and the blood began to clot. ¡°Give her some more,¡± I commanded with a scratchy voice, leaning over to tip the elixir until it was virtually empty. ¡°She needs to heal so she can pick her skill like Amelia.¡± Once Yue finished drinking, she lay on the ground rather frozen and unmoving, but her injuries were clearly beginning to heal over. Her eyes fluttered open, her eyelashes twinkling in the light, and she looked at Yang before staring at me, her face promptly twisting into one of horror. ¡°Peijin, drink the rest and then open up a new elixir for yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Yang glared at me with a harsh expression and I sighed. ¡°Her lips touched it,¡± I argued back stubbornly. Every ounce of that elixir had to be preserved, and I was annoyed to have spent an entire one on such an early and trivial scenario. ¡°Do you have any leftover kraken mucus?¡± I quizzed, ¡°That¡¯ll fix this right up.¡± Yang didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°Just grab a new elixir then.¡± ¡°That was the only healing elixir we got,¡± the lie slipped out easily despite my jagged voice, though it wasn¡¯t really my intention. It was the only healing elixir we should use¡ªthey were hard to come by, and we were short on stock. It wasn¡¯t really a lie if it was for everyone¡¯s sake. To my fortune, Yang hadn¡¯t been paying enough attention to the collected elixirs, and since I was the one gathering all of them in my bag, he was unable to question me. My vision continued to blur as my hearing began to cut out, overwhelmed by an odd, stuffy buzzing sound, but I reached out and grabbed the kraken mucus from Yang¡¯s hand. ¡°Peijin? You¡¯re looking a bit¡¡± Yang¡¯s words trailed off as I felt my entire body wobbling black and forth, blood still trailing into my eyes. Suddenly, I collapsed on the metro floor with a loud thump. Chapter 24: Donéˆ¥æª› Leave - Ep. 4, VII My eyes fluttered open, but the first thing I sensed wasn¡¯t the blinding light searing into my eyes¡ªit was the fact I was coated in a thick layer of slime.

Divinity ¡®Spirit of the Jade Moon¡¯ is quietly instructing Disciple Amelia.

I reflexively shot up: ¡°Zhige!¡± A little shriek followed, and I quickly recognized it as Amelia. She was holding a large vial of kraken¡¯s mucus in her hand, and my reaction caused her to bury her face in her arms, the mucus dripping into her curly hair. I scooted forward and was surprised to find myself slipping on the metro ground as if it were an ice skating rink. ¡°Sorry,¡± I quickly apologized, reaching over to her again, ¡°Some got stuck in your hair, Amelia.¡± Bringing up my arm to try and wipe it off her, it seemed as most of my wounds were healing over¡but my attire was a bit different. It seemed as if Amelia and I were now in a different metro car, as I could spot the others through the window just ahead. Yang and Wei were speaking to one another, seeming rather tense, while Yue was moving her arms around her to test her strength. I was now only in my tank top, and my long pants had been rolled all the way up past my knees. No wonder it was just me and Amelia in this car, but I still felt incredibly awkward in front of her, my cheeks flushing from embarrassment. ¡°Did they seriously leave you to play medic?¡± I ignored the way my clothes got dirty and oiled as I rolled them back down. Wiping down my hands with a nearby rag, I let out a loud sigh. Amelia gave a nervous nod and looked down at the ground. Even if we were in the same party, it was still wildly embarrassing for me to have been passed out and dependent on a child I just met.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Amelia wants your praise.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Also can you believe they muted me?? Why did you even let that be a feature? Archangel Michael better be okay.

The notification took me off guard, but when paying closer attention to Amelia, she had the face of an expectant young child. I wiped down my hand before placing it on the top of her head, ruffling her blond hair. ¡°Thank you, Amelia. I¡¯m feeling much better thanks to your help,¡± I replied in a cheery tone, giving her a bright smile. Hopefully I still didn¡¯t look like a rip off Freddy Kruger or the effect would¡¯ve been quite traumatizing. I didn¡¯t want to be the feature on her next ¡°biggest fear" poster. Amelia¡¯s face immediately lit up as she looked at me with sparkling eyes. ¡°Thank you, Peijin!¡± She beamed, practically leaping out of her skin.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: AWW OMG ToT

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Archangel Michael gave me stars to sponsor you if you¡¯re nice, since he¡¯s on trial at the heavenly court.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯ sponsors 5,000 stars.

It was rather cute to see how happy Amelia was from such a simple gesture as I didn¡¯t know a child could be this pleased by a few words. And the money was a good plus, obviously. How the hell did Archangel Michael have enough money to splurge on a random Observer? Had Socrates and Archangel Michael been talking without me? I shook my head back and forth. Of course they¡¯d talk. Why the hell was I getting hung up on that? ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the other metro car, Amelia,¡± I quietly ushered, picking up my bag and sliding my jacket back on. As I was pulling the jacket over my arms, she tugged on the jacket¡¯s fabric. ¡°Wait, Peijin,¡± she stopped me, ¡°Your tattoo.¡± ¡°Ugh, I know. It¡¯s such an eyesore. I need to get rid of it,¡± I grumbled, scrubbing at the top of my skin as if it were a washable ink. Amelia quickly interjected and brought her hands into fists in front of her. ¡°No it¡¯s not! I think it¡¯s very nice!¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t need a skill to know that she was lying. ¡°But I meant that when you passed out¡ it wouldn¡¯t stop sparking. Even Chang showed up, since it was giving him an issue with the system.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just because Chang is bad at his job,¡± I shrugged dismissively. ¡°Let¡¯s head back.¡±

Observer ¡®Nipon23¡¯: Jia Li forgets about her past occupation before she became the holy god of fate and fortune.

Sometimes, I really didn¡¯t know whose side he was on. That being said, I was already aware of Amelia¡¯s comments. I turned toward Zhige for the strange reassurance the blade provided and gently ran my hand down the blade. Right before I had passed out, those same red boxes were back. The ones marked by the Major Arcana. The same name that Feiyu¡¯s party leader had carved into the side of their metro car. I didn¡¯t quite know what I wanted to do yet¡ªwhat I wanted to achieve in this world. Ironically enough, it reminded me of my thought process before failing the National College Entrance Examination. ¡°Pei, pei, pei,¡± I murmured under my breath, and Amelia looked at me strangely.* A part of me desperately wanted to find out who this mysterious group, or perhaps singular person, was. Who could have corrupted my perfect novel so much that it almost felt foreign to me?

Scathing Reviewer activated!

But another part of me desperately wanted to live simply with these characters. Even if it would just be a fabrication of my delusional mind, I found comfort in them. In fact, I found even more comfort in how predictable they were. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Seriously, what the hell did ¡®Scathing Reviewer¡¯ even do? It kept randomly activating. ¡°Hellooo my lovely subordinates!¡± I swung open the car door and stepped into it, letting Amelia walk before me. Yue looked up at me with an already exasperated expression, like she wanted to pass out and die. ¡°The Wicked Witch of the West is back,¡± she said in a slow, annoyed tone, sitting on the metro chair with all of her weight placed onto her arms behind her. A glowing chest was before with three blue skills floating above it. My eye twitched at her coarse remark, and I quickly walked up just in front of her. I had never been so inclined to hit a woman. Yang let out a surprised shout as I suddenly punched him right in the arm. ¡°Liu Yue!¡± I roared, grabbing her shoulders and violently shaking her with no regard to her state. ¡°Do you know what I just went through for you? I can¡¯t believe you seriously trust Yang more than me! I went through hell to get you out of that dungeon, but you would easily run off with Yang?!¡± We were back to stage one, but the emotion carried in our glances now held something different. Her head wobbled back and forth before she grabbed my arm and stopped me. ¡°You¡¯re surprised by that? You fucking kidnapped me after knocking me out! And you hate me, too, of course I thought you¡¯d leave me!¡± ¡°I¡¯d never leave you, you idiot! I¡¯m so pissed off that you¡¯d even say that!¡± We both froze at my words, Yue blinking at me with an expression of utter disbelief. I quickly let go over her, and Yang shifted his arm toward me to allow me to punch him.

Disciple Yue has activated ¡®Lie Detection!

Lie Detection confirms Disciple Peijins¡¯s words as truth.

I slowly let my fist drop from Yang¡¯s arm and turned to face Yue once more, this time gawking. ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?! Stop using your skills on me! How the hell did you even get these skills, you damn farmer!¡± I continued shouting at her, shaking her violently once more. ¡°Did you make a deal behind my back with the devil or something? You¡¯re picking up skills like a scavenger. You¡¯re like a hyena!¡± ¡°A hyena?¡± She exclaimed angrily, but to my surprise, she suddenly burst out laughing. ¡°Look how red your face is, Peijin! Ha ha, you¡¯re like a tsundere!¡± ¡°¡¡± I was seriously pissed off now. Profiling and Lie Detection were rather passive skills, but obtaining them gave a significant advantage in this world. And with skills as unreliable as mine, I desperately needed two skills I could count on. ¡°I¡¯m seriously about to kill you, Yue,¡± I grumbled and turned back toward the rewards chest.

Disciple Yue has activated ¡®Lie Detection!

¡°...¡± Technically, there wasn¡¯t any criminal justice system or death penalty anymore to punish me.

Lie Detection confirms Disciple Peijins¡¯s words as truth.

¡°Oh, you were serious about that,¡± Yue said in a mildly shocked tone.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Murder is a sin. You can¡¯t do that anymore. Archangel Micahel gave me your contract, too.

Were those two that close already? It couldn¡¯t be helped, I knew that. Especially for those two, but it still surprised me since neither knew the other''s real identity. Yang let out an increasingly awkward laugh and walked up behind me, placing his hands on my shoulder. ¡°Peijin just has a funny sense of humor, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m dead serious right now, Yang.¡± ¡°Ha ha, see!¡± Wei¡¯s voice sounded out after, and he was holding Amelia over his back, rocking his weight back and forth between his two feet. ¡°Peijin, what skill should Yue pick?¡± His voice was firm and still, but it held this nervous undertone to it. Hell, if I had his poster, I¡¯d be freaking out, too. And the worst part was he didn¡¯t even recognize it. I began, clearing my throat. ¡°She sho¨C¡± Yue quickly cut me off, shoving me aside. ¡°I¡¯m going to pick ¡®Possession.¡¯¡± Above the chest, three blue skills were glowing.

Magician''s Hand

Mark of the Beast

Posseession

I sighed and gripped my temples, already regretting the fact I survived the last dungeon.

Hindsight activated!

¡°Yue,¡± I began strictly, ¡°You should pick ¡®Magician¡¯s Hand.¡¯ It¡¯s an illusion skill, and that¡¯ll pay off a lot in the later rounds. If there¡¯s a skill like possession for demon disciples, there¡¯s a divine skill like exorcism that¡¯ll harm you.¡± Her nose scrunched as she looked down at me, crossing her arms. ¡°Is there a reason you keep advocating for all of us to pick passive or defensive skills?¡± Well, at least we both agreed that ¡®Mark of the Beast¡¯ was out of the picture. ¡°Defensive skills take time and patience to develop. You can get skills like possession or mark of the beast with strength later,¡± I added on, ¡°Have you never played a video game? You already have offensive skills.¡± ¡°Who made you the boss?¡± ¡°I did. It¡¯s a tyranny.¡± Yang chuckled behind me before he decided to sit down on one of the metro seats. Wei threw Amelia into the air and she landed on Yang¡¯s lap, who then threw her back, causing her to squeal in jittery excitement. ¡°Yue,¡± I continued, ¡°Magician¡¯s hand allows you to warp the mind and space around people. It¡¯s the same thing as the dungeon you just went through. Possession requires you to actively control someone¡ªyou leave yourself vulnerable or dead when using it.¡± Pursing her lips, Yue glared at me for a moment longer before letting out a long sigh and turning toward ¡®Magician¡¯s Hand.¡¯ I smirked cockily as she did so. At the rate she was gaining skills, she¡¯d pick up possession sometime in the future. My luck was so bad, it¡¯d probably happen today just because I didn¡¯t want her to have it. Before she selected it, Yue quickly clarified her intention. ¡°I¡¯m only picking it because you¡¯re this magical god of fate and fortune¡and because you saved me, I guess,¡± she added on with a grumble. ¡°That¡¯s a bad mindset to have. Don¡¯t do something for anyone else, ever.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever,¡± Yue waved her hand dismissively at me, throwing her long black hair over her shoulder and clicking the skill. I smiled warmly and gave her a hard smack on the back. ¡°See, you¡¯re not that stupid!¡±

Disciple Yue has activated ¡®Magician¡¯s Hand.''

The metro around me began to crumble away into darkness at the edge of my vision, and one of Yue¡¯s eyes was glowing an ominous purple as she stared into my soul. ¡°Stop.¡± My words immediately snapped the illusion as Yue reverted to her original appearance, giving me nothing more than a warm, innocent smile. She put her hand on her hip and swiveled around to face Yang while I dumped the rest of the rewards into my bag. The metro had begun to slow before finally coming to a halt, jolting us forward as the doors were about to open. ¡°Pervert Yang,¡± Yue announced, ¡°Any last words before we¡¯re teleported into your torture chamber?¡± Chapter 25: Deepest Desire - Ep. 5, I ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± Yang immediately protested, his face turning red once more as he hid his embarrassed expression. Yue shrugged, grabbing her spear and spinning it around casually. ¡°It¡¯s what you are, is it not?¡± Wei tapped my shoulder, whispering into my ear above the chaos of their bickering. ¡°Peijin, should we cover Amelia¡¯s eyes until we know what the dungeon actually is?¡± That question took me rather off guard. I mean, sure, Yang¡¯s poster was pretty funny, but I hated writing any sexual arcs in Surviving My First Run. Mostly for my own sake. Sure, a few readers complained about Feiyu¡¯s deteriorating romance life, but I just blocked them. I probably shouldn¡¯t have blocked HolyMapleSyrup, though. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s just see what we¡¯re getting into,¡± I nodded, my eyes searching for a ribbon. Yang seemed to hear my whispers. ¡°I swear, it¡¯s really not like that! The dungeon took creative liberty with my poster. If it''s my greatest fear, then doesn¡¯t that make me the opposite of a pervert?¡± Yue tapped her foot before pointing at him. ¡°Then are you impotent or something?¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Ignoring their conversations, I tensed up and stared straight at Wei¡¯s arm. ¡°Can we use the ribbon on your arm as a blindfold?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Wei looked down at his arm, seemingly surprised by the mention of it. ¡°Oh, sure.¡± Unraveling it from his arm, he handed it to me. It was rather long, as it was able to be wound around his forearm multiple times, but it would work. ¡°Amelia, come here,¡± I called for her, kneeling on the ground to easily tie it around her. I wrapped it around her eyes and tucked it beneath her hair. ¡°Is that too tight?¡± She shook her head, awkwardly turning around to try and face me, but she miscalculated and was staring at the metro wall. ¡°No, it¡¯s good. Thank you.¡± I smiled, grabbing onto her small hand to gently guide her back to the center of the metro car, as the surrounding edges were quickly disappearing. ¡°Isn¡¯t it so convenient that Wei-shushu wears this ribbon?¡±* She quickly nodded, gripping my hand tightly for comfort, since she was no longer able to see. ¡°Wei-shushu, why do you wear this ribbon?¡± Wei furrowed his brows at that question and met my expectant gaze. ¡°It¡¯s just an aesthetic thing?¡± His intonation hiked at the end of the phrase, almost as if his statement was more of a question. ¡°Where¡¯d you get it from?¡± I egged on. ¡°My younger brother gave it to me a few years ago on my birthday.¡± ¡°He gave you a ribbon?¡± My tone was lighthearted as I tried to hide my laughter. Wei looked rather embarrassed as he avoided my gaze, insteading fidgeting with the hilt of his sword. The outdoor environment was turning into a swampy forest, but the change was slow. Yue and Yang continued their fast-paced bickering behind me. Amelia tried to turn toward Wei, her voice soft and sympathetic. ¡°Where¡¯s your brother?¡± This innocent question seemed to throw Wei further off his train of thought, almost like he was struggling to piece together every piece. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other since I moved out for university. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s doing well. I¡¯ll look for him soon.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Disciple Wei will find his brother!

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯ sponsors Disciple Wei 800 stars.

Wei looked puzzled at the notification before turning to me. ¡°Since when did observers have that many stars? Do you know Socrates, Peijin?¡± ¡°No. Don¡¯t associate with him.¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li you suck.

Socrates had been talking almost excessively recently; I wasn¡¯t going to complain considering each message still sent me coins, but Athena hadn¡¯t shown up in a while. She was most likely dealing with the intense backlash on Artemis like Archangel Michael. I shivered at the thought, remembering how bad it was just to be sensed by the arc and karma. Influencing it must have been absolutely tortuous pain, even for a goddess as powerful as her. After trying to scope out Wei, it became apparent that he hadn¡¯t¡ awoken yet. I cocked my head as I stared at him for a moment before Zhige nudged my side and threw me out of my thoughts. The metro had fully dissolved now after being trapped in the marsh, and our party was left standing in a swampy forest. Dark oak trees loomed over us; small flickers of light managed to fight past a few leaves, creating a beautiful effect of small rays and sunbeams. Now standing on a slightly paved path, nothing seemed that out of the ordinary. Luminous flowers and fauna splattered the dark forest with beautiful bubbles of color, like large brushstrokes of soft pinks and deep oranges ¡°This is the mind of a pervert,¡± Yue muttered under her breath, taking in the beautiful sight. Any life left in Yang after her prior verbal assault died at that very moment. Wei once more hoisted Amelia over his back, and her arms wrapped around his neck. She blew and swiped at her face to try and get long strands of his hair off of her face. ¡°Let me hold her instead,¡± I insisted, quickly picking her up and throwing her over my back. My voice was louder and more commanding now, as this environment could shift at any moment.

Hindsight activated!

I racked through my brain in hopes of remembering if I created or mentioned an arc like this. An unsettling but breathtaking forest full of flora and fauna that preyed on all who dared enter. This was a demon¡¯s lair¡ªthat much was certain from the beings displayed on Yang¡¯s poster. Zhige trembled in my hand with nervousness and fury, confirming my suspicion as I cautiously wielded him. ¡°Everyone, stay behind me,¡± I barked, turning toward Yue. ¡°Is this an illusion?¡± Her eyes flashed purple, and she quickly scanned the area. Magician¡¯s hand should be able to confirm if we were under any demon¡¯s spell; this environment would not only prove tense for any other demon based disciples like Yue, but it would also make them more powerful and attuned. She shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re in an actual forest, but it¡¯s been layered with many others.¡± I gave a curt nod. That meant even if we saw an exit within this swamp, it might have been a red herring and led us further in¡ªthough we were undoubtedly still in the swamp. ¡°Yue, stay in the back. Sandwich Wei and Yang between us.¡± Even though we would usually bicker over every step, this was a dungeon that the two of us had a distinct advantage in. However, as I felt Amelia¡¯s tight grip around my neck, I grew nervous. I was in the front, and the last thing I wanted to do was put her in danger. ¡°Yue, take Amelia with you, too. Don¡¯t put her on your back and leave her exposed, just hold her with an arm.¡± We all stopped walking forward as the transfer was made, and I quickly rushed back to the front. The deep orange and pink flowers around us seemed to shift in the ground, as if their roots were moving and trying to dig out. My eyes involuntarily squinted with the pressure of trying to remember what I wrote and its correlation to Yang¡¯s poster. Back in the metro, Yang¡¯s poster depicted a rather odd situation. He was pressed into the back of the cave, obviously in fear as he gripped onto the rocky stone walls, panting and completely exhausted. At the front of the cave, countless¡ voluptuous female figures peered in, their strangely textured hands reaching out for him. Their delicate faces were framed by luscious green leaves, and their skin was twisted like the roots of a plant. Flowers sprouted from their skin, bright red and orange. I let out a small gasp as it finally clicked, and I immediately whipped my head around toward the party. ¡°Everybody! Shut your eyes and don¡¯t open them!¡± Chapter 26: Deepest Desire - Ep. 5, II Yang was practically trembling in horror now, but he quickly shut his eyes and extended his staff, using it as a walking stick to navigate the ground. ¡°I-I¡¯m really sorry Peijin!¡± Yang stammered, his face green. He must have realized it too¡ªthese plants were alive. This wasn¡¯t a thriving forest, but it wasn¡¯t an illusion either. Rather, every single living thing here was a demon, and from our presence and attention, they began to move and shift. I looked down and noticed Zhige¡¯s bright red eye still staring up at me. ¡°That includes you, Zhige. Shut your eye.¡± The red eye blinked shut. These flower demons would lurk for their victims, often young men before emitting a pollen that would first cause cloudy judgment and weakening muscles before driving them into a state of mania, where only satisfying their deepest desire could end the suffering. Upon seducing them and murdering them, the demons would thrive off of their energy. Women had a distinct advantage as I noted before, but the demons would be even more hostile at the sight of Yue and I. The flowers all around me began to wiggle in the ground more, their petals fluttering in an awkward, controlled manner. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, Yang¡± I said, keeping my words calm. ¡°Let¡¯s just get out of here. What do we need to do?¡± In Surviving My First Run, I had only mentioned such a forest off-hand in one of my many info-dumps. ¡°We need to make it out of the forest or kill all of the demons here,¡± Yang responded shakily. Just like Yue had a sense of what to do in her personal dungeon by getting to the end of the stage, Yang would also have that same intuition here. ¡°Kill all the demons? By what? Starting a wildfire in a wetland?¡± I grumbled, continuing to follow the path until a small fork in the path appeared. ¡°Besides, lighting them on fire emits a poisonous gas.¡± The more I kept my eyes open, the more I alerted the demons of my presence, but I had to guide the rest of the party. However, once I crossed the fork in this path, I¡¯d shut my eyes and use Zhige to guide me.

You have purchased ¡®Kau chim!¡¯

A small box filled with sticks landed into my hands. These were fortune sticks by The Oracle of Kuan Yin, and they were often used for guidance. This particular set contained many sticks with some denoting good, neutral, and bad fortune. These didn¡¯t require any actual gambling. It worked more closely to a magic eight ball. I shook the box and took in a steady inhale. ¡°Should I take the right fork in this path?¡± A stick jumped out, landing on the poorly paved road. I got a weird sense of deja vu as I bent down to the ground and picked it up. It read the worst of luck! Blinking awkwardly at the stick, I reread it multiple times as if to confirm the result. I quickly put it back into the box, shaking once more. So what if it read ¡°worst of luck?¡± That meant the other path would inherently be better. ¡°Should I take the left fork in this path?¡± This time, when the stick jumped out, I already knew what it was. It was, once again, reading that this path would bring me the most miserable fortune. Wei¡¯s voice rang out over my despair as I squatted on the ground, looking down in miserable annoyance. ¡°Peijin, are you gambling again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an addict, Wei.¡± ¡°Let me roll instead. Your luck is very bad.¡± ¡°...¡± I turned around and handed him the box, ensuring his eyes were closed. He rolled for both paths, and I eagerly looked over to see what both sticks read. This time, they showed the best fortune for both paths. ¡°Are they good?¡± Wei asked, obediently keeping his eyes closed. ¡°Eh, they¡¯re alright,¡± I replied begrudgingly. ¡°Let¡¯s go right.¡± Confident in the path, I closed my eyes and led the group forward, using Zhige to feel the ground and continue walking down. As long as I could quickly guide the group out, this would be a rather simple dungeon. While gently skidding Zhige across the ground, the blade would bump into small rocks, pebbles, and a few pieces of tangled natural debris. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. But to my surprise, Zhige suddenly slid over a springy, long texture. I froze, immediately extending my arm out behind me to signal Wei to stop moving forward. The right path was straight, and I didn¡¯t think I made any unnecessary or accidental turns; Zhige continued to glide across the ground, but instead of a scraping sound signaling the path, I only felt the same texture that felt like strands of hair. My eyes peeled open, barely more than a sliver, but as soon as I saw the sight that met me, they shot wide open, my black pupils trembling in shock. Before me were beautiful rolling plains; long green grass tinted with burnt sienna blew in the wind, and countless wildflowers sprung up from the ground, dancing in the air. Bright red poppies the color of blood, weeping lilacs, massive sunflowers¡ªwe were no longer stuck in that earlier forest. A beautifully eerie voice rang out from the field. It was feminine, full of vitality as if it had just been touched by the dew of life. ¡°Someone is watching us,¡± it called out, alluring and smooth. ¡°Yes, yes, yes,¡± countless other voices echoed back. ¡°Oh my, how long has it been?¡± ¡°Too long, too long!¡± ¡°Oh, we are starving!¡± I squeezed my eyes shut, quickly turning around. ¡°We¡¯ve taken the wrong path!¡± I barked, quickly circling the group around and using Zhige to direct me once more. Apparently, my luck was so bad that I still managed to choose the wrong path when both sides were supposed to work out.

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4 / 5: Wu Peijin¡¯s luck is so bad that I¡¯m hoping this review boosts her karma. I have no idea what she did for her luck to be this bad, but I wouldn¡¯t want her to be my god of fortune. Maybe god of misfortune.

Thanks. Sweat began to fall down my brow now from the beating sun, but suddenly, a cold darkness blew over me again. The dim light one saw with their eyes shut suddenly burned out. ¡°Shit,¡± I murmured under my breath, opening my eyes once more to find myself on a cobblestone path with vines dangling overhead. The path changed as soon as someone shut their eyes. I had to keep mine open. ¡°Peijin!¡± Yue exclaimed, ¡°What the hell is going on? How the hell do you mess up walking down a straight path?¡± ¡°The forest changes anytime you close your eyes,¡± I was borderline breathless while leading the group away. ¡°The demons have sensed us.¡± Beautiful red flowers were draping from the overhead vines, and they almost looked like bells the way they draped and swished in the wind. We were on a brand new path now, another fork before us. I grabbed the kau chim sticks and put them in Wei¡¯s hands. ¡°We¡¯re at another fork. Could you see which way would be better?¡± ¡°P-Peijin,¡± Yang¡¯s voice sounded out. ¡°Can I please open my eyes?¡± Yue angrily clicked her tongue, responding in an exasperated tone. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not whispering anything in your ear! Stop being paranoid.¡± With his flushed face buried in his hands, Yang let out a loud sigh. ¡°But you are, I can hear it!¡± ¡°Stop it, both of you,¡± I barked. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m a babysitter sometimes¡¡± Wei rolled the box and two sticks popped out, bouncing on the ground before they came to a rest.¡± They both read the worst fortune. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re so fucked,¡± I muttered, staring at the two sticks. Wei suddenly stiffened beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Wait, Peijin, I hear it, too.¡± ¡°See, I told you I wasn¡¯t doing it,¡± Yue exclaimed. Yang¡¯s hands were covering his ears, and he looked like he was about to curl up into a ball. ¡°It¡¯s so loud¡ it¡¯s like my whole head is ringing.¡± Since I didn¡¯t flesh this out in Surviving my First Run, the world must have been taking more liberty with the idea. My grip tightened around Zhige, and I stared up at the black sky. ¡°Archangel Michael or Athena, are either of you there?¡± The only thing that greeted me was an eerie silence. ¡°Sun Wukong? Bull Demon King?¡± ¡ I hesitated for a moment before the next god. ¡°Eternal Wish?¡± It was as if the entire forest halted¡ªthere was nothing here. Nothing but that deafening silence and the shifting of the plants. ¡°Socrates, did Archangel Michael give you any spiritual energy?¡±

Observer ''Socrates¡¯: J?????????????????I????????????????A???????????? ????????????????????L????????????I???????????????? ?????????????????R????????????????U????????????????????N???????????????????????????

My eyes widened at the message, causing me to freeze in shock. Was the system...? I felt hot breath on the back of my neck, causing my hair to stand as a smooth voice spoke right in my ear. ¡°My, my, we have ourselves a new visitor,¡± a seductively slow voice called out I whipped my head around, and a red bell flower fell right before my face. With one quick movement, it blew a golden dust straight into my face, causing me to violently hack immediately as I shoved everyone back behind me. ¡°G-get back!¡± I shouted at the party members while shoving Wei back as hard as I could, immediately reeling over and trying to wipe my face as an intense burning sensation took hold. Countless cackling voices rang out from all around me as the flowers grew from the ground, their roots exploding from the soil as they began to walk on the ground. Their roots and petals formed and tangled into limbs before the forest was filled with the beautifully demonic and female figures. That¡¯s right, this was Yang¡¯s biggest fear: women. Chapter 27: Deepest Desire - Ep. 5, III

Editor¡¯s Pen activated!

Delay the effects of demonic plants¡¯ pollen by 6 hours.

Edit granted!

Since I hadn¡¯t written about this world extensively, Editor¡¯s Pen would have far more influence over this situation. It seemed like any contact with observers or gods was cut or diminished, but at least skills still worked. I¡¯d worry over the communication error assuming I didn¡¯t die.

Editors Pen activated!

Increase the mental capabilities for victims of demonic plants¡¯ pollen.

Edit granted!

Zhige violently shook on the ground, having come in contact with another demon¡¯s poison. While Zhige wouldn¡¯t be impacted, there was no doubt the blade would be violently enraged. I hacked up my lungs, gripping the cobblestone with my dirtied fingers and trying to regain my breath. It felt like my entire body had been lit on fire, and the demonic figures were quickly approaching. Wei shifted his feet forward until he bumped into the back of my leg, and he quickly swung his blade around us in an attempt to defend me. Suddenly, I looked up, and through my fading vision, I saw the path to the end of the forest illuminated by a fuzzy gold halo. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡¡± Only those infected by the demon plants could see how to exit the forest. ¡°Ha ha ha, look at her writhing on the ground like a fish!¡± One of the now humanoid flowers called out, her hair growing past her waist in long black curls. All the figures were undeniably beautiful¡ªwith jade skin and long vines that wrapped around their bodies like makeshift clothes. Lavish wreaths adorned the tops of their heads, and bright red flowers blossomed off of them. With long green lashes and endlessly deep eyes, it was easy to see why this was a dream for many and also a demon¡¯s lair. For Yang, however, this was the worst day of his life. ¡°Ooh, who is the man next to her? Let¡¯s get him next!¡± Another figure joined, cackling as she circled around the blind Wei, like a predator encircling prey. ¡°I want this one.¡± Licking her lips, she took another step forward, and her feet were still made of the writhing roots as she extended a hand. ¡°What do you think he¡¯s hiding under his robes?¡± ¡°What a conservative man! Oh, someone like him is so easy to break.¡± ¡°One look at us and it¡¯s over!¡± Another one of the figures let out a laugh equivalent to the beauty and resonance of ringing bells, and flowers erupted all around her. ¡°Ah, doesn¡¯t he remind you of someone? Perhaps he¡¯s paid us a visit before.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, I do recognize him. He¡¯s most certainly been here! I could never forget such a handsome face.¡± ¡°Ha ha, maybe he¡¯s led them all down here for us! Oh, how lovely!¡± Wei¡¯s calm facade finally broke, and his face twisted into one of rage as he suddenly thrust his sword out and cleanly stabbed the flower demon through the throat. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Editor¡¯s Pen activated!

Demonic plants¡¯ pollen does not affect children.

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¡°Wei didn¡¯t do that,¡± I lied, spit dripping from my mouth as I wiped it away. ¡°Don¡¯t believe them.¡± Yue and Yang circled around me, helping Wei as he pushed back the figures. ¡°Yue,¡± I began to plead at her weakly while still crawling on the ground, ¡°Give Amelia headphones or earplugs. Buy the best ones from the shop. I¡¯ll reimburse you¡± ¡°Peijin,¡± Amelia cried out for me, the blindfold still over her face. ¡°Shh, don¡¯t speak. Can you hand me the ribbon? Keep your eyes closed, alright?¡± I hushed her, gently grabbing the ribbon from her hands as she kept her eyes squeezed shut. I was glad Yue couldn¡¯t open her eyes, because she would have given me one of the most pathetic and judgemental expressions ever. Still, a pair of sleek black headphones appeared in her hands, and she quickly brushed back Amelia¡¯s hair and put them on. ¡°E-everyone, follow me. I see the path out.¡± I pulled the ribbon taut between my hands before weaving it along the wrists of everyone else in the group, effectively creating a rope to connect all of them. My breath hitched in my throat once more, my face burning as I stumbled forward, tugging the rope down the path. Zhige violently shook in my hand as if it were tossed into a flaming pit, desperately jerking toward me. ¡°Stop it,¡± I hissed, banging the hilt with my hand before wincing again, nearly falling onto the ground. Tugging the rope forward, I heard Wei¡¯s frustrated voice behind me. ¡°Peijin! What¡¯s going on? Who are all these voices from?¡± Wei was still swinging wildly around, yet the demons were now quietly lurking beside him, dodging his blind slashes. Yang filled in for me, most likely having connected my state with the demons. ¡°They¡¯re flower demons,¡± his voice shook after every word, ¡°I¡¯m guessing they¡¯ve infected Peijin, but don¡¯t do anything crass! It¡¯ll only rile them up!¡± "How the hell does your twisted brain even come up with this?" Yue shouted angrily, still swinging her spear wildly at the demons. The path out of the forest was a straight stretch of black soil that occasionally dipped or weaved with the forest¡¯s layout. Yet, it would only appear to those already affected by the pollen. ¡°Fuck, this shit really sucks,¡± I gasped. Spewing profanities, I felt an unspeakable rage building up in me, and my grip only tightened on the rope. Instead of responding to Wei, I could only let out a loud, angry groan and violently tug the rope forward. ¡°Ha ha, do you see the girl in the front! I think we¡¯re really getting to her,¡± cooed one of the figures as it slowly began to morph, changing into the figure of a young man. ¡°Huh, beautiful?¡± ¡°Fuck!¡± I screamed, throwing Zhige straight at the figure while blindly wiping at my face, sweat beginning to cloud my vision. My skin was practically dripping with sweat now, and when Zhige flew forward, it was with an absolutely indomitable speed and fury. Yet, Zhige¡¯s strikes were sloppy and frantic, and the figure let out a brutish scream as it tried to grapple with the blade.

Hindsight is wavering!

Suddenly, Yang¡¯s staff elongated and stabbed straight through the demon¡¯s head, pinning her against the trunk of the tree. A splitting sound crackled before erupting, sending the demon flying straight through the shattered tree. Wei jerked his head over to me, grabbing my shoulder firmly. ¡°Talk to us, Peijin,¡± he pleaded, unable to see me. The demons began to turn their attention toward Yang due to his sudden attack. At the contact, I let out a surprised gasp and immediately crumbled onto the ground, writhing in agony. For a moment, the pain fully stopped, but it pursued five fold after. ¡°D-don¡¯t touch me,¡± I gasped, calling Zhige back over, my mind just as foggy as my vision. My ears rang and my entire body swayed from the sheer pain. How was this a diminished version of the initial effects? With Zhige now firmly in my hands, I took in a deep breath while kneeling on the ground, trying to clear my mind. Yue and Yang began to shout in the background once more, but I couldn¡¯t hear them over the sound of the violent ringing in my head. The blade shook in my grip, but I readjusted it and prepared myself, trying to calm my shakiness. When I initially came up with this forest, I figured it would prey on men¡¯s deepest desires. Typically, it ended up being lust, and with so many demons ready to prey on such a thing, it was convenient. But, there was something that snaked around that very same desire¡ªviolence. Brutality. Murder. After one last inhale, I stabbed Zhige straight through my forearm. "Gah!" Chapter 28: Deepest Desire - Ep. 5, IV My voice cracked as I let out a blood curdling scream, pulling Zhige out. Immediately, relief flooded through me, and I finally managed to catch my breath as blood trickled down my arm. There was a deep rooted desire to inflict pain, even death upon other people, for it was simply a repressed human desire. Sure, perhaps I was just cynical, but was there not that inherent satisfaction in revenge, relief in anger, or humor in compilations of people accidentally injuring themselves? ¡°Peijin!¡± Yang shouted, his face contorted into extreme worry despite the blindfold. He ran forward, trying to reach me, but Wei extended out an arm to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t mutilate yourself, beautiful! We can make you feel so much better!¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you bring your friends over, too?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think we¡¯re beautiful?¡± Some of the figures shifted to take on the form of men, their bodies twisting and contorting horrifically; I fought down the bile rising in my throat. ¡°Mm, do you like this more?¡± ¡°Oh wait, maybe this is your type!¡± My hands were gripping my short hair so firmly that strands began to fall out, causing tears to sting my eyes. Suddenly, like a calming wave, all the pain completely ceased as relief flooded through me. Blood was gushing from the wound on my arm, but I retightened my grip on the ribbon and began to sprint forward, dragging everyone along with me. This moment of clarity¡ªI wasn¡¯t sure how long it would last, but I had to get everyone as far out of the forest as I could. ¡°Don¡¯t run away from us, beautiful!¡± ¡°You bitch, get back here!¡± I couldn¡¯t hear anything but my shaky breathing in my ears as I whipped my head around and faced the howling demons. ¡°Get the fuck away from them!¡± I screamed, throwing Zhige forward. The blade seemed to have a life of its own, undoubtedly affected by the pollen¡ªit swung itself forward and stabbed straight through a row of demons, pinning them onto a tree before slicing them apart. Golden pollen seeped out of them, yet I had distanced the group enough. They let out a loud, garbled shriek as they tried to escape, their body returning to roots and vines, but Zhige quickly cut them apart. One managed to bypass him, shooting forward at me, but Wei extended his sword and cleanly cut it in half with surprising technique despite being blinded.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

A small smile grew on my face before it quickly contorted as I winced, collapsing onto the ground as the pain returned in volcanic waves. With a loud swallow, I got back onto my feet and dragged the group forward. Finally, like it was depicted in Yang¡¯s poster, a cave in the distance was approaching, its entrance dark and ominous yet eerily welcoming in this hellish forest. ¡°Y-Yue, when this dungeon ends, you can kill Yang,¡± I tried to joke before covering my mouth to hold back my burning vomit. To my surprise, I heard no response but a strange, muffled sound; I immediately whipped around, searching desperately for the body, before only seeing the littered weapons on the ground. Barely able to catch my breath, I looked up to see Yang¡¯s mortified expression just before me. One of the floral demons had reached him, and its long arms wrapped around Yang¡¯s body as if it were luscious vines on a tree trunk. It whispered into his ear, one of her hands covering his mouth and nose. Even Zhige was now restrained, She slowly peeled her face back to look up at me, a large smile creeping up her face. Her mouth opened to mouth a single word: ¡°Boo.¡± Countless of the same bell-shaped flowers dropped from the canopy of trees above us; red, writhing, and plentiful, they puffed out their petals as in preparation to blow more pollen over the entire party. ¡°No!¡± I cried, tightly wrapping the white band around my arms and tugging on it, jerking the entire party forward. If they were hit, that was it. None of us would be able to leave this forest¡ªbest case scenario, we would murder one another until only one remained. Even then, that lone survivor would undoubtedly fall victim to the forest¡¯s hunger. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Like a roaring fire tornado, the indignant flush rushed through me once more, this time even less bearable than the past. I looked down at the blood trickling down my arm in thick streaks to find it had a strange gold shimmer now as it emitted a sweet smell.

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¡°I know it¡¯s early, but help out, please,¡± I pleaded with the ribbon until it finally wihirled alive and meshed into my arms. With a loud roar, I swung the ribbon straight into the cave, forcing everyone out of the grip of the demons and slamming them into the cave wall. Amelia¡¯s shrill scream rang out as she held onto Yue, both of them flying in. Wei¡¯s white ribbon expanded significantly in my hands, before it vanished into the cave as well.

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You have purchased ¡®Book of Seals.''

¡°Zhige,¡± my hoarse voice squeezed out, ¡°get the hell out of that and watch my back.¡± Whoosh. The plants spewed out the golden pollen from their mouths, causing it to rain down all over the forest. It was as if a golden powder had been dusted all over the forest, and I hacked and tried to spit out fat wads of the aphrodisiac. I ran, crawled, and stumbled my way to the cave¡¯s entrance. My head was violently spinning, the entire forest blurring into a mess of brightly colored splotches, so my hands became the only source of my navigation by brushing against the sharp shrubs and gripping onto patches of spongy moss. I was so close to the forest¡¯s exit. So close. If pollen wasn¡¯t littering the forest and I could drag the party out now, I could make it to the end with everyone in tow¡ªbut I didn''t have that energy. I couldn¡¯t put them all in harm''s way, and my blood was already overtaken by that same golden sheen. ¡°Yue?¡± I croaked. ¡°Is Amelia alright? Yue?¡± My eyes could no longer adjust to the constant fluctuations in light, and I swayed at the cave¡¯s entrance like a wickedly intoxicated woman; however, I made sure not to step in any closer. ¡°Yue?¡± ¡°Medusa¡¯s head. Use it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. This forest was made by Asmodeus, and they¡¯re too powerful. It¡¯ll only make them pause.¡± A brief, heavy silence followed. ¡°Why won¡¯t you come into the cave?¡± Yue¡¯s voice was firm and commanding. I let out a weak laugh. ¡°I¡¯m glad you''re alright, but close your eyes. You¡¯re making my job harder.¡± ¡°Why won¡¯t you come into the cave?¡± ¡°...¡± Just to sustain that brief conversation, I had already peeled off all the skin on the back of my hand. Kraken¡¯s mucus might have a hard time fixing this one. I squatted down to the ground, flipping open the Book of Seals and its old pages loudly fluttered in my bloody hands. Even if they wouldn¡¯t forgive me, this was the only way I could ensure that they would all survive. If I stayed in the cave with them, it would be equivalent to locking them up with a ravishing bear. If I left the cave, they would come out and meet my very same fate. My fingers dipped into the gushing blood from my arm, coating them in the sweet red liquid before I dragged them across the cave floor. My entire arm was completely gored at this point, but it was the only way I¡¯d be able to transcribe the images from the Book of Seals. I stood up, looking at the two bloody seals in front of the entrance. Even though my blood was infected, it should be strong enough to work. It was better than using a pen and ink. Suddenly, Yue stood before me, but her eyes were still shut. She must have felt her way to the cave¡¯s entrance by dragging her hands along the cave walls. ¡°Peijin.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You promised you wouldn¡¯t leave.¡± I wondered if she wanted to add ¡°me¡± to the end of her sentence. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving,¡± I replied nonchalantly.

Disciple Yue has activated ¡®Lie Detector.¡¯

Lie Detector has confirmed Disciple Peijin¡¯s words as false.

Yang¡¯s lips pressed into a thin white line. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What are you trying to atone for?¡± I ignored Yue¡¯s question and turned away from the cave, looking back at the forest. Zhige was zooming around beside me, protecting me from the ever approaching demons. ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me, Peijin!¡± Yue shouted, finally opening her eyes and trying to storm past the cave¡¯s entrance before an invisible force suddenly threw her back. Jumping back onto her feet, she pounded on the invisible barrier with the look of a crazed and desperate woman. ¡°Peijin? Peijin, what the fuck is this?!¡± Zhige flew back into my hand, and I tightly held onto the hilt. In my other hand, the Book of Seals continued to flutter in the wind as I stole one last glance at one of the seals I copied. The Seal of Imprisonment. Chapter 29: Deepest Desire - Ep. 5, V I gave a warm smile while staring at the forest before me, the countless demons already swarming around me once more. ¡°Feel free to open your eyes now. Lead the party straight to the right no matter what. That¡¯s where the real exit is.¡± Just to get out those words, I had to dig my nails straight into the soft flesh on my shoulder. Two seals were protecting the cave: the Seal of Imprisonment and the Seal of Isolation. Although typically used as grueling punishment, here they would prevent anyone from entering or leaving the cave, ensuring my party¡¯s safety. Seals were complicated¡ªthey could be broken by an overwhelming amount of spiritual power, or if they were weak enough, just by repeatedly trying to bypass them. The stronger the user and the more power invested, the more powerful the seal. Of course, my reviews and ratings were garbage¡ªgo figure. I couldn''t hold much spiritual energy if I did get any, but the pollen circulating in my blood sufficed. It wouldn¡¯t be long before my party broke free, but the pollen coating the forest would dissipate by then, and I¡¯d hopefully have resolved the rest of the situation. ¡°Ready, Zhige?¡± I croaked softly while watching the blade¡¯s bright red eye swiveling in frantic circular motions. With a deep inhale, my breath steadied for just a moment before I lunged forward, screaming at the figures. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this one have so much personality?¡± One teased, side stepping me before extending out his arms, and they shot out in twisting roots.

Agility level 20 ¡ú level 25

My sword pierced straight through where its heart would be before twisted the blade in its body and swung it up toward the sky, splitting it in half. Letting out a brutal shriek, the demonic man seemed to quickly shift forms, taking on the appearance of Yang. My entire body was trembling with the excitement of finally being able to attack and kill something, but at the sudden morphing in appearance, I froze, my eyes widening. ¡°I-it hurts,¡± Yang pleaded, reaching out a trembling and gentle hand. ¡°P-please, it hurts. It hurts.¡± His delicate hand reached up, brushing my hair off my forehead and away from my eyes. I pulled back slightly, my back straightening, and the demon immediately took advantage of my weakness. It let out a shrill cackle, completely exuberated, before roots burst out from the ground and grabbed onto my legs, pulling me down. ¡°Gah!¡± The contact was enough for me to collapse on the ground, wheezing. ¡°Z-Zhige!¡± I gasped, my eyes squeezed shut as I held myself back. Flying from my grasp, Zhige easily cut me out before stabbing through the demon¡¯s head, pinning him against a tree. It tried to retake the form of Yang once more, but Zhige slashed the demon into small pieces before it dissolved into ash. ¡°So her taste is the young man from her group, huh?¡± ¡°Ah, he¡¯s kind of frail isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want him, I¡¯ll take him.¡± ¡°Stop jumping to conclusions, you tramp!¡± ¡°Who the fuck are you calling a tramp?!¡± Freed from the demon¡¯s roots, I jumped back onto my feet and reached for Zhige, turning back to the dozens of demons in front of me. I groaned as I trembled before lunging forward once more. The bell flowers fell down from the canopy and attempted to bite me, but with a quick swoop, I managed to slice their stems and cause them to fall onto the ground with a loud thud. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. They continued to writhe, however, and small rows of teeth slowly inched toward me. Their movement resembled an awkward snake¡¯s¡ªthey slid and bounced on the ground like water droplets on a hot pan. Raising my foot in the air, I stomped down repeatedly on the flowers, smearing them on the ground. Bam! Bam! Bam! With a delighted sigh, I maniacally squished them under my foot before dragging them across the soil floor, no longer paying any mind to the pollen that still floated all over the forest ground. My arm was completely gored at this point, skinned and mutilated, and it hung limply at my side. Still, I forced my way forward and continued to attack the demons. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt us!¡± A slithering root wrapped around my ankle. ¡°Come on, beautiful, why are you being so difficult?¡± Another gripped onto my wrist. ¡°We promise that whatever pain you¡¯re feeling right now, we can make all of that stop.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to feel good?¡± One trailed up the small of my back. I gritted my teeth, letting out another shout before another fiery wave ripped through me, causing me to collapse on the ground. ¡°Fuck all of you, god damnit! I¡¯ll tear every single one of you out of the ground, one by one!¡± By now, I was virtually blind, my vision clouded by a blurry and trembling red sheen. My hand felt the ground in a futile attempt to grab onto Zhige, but the blade had already returned to the fight and continued to slash, gore, and mutilate the demons. I was writhing in pain on the ground, curled up into a ball as I hissed through my teeth, gripping tightly onto my abdomen. This was by far the worst pain I had ever experienced in my life, and I was going to completely break apart soon. I wouldn¡¯t need to be seduced to be convinced into giving up¡ªthe mere thought of any potential relief was enough for me to contemplate that.

5,000 stars used.

Hell Fire Lighter purchased.

Since this was a demonic swamp, an ordinary flame wouldn¡¯t be able to wipe out the demons¡ªeven if one were to possess a powerful, undying flame, hardly anything would combust in such a marshy, wet landscape. However, with the abundance of pollen littering the ground and air in a gold sheen, the forest would practically burn down in a beautiful flurry of red flames. That being said, what I had told Yang earlier was true. The plant¡¯s combustion would release wildly toxic gas into the air, and not even a pigeon''s lung could defend against it. I tucked the light beneath my body as I continued to fight against the riveting pain. ¡°Aww, look how flushed she is!¡± ¡°Oh, but can you imagine how the rest of her friends would look?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so right! This one is kind of ugly, but it¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha!¡± ¡°Careful, you¡¯re making her even more angry!¡± Zhige was wildly fighting against all the demons now, barely in control of its own movements. The pollen clearly affected the demonic weapon¡¯s sensibility, and it was beginning to get bogged down behind a web of thick, ever growing vines. One of the female demonic figures slunk over toward me before squatting on the ground before me, pouting. ¡°You¡¯re having a hard day, huh?¡± She reached out a blossoming hand and brushed it against my ear, still pouting and cocking her head like a curious puppy. ¡°Give up yet?¡± Turning away from her, I clicked on the edge of the lighter and kept it close to my side, sending a small blue flame bursting up, the edges tinted a soft orange and red. Hell fire would burn for far longer than a regular flame and had no concern for such a situation. By now, my entire arm was a dripping mess of tainted, iridescent blood and pulled flesh. The moment I dropped this lighter, it was practically a death sentence for me. The cave was in the clear, though, and I supposed that¡¯s all that mattered. The pollen hadn¡¯t spread that far, and if they did escape, they could make it out of the forest. I was sure of it. ¡°Zhige, stop¡± I called the blade back, shakily peeking over my shoulder and staring at the creature before me. The demon was now sporting Yang¡¯s appearance, and more red flowers bloomed from his lean and bare chest. Zhige was coated in the vile remains of demonic spiritual energy, but it still trembled with lust for more. The weapon was truly horrific¡ªno wonder the karmic powers had such a strong initial reaction. The demon¡¯s eyes widened in shock, halting after raising a pointed arm to attack me. Its figure was still one identical to Yang¡¯s, but my vision was quickly failing, so I couldn¡¯t make out any of its figure other than those orange eyes. ¡°Is that¡ hell fire?¡± I smirked, sitting up and letting the lighter fall onto the cushioned pollen surrounding me. ¡°Go fuck yourself.¡± At once, a horrific flame burst into life before my eyes, scorching me and the demons as they let out vile, desperate shrieks. Chapter 30: Deepest Desire - Ep. 5, VI The flames grew higher and higher, licking the forest¡¯s canopy and immediately charring the moss and vines all around it. I felt the searing heat on my skin and instinctively flinched, but my mind was still too clouded for me to process what was happening as the flames seared straight into my skin.

Physique level 20 ¡ú level 30

Upgrading my physique level would only delay the inevitable; but instead of feeling immense pain, each burn and scar only left me with a small feeling of relief. Demon shrieks and cries were heard all around me, the demons desperately growing their arms and aiming for me in one last, futile attempt to kill me, grab me, take me with them. Yet as I took in a staggered breath but immediately convulsed and hacked as black smoke filled my lungs. Hell¡¯s fire was unspeakably potent, but in my state, I could hardly move. My body hit the ground before I could even process the movement¡ªthe flames were unwavering as they only grew even higher, burning the pollen and exploding with bright yellow sparks at every combustion. The tattoo on my arm began glowing once more, so brightly it could even be seen beyond the flames of hell fire. I would have tried to tear it out of my skin once more, and not just for the relief it would bring, but my other arm was far too gored or severed for me to do so. Instead, I tangled my head upward and planted my teeth in my arm, firmly clamping down on my arm and tearing at the tattoo before squeezing my eyes shut¡ªthe heat was so unbearable it almost felt like my eyes would start boiling. Surprisingly, I was glad to have been infected. This was far more peaceful than I¡¯d have anticipated. I wouldn¡¯t mind going out like this.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

My eyes widened, shaking unsteadily. ¡°Yang,¡± I gasped before wheezing heavily, resuming my feeble attempts to crawl away. If I died, his stupid fear would undoubtedly be worse. I had no idea what would have caused women to be his biggest fear, but whatever it was, I didn¡¯t want to gash another gaping wound upon him. An entire strip of my skin tore off and I spat it out, watching it quickly be consumed by the fire, but the tattoo seemed embedded through my entire arm. Suddenly, it burst with white light once more, and I looked away out of shock. For a moment, out of the eruption of yellow sparks and in my delusional state, I thought I saw a figure approach me¡ªa potentially frustrated expression was drawn on its face before it turned its back on me. Squinting my eyes, I tried to make out the details in the twisted expression, but my vision was far too blurred. As it turned away, two shapes, almost like wings, were attached to its back. All I could manage, however, was a pained groan as I writhed on the ground in a failed attempt to get away from the flames. The black smoke was blinding me now, and my lungs were filled with smoke and ash. Suddenly, two arms lifted me up, initially slipping when trying to maneuver around my limp body, but they eventually succeeded in throwing me over their back. Letting out a pathetic sound, I felt another wave of instant relief before searing torment would tear through me. I felt a thick cloth being patted all over me, trying to put out the flames. I let out a loud gasp before screaming, my entire body feeling as if my skin were being peeled off from the burning sensation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yang. He was here, but there was nothing I could do or say or comprehend through my screams. My voice turned hoarse¡ªit was no more than silent, scratchy sounds. ¡°D-don¡¯t touch me,¡± I pleaded, my eyes squeezed shut as I gently shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Peijin,¡± Yang repeated with his strained voice, ¡°Just hold on, okay?¡± Bringing Zhige, Yang began running out of the forest, taking the path I had told Yue earlier. Before him, the forest warped and changed to reveal the path as I stared forward. With a sudden burst, Yang massively upgraded his agility level and brought me to the edge of the forest. A vicious scream suddenly rang out as the entire forest lurched forward, thousands of roots and vines darting forward toward Yang. The trees grew rapidly, towering even higher, and began to form one, collective figure. ¡°How dare you? How dare you!¡± The voice was shrill and crackled¡ªwith each word, it strained and croaked as if it were incomprehensibly ancient. A giant hand reached out, smashing into the ground just before Yang. Sharp, wooden and stone spikes burst out of it into fractal-like branches, one of them hooking the fabric of his pants but missing his skin. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. If he was stabbed, he would be infected by the pollen. ¡°Z-Zhige,¡± I stammered, reaching for my blade to help. To my surprise, Yang firmly slapped my hand down before he threw his staff high up into the air; it quickly grew to the height of a small building and he lept up, grabbing onto it before swinging it firmly into the forest ground. The entire world shook from the impact, and the metro behind us jumped into the air before falling against the ground in a crash. The wind from the impact blew back the entire forest, raising the flames higher and higher on the demonic figure. Letting out a deafening screech, the figure gripped and pried at its wooden figure, stripping off piece after piece and causing a gooey sap to seep out like blood. It shimmered in the light, clearly full of the pollen. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll kill you all! How dare you!¡± I could barely hang on to Yang¡¯s neck as we landed on the ground, the entire floor splitting below us. He kept one of his hands to stabilize me while the other spun the staff high above him, cutting back the countless splintering branches. His nervousness was apparent by the way he chewed on his lower lip, but he did not fall back against the demon. With a strong leap back, we made it to the metro and quickly jumped into it before I was placed on the ground. I looked up to notice a small cut on his cheek that was bleeding. Yang was hit. Hissing through my teeth, I let out a pained groan as soon as his contact ceased. My entire body writhed on the floor, blood seeping out onto the metro floor from my mutilated arm. I tried blinking rapidly to clear my vision, wanting to check if Amelia was here. Yue had her held tightly on the opposite side of the car, blocking her view. Thankfully, she was still wearing the headphones. ¡°Y-yang, you¡¯re hit?¡± ¡°Stop talking,¡± he ordered. ¡°You¡¯re hit!¡± My breathing came in a shaky pattern of shallow wheezes, each one forcing my chest to rise before falling deeply. Suddenly, the hot rush raged through my body once more, and I let out a loud scream, curling into a fetal position on the ground. ¡°Peijin! Peijin!¡± Yang shouted, rushing over to me and hovering above me with his hands nervously held in the air. He was clearly deeply frightened by my condition, and he reached down to grab my gored arm. It would be so easy to kill him right now. In one movement, I could swing Zhige up and slice Yang in half. Then everything, this pain, this sickness, would cease, even if it were just for a moment. If I killed everyone on this train, I was certain I could find my relief. Gripping Zhige, I lifted the blade into the air and stabbed it straight through my abdomen, pinning myself onto the floor of the train. I let out a blood-curdling screech, tears springing from my eyes as my entire body reeled once more. My mind cleared from the violent act for just a moment, and I could finally make out Yang and Wei¡¯s face. ¡°Oh my god, Peijin!¡± Wei screamed, darting toward me. ¡°Stop it! Stop!¡± What ignorant words from an outsider who did not know this story. ¡°Wei! Help me pin her down! She¡¯ll kill herself!¡± In my moment of clarity, I leaned up, sliding up Zhige¡¯s sharp blade. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! You¡¯ll make it worse!¡± Blood dribbled out of my mouth, but at least the searing pain paused. I gasped for breath, appreciating every single one because in a few moments, I¡¯d suffocate once more. Yang trembled above me, his hands hovering above me. ¡°P-peijin, I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± he whispered, turning around desperately while swiping through the Azure Dragon store. Sputtering blood, I brought my hand before my mouth to try and avoid it spraying onto the other party members. Zhige trembled violently, only further cutting up my abdomen.

Hindsight activated!

If I died now, the party would move on. My room would be skipped and they¡¯d continue as is¡ªwith all of their current sponsors and weapons, they¡¯d make it just fine. It was clear that Yang had already established Peijin¡¯s World Dominion sufficiently with the fraudulent Major Arcana. But that was only if they made it through Wei¡¯s room. In fact, I even doubted my own capabilities to survive that room. I knew it when I took Wei onto the team, but if I was being fully honest, Yang could probably do well with them. If I pushed through this, my room would definitely be delayed by a few hours until the effects of the pollen wore off. Although not typically the case, since my room was next, the arc couldn¡¯t proceed. Such a delay would push my party back significantly, and Feiyu¡¯s group may continue with their edge. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, Peijin,¡± Wei ordered sharply, his voice a higher pitch as he wrapped bandages around my arm. He was already halfway complete, but I didn¡¯t even realize he¡¯d begun. My eyes widened at his words before I gave a small smile. I could feel the effects of the pollen growing once more, and I winced, my entire body trembling. Above this scene, Archangel Michael¡¯s silhouette hovered and watched over closely alongside Sun Wukong, the Bull Demon King, Athena, and the Kraken. Fuckers. If they could watch, why weren¡¯t they doing anything anymore? And god damnit, where was Socrates?

Observer ¡®Nipon23¡¯: Aren¡¯t you the god of fate and fortune? Jia Li, don¡¯t be a failure in both your lives.

I seriously hated that guy. He only showed up at my worst, and now, he was the only one that could use the messaging system. ¡°Yang,¡± I said firmly, pushing through the immense pain and grabbing onto his shoulder, ¡°Are you infected?¡± ¡°I had to be to see the way out.¡± How was he handling it better than me? I doubted I was the bigger pervert. Seeming to read my mind, he looked away, shaking and looking deeply upset. ¡°Yue sucked out the pollen.¡± ¡°...¡± I¡¯d question him later. ¡°Wait for me,¡± I suddenly ordered, heaving. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Knock me out,¡± I wheezed out. ¡°Wake me up in six hours. If something happens, get Archangel Michael to help you. Sun Wukong is an asshole,¡± I smiled, my lips twisted in pain. Archangel Michael¡¯s silhouette shifted in surprise, yet it remained above me. Reassured, I let my head fall against the train floor while Yang raised his fist, smashing it against the side of my head. And I blacked out. Chapter 31: Deepest Desire - Ep. 5, VII ¡°Peijin.¡± I suddenly became aware of my existence once more. My entire body was pounding, and my senses slowly began to recover. My spit was thick in my throat, and every time I inhaled, my nose let out a small whistling sound. ¡°Peijin. Are you waking up?¡± Was someone speaking to me? I tried to open my eyes, yet they remained frozen, along with the rest of my body. ¡°She¡¯s been drifting in and out. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she passes out again.¡± ¡°Come on, wake up Peijin. The train is moving again.¡± ¡°Are you stupid? She¡¯s not sleeping beauty. You can¡¯t will her awake.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Hey, couldn¡¯t demonic fire wake her up?¡± ¡°Are you trying to kill her?¡± ¡°No, but since demons all hate each other, then wouldn¡¯t demonic fire burn the pollen out of her body or something?¡± ¡°You sound like a European doctor from the 1800¡¯s.¡± ¡°Could you not speak nerd for a second?¡± ¡°Both of you need to stop arguing with one another. The train is moving. We need to figure out what¡¯s going on. Yang, you should carry Peijin if we need to run.¡± ¡°Has your sponsor said anything else?¡± ¡°Archangel Michael? He¡¯s been diverting some spiritual energy to her, but he can¡¯t do a lot because of karmic restraints or something like that. The system is glitching,¡± The voice paused for a moment, and I could make out the slight banging of a weapon on the metro ground. ¡°Apparently, Peijin¡¯s ratings are really low, so she can¡¯t utilize spiritual energy super well.¡± ¡°Wait, how do I leave a bad rating, too?¡± ¡°I thought you two were finally getting along, Yue,¡± a loud sigh followed, ¡°hey, are her eyes opening?¡± ¡°Ew, gross, seriously? Wait-¡± Before me, a fuzzy figure with long black hair suddenly hovered over my sight of vision, peering closer before gasping and jumping back. ¡°She¡¯s awake!¡± Yue looked back down at me as I awkwardly blinked, my eyes not having adjusted to the harsh light. ¡°Peijin, can you speak?¡± I attempted to lift my index finger, yet it remained glued to the metro floor. My eyes darted around the room, and I found Zhige lying beside me. The blade¡¯s red eye was peering straight into my own. ¡°Mmph-¡± I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut and letting out a heavy sigh. The moment I moved, I would be met with a searing pain. Two other heads hopped into frame, both of them looking expectantly. Finally, the tiny blond head of Amelia joined. ¡°Peijin!¡± She cried, immediately jumping onto me and sobbing violently. Her fists crumpled up the fabric of my sweatshirt, and I let out an involuntary, pained wheeze.

Observer ¡®Nipon23¡¯: Welcome back Jia Li. Your room starts soon.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Do you know how hard it was to get any observers to give you spiritual energy???

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: You drive me nuts. Don¡¯t go out and almost die like that again. None of the gods but Archangel Michael can give you spiritual energy, and you managed to make all the observers hate you. The only thing that saved you is that you¡¯re fun to watch. Can you imagine if the system kept glitching??

Yue lifted Amelia up by the back of her blue hoodie, holding her in the air like a small dog. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t just jump on Peijin like that!¡¯ ¡°S-sorry Yue-ayi!¡± Amelia apologized through her flurry of tears. Wiping her face, she looked down on me with furrowed brows. I opened my mouth, trying to force the words out of my throat, but my voice failed me again, and I looked as idiotic as a floundering fish.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

¡°Amelia,¡± I croaked, reaching out to pull her out of Yue¡¯s grasp. Suddenly, with a loud and violent creak, the entire subway lurched forward, causing everyone to stumble. I slid down the floor of the metro while Yue fell straight on top of me with a loud ¡°humph.¡± My entire body jolted forward as I let out a loud cough, immediately shoving off Yue. Finally, I caught sight of my arm. The one with the black tattoo was still perfectly intact, but my other was bandaged from my hand up to my shoulder in a thick, white bandage. For a moment, it reminded me of a similar one wrapped around Wei¡¯s forearm. I picked up Zhige off of the ground, my nails struggling to lift the hilt for a moment, before I quickly sliced into my wrapped shoulder. ¡°Peijin!¡± Yang shouted, immediately slapping the blade out of my hand. Letting out a loud sigh of relief, I chuckled for a moment. The blood that streamed came in red streaks¡ªthere was no more of that golden sheen. With a closer look, I could now see that Yang¡¯s lower lip was peeling, tinges of blood crusting his cracked lower lip. He must have been nervously chewing on it again. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I reassured him. "I was just checking something. How long was I out? I told you to wake me up in six hours.¡± Yang turned away from me, and Wei responded instead. ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on beating the next room,¡± Wei calmly insisted. I glared at him, finally sitting up and taking Amelia¡¯s hand. ¡°I need to know.¡± An awkward silence ensued, and my eyes drifted up to Yang¡¯s face. The cut was already gone. ¡°Four days,¡± Wei murmured. My body automatically got up before I could even process the words spoken before me. Four days? Feiyu would be far ahead now. Wei¡¯s room was already going to be a challenge to push through. ¡°Peijin,¡± Yang exclaimed, gripping my shoulders tightly, ¡°Don¡¯t over exert yourself. Your room is next.¡± ¡°What skills did you get? Have you picked yet?¡± My voice was rushed yet my words were still slightly slurred from my exhaustion. Even if my physique levels were constantly increasing, it didn¡¯t prevent mental burnout. ¡°Peijin.¡± ¡°How many stars did you spend on treating my arm? You should¡¯ve saved it. I¡¯m fine.¡± Four entire days because I was knocked unconscious. I was the party leader, and yet I couldn¡¯t even push through a single arc. The entire group was behind now, and if I ever wanted to surpass Feiyu, it was long gone now. There was already so much I didn¡¯t know. What about that figure in the metro cart? How could it have possibly surpassed both me and Feiyu, and when did Feiyu ever have such a powerful party member? Was the Major Arcana still here, and why? How could I have let it get here? ¡°Peijin!¡± Two firm hands gripped my shoulder, jolting me back to reality. Yang¡¯s orange eyes glared into my black ones, and I finally noticed the deep purple eyebags that seared into his tender skin. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Peijin, stop it. Calm down.¡± With a heavy inhale and exhale, he signaled for me to control my breathing. Even now I was reliant on him. I was reliant on him in the first chapter, the second dungeon, and the third dungeon. If I was being honest with myself, who was saving who? ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I blurted out.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Now I feel bad for yelling at you. You¡¯re alright, Jia Li.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ sponsors 20,384 stars.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ says it¡¯s the cost for your medical treatment.

There was a strange burning sensation in my nose, but I couldn¡¯t pinpoint the foreign sensation until my vision blurred. I was tearing up. Did I really become this weak?

Scathing Reviewer is flickering!

I couldn¡¯t cry. If I did, he¡¯d be back, with that horrifying grin stretching from eye to eye, and then it¡¯d begin again. I¡¯d be back to fourteen years old and weak and helpless and still that same goddamn insufferable bitch, and¡ª

Warning! Scathing Reviewer is flickering!

Yang¡¯s voice cut through. ¡°Is this about your poster? Your room?¡±

Scathing Reviewer deactivated.

My face fell immediately before I covered up my blank expression with a smile. A strange numbness took over my body, and suddenly, nothing was felt. I slowly stood up, my shoulder sloping downward. My hand was reassuringly placed on Yang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m fine now. Let¡¯s pick your skills and move on,¡± I added, ¡°We¡¯re more than halfway done with this arc.¡± Yang flinched in surprise, blinking at me and picking up on the strange shift. ¡°Sorry?¡± I headed up to the chest, looking at the three glowing skills before me.

Cloud Somersault

Alternates

Yaogui¡¯s Mask*

¡°Which one do you want?¡± I asked firmly, looking blankly at the options before me. ¡°You¡¯re being weird again, Peijin,¡± Yang replied softly. ¡°Do you want to rest a bit before your room?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t want us to fall even further behind.¡± He bit down firmly on his lower lip before sighing, grabbing his temple with his hand. ¡°I was thinking of ¡®Alternates.¡¯ ¡®Yaogui¡¯s Mask¡¯ sounds advantageous since it¡¯d give me a similar power to the¡¡± he trailed off awkwardly. Yaogui¡¯s mask would allow Yang to inherit similar traits to that of the flower demons, such as shape shifting, seduction, and mind control¡ªhowever, there was no doubt Sun Wukong would vehemently protest this. After all, he used the term to berate the Bull Demon King. ¡°Did you talk to him?¡± Yang gave a curt nod. ¡°The messaging system isn''t really working with anyone but Archangel Michael. It recovered briefly when you were knocked out, but it¡¯s stopped again. Sun Wukong didn¡¯t like that skill.¡± ¡°Mm. Unfortunate.¡± I had already felt an inkling of suspicion, but there was something different about Nipon23, Socrates, and Archangel Michael. Two of these I knew, even if neither of them did¡ªbut Nipon23? He was as big of a mystery to me as HolyMapleSyrup. Amelia looked up from below me, gesturing as if she wanted to be lifted up into the air. I picked her up stiffly, my body still aching and sore, before I gently threw her over my shoulder. Yang stared awkwardly, his brows furrowed, before he looked away again. It was obvious that he had much to say, but there were no words to communicate what he felt. For an avid reader like him, that said enough. I continued speaking: ¡°You should pick ¡®Alternates,¡¯ unless you plan on running away from everyone with ¡®Cloud Somersault.¡¯¡± Both skills were also inspired by Sun Wukong¡ªby pulling out pieces of his hair, Sun Wukong was able to duplicate himself countless times, hence the name ¡®Alternates.¡¯ Sun Wukong was also known for his incredible speed and distance, often flying on a cloud to efficiently fight and travel. ¡°Don¡¯t joke about something like that!¡± Yang yapped back, his expression only growing more tense. ¡°You¡¯re acting strange.¡± His cheeks were slightly sunken in, as if a deep hunger had been affecting him. ¡°I¡¯m not joking,¡± I shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t understand what the rest of this world holds. You¡¯re just as naive as when we were talking in the pest control van after I forgot the steamer.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being cruel.¡± ¡°Are either of us surprised?¡± I smiled, ¡°You know me better than anyone else.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m telling you that this is psychotic of you.¡± Amelia shifted in my arm, holding onto me tighter. ¡°Peijin, don¡¯t be upset at Yang-shushu.¡± I looked at her, my face slightly softening. ¡°You¡¯re too old to be acting like this, Amelia.¡± My hand brushed through her hair before I placed her back down on the ground. Suddenly, a sharp point pressed into my back before I was promptly shoved forward. A hand flipped me around before grabbing me by my collar, pulling me up. ¡°The fuck is wrong with you, Peijin?¡± Yue barked, glaring down at me while jolting me forward by my collar again. ¡°Do you know how hard it was to keep you alive? You wake up, and this is how you start acting? This isn¡¯t a nursery!¡± I smirked up at her, tilting my head to the side as I gripped onto her arm. ¡°Yeah? And who are you? Tell me that.¡± ¡°Liu Yue. The hell are you blabbering about now?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s your name, but what was your childhood? How¡¯d you grow up?¡± ¡°I grew up in a tumultuous household, got into high school, and now I¡¯m stuck here with the likes of you.¡± I let out a cold laugh, looking down at the metal ground. ¡°Tell me one thing you were doing a week ago. Before all this.¡± ¡°I was coming back from school the day the apocalypse started.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked you. What did you do a week ago?¡± Yue froze for a moment, as if unable to recall anything she had been doing. She paused before glaring at me, pulling me up and slamming me against the metro car, her eyes dark. It was just as I thought. None of my characters had actually lived through their backstories. All they had were prescribed memories that I fed them. Her chest heaved up and down unsteadily now, and she trembled as she held onto me. ¡°What did you do to me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± I smiled, finding my nose burning again. ¡°I am nothing more than a pathetic god of fate and fortune that happens to have nothing but knowledge.¡± Wei shoved the two of us apart, separating us with his sword. ¡°Stop this. Both of you. Peijin, you need to back off. This is stressful on all of us. ¡°Even if you are the one doing everything, don¡¯t pretend that it doesn¡¯t impact all of us the same. Sacrifice yourself, jump into the frontlines all you want, but don¡¯t sit back here and pretend we don¡¯t exist every time you do.¡± ¡®But you aren¡¯t real. I know that now for certain,¡¯ is what I wanted to say. It was foolish of me to have thought I found something here. Yue didn¡¯t need me in her room, and in Yang¡¯s room, I became nothing other than helpless and humiliated. I really was a loser. Suddenly, the sound of a faint grumbling threw me out of my thoughts. I looked over to see Amelia avoiding my gaze while clutching her stomach. Immediately, my tone softened. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Of course she was. It¡¯s been days that they waited for me to wake up. She shook her head, her blond hair swishing. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± I walked over and gently took her hand. ¡°There¡¯s food in the next room. Let¡¯s eat there, alright?¡±

Scathing Reviewer activated!

Nodding at Yang, he selected ¡®Alternates¡¯ and the chest immediately disappeared, the metro shooting forward once again. ¡°...¡± The metro car was filled with a heavy silence for a moment while I avoided the sight of my poster, instead staring down at the top of Amelia¡¯s head. I gently pat the top of it, ruffling it. Nothing but the racing sound of metro tracks surrounded us until Yang finally broke the silence. ¡°Peijin, are you going to be alright in this room? It looks like it¡¯s a-¡± ¡°I know,¡± I replied softly, ¡°Thank you.¡± The metro finally came to a screeching halt, the doors sliding open.

Custom room now commencing!

Tailored for: Disciple Wu Peijin.

Chapter 32: Ghosts of the Past - Ep. 6, I As the party exited from the metro, they were greeted by the inside of an eerie, ominous home. The lights were off, the house tinted in a cool shade of blue, and the looming front door just behind them. Peijin looked around, her expression still and calculating, not a hint of emotion or fear managing to peek through. ¡°Peijin, where are we?¡± Yang asked, standing just beside Yue with his staff drawn. Rather than responding, Peijin confidently turned around toward the front door and flicked on the light switch, and the house now flooded with a cool, flickering light. ¡°A home,¡± she replied nonchalantly. Amelia stood just beside her, short and fearful, and Peijin reached down to remove the blue hoodie before sliding it over herself. ¡°Ha, think you need the extra protection?¡± Yue asked, her eyes mocking and her grin wide. Yang quickly elbowed her sharply, causing her to whip her head around and glare at him. Wei let out a loud sigh and pressed the back of his hand against his temple before standing between the duo. Peijin¡¯s eyes darted around the house while she wielded Zhige confidently before her. It was always a rather humorous sight considering how large Zhige was in comparison to Peijin¡¯s small body, but she had never noticed the difference¡ªor let it bother her. ¡°We need to get through the end of this house. I know where the exit is.¡± ¡°Ah, and how is it that you know that, dearest god of fate and fortune?¡± Yue asked, speeding up to walk beside Peijin. Her hair swayed behind her as she wrapped an arm around Peijin¡¯s shoulder, staring at her almost aggressively. Peijin laughed, fully unbothered by the situation at hand. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you ask questions after we¡¯re not in the middle of an arc? Interrogate me later,¡± Peijin replied, pushing Yue off of her. Bending down, Peijin lifted Amelia up and threw her over her shoulders, holding onto her legs. ¡°Peijin, you still haven¡¯t told us what this room is,¡± Wei chimed in, uneasily looking around. They had progressed through the first room and walked down a hallway, now approaching a large granite kitchen island. Without a moment of hesitancy, Peijin easily turned around and flicked on the light switch once more, not even having to look to see where it was. ¡°Mm, I guess I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°...¡± With observant eyes, Wei noticed how Peijin¡¯s shoulders tensed just a bit more in this room, her throat bobbing up and down with a thick swallow. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell us?¡± ¡°No need to.¡± Yue scoffed, rolling her eyes. ¡°Can you stop acting like some emo teenager? You knew the rest of our rooms, but you won¡¯t tell us yours? The hell is so scary about a house?¡± With a loud swoosh, a gust of wind flung open a window and blew past the group, causing the dusty curtains to blow around them. Letting out a surprised sound, Yue clung onto Peijin for a moment before awkwardly pushing herself off and running over to the window, shutting it. Many in the party expected a crass, childish response from Peijin. Something along the lines of, ¡°You¡¯re the one scared of wind, you idiot,¡± following a violent burst of mocking laughter. Yet Peijin remained completely calm, only staring longingly at the sofa in front of the television. Even her tight grip on Zhige seemed to lessen, and she stood there ahead of the party, the faint glow of light from the hallway illuminating her. She stood there, beautiful and strange and shy. The sound of Amelia¡¯s stomach grumbling once again jolted Peijin from whatever thoughts temporarily gripped her. Already in the kitchen, Peijin made her way over to the fridge. ¡°You¡¯re not seriously thinking about eating out of there, are you?!¡± Yue exclaimed, her mouth wide open in a mixture of disgust and shock. Peijin opened the fridge anyway, bleu sparks flying out before revealing a massive fridge filled to the brim with delectable frozen foods and ingredients. Standing there frozen in shock, Yue watched as Peijin held up Amelia and let her pick ingredients out, all of them looking fresh or recently purchased. Even the freezer was filled with food¡ªpints of icecream, cong you bing,* and oddly enough, a pack of frozen chocolate chip cookies. Peijin looked over her shoulder, signaling for everyone to come over. ¡°Grab whatever you want. Let¡¯s spend some time eating so we have enough strength for the next rounds,¡± she said, giving a small smile to everyone before stepping to the side. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s safe?¡± Yue asked, suspicious. ¡°I made sure it was.¡± [Disciple Yue has activated ¡®Lie Detection!¡¯] [Lie Detection confirms Disciple Peijins¡¯s words as truth.] Yue¡¯s face fell, giving Peijin a doubtful stare. ¡°And how did you ¡°make sure¡± of it?¡± She asked, giving air quotes. Peijin reached into the fridge, grabbed a pear, and threw it straight at Yue¡¯s head before turning back to Amelia, gently speaking to her. ¡°What do you want? I¡¯m not a good cook, but maybe Yang is.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Amelia asked, pointing at the frozen package of cong you bing. Sometimes, the party forgot that she was a foreigner, and that she had not always been the Amelia that they knew. Even though only a short amount of time had passed since the apocalypse begun, everything had already adjusted between them. Peijin pulled out the orange pack and tore it open, picking out one of the pieces. ¡°It¡¯s scallion pancakes. They¡¯re savory, though,¡± Peijin added, ¡°My mom used to cook them for me all the time, but it¡¯s been a while since then.¡± She looked up and took three steps down, opening a cupboard without hesitation and pulling out a pan¡ªturning to the large pantry next, she grabbed a bottle of olive oil. Not once did she have to look for anything. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Yang, can you cook for her? I¡¯d butcher it.¡± It wasn¡¯t difficult to see Yang¡¯s hesitant and nervous expression, but he quickly hid it under a warm smile; the typical orange glow of his eyes was muted to a deep brown now because of the dim lighting. ¡°Sure. Could you grab me a set of chopsticks and a plate?¡± Peijin turned around and reached under the granite countertop, pulling out a barely visible drawer and taking out the plate and chopsticks before setting them on the table. Amelia was lifted onto the barstool before Peijin spun it, causing Amelia to let out a small laugh before swaying from her dizziness. Yang walked over, turning the knob on the stovetop until a small red fire blossomed. He put the oil onto the pan before swirling it and dropping the frozen pancake in. ¡°You seem really familiar with everything here, Peijin,¡± Yang said as if it were a casual conversation. ¡°Do I?¡± ¡°No, you must just have really good luck at finding things.¡± ¡°...That wasn¡¯t funny.¡± Yang pouted before flipping the pancake, causing little bits of oil to spray out. ¡°Your poster was a family photo in front of a house, was it not?¡± An uncomfortable silence hung in the air now. It was something both Yue and Wei had been wondering about the entire time as well, but Peijin had ignored it like the plague. It was understandable, however, as all of them felt horror at their very own posters. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Peijin muttered coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t have any family photos left.¡± ¡°Aww,¡± Yue pointed at Yang and Peijin talking while Amelia spun in a chair just before them, ¡°Don¡¯t these two look like a cute couple? Let¡¯s all go around and share our childhoods while in the middle of an apocalyptic dungeon.¡± Wei barked back at Yue. ¡°Hey, every room has been different, and I¡¯m sure Peijin knows what she¡¯s doing. She¡¯s gotten us this far.¡± Shrugging nonchalantly, Yue turned her focus back to the conversation between Yang and Peijin. ¡°Really? How come, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± Peijin was staring at Amelia, braiding her curly hair. ¡°I moved out when I was fourteen.¡± ¡°That sounds more like running away than moving out, no?¡± Finally, there was a break in Peijin¡¯s endless droning. ¡°I grew up in a haunted house.¡± Yue paused for a moment before she burst out laughing, reeling over the granite table and smashed her close fist against it. ¡°You mean ghosts and ghouls? Ha ha ha, you¡¯re kidding me!¡± It wasn¡¯t that unbelievable of a statement considering that those very same ghosts and ghouls had manifested themselves into their lives, but Peijin¡¯s face flushed a deep pink. ¡°I mean it! This place is seriously haunted!¡± Then this ominous house was Peijin¡¯s childhood home¡ªthe one that was allegedly ¡°haunted,¡± and enough for it to be her greatest fear. ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever. So what, the boogie man is your biggest fear? Did he grab your foot when you accidentally let it hang over the edge of your bed?¡± Peijin let out a loud sigh, running her fingers through Amelia¡¯s hair and undoing the braid. ¡°It was a long time ago. I don¡¯t remember it anymore.¡± ¡°Are you that old? Fourteen isn¡¯t that long ago.¡± Wei looked embarrassed now at the mention of Peijin¡¯s age and quickly shushed Yue. The cong you bing had finally finished, and Yang placed it down before Amelia. She tore it into smaller pieces before biting down on it, her face lighting up at the savory and crunchy yet still soft texture. ¡°You said your mom used to cook this for you, right? Where is she now?¡± ¡°No clue. Doesn¡¯t matter to me. I haven¡¯t spoken to her since I was eight.¡± Peijin turned around and grabbed some instant noodles from the pantry, taking them out. ¡°We should start moving soon. These have meat in them, so let¡¯s fill up then go.¡± Peijin slid the vegetable one over to Yue before heating up water. ¡°Did you seriously just give me the worst flavor?¡± ¡°If you eat your greens, you won¡¯t be so ugly.¡± ¡°What the fuck?¡± Yue exclaimed, furious. Peijin finally gave a smile as she poured the hot water into her cup of noodles. She did the same for the rest of the party members before she stepped away, curtly commenting, ¡°I¡¯m going to use the restroom.¡± Six steps down the hall and first door on the right. The second floorboard would creak, and Peijin dutifully avoided it like second nature. She stepped onto the tile floor and quietly locked it, making sure not to bother anyone, before darting over to the toilet. ¡°G-gah!¡± Peijin hurled into the toilet, the vomit coming up like red slime. Her stomach was too empty for any large chunks to be found in it. Wiping her mouth on her sleeve, she gasped before vomiting once more. ¡°God damnit¡¡± She stood up, flushing the toilet and wiping her face. She stood before the mirror now and stared at her appearance, inspecting her face. Even though her arm was still bandaged, her eyes lingered on something reflected behind her in the mirror. A smiley face was carved behind her out of the black shadows, and it almost seemed to press out of the walls, reaching toward her. ¡°Ex..cuse me¡. Who are you?¡± A voice croaked from the wall, warped and vicious. ¡°You can¡¯t do anything. There¡¯s people at home,¡± Peijin replied quickly and firmly. At once, the smiley face shrunk back into the wall before dissipating once more. Peijin turned on the faucet and slapped water on her face, letting out a shaky breath. ¡°I am Wu Peijin.¡± Her reflection stared straight back at her, unwavering. ¡°I am Wu Peijin.¡± She repeated the words, but this time, they were more desperate. Black eyes peered back. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Peijin unlocked the door and walked back to the kitchen. Yue¡¯s feet swayed back and forth as she kicked the base of the granite island. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should have Peijin sit back during this dungeon? She¡¯s been doing too much.¡± Wei slurped up the last of his noodles greedily while nodding. ¡°I mean, if she¡¯s a god, I understand why. But I don¡¯t get why she¡¯s competing with people instead of serving as a divinity, demon, or ghost.¡± ¡°Ahh, do you really think she¡¯d tell us? There¡¯s no way this is just a haunted house. There haven¡¯t even been any ghosts.¡± Yang had cooked up slices of meat and was feeding them to Amelia, her face a wide grin. Yue¡¯s eyes darted over to him. ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve known her for a while, right? Was she always like this?¡± He stopped to ponder the question for a moment, looking at the wall across from him. ¡°I didn¡¯t speak to her much about our lives. We were just coworkers after all.¡± Yue looked at him suspiciously but let it slide, pouting as she rested her face on her hand. ¡°I doubt she¡¯d have any other friends. Do you think she¡¯d worry about us so much otherwise?¡± ¡°How could she not have friends?¡± Wei quickly blurted. ¡°Do you not look up to her?¡± ¡°Eh?! Look up to her?¡± Yue¡¯s face warped as if she were about to profusely deny the statement, but she suddenly looked down at the ramen in embarrassment. ¡°I might admire her knowledge, but so what? If I was a god, I¡¯d be a far better one. ¡°Besides,¡± Yue trailed on, ¡°she said something earlier that¡¡± Her face suddenly hardened, aghast, as she looked down the hall. A young, teenage girl was standing in the bathroom hall¡ªher hair was that same, familiar bob with bangs, and the small black mole was dotted right beneath her pink lips. It was Peijin, but she was significantly younger now. And she stood before an open door. A man¡¯s voice sounded from the bedroom door just before her, hoarse and weak. ¡°Peijin? You¡¯ve finally come home.¡± Chapter 33: Ghosts of the Past - Ep. 6, II The younger Peijin absentmindedly blinked into the room before taking a step closer, her hand grabbing the edge of the door as she peaked in. ¡°Dad?¡± Her voice was feeble and shook unsteadily. ¡°Peijin!¡± Yue screamed, darting forward with the spear, ¡°Get away from there!¡± The edge of her spear hooked onto Peijin¡¯s shoulder and dragged her back down the hallway, and Peijin seemed to shift in front of their eyes, growing taller and her face maturing. Eyes widening in surprise, she gripped onto Yue¡¯s shoulder and steadied herself, blinking rapidly. ¡°I¡¡± Peijin trailed off, looking at the ground with an odd look of shame and embarrassment while Yue shook her shoulders violently. ¡°The hell were you thinking? You can¡¯t even piss without supervision!¡± Peijin¡¯s face immediately hardened as she moved to retort against Yue¡¯s comment. ¡°Nothing even happened! I wasn¡¯t going to go in there,¡± Peijin insisted, pushing Yue¡¯s hands off of her shoulders. The party stared at the open bedroom door for a moment, faint light seeming to flow out of it and into the long hall, yet nothing else moved or made a sound. Wei was wiping Amelia''s mouth with a paper towel, since she had soup smeared all over her face; Yang was the one to intervene between Peijin and Yue again. ¡°Peijin, what did you see in the room?¡± Yang asked softly, lowering his head to be on eye level with her. Biting her lower lip, Peijin averted her gaze again. ¡°It was a ghost, so let¡¯s just get to the end of the house,¡± Peijin replied again in her cold, firm tone. ¡°Is Amelia done eating?¡± The change in subject was obvious to the party¡ªPeijin had always done it anytime she felt uncomfortable with the progression of a conversation. In a way, it was her method of regaining control. It was difficult to fight or press Peijin when she did such a thing. With her being so many steps ahead of the rest of the party, it was undeniable that the rest felt inferior standing beside her. As long as they believed Peijin knew what she was doing, they reluctantly accepted it. Amelia gave a vigorous nod at Peijin¡¯s question, slurping up one last noodle before Wei wiped her face again. ¡°Peijin, do you want any food?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Yang placed a hand tentatively on the small of her back. ¡°You should eat something.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to bite your hand off if you keep bothering me,¡± she growled. He rolled his eyes before he walked over to the pantry and grabbed a pack of mini chocolate sprinkle cupcakes. ¡°Still think so?¡± Peijin stared hungrily at the cupcakes for a moment; at work events, he had often mocked Peijin for having the diet of a fourth grader at a birthday party. A small glint in his eyes signaled their shared memory. ¡°I should probably get some sugar in my system,¡± Peijin mumbled. Yang gave a slight smile before waving her over. Peijin¡¯s bag opened wide as she dumped the entire pantry of food in before stuffing her face with some of the cupcakes, leaving the wrappers on the table. Amelia was now hoisted over Wei¡¯s shoulders as the group got ready to head down the hall. Wei¡¯s typically lighthearted voice seemed to fill with more and more anxiety as his room approached, but he kept his tone steady with Peijin. ¡°Do we need to worry about what¡¯s in the room?¡± ¡°Are you scared of old men like Yang is scared of women?¡± Yang¡¯s jaw fell once more as Yue burst out laughing, reeling over. ¡°I¡¯m seriously not scared of women anymore!¡± Yang exclaimed, the atmosphere in the house finally starting to lighten up. It even seemed as if the lighting became brighter, and Peijin¡¯s face lit with a familiar, cheeky smile. Yue grinned, leaning in closer and speaking to Yang in a mocking tone. ¡°Aww, is that so? If I lean in more are you going to start shaking again?¡± She teased, ¡°You should¡¯ve seen how scared you were when we first met.¡± Even Wei was chuckling now as he spoke over their bickering to answer Peijin¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯m not scared of old men, but I am scared of ghosts.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll protect you, even if this is my room,¡± Peijin smiled, tying up her hair into a short ponytail behind her. ¡°You really don¡¯t seem that scared or bothered. Do you have no fears?¡± Peijin let out a boisterous laugh. ¡°Me? Scared? Never.¡± Wei paused for a moment, giving her a questioning look. ¡°You looked like you were going to cry a bit ago, just before this room.¡± ¡°...¡± She scoffed before pointing Zhige at the two arguing members and then at Amelia. ¡°This is another bad room for Amelia. Wei, I want you to protect her.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Yue exclaimed, offended. ¡°What makes him so special? I took care of her last round!¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Peijin rolled her eyes, her hand on her hip. ¡°I¡¯m not going to put a kid in the hands of a devil. Besides, your weapon is a spear. You¡¯re like a Neanderthal.¡± Yang slowly slunk forward until he could whisper into Peijin¡¯s ear: ¡°If this is a bad room for her, and this is the haunted house you grew up in, something bad happened to you, too. Right?¡± Her body immediately stiffened, but she continued to chew on her lower lip. ¡°The only bad thing that¡¯s about to happen is me murdering you.¡± ¡°Ah, with how bad your luck is, I¡¯ll end up becoming immortal,¡± Yang teased, smiling and pulling back. ¡°None of us will bring it up, but we heard what you whispered into that room. But if something happens, we¡¯re here for you,¡± he reassured her. ¡°I know,¡± Peijin affirmed, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not shitting myself right now.¡± Since Peijin had awakened after Yang¡¯s room, she was off-balanced¡ªevery word and jarring act was a misstep in the views of everyone else. However, she seemed to finally regain her brash but cunning impulsiveness. It was familiar, and they found comfort in that. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Peijin led them out, still avoiding the creaky floorboard as they progressed down the long hallway. The rest trailed closely behind her or just to her side, ensuring that nothing could happen. ¡°So how exactly are you a god, and why are you a disciple?¡± Yue quizzed, skipping up beside Peijin and leaning her head down like a curious cat. Peijin puffed out air before responding. ¡°Ask me when we¡¯re both blackout drunk and forget the next day.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re a fraud?¡± With a deadpan stare, Peijin turned to glare at Yue, her face completely serious. ¡°You¡¯ll die and become a demon in the seventh arc.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say shit like that! Pei pei pei,* you bitch!¡± She punched Peijin aggressively as Peijin snickered, smirking up at Yue. ¡°You clearly don¡¯t think I¡¯m that much of a fraud.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point in talking to you. You suck.¡± Since she was standing just beside Peijin, the small changes grew all the more apparent. ¡°Peijin?¡± Peijin had shrunk considerably once more, her face widening and long lashes batting above big brown eyes. With every step, it was like watching her walk down a timeline, aging back and back until she looked only a few years older than Amelia. ¡°Peijin!¡± She continued walking, not seeming to hear Yue until Yue firmly grabbed onto her shoulder, spinning her around. Peijin looked just like Amelia had on the first day they met¡ªher eyes were large and watery, her brows furrowed, and her lips quivering from immense fright. ¡°Oh fuck me,¡± Yue mumbled, gripping onto Peijin¡¯s hand and pulling her further down the hall. Kneeling down, she looked at Peijin, staring at her. ¡°Who am I?¡± Yue quizzed, her hand raised at the rest of the party members behind her to silence them. Peijin gulped, her eyes rapidly darting around. ¡°Where¡¯s Feiyu?¡± ¡°The hell are you calling out to him for?¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± Peijin pleaded, virtually sobbing now as snot dripped down from her face, and she quickly wiped it away while looking up at the ceiling, as if anticipating something to pop out. Despite her shaky voice and red eyes, tears never once spilled. ¡°He¡¯s the only one that can help me escape! ¡°Where is he?!¡± Peijin repeated frantically, hyperventilating now as she clung onto Yue¡¯s pant legs. ¡°He¡¯s your party leader, so where is he?!¡± Yue took a step back, looking down with a mixture of both disgust and pity. It was a confusing mixture of emotions she felt, looking at her idol reduced to such a weak state, but she quickly regathered her composure and lifted Peijin up. Peijin was half-grown but wildly frail and fragile¡ªfor whatever reason, she looked much younger than she was. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to Feiyu, alright? Come with me.¡± Yue carried her back toward the kitchen. ¡°Do you recognize this man with the orange eyes?¡± Peijin¡¯s eyes glossed right over Yang and landed on Wei; Peijin was a few years older now but still young. ¡°Wei, your fate is black,¡± she choked out, her face drawn into many worried lines. It looked as if Wei had seen a ghost. Peijin had always claimed to be a god of fortune and fate, but here, it was the first time Peijin had ever made such a comment other than when remarking on her wildly unfortunate luck. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I added that angel. I wouldn¡¯t have even done it if¡ª¡± Suddenly, Peijin was just before the kitchen again, and she finally became aware of how she was wrapped in Yue¡¯s arms bridal style. ¡°Eh?¡± Yue immediately let go, causing Peijin to slam into the ground with a sharp yelp. ¡°The fuck was that for?! Why¡¯d you carry me back here! Weren¡¯t we heading down the hall?¡± Wei blankly stared at her before he finally gained the courage to speak. ¡°Do you not¡ remember anything you just said?¡± ¡°Do you need me to be a full time therapist now, too? What are you talking about?¡± Yang let out a frustrated sound as he walked over to the granite island, burying his face in his hands. ¡°We can¡¯t just walk out. When we do, you turn into a kid.¡± Peijin burst out laughing, wiping away tears from her eyes. ¡°Are you playing some joke on me? We were talking the entire way.¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t, Peijin. You rambled about Feiyu ¡®saving you.¡¯¡± Her expression had never dropped so fast, her cold expression immediately present. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You did. And you said Wei¡¯s fate was black before he met the angel.¡± ¡°Consider it a prophecy. A moment of fortune telling came over me,¡± she replied snarkily, turning to head back down the hall again.

Disciple Yue has activated ¡®Lie Detector!¡¯

Lie Detection confirms Disciple Peijins¡¯s words as false.

Peijin¡¯s expression flared with rage. ¡°How many times do I need to tell you not to do that on me?¡± ¡°Then explain this goddamn room to us, Peijin!¡± Yue retorted, ¡°None of us know what to do when you start regressing in age!¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t!¡± Peijin stammered, wild. ¡°I can¡¯t even explain this place to myself! This isn¡¯t real¡ªI buried it long ago!¡± ¡°Are you a fucking riddler now, too?¡± The tension was quickly growing between the two, which was nothing out of the ordinary, until they heard a small squeak from behind them. Whipping their heads around, they noticed Amelia wide-eyed, staring at the ceiling of the kitchen. A warped, smiling face was pressing against the ceiling, pushing further and farther out until it was finally low enough to press its nose against Amelia. The gray ceiling warped around it like a thin skin getting ready to burst. ¡°No¡¡± Peijin whispered, her shoulders slumping. ¡°No, no, no! Amelia!¡± At once, countless faces and arms shot out from all over the room, grabbing onto Amelia and tugging.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

Chapter 34: Ghosts of the Past - Ep. 6, III I reached out toward Amelia as she let out a loud scream, her limbs being tugged in every direction. ¡°Stop it! Stop!¡± I flung Zhige forward, but Amelia summoned the dire wolf¡ªwith a bright white flash, it appeared and quickly snapped at the ghost''s hands. As soon the grotesque hands were approached, they quickly vanished back into the walls, meshing with the wallpaper and melting into it. The house completely stilled for a moment, and Amelia dropped onto the back of the dire wolf. The beast looked over her shoulder and licked her face, saliva coating her skin, and she wiped it away with a grossed out expression. Zhige flying back into my hand, I rushed up toward Amelia and quickly held onto her. ¡°Are you alright? Did it get you?¡± My hand brushed off the saliva from her face, flicking it onto the ground. She nodded, her eyes wide. ¡°P-Peijin, I¡¯m really scared.¡± Amelia¡¯s voice quivered, wavering up and down as she clung onto the back of the wolf¡¯s fur. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I quickly ushered the words out before pulling back, staring at her for a moment.

Hindsight activated!

The entire house tilted, rotating and causing furniture to fly everywhere. With a loud screech, Amelia hung onto the dire wolf as it slid down the old wood floor and tried to claw its way up. Yang extended his staff and hung onto it, gripping tightly onto Yue as she hung, awkwardly bumping into the rod with each rotation. ¡°Peijin!¡± Wei¡¯s firm arms grabbed me and he jumped around the walls of the house with me in tow. When we first met, I had felt significantly bigger than him thanks to my confidence, but now I only felt small in his grasp. He was slightly panting, and his long hair was tied into a thick bun on the back of his head. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I blinked at him for a moment, dodging the swinging lights as glass shattered all across the floor and spun wildly. It was as if I were running on a treadmill full of obstacles. ¡°Wei¡ I¡¡± What could I even say to him? I was feeling something indescribable¡ªa part of me wanted to reach out and embrace him, even if it were just for a moment. But another part of me quivered from disgust at the thought of his very existence. How could I, someone of no redeeming qualities, be worthy of protection? My entire body tensed up as I looked at the front door, and my head involuntarily shook as I stepped back, tripping on the leg of a chair. A grotesque figure, a smile contorted and stretched violently. Its lips were pulled up all the way to its ears, two dimples just beside its squinted and beady eyes. Its crescent eyes seemed to thin even more as it extended its neck into the ceiling, expanding like wallpaper. ¡°No, no, no,¡± I repeated, my voice getting stuck in my throat like a thick ball of spit. I immediately whipped around, trying to run forward before tripping on a chair, sliding against the ground as small pieces of glass cut into me. Normally such wounds wouldn¡¯t have left an impact, but with my already vulnerable arms, they sliced right through, but I couldn¡¯t sense any of the pain. I couldn¡¯t sense anything but the bubbling fear, seismic and volcanic. ¡°Peijin! Stop!¡± Wei shouted, grabbing onto me and throwing me over his shoulder like a ragdoll. ¡°He¡¯s here! He¡¯s here!¡± I screeched, pounding on Wei¡¯s wide back as my entire body heaved with every breath. Yang reached down and swung Wei forward down the hall. I could already feel my body beginning to shrink, and I couldn¡¯t do anything but tightly grip onto his white robes. ¡°Feiyu¡¡± I quietly croaked, holding on even tighter. My nails almost tore through the thick, enchanted fabric of his robes. The house titled again, and the ceiling was slowly spinning around until it became the floor under Wei¡¯s feet. I perked up instantly, hindsight causing my eyes to glow a bright blue. ¡°Wei! Get off the floor! He only lives on the ceiling!¡± The distorted, wicked smiley face appeared just before his feet, and everything froze. Wei¡¯s panicked face remained staring at me, Yue was still dangling on Yang, and Amelia was buried in the dire wolf¡¯s fur. And the smiley face stared at me, its face twisting as if it were breathing. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. I desperately tried moving my body, but I remained frozen. Even Zhige¡¯s bright red eye wouldn¡¯t blink up at me. ¡°Please, please, please,¡± I whined, my voice high-pitched. Not a sound filled the house, nothing but an increasingly eerie buzzing that slowly filled my mind. ¡°You¡¯re not real,¡± I asserted firmly. ¡°You¡¯re not. You can¡¯t do anything to me.¡± I glared at its twisted eyes, the wrinkles looking like indent on the rough ceiling. It opened its mouth, its dry, cracked lips morphing grotesquely. ¡°Be quiet.¡± Hoarse and cracking like a radio. ¡°You¡¯re not real,¡± I repeated. Its smile grew, its lips squeezing together to shush me. ¡°Be quiet!¡± Its voice boomed louder now, like a harsh whisper. ¡°No! Someone¡¯s home!¡± I shook my head again, feeling my nose burn as tears came again. ¡°Someone¡¯s home! You can¡¯t do anything! They¡¯re here right now, you mother fucker!¡± ¡°Be quiet! Be quiet!¡± Its voice grew louder and louder until the entire house shook around me, any remaining glass exploding all throughout the house. ¡°Be quiet, be quiet, be quiet, be quiet!¡± ¡°Stop it! Someone¡¯s home!¡± I screeched, desperately wanting to cover my ears or shut my eyes but my body refused to comply. ¡°Stop it! Stop it! Fuck you!¡± ¡°Peijin!¡± That voice pierced through, and my eyes flicked up immediately, tears having welled in them but not yet falling down my face. Before me it looked as if Yue were tearing her way through an invisible barrier, her upper body squeezing through. Her eyes were glowing a deep purple, and her black hair was billowing all around her. ¡°Peijin, get out of here! It¡¯s an illusion!¡± I blinked up at her, finally regaining minimal control over my body. ¡°Yue?¡± So this was what the power of the magician''s hand looked like. ¡°Don¡¯t just blink at me, you idiot!¡± She shouted, her voice a rush of fury. ¡°Get out!¡± Gritting her teeth, she pushed her way through the illusion, tearing it with her bare hands before she extended out a pale palm before me. ¡°You¡¯re so pathetic sometimes, and it really pisses me off!¡± I laughed, looking down at the ground to find that the face had contorted into one of wild anger, its eyes wide and brown pupils quivering with rage. My hand slowly moved forward before I finally gained the strength to grab onto Yue. ¡°You¡¯re really a bitch, Yue.¡± She tugged firmly on my arm and sent me flying through the illusion until I eventually landed on the ground in the house. ¡°Humph!¡± My body had aged backward quite a bit¡ªI was maybe 19 or 20 now. Looking up at the group, I apprehensively met their gaze. I was shaking like a wet dog from my nervousness, but I attempted to quell it before them. To my surprise, despite the arguably horrifying event that just transpired, they didn¡¯t even look remotely phased. Were they even human? Yue crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at me. ¡°For a god, you¡¯re awfully weak.¡± ¡°I was the one who told you to pick ¡®Magician¡¯s Hand,¡¯ wasn¡¯t I? At least I¡¯m not stupid.¡± Yue¡¯s jaw gawked as she looked stunned by my callout. ¡°I should¡¯ve left you with Mr. Smiley.¡± ¡°Is that what you¡¯ve named him?¡± She raised her hand like a hand puppet and made it look like it was babbling nonsense. Laughing lightly, I shook my head before I grabbed her sleeve and pulled myself up. ¡°You really do get on my nerves. Thank you.¡± Suddenly, I heard a deep snarling from behind me, and I turned to face the dire wolf. Its massive lips were peeled back, revealing a terrifying array of menacing teeth. It snapped blindly down the hall, shackles raised. ¡°Peijin,¡± Amelia¡¯s small voice called out, ¡°there¡¯s something wrong here. I mean it.¡± Out of all of us, Amelia looked the most scared, her hands shaking violently in front of her. ¡°Do you have some kind of animalistic instinct now?¡± I teased her, ruffling her hair. She furrowed her brows and her voice hardened, much to my surprise. ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. There¡¯s something wrong down the hall.¡± I pulled my hand back slightly, surprised by her reaction. ¡°Let¡¯s get down quickly.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± Yang immediately interrupted, stepping forward to face me head on. ¡°You can¡¯t just turn into a baby during the dungeon room.¡± ¡°Once we get out, I¡¯ll be normal.¡± ¡°If we get out,¡± Yang said flatly, his orange eyes piercing my soul. I pursed my lips, looking around the group. Since when did they start arguing with me? ¡°As the god of fate, I¡¯m telling you I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I knew that would hardly slide with Yang. It might work with the observers or the characters, but he knew me for far too long. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you are, Peijin.¡± ¡°Rude. You seem to care if I¡¯m a baby. The pervert you are.¡± ¡°...¡± Yue snickered from beside him, but he quickly silenced her with a look. Finally, the crackling noise in the house came to a still, and the house no longer shook. I paused for a moment, hesitant to trust my senses given the past illusion, but when I met Yue¡¯s gaze, she gave me a reassuring nod. ¡°Let¡¯s go now. You guys can drag me back here if I turn into a whiny, gross baby, alright?¡± Yang furrowed his brow but relented, standing beside me with his staff prepared. Wei flanked me as well, and Amelia rode in front atop the dire wolf. Yue walked behind, stepping on the back of my worn-down shoes in an attempt to trip me. We passed the bathroom door. Was I seventeen now? I wondered if Feiyu would have done this. Wait, what the hell was I doing thinking of a brute like him? Bedroom door. Fourteen. ¡°Peijin, you can¡¯t cross this,¡± Amelia turned back, her wide blue eyes looking dark and foggy. I was barely taller than her at this point, part of it being because I had always been short. ¡°We¡¯re almost out. The exit is just after this hall.¡± I pushed her aside, standing by the slightly opened door. ¡°See? Don¡¯t worry, Amelia. I trust you guys to protect me, not that I¡¯d need it,¡± I replied cockily. Amelia winced and moved to cover her ears for a moment, the dire wolf shifting uncomfortably. ¡°Peijin-¡± Suddenly, a massive sound exploded from the front of the house causing Amelia to shriek in pain¡ª debris flew forward, straight toward us. Yang whipped his staff forward and whirled it in the air, knocking back the majority of the debris as Wei caught the rest. ¡°Peijin, are you alright?¡± Yang said, looking over his shoulder where I was standing. Or where I should have been standing. Countless hands had erupted from the wall unnoticed, their long blue fingers gripping onto my skin with overwhelming power. They were slick and sickening, forcing their way all over my face and even into my mouth, stopping me from crying out. Before I could let out my muffled scream, they sucked me through the open bedroom door as it slammed shut behind me. Bang! Chapter 35: Ghosts of the Past - Ep. 6, IV I wriggled desperately in a feeble attempt to escape before the arms shifted behind me, merging together like clay until I felt only two, thin arms wrapped around me. ¡°Peijin, my sweet girl,¡± he cried. His voice was exactly as I remembered, and I recognized it ten years later. It was unmistakable, and though I had heard it just a bit ago, it was solidified now. ¡°You¡¯re home!¡± My entire body trembled¡ªwas this fear? No, no it wasn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t scared of anything in this world. I only felt things deeper. Anxiety, distrust, fury. Relief, too. ¡°Hi Dad.¡± My voice quivered. He finally pulled back, and I slowly turned to face him. If I wasn¡¯t in my fourteen-year-old body, I¡¯d be a bit shorter than him. But now, the top of my head barely reached his shoulder. Small man that he was. Thin and tired eyes, a lean frame, but there was an odd serenity around him that made you feel alright. ¡°You never came to visit me.¡± I chewed on my lip. ¡°I didn¡¯t see why I would.¡± He frowned, his shoulders falling. ¡°You never even told me why you left.¡± What could I say? He was right. After I left home, I never reached out to him again. ¡°Can you blame me for that? Dad laughed a bit, a small chuckle as he gently rubbed his temple with his hand. ¡°Your mother was the same way. I admired it for a while.¡± ¡°Oh, fuck you,¡± I spat. ¡°You were fourteen when you left. Do you know how petrified I was?¡± Dad¡¯s voice strained with each word. ¡°I did everything for you.¡± My nostrils flared, and I took a step back, pressing my palm against my chest. ¡°You don¡¯t get the right to say that!¡± ¡°Would you have done everything I did?¡± He took another step forward. ¡°Stop it,¡± I demanded under my breath. His voice came out more frantic now. ¡°You can¡¯t keep pretending that it didn¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not pretending!¡± I exclaimed, my back to him as I refused to meet him head on. ¡°Do you know how hard it was for me? Do you think I wanted to do it?¡± He whispered, and the hairs on my next stood up. My eyes were wide as I stared down at my feet. ¡°I did it because I love you, Peijin.¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± ¡°And then you left me with nothing. You really are just like your mother.¡± I whipped out Zhige with my good arm and spun around, roaring, ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± He gently stepped forward, pushing the side of Zhige aside with a frail hand. ¡°Do you think I wanted to whore myself out? All for a daughter who would hate me?¡± My entire figure trembled, my nose beginning to burn. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, Dad.¡± The words involuntarily cracked as they came out. I continued speaking, trying to even my tone. ¡°But you should¡¯ve never done it. I would¡¯ve starved with you instead if it¡¯s what it took.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why you left? Without saying anything?¡± ¡°No,¡± I choked out, ¡°You were supposed to protect me. I was fourteen.¡± Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision¡ªbut I struggled to fight it back. I looked up, still avoiding the ceiling, as I blinked away my tears. Dad¡¯s eyes widened with realization at my last words, and he rushed forward, pulling me into a tight hug. His frail arms suddenly felt wide and comforting around my small body. And there we were¡ªa thin, sad man hugging a small child in the middle of a cluttered room. I remained frozen for a moment; I could feel each of his shaky breaths against my chest. How long had it been? A decade. I knew that, but now, I finally felt it. My arms wrapped around his back as I buried my face into his chest, the top of my head barely reaching his chin. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much, Dad,¡± I muttered, the words barely audible, since my voice cracked on each syllable. The room remained silent other than the sound of my beating heart and a strange radio static in the back. ¡°...you¡¯re tarnished.¡± My blood ran cold at those words, and I immediately stiffened. ¡°What?¡± I whispered, trying to pull back, but his grip was too strong. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. His fingers dug into my back as I felt the blue hoodie try and pull me away to no use. ¡°You¡¯re dirty and tarnished. How could you ever think you were worthy of love?¡± Voice growing deeper. The static grew louder and louder until the ceiling started to contort again, and a smiley face began to appear. ¡°Stop it. Stop it!¡± I screeched, shoving him and falling onto the ground as I grabbed onto Zhige and manically held him in front of me. Zhige was far too big in my child-sized hands, and the blade quickly shrunk to be more manageable. The smiley face on the ceiling slowly dripped like slime from the ceiling. Contorted and its features in warped brown lines, it fell onto Dad. I scrambled onto my feet, running toward the bedroom door and pounding on it. ¡°Help! Help me!¡± I cried, my voice a high-pitched squeal. Desperately shaking the doorknob, I peeked through it, watching shadows walk outside in the hall. But none came to help me. ¡°Feiyu!¡± My voice grew louder. ¡°Feiyu!¡± The second was a pleading whisper. I lifted Zhige and tried to stab the blade through the board, but it was quickly deflected, flying out of my grasp. I scrambled forward, trying to reach for the blade as Zhige also moved toward me, but I first caught sight of the smiley face. It had merged with my father¡¯s face, looking as if it were melting off of him. Oozing down his features, it dragged Dad into its cursed image. Even now, Dad couldn¡¯t protect me. The blue hoodie jerked upward, trying to get me to stand on my feet. I complied, barely able to stand, before loud banging emerged all around the room. The sound was so unbearably loud it seemed as if the entire room would crumble in on itself at any moment. Each bang caused a seismic trembling of the room, throwing me back on the ground just before the smiling beast. ¡°Who are you?¡± I screeched, swinging Zhige wildly. ¡°Peijin, Peijin, Peijin, Peijin,¡± my name echoed all around in short cries throughout the room in sync with the banging. That¡¯s right¡ªthis room was my childhood bedroom with the trashy posters and books littering the ground. Here I was all over again, fourteen, begging, and with the smiling face in my room. And Dad was gone again. Mom was never here. ¡°You¡¯re not my Dad! He¡¯d never say such a thing!¡± Finally, my blade sliced open the chest of the smiley face, causing a black goo to erupt from him in a thin line. Suddenly, a chilling voice rang out from behind me. ¡°Of course not! But he sure thought it.¡± I whipped my head around and saw myself. Myself? No, that was impossible. But she looked just like me. Her black, shoulder-length hair was perfectly styled, her bangs perfectly curled. Her skin was glowing white, and her red lips curved into a bright smile as she let out a childish laugh. Her laugh cracked and sparkled the way a young girl¡¯s would, not matching mine at all. I looked over my shoulder, and the smiling face was gone. Instead, this freakish woman took its place. ¡°Who are you?!¡± I gasped, looking up with insane eyes. I crawled backward before I stumbled back onto my feet. The room was silent, no more of the static exuberating out. ¡°Me? I¡¯m Wu Peijin.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t spew such bullshit, you mother fucker!¡± She kneeled down to match my eye level, speaking in that same, overly enthusiastic voice. ¡°Ha ha, I can¡¯t believe I only now meet you here! Although, I do suppose it¡¯s a bit misfortunate in these circumstances.¡± My chest heaved with every breath I took. ¡°What the hell are you bitching about?¡± ¡°But, oh well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. You reap what you sow, especially when it¡¯s about you.¡± She emphasized the last syllable before she cupped her face in her hands, staring at me with long eyelashes fluttering in the dim light. I finally caught my breath, barely able to keep up with my thoughts as I stared at her. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. My father never thought that. He would¡¯ve never said that, either.¡± Letting out another chirpy laugh, she reached into her pocket and pulled out two orange lollipops, handing me an unwrapped one and popping the other into her mouth. I slapped it out of her hand and watched it roll across the ground. ¡°Oh, but he really did think that, Peijin. You won¡¯t believe how much he thought about it.¡± ¡°Shut up! Who are you?! You¡¯re not real! You¡¯re not my fear, nothing of the sort. How did you get here?!¡± ¡°He thought about it so much, Peijin, that it drove him insane,¡± she whistled toward the end, emphasizing it while she drew circles with her finger beside her head. ¡°After he found out what happened between you and his client, he quit and spent all his savings looking for you. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? It was around your birthday, so he had money saved. I guess you would¡¯ve never known though, since you ran away and left poor old Dad all alone.¡± My heart fell at those words. Suddenly, every memory came rushing back, and there was nothing I could do other than grip my head in pain and stumble back, collapsing against the wall and hyperventilating. However, she continued speaking in that childlike tone, and I watched the words flow out of her mouth¡ªmy mouth. ¡°When you never came home, guess what he spent those savings on?¡± She popped the lollipop out of her mouth with an exaggerated sound as her other hand pointed into the roof of her mouth. ¡°Bang. Don¡¯t worry though, it didn¡¯t hurt him at all. Clean shot, straight out of the back of his head!¡± I cried out as I lunged forward and gripped onto her throat, slamming her against the ground. My hands gripped tighter and tighter around her neck as I tried to crush her airway and strangle her. She wasn¡¯t impacted in the slightest, her face twisted into an innocent grin as she continued to speak to me. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s only fair of me to tell you what happened with your mother, too. Congratulations, Peijin! You¡¯re an older sister! She¡¯s even in Feiyu¡¯s party. Isn¡¯t that so funny?¡±

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Incomprehensible emotions welled up inside of me as I tightened my grip, banging her head against the floor repeatedly. My teeth were so tightly pressed together I was surprised my jaw hadn¡¯t broken. ¡°Stop it! Who are you? You¡¯re not the real me!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha, of course not! I¡¯m no monster. Who are you?¡± I screeched, spit flying out with each word as my hair was plastered against my sweaty face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am! I¡¯m the real me!¡± ¡°Oh, silly girl, of course it matters! But I already know everything about you, ''Jia Li.''¡± She let out an innocent laugh again, and her head reeling backward as she easily sat up, removing my hands from her neck without looking at all impacted. ¡°As for me? I¡¯m Karma.¡± Chapter 36: Ghosts of the Past - Ep. 6, V My breath caught in my throat as my grip on Zhige''s hilt loosened for just a moment. ¡°Karma¡?¡± The words were barely more than a whisper. This couldn¡¯t be possible¡ªkarma wasn¡¯t a being. Karma was a system, a control variable. Karma stopped godly beings from overstepping. It was sheerly reactionary. And I was an older sister, and she was trapped with Feiyu in a spot I should''ve been in. How could one describe the feelings storming through my heart at this moment? Karma gave me an eerie smile before she sat up and put the orange lollipop back in her mouth, swirling it around as if nothing in the world could bother her in this moment. ¡°Cat got your tongue?¡± She jokingly called out, giving me a teasing grin as her eyes narrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t see why you¡¯re so surprised. After all, you created me.¡± ¡°No¡¡± I said softly, backing away from her. My feet tripped over each other, but I quickly steadied myself as I wielded Zhige before me apprehensively. She¡ªno, it¡ªknew who I really was. This was impossible. I never told anyone, even my party. At most, Yang had an inkling, but to have called me Jia Li like that? Was it Socrates, then? Or Nipon23? My breath came in rapid succession as I continued to shake my head, stepping back until my back pressed against the dark walls. I immediately flinched forward, petrified by the thought of the smiley face returning to grab me from behind. ¡°You¡¯re not real," I shouted, ¡°I never created you!¡± The haunting figure that looked just like me reached forward with an arm, the other wrapped behind her back. Suddenly, Zhige shot out from my hands as she approached¡ªthe blade pierced through her overwhelming aura and slashed through her chest in a large X. She remained still for a moment before blood sprayed out of her wound and she stumbled backward, tripping over her feet before she stabilized herself on a sofa. Even her movements mimicked mine. ¡°Ah, Haimo!¡± She exclaimed in a cheery tone, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you¡¯re still alive! I''m sure he''ll be thrilled to hear the news.¡± Zhige froze at the sound of its past name, or perhaps the mention of its past owner, before it darted forward again with enhanced speed. Steadying herself, Karma easily reached out a hand just before the tip of the blade. Zhige stabbed straight through her hand until her flesh pressed against its hilt, but she easily pulled it out and spun the tip on her fingertip like it was a basketball. ¡°It¡¯s such a misfortune to see how weak you¡¯ve become under Wu Peijin. You were very formidable before,¡± Karma said in a soft tone, one almost reminiscent of the one I had just spoken in. "She even gave you such a silly name, and you let her." She spoke to the glaring red eye. ¡°Weak?¡± I exclaimed, outraged, ¡°The only thing stopping Zhige is your karmic restraints!¡± Zhige thrashed, trying to break free of her grasp, but Karma held on tightly. ¡°I¡¯m not the one stopping Haimo. You are. Haimo has enough spiritual power to break through my aura even though it''s only at a percent of its power.¡± She gave me a bright smile again as she gently handed me the blade, holding onto the sharp edge and letting me grasp for the hilt. Not a flicker of fear or hesitation was visible on her expression. She was far more powerful than me, and we both knew that. ¡°I¡¯m surprised Haimo loved you enough to let you become its new owner. You¡¯re extraordinarily lucky, Wu Peijin.¡± The irony of her words struck a cord as I shouted, rushing forward with Zhige held high above me. I tackled Karma to the ground¡ªshe restrained her aura, allowing me to even get near her. I knew I would¡¯ve been blown away if she had used even an ounce of her power. After all, karma controlled everything. Karma was god. What a fool I''d been. My hands wrapped around her throat as I strangled her thin neck in my teenage hands. I watched her white skin¡ªmy white skin¡ªturn red under my fingertips. ¡°What the fuck have I done?! Nothing!¡± I shrieked, pressing down harder. My hand ran across the ground before I grabbed Zhige and plunged it straight into her chest, twisting the blade like the pin of a music box. But no matter how much Zhige struck her, she remained completely unphased. Even though blood gushed out of her, I knew no real wound was being left behind. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Everything!" She cried out, ecstatic, "You¡¯ve done everything, Wu Peijin! Even if you lived a billion years and only committed good deeds, you¡¯d never be able to pay off your bad karma.¡± My eyes widened with her words before they narrowed in rage, my pupils shrinking. I knew her words were true. They weren¡¯t exaggerations. After all, karma didn¡¯t need to lie. ¡°Fuck you, you bitch! If anything, you should be on my side!¡± I grabbed Zhige and stabbed her again, but she still smiled at me. ¡°You knew about my past, my family, and you still fuck me over! How is that karma?!¡± With a laugh filled with the same joy of a young child¡¯s, she answered sweetly, ¡°You know it as well as I do. That¡¯s why you keep throwing yourself in the frontlines. You know your debt to this world.¡± ¡°That has nothing to do with karma!¡± I shrieked, tears threatening to break free from my eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about me! Stop using my image!¡±

Scathing Reviewer is growing.

¡°Ha ha ha, but Wu Peijin, I am you. I am everything¡ªthe hairs on your head, the floorboards in this house, this entire universe. I am Karma.¡± She stuck her tongue out at me as blood dripped down her face in bold red streaks. It dotted her precious skin, but she paid no mind to it. To her, the image of my body was nothing more than a vessel. ¡°You¡¯re not karma,¡± I hissed before swallowing loudly, ¡°This is torture! You¡¯re the one who has fucked with the whole system, and karma doesn¡¯t do that!¡± Blinking up innocently at me, she furrowed her thin eyebrows. ¡°And you, Jia Li, you¡¯re not an anomaly? My very existence occurred because yours did. When you didn¡¯t exist, did I?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± I pressed the side of Zhige against her mouth and pressed down as hard as I could in a futile attempt to crush her jaw. Being in my fourteen-year-old body meant that one thing was much harder: I could barely hold back my tears. The moment I let one fall, I knew smiley would be back. After all, anytime he was there when I was younger, I always cried. What else could a girl of only fourteen do? But I knew one thing¡ªfuck whatever karma thought I owed. ¡°I never asked for this. Do you think I wanted to be in this world? Even if I created it, I didn¡¯t want it to become a reality!¡± I shrieked, my whole body shaking. My blood pounded in my ears, and I could feel myself slipping. ¡°But you love it all the same, Wu Peijin. You do. You want nothing more than to run back to your party right now and just exist with them there.¡± I chewed my quivering lower lip as I squeezed my eyes shut. ¡°Stop it, please,¡± I wheezed. ¡°You need to pay for making this world, Peijin. Don¡¯t you get it? It¡¯s your fault this exists,¡± Karma paused for a moment before pushing a strand of hair off my face. ¡°Even now, you wouldn¡¯t change a thing,¡± she chirped joyfully, ¡°You wish to live happily with all of them, but you don¡¯t wish for everyone¡¯s old life to come back, do you?¡± ¡°Stop it! Stop!¡± I screamed, dragging Zhige straight through her throat to sever her head. Blood bubbled all beneath her body and my hands, but she continued speaking¡ªnone of Zhige¡¯s spiritual energy had a remote impact on her. ¡°You¡¯re the reason Amelia¡¯s parents died, but right after she watched such a torturous scene, you picked her up right off the street and pretended to be her mom. How many other children have you orphaned? How many children have you murdered?¡± Each breath that squeezed out of my lungs was a mixture of a growl and a pained cry as I completely mutilated my spitting image. ¡°You¡¯re wrong! I didn¡¯t cause anything! How could I have? If I was always this powerful, I would¡¯ve never... never¡ª!¡± I couldn¡¯t finish the words through my sputtering lips. If I had been this powerful, nothing bad would have happened to me at fourteen. I would''ve wiped entire years of my life away, and Dad would be alive. I would''ve apologized to him.

Warning! Scathing Reviewer is growing!

¡°Silly little girl,¡± Karma cooed, a pile of gore and mashed bones on the ground moving around to form those words. They slowly reformed before a perfect, vital version of my face appeared once more. I finally pulled back, on my knees as my chest heaved up and down. I dug my bloodied nails through the wooden floorboards, the sensation sending shivers down my spine. ¡°If this is all my fault, then why aren¡¯t I the strongest?¡± ¡°There are only two people above you,¡± she sat up, too, as her body perfectly reformed. She held up two fingers in a peace sign just before me. ¡°Believe me, they will pay off for their crimes all the same. You¡¯re not the only one being punished. You''re only worse, Wu Peijin.¡± ¡°But I have been wronged! You call this justice? How can this be fair if I never once intended it?!¡± I wasn¡¯t going to deny it. Karma was right about one thing¡ªI loved this world far more than my own. Even though I pretended to hate it, even though I grew to deeply resent Feiyu and my characters, I¡¯d do everything in my power to protect them. I didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. Had I finally admitted that to myself? And it only took such a circumstance.

WARNING! Scathing Reviewer is growing!

¡°You¡¯re fated to make that choice, Wu Peijin, and I will adapt to whatever beast you¡¯ll become in this world. This may be the last time we speak where you¡¯ll still be human.¡± Karma stood before me in a short red dress that seemed to be stained with the same color as her blood. She continued to speak in that childish voice. ¡°Hear that? ¡®Bang, bang, bang,¡¯¡¯ she mimicked, ¡°Those are all your party members. I wonder if you¡¯ll look for your little sister like that.¡±

Scathing Reviewer has taken over.

Chapter 37: Ghosts of the Past - Ep. 6, VI ?????*???. ????*???.? *???? ?. ????*???. ????*???. ? *???? ? Karma¡¯s eyes immediately lit up as she darted forward and grabbed onto Peijin¡¯s small body, embracing her into a tight hug. She let out an excited gasp, jumping up and down. ¡°Ah, I think this is what you might call admiration? I can¡¯t believe I get to meet you,¡± her voice trilled. Peijin¡¯s expression immediately hardened, her eyes cold as she stared forward and spoke with a hardened voice. ¡°I have done no wrong.¡± The words were curt and held an indiscernible tone as Karma released her grasp on Peijin. Karma pulled back and placed her soft, glowing hands on Peijin¡¯s young face, bouncing it between her hands. ¡°It amazes me how the mind will split to preserve itself. We aren¡¯t so different, you know?¡± Peijin didn¡¯t even flinch from those words. ¡°Was it so wrong for me to find comfort and live? ¡°There is no such thing as wrong as long as you pay it off.¡± Karma¡¯s hands left Peijin¡¯s face and she stepped back, staring intently. ¡°There is nothing I need to pay off. Where was karma when I was raped? Where was karma when Dad became a prostitute?¡± Peijin replied harshly, not skirting the story anymore. ¡°You¡¯ve never been just, and you¡¯re not now. Why make me remember everything?¡± Karma laughed, bringing up a hand to cover her face. ¡°You still don¡¯t understand karma. You¡¯ve never lived a good life in any lifetime, and you¡¯ve never made good decisions. Why else would you be standing before me right now? You aren¡¯t supposed to exist,¡± Karma jabbed the question toward Scathing Reviewer before continuing. ¡°You connect your suffering with your goodness and pretend that all misfortune was bestowed upon you by the world. It wasn¡¯t. Whether or not this Peijin recalls it isn¡¯t of my concern.¡± Peijin¡¯s nostrils flared in rage but she stood still, only clenching her fists. ¡°Feiyu will kill you.¡± ¡°He might,¡± Karma replied sincerely, nodding her head. ¡°But in the end, that doesn¡¯t matter. Peijin can change other¡¯s fates, but she¡¯ll never change her own.¡± Peijin lifted Zhige and pointed it straight at Karma¡¯s throat. ¡°Then before I die, I¡¯ll tear you down with this very blade. I swear it.¡± Karma gave a soft smile, her long eyelashes fluttering and dark eyes glimmering. A heavy moment of silence followed Peijin¡¯s statement before Karma finally responded with a familiar question: ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I am me.¡± ¡°But then, who am I? Am I not you, Wu Peijin?¡± Karma quizzed, placing a hand on her chest. ¡°I know more about you than you yourself.¡± ¡°Wu Peijin does not need to understand herself to live as long as she¡¯s in this world,¡± Peijin¡¯s voice remained monotone and cold, but it began to speed up, growing more indignant. ¡°And that is why she will be ruined,¡± Karma replied sheepishly. ¡°Wu Peijin is nothing without this world¡ªshe cannot survive without it. She only stands here, before us, instead of dead with her father because she wrote that story and damned the rest of us.¡± Peijin shook her head violently. ¡°Do not twist what happened. This story is Peijin¡¯s salvation.¡± ¡°And it shall be her damnation.¡± Eyes narrowing, Peijin glared straight at Karma, never once faltering. ¡°Feiyu is the most beloved son of the god of fate. You cannot win.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha!¡± Karma laughed, her chest moving up and down with each breath. It sounded as if small hiccups broke up the laughter, like she were an over enthusiastic child. ¡°Feiyu is merely Peijin. Everywhere you look, the only thing you¡¯ll find is Peijin. Yue is Peijin. Wei is Peijin. This world is Peijin. ¡°That is why you will pay. This world is the most beautifully selfish creation, and even if it saves you, karma gets everyone. I don¡¯t need to win, Peijin. I am Karma.¡±

Scathing Reviewer is flickering!

With a heavy sigh, Peijin responded, ¡°Wait until Peijin meets Feiyu, and you¡¯ll see the extent of her strength to protect him. Today, she has already acknowledged how she felt for the rest of her party.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. With a wicked and twisted smile, Karma only said a few more words before Scathing Reviewer shattered. ¡°And even in this world, Peijin still cannot learn to love herself. You and I are more similar than you think. I believe we will become good friends.¡± Peijin blinked for a moment before scoffing and turning away, her fists clenched. "It''s not my time to fight you, but remember my promise."

Scathing Reviewer deactivated!

?????*???. ????*???.? *???? ?. ????*???. ????*???. ? *???? ? I coughed for a moment, placing my hand on my knee to steady myself as I spat on the ground below me, gasping for air. My head raced, and I felt it pulse as my vision blurred. I spotted Karma¡¯s peering face, the same calm smile strewn across it. ¡°Hello.¡± Finally catching my breath, I wiped off my dirtied face and met her gaze. My mind was completely jumbled as if someone had shuffled and refiled my memories. Why had Karma just said ¡°hello?¡± We¡¯ve been talking this entire time, and our last interaction was about how I wasn¡¯t the strongest person here¡ªthat was Feiyu and whatever other monster took over. ¡°I¡¯m not the best in this world,¡± I spat, steadying myself. ¡°Kill the rest of them first, you motherfucker!¡± I lunged forward and aimed Zhige straight at Karma¡¯s perfect figure, but she easily side-stepped and I went flying into the wall with a flurry of curses. ¡°You misunderstand me, Wu Peijin. I can¡¯t kill you because you can¡¯t die. That¡¯s not your karma. Even if I tortured you, murdered you, mutilated you, it would never be enough.¡± My face twisted into one of astonished shock as I got back up, screaming as I ran forward again, this time making sure my blade slashed straight through her. Zhige easily sliced through her body, but instead of being cut in half, she remained fully intact. ¡°Your curse is knowledge.¡± Her grin grew as she laughed, twirling away from my frenzied slashes before she calmly sat down on the armrest of a sofa. ¡°Isn¡¯t it befitting? After telling everyone you¡¯re the god of fate, that¡¯ll be your downfall.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± I screamed, tearing apart the sofa, but none of my slashes seemed to land on her. ¡°Goddamnit, Zhige!¡± Zhige shrank at my harsh tone and word and a wave of sympathy immediately flowed through me. When did I get so attached to this world? One thing was for certain now. I couldn¡¯t lie to myself anymore¡ªI really did care about my party. Whether or not Scathing Reviewer was activated, I started thinking about them more than I thought about myself at times. Yue¡¯s bickering, Amelia¡¯s smile, Yang¡¯s cunningness, Wei¡¯s empathy¡. And for that reason, I would kill Karma. No matter what it took of me. Karma reached out an arm at surprising speed and grabbed my face, squeezing my cheeks. ¡°I see why the gods and observers like you. You¡¯re cute!¡± I couldn¡¯t pull out of her harrowing grip no matter how much I tried¡ªshe didn¡¯t even budge despite my thrashing. ¡°I¡¯ll let you live, Wu Peijin. But you have to know something,¡± At once, Karma emitted gold karmic energy around her body, and I was violently flung into the bedroom wall with a sharp cry. I tried to lift a figure and move forward, but I was completely pinned. Even Zhige struggled to move from the overwhelming power. Karma took step after step forward, almost floating across the ground. ¡°You¡¯re the reason your group will suffer. Your karma is so bad it impacts everyone else around you,¡± Karma began. ¡°Weren¡¯t you curious why Yang¡¯s luck was so bad after his first dice roll? It was because of you, Wu Peijin. You¡¯re dooming everyone around you. Didn¡¯t it surprise you how well Yue did without you and with Yang, Wei, and Amelia instead?¡± I wanted to scream in her face, reach out and cry and tear at her, but I couldn¡¯t even open my mouth. My eyes darted around desperately as if a silent threat. ¡°No one needs you. They need Feiyu. He¡¯s always been the better version of you, and you made him that way. Every relationship you forge is your karma because you will always destroy the other person, Wu Peijin. You, you are destruction.¡± My blood ran cold. I remained still¡ªnot because of Karma¡¯s retracting aura but because of my sheer horror. Ha, this world really was cruel. ¡°Me?¡± I asked softly, meeting Karma¡¯s empty but glittering gaze. ¡°Me?¡± Karma walked forward and pulled my child-like body into a tight embrace before pulling back and looking down on me. ¡°That¡¯s your curse. But I won¡¯t go back on my word. I¡¯ll send you back, and your party will make it past this round safely as soon as you exit the house.¡± At once, countless hands burst all over the room and grabbed me, beginning to drag me into the walls. Their grip was cold but their fingers moved frantically, pinching and tearing into my flesh. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you,¡± I swore softly, my lips mouthing the words more than they were audible. ¡°I¡¯ll tear down this entire universe and slaughter you to save them,¡± my voice grew louder, ¡°I¡¯ll hunt you down in every single timeline! You¡¯ll never get away with hurting them, you fucker!¡± The hands continued to pull me back but I tried resisting, shoving my way forward until my face was just inches from her glowing one. ¡°You were right about what you said earlier. You¡¯re not the only anomaly. We¡¯re one and the same, Wu Peijin. And for this, this is why you¡¯ll survive.¡± Finally, the hands wrapped around my face and dragged me into the black abyss. Chapter 38: Ghosts of the Past - Ep. 6, VII I burst out of the wall and fell on my back while strange black goop was still latched onto me. Gagging in my mouth, I flung my arms and watched the black goo slide off and splatter the hallway walls. It slowly slid down before being absorbed back into the wallpaper, sending shivers down my spine. Wait, the hallway walls? ¡°Peijin!¡± The shrill voice cried, and I turned my head to see a blond girl sprinting towards me before she leapt into the air, landing straight on my abdomen. ¡°Umph-!¡± Tears ran down her face as she sobbed, her face buried in my blue hoodie. Her small hands tightly gripped the fabric, and I could feel the hoodie squirm uncomfortably underneath her grasp. She lifted her face and sniffled to stop the snot from dripping down her face. Finally catching her breath, she let out an even louder cry. ¡°Wahhh, P-Peijin,¡± Amelia paused, wiping her face for a brief moment and coughing, ¡°I really didn¡¯t think you¡¯d come back!¡± I laid on my back for a bit, still processing Karma¡¯s words. I was staring directly at the ceiling, but I knew that the dungeon room was over. Smiley wouldn¡¯t be there¡ªI was sure of it now. I finally sat up and tightly hugged Amelia, the sides of our faces pressed together. Her curly blonde hair was suffocating; I gently brushed it aside and continued to hug her. Karma was right. I had no right to care for or about Amelia after dooming her family and forcing her to kill her puppy. But at this moment, I couldn¡¯t let go of her again. The last time. This would be the last time I¡¯d indulge in the presence of others. If my bad karma rubbed off on them, I¡¯d never forgive myself. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I spoke softly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± She clung onto me like a koala and wrapped herself around my abdomen. The glint of a spear suddenly appeared just before my throat. ¡°You should be more worried about yourself right now,¡± the voice barked angrily. ¡°I¡¯m so pissed off I could kill you.¡± I gave an exacerbated look, and the back of my hand pushed her spear away. ¡°Good to see you again, Yue.¡± Her nostrils flared and brows furrowed as she hovered above me before Yang shoved her away, causing her to stumble in my peripheral vision. I could see the sweat dripping down his face, and when I looked into his dimmed orange eyes, I felt an empathetic pang in my chest¡ªhe was panicking to find me. Ha, weird. I was never like this when Scathing Reviewer was deactivated. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late,¡± I smiled before grabbing his extended hand and pulling myself up. Amelia was still clinging onto my abdomen, and my other arm supported her weight. To my surprise, it looked like I had been fully healed. Bandages were no longer wrapped around my entire arm, and my once shredded arm moved fluidly. Now, the only sign left on my skin of any past arcs was the black tower tattoo. Yang sighed, looking away. ¡°You really had me worried. Are you alright?¡± He kept his hand on my shoulder as if worried that at any moment I would vanish before him again. Before I could respond, Yang was suddenly shoved back as a man in white robes pulled me into a tight hug but made sure to avoid Amelia. ¡°Agh, Peijin!¡± He exclaimed, pulling back so I could make out his face. Wei¡¯s eyes were red and puffy like he was trying to hold back tears. ¡°I feel so bad! I was supposed to protect you, and you just disappeared!¡± I was paralyzed at his dramatic response before I let my shoulders slump, a humored smile appearing on my face. ¡°You¡¯re like a puppy,¡± I laughed, putting my hand on his back after a moment''s hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m really alright, everyone.¡± Yue finally came over and tore Wei off of me but left Amelia hanging. ¡°Get off her! You¡¯re acting like you just saw someone resurrect from their grave. Even Amelia is more mature than you!¡± Wei patted his swollen face and obediently nodded at Yue¡¯s words. I watched curiously; those two had hated each other at the very beginning, but here they were working together. In fact, just watching everyone in my party interact with one another caused a fuzzy tingle and warmth in my chest. I watched them bicker with an odd sense of awe and wistfulness, and my most sincere smile appeared unbeknownst to me. I quickly shook the thought out of my head. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I quickly barked, grabbing Zhige once more and finally placing a calmed Amelia on the ground. ¡°We can leave this house safely now, trust me. I won¡¯t randomly turn into a kid anymore.¡± ¡°Wait, Peijin,¡± Yang quickly chimed in, standing beside me. ¡°What happened in that room? Couldn¡¯t you hear us?¡± I stiffened for a moment but quickly relaxed. That must have been what all that banging and chanting of my name was¡ªstill, even knowing what it was now, it was still an unnerving memory. ¡°I couldn¡¯t hear you, but it¡¯s alright. I got out, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t start distancing yourself again.¡± My nostrils flared in annoyance. ¡°I¡¯m not. Stop being annoying.¡± In my defense, I really wasn¡¯t. This was going to be one of the last times I could be honest with them. Yue shoved my head harshly. ¡°Do you know how worried Wei was? He was so upset that you saw all our fears and saved us, but there you were trapped alone.¡± I promptly punched her in the side before sparing a guilty glance and Wei and letting out a loud sigh. ¡°Fine. But Amelia can¡¯t hear.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Amelia cried out in distress, looking up at me with pleading eyes. I signaled for Yue to put on the headphones, and Yue tightly held them against the squirming Amelia¡¯s head. She finally relented, pursing her lips and glaring at me. I grumbled, ¡°I¡¯m gonna speed through my deepest fear or whatever,¡± I added air quotes as I spoke, ¡°But¡¡± Wait, should I tell them about Karma? If I did, then there was no doubt they would act rashly in their weird fixation to repay me for helping them¡ªand at their level and knowledge, I¡¯d only be dooming them. Just by being with me, I was slowly killing them. That being said, Karma was after me, and I was actively hunting her, too. This was something that affected them as much as it did me. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Ah, Karma was right. My curse really was knowledge. How cruel. ¡°But what?¡± Yang broke the silence and sent me back into reality. ¡°But I don¡¯t wanna talk about it afterwards.¡± Yang stared at me a bit before nodding slowly. ¡°Alright.¡± I reached into my bag and pulled out the pack of cookies I found earlier. Everyone stared at me awkwardly before I shook the container, offering them before I began speaking. ¡°My dad always got these exact cookies for me. We would only eat them with each other, and the rule was it had to be in sets of four,¡± I murmured wistfully, ¡°That''s why they were in the pantry here. I haven¡¯t eaten them ever since, though.¡± The cookies crunched in my mouth as I covered my mouth, swallowing. ¡°My mom left when I was around ten, I think? I don¡¯t know,¡± I began in a nonchalant tone. Light streamed into the once haunted house now¡ªat least Karma kept her promise. ¡°My dad and I were dirt poor. Seriously. He ended up turning toward prostitution to make ends meet. I don¡¯t hate my dad or anything. He did what he had to. I just wish he didn¡¯t do it, you know?¡± I felt an odd burning sensation spreading through my arm. I rubbed it in hopes of dissipating the sensation to no avail. ¡°But when I was about fourteen, one of his clients came into my room and¡ª¡± Yue¡¯s eyes widened in understanding, and she quickly clasped her hands over my mouth, silencing me. ¡°You don¡¯t need to continue,¡± she blurted. Pulling her hands back, I replied softly. ¡°That¡¯s when Smiley appeared for the first time. That¡¯s why my biggest fear was a haunted house, since I don¡¯t think I ever faced what happened for a while. I ran from home after.¡± Yue gave me a solemn look, her brows furrowed. ¡°Did something happen in the room just now?¡± ¡°Nah,¡± I shook my head, awkwardly looking down at the cookies and refusing to meet her gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s go?¡± When I finally looked up, I noticed all of them looking at me with a different expression now except for Amelia. But the last thing it was was judgment or disgust. Rather, it was a look of pity. The burning sensation on my arm grew, and when I looked down, I realized my tattoo was glowing a faint white now. ¡°Don¡¯t pity me,¡± I bluntly added, ¡°I¡¯m not a good person.¡± After all, I was the reason my dad was dead. Suddenly, two warm arms wrapped around my small frame before others joined. All of them, even Amelia who knew not a thing about who I was, gently embraced me. I blinked away tears but my arms stayed pinned to my side. ¡°Thank you for trusting us, Peijin,¡± Yang whispered softly, and I was glad I couldn¡¯t see his expression right now. Wei¡¯s response was silent and warm, and Yue¡¯s was a tight, almost painful squeeze. But all of it was comfort. ¡°...thank you,¡± I choked out, finally wiggling my arms up and hooking the back of their necks, pulling them in tighter.

You have become the Tower.

My tattoo erupted in a flurry of gold sparks¡ªkarma. I felt a surge of spiritual energy flood through my body, but I didn¡¯t let go of any of them. They held on, too, until the flurry of sparks finally fell back.

Observer Socrates: JIA LI OH MY GOD I CAN FINALLY COMMENT AGAIN

Observer Landescape: I don¡¯t care what all those ¡°reviewers¡± say about Peijin, I¡¯m rooting for her to live and succeed!

You have received a new rating.

5 / 5: I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d like Wu Peijin at all. She¡¯s been pretty insufferable, but this room dragged her through hell and back, and the first thing she does is care for her party members.

Don¡¯t make it sound so sappy. Finally, we all pulled back, and Yue¡¯s face returned to her cocky, demeaning expression. ¡°So, god of fate and fortune, do you have any explanation for magical tattoos?¡± I laughed, briefly wiping my face with the palm of my hand. ¡°I can only read the fate of people beneath me like you, so I don¡¯t have an explanation.¡± ¡°...glad to see you¡¯re still bitchy.¡±

You have received a new rating.

3 / 5: Good, but pretty unrealistic writing. Real people wouldn¡¯t have cared this much.

I snickered before wrapping my arm around her shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t, but there¡¯s more of them out there. They¡¯re part of the Major Arcana, and I have a feeling Feiyu¡¯s party knows about it.¡± I ushered the rest of the party out of the house first, practically dragging them down the hallway. ¡°I have something to do. I¡¯ll meet you all on the metro train.¡± Wei spared a nervous glance back, but I quickly flashed a reassuring smile. Once they all safely made it in, I turned around and looked down the hallway.

Observer Socrates: Jia Li I¡¯m sorry I was mean to you please forgive me TvT You were really annoying before but still I¡¯m sorry. I was so worried when the system shut down

Observer Socrates: Also I figured out what the tattoo was. It¡¯s the Tower from tarot cards. Wait, are you busy?

¡°No, keep talking. I¡¯m just setting up something.¡± I took out some of the chocolate chip cookies and placed a stack of four down in the hallway. I knew this was overly petty and stupid, but so was I.

Observer Socrates: It symbolizes destruction, painful loss, and tragedy.

¡°...¡±

Observer Socrates: But the reverse means resisting change and delaying the inevitable.

¡°You¡¯re great at making me feel worse,¡± I grumbled, looking down at the cookies.

Observer Socrates: It¡¯s a sign for meeting a crisis head on and rebirth. I¡¯m guessing you either got it because of this challenge or something greater is coming, Jia Li.

I remained still for a moment, and Socrates must have remained silent after sensing my attitude. ¡°I guess this is as much of a meal I¡¯ll ever be able to share with you, dad." The rest of the cookies were still in the plastic container on the floor, and I stared down at them. ¡°As for Karma, fuck you.¡± I lifted my foot and kicked the container as hard as I could, and it immediately exploded from my superhuman strength on impact, sending crumbs flying all over the hallway. The four I had left for my dad remained perfectly untouched as I walked out of the door and shut it behind me.

Observer Socrates: ¡ Jia Li is going crazy.

The silver metro appeared just before me, and I could see all of my party members waiting for me inside. I stepped on, and the doors slid shut behind me with a satisfying click. ¡°The fuck were you doing in there?¡± Yue asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯d laugh at me.¡± ¡°Probably. You okay?¡± I nodded, and I looked up to see Wei¡¯s anxious eyes. ¡°Peijin¡¡± he began, ¡°do you know my fate or whatever my room is?¡± A laugh escaped my lips. There was no time for breaks in this world¡ªI was thrust back into my element as I felt the metro speed up and grabbed onto the bars. ¡°I do. Everyone, listen up,¡± I ordered, my other hand holding onto Zhige. ¡°Do exactly as I say, because if you don¡¯t, Wei will die at my hand.¡± Chapter 39: A Battle for Fate - Ep. 7, I Wei flushed bright red and gave me as astonished look before he took an anxious step back. ¡°Ha ha, you¡¯re very funny, Peijin¡¡± I stared at him, my grip on Zhige¡¯s hilt tight. ¡°No, I¡¯m dead serious.¡± ¡°...¡± His pouting lips quivered as he stared at me, looking like a betrayed puppy. Yang grabbed my ear and tightly tugged on it, scolding me. ¡°Stop bullying Wei, and tell us what to do before the metro arrives at the destination.¡± ¡°Agh-!¡± I exclaimed, wincing as I swatted at his hand. ¡°Fine, fine!¡± One of my eyes shut while my hand rubbed against the side of my head to try and get rid of the achy pain. ¡°As the esteemed god of fate and fortune, I can see that we¡¯re going to be split as a group. Wei, you¡¯ll end up alone.¡± Wei¡¯s nervousness was apparent as he rested his chin on his sword¡¯s hilt, anxiously swaying back and forth before he let out a whine. ¡°I¡¯d rather not hear about any of this if it¡¯s so abysmal.¡± I waved my hand, brushing him off. ¡°Well it doesn¡¯t really matter because as soon as the room starts, you¡¯ll lose all your memories.¡± ¡°W-What?!¡± Yang exclaimed, peeking over and staring at me. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me we¡¯re going to fight him or something.¡± Before I answered Yang, I quickly sorted through my own thoughts, one of my fingers tapping my chin. Other than Wei, the rest of the party would be split into groups of two¡ªending up with Yang would be the best case scenario. Afterall, we were the smartest¡ although I didn¡¯t trust Amelia alone with Yue. Well, I guess Yang or Amelia would work then. Yang snapped his fingers before my face, and I quickly jumped back into reality. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let that happen. You forget that Wei¡¯s luck is incredible,¡± I insisted sincerely before continuing. ¡°The posters were right. Wei was born thousands of years ago as a cultivator who managed to ascend into the heavenly realm. ¡°Wei¡¯s deepest fear is reliving his life from back then. Think of it as my room but worse because there¡¯s the added element of amnesia,¡± I smiled and gave a thumbs up at the crumpling Wei.

Many observers are gawking at the extent of the knowledge you¡¯re sharing!

¡°What the fuck?!¡± Yue exclaimed, tugging at her hair. ¡°Who created these torture chambers?" ¡°Ha ha,¡± I laughed awkwardly, running my hand against the back of my head while avoiding her eyes. ¡°But it¡¯s alright. I have a good idea of how to get Wei out.¡± Wei¡¯s hands trembled as he looked up at me with glassy eyes. ¡°You must be mistaken. That¡¯s impossible! I don¡¯t remember any of that!¡± He insisted, clasping onto his white robes. ¡°Is there nothing that¡ I can do?¡± ¡°Nah,¡± I said calmly, walking up to him and putting my hands on each of his shoulders. ¡°You have a strong enough character to beat this room,¡± I declared confidently, staring straight into his eyes. ¡°I know that for certain.¡± He stared at me with glowing eyes before loudly sniffling, looking like he was about to cry. ¡°You better not start crying right now.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it! Do you really think that about me?¡± I let out a loud sigh before I flicked his forehead and turned back to face the rest of the party. ¡°Our first initiative is to meet up as soon as we end up in the other world. That being said, some of us will arrive at earlier periods. ¡°All of us need to buy a skill called ¡®Continuous Convey.¡¯¡± I pulled it up on the Azure Dragon store and showed them all my screen. ¡°This will let us communicate with each other. Amelia, I¡¯ll buy yours because it¡¯s expensive, and I like you.¡± The skill was stupid expensive at around 8,000 stars¡ªthat¡¯s why I hadn¡¯t made them purchase it sooner. I was glaring at the purchase button as I click it before I spotted Amelia beaming with pride from my words, and it looked like she could burst at any moment. I snorted, placing my hand at the top of her head before ruffling her hair. We all bought the skill and quickly added each other, testing it out. Messages would be sent telepathically, and we could make individual chats as well.

Peijin: This is the main chat that has all party members. Don¡¯t chat here unless it¡¯s emergencies. You only get twenty messages a day.

Yue: Twenty messages?? What kind of idiot came up with that?

Peijin: Now it¡¯s nineteen.

Yue: I¡¯d curse you out right now if Amelia wasn¡¯t here.

Yang: ¡ Wei is doomed

A quick pain flashed through my head as Yang smacked both Yue and me, and both of us quickly cursed him out. The metro began slowing down, the path becoming increasingly bumpy before slowing down. I looked around one last time with a cocky grin, trying to ease their nerves. It was fun teasing them, but I¡¯d lie if I said I wasn¡¯t nervous. The chance I¡¯d end up killing Wei was pretty high after all. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He already suffered amnesia to have lost all of his past memories¡ªnow, he was about to lose all of his new ones. One he regained both, who knew how¡¯d he react? ¡°Don¡¯t panic. The first objective is to find one another and locate Wei, alright? If not all of us appear, just wait. We¡¯ll all show up eventually.¡± ¡°What about Archangel Michael?¡± Wei asked, looking up with a slightly more confident expression. ¡°Uhh¡ he¡¯s probably still in trial,¡± I said awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck.

Observer Socrates: He¡¯ll be out soon because of the contract you signed with him. It lessened the karmic restraint.

That damned contract. I was owing more and more gods with each arc. Wait, did the observers or gods know about Karma? I doubted it¡ªif they did, the entire system would have been heavily skewed considering that Karma knew I was Jia Li. I¡¯d ask later. I turned back to Wei, reassuring him: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be out soon. There won¡¯t be much he can do in this dungeon room with you anyway, since he won¡¯t be allowed to communicate with you.¡± ¡°Peijin, please don¡¯t ever become a cheerleader or coach," Wei pleaded. After giving Wei a deadpanned look, the metro car finally came to a stop as the doors slid open. I gave Wei a hard slap on the back before we all walked forward. All of them stood in a line before the open metro door, trying to squeeze in shoulder to shoulder. I held Amelia before me, apprehensive of letting her go. ¡°Take care of each other,¡± I said softly, staring into the black abyss. Typically, the room would have appeared just before the doors, showing the scenery; however, there was nothing but a black void. ¡°Ah, I say we push Peijin in first,¡± Yue sneered, giving me a mischievous look. I glared at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you dar¡ª¡± Before I could finish my words, the metro car erupted, the entire train bursting outwards as metal panels flew all around the void before vanishing. ¡°Amelia!¡± I shouted, looking down at my now empty hands. I swiveled around the void for a moment, looking around to realize I was completely alone. I let out an exasperated sigh as I floated around the emptiness. It was uncomfortable in how lukewarm it felt. Reaching for Zhige, I stroked the blade in boredom as I waited. Well, clearly I was not the first group to arrive. ¡°Sorry I yelled at you earlier, Zhige,¡± I said softly. It was stupid to be apologizing to a sword, but since Zhige shrunk earlier, it refused to return to its original size. The red eye blinked at me for a moment before rolling, clearly not convinced. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m serious! I really am sorry!¡± Zhige¡¯s eye narrowed even more before the blade shrunk significantly as if protesting. ¡°...You should be apologizing to me. Why does Karma know you, huh?¡±

Observer Socrates: Wait Jia Li what are you talking about?? Isn¡¯t karma just the power system you wrote?

Jackpot. The surrounding environment slowly began to flood with colors and beautiful floral scenes that quickly flew by¡ªit was like I was watching an entire timeline float past me. Zhige flew out before me and waved around frantically as if trying to justify itself. ¡°Uh huh,¡± I said with a raised eyebrow and my arms crossed, ¡°I¡¯m not convinced. I thought we had something special,¡± I sniffed dramatically, wiping a fake tear. This was the room where I was going to turn over a new leaf. No more impulsivity or half-thought out plans¡ªI wrote this very room verbatim, and I knew it like the back of my hand. That included the plot holes, I guess. ¡°Zhige, get ready! I¡¯m going to absolutely wipe this room once I get there,¡± I shouted, smashing my fist against my open palm. Both of us suddenly froze at the appearance of a glitching red box just before me.

UNKNOWN ENTITY DESCENDING INTO WEI¡¯S DUNGEON ROOM.

¡°No.¡± I looked around, cupping my hands around my mouth and screaming into the flurry of images. ¡°Chang! Chang! Come and fix this bullshit!¡±

1%...5%...48%...97%

¡°Are you fucking kidding me right now?!¡± I cried out angrily, glaring at the screen. Descent into a system implied it was being done by some kind of god or ghost¡ªit was still too early in the arcs to have a being descend in their true form. That meant whatever spiritual energy they were backed by, it was enormous. It was big enough to deter karmic restraints. ¡°Fuck!¡± I screamed, smashing my fist against the red screen. ¡°Is this from you bastards in the Major Arcana? You piss me off!¡± Zhige¡¯s hilt bashed into my forehead, and I let out a grunt before wrestling with the blade. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re on their side?!¡± The sword shook back and forth at me, trying to convince me we were on the same team. ¡°What¡¯s your issue then? I¡¯m going to lose my mind if I ever see this stupid Major Arcana bullshit again! This spiritual energy is literally¡ªagh!¡± Zhige smacked me firmly again, leaving a purple mark on my forehead.

DESCENT COMPLETE.

¡°Fucker!¡± I reached for the screen with the intention of throwing it before the flashing images suddenly stopped as I hurtled toward the ground. Sharp cries slipped from my mouth while I crashed through countless trees before finally landing on the ground with a loud thump. ¡°Ugh¡¡± I groaned, my eyes squeezed shut. Through my ringing ears, I could make out a faint voice speaking to me as I struggled to open my eyes. I stammered, ¡°Y-Yang?¡± Two firm hands quickly scooped me back onto my feet, and when I pried open my eyes, I made out the blurry figure. Long black robes adorned her towering figure as she placed a hand on her hip before crossing her arms. Her silky black hair was pulled up into an elaborate bun, and her lips were tinted a mauve color. I hadn¡¯t realized it before, but she was quite pretty. She gave me a demeaning glare before opening her mouth. ¡°Are you going to keep staring at me or what?¡± ¡°...There¡¯s no way I got trapped here with you, Yue.¡± ¡°Excuse me?!¡± I fell backward on the forest ground, clamping my hands over my face and kicking my feet. ¡°God damnit! At this point, god can strike me down!¡± Yue let out a loud groan and reached over, trying to lift my limp body. ¡°You¡¯re seriously annoying! Get up!¡± She tugged on me repeatedly, but I dug my body into the soft ground below me.

Hindsight activated!

My eyes immediately widened as I looked over to my side and saw a figure come crashing down into the ground miles away¡ªbut the subsequent seismic wave immediately shot toward us. I reached up and clasped my arms around Yue''s abdomen before I rolled over her body as the ground erupted all around us. Chapter 40: A Battle of Fate - Ep. 7, II The ground below us rippled and sent chunks of dirt flying into the air. I was pressed up against a now shaking tree beside Yue, my hands pressing her down. Leaves and twigs pelted toward the ground and smacked against the back of my head. The faint sound of shouts and roars could be heard in the background before the ground finally came to a still. Yue peeked around the tree and quickly surveyed the surroundings before she jumped up, grabbing my arm. ¡°Get up! The hell are you lying down for?¡± She exclaimed before pulling me upward and sending me stumbling forward.

Peijin: Yue and I are here. Where¡¯s everyone else? We¡¯re in a forest but there¡¯s a lot of rumbling so we¡¯re going to leave it first.

I waited for a moment, but no response came. I sighed loudly and rolled my eyes in annoyance. ¡°Can they seriously not answer?¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯re dead,¡± Yue replied, shrugging. I promptly smacked the back of her head, and she let out a small yelp. "Don''t say stuff like that. You''ll make my karma worse." She moved to strike me with the blunt end of her spear, but another deafening cry sounded from beyond the trees, the ground shaking once more. ¡°We need to get out of here,¡± I declared. Yue raised a brow at me. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we check it out?¡± ¡°You¡¯re seriously stupid.¡± Her nostrils flared. ¡°Since when were you against doing stupid shit? Besides, we''re strong enough at this point.¡± I ignored her words and turned my back before surveying the area before me. It was obvious I was some kind of female cultivator by my long blue robes, elaborate belts, and expansive sleeves. My hair was even longer and styled properly, with a bun and hairpins at the top. I couldn''t see myself, but the weight of my hair was now substantially more noticeable than my typical shoulder-length hair. Yue looked the same. No amount of spiritual energy could fix her, I guess. I dug Zhige into the bark of a towering tree before I swung myself up, examining the area. Immediately, my eyes lit up with awe.

Observer Socrates: Woah.

Many observers are amazed at the sight before them.

We were on a cliff¡¯s edge and surrounded by a wispy gray fog that seemed to move around the landscape with a mind of its own. The sun formed rainbows on the droplets of water and reflected beautifully off the colorful temples. Red, teals, and dark blues were sprinkled all over a massive temple hanging by the cliff. It was enormous¡ªa massive gold bell hung in the middle of it, and it shook unsteadily with each seismic wave that passed through the ground sporadically.

Observer Socrates: I¡¯m sure you¡¯re glad you put more effort into describing the scenery than fixing your plot holes.

And Socrates still read every single chapter and now stalked me. I must have done something right. I felt Yue appear beside me before she let out a small gasp, the wind blowing her long black hair behind her. Her hand gripped onto the trunk of the tree, and she unsteadily wobbled on the branch, trying to dig her nails in. ¡°Is that a temple?¡± I smirked and looked at her. ¡°Still wanna figure out what those explosions were, or do you wanna head to the temple?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± I jumped down to the ground, my robes whipping behind me before landing softly. I couldn¡¯t help but look down and admire the way my outfit looked. The blue robes must have been an adaptation of the blue hoodie that better fit the environment. Thanks to my contract with Chang, the influx of messages in the channel had brought me thousands of stars¡ªeven though the last room lowered my earnings due to the lack of the system and messages, I still earned a lot for the angry messages and complaints Chang received. ¡°Yue, do you have enough stars to level up?¡± I leapt over to the side of the cliff before I jumped down and hung off the edge, peering at the temple across the massive ravine. She snorted, puffing out her chest and running her hands through her long black here. ¡°Of course I do.¡± I looked down at my own blue screen before me.

203,495 stars.

¡°Whatever you say.¡±

54,000 stars used.

Agility level 25 ¡ú level 35

I gripped onto the ledge before I pushed my feet off, launching myself across the ravine before I landed on the opposite cliff. I skid down like a snowboarder before latching onto the tiled roof of the temple. Yue was a barely visible speck at the other side of the cliff, and my hand gave a mocking wave as I cupped my hands in front of my face. ¡°Are you coming?¡± I shouted, enunciating every single world to make sure she would be able to hear it. I could see her small figure freeze for a moment before she swiped through various screens, clearly contemplating the situation before her. Now that we were further into the arcs, both the gods and disciples had more access to spiritual energy¡ªYue could pull off the jump even if she didn¡¯t have enough stars by borrowing some spiritual energy from her sponsor. She seemed to argue with an invisible figure for a moment, her arms waving frantically around her.

Hindsight activated!

Above her body loomed the figure of a demonic bull who seemed just as frustrated and stubborn as Yue. His holy and invisible figure let out a puff of smoke before he seemed to relent, tapping her hand. I let out a small chuckle, turning toward Zhige as I sat down on the roof of the temple, kicking my feet back and forth. ¡°Isn¡¯t this amusing?¡± Zhige¡¯s eye glared at me before the blade shrunk, and I was quickly reminded of our earlier feud. I glared back, and the blade shrunk even more. ¡°Can you talk or will Karma zap the hell out of you again? You need to explain why you defended the Major Arcana.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The red eye rolled, clearly picking up on the pun in my words. ¡°Sorry, I forgot you were demonic. No wonder you¡¯re insufferable, too. You and Yue would be good friends.¡± I was very glad Zhige only had an eye and not a mouth. ¡°Oh, but Karma did say you really like me,¡± I joked, smiling at the eye. ¡°Most people do, so I¡¯m not surprised.¡± I looked back up toward the cliff edge to see Yue had backed up and was bracing herself to sprint forward. With Hindsight on, there was a faint aura of spiritual energy around her, but it wouldn¡¯t be enough to boost her all the way to the edge. Clearly, the Bull Demon King was a bit cheap, even when it came to his star disciple. He was probably better than Sun Wukong, though. Yue sprinted forward and made the leap, her arms flailing in the air, and she flew with surprising speed across the ravine¡ªbefore all the spiritual energy was used up. She plummeted into the gray fog, her arms flailing. ¡°Zhige, go get her,¡± I ordered, and the sword flew into the fog before it lifted her up. The nature of this arc granted much more spiritual power, especially considering that Yue and I were now technically cultivators. I left Hindsight on, apprehensive about whatever beast or ghost could appear. Suddenly, I noticed a thin white string attached to my finger. I looked up, trying to use Hindsight to see what god was above me, but there was nothing but a dark blue vacancy. The string seemed to stretch infinitely into the dark pit. I bent my finger and watched as the string drew taut. Was something connected to me? Or¡ was something controlling me? A hand clamped on my shoulder, and I jumped before realizing it was just Yue. Her hair was disheveled and she was panting. ¡°You suck.¡± ¡°I thought you had enough stars?¡± ¡°Fuck off.¡± Zhige flew back in my hand; swinging the blade around, I moved to slice through the string. It had a surprising amount of resistance, requiring me to push with a significant amount of my strength to snap it. Yue stared at me as if I were stupid, her jaw slightly opened. I matched her expression before I jumped onto the ground, trying to shake the feeling of unease that caused the hairs on my neck to stand. I looked through the temple doors. It looked as if it was a rather well maintained temple, not even a layer of dust covering the outdoor pillars despite its inconvenient location. Yue followed suit behind me, spinning her spear around. ¡°Yue, remember those prayer candles I bought a while ago?" She blinked in confusion before replying, "What?" "We used them during the sponsorship to talk to the gods." ¡°Obviously I remember that." ¡°Could you buy some? They''re a bit expensive.¡± ¡°...¡± I looked at her expectantly with large eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t spend any stars just now, but I spent a lot to get across the ravine.¡± ¡°No one asked you to.¡± ¡°Please?¡± I drew out the ending of the word, trying to guilt her into it. She let out a loud sigh, and I gave her a beaming smile. The candles appeared in her hand, and she quickly handed me a dozen of them. I knocked on the large temple doors and wiped my feet on the ground before entering, admittedly a bit apprehensively. Before me, a beautiful and massive room covered with red and golden ornaments greeted me. In the middle was a luxurious golden statue of a beautiful woman sitting. Her eyes were closed and formed gentle crescents, and her metal hair was tied up to form elaborate buns. Stunning red robes were wrapped around her delicate figure, and as the natural light poured in, it reflected off of her sloping features. ¡°I feel like I lived here in a past life,¡± I whispered softly, walking around in amazement and twisting in circles, my feet almost tripping over each other. ¡°Yeah, maybe as a servant," Yue snarkily replied. ¡°...¡± It looked as if this was a rather deserted shrine, but it was still well taken care of even if we were the only people in it. The faint sound of roaring and explosions was drowned out by the stillness of the temple. ¡°Peijin, I¡¯m confused.¡± ¡°Of course you are.¡± ¡°Is this our Earth two thousand years ago?¡± It was a valid question¡ªit wasn¡¯t like cultivation, beasts, and demons were a part of our history textbooks before the system took over. ¡°I¡¯m assuming the heavenly, demonic, and ghost realms existed prior to when the system was activated for us,¡± I said, turning around and looking at Yue. ¡°But Chang mentioned broadcasting for other planets before Earth.¡± ¡°So the heavenly realm is the same but this is a different mortal realm?¡± I nodded. She gave me a quizzical expression but didn¡¯t press further. She looked up at the shrine, her fingers brushing against the golden statue, and she set up some of the candles as I read the plaque below it. ¡°Daji¡¡± I muttered before freezing. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°What?¡± I quickly kicked down all of the candles she had lined up as she let out a surprised shout. She moved to line them back up, but I tightly grasped her wrist, shooting her a serious expression. ¡°This is a shrine for the cult of Daji.¡± ¡°Can you not speak nerd?¡± I let out an annoyed sigh, smacking my forehead. ¡°Daji is a demonic incarnation of the nine-tailed fox," I whispered, looking up at the statue. ¡°We need to get out of here. We can''t stay." Yue pulled her arm back and stared down at me. ¡°So what? Just don''t worship her then. We can still look around.¡± I chewed on my lower lip before scoffing. ¡°You don''t understand! Daji is one of the most wicked Chinese demons!¡± Raising a brow, Yue put a hand on her hip and gesturing toward herself. ¡°Yeah, we already have a few demons involved in our party.¡± ¡°She¡¯s persecuting Wei!" I exclaimed, finally revealing the truth, "In his past, Daji banishes Wei from the heavenly realm!¡±

Many observers are completely stunned.

Many observers are asking if that means Wei is a divinity.

¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I firmly declared, ¡°Wei is the martial god of protection and luck.¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Not for long.

Yue gawked and held onto the side of her head. ¡°Wei is a divinity?!¡± Her voice was shrill and completely taken aback. ¡°That¡¯s why he always wore those stupid robes with that stupid hairdo?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why you always favored him?¡± I immediately brought up a finger and pointed it at her accusingly. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? I don¡¯t have any favorites!¡± Suddenly, the entire temple shook as pebbles fell from the ceiling before the entire shrine erupted with a massive explosion, causing Yue and me to fly off the cliff. ¡°Gah!¡± I shouted, my back smacking into the harsh rocks before I suddenly started plummeting down the ravine. My eyes widened as I finally pieced together the sight before me. A giant blue dragon swirled in circles above me, its tail flapping and creating massive booms as it snapped back and forth. Its familiar red eyes peered at me, and although it was in a slightly different form, I immediately recognized it as the sea serpent. Atop its head, a small blond girl gripped onto it and led it forward, and her hair whipped around her face frantically. Flowers were tucked in her hair, and she wore simple pink robes. Just beside her, a man in a golden mask and a streaming, light-brown ponytail wielded a staff before him, blocking a flurry of attacks shooting toward his opponents. His piercing gaze looked through the mask that melded perfectly to his sharp nose as he leapt up at the air and darted forward, engaging in a furious battle. ¡°Yang?!¡± I exclaimed in shock at his glorious appearance. ¡°Peijin!¡± Yue screamed, reaching down to catch me as I remembered that I was falling. Suddenly, a figure grabbed onto me, bringing me into his arms with surprising strength and gentleness. I opened my eyes and met his familiar, puppy-like ones. His long black hair flowed behind him, and his cheeks were flushed and plump. His muscular figure was felt through those annoying white robes, and he gave me a cheeky grin as his eyes glimmered. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Side Story Ep. 1, Trick or Treat I This is a Halloween side story! Amelia pouted, swinging her feet back and forth as she sat on the metro station¡¯s bench. Wei was in front of her, taking a break from one of his many guard shifts. All of his hair was tied up into a thick, dark bun above his head, and he looked over his shoulder and caught Amelia¡¯s stare. ¡°What is it?¡± Amelia blinked at him for a moment before sniffling and turning away, clearly upset over something. Wei cocked his head and walked over before stopping just in front of her. ¡°Are you sad because Peijin is busy?¡± ¡°No,¡± she grumbled, crossing her arms. ¡°Then what?¡± Amelia looked up, her brows furrowed as she gave a hard stare. ¡°How could you forget?¡± Jumping at her words, Wei nervously scratched the back of his neck and laughed awkwardly. ¡°Is it your birthday? I can make a cake for you,¡± he quickly replied. ¡°No," she replied bluntly. Wei looked like a nervous parent as he glanced around the metro, trying to catch Yang or Yue¡¯s gaze as they gambled away their stars. He shot them a pleading stare in hopes that they¡¯d notice him, but neither did. Before he could say anything else, Amelia filled in the blanks. ¡°It¡¯s Halloween. Shouldn¡¯t we do something?¡± She drew out the latter half of her words and pleaded with Wei. Amelia had quickly caught on that being cute got her very far. Wei blinked with surprise and brushed a strand of hair out of his face. He hadn¡¯t even realized it was Halloween¡ªand to be fair, not everyone kept up with the holidays in the middle of an apocalypse. Wei was surprised Amelia was even keeping track of the days. Time was hardly linear with all the arcs they had gone through. Amelia''s pout grew as she continued kicking her feet back and forth. ¡°Can¡¯t we throw a surprise party?¡± ¡°For who?¡± ¡°For Peijin!¡± Amelia exclaimed, her blue eyes lighting up under the blaring metro lights. Wei laughed as his own face lit up at the mention of Peijin. At Amelia¡¯s delighted expression, he couldn''t help but ruffle the top of her head. ¡°I¡¯ll help you with it. What do you want to do?¡± ¡°I want to carve pumpkins, and I want to dress up as Aang from Avatar, and I want to go Trick or Treating, and¡ª¡± Thankfully, a vicious sneeze cut off her long list of demands. Wei pulled out a handkerchief and quickly wiped her face before clearing his throat and commenting, ¡°Well for your costume, you¡¯re not exactly bald¡¡± Amelia gave him an exasperated look with her eyebrows raised, and she looked just like Peijin. She must have been practicing the expression diligently to have perfected it to this extent. ¡°Ha ha, forget I said that. Let¡¯s get Yang and Yue, and then we can set up before Peijin gets back.¡± ¡°Thank you Wei-shushu!¡±* Amelia squealed, jumping up and hugging Wei¡¯s leg while rocking side to side, ¡°You¡¯re the best!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let Yue-ayi* know.¡± Amelia''s expression quickly turned to one of horror. ¡°She¡¯ll kill me.¡± Wei snorted, patting her back comfortingly before heading over to Yang and Yue. The two of them were gambling with a few others, but the figure that immediately caught one¡¯s attention when looking at the setup was the towering man dressed in black. Feiyu¡¯s legs were crossed as he leaned back in the chair, his hand pushing his effortlessly styled hair out of his face. A cocky smirk was plastered on his face as he eyed the table. Yue¡¯s fists bashed against the table. ¡°God damnit, he¡¯s cheating! He hasn¡¯t lost a single game!¡± Just by approaching Feiyu, blue boxes quickly filled everyone''s vision.

Observer Atlantic48: What is he not good at?? How many games has he won now?

Observer qwerty123: It''s still fun to watch even though I always know what the outcome will be.

Observer BearDog: He can make me bankrupt.

Feiyu laughed before shrugging at Yue, pushing his cards back to the dealer. ¡°I told you. I¡¯m just lucky.¡± Yang sat beside Yue but wasn¡¯t playing himself; instead, he just watched Yue lose every single round. Yue reached for a random drink across the table to chug, but Yang grabbed her wrist and pushed the glass away. Yue practically exploded in the seat, her face beet red as she protested vehemently. Curtly, Yang responded, ¡°You¡¯re too young to drink.¡± ¡°I¡¯m way over the drinking age! You¡¯re not even that much older than me!¡± She pointed an accusing finger at Yang, and he gave a small shrug. Yue really did align with her demonic sponsor. Yang had a bantering expression before he spotted Wei and gave a friendly wave. ¡°Is Peijin back yet?¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably going to be gone for another hour or two, but Amelia wanted to host a surprise Halloween party.¡± Feiyu looked at the party members¡¯ talk with casual interest, resting his head on his hand. At the mention of a Halloween party, Yue¡¯s face immediately lit up with excitement. ¡°Amelia, you¡¯re a genius! I¡¯d kill for a good meal right now,¡± Yue sighed, drooling at the thought. With pride, Amelia puffed out her chest. ¡°I want to surprise Peijin.¡± Yue¡¯s expression immediately fell, and Yang let out a soft laugh. ¡°You know,¡± Yang began while addressing Yue, ¡°You and Peijin are so similar. It¡¯s funny how much you two hate each other for the same reasons.¡± Yue shoved Yang¡¯s head back before jumping up from the table, giving the cards one last wistful look. ¡°I¡¯ll beat you next time, Feiyu.¡± He laughed, looking down at the ground as he stood up from his chair. ¡°I''ll empty a room in the back for you guys to use.¡± Feiyu didn''t even have to ask what they needed or wanted¡ªhe was wickedly attune. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Yang immediately looked apprehensive, his orange eyes widening. ¡°As long as Peijin doesn¡¯t find out you helped.¡± ¡°Ha ha, she dislikes me that much?¡±

Observer BearDog: There¡¯s a reason Feiyu has only 5 star ratings, though :)

Observer qwerty123: Peijin must be blind and deaf

Observer Socrates: Peijin is more fun to watch. Feiyu is so strong it¡¯s boring.

Observer Atlantic48: Lmao who is this guy

Yue replied snarkily to Feiyu¡¯s comment. ¡°Peijin is probably just jealous. That¡¯s also the reason she doesn¡¯t like me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s why she dislikes you,¡± Yang replied quickly, earning himself a harsh glare from Yue. Wei turned over to Feiyu and gave a polite smile. ¡°We¡¯d appreciate it. Thank you. Will your party leader be okay with it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Feiyu said coolly, but he still received a raised brow from a nervous Wei. They quickly snuck into one of the closed off metro booths, and they bought all the necessary items for the Halloween party: pumpkins, carving tools, facepaint, and ingredients. It was difficult to come by a typical bag of flour without it involving ground up monster limbs, but Feiyu spent extra to purchase the most organic brands. It would''ve been more of a kind gesture if he wasn''t practically a billionaire. Feiyu and Yang quickly took up cooking pumpkin pies, brownies, and cookies while Yue taste tested along every step. ¡°Can you not shove your hands in the batter? When was the last time you even washed them?¡± Yang protested, sighing as Yue licked the brownie batter off her fingers. ¡°I bought a skill so that my hands are always clean,¡± she quickly replied. ¡°They have that?¡± Yue shot him a grossed out look, side eyeing him. ¡°It¡¯s in the cosmetic section of the Azure Dragon store.¡± Feiyu snorted and poured out the batter while Yang explored the store like an excited child. He had swept through every corner of it except the cosmetic section, and he was blown away by all the options. Feeling rather embarrassed at Yang''s callout, Yue began carving multiple pumpkins, using her spearhead to carve out angry or annoyed faces while grinning like a maniac. Meanwhile, Wei dipped a face paint brush into light gray paint before reaching for Amelia. Her long blond eyelashes fluttered when he painted the arrow down her forehead. ¡°Hold still,¡± Wei said softly, squinting and backing up to make sure the two sides were even. ¡°Do I look cute? Will Peijin like it?¡± Amelia asked eagerly.

Observer qwerty123: Omg Amelia is just adorable I love her

Observer Panda: Amelia better get the best Halloween party ever right now.

Even though none of Peijin¡¯s party members were as popular as Feiyu, Amelia was definitely a favorite among the observers. While many watched Peijin to witness her failures first hand, they watched Amelia out of genuine admiration. Wei gave Amelia a reassuring thumbs up before Amelia summoned the dire wolf out of her silver wrist cuff. ¡°This will be Appa!¡± She exclaimed eagerly before placing a horned headband on his head and jumped onto his back. ¡°Yip yip!¡± Amelia squealed as ¡°Appa¡± lept all over the room, tossing Amelia side to side as she pretended to fly through the air. Suddenly, Yue let out a shout as one of the carved jack-o-lanterns latched onto her arm. Its carved teeth slowly bit their way up her arm, its eyes squinting with each chomp. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Yue exclaimed as Yang tore the pumpkin off her arm. ¡°Don¡¯t curse in front of Amelia,¡± Wei immediately ordered before Amelia let out a thrilled laugh. ¡°Fuck!¡± Amelia cheered. ¡°No!¡± The pumpkin continued to leap around while chomping until, with one quick slash, Feiyu sliced off its teeth with his sword, and the pumpkin froze in shock before tumbling away in defeat. More pumpkins quickly joined them, and Yue sent one flying against the wall with a swift kick. ¡°Bastards,¡± she grumbled, earning her a dirty look from one of the jack-o-lanterns. Yue quickly turned toward Feiyu. "Did you buy special ones or something?" He gave a wide grin, and it was enough of an answer. The pumpkins seemed to take a liking to Amelia as they gathered around her and the dire wolf, peeking up curiously at her and rolling around side to side. Amelia suddenly looked up at Yue with an expectant gaze. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to dress up, Yue?¡± ¡°Eh?!¡± She exclaimed, backing up. With a pouty gaze, Amelia immediately widened her eyes and brought her hands up before her face. ¡°Please, Yue! Peijin would¡¯ve agreed.¡± ¡°Seriously? Then go ask her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not here!¡±

Many observers are ushering Yue to dress up with Amelia!

¡°Then I¡¯ll be a cat,¡± Yue relented, glaring at the blue screens in front of her. Given her attitude, her ratings weren''t the best, although they were miles higher than Peijin''s. Amelia shook her head vigorously. ¡°You can¡¯t. I want Peijin to be a cat.¡± Before Yue could continue losing an argument with a child, a familiar blue dragon burst into the room, causing the pumpkins to scatter and dishes to go flying¡ªuntil Feiyu quickly caught them without spilling any food, of course. Yang couldn¡¯t even react before Feiyu displayed all the snacks and promptly vanished, seemingly into thin air. Even though he was the master of the arcs, he despised every part of them other than the glory and fame. ¡°Why hello, hello!¡± Chang exclaimed, dressed up as a pumpkin. It contrasted his scaly blue skin, and he had the lid on his head. In his hands, he held a jar of candy. Amelia raised her hand up high and quickly waved at the creature. ¡°Hi Chang!¡± Chang¡¯s face turned red, and he quickly covered it and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re the only person who greets me so kindly!¡± He sniffled dramatically. ¡°What do you want, Chang?¡± Yue demanded, her voice cold and eyes narrowed. Chang reverted to his typical tone and floated through the air nonchalantly while inspecting the jar of candy he held. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of broadcast traffic here right now. The observers want to see something more interesting.¡± ¡°Are you seriously about to ruin some kid¡¯s Halloween party?¡± ¡°Ruin?! I¡¯m making it better!¡± Yue¡¯s eyebrow raised, and Wei quickly drew his sword before pointing it straight at the dragon. Chang put his small clawed hands up in the air as if proclaiming his innocence. ¡°I¡¯m serious! The observers don¡¯t want that, but there¡¯s too many who want to see this story be more interesting!¡± ¡°Capitalist bastard,¡± Yue scoffed before also grabbing her spear and standing before Amelia. Chang looked around for a moment, playing with his whiskers. ¡°Peijin isn¡¯t here?¡± ¡°If she was, she would¡¯ve eaten half those candies,¡± Amelia pointed at the jar. ¡°Can you leave some for her?¡± ¡°Oh, believe me, she won¡¯t have any issues with that in a bit,¡± Chang grinned, his jagged teeth slowly being revealed. Clearly oblivious, Amelia brought her hands up before her. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Believe me," Chang insisted with one last mischievous grin. A familiar blue screen appeared before everyone in the station as mysterious figures popped up before vanishing into the crowd.

SIDE STORY

TRICK OR TREAT!

Difficulty

Task

Beware of tricks! Collect as many sentient candies as you can.

Time

30 minutes

Reward

All collected candies after they return to their normal state.

Side Story Ep. 1, Trick or Treat II ?????*???. ????*???.? *???? ?. ????*???. ????*???. ? *???? ? I was late. Supposedly, I should¡¯ve been done setting up the Halloween surprise a few hours ago. I had told the rest of the party I was out monster hunting, but that was a blatant lie. A large, stuffed bag trailed behind me as I trudged through the dark and barely illuminated tunnel. Sweat dripped down my forehead, and I paused to catch my breath. It came out in quick wheezes despite my high physique level. Was I that unfit before all this? I let out a loud sigh, wiping my face with the blue hoodie that tried to squirm out of my grip. ¡°Stop it. You¡¯re still just a hoodie.¡± The hoodie deflated in defeat as it was forced to absorb my sweat. I was completely and utterly exhausted. How long was I out for? It must have been at least ten hours by now of constant activity. To say I was delirious was an understatement. My foot suddenly hit a stone and I tripped forward, stumbling for a moment before I completely lost my balance and smacked into the ground with a loud thump.

Observer Socrates: Jia Li you¡¯re seriously so stupid.

I groaned on the floor, lying there for a moment before I rolled over and stared at the grimy ceiling. ¡°I¡¯m sleep deprived," I mumbled sadly.

Observer Socrates: But you¡¯re still stupid.

¡°...¡±

Observer Socrates: You better get back soon because Feiyu is stealing your spotlight.

I froze and gawked at the screen, immediately sitting up. ¡°Is he hanging out with them again?¡±

Observer Socrates: When you were off drowning in a cave and blackmailing Athena, they were setting up the metro hierarchy.

¡°Can you not put it like that?¡±

Observer Socrates: Come on Jia Li chop chop.

I stood up and dusted off my clothing before grabbing onto the large bag again. There were countless candies that I had stolen from around the city¡ªI didn¡¯t want to buy them considering all the weird organs or limbs Chang liked mixing into his Azure Dragon Store. Throughout the tunnels and metro stations, I had set up multiple spots for Amelia to go trick-or-treating. It had taken the entire day, since I had to kill and clean out all of the beasts that roamed these tunnels and the general vicinity. ¡°Zhige, I¡¯m tired,¡± I whined, looking down and frowning at the sword. The red eye stared at me blankly before squinting as if it were laughing.

Observer Socrates: You¡¯re almost back just hurry up.

I heard a strange grumbling from before me and immediately lifted Zhige before throwing the blade forward, and the sound of gushing blood filled the hollow tunnels. ¡°What number is that?¡±

Observer Socrates: 548

I smiled, Zhige flying back into my hands. ¡°You should give me some stars for that. Aren¡¯t I impressive?"

Observer Socrates: Zhige is doing 99% of the work.

¡°What happened to you being nicer to me? Maybe I should vanish off the planet again.¡±

Observer Socrates: NO DON''T

I let out a slight chuckle before a different blue screen suddenly appeared before me.

SIDE STORY

TRICK OR TREAT!

Difficulty

Task

Beware of tricks! Collect as many sentient candies as you can.

Time

30 minutes

Reward

All collected candies after they return to their normal state.

¡°A side story? Right now?!¡± I swiveled around the cave, screaming up at the ceiling. ¡°Chang! What the fuck are you up to now?!¡± Immediately, countless ghosts flickered to life throughout the entire tunnel. Many held baskets and bowls, some full of candies while others were completely empty. But to my greater surprise, the candies in my bag burst with newfound energy and life. They wriggled around in the bag, tearing their way out of the top. ¡°Zhige, push the ghosts back!¡± The sword flew out from my side as a costume suddenly appeared all over me. I was wrapped in an orange patterned cloak with white cat ears on top of my head and a traditional white cat mask. I grabbed the costume and tried to tug it off to no avail, but in doing so, I let go of the squirming bag and countless candies jumped out. ¡°What the fuck!¡± I exclaimed angrily, reaching out for them and tossing them back in the bag as I continued to drag my way through the tunnel. This was a complete mess¡ªso much for trying to throw a surprise for Amelia. Zhige raced up and faced one of the ghosts before awkwardly freezing, turning back toward me and back at the creature again. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you''re incompetent now, too.¡±

Observer Socrates: Zhige doesn¡¯t want to kill them.

I rolled my eyes as a candy jumped up and bit my finger, causing me to shout before I flung it into the bag. ¡°Socrates, Zhige is my sword. What I say goes.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Zhige suddenly flew forward and smacked me on the forehead harshly before its bright red eye glared at me. ¡°Ow! Are you serious?¡± The blade flew back to my side again as one of the ghosts approached me. Ironically, it was a ghost dressed up as a ghost. A slightly transparent cloak was wrapped around her figure with two holes cut out for her pale green eyes. They twinkled before me with a delicate and soft glow. With a friendly movement, she raised a basket in front of me and waited expectantly. ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± I quizzed. She blinked up at me innocently for a moment. ¡°Trick or treat.¡± I gave the ghost a stupefied look before I shoved past it, heading down the tunnel. I was almost back, and I wouldn¡¯t let some stupid side story get in the way of my plans. Countless other ghosts lay before me, but none of them seemed outwardly aggressive.

Hindsight activated!

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as a dark, eerie energy surrounded me. I blinked for a moment, and Zhige flew into my hands. Footsteps were growing louder and louder behind me until they froze just before me, and I could feel a faint breathing down my neck. I slowly looked over my shoulder, holding my breath, before a wicked, ghastly face appeared just before me, letting out a loud vicious screech. Its face was wrangled and gored, and I could make out a detached jaw through the thin white cloak covering it. I screamed in horror, scrambling back as the female ghost quickly reverted to its initially adorable appearance and scoured through my bag for a treat. Blinking rapidly at the sight, I tried to calm my beating heart by slowing my breaths.

Observer Socrates: Should¡¯ve given her a candy, Jia Li.

¡°They¡¯re only for Amelia,¡± I grumbled in response as a few of the candies chewed their way out of my bag and now proceeded to latch onto my legs with tiny teeth. I easily kicked them off before I patched the holes in the bag with annoyance. This would¡¯ve probably been a painfully annoying side story if I hadn¡¯t already taken most of the candies in this area. Another ghost appeared before me. This one was a small boy dressed up in a dinosaur costume, and he looked up with a cheeky expression. ¡°Trick or treat.¡± I glared at it before picking off one of the candies and dropping it on his face. It chewed on his cheek but he paid no attention as he continued to stare at my bag. ¡°I¡¯m not giving you more,¡± I said sternly. ¡°I have a take one policy.¡± Suddenly, his nails and teeth grew in length as he roared, leaping toward me with unadulterated anger; he slashed straight through the bag of candies as hundreds lept out and quickly ran away from me. ¡°You bastard!¡± I screamed, jumping up to try and recollect the candies. ¡°What kind of Halloween ritual is this?!¡±

Observer Socrates: ¡ I¡¯m going back to watching Feiyu.

I let out an exasperated and frustrated scream as I quickly purchased a new bag from the Azure Dragon Store. I didn¡¯t want these candies to chew up all of my items. Hundreds of them danced around me in their brightly colored wrappers before latching onto my fingers with their little teeth. Once I finally had them under reasonable control, I collapsed on the ground, letting the remaining few bite onto my cheek or my jeans. At this point, I was completely exhausted. Letting out a loud sigh, I shut my eyes and contemplated passing out as the ghosts slowly walked closer to me. ¡°Amelia¡ the stuff I¡¯d do. You better not cry again in front of me.¡± Admittedly, one of the reasons I was doing this was out of guilt. I knew I couldn¡¯t atone nor was it my place to try to act like a good person, but I hated how many times Amelia had cried because of me. I got back on my feet. The next ghost was dressed up in a large, felt banana costume with additional black shades attached to the front. It opened its mouth with a wide grin and began, ¡°Trick or¡ª¡± ¡°Trick or treat!¡± I quickly cut it off, staring at its empty basket. I had asked it first, now. The banana ghost blinked at me awkwardly, looking down at its empty basket. ¡°Um¡¡± ¡°Trick, bitch!¡± I shouted, grabbing my massive bag of candies and whacking it against the side of his head before continuing to storm down the tunnel. In utter defeat, and potentially sadness, the banana ghost lay on the ground behind me, unmoving except for a single, silent sniffle. With each step, I stomped down the tunnel, utterly exhausted and frustrated. This side story felt like it was going on forever, and I was dreading every moment of it. Another ghost trudged up to me with a cheery expression. ¡°Trick or tr¡ª¡± I shoved its head back, and as soon as I saw ''Hindsight''s'' shifting calculations as the ghost went in for a scare, I whipped around. ¡°Oh my god, can you not?¡± I shouted, grabbing onto my orange cloak and tugging on it. ¡°I¡¯m literally going to go insane! I just want to get back! I swear to god, if you do anything right now, I¡¯ll literally become a ghost and haunt you forever! I¡¯ll drag you through hell and then pull you out just to do it all over again,¡± I rambled on and on, scolding it with a point of my finger. The ghost frowned and pouted a bit, cowering away with what looked like an expression of slight shame and embarrassment. ¡°This is absolute insanity! When I see Chang again, I¡¯m murdering him!¡± I roared, now tugging on my hair. In a strange turn of events, the ghosts seemed to avoid me when I walked by, instead throwing some of their candy at my feet if they had any, which I quickly snagged. I finally continued my grueling trek down the tunnel. ?????*???. ????*???.? *???? ?. ????*???. ????*???. ? *???? ? Thank. The. Gods. And demons, too, if they helped. I finally made it back to the metro station with all the candies in tow. The side story had finally ended as soon as I made it back¡ªthere were no more ghosts or ghouls to harass me, and the candy had fallen still. For some reason, though, the costume remained. I wasn''t going to complain. Amelia would probably enjoy seeing me in such stupid attire. My chest puffed up pridefully. Amelia would have no idea this was coming. I¡¯d walk in, and she¡¯d be there playing with whatever animal she kidnapped today. Then, her eyes would light up with sheer excitement as she realized that I remembered it was Halloween. In utter amazement, she¡¯d dart toward me, gasp in shock at the amount of candies I brought, and then I¡¯d take her trick-or-treating for the rest of the night. At the end, I¡¯d throw her up into the air, and she¡¯d praise me for being the greatest party member ever.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li, I think you should know that th¡ª

¡°Shut up.¡± I sniffled at my own ingenuity, placing a hand on my hip. Ha, none of them would¡¯ve even thought about something like this. I really was great. I heard Amelia¡¯s shouting voice coming from one of the metro booths, and I quickly snuck up toward the door, my heart beating out of my chest. The bag of candies was just to my side. Finally, I swung open the door confidently. ¡°Happy Hallowe¡ª!¡± My entire party cut me off as countless party streamers and lights flashed before me. ¡°Happy Halloween!" They all exclaimed. Amelia was front and center, her arms raised up in the air. She was already dressed in a costume with a painted arrow on her forehead. Even her dire wolf was wearing one. In fact, all my party members were thanks to Chang¡¯s side story¡ªYue was dressed in a stupid inflatable pumpkin costume, Yang was a skeleton, and Wei was¡ just in a different set of classical robes. I blinked blankly at the scene before Amelia leapt off her dire wolf and into my arms, grabbing onto my neck. ¡°I totally got you!¡± She exclaimed out of sheer excitement. ¡°You didn¡¯t even know it was Halloween, did you? Chang even helped with the side story!¡± I immediately kicked the bag of candies I gathered to the side so she wouldn¡¯t see them. ¡°Amelia, how could I have forgotten it was Halloween? You set this all up by yourself?¡± ¡°Yes! I was the one who came up with everything!¡± I smiled and walked inside, shutting the door behind me as Yue crossed her arms over the giant pumpkin, staring at me with a suspicious look. Yang brought cut desserts up to the table as Wei handed me a candy bowl. ¡°Happy Halloween, Peijin!" Chapter 41: A Battle of Fate - Ep. 7, III ¡°E-eh?!¡± I exclaimed as Wei swung forward while still holding on to me. With completely inhuman strength, he launched himself up the ravine as I screamed, clinging onto his neck. We swung back onto stable ground just beside the now-ruined temple¡ªcountless rocks pelted down at us as the deafening roar of the dragon ensued. He set me down on the ground gently and quickly inspected me for any injuries. ¡°Get yourself far from here. It¡¯s too dangerous,¡± Wei commanded, not recognizing me whatsoever. I continued to gawk at him in complete shock. No way this was Wei¡ªthe white bandage that was once on his arm was used to tie up his long, glistening hair. His outfit glimmered boldly in the sunlight with stunning gold pieces woven onto the white robes. ¡°I¡¡± Yue let out a sharp yelp as she suddenly appeared just behind me, a glistening blue figure having dropped her off. The woman had long, flowing brown hair, and her gentle facial figures sloped beautifully. Was everyone here beautiful? The woman caught my gaze and flashed me a pearly smile, and I nearly died on the spot. She gave Yue a court bow before, with one elegant move, lept into the sky to battle Yang. Wei¡¯s face immediately lit up with admiration, his eyes shining. ¡°Isn¡¯t she just incredible?¡± he sighed, hearts practically exploding off of him. Yue raised an eyebrow and gave him a judgemental look, but he paid her no mind. ¡°Um¡ Wei?¡± Suddenly, he looked incredibly embarrassed as his face turned bright red. I quickly interjected, bowing deeply while side-stepping massive stone pieces that launched toward me from the temple. ¡°Your highness!¡± I quickly corrected. For whatever reason, I seemed to get d¨¦ja vu back to my first meeting with Wei. ¡°Your highness?!¡± Yue repeated in surprise before she quickly bowed beside me as well. ¡°Your highness! We¡¯re very sorry for having been a nuisance to you!¡± He quickly shook his head and dragged us further back. With one move, we suddenly seemed dozens of meters away from the chaos. ¡°It¡¯s alright. But get out of here quickly. It¡¯s too dangerous for anyone to be out here.¡± ¡°What are you guys fighti¡ª¡± I promptly elbowed Yue. ¡°Your highness, we¡¯re here to serve you,¡± I declared. ¡°My subordinate and I know you¡¯re being improperly persecuted by the Daji cult. We¡¯re here to be of assistance.¡± Yue¡¯s expression was one of unadulterated rage. I was very glad she couldn¡¯t murder me in front of Wei at this moment. The mask Yang had been wearing was part of the Daji cult uniform¡ªwhether not Yang knew the implication of working with them was unknown, but he most definitely would put Wei¡¯s wellbeing first. Wei¡¯s face immediately softened before he shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s better if I handle this with my wife.¡± In an attempt to shake me off, he took a step forward and prepared to launch himself back into battle, but I grabbed onto his sleeve just before. Leaves and twigs smacked into my face as I tried to bury my heels in the ground and stop him from leaving. ¡°W-wait! I caught sight of the roaring dragon above us, and as I squinted to make out the figures, my eyes widened as the sight of a third on the dragon. It was a small boy about Amelia¡¯s age dressed in ancient royal attire.

Peijin: Yang, did you fucking kidnap Wei¡¯s brother?

Yue: Wei is married? How??

Wei peeled me off of him and his expression hardened even more. I knew he wouldn¡¯t possibly lash out or try and harm me, but his priorities definitely lay with his family. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but if you wait here, I¡¯ll be back in just a moment.¡± I nodded, as if agreeing with him. ¡°I know the two with the dragon! I can get your brother down if you just give me a moment!¡± I pleaded desperately. Being dragged by him made our power imbalance wickedly apparent. After all, he was a divinity here¡ªalbeit a banished one on the run. At the mention of my association with Yang and Amelia, his expression quickly hardened as he gripped his sword and swung it just before me. ¡°Believe me, I¡¯m on your side,¡± I said slowly. ¡°I¡¯m¡ the god of fate and fortune, and those two owe me a favor.¡± The more I thought about it, were Yang and Amelia that strong? Wei and his wife were practically invincible during this time period. The duo were either intentionally going easy on Amelia and Yang, or the two week gap allowed Yang to ramp up his skills. But that would be impossible. Besides, I was definitely the most capable disciple¡. I squinted up at the dragon again. Amelia was clinging onto the small boy, but it wasn¡¯t in a threatening manner. Instead it looked friendly. I let out a loud gasp and clasped my hands over my mouth. Amelia was so popular already! No wonder Wei and his wife were holding back the whole time. His little brother had a crush. Wei drew his blade back a mere millimeter. ¡°What''s your epithet? I¡¯ve never seen you.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°I¡¯m small and weak, so you should pity me. I¡¯m not famous enough yet," I pouted. ¡°What¡¯s your epithet?¡± ¡°The Great Foreseer and Guardian of the Forsaken Tower.¡± I rolled up my sleeves, showing him the tattoo. ¡°See?¡± Perhaps my identity as a writer gave me a little bit too much of an imagination. Wei hesitated, inspecting my arm. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a tattoo like that.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t killed me yet either,¡± I became increasingly confident, ¡°The reason you¡¯re holding back, your highness, is because your younger brother is infatuated with that little girl. My subordinate and I will clear this up, but you¡¯ll owe me a favor after.¡± He let out a long sigh. ¡°Of course you¡¯d ask for something in return.¡± I flushed in embarrassment and quickly tried to justify myself. ¡°Your sword is still at my throat! I¡¯d obviously want retribution.¡± Even if I hadn¡¯t threatened Wei, I knew he would relent. After all, part of the reason he ascended into becoming a divinity so young was because he was known for being so kind. Occasionally, this led to Wei being a pushover. He had utmost difficult saying ¡°no¡± to any requests, but his sheer kindness also meant he formed powerful bonds with those that wouldn¡¯t weaponize him. By no means was Wei weak. In fact, he was wickedly powerful¡ªthat was clear enough through his identity as a martial god. But simultaneously, he was still associated with delicate and small flowers for his personality. Now, deep eye bags seared into his gorgeous and otherworldly skin. Yang was clearly running him dry. ¡°Alright,¡± he relented as he spotted Yue crawling out of the forest, gasping for breath. She was trying to control her breathing by holding it and letting it out in a meticulously timed manner, but she only ended up choking. Wei looked at me curiously for a moment, and I was almost wondering if he¡¯d discover my identity so early on. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± He asked innocently. ¡°Peijin,¡± I said with a wide smile. ¡°You must be very ambitious.¡± My smile faded. Yue raised her hand into the air and gasped out, ¡°We can¡ hide you¡ too," she paused, "since you''re on the run.¡± I puffed out my chest confidently. If Yue was this out of breath with her stupidly large arsenal of skills, I didn¡¯t have anything to feel bad about.

Disciple Yue has activated ¡®Magician¡¯s Hand.¡¯

Our entire surroundings completely crumpled away, and I watched as Yue slowly disappeared from my sight along with Wei. I looked back up at the sky, and Amelia and Yang froze in surprise as their adversaries seemed to suddenly disappear. The small boy clung onto Amelia tighter with a thrilled expression plastered all over his face. ¡°Zhige, go say hi to them,¡± I whispered at the blade, gently running my hand along the hilt. I couldn¡¯t believe I was going through a rough patch with a hunk of metal, but I did want to try and repair our relationship. As soon as Amelia saw the sword zipping up, she commanded the dragon to snap at it before she recognize the blade. Her face immediately lit up with joy. ¡°Peijin!¡± She screamed, leaping off the dragon and straight at the ground toward me. I quickly tensed up as I tried to catch her. She landed with her arms hooked around me, and she immediately squeezed me tightly and buried her face into my shoulder. ¡°Peijin, you took so long that I thought you were never coming!¡± I smiled warmly while tickling her as Yang approached on the dragon with the small boy in tow. ¡°I¡¯ll always come back, Amelia.¡± As soon as Yang¡¯s feet landed on the ground, he rushed forward and gave me a tight hug, the ornaments on his mask pricking my skin. ¡°You took forever,¡± he whispered softly. ¡°Miss me?¡± I teased, giving him a quick punch. ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°... asshole.¡± I quickly pursed my lips when I saw Amelia give me a mischievous glance, collecting another curse word. I smacked Yang harder a second time and glared at him. ¡°Why have you been ignoring my messages?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve been battling some gods for days while riding a dragon,¡± he said as if it were incredibly straightforward. I squinted at him, not quite buying it. ¡°You¡¯ve gained an attitude over the last two weeks.¡± Amelia quickly jumped in. ¡°Yang-shushu has been very nice to me and Sidang.¡±* ¡°Sidang?¡± I cocked a brow. ¡°Are you on nickname terms with him?¡± She nodded ecstatically as she waved for the small boy to approach. ¡°This is the woman I¡¯ve been telling you about this whole time! Isn¡¯t she so pretty and cool? She¡¯s my older sister.¡± He gave a small nervous nod, staring at me with wide and timid eyes. I loved Amelia.

Peijin: Yue, cut the illusion. What did it look like on your end?

Yue: You went up and struck them down. I made you look like you were arguing with them until they begrudgingly agreed.

Peijin: And the brother?

Yue: He¡¯s clinging onto Amelia.

Peijin: Good. You¡¯re not that far off.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

Knowing what would happen in the future of this scenario was worrying me deeply. Now, it wasn¡¯t just Wei¡¯s life on the line. It was Amelia¡¯s heart, too. I chewed my lower lip nervously. Wei would have a better chance at passing this level with his sanity intact if Amelia grew closer to Sidang. But, if I failed¡ I couldn¡¯t. Even Feiyu awakened Wei during this arc, but my time would be different. Yang tapped my arm, shooting me back into reality. ¡°You have that ugly look on your face.¡± ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean?¡± I immediately retorted. ¡°It means you¡¯re thinking of doing something stupid again. The illusion is fading. Let¡¯s talk when we¡¯re back.¡± I looked over at him, staring at the golden mask and long ponytail behind him. ¡°Did you mean to join a pyramid scheme and cult?¡± I asked nonchalantly. Yang looked over from me from beneath his mask, and I saw the small glint in his eyes. ¡°This role was assigned when I came into the room. But it was the best way to get close to Wei.¡± ¡°Oh really? Because it looks like I just did what you were trying to do in a few minutes instead of two weeks.¡± ¡°...¡± The illusion finally crumbled away around us. Yue¡¯s gaze was dark and cold as she stared at us, and her figure slowly became more and more visible until I could make out Wei and his wife. And to my surprise, Wei lunged forward, untied his hair, and quickly tied my arms behind me. Chapter 42: A Battle of Fate - Ep. 7, IV

Hindsight activated!

My entire view turned blue as Wei¡¯s figure became white outlines with the thousands of possibilities playing out before me like animated frames, but I wasn¡¯t able to process any of it. Wei¡¯s eyes were pinpointed lasers, glaring into me with a burning focus. He sliced straight through Yue¡¯s illusion, tearing through it like it was a flimsy barrier, and lunged forward to tie my wrists together. His hands pressed my two forearms together as he quickly slammed me into the ground. God damnit, he was never trying to hide for Yang or Amelia! ¡°Zhig¡ª!¡± My mouth was quickly stuffed with fabric; I coughed and pushed my tongue against it to try and spit it out, but I began choking instead. My eyes watered, and I blinked rapidly to make out the sight before me. Yue¡¯s eyes widened with a mixture of shock and outrage. Whipping out her spear, she wielded it above her head and cried out, ¡°Peijin!¡± Wei¡¯s outlined movements shifted into thousands, if not millions of other options once more. But there was no way any of us could beat a martial god.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: ¡ This didn¡¯t happen to Feiyu. How do you mess up your own story?? You know Wei best, Jia Li

Yue couldn¡¯t even move before Wei swept his leg under her feet, and her back slammed into the ground, causing her to hack as spit shot out of her mouth. I grit my teeth together as Zhige shot forward, engaging into a tense battle with Wei. With ear-piercing slashes, Zhige¡¯s silver blade sliced against Wei¡¯s sword. Wei was relentless and twisted his grip with perfected technique, his brows furrowing as he pressed up against the sword before he jumped back, shouting behind him. ¡°Meihua!* Take care of the other two!¡± Meihua, Wei¡¯s wife, flew into the sky in one elegant leap and pulled out a fluttering and flapping pink ribbon out of a sheath. With a simple flick of her wrist, the ribbon snapped with a loud bang and whipped throughout the forest; trees were suddenly slashed and came crashing down, quickly trapping us all in a smaller forested area. Amelia¡¯s dragon roared to life and snapped at Meihua, but she easily dodged it¡ªher movements were so graceful she seemed to fly through the air. Her long black hair whipped behind her, and her red lips formed a small and feminine smile on her face. She whirled her hand once more, and the ribbon wrapped itself around the dragon¡¯s snout, tying its mouth shut. Her weapon was a mix of the sharpness of a sword and the flexibility of soft fabric. When wielded properly, it was terrifyingly wicked despite its delicate appearance. Meihua easily lifted Amelia up in her arms as she kicked, thrashed, and flailed around animalistically, trying to grab Meihua with her small hands. The little boy beside her yelled at Meihua, but she only gave him an entertained look. Yang shouted toward me, ¡°Peijin! Didn¡¯t you talk to them?!¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li can¡¯t communicate. All her readers know that already

Peijin: Yang, do you think I thought they¡¯d attack us after??

Yang groaned as he was pushed back, and a piece of the ribbon sliced into his forearm. Wincing, he backed off as his feet skid against the ground. Meihua gently inspected Amelia¡¯s wrist cuff for a moment before she popped it off with her slender fingers. The dragon vanished, and the thundering ground immediately stilled. Yang¡¯s staff swirled in the air and created a vortex of wind that whipped and twisted the forest all around us¡ªa purely defensive move¡ªbut it was a losing battle now. He would never win one-on-one against a divinity, especially since Meihua no longer needed to worry about Amelia and the little boy. Zhige erupted with yellow sparks and clattered on the ground, falling still as the eye twitched desperately at Wei. I whistled for it to come back toward me, and it weakly dragged itself over, its blading leaving sharp cuts in the uprooted grass and weeds. My wrists were still firmly bound, and both of them had finally closed in on Yang. The small boy tugged at Meihua¡¯s long, glimmering gown, shouting for her to hold back. Damnit, if only I could cut Wei''s ribbon using Zhige. If I did, it would probably destroy it permanently, even after we got out of this arc. I quickly got lost in my own thoughts again, evaluating all the different possibilities. Finally, my tongue pushed out the clump of fabric in my mouth. ¡°I wonder if you and Zhige would be good friends,¡± I said softly at the ribbon, but it remained completely still. Yue finally regained her footing beside me, but Wei, no longer fighting Zhige, barely pushed her before she fell back on the ground with an utterly defeated sigh. ¡°Fuck¡ I don¡¯t remember you being this strong.¡± My nostrils flared as I glared at her. ¡°You dumbass!¡± Yue''s face immediately dropped as she looked incredibly guilty. Wei gracefully bent down and folded his skirt as he squatted, ensuring the fabric wouldn¡¯t get dirty. His large hand tugged Yue¡¯s ear harshy, and it quickly turned red as she slapped his arm, tapping out. ¡°I knew it. Who are you actually?¡± His voice was firm but kept that soft tone to it, almost as if he was scolding someone. My face was squished against the ground, but looking at the sight of one of my most beloved characters before me living so personally¡ Could I really call myself a writer? I didn¡¯t know how to explain the emotions that came over me at that moment. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Maybe a part of it was pride. ¡°Peijin, save me,¡± Yue whined, her eyes squeezed shut as Wei continued tugging on her ear. Well, now I could confidently say I felt annoyance. ¡°Sorry, your highness, but my head is a little jumbled, since you¡¯ve thrown me around everywhere,¡± I said with a weak laugh, rolling onto my back and trying to shift back onto my knees. ¡°What day is it?¡± He cocked his head curiously and stared at me with large blinking eyes while Meihua walked up behind him, dragging Yang behind her and holding onto Amelia¡¯s hand tentatively. ¡°Do they really hire anybody for espionage now? I can give you some pointers if it''s your first time.¡± ¡°Ha ha,¡± I laughed weakly, my cheeks flushed with sheer embarrassment and humiliation. ¡°But really¡¡± It was a stupid question, but I really, really needed to know the answer. I had no concept of where I was in Wei¡¯s timeline, and unless I did, I wouldn''t be able to pull this off. If this was progressing as I thought it was, then he would already be under persecution by the Daji cult by now for committing a heavenly crime. That¡¯s why Yang would have been chasing him around relentlessly in the Daji uniform. I quickly thought back to my conversation with Yang, though. Did Yang mention anything about Wei''s banishment? I guess I just assumed that was the case. Yue gave an utterly stupefied look at my question. ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Without answering me, Wei lifted me up and threw me over his broad shoulders. I was surprised by how sturdy he was¡ªfor the most part, his strong figure was hidden behind those loose white robes. Meihua picked up Zhige, and its bright, crimson eye lit up in a bizarre manner. It flickered around and stared at her face as if in disbelief, blinking rapidly. It was as if it couldn¡¯t quite grasp the image it saw. She gave it an intrigued but unknowing look, running her hands down the blade. ¡°You have a very beautiful sword here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch it,¡± I barked angrily, wiggling and trying to get off of Wei. Her eyes squinted as she gave an entertained smile, placing it back by my side; she was clearly completely unphased. ¡°Wei, isn¡¯t this interesting? I¡¯ve been confused about this little girl and the Daji officer this entire time, but now these two come along speaking of some persecution.¡± ... Eh? Didn''t Wei thank me for offering to help?

Observer ''Socrates'': Jia Li learns the art of deception!! Baby''s first steps :)

Yang writhed away as Meihua gently tried to remove his mask. He was sweating profusely and his hands quivered obviously. Clearly, he had not gotten over his fear of women. Meihua quickly picked up on his nervousness and backed away, giving him an apologetic look.

Observer ''Socrates'': THIS IS SO EMBARASSING

What did she mean by speaking of some persecution? Why was Yang chasing them if they weren¡¯t being persecuted by the Daji cult? ¡ Fuck me. ¡°Your highness, can I please know what day it is?¡± I asked again. Wei quickly threw Yue over his other shoulder and seemed to get ready to leave. ¡°August 16th.¡± I sighed and my head went limp as it hit Wei¡¯s back. I messed up the timeline. I acted too rashly. They weren¡¯t being persecuted yet. The official order would come out later today on August 16th¡ªthe day before Wei¡¯s birthday. If Yang has been here for two weeks and is sporting the Daji uniform, and he previously mentioned being with Amelia and Wei¡¯s brother for days, then it was merely a coincidence that he was fighting them already. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," I cursed bashing my head against his back. Yang wouldn¡¯t have received orders to persecute Wei yet, but he must have known about them given how his elaborate mask signified his high status. That was probably why he stuck around the fight for so long¡ªhe was trying to get closer to them Wei and Meihua. ¡°Your highness, listen to me,¡± I pleaded, my voice now sincere and genuine. ¡°The Daji are coming for you today. You, Meihua, and your little brother need to leave.¡± I was careful not to name drop his younger brother¡ªhe was yet to be introduced officially by one of the characters. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Wei replied, dashing through the forest now with surprising speed. Yue screamed and clung onto him, her hair whipping against her face as she tried to spit it out. ¡°I know a good hospital. I¡¯ll pay for your care there.¡± ¡°What?! No, I¡¯m serious! Today, the Daji cult is going to begin a manhunt for you and Meihua! Your brother will be killed!¡± Wei immediately froze, his gaze cold as he slunk behind a tree, Meihua joining him. She held onto Amelia and the little boy tightly, but her grip on Yang was loose¡ªhe dragged around limply behind her, no longer having the energy to protest. I caught sight of his orange eyes staring at me behind the mask. Wei''s voice immediately took on a dangerous edge. ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that.¡± ¡°Y-Yang,¡± I pleaded, turning to face him. It didn¡¯t matter that Wei knew my relationship with Amelia and Yang anymore¡ªhe already found out when he tore through Yue¡¯s illusion. ¡°You¡¯re part of the Daji cult, aren¡¯t you?! You would know about the upcoming order!¡± Meihua quickly interjected, walking behind Wei to face me. ¡°What are you speaking of? This man¡ªthe conflict was that he kidnapped Ailun. There is no "persecution.¡± Yang spat out blood, gasping for breath. ¡°Peijin, it¡¯s true. Amelia found Ailun in the market, and they decided to release a merchant¡¯s caged doves,¡± he swallowed loudly and caught his breath once more. "I ''arrested'' him to try and get closer to Wei and Meihua." ¡°But you must have known about the Daji order,¡± I urged, getting more desperate. My timeline couldn''t possibly be this off. I needed Wei to believe me enough to leave this wicked forest. This was the day it all went wrong. Wei couldn''t awaken now¡ªnot when Yue and I were this weak. ¡°Of course I did!¡± Yang shouted, ¡°But these two wouldn¡¯t stop attacking me the entire time! What was I supposed to do?! I was trying to let them know!" ¡°You¡¯re in a police uniform,¡± Wei retorted, ¡°And you kidnapped my brother for freeing some birds! I paid the merchant for them after." Yang ignored him, clearly frustrated. ¡°The Daji cult is releasing the official report for detainment today. I don¡¯t know when, but it¡¯s true. Wei is being accused of violating the heavenly law code.¡± Wei¡¯s grip on me relaxed. ¡°For what? I¡¯ve never committed a crime.¡± That was the truth. Wei was the epitome of a martial god. He was just, kind, powerful, and more importantly, he was beloved. The last thing Wei would ever do, with a heart saturated with justice and ethics, would be throwing away his status for a life of crime and shame. ¡°They¡ they think you swapped the fate of your brother with a would-be divinity," Yang stammered. Wei¡¯s face turned white as snow as he gently placed me on the ground before swaying unsteadily on his feet¡ªMeihua ran up to him and caught him. ¡°No¡ you¡¯re lying. I have no reason to believe you.¡± Swapping fates was the most heinous crime that could be committed in the divine realm. If Ailun was cursed with a bad fate, his fate, with a lot of meddling, could be switched with someone''s incredibly fortunate one. That person would be subsequently damned to face whatever Ailun would have had there been no divine intervention. The punishment for a crime of this level? Well¡. Suddenly, my blue vision pulsed as I looked to my side and saw the outline of an eye hidden among the bark of a tree. My blood ran cold immediately, and my breath hitched in my chest. It was outline in white with long eyelashes, and it blinked slowly while staring straight at me. It wrinkled the bark around it with each movement. I quickly lifted Zhige and swung him forward. The blade pierced straight into the eye and it shriveled up and oozed magic before vanishing. ¡°She¡¯s here,¡± I declared, dashing forward and picking up the long strand of white hair that remained. I showed it to Wei, holding it just before the distraught man. ¡°Daji is watching us.¡± Chapter 43: A Battle of Fate - Ep. 7, V Wei gently inspected the strand of hair pinned by Zhige against the bark. He inspected it doubtfully, clearly apprehensive, while chewing his inner right cheek. He let out a stressed sigh and rubbed his temples. ¡°Your Highness,¡± I said firmly, not giving him a moment to process the news he was just faced with, ¡°It is best if you head back to your palace in the heavenly realm. Your spiritual energy will be more pungent there than in the mortal realm.¡± Zhige flew back to my side silently¡ªI was still awkwardly propped up on Wei¡¯s shoulder. Yue stared at me with bored eyes and a dumbfounded look. ¡°Huh? Why are you speaking like that?¡± Wei¡¯s eyes darted between Yue and me, eyeing both of us with suspicion. Clearing my throat, I added on, ¡°Apologies about my subordinate, Your Highness. She is still in training and doesn¡¯t quite understand formalities yet. You see, she had a very tough childhood.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Yue exclaimed indignantly. Meihua stared at Amelia and Ailun, blinking at them like she wasn¡¯t quite sure what to do while Yang remained slumped on the ground, completely defeated and giving into his exhaustion. Ailun had tightly wrapped his hand around Amelia¡¯s, but it looked more like she was the one holding his hand. Her stance was much more confident, and despite her small size, she looked relatively intimidating. So cute!

Observer ¡®Nipon23¡¯: Don¡¯t forget what you have to do.

The notification was pushed to the back of my head. I was the writer, the sole creator of this world. I didn¡¯t need to be the goddess of fate and fortune to rewrite my own story. With a confident swish of her hand, Amelia defiantly pointed at Wei. ¡°Tell him to put down Peijin! Doesn¡¯t he know it¡¯s rude to manhandle a woman?¡± Ailun looked like he was trying to shrink into a pit and disappear. His cheeks were flushed from embarrassment, and his small hands gripped onto Amelia¡¯s tighter. Meihua¡¯s eyes widened in surprise before they twinkled with amusement. Her lips curled up into a small smile as she turned over to Wei and softly asked, ¡°Should we bring them back to the palace for questioning?¡± Wei nodded in response, not reacting to Amelia¡¯s comment except for a slightly ashamed look in his expression. ¡°I¡¯m not sensing bloodlust from anyone but the little girl.¡± ¡°My name is Amelia!¡± ¡°Your Highness,¡± I said softly, ¡°If you¡¯re going to bring us back, do hurry. Daji will be here soon. Whether or not you believe me, you have to acknowledge your suspicions since she watched us.¡± His head tilted away from me like he was trying to avoid what I was saying. ¡°I believe you misunderstand the situation. Daji and her worshippers are one of the most respected beings of the heavenly realm,¡± he began, ¡°I¡¯m only hearing you out because you need to break up Ailun and the little girl.¡± What Wei said was undoubtedly true¡ªthe influence of Daji was vast. She was directly involved in almost all parts of the mortal realm due to her vast amount of worshippers for her intelligence and cunningness. She was directly associated with the emperor. That alone made her all the more formidable. ¡°Break them up?!" I exclaimed, "You¡¯re so cruel, Your Highness. What would Meihua say?¡± Both of us turned to face her, but instead of looking calm and collected, she was staring awkwardly at a panicked Yang. While Wei and I were talking, she had been preparing to use a seal to teleport back to the palace using a seal. Meihua didn¡¯t need to seal it with her infected demon blood¡ªgood for her, I guess¡ªsince she had enough spiritual energy to use it herself. But the issue came with how her power manifested. It was through flowers. At fourteen, I thought there could be nothing cuter than Wei¡¯s epithet and association being with flowers due to his kindness and for his wife to also manifest her power through beautiful flora. Now, beautiful pink and blue flowers decorated her hair, and petals glittered all around her with their delicate beauty. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Yang covered his bright red face with trembling hands and tried to crawl away from her, mumbling nonsense as he started hiccuping out of sheer anxiousness. Oh. Whoops.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Umm¡??

Meihua tried to reach down to comfort him, but he quickly swatter her pale forearm back before quickly apologizing with a shaky voice. ¡°S-Sorry!¡± He awkwardly stammered, stumbling his way back while laughing awkwardly. Yue peeked over Wei¡¯s shoulder and burst out laughing, smacking his back with her tightened fists while keeping her feet. ¡°Ha ha ha! Your Highness, that one is a pervert. You better hide your wife.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not!¡± Yang quickly insisted, jumping up to his feet and peeking through his red hands. I gawked at him. This was too embarrassing, even for me. I didn¡¯t even know hands could become flushed. With impossible speed, Wei adjusted the band around my arms to tie me and Yue together before dropping us on the ground and darting forward, placing himself between Yang and Meihua. ¡°Wait!¡± I cried out, wriggling my way to kneel on the ground and stare at Wei, ¡°Your Highness, he¡¯s not a pervert! He just has a¡ colorful character?¡± Wei¡¯s sword quickly flashed out of its sheath. Yue quickly barged in, clearly supportive of bullying Yang but not trying to get him decapitated. ¡°I was kidding! He¡¯s just scared of women! And flowers!¡± A pitiful and very, very awkward laugh filled the air as Meihua slowly walked up and placed her hand on Wei. ¡°It¡¯s alright. You can take the Daji officer, and I¡¯ll take the woman in the blue robes.¡± ¡°My name is Peijin.¡± ¡°A lovely name,¡± Meihua replied with a glistening smile, saying no more after. I waited for the drop, but it never came. I could die happy now. How could Yang fear such a perfect woman? Wei seemed to manifest my very thoughts right after. ¡°But, Meihua, how could someone possibly be scared of you? I¡¯m hurt on your behalf,¡± he sniffled dramatically, evening out her sleeves. Amelia whispered something into Ailun¡¯s ear, and he quickly mimicked Wei¡¯s actions. Meihua pushed him backward lightly, clicking her tongue. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s take them back, and we¡¯ll figure out what to do from there. Besides, if Daji really is after you, then it¡¯s best if we¡¯re at a place you have complete control over.¡± She quickly took me into her arms as Amelia cheered, running over to hug me while failing to untie the ribbon behind me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Peijin, I¡¯ll protect you. Sidang won¡¯t let them do anything to you.¡± Suddenly, the entire world seemed to swirl with bright colors and light as I was teleported off my feet and thrown into it. I squeezed my eyes shut, and Meihua tightened her grip before I suddenly landed with a loud thump. ¡°Mmph¡ª¡± I groaned painfully, my face having smashed straight into the tiled floor. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot you were tied up,¡± Meihua said softly, sitting me up as Amelia still clung tightly onto me. We were in a beautiful temple that resembled Daji¡¯s, but this one was only more lavish and beautiful. Its ceiling was dozens of meters in the air, and beautiful statutes littered the place. Most of them were of Meihua and Wei, which was admittedly rather strange, but it made sense for there to be divine statutes here. After all, it was how they got their spiritual energy. ¡°Can I be untied now?¡± Meihua quickly moved over and undid the bands around my arms, but when I tried to move, I realized I was incredibly sluggish. ¡°... Eh?¡± ¡°Do forgive me, but I already injected you with cyclobenzaprine. It¡¯s better for me to be safe than sorry.¡± ¡°You what?!¡± She gave me a reassuring smile and with a flick of her hand, a couch flew across the room and landed just beside me. ¡°It¡¯s a muscle relaxant. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Yue screamed as she landed with a loud thud just beside me despite now being untied, and Yang promptly crushed her body, causing her to hack and cough out violently before he rolled off looking even more embarrassed and ashamed. Ailun hardly spoke, and most of that was probably my fault. To me, he was no more than a plot device in Surviving my First Run. I was glad to see Amelia was breaking him out of his shell more, but I was still worried about letting their friendship grow anymore.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

I scoffed in annoyance. I still had no idea what that skill did, but it always activated involuntarily. ¡°Amelia, come sit by me,¡± I ordered nervously.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Do you think this is the right thing Jia Li?

No, I didn¡¯t. The right thing would¡¯ve been Amelia living out her life with her real parents, not me.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: You never respond to me, but I¡¯m really wishing you the best with this one. I know you¡¯ve been nervous this whole time.

Agh, could this guy shut up? He¡¯s making me feel worse right before I have to explain myself to Wei. Wei moved to sit before us with Meihua and Sidang by his side. ¡°Peijin, will you begin?" Chapter 44: A Battle of Fate - Ep. 7, VI ¡°Not really¡¡± I murmured, secretly scrolling through the Azure Dragon Store with my eyes in hopes of finding something that could break down the sedative.

Divinity ¡®Spirit of the Jade Moon¡¯ is shocked by the sight of Divinity ¡®Heavenly Flora of the Spring.¡¯

Divinity ¡®Spirit of the Jade Moon¡¯ stares wistfully at Divinity ¡®Heavenly Flora of the Spring.¡¯

I bit my lower lip and did my best to ignore the notifications. Meihua was one of the closest friends to Chang¡¯e for centuries before the incident. To see her ¡°alive¡± now, even if it was just part of the dungeon room¡¯s illusion, must have been quite the distressing sight. The two of them had bonded over their shared interest in medicinal properties. Chang¡¯e focused on being a healer and immortality while Meihua concocted various poisons and medicines using herbs and flowers. Wei ignored my snarky answer and continued to wait silently while his palace bustled with liveliness. Countless servants were running around and tending to the statues and plants that grew up the walls. Meihua cleared her throat, still refusing to look at Yang, and said, ¡°It would be much simpler for all of us if you could cooperate. Afterall, His Highness has already been very kind in choosing to hear you all out.¡± I couldn¡¯t bring myself to hate her. Maybe part of that was because of...

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li, I don¡¯t know how you can even stand to look at this family.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: You¡¯re lucky Archangel Michael is facing punishment. Let¡¯s hope he¡¯ll be released after all this is over.

God, this idiot was stressing me out. I was glad to hear that Archangel Michael was doing alright¡ªpunishment was expected, but it shouldn¡¯t be too severe given there was a possibility he¡¯d be released soon. Hopefully that wouldn¡¯t be the case, though. I didn''t want to make more enemies. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s as I said before. I¡¯m the goddess of fate and fortune, and I¡¯m here to warn you that Daji will soon run a mass campaign against you,¡± I declared confidently, my voice steady and strong, ¡°The woman in black here is my disciple Yue. The Daji officer is Yang, but he was only using his position to warn you. And the little gir¡ª¡± Wei politely cut me off with a raise of his hand. ¡°We¡¯re already familiar with her.¡± Amelia gave me a look of embarrassment. Sorry she mouthed, looking apologetic. ¡°Ha ha ha¡ and she allegedly freed some birds?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t alleged,¡± Yang mumbled, looking at me through his mask. ¡°She did create a pretty big mess with Ailun at the market.¡± Amelia¡¯s face lit up defensively, her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°I had to! They were all trapped in there and begging to come out!¡± I nodded, affirming Amelia¡¯s actions. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t you think we should instill virtues of freedom and righteousness into our younger generations?¡± Looking taken aback, Wei glanced at Meihua. ¡°I mean, of course, but¡ª¡± ¡°Justice is your whole character, Your Highness. Surely you don¡¯t mean to criticize Amelia and Ailun for doing what they thought was right? That wouldn¡¯t be very fair.¡± ¡°...¡± Meihua waved her hand in the air gracefully. ¡°We can talk about that later. Peijin, can you go back to explaining today¡¯s events?¡± ¡°Yang isn¡¯t allied with Daji,¡± I half-lied. Maybe he was in this fictional scenario, but he wasn¡¯t in my world. ¡°But he pursued Ailun in an attempt to get closer to both of you and warn you.¡± Wei¡¯s head cocked to the side, a peculiar look on his face. A man like him always assumed the best in people, but why would a high-ranking Daji officer leak classified information to help an accused divinity? ¡°So¡ Yang just decided to help me out of the kindness of his heart?¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Yang didn¡¯t make a very good first impression

Fixing the reputation of a suspected pervert was out of my pay-grade. Thankfully, Yang spoke up first, keeping his eyes glued on the ground. ¡°I knew Peijin for a long time, and I trusted her judgment when she told me that Daji was attempting to sabotage Your Highness,¡± he mumbled, clearly nervous, ¡°When I investigated the situation, I realized she was right and tried to alert all of you.¡± ¡°And you kidnapped Ailun while trying to execute that plan?¡± Wei continued. ¡°... Kidnapping is a bit harsh I think.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. A soft humming filled the air as Wei drummed his fingers, clearly deep in thought over Yang¡¯s words. ¡°What exactly are the accusations against me stating? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve really committed a crime before,¡± he trailed off. Meihua gave him a suspicious side-eye, and he responded with a light and nervous laugh. ¡°Well, other than descending into the mortal realm frequently, I haven¡¯t really done anything. But I¡¯m on good terms with the Jade Emperor.¡± Gaining more confidence, Yang looked up for a brief moment before responding, ¡°That you swapped the fate of Ailun with someone who would have become a divinity. Whether or not it''s true doesn¡¯t matter¡ªaccusations like that are treated with utmost seriousness.¡± Wei leapt onto his feet, clearly outraged and overwhelmed with emotion. ¡°But that isn¡¯t true! I¡¯d never do that. I don¡¯t understand why Daji would fabricate something like that!¡± I quickly interjected, finally able to move a bit thanks to administering an antidote I found through the Azure Dragon Store; although I kept my movements limited to prevent Meihua from growing suspicious. ¡°Daji is jealous about the success you¡¯ve had in both the mortal and heavenly realm. You¡¯re the youngest cultivator to have ever ascended, and you¡¯re her only significant opponent when it comes to mortal and heavenly influence.¡± ¡°But still,¡± argued a frantic Wei, ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re enemies. I deeply respect her!¡± Meihua reached out a hand and gently drew him back down into his seat, shushing him. She whispered soothing words, and despite her worried expression and furrowed brows, she did her best to not let her anxiety show. After many deep breaths, Wei finally relaxed and slumped back down on his chair. ¡°I¡¯ll bring this up with the Jade Emperor.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t help you now. He¡¯s already aware of Daji¡¯s report and is going to see it through.¡± His eyes flashed with alarm once more but he said nothing else. He continued to drum his fingers, his knee bouncing up and down with overwhelming nervous energy. If Wei or Meihua wanted to report us to the heavenly court, they would have done so by now. I felt utterly relieved that I had written such unrealistically nice people when I was younger. ¡°Guards,¡± Wei ordered, ¡°Bring all four of them to the prison.¡± Huh?! ¡°Give them each their own isolated cell, and make sure they¡¯re properly observed.¡± My heart fell in my chest, and my stomach flipped, causing bile to rise in my throat. ¡°W-Wait, your Highness! What do I need to do to make you believe me?¡± Armored guards wearing long white, yellow, and brown colored robes appeared behind me, lifting my limp body up from the sofa. ¡°I need time to go over this with Meihua,¡± he replied reassuringly, sparing me one pitiful look. I was undeniably a complete and utter mess, I was sure of it, but anger and frustration burned at that look. ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?!¡± I exclaimed, swearing at him. ¡°Daji is coming today! You already know that she was watching us in the forest. I don¡¯t have time for your goddamn suspicions!¡± ¡°Peijin!¡± Yue barked, shooting me an indignant glare as a warning to watch my tone. ¡°No, shut up, Yue! You don¡¯t understand anything that¡¯s going on right now!¡± Her nostrils flared in outrage, and I was thankful she was paralyzed¡ªI could practically see her lunging forward and bashing my skull against one of the statues. ¡°Because you don¡¯t say shit to anybody unless it suddenly benefits you!¡± She rebuked, the volume of her voice rising with each word. I had hit a nerve; over and over, Yue¡¯s biggest frustration was how I kept almost everything secret from her. Although I promised to do better after my dungeon room, it wasn''t like my party members wouldn''t have hindered me if I did tell them my plans. Wei lifted his hand before his face and quietly coughed into his sleeve, trying to remain polite and suppress his coughs despite the ongoing situation. ¡°Because you fuck up everything with how rash you are! You don¡¯t think before anything!¡± I screamed back, whipping my head back to Wei as the guards dragged me backward. ¡°Wei, you have to listen to me!¡± I desperately pleaded. Wei continued coughing, this time it grew slightly louder as his eyes squeezed shut. Chaos completely filled the room now as Yang shouted at Yue, trying to calm her down but only riling her up even more. "Yue, Peijin, both of you need to calm down!" Black flames traveled up Yue''s paralyzed forearms, and her black eyes blazed with a blinding purple. ¡°How dare you!¡± Yue roared, her arms twitching as she slowly regained control back over her body. The flames only grew larger, sending the guards near her back as it quickly charred their skin. Suddenly, Wei¡¯s coughing heightened as he hacked and choked, grabbing onto Meihua as his entire body convulsed. When he pulled back his white sleeves from his mouth, a dark red sleeve remained. At the sight of the bloody sleeve, the entire room came to a complete still. ¡°It¡¯s¡ the city of Anyang,¡± Wei gasped in utter shock, ¡°My temples and shrines¡ they¡¯re all being burnt down.¡± Wei began coughing again as he collapsed onto his knees, one of his hands still holding onto Meihua as she dropped down just beside him, her eyes wide with panic. Even Ailun, who remained silent the entire time, darted forward in fear. It was starting. ¡°Gege!¡±* Ailun cried out, his arms extended to grab onto his brother.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

Hindsight activated!

Editor¡¯s Pen activated!

¡ Had ''Scathing Reviewer'' just activated all my skills? The hairs on the back of my neck suddenly stood up as countless of outlined white figures flooded my entire vision. I shoved the guards back and lept forward for Ailun, Wei, and Meihua. With a quick move, I tore the broken Shield of Truth from my bag and slammed it against all of them, sending them flying across the palace grounds. ¡°Get back! Get out of here!¡± I screamed, my voice shrill and hoarse as my vocal cords seemed to shred with every word. With a massive explosion, the entire floor erupted as hundreds of Daji officers erupted and tore through, all of their weapons now aimed straight at me. Chapter 45: A Battle of Fate - Ep. 7, VII ¡°Zhige!¡± The growing blade flew out from my side and skewered straight through half of the surrounding officers. With loud screams, their limbs flailed desperately before Zhige cleanly cut them in half. Their bodies quickly dissipated into black ash; they were only ghosts, after all. In Wei¡¯s eyes, however, they must have actually been cut in half and bleeding on the ground. To avoid the attacks of the other flanking officers, my blue robes lifted me up into the air before slamming me against the wall of the palace. I let out a pained cry but avoided the Daji officer¡¯s assault¡ªall of their weapons landed where I had just been standing. "Gah! Can''t you be more gentle?!" I ridiculed the blue robes, and they angrily whipped around the air in protest. Barely able to catch my breath, I opened up a familiar blue keyboard.

Decrease the impact of destroyed temples and shrines by 50% for their respective divinities.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Wait, Jia Li! Wei doesn¡¯t have actual temples or shrines. He¡¯s not a real divinity outside of this dungeon room.

Fuck! The room was messing with my head. All of it felt so realistic that it was hard to believe I wasn¡¯t transported into Wei¡¯s past.

Prevent bodily harm to gods when their temples and shrines are destroyed in the context of dungeon rooms.

That edit should work even when considering karmic constraints, and this edit was better than my previous since it wouldn¡¯t increase the difficulty of destroying Daji. There weren¡¯t any other secret godly disciples with the exception of Wei, so this would¡¯ve only impacted our party.

Error! Impossible within karmic constraints.

This fucking system.

Potential edit: Decrease bodily harm to gods when their temples and shrines are destroyed in the context of dungeon rooms.

Decrease bodily harm by how much, though?

Deny

¡°Meihua!¡± I shouted, scrambling up to her and still trying to get used to my body¡¯s slower movements. ¡°Dissolve the poison in everyone else¡¯s body. You need to get out of here and take Wei and Ailun.¡± A humored look crossed her face as she pulled out darts from her sleeves and quickly threw them at all my party members. Their movements quickly returned as they dodged dozens of Daji officers. ¡°Peijin, you worry about the wrong people,¡± Meihua smiled politely, getting onto her feet and leaving Wei and Ailun with me. With a flash, she was in the air with her pink blade drawn, controlling it in the air as it tore and ripped through countless officers at once.

Rejected potential edit!

Decrease bodily harm to gods by 50% when their temples and shrines are destroyed in the context of dungeon rooms.

Edit granted!

Ha, so ¡®Editor¡¯s Pen¡¯ could screw me over then if I wasn¡¯t careful enough. ¡°Your Highness, lean on me,¡± I shouted over the chaos, trying to lift him up by using my entire body to support his underarm. I hoisted him up, my legs trembling from how heavy his presence was. Wei''s eyes trembled as he stared forward blankly, his previously tied up and lavish hair style now leaving strands that fell in front of his face. Dried and wet blood covered his mouth, and a large red stain was left behind on his once pristine white robes. A god having their temples or shrines burnt down was one of the worst things that could occur, regardless if they were a ghost, divinity, or demon. The only way they gained relevance and therefore spiritual energy was through their worshippers. Destroying their temples meant their inevitable death. A pang stabbed my chest at the pitiful sight, so I quickly turned away. Amelia had run over to defend Ailun, raising her iron cuff in the air and summoning the dire wolf. It roared ferociously as it latched onto a Daji officer, shaking and shredding its body. With his newfound trust, Wei suddenly gripped onto me tightly, standing straight up and staring into my eyes. ¡°You knew this was going to happen,¡± he said firmly despite his trembling hands, ¡°So tell me how this ends.¡± My eyes widened at his demand, and I quickly looked away. ¡°It¡¯s¡¡± Really, what could I say? There was nothing I could do that wouldn''t be blatantly cruel. I continued stammering before a foreboding sense overwhelmed me; Wei suddenly looked up behind me and moved to pull out his sword.

Disciple Yue has activated ¡®Magician¡¯s Hand!¡¯

I whipped my head around to see a Daji officer wearing a white and bronze mask with a sword held high above their head, ready to smash into my back. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The scene suddenly dissipated with a strange film as the Daji officer missed, landing right beside me. He looked around, seemingly surprised despite just being in front of me. I caught Yue¡¯s glare coming from my side as she gave me a curt nod, but her eyes still showed her disapproval and anger. Wei stared at the Daji officer, perplexed by the officer¡¯s sudden lack of aggression. He looked up at me, indirectly asking what was going on. ¡°Yue can create illusions,¡± I replied, ¡°They¡¯re pretty bad, but it works well enough.¡± I waited for Wei to finish off the officer, but instead of cutting him down with a quick move, he seemed to hesitate, looking at him conflicted. My expression fell out of annoyance. ¡°You¡¯re not going to get out of this without killing people,¡± I warned. ¡°There¡¯s always a better way to handle things,¡± he insisted. Wei¡¯s face was drawn in a complicated expression, and I watched his throat bob from a heavy swallow. With a wave of my hand, Zhige darted forward and stabbed the man through the heart before cleanly pulling out, returning to my side. The man gagged for a moment and clutched at his body. While turning into ash, he seemed to frantically try and scoop together his disintegrating body, desperately trying to keep it together. Wei''s face lit up with alarm, but it retreated once he heard a loud commotion just beside him. ¡°Your Highness,¡± my voice took on a cold edge, ¡°If you won¡¯t kill, then I will. But you won¡¯t be able to avoid it. You knew your responsibility when you became a martial god.¡± He cleared his throat before responding in a strained tone. ¡°I know. That¡¯s not why I¡¯m hesitating.¡± I nodded in acknowledgement¡ªhe had said something similar in Surviving My First Run, although Feiyu wasn''t attacked in this palace. Here, Wei and Meihua had a much higher advantage, but it didn¡¯t make Daji any less formidable. It wasn¡¯t that Wei was against killing people. Of course, he wanted to avoid it¡ªhardly anything justified the murder of people regardless of their innocence¡ªbut when he did kill, he realized he was a little too good at it. And that terrified him. Yue¡¯s face was twisted into a pained expression as she held onto one of the divine statues, trying to keep the illusion intact. More and more Daji officers were dropped into an ¡°empty¡± room, no longer able to see any of us. Except for Yang. He was outside the border of Yue''s continuously dwindling illusion. ¡°Officer Yang! Explain yourself!¡± One of the officers cried, lifting Yang up into the air with a sword pointed at his neck. More and more officers surrounded Yang as he tried to writhe out of their grip. His gold staff was lying on the ground just beside them. With his foot, he kicked up the staff and spun it on his toe box before lifting it up and smashing it against the officers'' knees. Yang fell onto the ground and quickly expanded the staff and forced himself up toward the palace¡¯s ceiling. Suddenly, his orange eyes widened and shook as he caught sight of one of the officers dusting themselves off as they stood up, staring up at the ceiling. ¡°Get out of here, Jin!¡± Yang exclaimed, avoiding a sword that zipped just past his head as he clung onto the ceiling and maneuvered his way back toward the illusion. I could see the Daji officer¡¯s face twist before he scoffed, looking down.

Peijin: Yang, none of these people are real! Don¡¯t get attached to them!

¡°Fuck, Yang!¡± Yue screamed from behind the illusion. It was wavering more and more, exposing Meihua as she relentlessly fought against nearly a hundred officers alone. Their relentless attacks were beginning to tear through the illusion, and Yue let out another pained scream as her limbs seemed to crumple together. Jin whipped around and pushed back some of the officers with his blade. ¡°Yang isn¡¯t involved in this! Stop attacking him!¡± He shouted, bringing up his sword in front of his chest, ¡°We can bring him back to the base later. He¡¯ll come!¡± Jin''s voice was strained with desperation as he continued insisting Yang''s innocence. And despite Jin being a ghost, I almost felt¡ pity? Yang gave a grateful look, letting out a sigh of relief. It felt strange to know that Yang had spent two weeks here. Although I¡¯d known him for longer than that, I only began talking to him since the start of the arcs. To be honest, he was probably closer to Jin than me.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Don¡¯t start overthinking now, Jia Li.

Just before Yang could make his hesitant descent down to the ground floor, an officer wearing a black mask suddenly stabbed his sword straight through one of Jin¡¯s lungs. Jin crumbled onto the floor and clawed at the tile before ash burst out of his mouth and erupted all the feet of the officers. ¡°Jin!¡± Yang screamed, wobbling as he tried to hold on to the top of the ceiling. The man with the black mask suddenly jerked his head toward Yang and, ripping his sword out of Jin¡¯s lifeless corpse, aimed it straight at Yang. With a flick of Yang''s hand, the staff spun before him in a protective circle, but the officer¡¯s sword seemed to twist and pass straight through, heading for Yang¡¯s face. His eyes widened in complete shock¡ªso far, spinning his staff had served as an all-purpose defensive move, but he was now face to face with the glistening sword. Meihua dashed toward Yang and lept into the air, the fabric of her robes beautifully fluttering as she let out a burst of spiritual energy. Flowers rained down all around her, and they were intoxicating; anyone in their vicinity would be overcome by a strange drunkenness. As soon as she grabbed him, Yang let out a loud scream and covered his face, clearly flustered again. Yue looked like she would have burst out laughing except that her face was instead twisted into immense pain as the illusion''s borders shrank again. The black mask signified the highest ranking Daji officers¡ªalthough they themselves weren¡¯t martial gods, their power rivaled many. As soon as Meihua and Yang began falling toward the palace floor, the masked officer lunged forward with horrifying speeds, another blade already in hand. Yang immediately extended his staff and swung it at the officers legs, but instead of sending the officer flying, the staff rippled and threatened to snap before Yang let go of it. Instantly, Meihua flung Yang back and gripped onto her sword, whipping it in the air as it wrapped itself around the officer. But instead of slicing him into pieces, he reached out, gripped the blade, and pulled Meihua in. Meihua¡¯s face filled with shock as she was reeled in. Her feet skid against the floor as she tried to push back¡ªuntil the officer grabbed his blade and pierced straight into her abdomen. Chapter 46: A Battle of Fate - Ep. 7, VII Before I could even process the scene playing out before me, Wei flew past, and his sheer speed and force caused me to lose my balance as I swung my arms in the air to catch myself. My hair whipped into my face, and my eyes shut as the tile beneath his every step erupted and turned into dust. ¡°Ailun! Amelia!¡± I screamed, stepping back and reaching my arm out defensively before them. ¡°Stay with me!¡± Amelia¡¯s hands shook due to her overexertion of energy, but she continued to control the dire wolf as it created a protective barrier around the three of us. It snarled and snapped at any nearby Daji officers, leaping around us in circles. ¡°Peijin!¡± Amelia cried out, her voice trembling, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me!¡± A puff of air left my nose at her confident remark. Wei reached Meihua in an instant and quickly grabbed onto the officer by his throat before flipping the man over his shoulder, body slamming him. Dust and debris flew up all around the two of them as a loud bang echoed through the palace. The officer wrapped his legs around Wei¡¯s abdomen and quickly flipped Wei over, now gaining the upper hand, but Wei gripped onto his wrist and twisted his arm around to lock his elbow. Before Wei could snap the officer¡¯s arm in half, the officer rolled back and kicked Wei straight in the face, only causing Wei to skid back a few steps. Wei spat on the ground a mixture of saliva and blood, but his gaze never left the skilled officer. Wei¡¯s fighting style was typically much more elegant and not so brutish. As a master of the sword, there was no need for him to resort to martial arts and his fists in a typical fight. However, he was a complete master of brutal combat¡ªand desperate times called for desperate measures. Bringing his opponent closer to him gave Wei an overwhelming advantage. ¡°Amelia, take care of Ailun!¡± I shouted, turning back one last time before sprinting for the countless shrines. Another wave of pain seemed to shoot through Wei as he coughed up blood once more, faltering for a moment. That opening was enough for the black-masked officer to grab onto Wei¡¯s hair and slam him onto the ground, crushing his face into the tile. He grabbed onto the back of Wei''s head and continued to bash him into the ground; for a moment, Wei''s pained expression flashed us before it was buried into the floor. Ailun¡¯s clammy hands were clasped together as he frantically whispered into them, sweat dripping off his brow in focus. I tore the dozen prayer candles Yue gave me earlier today from my bag and quickly lined them up before Wei¡¯s shrine. Wei slowly lifted his head up, and his eyebrow was cut, causing blood to seep down his face. Blood flew out of his mouth as he coughed again before he forced himself up onto his feet. His fingers dug through the ground as he pushed himself up, his sheer physical strength allowing him to overpower the man''s attacks. The masked officer stared at him in complete shock, his pupils darting back and forth and trying to understand how Wei could get up after such a vicious assault. ¡°Grabbing my hair? Really?¡± Wei asked, one of his hands reaching up to try and retie his hair with the white ribbon. He grabbed the hilt of his sword and pushed back at the officer, one of his eyes shut as more and more blood began falling down his face. The officer quickly retaliated but was slowly retreating, being forced deeper and deeper into Yue¡¯s illusion until he couldn¡¯t see Wei anymore. ¡°Yue! Light these candles!¡± I commanded, shouting over my shoulder so the sound would carry out to her. The only lighter my frugality let me purchase was during Yang¡¯s arc¡ªand I dropped that on the ground when I decided to light the forest¡ª and myself¡ªon fire. Yue¡¯s voice roared back, ¡°No! Fuck off!¡± Her body trembled as she tried to regain control over the ever fading illusion. She was beginning to slip out of it, more and more of her body flickering out of its barrier. I ran out of the barrier, dodging a sword as I brought one of the candles up to her flaming arm and held it close until it lit. ¡°Thanks, Yue!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to fucking kill you!¡± Rushing back to Wei¡¯s shrine, I skid across the broken tile, slicing my robes and knees, and reached for the statue. I held the burning candle, now illuminated with a strong black and purple flame, to all the other wicks as they flickered to life one by one. My breath was caught in my chest as the scent of blood and fire began to fill the air. Explosive sounds erupted behind me, and I did my best to tune them out. One of the candles refused to light, and I held the small flame even closer to it, my hands gently cupped around the flame. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Come on, come on,¡± I ushered, finally letting out a sigh of relief as the last candle lit up. The candles were organized in a messy line just before a statue of Wei¡ªhe was wielding a sword elegantly by his side while small, hand-carved flower petals were sprinkled by his feet. His robes looked as if they were swaying in the wind, and the stone and marble was so elegantly carved that it looked like real fabric. I could hear Wei let out another violent cough as his relentless assault against the masked officer slowed once more. With a deep breath, I brought my hands together like a prayer before me and lowered my head. ¡°Give these blessings to Discip¡ªuh, Divinity ¡®Blessed Martial Guard of Salvation,¡¯¡± I rushed through the phrase and Wei''s epithet before looking over my shoulder. At once, Wei''s shoulders relaxed as he seemed to finally take in a deep breath, his chest puffing out; Wei lunged forward and stabbed straight into the officers side. With brutal strength, Wei twisted his sword and slashed the man across his abdomen. Black dust shot out of the wound like a hose as the man seemed to grab onto the air for something before he fell onto his back. Like all the other Daji soldiers, his body slowly evaporated; every limb crumpled away after disintegrating into fine black ash. It blew away into the air, and I stared at the sight pitifully before uttering a small prayer.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯ has sponsored 2,000 stars.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Archangel Michael would¡¯ve wanted me to do that. I know Jia Li doesn''t actually care about her ghosts.

How much did Archangel Michael give to Socrates?? Maybe I should suck up to the Observers more? Wei, looking around like a lost and petrified dog, whipped his head around and stumbled on his robes for a moment before he shouted, ¡°Meihua!¡± He quickly reached her, but she had already stood up, her blade extended beside her once more. She quickly dismissed him with the swish of her hand. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied breathily. He sniffled loudly and wiped at his face, dragging her by the arm deeper into Yue¡¯s fleeting illusion. ¡°We need to get you somewhere safe. Do you need treatment? Medicine? Stars?¡± Wei¡¯s face was twisted into concern. A conflict like this was completely unprecedented in the heavenly realm. ¡°What about spiritual energy? I can give you some of mine.¡± Meihua grabbed his ear and tugged on it harshly as if she were scolding him. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m completely fine! You forget I¡¯m a healer. And what do you mean ¡®what about spiritual energy?¡¯ I have more than you!¡± ¡°Oh,¡± he mouthed in a surprised tone, seeming to forget that she could handle any injuries better than anyone else in their vicinity. Ailun finally jolted up, his eyes wide and watery out of fear. ¡°Wei!¡± He exclaimed, waving at his older brother, ¡°They''re telling us to descend to the mortal realm! Mom and Dad have been alerted!¡± Who was "they?" Finally, Yue let out a loud groan before she collapsed on the ground, her long black hair sticking to the sweat that coated her paper-white face face. Daji officers immediately darted toward her, but Yang pushed them back with a sweep of his staff. Yang lifted Yue into his arms and held her tightly as he desperately tried to push his attackers back. ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± I shouted over the chaos at Ailun, ¡°If we go there, Wei and Meihua lose the upper hand!¡± At my loud tone, Ailun immediately cowered back until Amelia gave him a reassuring look. He mumbled some words under his breath, and we all strained to hear. ¡°Huh?¡± I shouted. Ailun swallowed and repeated himself slightly louder. ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°Lin Bai and Tian Gang are there also!¡± He finally shouted, his fists balled together at his sides. I quickly perked up. Ailun must have alerted them and sent them back to Wei¡¯s mortal home¡ªwhich was also a palace¡ªafter discovering that no other divinity was coming to help. Lin Bai and Tian Gang¡¯s presence was a distinct change from Surviving My First Run. They were both low-ranking divinities, but they had served Wei since he was a kid. If they were present, they could help devise a plan to help Wei¡¯s family survive. ¡°I trust them,¡± Wei shouted breathlessly. Blood shot out of Yue¡¯s mouth as her limp body desperately tried to cling onto Yang¡¯s. With feeble strength, her arms were wrapped around his neck, and she strained to keep herself hanging there. More and more Daji officers surrounded Amelia¡¯s dire wolf as their blades began to sink into its fur, large splotches of blood emerging in patches all over its body. Ailun let out a shrill scream as Amelia was pierced by one of the blades, a line of blood shooting out from her arm. Zhige¡¯s red eye flashed as I swung the hilt, decapitating a line of officers just before Amelia. ¡°Amelia! Summon the dragon!¡± I commanded. Her eyes widened in fear; the moment she summoned the beast, although it was relatively small compared to the absolutely giant palace, it would completely destroy the room we were in. I nodded at her with a faint smile, acknowledging her concern, before my voice hardened once more. ¡°Wei, I¡¯ll pay you back later!¡± Amelia held the metal cuff into the air; a bright beam of light shot out as the giant blue dragon spawned, roaring and immediately crushing dozens of Daji soldiers. Meihua caught my eyes, but her expression hardened when she recognized my plan. She swirled her sword in the air, and it indiscriminately grabbed onto the remaining low-ranking officers before dicing them into pieces. Ash dissipated all around us before the palace let out a loud groan. The palace roared and threatened to give way. I turned around and hooked Ailun and Amelia into my arm before I sprinted toward Yang and Yue. ¡°Meihua!¡± Her pink sword retreated as it wrapped around all of us, forcing us together as the palace completely collapsed with a massive roar. The entire room collapsed, and as I looked up, chunks of debris hurdled toward us. And then we descended into the mortal realm¡ªspecifically, Wei¡¯s childhood home. Chapter 47: A Battle of Fate - Ep. 7, VIII I screamed and wrapped my arms around Meihua¡¯s long neck as wind violently whipped all around us, causing everyone''s robes to lash into their skin. Meihua seemed surprised and gasped for air from my tight grip but didn¡¯t say a word. The grip of the pink sword relaxed around us as it slowly retracted, and I slammed against the cold, tiled floor with a surprised cry. On the other hand, Wei and Meihua landed elegantly just beside me. Two men, one wearing brown robes and the other red, raced over and immediately supported Wei. The man with brown robes had a short and dark brown bun while the other had a long black ponytail that reached his waist. These two were Lin Bai and Tian Gang: Wei¡¯s loyal friends, servants, and divinities themselves. ¡°Your Highness!¡± They both shouted in unison, immediately noticing the blood that spotted his only pure-white robes. Wei cleared his throat and did his best to stand up properly. But his knees still trembled despite his feeble attempts at hiding it. ¡°Where¡¯s Mom and Dad? What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°The Zhou have invaded, Your Highness. We¡¯re holding them back to the best of our abilities, but it¡¯s a complete mess there,¡± Bai, the one with the shorter hair, declared. Lin Bai was the more extroverted of the two men. Having known Wei since childhood and having been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, it was easier to defend and relate to Wei. Wei¡¯s face twisted into a look of confusion at Bai¡¯s comment. ¡°Are my temples and shrines in Anyang just collateral damage to their attack? I¡¯m worshiped in Zhou just as much as I am in the Shang Dynasty.¡± ¡°Your temples?¡± began Gang, a flash of emotion crossing his typically bored face. ¡°Your Highness, what do you mean? Anyang hasn¡¯t been invaded.¡± Ironically, Gang and Bai weren¡¯t¡ on the best of terms. Since Gang was taken in by Wei after having been orphaned, there was always a strange power dynamic within the trio. Wei, however, spotted none of this. At Gang¡¯s confused question, I was about to shoot a judgemental look at Ailun for poorly reporting the situation before I remembered that Amelia had taken a liking to him. I let out an annoyed sigh and blew a strand of hair out of my face. To my side, Meihua was on the ground, treating a completely exhausted Yue. Well, it looked like Yue didn¡¯t really need one of the potions I got from the dungeon rooms. Better to save it. ¡°My temples are being burnt down in Anyang,¡± Wei sighed, his breath still shaky and coming as quick pants. ¡°What did Emperor Di Xin say?¡± Emperor Di Xin was the ruler of the Shang Dynasty of which Wei and his family resided; however, Wei¡¯s father was the prince of Anyang. Wei was still considered royalty and grew up with privilege before he ascended to the heavenly realm, but he was by no means snobbish. Bai interjected, ¡°Emperor Di Xin is quickly retaliating with the help of Daji.¡± ¡°Forget about him, then,¡± Wei warned, taking a few steps to the table and sitting down, ¡°Daji is the one burning down my temples. If Emperor Di Xin tries to enter Anyang, hold him back. Make sure he never enters. The same goes for Daji.¡± ¡°Your Highness, you want us to keep the Emperor and Daji out?¡± Tian Gang clarified, brushing a loose strand of hair out of his face. Wei nodded, lowering his head onto his two hands while letting out a deep sigh at the table. ¡°Yes. Just trust me on this.¡± Daji and Emperor Di Xin were intimately familiar with one another, but both slowly became known for their cruelty. Daji kept it hidden far better, however, and still managed to build up countless worshippers and ascend into the heavenly realm.* That being said, she was still less popular than Wei for the times she did slip up and for her association with such a tyrannical ruler.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Gah, did you have to make this sooo political? Can I fast forward? Where¡¯s Chang at?

As the conversation continued, Socrates sent another annoyed message¡ªeven though he¡¯d willingly read all of this in Surviving my First Run. Maybe Feiyu made it more interesting.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: I¡¯m actually going crazy. Why were you a nerd when you were younger? You still failed the college entrance exam anyway.

¡ An older woman wearing a bun and countless hairpins peeked her head into the room and suddenly darted forward, leaping at Wei and tightly wrapping her arms around him. Her chest heaved with every shaky breath¡ªfat tears glistened along her lash line before they fell down her sloping, flushed cheeks. ¡°Wei¡!¡± She quickly choked up before pressing a kiss on his forehead. ¡°My son, look at you! How could this happen? I¡¯ll bring in a change of clothes immediately.¡± I rolled my eyes at the cheesy sight and kneeled down beside Yue, poking her cheek with my index finger and causing her to scowl at me angrily. ¡°I¡¯m alright, Mom,¡± Wei said softly, looking guilty for making his mom cry. ¡°Make sure you and Dad are safe. We¡¯ll have to deal with the Zhou and Daji now.¡± Wei¡¯s two guards quickly updated her on the situation as they began brainstorming what to do. Meihua sighed, still tending to Peijin¡¯s World Dominion. After a few moments, Meihua turned over and looked at me. Her hesitation was rather apparent, and even though she was far superior than I, her nervousness was apparent. I quickly shook my head and slapped my cheek. This was just a ghost. A ghost that really should¡¯ve pursued acting. ¡°Peijin, if I may ask,¡± Meihua began, her large, light brown eyes blinking at me, ¡°How much do you know about all this? Is the future set? Our futures?¡± My chest swelled at the almost genuine sparkle in her eyes. This was indeed a very convincing ghost. It would¡¯ve done very well in a CDrama. ¡°It¡¯s not set, but I don¡¯t know much, either,¡± I tried to say convincingly, ¡°I only know what I have to change.¡± ¡°Then are we on the right track?¡± she asked politely, her hands folded on her knees. ¡°Having Bai and Gang here is different from the future I foresaw. We shouldn¡¯t stay at the palace for too long, though. It¡¯ll be invaded soon.¡± Yang stared silently at the badly beaten Yue, chewing on his lower lip with worry before he rested his chin on his knees.

Yang: But, Peijin, how do we actually get out of this room?

Peijin: Wei needs to awaken.

Yang: So remember his past? Can¡¯t you just tell him?

Peijin: It¡¯s more¡ more complicated than that. He¡¯ll begin slipping up and misremembering things the longer we stay here. If we dump it on him, he¡¯ll go crazy and probably kill one of us.

I could feel Yang¡¯s gentle stare bearing into me from my side. Ignoring it, I continued to prod Yue¡¯s face with my finger. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Suddenly, she whipped her head around and bit my finger. Hard. I yelped and quickly jumped back as she glared at me with murderous intent. ¡°Can you not fucking poke me?! I¡¯m an injured woman!¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to wake you up!¡± I lied. Meihua gave both of us an intimidating smile, and we quickly stopped our bickering. She stood up and gently brushed off her skirt as she turned toward Wei. ¡°Then, Peijin, let¡¯s leave for a different temple in Anyang. I¡¯m sure His Highness will want to bring his parents, though, if he knows his childhood home will be invaded soon.¡± I cocked my head. ¡°He¡¯ll leave so simply?¡± She gave me a cheeky smile. ¡°If I ask nicely enough, he¡¯ll comply. Besides, I¡¯d like to believe we both trust you a bit more than we did earlier,¡± she whispered softly before adjusting the gold and pink flowers in her hair. ¡°You all get a good rest tonight. We¡¯ll leave in the morning.¡± I quickly slapped my flushed cheeks to get back on track. Yue croaked out, ¡°Can we each get our own rooms?¡± After being treated by Meihua, Yue seemed much better already. She gently rolled her wrist, worked out the kinks, and slowly sat up. Meihua let out a small, ¡°Mhm.¡± Yue¡¯s arms shot up into the air like a cheer as she fell back, virtually passing out from relief at that very moment. After Meihua¡¯s delicate care, it was obvious that Yue would make a full recovery physically. She was probably pissed off like hell, though. Yue always was. ¡°Yang, can you help me bring everyone to a room? It¡¯s getting a bit late.¡± My arms were hooked under Yue¡¯s as I lifted her up, throwing her over my pointy shoulder. I wasn¡¯t used to having long hair, and it quickly covered my entire face.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: You look like the girl from that one horror movie. The Ring, I think.

Yang quickly gestured over at Amelia who had been eavesdropping in on the entire conversation. Before he could say anything, Amelia quickly commented, ¡°I want to sleep in the same room as Peijin.¡± We awkwardly stood for a moment before I shrugged, gesturing for Amelia to follow behind me. Groggily, Yue lifted her fist and punched it against my back. ¡°No way¡ I want to room with Peijin so I can finally kill her in her sleep¡¡± ¡°Ha ha¡ you have a really funny sense of humor, Yue,¡± I laughed awkwardly, jerking her body harshly and causing her stomach to hit my jutting shoulder. Amelia tugged on my blue robe, and it quickly pulled back before flapping at her in a scolding manner. ¡°Can Sidang come, too?¡± Amelia asked, pouting and giving me very obvious puppy eyes. Who taught her to be so manipulative? ¡°No,¡± I answered, ¡°Wei probably needs to talk to Ailun.¡± ¡°But Sidang is scared of the dark.¡± ¡°... Are we just having a group sleepover now? Why don¡¯t you just invite everyone, Amelia? Let¡¯s all just sleep on the floor together.¡± Amelia¡¯s entire face lit up as she jumped up and down. ¡°Can we? I¡¯ve never been in such a pretty house!¡± ¡°...¡± I pursed my lips and let out a sigh. ¡°That¡¯s because this is a palace for a Prince.¡± My eyes met Yang¡¯s pleadingly, but he merely shrugged before saying, ¡°Amelia, I think that¡¯s a great idea.¡± Pushover. ¡°Fine, go ask His Highness,¡± I waved my hand in the air and dismissed her as I walked up the stairs with Yue in tow. Soon after, to my surprise, Wei and Meihua had both agreed. Both of them continued speaking to Wei¡¯s Mom, Dad, Bai, and Gang, but a few hours later, the two of them slunk into the shared room. The rest of us were already deep asleep. It must have been days since the last time any of us slept, but time was already so convoluted that it was difficult to determine how long we¡¯d been trapped in this arc for. All of us were splayed on the floor of a massive guest room. It looked much more like a high school sleepover than anything with dozens of blankets and pillows strewn all over the ground. Wei and Meihua strode in, having changed into a new set of robes but still looking ready to leave at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°Your Highness,¡± Meihua whispered, gently tip-toeing around the room and looking at everyone, ¡°Are you sure everything will be fine?¡± Wei turned away for a moment, looking down sweetly at the sleeping Ailun. ¡°There¡¯s no use worrying over it right now. Let¡¯s get a good rest first. Who knows when we¡¯ll be able to sleep peacefully again.¡± In an elegant movement, Meihua kneeled down just beside Ailun and Amelia. Both of the kids were clinging tightly to my abdomen, Amelia¡¯s mouth open as she drooled. ¡°We need to protect the kids first,¡± Meihua whispered, pulling up the blanket to better cover them. The back of her fingers grace against Ailun¡¯s forehead, brushing back loose strands of hair that had fallen. A delicate smile graced her soft face. Wei knelt down beside her and sighed, leaning his head on her shoulder before pouting. ¡°You know I¡¯m going to take care of them¡¡± he whined, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be taking care of me more? I feel so neglected¡¡± Meihua chuckled and brought her hand up to playfully rub and smack his cheek before she stood up, grabbed a large blanket and pillows, and the two of them soon joined the rest of the party. After a few moments, a blue notification appeared.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li, Jia Li, are you up?

No response.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Liiiiiiiiiiiiii

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li, someone is in the room.

A tall, dark, and lanky figure lurked in the corner of the room. Occasional bright yellow sparks burst out of its skin. It took a heavy step forward, and sparks exploded from its feet.

Divinity ¡®Spirit of the Jade Moon¡¯ is covering her mouth in horror.

Real spiritual energy¡ªnot the ghosts¡¯ fabricated one¡ªoozed out of the figure.

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ cannot comprehend what she¡¯s seeing!

All observers are shouting for Chang!

All gods are shouting for Chang!

While walking past Wei, the figure seemed to slow for just a moment, its head turning to face him, before it walked forward once more, heading straight for Peijin. It finally reached Peijin, cocking its head just over hers. It loomed over her sleeping body before it seemed like thousands of sparks erupted from its body from Karma¡¯s anger. [Gah, what is it now? I swear, it¡¯s always Peijin that makes me work overtim¡ª] Chang complained, scratching the back of his spiny head before he froze, his scales standing up. His eyes widened at the sight of the figure, and he swallowed loudly. A hiccup tore through his small body, but he quickly tried to quiet down by putting his clawed hands over his mouth. The figure jerked its head up toward Chang before freezing, its glowing eyes staring straight at him.

BEGINNING COMPLETE INTEGRATION OF ALL ''Peijin''s World Dominion'' PARTY MEMBERS.

Karmic sparks erupted all over the room, practically blinding Chang with their abundance. But even still, Peijin¡¯s party seemed completely untouched by the light, the figure blocking them. The amount of spiritual energy required to smother a karmic flurry like that was unimaginable. It was an ocean¡¯s worth of spiritual energy. [W-Wait! What are you doing?] Chang frantically pulled up his blue screen and his claws tapped against hundreds of buttons in what seemed like seconds, but nothing changed.

1%... 8..% 39%... 50%... 78%... 99%...

Another being that looked identical to Peijin seemed to flash in the corner just for a moment. Its eyes were wide and furious as it glared straight at the dark figure before vanishing. [Wait! Stop!] Chang desperately cried out, hiding behind a pillar instead of confronting the mysterious figure. [Who are you?!] At the last moment, a band wrapped around Chang¡¯s body and gagged him, dragging him straight toward the figure.

DESCENT COMPLETE.

Chapter 48: Integration - Ep. 8, I I jolted awake and saw the tall, blank ceiling above me. To my surprise, my entire body ached and throbbed¡ªit felt like I¡¯d been thrown and beaten in my sleep, but everything around me looked the same. My eyes were dry and blurry, so I instinctively moved my hand to rub them. Wait, why couldn¡¯t I move my body? I looked down, but quickly let out a sigh of relief. Amelia and Ailun were practically lying on top of me. Their small bodies were wrapped around my abdomen, arms, and legs, completely cutting off any of my blood circulation. With a mixture of surprise and exasperation, I stared at both of them before giving up, shutting my eyes and trying to go back to sleep. After trying to fall asleep and failing, I huffed in annoyance and opened my eyes once more, deciding to work through what the best plan would be. We would be leaving Wei¡¯s childhood home in Anyang today in search for a safer or more reliable temple. It was quite a large group to be traveling with, but given Yue¡¯s illusion power, we should be camouflaged for the most of it. Despite being the writer, I was surprised to see how much trouble Wei and Meihua had with the black -masked officers. It would be bad to encounter them again. Theoretically, if we stayed here long enough, he would slowly return his memories naturally without having to be forced into the traumatic events. Although he would still panic and desperately cling onto this fictional reality, it would be less violent and something I could work with. I turned my head to the side and saw Yue sleeping a few feet away from me. She was completely sprawled over Yang, spread out like a starfish, while he curled up against a lone pillow. A small and amused sound left my mouth. Ha, I wondered how Yang would react when he woke up. He seemed to be better around Yue now, but after that embarrassment of a room, he¡¯d never escape the teasing. ¡°You even have bad sleeping habits,¡± I murmured under my breath toward Yue. To my surprise Yang lifted his head up and looked over at me. My face quickly flushed out of embarrassment. Yang was completely awake and hadn¡¯t reacted to Yue at all. Soon after, his head hit the pillow once more, but his eyes remained open. ¡°How long have you been awake?¡± I mouthed. ¡°I woke up just now,¡± he mouthed back. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve been thrown across an ocean during a storm. My whole body hurts.¡± I snorted. Well, at least I wasn¡¯t the only one to have a bad night of sleep. As selfish as it was, I was glad to share the burden. My hands gently rubbed both of the kids¡¯ heads as I scrolled through the system features. But I quickly pulled my hands back once I remembered Karma¡¯s words. Just by being near them, my bad karma would attach onto them. Before I could move away, my eyes caught a notification and my eyebrow arched at the notifications Socrates left behind. When did he start sounding so whiny? ¡ And who was in the room? ¡°Socrates?¡± I called softly, not wanting to draw any suspicion toward myself.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li there¡¯s¡ª

Yellow sparks erupted from the message and quickly forced it to vanish before I could finish reading it. ¡°Karma, you bitch,¡± I grumbled, sighing loudly and sitting up. ¡°I¡¯d rather deal with more Observers than you.¡± I made sure not to disturb either of the children as I stood up and inspected the room. It looked completely identical to last night¡ªonly now, it was fully lit from the sun bursting in through the windows and creating beautiful light refractions through the glass objects and glistening metals. ¡°Yang, did you feel anything yesterday?¡± I asked curiously, keeping my tone rather flat and calm. ¡°Like last night?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Why? Is something off?¡± There was still no reason for me to tell them about Karma, and I had no plans to. That was a battle for me to handle on my own. ¡°No, no. Everything is fine. One of the Observers said something strange to me, but maybe I just misunderstood it.¡± ¡°Ah, do you want me to ask one of my Observers?¡± He asked politely, offering a small smile from the pillow that he rested his face on. He would¡¯ve been up and moving had it not been for Yue completely lying on top of him and preventing hi8m from moving. He had Observers too?! ¡°Wait, how many do you have?¡± ¡°Umm¡ I think maybe ten or fifteen consistent ones? But they mostly comment on what I¡¯m doing instead of what¡¯s going on around me.¡± Ten or fifteen?? Socrates needed to step it up. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. In a grumbling tone, I replied, ¡°Yeah, yeah, sure. Ask them about it, I guess.¡± Yang nodded before he wiggled an arm out from beneath Yue and small blue screens popped up around him. But before he could finish sifting through them, yellow sparks burst out, and they promptly vanished. One of the sparks landed on Yue¡¯s face and she jolted, slamming her hand down behind her back right against Yang¡¯s face. Surprised by the strange sensation, she let out a shout and quickly got up, crushing poor Yang. ¡°You pervert!¡± She exclaimed, kicking him straight in the ribs. ¡°H-huh?! Wait¡ª!¡± As Yang tried to defend himself from Yue¡¯s onslaught, the two of them caused a complete ruckus. Both kids began to stir at my side, and Amelia¡¯s head snuggled up further into the slot between my arm and abdomen. Everyone in the room slowly woke up due to the sudden and very loud banging; Meihua lifted her arms into the air and stretched, looking like she woke up perfectly ready for the day. Even her hair was still tied up into a sleek bun. Amelia and Ailun¡¯s eyes were both open now as they blearily looked around them. But, they still didn¡¯t move. And I couldn¡¯t bring myself to move them. Wei hopped onto his feet and yawned before reaching for his sword. ¡°Everyone,¡± he began, ¡°We¡¯ll take you out of here and into a much more secure temple. All of you can stay there until you get in contact with people who can help you out. Meihua and I will be heading to confront Daji and defend the borders against the Zhou.¡± I shot a surprised stare straight at Meihua. Hadn¡¯t we worked this out yesterday? ¡°Your Highness, I don¡¯t think you understa¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak out against His Highness!¡± Bai barked in a loud voice. ¡°Huh?! Since when did you even get in here?¡± Gang scoffed and looked at me with a stare of supremacy. ¡°Do you doubt our abilities to serve His Highness?¡± Okay. I officially didn¡¯t like either of them. ¡°... Meihua, I told you yesterday. Both you and His Highness need to leave immediately.¡± She bowed her head deeply, a sign of respect despite her status far exceeding mine. ¡°Peijin, while I greatly appreciate your concern, Wei and I still need to protect this land and our people. Don¡¯t worry, Bai and Gang will accompany you all as you head out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not my concern,¡± I replied quickly, ¡°You two need to be safe first. That¡¯s my priority.¡± In response to my comment, Meihua¡¯s face lit up with amusement. ¡°You¡¯ll be helping us a lot just by protecting Ailun. I think you¡¯re very capable, Peijin.¡± I raised my hand up before me. ¡°Woah, woah, woah. No flattery. I¡¯m not a full time babysitter. My only kid is Amelia.¡± Amelia¡¯s face lit up out of pride, two hands moving to cover her gaping mouth, before she quickly froze and comforted Ailun¡¯s complicated expression.

Amelia: Peijin¡

God damnit. Before I could screw up further, a battered Yang gestured toward me to stop speaking. ¡°We¡¯ll go with you then. You need Peijin.¡± ¡°No,¡± Meihua replied firmly, shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s far too dangerous for all of you.¡± I quickly interjected, replying, ¡°What happened to me being capable? We can help. Especially Yang.¡± Bai crossed his arms. ¡°All you would all do is hinder His Highness.¡± Wei cleared his throat with his sleeve and gave a sharp look at Bai, quickly shutting him up. ¡°Your Highness,¡± Gang interrupted, ¡°You should let them come.¡± I nodded with enthusiasm. ¡°They¡¯ll recognize how weak they are and quickly leave without pestering you.¡± ¡ I shoved my way forward and stood just before Wei, my hand clasped against my chest. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m the only one here that knows your fate! You have to take me along. Yang, Yue, and Amelia are necessary, too. We can help you and protect your family.¡± ¡°Then,¡± Meihua continued softly, ¡°Sign a contract with me. You¡¯ll be allowed to come, but as soon as I determine the threat to be serious, you and your party members will be sent to a rural area instead.¡± My brow quirked at her suggestion.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia L¡ª

He was cut off again. Meihua was a ghost hired for this arc. Sure, cool, whatever. But then¡ how would this ¡°contract¡± with her work? I wasn¡¯t actually striking a deal with the real divinity. Meihua was just some low-ranking, but convincing, ghost actor.

Editor¡¯s Pen activated!

Excluding powerful disciples, only allow gods to offer contract signings during arcs. Do not permit servants, regular ghosts, and regular demons from discussing contract propositions during this arc.

Edit granted!

¡°Meihua, can you elaborate on the contract?¡± She nodded with a warm smile. ¡°Of course. Which part? If you¡¯re worried about the parameters regarding what I deem dangerous, assure that I¡¯ll evaluate with utmost fairness.¡± ¡ My blood ran cold. She shouldn¡¯t have been able to say that. ¡°Bai, let me open up a contract with you.¡± He quickly opened a screen full of idiotic terms. ¡°Go ahead. Sign your name at the bottom.¡± I looked around for a sign of those familiar yellow sparks, a sign of karmic restraints, but none were present. ¡°Useless fucking skill,¡± I angrily grumbled before throwing the unsigned contract at Bai. ¡°I won¡¯t sign a contract with you, Meihua.¡± I firmly declared, ¡°But I have an obligation to protect me party, too. If it¡¯s dangerous, I won¡¯t let them die just to save you and Wei.¡± Wei¡¯s eyes stared at me, and his thick brown eyebrows were furrowed together, causing small wrinkles on his forehead. He rubbed his temple for a moment, wincing, before he gently placed a hand on Meihua¡¯s back. ¡°Meihua, let them come.¡± She turned over, looking a bit surprised. ¡°Did you sense something?¡± Wei¡¯s luck had always been incredible, and Meihua trusted his intuition blindly. ¡°I¡ yes, I think so. I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m feeling right now.¡± The arc was already beginning to draw Wei back into reality. I needed to handle Daji quickly. With a small nod, Meihua cut into her skin, drawing a thin line of bright red blood. She quickly drew a seal on the ground before facing all of us. ¡°This will take us directly to the frontlines with the Zhou dynasty. Once the conflict there is handled, we¡¯ll address Anyang. Our obligation is first to our people.¡± Except this time, I could pick up the hint of a lie in her voice. She unsheathed her pink sword and flicked it all throughout the palace, gathering everyone, before the seal exploded with a burst of light. Chapter 49: Integration - Ep. 8, II As soon as we landed, we found ourselves outside the towering walls that surrounded Anyang and facing rows of troops clashing with one another. Wei''s parents, Bai, and Gang had been dropped off inside the walls, taking shelter in a much more secure temple as they immediately began to worship Wei and Meihua, boosting their spiritual energy. There were hundreds of Shang soldiers pressing against Zhou troops, and yet they were clearly outnumbered. If there were at least 1,000 Shang soldiers, then they were drowned out by 5,000 Zhou ones. All surrounding villages and homes were being set ablaze, vicious cries ringing out from dying families. Burning mothers pushed their children back as they fell on their knees, and the scent of burning flesh filled the smokey red air. Yue¡¯s face lit up in intrigue as she stared around at the destructive sight around her. I¡¯d forgotten how, in the end, this was still her prime element¡ªwith a demon as her sponsor, there was an innate curiosity. Wei immediately jumped back, his eyes widening at surprise. For how powerful the Shang dynasty was, a bigger army should have been gathered under the orders of Emperor Di Xin; he was clearly letting this conflict grow. But this was all part of Daji and the Emperor¡¯s plan. They knew that, with how righteous Wei was, he could never leave his people to die. In the end, he would only draw more attention to himself and become an easier target for persecution. To fail now meant to lose his worshippers. They expected him to protect them, and Wei could not disappoint. Wei¡¯s gaze darkened as he drew his sword out from his side, shouting orders at Bai and Gang. ¡°Emperor Di Xin refuses to handle this. We need to push back Zhou immediately. Gather as many civilians as you can!¡± Suddenly, a stumbling man slammed straight into Wei before falling back. His movements were crazed and frantic, and long black hair covered his face as he clawed at his flailing body. ¡°I-Is that you, Your Highness?¡± He asked in a wild tone, his wide eyes staring at Wei from behind the curtain of hair. ¡°¡®Blessed Martial Guard of Salvation, oh, please! Save us!¡± Wei¡¯s jaw tightened as he grabbed onto the man¡¯s shoulders tightly, trying to calm him down. ¡°Sir, please calm down!¡± Without any warning, Wei winced slightly, a result of his still burning temples. Wei was still worshiped enough not to lose any substantial spiritual energy, especially thanks to his family and servants, but he needed to hurry. The man, however, didn¡¯t relent despite Wei¡¯s comfort and began to scratch and grip so tightly against Wei¡¯s robes that dirty black handprints were left behind. ¡°Please! Please! Your Highness!¡± He screamed, growing more and more panicked as his legs buckled and a spasm went through him. His emotions became more and more powerful, and his behavior became more erratic. Meihua¡¯s face suddenly fell as she analyzed the frantic man¡¯s behavior. His long hair still covered most of his figure, but foamy spit was now dripping down onto the ground from his mouth. It fell onto the ground in large, thick puddles. Wei tried to pull his arm back, but the man threw himself onto Wei, screaming and clawing against him. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me, Your Highness! Please!¡± His tone became more and more shrill, cracking with every word, ¡°They¡¯re keeping us all out of Anyang! They won¡¯t let us through the walls!¡± ¡°S-Sir!¡± Wei exclaimed, gently trying to take a step back and push off the man. ¡°Please calm down! I¡¯ll help you, but I need you to back up!¡± Bai and Gang suddenly appeared, and Bai immediately raced toward Wei and inserted himself between Wei and the crazed man, violently shoving him back. ¡°Get your filthy hands off of His Highness! Don¡¯t you know who you¡¯re talking to? How dare you grab him like that!¡± Wei immediately scolded Bai for his cruel language, but the man had already frozen in shock. Suddenly the man turned around and gestured toward the hundreds of people running from their burning homes and toward the walls of Anyang. His whole body trembled with a mixture of panic and rage. ¡°Everybody! His Highness is here! He¡¯s right here!¡± He roared, pointing straight at Wei¡¯s tall white frame. Hundreds of panicked civilians immediately stood up at those words and raced toward Wei. "Your Highness!" "Save us, please!" "You''re our god, aren''t you?! How could you ever let this happen!" "Why won''t you let us into Anyang?! Are you trying to keep us out!" With a shocked expression, Wei stared at the man with wide eyes before Bai and Gang quickly got in front of him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Your Highness? Are you really going to run away from your own people?! Is it because we¡¯re not from Anyang?!¡± He screamed in agony, grabbing his hair and ripping it out before his nails dug into his arms and legs, scratching at it violently. ¡°W-What are you saying? I¡¯d never abandon any of you! You need to calm down!¡± Zhige¡¯s bright red eye was spinning in my sword frantically, its pupil a small slit. It was clearly deeply disturbed, and yet it never left my side. I grabbed the man¡¯s arm, already knowing what to expect, and shoved him back. ¡°Get the fuck off of him. The hell are you trying to do? His Highness is here to help you, and you¡¯re treating him like this? He can''t do anything when you''re on top of him, you fucking bastard!¡± His hair finally moved out of his face after I jolted him, exposing massive black buboes erupting out of his flesh. He immediately tried to cover his face but not before all of us could see the giant black and pus-filled bubbles squirm like they were alive. They were shaped like small body parts. One looked just like a beating black heart on the side of his face, and at our horrified expressions, he let out a shrill scream and quickly tried to cover back up. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I¡¯m fine! I¡¯m fine! There¡¯s nothing wrong with me!¡± At his heightened emotions, the body parts began to move and grow. One shaped like a clawed hand began to tears it way out of his face. He screamed and tried to reassure us, but my blood had already run cold. There was blood dripping down his face. Blood. I took a slow step forward. The hair on my neck stood up, and my breath was caught in my throat. It felt like all the air in my lungs had been violently squeezed out. ¡°Zhige,¡± I whispered, bringing the blade up and suddenly cutting the man¡¯s head off. Blood sprayed out of the wound in an arc, and the blood had taken on such a dark color it nearly matched the black welts covering him. He was bleeding. Wei cried out at my action and quickly grabbed onto me, pulling me back, but I remained completely fixated on the sight in front of me. It wasn¡¯t the grotesque wounds growing out of his body that disturbed me. It was the fact that, as I watched his lifeless body on the ground and head roll all around, he was still there. He didn¡¯t turn to black ash. ¡°No¡no, no, no,¡± I whispered in a strained tone under my breath. I had my suspicions after the failure of ¡®Editor¡¯s Pen,¡¯ but how was I supposed to approach the rest of this arc? The feeling of Wei¡¯s hands on my body sent shivers down my spine. Karma couldn¡¯t have permitted this. As I slowly looked up, Yang¡¯s tense and rigid body told me he had realized the same thing as I had. This wasn¡¯t a dungeon room anymore. These were ghosts either. We had been integrated into Wei¡¯s timeline. Then everything I did now¡ it actually mattered. And if I still had my skills and Observer notifications, then somehow, Chang was here.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

And I could change Wei¡¯s fate, too. ¡°Wei, forget about these people,¡± I grabbed his arm and began pulling him back, ¡°They¡¯ll get you killed! Did you see that disease? You can¡¯t catch it. Who knows how it spreads?¡± I hadn¡¯t expected him to listen to me, but I needed to get him out of here. Forget the awakening, I could save him now. God damnit, I could save Meihua, too! Yang looked around for Meihua to warn her, but she was nowhere to be seen. Bai was trying to tear me back, but Gang hesitated, seeming to agree with me after seeing the state of the corpse. ¡°Wait, Peijin,¡± Yang shouted in an increasingly panicked voice, ¡°Where¡¯s Meihua? Didn¡¯t she say we¡¯d stay here to settle the situation with Zhou?¡± But before any of us could gain a further grasp on the situation, a flood of Shang civilians darted forward, having spotted Wei¡¯s glimmery robes from afar. Some had faint splotches over their skin, but they did their best to hide it. Wei quickly turned to Bai and Gang. ¡°Are we not allowing them into Anyang because of this¡¡± he hesitated as he stared at the brutalized man on the ground, ¡°disease? Is that true?¡± This strange ¡°disease¡± was the result of a mix of demonic energy in people. The limbs and organs hanging off of their flesh was the early formation of an entire demonic entity. If left, they would eventually grow and overtake their host, bursting out of their body like a twisted parasite. I cut off Bai and Gang, taking a much firmer stance. ¡°Yes. Your Highness, there is nothing you can do to save these people. Defend the wall surrounding Anyang and kill Daji. Nothing else matters.¡± His face flared with an indiscernible emotion. ¡°Nothing? I can¡¯t just let my people die! There has to be some way to fix this. Who could even release this disease?¡± ¡°Do you really have to ask me a question like that? You know who it is! You will never be able to cure it, only smother it!¡± With an ignorant sense of justice clouded by his youth, Wei pressed a hand firmly against his chest. ¡°Then I¡¯ll do something! At least I can try!¡± Wei didn¡¯t give me another chance to speak before he drew out his sword and leapt into the air with grace, twirling and spinning before landing in the midst of the Zhou troops. He cleanly cut through them with ease and moved through them as if they were nothing but statues. Yang grabbed onto me, forcing me to face him. ¡°Meihua reentered Anyang! I saw her cross the wall!¡± No wonder it sounded like she was lying earlier. She planned on handling Daji herself and letting Wei deal with the battling. At the sight of Wei defeating hundreds and then thousands of troops himself, the panicked civilians slowly calmed and began cheering for him. ¡°Praise the Blessed Martial Guard of Salvation!¡± ¡°Thank you, oh, thank you!¡± ¡°I told you His Highness would come! He¡¯s here to save us all!¡± I grimaced at their words, and I ignored the hundreds of Observer messages that popped up criticizing me.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li, you were too cruel when you were younger.

A good author had to kill their characters. And if they survived, a good author had to break them down into a shell of empty words before building them back off of the backs of the characters around them¡ªall of whom would, eventually, meet the same fate. And yet, watching Wei at this moment, a blazing light of strength and passion and ignorance, I felt¡ The Zhou troops began to retreat in fear. The mere sight of Wei was enough to send dozens of them sprinting for their lives and hundreds more frozen on the battlefield. Civilians collapsed out of relief before they began to sob. Gang turned to me, a very critical and distasteful look in his eyes as he seemed to analyze me. ¡°You.¡± ¡°My name is Peijin.¡± ¡°You need to get His Highness out of here. I don¡¯t know what you know, but whatever it is, His Highness must leave. Even now, he¡¯s making an utter spectacle of himself when he should be hiding.¡± Bai immediately barked back, ¡°Don¡¯t doubt His Highness! He¡¯s better than all the divinities in the heavenly realm! I dare them to try and strike him down!¡± Gang hissed back, ¡°And you think Wei will win with his temples burning down? Look at this plague. You¡¯re going to have demons tearing through corpse after corpse if you try to save any of them.¡± Yue suddenly stood straight up, her entire body going rigid as she whipped her head around. Her whole body shuddered as she sensed a foreboding feeling. An eye suddenly opened up on the side of a house, and I quickly threw Zhige at it, cutting off Daji¡¯s connection. But Yue grabbed my arm and spun me around, pointing behind the Anyang wall. ¡°She¡¯s behind there. I feel her coming.¡± Demons all had good senses for one another¡¯s energy as a result from their constant bickering and hatred for each other. With a loud explosion, a massive hole was blown through the Anyang wall, bricks flying all over the field. Meihua''s body was violently thrown by the impact as she skid across the ground, her sword wrapping itself on debris and trees to try and slow her. Immediately, countless infected civilians booked it for the wall, ready to escape into Anyang. Chapter 50: Integration - Ep. 8, III Like a vicious wave of zombies, both infected and asymptomatic civilians raced toward the wall; they clamored over each other, and countless bodies disappeared under the stampede. They were trampled and crushed, their agonized screams ringing out. Meihua shot back up and whipped her sword to try and cover the gaping hole, forming a makeshift ribbon wall, but she wouldn¡¯t tighten the fabric out of fear of slicing the people. Their arms squeezed through the gaps and clawed at the other side. Wei was torn. These were his people¡ªand the infection was indirectly his doing. Keeping them out meant all of them were vulnerable to the cruelties of war, but if he let them in, the disease would spread and wipe out Anyang. I watched his face twist out of frustration before I called out, ¡°Bai, Gang, and everyone from my party: block the wall! Your Highness, you push back Zhou!¡± I wouldn¡¯t let him make this decision. There wasn¡¯t time to figure out how we got integrated into the timeline, but I could save Wei. My eyes caught sight once more of the mysterious tattoo on my arm. As Yang twirled his staff in the area and stood atop it, he quickly shouted, ¡°Peijin, make sure His Highness doesn¡¯t end up losing worshippers!¡± The giant gold staff extended, and Yang was shot into the air. The staff tilted, perfectly dropping Yang off at the wall¡¯s hole. Yang, as always, was thinking far ahead even though I never expected him to be so clever. He was always just the kind, intellectual coworker, and I often fantasized about him leaving some kind of inwardly rebellious life, but I¡¯d grown more fond of him recently. Now that the people knew Wei had descended from the heavenly realm to save them, their expectations had skyrocketed. In times of crisis, they would turn to their respective gods¡ªWei¡¯s failure would destroy his status as a divinity. My decision to send him out to the battlefield would limit his interaction with civilians, and hopefully, he would be able to keep more worshippers if he seemed to vanish than if he stayed and failed. Meihua quickly got back up, and despite being thrown across the ground, she quickly dusted off her robes. From behind the gaping hole in the wall, white wisps of hair could be seen vanishing just behind. Daji. I grit my teeth and threw Zhige forward to help push back the countless infected civilians. I could only hope the cultivator bodies that all of my party members subsumed couldn¡¯t get infected. Amelia let out a small, surprised shout as dozens of adults shoved her to the side, nearly trampling her. One of them, with massive black limbs jutting out of their skin, tried to pick her up and move her to the side, but he vanished beneath the crowd and let out a grueling scream. Finally reaching the wall and wielding Zhige in my arms, I pointed my blade at the cowering civilians and commanded, ¡°All of you, get back! We¡¯re setting up a camp out here to treat all of your illnesses!¡± ¡°Who are you?!¡± ¡°Let us in! We¡¯re civilians! I¡¯m not infected!¡± An injured mother suddenly stumbled forward, holding a child wrapped in a blanket. A man, the father, was just behind. He anxiously held onto the two of them despite his trembling body. ¡°Please, my son has been hurt!¡± The mother pleaded. ¡°Yes, at least take our child! He''s only a few months old!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t treat us like this!¡± ¡°His Highness wouldn¡¯t stand for this! Where is he?¡± "Save the kid! How could you all be so cruel?!"

Yue has activated ¡®Magician¡¯s Hand!¡¯

The wall suddenly seemed to patch itself together slowly. At the sight, hundreds of the civilians grew more reckless¡ªMeihua, however, gave Yue a relieved nod. The two whispered to each other on the side while Yang comforted Amelia and Ailun, carrying the two of them on his back. ¡°Yue, thank you. You can sense Daji, can¡¯t you?¡± Even though Meihua hadn¡¯t heard Yue¡¯s earlier comment, her perception was sharp as ever. Yue hadn¡¯t fully healed yet. Just by using ''Magician¡¯s Hand,'' even for this simple illusion, she was over exerting herself. Still, she found the energy to puff out her chest and tilt her chin up. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the one who warned everyone.¡± Meihua gave an unsurprised and sweet smile. Yue immediately tensed up, sensing she messed up. ¡°So you¡¯re demonic? Only demons can sense each other so keenly. I guess Daji really had all of us fooled,¡± Meihua began, ¡°She did a much better job hiding her energy than you have.¡± Yue nervously hiccuped and looked away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t usually kill demons for fun,¡± Meihua insisted with a perfectly soothing tone. Meihua suddenly turned toward the crowd and immediately released an almost invisible and shimmery aura that seemed to calm down the people immediately around her. It was intoxicating, smelling of flowers as many began to visibly sway. Yang took a few steps back with both kids. ¡°Everyone, please do not panic! I¡¯m here to help you all in every way I can. Please split into groups of infected and uninfected individuals!¡±

Divinity ¡®Spirit of the Jade Moon¡¯ turns away from the scene.

Divinity ¡®Spirit of the Jade Moon¡¯ is overwhelmed by her emotions.

Divinity ¡®One who Fights in Front¡¯ is comforting Divinity ¡®Spirit of the Jade Moon.

The woman with the child hesitated. It was clear that she was hiding something under her long, loose robes, but she darted toward the uninfected group. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I recognized the woman as a pivotal character from Surviving My First Run, but before I could react, Gang had already grabbed her arm and pulled her sleeves back. Her husband immediately slammed his fist into Gang¡¯s face, but the woman''s black lesions were already revealed. ¡°She¡¯s infected!¡± ¡°Oh god, what if she already gave it to some of us? Get back!¡± Another civilian cried out, ¡°Someone kill her! Hurry!¡± ¡°Kill her!¡± ¡°She still has a child! You can¡¯t kill her! No one is better at healing ailments than the Heavenly Flora of the Spring! I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll save us!¡± Trembling, the woman held onto her barely visible child even tighter. It was a miracle if it hadn¡¯t been smothered by the tight fabric around it. ¡°Please, my child isn¡¯t infected! Please take him through the walls. He¡¯s been hurt, and he¡¯ll die soon!¡± The father grabbed onto Gang and dropped onto his knees, pleading through tears. ¡°Where is your kindness? Please! He¡¯s just a baby!¡± Tears and snot fell down his entire face, making an incredibly pitiful sight. Some people were moved and began to fight with the more fearful civilians in the crowd; however, at the man¡¯s hands grabbing Gang¡¯s clothes, Gang¡¯s face twisted into complete disgust as he kicked the man back. ¡°Get your filthy hands off me,¡± he spat cruelly. Bai quickly shoved his way forward but kept a safe distance from the family. ¡°If the child is healthy, he¡¯ll be let in. But all of you need to calm down before anything is done. You won¡¯t be attacked by Zhou if you stay here, and we¡¯ll set up camp.¡± As I stared at the miserable and pitiful family, I asked myself, ¡°Should I just kill all of them now?¡± This family right here would destroy Wei. In the original, Wei tries to stop the plague and save the entire Shang dynasty by relentlessly working with other gods to cleanse the dynasty of the demonic energy that triggered the plague. However during this time, the child and his parents would die trying to break into the wall. The gods, too, would abandon Wei. As a result, the thousands of civilians outside would revolt and break into Anyang, helping destroy Wei¡¯s temples before he would be caught by heavenly officials and punished with a multitude of crimes. I anxiously tapped my foot against the ground. If I killed them now, I¡¯d eliminate a trigger for the rebellion, but it would probably make Wei look even worse. And if I killed them secretly¡? Wei would be blamed for these awful conditions that led to them being vulnerable. Fuck, this was getting on my nerves. Now, a cool, gray fog was beginning to roll across the bloody battlefield.

Editor¡¯s Pen activated!

The family before me will all be infected by the plague and die inconspicuously.

Edit granted!

If the issue was the child¡¯s lack of symptoms, then catching the plague would solve it. Besides, I was no righteous savior or moral god the way Wei was. I didn¡¯t care if this sick family was real and not ghosts¡ªif I¡¯d just learned to slightly accept the main characters around me as people, plot devices still meant nothing. Thinking that probably just made my karma and luck even worse. So much for being the god of fate and fortune. I immediately perked up. God of fortune, huh? I felt rather cocky at how good my name choice was even though I came up with it so early on. Right now, I could change Wei¡¯s fate. That was what this was truly about. I was the author of this brilliant masterpiece¡ªif I created it, I could change it, too. Suddenly, those wickedly familiar yellow sparks lit up all around the blue box just before me.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li can¡¯t win at anything.

A white haired woman emerged from the mysterious fog and waved down everyone, shouting over the chaos. ¡°Everybody! I see His Highness across the village! He¡¯s pushing back Zhou! He must be here to stay and help us!¡± Keeping him isolated from this entire ordeal would have been the most logical move; but, it would also have been a move that contradicted his character. Wei, His Highness, Blessed Martial Guard of Salvation, would have never stayed back and watched his people die while only being absorbed by his temples in Anyang. My attempt to hold him back was a compromise, an attempt to rewrite a part of his character to be more selfish instead of prioritizing that immature idealism. Clearly, Karma was having none of that. Yue immediately tensed up again, her body trembling due to a strange and overpowering force. ¡°That¡¯s her! That¡¯s Daji!¡± The woman looked to be of no worth greater than a peasant, her white hair matted and dirty, her clothes plain and torn, but her beauty was utterly striking. It was no surprise that she was such a successful concubine and was able to easily seduce Emperor Di Xin. She made eye contact with a hardened Meihua; beside me, Ailun was whispering quietly to Wei, updating him on the now increasingly dire situation. Her words were so simple but so targeted and destructive¡ªby implying that Wei would ¡°stay and help¡± everyone, she had effectively damned him to stay. I really would have to rewrite and destroy his integral character. God damnit, Archangel Michael was going to kill me, but I needed to save Wei. If I was going to lose him, I was going to by fighting to give him the best outcome. Ha, this motherfucker. Even if I could control everyone¡¯s fate now and rewrite the entire future, Karma was going to do everything it could to stop me. That was the roll of karmic restraints after all. ¡°You fucking bitch¡ if you wanted to prevent this then how did you let us all get integrated?¡± I murmured under my breath. A chill ran down my entire body, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. My entire body straightened and Zhige¡¯s red eye spun wildly. A childish but familiar voice seemed to play just in my ear, but no one was standing so close to me. ¡°If you try and get Wei into Anyang, the heavenly officials will immediately persecute and arrest him. He¡¯ll only be safe in the frontlines, don¡¯t you see?¡± Karma said, its tone sneering and dripping with venom. ¡°It would look bad to the people if the Gods punished Wei when he was saving them. We can¡¯t have all the divinities losing their worshippers now, can we? But arrest Wei after he fails? Oh, oh, oh¡ you¡¯ve failed! Ha ha ha!¡± Karma trailed off, getting lost in its own convoluted fantasies. ... I was trapped. ¡°Is the future set? Our futures?¡± ¡°I only know what I have to change.¡± I remembered the conversation I had with Meihua. ¡°Meihua,¡± my voice trembled with a feeling of hopelessness and utter frustration. ¡°Then are we on the right track?¡± My chest swelled with a terrible foreboding. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll do my best, believe me.¡± Chapter 51: Integration - Ep. 8, IV A week passed since I made that promise to Meihua. And I had kept it¡ªexcept for the fact that my best wasn¡¯t good enough. First, I went to purchase a couple of things from the Azure Dragon Store, which miraculously still worked. After cursing out Chang in one of the abandoned houses, he appeared, trembling in a corner. ¡°H-Hi, Peijin¡¡± ¡°Chang, what the fuck?¡± He put his hands up before his face defensively, quickly stuttering and shaking his head. ¡°I swear! It really wasn¡¯t me! Some kind of figure manifested that night at Wei¡¯s home in Anyang, and it threw me here!¡± I raised an eyebrow judgmentally, but I didn¡¯t doubt Chang¡¯s words. My hand extended before me. ¡°You have a lollipop?¡± He sighed and stuck an orange lollipop into my hand. I quickly unwrapped and popped it into my mouth. ¡°What did you buy those for?¡± Chang asked, pointing at the purchased items in my hands. ¡°None of your business.¡± I interjected, ¡°Also, I need to buy every single prayer candle that you have in your store. If it has anything to do with worship, I need it.¡± Chuckling awkwardly, Chang scratched the back of his head. ¡°Ha ha¡ well you see, I don¡¯t really have access to the storage rooms for those items right now, and I don¡¯t really carry that many on me¡¡± I popped the lollipop out of my mouth. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me your stock is limited?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Chang mumbled, virtually incomprehensible. ¡°... Can I report you to your supervisor?¡± A puff of smoke burst out of his nostrils. ¡°How was I supposed to be prepared for something like this?! I¡¯m losing a lot of money right now, too! I can only stream your party!¡± So, Chang wasn¡¯t much help. But he did keep the broadcast going, and as I spent more and more time alone over the week, it did provide a sense of relief.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li, this situation is getting pretty abysmal. Are you going to keep hiding in abandoned homes?

I let out an exasperated sigh. Doesn¡¯t everyone¡¯s social battery get drained? And I mean, seriously, this situation was grueling. I couldn¡¯t think out there with the chaos of all the citizens. ¡°Socrates, can¡¯t you help me out instead of making me feel worse?¡± During my first encounter with Karma, the system had shut down, so I was the only one who knew of its presence. But, I had decided to tell Socrates in private.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Sorry, Jia Li¡ continue what you were saying.

¡°The only two beings I know capable of altering an arc like this are the Major Arcana and Karma,¡± I began, ¡°Karma¡¯s a bitch, so I¡¯m thinking it¡¯s the Major Arcana, right?¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Anytime I try to respond, Karma zap¡ª

Familiar yellow sparks erupted from the blue notification. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯m probably right. I¡¯m guessing these tattoos symbolize every member, since you told me that The Tower represented suffering and death¡¡± I trailed off, ¡°That better not be my fate. It''s probably because it appeared right before my room.¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: And what about Daji?

I cursed under my breath. For the past week, Yang, Yue, and I had all hunted down Daji over and over while Wei and Meihua attended the civilians. But we were pummeled everytime and forced to retreat. ¡°That bitch is stupidly strong,¡± I grumbled angrily, smashing my fist against a wall. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about her without Wei and Meihua or without sacrificing one of us¡¡± I paused and stared inquisitive for a moment, tapping my foot. ¡°Actually, if I did sacrifice myself, it would probably grant all of them a lot more karma to defe¡ª¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: No, Jia Li. Even if they defeat Daji, you¡¯re the only one that can make sure Wei doesn¡¯t go berserk if something goes wrong. Besides, you need to stop him from being banished.

I was twirling a hard, bright red sphere in my hand. It was the serpent¡¯s eye that I obtained in the first arc. In my bag, I had a variety of mysterious liquids and potions that I had purchased from Chang. ¡°Socrates, do you remember what this can do?¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Mm, at least before you blocked me.

¡°... You sure know how to hold a grudge.¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: How are you going to use it?

I sat down on the ground, sighing as my hair fell before my face. ¡°The biggest thing I could do right now is either embed it and make it into a spiritual weapon or absorb it.¡± Zhige trembled angrily in my hand. I smacked it firmly and scolded it. ¡°Don¡¯t be dramatic, Zhige. You¡¯re still my favorite.¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: You can¡¯t absorb it, Jia Li.

Absorbing the entire eye by myself would merge the serpent¡¯s energy with my own. And, since the serpent was a demon, I¡¯d essentially become one myself¡ªassuming the process didn¡¯t kill me. ¡°Where¡¯s Archangel Michael?¡± If I became a demon, I doubted that Archangel Michael would ever talk to me again. It would break our earlier contract as well if I was aligned with demons.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: He¡¯s still being punished after being found guilty. You¡¯ll see him soon. And you should probably apologize to him.

¡°Then I¡¯ll pitch my idea to Meihua. I should have all the ingredients here,¡± I shook my bag and the sound of glasses clinking together could be heard. ¡°If it goes the way I hope, the plague will be lifted and make banishment harder. Wei and Meihua will be able to kill Daji or fight the charges after.¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li, you should head back out. Wei and Meihua will need you soon.

I huffed and pushed my way out of the house, reuniting with the chaos that surrounded. The scent of rotting blood plagued the air and even gave it a fuzzy, red haze. Outside, dying people covered in massive black buboes and welts writhed painfully on the ground. Some of them now had demon mouths sprouting out of their bodies, and the mouths would whisper curses into their ear all night. Driven insane, many would bash their bodies into walls or stones to end their misery. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. In the past week, more and more Zhou troops had arrived in a consistent flood, and Wei had been holding them off himself; he would return covered in blood, looking as if his once sharp eyes had sunk into his skull. Meihua was diligently working on a cure¡ªone that I knew didn¡¯t exist. There was no cure for this plague because I never wrote one in Surviving My First Run. Through Editor¡¯s Pen, I managed to create one, but Karma retaliated by forcing the disease to evolve just before Meihua could cure it. Amelia spotted me and shakily got up, running toward me and hugging my leg. I rubbed the back of her dirty blond hair, kneeling down. She looked like a complete mess, and though I did my best to keep her comfortable and healthy, purple eyebags seared into her once supple skin. ¡°Have you eaten yet? Are you hungry?¡± I asked softly. Amelia squeezed her eyes and hid her face in my robes. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Her grumbling stomach gave her away. I froze before gently squeezing her. ¡°You can have my ration today, okay?¡± ¡°But, Peijin,¡± Amelia whined apologetically, ¡°Yang already gave me his.¡± I smiled weakly. Everyone was being tested by this room. Unlike all the past ones where it had been wickedly intense for a few hours, this one was a long-term battle. ¡°You''re a growing child. It¡¯s our job as adults to take care of you, so don¡¯t worry about us.¡± Fuck, I should have gotten more food from Chang. I spotted a seated Meihua just outside the patched hole in the wall, speaking to a crying and exhausted Ailun. He spoke up in a shaky voice despite Meihua¡¯s warm comfort. ¡°Meihua, why are none of Wei¡¯s friends coming to help him?¡± Ailun had been trying to contact all of Wei¡¯s divine friends in the hope that one of them would lend spiritual energy to help quell the plague. So far, Wei had been directing virtually all of his spiritual energy into all of the people to stop the disease from spreading or progressing. Everyday, Wei woke up, helped Meihua find a cure, fought the Zhou troops at the wall, sacrificed all his spiritual energy to help his people, and repeated the cycle. Currently, he was out fighting the Zhou to keep all of the civilians safe. ¡°Ailun, I told you to conserve your energy,¡± she lightly scolded, pinching his ear before gently stroking the side of his cheek. ¡°Some gods accused His Highness of doing a very bad thing, so his friends are just nervous right now. But don¡¯t worry, His Highness didn¡¯t do it, so things will work out the way they should.¡±

Divinity ¡®Spirit of the Jade Moon¡¯ is covering her face in shame.

Divinity ¡®Spirit of the Jade Moon¡¯ hopes she can properly atone.

Chang¡¯e and Meihua had been best friends before this entire ordeal, in which Chang¡¯e had, just like every other divinity, left Meihua and Wei to handle the situation alone. Afterall, it was better than getting banished as well. Both of them, as well as the rest of my party, were now camping outside of the wall where the hole once was. Meihua could no longer use her sword¡ªit served as the only repair on the wall. Meihua, as a master of seals, tried to block the hole using the Seal of Isolation, but that caused an immediate, infuriated response from the civilians. It was a blatant display of Meihua using her spiritual energy to harm them rather than help. As a result, using her sword to path the wall was a compromise. It exhausted less spiritual energy and seemed less irresponsible, even though both did the same thing. I winced at the sight; one of us always had to be stationed here now. Even though I used Editor¡¯s Pen to kill off the family that threatened Anyang in Surviving My First Run, all of them grew increasingly sick despite Wei flooding them with spiritual energy. In one last attempt, they tore their way through Meihua¡¯s barrier and were promptly sliced up¡ªbut not before they could infect those in Anyang, including Wei¡¯s parents. That family¡¯s death sparked a vehement hate for both Meihua and Wei. With more and more of Wei¡¯s people losing faith in him, banishment was looming; as soon as he failed, he¡¯d be arrested, tried, and lose his status as a divinity. Then, just like in Surviving My First Run, he would be held in a heavenly prison for 2,000 years before being released onto Plant-2099 just as the apocalypse began. I wondered if things were going so poorly because of my bad karma. Meihua gave me a feeble attempt at a cheerful wave. ¡°Hi, Peijin. You¡¯re back so soon?¡± I gave a nonchalant nod. ¡°I just needed to clear my head.¡± She smiled and patted the ground beside her. She looked awfully pale, and her flushed face now took on a much more sickly look. It looked as if her thin skin was simply draped over her skull. However, she was still expected to be everyone¡¯s caretaker; she continued to fulfill that duty. ¡°Yue and Yang are sleeping right now. They¡¯ll take over patrol soon, though,¡± she said softly, standing up and pouring a bowl of soup for me. I nodded in appreciation and handed it over to a starving Amelia who ate it guiltily. Meihua and Wei¡¯s powers were only being restored thanks to his parents continuing to worship both of them constantly, but since they were infected, the flow of spiritual energy slowed severely. ¡°Peijin,¡± Meihua said with a smile, ¡°I think my cure this time will work.¡± ¡°I think so, too.¡± I quickly opened Editor¡¯s Pen and made a wistful edit. She looked at me kindly, a fascinated look in her expression. I noticed that as this week progressed, she seemed more and more curious about who I was, but she never bothered to ask. ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to you once Gang and Bai make their switch,¡± she suddenly insisted. Either Gang or Bai had been staying with Wei¡¯s parents full time, constantly making the journey and caring for them. Gang would be coming back from his shift soon, and Bai had already left to begin his. ¡°Of course,¡± I responded confidently, ¡°I wanted to talk to you about that, actually. An idea came to mind, but you¡¯re the only one who can properly execute it.¡± I reached into my bag and withdrew the serpent¡¯s eye. By playing with Editor¡¯s Pen constantly, I added a new element to Surviving My First Run. Demons despised each other¡ªit was how Yue was always able to sense Daji¡¯s presence. So, if every single person here absorbed part of the serpent''s eye, the two demonic energies would clash in each person. By mixing it with elixirs I purchased from the Azure Dragon Store, I could tweak the serpent¡¯s demonic energy so that it would fade within a certain amount of time and not turn everyone into weak demons. Of course, the trouble came from the fact that I had to be sure Editor¡¯s Pen wouldn¡¯t screw me over. ¡°So,¡± I cleared my throat after my explanation to Meihua, ¡°What do you think?¡± She stared at me in surprise for a bit before letting out a pleasant laugh and grabbing onto my arm, lowering her head as she sighed in relief. ¡°Oh, Peijin¡¡± she sighed, avoiding my gaze and pausing for an uncomfortable amount of time. ¡°Let¡¯s¡ alright. My only concerns are reinfection and if the eye is powerful enough to help the thousands of people who need it.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be strong enough, don¡¯t worry,¡± I reassured Meihua. ¡°As for reinfection, you can change the ratio with the elixir so that the demonic energy can linger for long enough. We just need to kill Daji before she releases another plague, and we can do that once these people are cured.¡± Meihua looked dazed as she stared at the ground, her once soft hands fiddling with each other. ¡°You¡¯re quite the idealist,¡± she said softly. ¡°To assume that if Daji is even killed, things will work out with Wei¡¯s accusations.¡± ¡°Eh?! Me, an idealist?!¡± I exclaimed in a surprised tone. ¡°Yes¡ I think so,¡± she whispered before smiling at me again and pulling me into a tight hug. Taken aback, I didn¡¯t return it. Her words lingered in my head even after she pushed herself back. Finally, after an entire day out, Wei finally reappeared. His once white robes were so soaked in blood that they looked like they were meant to be red. He kept his white hair ribbon pristine, however, he resembled a horrific demon. At the sight of him, furious cries and shouts erupted from the people all around. ¡°His Highness has finally decided to show himself again, huh?¡± ¡°Your Highness! I need more spiritual energy, please! It¡¯s spreading again!¡± ¡°Ha, you seriously think he even cares about us? His Highness is gone all day!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if that was the blood of us civilians! He doesn¡¯t care about us at all!¡± ¡°Curse you, you goddamn plague god!¡± Despite the shouts of everyone around him, as soon as Wei spotted Meihua, his brows immediately furrowed and he stumbled toward her, collapsing on the ground beside her. His arms hung around her neck like he was a drowning man. She instantly supported his weight and gently led him inside a station and laid him down on some straw. For a moment, a furious expression crossed her face¡ªone that was completely foreign on her¡ªbefore Wei¡¯s voice snapped her out of her trance. ¡°Meihua,¡± he cried weakly, ¡°I¡¯m so tired¡¡± Chapter 52: Integration - Ep. 8, V I couldn¡¯t bear to look at Wei and promptly turned away. He looked so weak and exhausted; as soon as his body met Meihua¡¯s, he crumpled like a broken man. ¡°Shh,¡± Meihua quickly shushed him as he mumbled incoherently for a bit. Grabbing a wet rag, she did her best to wipe the dried blood off of his pale skin. For Wei, killing such a large number of people was utterly unprecedented¡ªhe was a man who upheld justice as if it were the only value in the world, and this was how he was being repaid. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Meihua whispered soothingly, ¡°You worked hard. More than hard enough. Rest now, okay?¡± Wei¡¯s teeth chattered a bit but he quickly bit down on his lip. ¡°Wake me up in a few hours. I need to check in on everyone.¡± She stared at him blankly and turned away, not responding. Wei, however, kept on talking. ¡°Did Gang manage to sell all my jewelry and accessories for food yet?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not back yet,¡± she replied. When Gang and Bai journeyed into Anyang to look over his parents, they began to sell as many of their royal or heavenly goods as possible¡ªof course, this meant that Wei ended up giving the most. He was losing spiritual energy and no longer had access to the infinite wealth he once held. Brought to rock bottom, he sold everything he owned to buy food and medical supplies for these citizens. But, they still wouldn¡¯t pray for him. His work wasn¡¯t good enough because as long as there were people dying, he was a failure. Meihua wrung out the bloody towel and stared at him for a moment. The back of her cool hand brushed against his sweating forehead. She clearly didn¡¯t want him to talk more than he needed to. Suddenly, a civilian burst through the shut curtain and screamed, reaching for Wei. Giant demonic limbs practically erupted from his skin, and they chaotically reached all around the room, smashing and tearing through all of the medical items and straw. ¡°Your Highness, please, give me more of your spiritual energy! I¡¯m going to die any minute now!¡± The man pleaded desperately, grabbing Wei with his dirtied hands; a mix of demonic fluid, dirt, and blood smeared all over his once pristine robes. I lifted Zhige and drove the man back but was careful not to injure him. If I did, word would only get around and more people would riot against Wei and Meihua. ¡°Back up! He¡¯s being treated!¡± I shouted angrily, shoving him back. I would¡¯ve killed him on the spot if I could. ¡°Peijin!¡± Wei snapped, grabbing onto Meihua to pull himself up. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Bring him closer.¡± The man shot me a dirty look before he stumbled over to Wei and collapsed on the ground before him. With a trembling hand, Wei touched his forehead and sent spiritual energy flowing through the man. At once, the demonic limbs fell limp, and the man let out a sigh of relief. Wei, however, looked even more numb. ¡°Alright, alright, get out of here,¡± I barked, kicking the man out and shutting the curtain loudly. Holding still for a moment, Wei couldn¡¯t do anything but try and brush off his robes with a solemn look in his high. With barely a sound, Wei curled up into a fetal position, trying to comfort himself, before shutting his eyes. ¡°Your Highness, just relax, okay? I¡¯ll take care of everything now,¡± Meihua softly reassured him. Careful not to disturb him, Meihua leaned down and gently pressed her lips against his forehead as if he were the most vulnerable being in the world to her. Wei and Meihua were the type of people to vehemently deny having a favorite person. But, if anyone were to look at the scene playing out before me, they would know that these two were the most important people in the world to one another.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li.

¡°I know,¡± I murmured under my breath, peeking out of the rundown station to see Amelia comforting Ailun right outside. Even those two had gotten very close to each other¡ªthe same could be said for Yue and Yang. ¡°Ah,¡± I sighed, stepping back and leaving Wei and Meihua alone, ¡°I¡¯m jealous.¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: ¡ Jia Li would punch anyone who tried to comfort her.

Snorting, I rolled my eyes. ¡°I wish I could punch you.¡± I stood right outside and drew the curtain closed again. My foot tapped on the ground, crunching against the gravel, as I surveyed everything around me. Gang finally appeared, trudging forward and pushing through the pink ribbon of Meihua¡¯s sword. He wiped sweat and dirt from his brow and flung it toward the ground. A large sack was mounted on his back, and it awkwardly jostled with each unsteady step. His head lifted slightly to give a curt nod. I stuck Zhige in the ground before helping him unload everything. ¡°How much were you able to sell Wei¡¯s crown for?¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Gang¡¯s face was cold and indifferent as always. ¡°About two days of food.¡± ¡°Two days?!¡± I exclaimed, smacking my hands against the ground. ¡°That¡¯s it?!¡± Gang blew a strand of hair out of his face. ¡°That''s all they¡¯ll give to me now. His Highness¡¯ reputation has fallen in Anyang, too, since he hasn¡¯t been able to answer anyone¡¯s prayers.¡± ¡°Those fuckers,¡± I snapped, kicking my foot up against a rock. ¡°It¡¯s only been a week, and they¡¯ve turned their backs to their god.¡± Meihua finally exited from the room with a cup of tea in her hands; she walked over to Gang and gently poured it into his mouth, rejuvenating him. ¡°Hi, Gang. How much food did you get?¡± ¡°Two days,¡± he quietly grumbled. Both of us stared at her nervously, but she didn¡¯t look surprised or disappointed. Instead, she flashed a considerate smile. ¡°Good work, Gang. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re a tough crowd right now, right?¡± Gang only made a small sound of acknowledgement and scratched the back of his neck. An awkward silence persisted for a moment before Meihua spoke pleasantly again: ¡°Gang, I hate to ask, but can you watch over while Peijin and I leave to talk?¡± He shot her an inquisitive look before shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you two. I need to clear my head.¡± ¡°Ha ha,¡± She laughed weakly, but her crows feet were now visible beside her eyes, ¡°I guess that makes all three of us, then. I¡¯ll let Yang know then, and we can keep it short.¡± The three of us headed into a wooded area past the survivors and a patch untouched by the war. She searched for herbs and plucked them when she found the right one after twirling them in her cracked fingers. Gang lagged behind the two of us, his ragged breath audible. The three of us walked for quite some time in shared silence. The sun was at the top of the sky, and the large, white clouds gently rolled over the scenery with a childlike innocence. Down at the ground, however, the fog of blood persisted and tainted the forest. ¡°Peijin,¡± Meihua began, her voice slightly wavering now, ¡°When I first met you, I thought you were selfish.¡± My eye twitched.

Many observers have burst out laughing!

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: She laid that out very bluntly, Jia Li.

My brows furrowed. ¡°Hey, if you called me out here to¡ª¡± ¡°Peijin,¡± she interjected, ¡°I wish I was more like you.¡± Meihua blurted out the words, not meeting my eyes. ¡°I wish I lived a little bit more like you.¡± Gang¡¯s eyes lit up in surprise. He had known Meihua for years, and words like this coming out of her mouth were unheard of. Throughout this entire ordeal, she never peeped a complaint. I snorted, pushing my hair back and out of my face. ¡°You don¡¯t mean that.¡± Fuck, if Karma didn¡¯t keep getting in the way, I would have already solved this. ¡°I thought about what you said,¡± Meihua continued, no longer walking. ¡°About saving everybody with the serpent¡¯s eye.¡± ¡°Yeah, I was pretty brilliant with that, right?¡± I said in a cocky tone, trying to dispel the strange energy that seemed to weigh down on us. She ignored my attempt and slightly looked over her shoulder. I could make out the gentle slope of her features now, and I hated to admit it, but they lost their charm. ¡°I¡ I think you know me very well, Peijin. It¡¯s strange. I haven¡¯t known you for a long time, but everytime I catch you staring at me, I feel exposed?¡± Her intonation raised at the last word like she was searching for the right word. ¡°... Don¡¯t make me sound like some kind of pervert now.¡± Gang was visibly lost, not having heard of our earlier conversation. But, at the mention of saving everybody and the demonic item, he quickly seemed to pick up on my suggestion. ¡°But, Peijin, when you finally told me about the serpent¡¯s eye, I realized something about myself,¡± Meihua said with a growing voice, finally turning around to face me. ¡°Peijin, I don¡¯t want to save these people.¡± Gang¡¯s expression widened in complete shock and disbelief. He was watching a god, a friend, completely break down before him¡ªone with some of the greatest moral values and priorities. This felt impossible. ¡°I don¡¯t want to save any of them if this is how they repay His Highness!¡± Meihua shouted, grabbing onto her chest, ¡°I can¡¯t stand it! I can¡¯t stand to see him¡ª¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey!¡± I exclaimed, rushing toward her and grabbing onto her shoulders. Finally, she let out a cry and tears began to fall down her face. ¡°If Wei is going to go through all of this just to be banished, I¡¯ll go with him. I¡¯ll leave Anyang to Daji or Emperor Di Xin. I don¡¯t care. But I can¡¯t stand to see Wei like this! ¡°Burn my temples and use me. Stab me a million times with the most cursed blade. Banish me and send me to hell for an eternity. I don¡¯t care what it is, but I can¡¯t bear to see Wei sad for even a minute! No, not even a second!¡± I stared at her with a pained expression. More and more tears fell down her face, and I made eye contact with a stunned Gang. Meihua would have never had a breakdown like this in Surviving My First Run, and a small look of satisfaction crossed my face before it quickly vanished. So characters weren¡¯t cemented to what I had written.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

The last thing I wanted was for Meihua to become as pitiful as I was. There was definitely nothing to be gained from Meihua if she turned her back to her morals. But¡ ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Gang. I¡¯m ashamed that you have to see me like this,¡± Meihua apologized, looking deeply distraught as she lowered her head to the ground before both of us. ¡°Peijin, please tell me that I¡¯m wrong.¡± I looked at her for a moment, the sad, pitiful expression on her face. Such a perfect woman was envious of someone like me. ¡°Meihua,¡± I said firmly, placing the serpent¡¯s eye in her hand. ¡°Leave. Take His Highness and escape. My party will see things through to the end. Be selfish. Whatever you decide, I¡¯ll stay by your side and fight for you.¡± Chapter 53: Integration - Ep. 8, VI Meihua¡¯s eyes quivered as she held onto the serpent''s eye, barely able to hide the fact her trembling shoulders. For Meihua, coming to the conclusion to prioritize her family rather than the people who worshiped her was a completely out of character move. After all, she never had to pick between the two, and Wei was always as self-sacrificing as she was. But, here I was, watching it unfold right before me. If Meihua and Wei did run away, it would without a doubt complicate this dungeon room¡ªassuming that it was operating properly at all. It would fully destroy the timeline; still, I could figure out how to save the rest of my party, but I¡¯d never get another chance to change Wei¡¯s past. Regaining his memories wouldn¡¯t even matter as long as he still could cling onto Meihua for security. Gang¡¯s presence was barely ever noticeable other than his infrequent snide remarks, and I supposed that¡¯s why I never realized the look on his face at the time. I wondered if that could''ve changed things. ¡°Meihua,¡± Gang finally asks, bringing attention back to himself, ¡°Are you really going through with this?¡± His brows were furrowed and lips drawn into a thin line; the expression he wore was nearly indiscernible. Meihua stared up at him before she looked away, biting down firmly on her lower lip. The gesture reminded me a lot of Yang. ¡°I¡ I¡¯ll think about it. But I do harbor regret about how I¡¯ve lived,¡± she said firmly, finally finding the strength to stand up once more. Her blue, white, and pink robes whipped all around her in the growing wind. The delicate tassels and ornamentation whipped around with her long brown hair, but she wore a serene look on her illuminated face. ¡°Thank you, Peijin,¡± she said, walking up and wrapping me into a tight, almost suffocating hug. ¡°I¡¯ll stay true to myself. You¡¯ve trusted me enough to sacrifice your companions, and I refuse to make it harder on any of you. ¡°I want to live for Wei... and for myself, too! I want to take care of the people I love, and I won¡¯t let anyone tell me otherwise,¡± Meihua firmly declared, tightening her grip on me and actually suffocating me this time. I would be lying if I said it wasn¡¯t incredible to watch this scene take place before me. It was a complete altering of the storyline done by my very own characters. Meihua was like an unfinished pot still on the potter¡¯s wheel. She¡¯d been torn down, pummeled, cracked; and in the end, she came out as something completely different¡ªsomething I never intended on creating. So my characters did have free will after all. I smiled at the thought, my mind clouded with images of my party members. I hugged her back, my chin hooked around the soft slope of her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me for being a selfish bitch.¡± Ha, that was definitely a cool line. Yeah, for sure.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: End my suffering.

As we began the walk back, Gang stared at the ground below him. He kicked pebbles aimlessly, not even bothering to lift his head to see where they landed; eyes glazed over and deep in thought, he once again vanished into the background of the scene. Suddenly, a chill traveled down my spine. A wide fox eye stared at me from just ahead, squinting and pupil rolling back as if it was in overwhelming pleasure. ¡°Zhige!¡± I shouted, the blade shooting out from my side and stabbing the eye straight in the center. But, instead of vanishing, its pupil darted to stare straight at me, unblinking. Zhige dug into it more, fluid spilling out from the broken eye, but it only squinted more as if it was uncontrollably laughing. ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered under my breath, summoning Zhige back before I started sprinting through the forest. ¡°Meihua! Gang!¡± I screamed, my voice cracking, ¡°We have to get back now! Daji got even stronger!¡± Meihua grabbed a pin in her hair before stabbing it into her arm, a thin trail of blood seeping out. Quickly drawing a teleportation seal on the ground, it erupted with light as all of us were transported back to the Anyang wall. At once, chaos swarmed through my vision. I could barely make out what was occurring before I was suddenly crushed under the pressing weight of thousands of people. ¡°The fuc¡ª?!¡± I couldn¡¯t even get the words out before a foot slammed straight against my face; soon after, I felt a firm hand grip my arm and pull me up. I looked around to thank my benefactor for not saving me sooner, but a voice cut me off. ¡°Hoist her up with the rest of them!¡± A barely familiar voice called out, ¡°She¡¯s one of them, too!¡± ... Huh? Eyes searching the crowd for whoever was barking orders, they fell upon the man that Wei had flooded with spiritual energy and saved earlier. He was wielding a glowing sword now, his back straight as he defiantly shouted orders¡ªbut none of that caught my eye. What did, however, was the fact all of the demonic limbs once sprouting out of him were gone. His skin was a perfect jade white, untouched by any elements except for the splatter of blood that covered him. ¡°This is the one way to save yourselves! Bring those three up!¡± ¡°H-How?¡± I stammered, my voice barely audible as I stared at him in utter shock. A searing pain shot through my abdomen. When I looked down, a long blade had been stabbed through my body, blood dripping off the glistening blade. Dark red blood shot out of my mouth and poured onto my robes and feet. ¡°Don¡¯t stab her yet, you bastard!¡± A voice behind me shouted as the blade was promptly pulled out, ¡°She¡¯s not immortal!¡± ¡°Hurry, hoist her up!¡± ¡°We already got the goddess! That¡¯ll be enough!¡± Meihua? ¡°Z-Zhi¡ª¡± I couldn¡¯t get the words out. No matter how much I struggled to speak, blood kept flowing into my mouth. The iron taste was suffocating, coating my tongue in its toxic iron taste and forcing me to gag, only causing more to force its way up my throat. Meihua was being restrained by a handful¡ªno, dozens¡ªof citizens as they suddenly hauled her up to a wall, binding her and tying her down. Although she normally would have been able to break free from such a stupid imprisonment, she was hardly stronger than a regular cultivator was since she had lost most of her worshippers. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. My eyes widened as I looked at the bodies that were strapped onto and lined the wall. Wei, Meihua, Yang, Yue, Ailun¡ even Amelia. Wei¡¯s chest was covered in blood. He barely looked conscious as I watched streaks of blood stream down his feet and splatter on the ground. ¡°Zhige!¡± I screamed, my voice cracking as the sword shot out from my side and quickly slashed through all the surrounding people. I raced forward in the path it forged, ignoring the bodies I trampled as I reached out for the wall. Suddenly, the man, the man who Wei saved, clashed his blade against Zhige, sending yellow sparks flying. ¡°No!¡± I roared, grabbing Zhige¡¯s hilt and swinging the blade forward, ¡°Not now, you goddamn bastard!¡± The yellow sparks only flared more before the man gave me a wicked smile, slashing his blade down and sending me flying back. How was he so strong? I let out a gasp as I slammed against a tree, my wound worsening as my robes were stained with blood. I desperately fought to lift my arms or legs, but nothing would move. Move. Move, god damnit, move! I cursed myself, my brows tight-knit as my frown deepened. ¡°Fuck!¡± I screamed, frustrated by how pathetic I was. After a week of hardly eating, sleeping, or drinking, of sitting there and grueling putting down each rebellion, of watching Meihua and Wei rot to the bone, I couldn¡¯t move anymore. I couldn¡¯t even activate Hindsight or Editor¡¯s Pen. An alarming amount of blood was spilling out of me by this point. I reached toward my bag for the elixirs from past dungeon rooms¡ªat this point, I had to take one. The man¡¯s blade stabbed straight through the palm of my hand, pinning it against the tree as I let out an animalistic cry, wincing as my entire body tensed up. Who the fuck was this man?? He raised his arms in the air as the people around him cheered like they were watching a spectacular theatrical performance. ¡°This, this is the power of Daji!¡± He declared, spinning around so people could see him. ¡°This is what happens when a real divinity, someone who listens to our prayers, is worshiped!¡± His hands trailed all over his body, touching his pristine skin like he couldn¡¯t get enough of it. I wrestled with the hilt of his sword, trying to pull it off of my hand, but he quickly wielded another and pointed it straight at my head. ¡°Tie her up.¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± I howled. More and more people surrounded me as they picked me up, letting the sword tear through my hand instead of pulling it out. My fingers were completely severed, and I squeezed my eyes shut from the overwhelming pain that raced through my whole arm. Yue raised her head from the wall, slamming any part of her body that could move against the stone. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare fucking touch her! She has nothing to do with this!¡± Amelia¡¯s face was covered in tears as she looked down at the ground, snot dripping down her face. This time, she couldn¡¯t even comfort the mute Ailun beside her. ¡°You¡¯re all fucking bastards! You all deserve to die!¡± Yue continued screaming, trying to turn the people¡¯s attention onto her instead of me. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we tried to save any of you! I¡¯ll curse every single one of you! See what your fucking divinity does then!¡± Realizing what she was trying to do, my eyes widened and trembled. ¡°Stop it,¡± I whispered in complete shock. The man, no longer willing to spare Yue another moment, raised his arm straight toward her and snapped. A large explosion sounded as blood and stone erupted around Yue¡¯s head, sending shockwaves through the air. She immediately fell limp, her head lopsided and her neck completely strained. Yang¡¯s eyes widened in horror as he tried to reach her but couldn¡¯t from his position on the wall. I could see him frantically calling out to her to no avail¡ªno one was listening. The man turned back around, staring at me in warning. ¡°This is what a disciple of Daji can do.¡± Finally, he turned back to the crowd, continuing his speech. ¡°Daji has enlightened me to the cure, everybody. Look at me as proof of that,¡± he smiled, pointing toward Wei¡¯s bleeding corpse. ¡°This is the only way. The only way to stop this disease from ravaging you and your loved ones is to take someone else¡¯s life. ¡°But, how cruel would it be if we all started killing one another? And why would we when,¡± he paused, pointing at the two divinities strung up on the wall, ¡°there are two divinities just before us? We could save all of us by killing them, and they¡¯ll just revive.¡± Vomit rose in my throat, leaving its signature burning sensation, and I could barely keep myself from completely throwing up everywhere. This couldn¡¯t be happening. This wasn¡¯t real. I never wrote this, no, it wasn¡¯t possible! People lined up just before Wei, comically in single file. Swords were strewn out all before them as the first woman stumbled forward, wielding it. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll burn a candle for you later. Thank you for sacrificing yourself for your people!¡± She stabbed Wei through the heart and he let out an agonizing scream, thrashing and trying to break away from the agonizing pain. Immediately, however, the giant black marks that covered her skin shrank and vanished. ¡°It¡¯s true¡ It''s true! It really does work! Oh, thank you, thank you!" Just behind her was a small child. Guiding the child over before Wei¡¯s body, she helped the son grab onto the sword before they both thrust it straight through Wei¡¯s heart once more. ¡°It hurts! It hurts!¡± Wei cried, tears streaming down his face as a sob tore through his throat. If he looked exhausted before, he looked ruined now. Blood gushed out of his chest, but there would never be relief for an immortal man. The woman cried, pulling her child back and bowing deeply before Wei. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness! You¡¯re saving us!¡± Meihua stared at the sight without making a sound. Her eyes were so wide, so filled with heartbreak and turmoil, that her eyes looked like two blank disks taking in the world for the very first time. ¡°It hurts! It hurts!¡± More and more people ran forward and stabbed him through the heart relentlessly, clamoring to kill him and rid themselves of their pain. The more people who were cured, the more who seemed to grow frantic and seek their own relief. ¡°IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS¡ª¡± The Disciple of Daji clamped a wad of soiled cloth over Wei¡¯s face to silence him. Wei squeezed his eyes shut, and for the moment just before they closed, he seemed to be looking out into the world, begging for anyone to end his suffering. Suddenly, I noticed Gang approaching me and quickly distracting those trying to pin me up, guiding them over to the chaos instead of me. I guess there was one use to his inexistence¡ªeven when he was Wei¡¯s right hand man, no one bat an eye at him. ¡°Get to Wei,¡± I gasped, every one of my breaths a wheezing, pained gasp. ¡°Get to him, hurry¡ª¡± ¡°Peijin,¡± Gang said firmly, ¡°I¡¯m leaving. I wish you all the best of luck. You can break the news to Meihua and His Highness.¡± I blinked at him, not even processing any of his words anymore. ¡°What? No, I¡¯m telling you, Wei¡ªHis Highness¡ªneeds help. You have to save him.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t live like this, Peijin. I thought about what you and Meihua said,¡± he replied in that same, firm voice, ¡°I have my own parents, too. I¡¯m sorry, and I never imagined myself doing this, but once I save you, there is nothing else for me to do.¡± He quickly applied a healing technique on my body, but I shoved him back shouting at him. This was exactly what happened in Surviving My First Run¡ªit was identical! Fucking identical! Sure, the plague changed, and Wei lived longer, and I had the cure, but it was going down the exact same path. Did Gang not say the same thing but only to Wei¡¯s face after his people turned on him? Did I change nothing?? ¡°You¡¯re not fucking leaving, Gang!¡± I shouted, shoving him again. ¡°Right now? Are you serious? I know you can fucking change! I know you don¡¯t have to act the way I wrote it down!¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li! Stop it! You¡¯re going to give yourself away!

Gang, after stopping my bleeding wounds, quickly kicked his foot under me, causing me to slip and crash into the ground. But, before I could get up and scream at him, he was already gone. Instead, I met Meihua¡¯s gaze directly as she stared down from the wall, eyes half-lidded and completely blank. Chapter 54: Integration - Ep. 8, VII Rather than waste her spiritual energy on keeping the border to Anyang sealed, Meihua finally relaxed the pink sword as it slid down from the gap, finally opening the border to anyone who wanted to enter. It wasn¡¯t revenge that Meihua wanted. Despite all the feelings of regret and spite that consumed her, she wasn¡¯t going to stoop so low as to make her last move be one to end everyone¡¯s life. She didn''t want Wei to hate her¡ªthat would have been true death. Meihua only hoped that they would go into Anyang, maybe uninfected, and leave Wei be. That was her only wish. And that there were three more people she had to save. Wei¡¯s pained screams could no longer be heard, but it wasn¡¯t because of the rag that had been shoved into his mouth. So many people had picked up their swords by now and stabbed it through his heart, killing him over and over, that his entire abdomen had been reduced to no more than a bloody pile of gore and slush. More and more people also missed¡ªno longer able to even detect where Wei''s heart, some people stabbed into his stomach, his neck, or his nearly amputated arms and legs. Yang desperately tried to move his hand and leg toward Yue beside him, but he couldn¡¯t reach her no matter how hard he strained. She was still hanging limply, the massive hole just to the right of her swaying head and blood splattered all over her face. Amelia wailed and desperately scanned the crowd for a glimpse of me, but she couldn¡¯t find me by the treeline, crouched down and pathetic. I looked down at my left hand; it had been completely sliced through from my palm down to the space between my middle and ring finger. My fingers hung loosely, barely bending. The wound on my abdomen was no longer bleeding thanks to Gang¡¯s healing, but I could still place my hand into the wound and feel around my own flesh and muscle. ¡°Gang, you fucker,¡± I cursed under my breath, glaring at him as he simply seemed to vanish into the nearby surroundings, not any more noticeable than he had been when he was still with the group.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li, you have to get up.

My blue robes tugged me back onto my feet but couldn¡¯t stop me from stumbling forward as I held onto Zhige, trying to steady myself. Daji¡¯s plan was, of course, to replace Wei, murder all of his people, and get him banished from the heavenly realm. Although a cure now existed and I had altered the previous storyline, everything seemed to result in the exact same progression. For the self-proclaimed god of fate, I totally fucked up my job. This was an indirect battle between Karma and me, and it was serving as a bad omen for my upcoming fate. Wei¡¯s injuries would take intensive healing to improve. As a divinity, he still had enough worshippers to survive, and by enough I really only meant his dying and diseased parents, but it wasn¡¯t going to make the process fast or painless. With a deep breath, Meihua brought the pink sword into her hand and immediately whipped it all around the wall, freeing everyone in my party from their restraints. Amelia screamed but Ailun quickly wrapped his small arms around her, shielding her fall; just to their left, Yang stretched out his arms to catch Yue as he desperately tried to wake her, grabbing her cheek and chin and shaking her head. Wei, however, remained lifeless on the side. One of his eyes was lying beside his entrails on the ground, already regenerating. It desperately looked around, speaking for a mute Wei. It locked eyes with me for a moment before spinning around, frantic and pitiful. Meihua? Ailun? Gang? Bai? Help me, it hurts. It hurts. The eye asked all of those things with an innocent sense of loss.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li, get up! Meihua is leaving!.You''re so lucky that Archangel Michael isn''t watching this play out. You''d be on his next hit list.

¡°Shut up! You don¡¯t think I¡¯m trying to get up?!¡± Blue screens were lit up all around me as I was trying to level up whatever stats I could. Physique? Agility? Strength? God damnit, was there anything I could even do?! Meihua landed on the ground and dust flew all around her. A look of determination had crossed her once-delicate face, and though her lower lip trembled, she looked at me with a kind smile. Her pink lips curled up slightly at the ends, and her eyes closed into thin crescent lines. Her long lashes glistened in the smokey light before she opened those ink colored eyes. ¡°Thank. You,¡± she mouthed slowly, ¡°I. Leave. The. Rest. To. You.¡± Knowing that Wei would have stopped her if he could, Meihua quickly pried Ailun off of Amelia and ran through the wall, the serpent¡¯s eye clutched close to her body. People, now mostly cured, had already begun to flood into Anyang. "Move over! Let me in!" "Thank God! This is what we needed, and that twisted divinity was keeping us from this!" "We should''ve stabbed him more times. If it''s His Highness, it''s deserved!" My eyes widened with realization. Meihua was headed for Wei¡¯s parents¡ªshe planned on curing them with the serpent¡¯s eye before running off to live her life alone with Wei and their family. Entrusting me with Wei¡¯s current body, she knew I would eventually reunite them. ¡°Amelia!¡± I shouted, limping toward her as Zhige and my robes still dragged me forward, ¡°Amelia!¡± Suddenly, a knee shoved me to the ground and I landed with a shout, dirt and dust coating my tongue. People were still stampeding forward, desperate to finally make it into Anyang, and I was being trampled beneath their feet.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Are you stupid?! Get up! Jia Li, you¡¯re so frustrating to watch! I¡¯m about to tank your ratings even more, but you¡¯re already at 1.8 stars!

¡°Shut the fuck¡ª!¡± My face was crushed into the ground once more as I ate dirt. I toggled my ratings and reviews so they wouldn¡¯t pop up constantly, so who did this asshole think he was to bring it up?! Amelia¡¯s dire wolf came bounding forward as it snarled and snapped in a circle around me, driving everybody back. Amelia was riding on top of it, clutching her bruised and red wrists while trying to wipe the snot off her face before I saw it. ¡°P-Peijin!¡± She wailed, trying to grab onto me but deeply frightened by the extent of my injuries. She hovered a foot or two away from me, her hands trembling and held up before her as she wept. ¡°Peij¡ª¡± I quickly cut her off. ¡°You can talk to Ailun with ¡®Continuous Convoy¡¯ right? You two exchanged your IDs?¡± She promptly nodded. A temporary seed of pride bloomed in my heart. Amelia already got her first contact. She was definitely taking after me, and very well, too! ¡°Where is Meihua going?¡± I asked. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Amelia paused for a moment, navigating through blue screens. Ailun was a master of communication, but he was also cursed with complete social incompetence, so it wasn¡¯t very useful unless he was familiar or friendly with the person on the other end. Even though Ailun could instantly contact me, he was far too frightened to do so. ¡°They¡¯re going to Wei-shushu¡¯s parents.¡± With my suspicions confirmed, I quickly scooped her up in my arms, and a searing pain shot through me. Even though I was the one feeling all of it, Amelia winced from the mere thought of causing me harm and quickly tried to wriggle out of my tight grasp. I firmly held on. ¡°I¡¯ll get us there quickly," I swore. ¡°You¡¯re hurting yourself, Peijin!¡± Amelia protested, looking increasingly distraught as she pulled her arm away from me; my fingers had left red indents on her arm, but Amelia didn¡¯t notice them. I immediately froze at the sight and guilt flooded through me. She brought the dire wolf beside me, and it quickly threw me onto its back with Amelia as it ran toward Yang and Yue. With some surprise, Yang didn¡¯t seem scared of Yue anymore. Instead, he seemed scared for her. He was gently cupping the back and side of her head, wrapping a dirtied cloth around her head. Blood had seeped out and covered her head, leaving it caked and a sickening red color. He looked up at me with a terrified expression, but only for a moment, since he quickly turned back to tending to Yue. ¡°She¡¯s not responding,¡± he wheezed, seeming to have sustained injuries to himself as well. I exhaled sharply and gestured for him to stand. ¡°Huh? She¡¯s too stubborn to die,¡± I remarked bluntly, losing patience. Not wanting to argue, he gently lifted her into his arms and got onto the wolf. It seemed to sag from our combined weight before it jolted up again, Amelia sweating bullets from concentration. She suddenly perked up, grabbing onto my sleeve and shaking it. ¡°Peijin, Ailun is saying that Daji already got to Wei¡¯s parents! She¡¯s intercepted his communication network. Meihua won¡¯t make it there in time because Daji blocked off all seals to the area!¡± ¡°Daji got there already?¡± I exclaimed in alarm, quickly reaching Wei¡¯s mutilated, but surviving, body. But, what about Bai? He was there, too, so there was still hope. Bai wouldn''t have let Daji in so easily. I hopped off the wolf and down to the muddied pool of guts and limbs that greeted me. He was still chained to the wall¡ªmore accurately, his feet and hands were still there, but the rest of his body was missing. I picked up what I thought resembled his head. His lips and mouth were barely visible, but it would have to be good enough. As I scurried through my bag, I turned around and ordered the rest of the party. ¡°Buy whatever is left in the Azure Dragon Store and worship Meihua and His Highness. Make it count.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all sold out,¡± Yang quickly called back, looking utterly defeated. His orange eyes had dimmed significantly, and it looked like at any moment, he would descend into some unforeseen emotion. God damnit. ¡°Chang!¡± I screamed, pulling out all of the elixirs from the dungeon rounds. I was going to use them all on Wei now¡ªif anyone could stop Daji, it would be him. I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to take on battles I couldn¡¯t win. I would have to severely skew karma in my favor to do that, and karma would probably only be pleased if I died. Chang hesitantly appeared before me, clinging onto his tail and rocking back and forth anxiously. ¡°Are you going to blackmail me again?¡± ¡°No!¡± I instantly retorted, ¡°I need something to worship Meihua and His Highness with.¡± ¡°I told you earlier. I don¡¯t have anything! You bought it all!¡± ¡°...¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Do it, Jia Li.

¡°Chang, give me your scales.¡± ¡°Huh?! No way! These are precious, sacred treasures!¡± He quickly refuted, his voice shrill and more annoying than usual. ¡°... Why do you think I¡¯m asking for them? I''m not looking for a souvenir.¡± Chang clung onto his tail and pulled it even closer to his body. I sighed in annoyance before barking, ¡°Yang, get a few of Chang¡¯s scales and offer them to Meihua and His Highness. I¡¯ll pay generously or something.¡± Chang shouted in a mixture of protest and anxiety. ¡°No! I seriously won¡¯t fall for your schemes this time, Peijin! There¡¯s a hierarchy, and you¡¯re below me. Know your place, junior!¡± Yang¡¯s stormy eyes locked with Chang¡¯s, and his scales immediately stood up. I was gently pouring the regeneration elixirs into Wei¡¯s mouth, but most of it seemed to spill out since he resembled an anatomical figure in a biology textbook more than an actual human. The skin around his mouth was missing, and I could see the contours of his facial muscles. But, as more of the elixir made contact with him, it immediately began to heal his wounds as healthy skin returned. I stared at the sight with incredible interest and intent. I had written about these very same injuries in Surviving My First Run, but seeing them in person was an entirely different experience. I wonder if I were to rewrite this scene, how much better my descriptions could be?

Scathing Reviewer activated!

¡°Your Highness, when we make it out of this, you¡¯re really going to owe me a lot,¡± I grumbled, ¡°Do you know how expensive these elixirs are? And here you are, using all of it. Just one man, too!¡± My voice trembled slightly. I was sure it was the result of my adrenaline. I unwaveringly poured more of the elixirs into his mouth, and he began to gulp it down greedily as his body seemed to recreate itself. He looked like a feral dog lapping up water for the first time in days. ¡°Slow down. I¡¯m not taking it from you. If you choke right now, you¡¯ll probably drop dead.¡± Wei grabbed onto my hand firmly and pushed it back as he sat up, chugging the elixir as fat, color beads dripped down his face. When his eyes met mine... how could I describe them? Wei was broken¡ªno, he had been a broken man. He was a man who just realized that he could sacrifice his entire being for those around him, and they would still be cowards. There was no greater monster than his worshippers, and what did that mean for a god so righteous and moral as Wei was? But, just before him, were people nurturing him. Specifically, a woman who spat cruel words at him and didn''t seem to care about him at all if it weren''t for the fact she was wiping the elixir off his face with utmost tenderness. Wei''s eyes welled with tears, and I quickly pulled back, unsure of where my sudden attentiveness came from. Wei''s demeanor instantly changed in a moment, as if he was suddenly deeply preoccupied. Getting up, he searched for his sword and wielded it confidently, grabbing onto the hilt with fresh hands. ¡°Peijin, I¡¯ll properly thank you after,¡± he said with complete anxiety. Did Ailun just tell him about his parents and Meihua? ¡°Wait, let us help you,¡± I blurted out, ¡°If you¡¯re confronting Daji right now, you¡¯ll need all the help you can get.¡± His face twisted into an unreadable expression. His entire sense of morality had just been completely destroyed, yet standing before him was an odd group of people who shared an innate bond but also seemed like they sometimes hated each other. The sight felt familiar to him, but he didn''t know any of these people. Keeping my eyes glued on his face, I added awkwardly, ¡°And you also need a set of clothes, Your Highness.¡± I was already extending the new white cultivator robes out to him. Wei didn¡¯t have the energy for any embarrassed reaction as he took the robes from my hand and quickly tied the belt around his thin waist. I heard Chang yelp behind me and smack Yang firmly on the back of his head¡ªnow, Yang was holding two scales in his hands. He quickly whispered into his hands and sent the spiritual offering to Wei and Meihua. Instantly, Wei seemed to grow taller as a glowing aura resembling a halo appeared all around him. Chang¡¯s scales were technically divine objects as they belonged to an Azure Dragon, one of the four guardian deities of China. ¡°Peijin, there are no words I can use to thank you enough,¡± Wei¡¯s voice cracked, and I could¡¯ve sworn I saw tears beneath his fluttering lashes, ¡°But if you hadn¡¯t¡ if you hadn¡¯t helped me, I think I really would¡¯ve lost it, ha ha ha... When I was out, for some reason, you appeared in my memories. You had short hair. I don¡¯t know what I saw, Peijin, but I can feel that you¡¯re important to me.¡± He paused, and I could only stare at him with a flummoxed expression. His Highness was nothing like Wei, however.... No, it wasn¡¯t time to get side tracked. More importantly, Wei was recalling his current memories. The tips of my ears were a slight red as I awkwardly tried to thank him, avoiding his gaze and turning to the side. ¡°W-Well, um¡ it¡¯s just how things should be?¡± He spared me a curt smile before, with utmost sincerity, adding onto his previous statement. ¡°So, I¡¯m really sorry. I hope you all live for a long, long time.¡± Wei lifted his sword, and with a clean, horizontal cut, knocked all of us out as the air that curved over the tip of his blade slammed into our throbbing heads. Chapter 55: Integration - Ep. 8, VIII ?????*???. ????*???.? *???? ?. ????*???. ????*???. ? *???? ? Wei¡¯s head was pounding. He quickly grabbed all of the party¡¯s collapsed bodies, grouping them together before casting a spiritual barrier around him. The barrier would prevent anyone from attacking any of the party members¡ªthey were surrounded in what looked like a glowing blue bubble. Hissing through his teeth, Wi rested his violently throbbing forehead against his hand. Recently, Wei was constantly overtaken by powerful headaches that only got worse. Who are you? Wei asked himself, staring down at Peijin¡¯s unconscious body. When he had been pinned on the Anyang wall, stabbed, gored, and murdered repeatedly at the hands of his very own worshippers, the very same people he devoted his life to protecting, not a single thought could course through his failing mind preoccupied with the overbearing pain. But in the silence that followed after he had been nothing more than long strands of human skin and organs, he thought of two things¡ªhis family and the weird, rude, and crass cultivator who suddenly appeared and sided with him throughout the war. Except, Peijin wasn¡¯t a cultivator in his memories¡ªshe was a woman with a short bob, blue hoodie, and that same glaring expression. ¡°Do exactly as I say, because if you don¡¯t, Wei will die at my hand.¡± ¡°As soon as the room starts, you¡¯ll lose all your memories.¡± That voice echoed in his mind, but Wei couldn''t pinpoint where he would have even heard such a phrase¡ªnor what context they would be spoken in. Had Peijin not offered a hand to both Meihua and himself, what would have happened? Wei groaned, grabbing onto his head as more thoughts or memories¡ªhe didn¡¯t even know what they were anymore¡ªflashed before him. It didn¡¯t matter right now; he needed to find Meihua and Ailun. He grabbed his bloodied white ribbon out of the puddle of his organs and bones and quickly tied his hair back up with it. One could hardly tell it was white anymore, but with a wave of his hand and just a bit of spiritual energy, it returned to its pristine state. Without an ounce of hesitation, Wei stabbed into his forearm with his blade, blood trickling out. He threw the tip of his sword into the ground to steady it as he dragged his index and middle finger through the wound, coating them in the thick scarlet liquid. His blood seemed to glimmer with spiritual energy from Chang¡¯s scale. He had no clue why such a low-ranking gremlin would be here, but he didn¡¯t question it. Wei squatted down on the ground and elegantly tucked in his new white robes as he dragged his fingers on the ground, forming a seal. The quickening beat of his heart made him feel like he was suffocating, barely able to breathe due to his sheer anxiety. A week ago, This Highness could have gone head-to-head with Daji and come out victorious. Now? Wei would be lucky to walk away with his life spared. He bit down on his tongue as he finished drawing the teleportation seal to his parent¡¯s house. Tearing his sword from the ground, Wei promptly activated the seal. The seal remained perfectly still on the ground, dull and inactive. Wei¡¯s heart fell. He¡¯d have to get to his parent¡¯s place manually¡ªand if Meihua and Ailun were already fighting Daji, they¡¯d be weak by the time he made it. With a deep inhale, Wei redirected his spiritual energy to his legs, feeling it swirl and move all around as his body heated up and tingled. He sprung forward at godly speeds, bursting straight through the wall and past all the civilians who were now invading Anyang. Had they seen him, they would have tackled him out of fear of facing Wei''s wrath, completely forgetting their half-hearted promises about lighting him candles. Yet Wei was moving so fast, he was nothing but a passing breeze that disturbed a few strands of their hair. Except to a familiar man in front of the crowd, who turned, his eyes following Wei. Wei¡¯s form darted and weaved through trees, flattening out the grass beneath him as he seemed to fly through. What did ¡°justice¡± or ¡°fairness¡± even mean to Wei anymore? Was it the utter abandonment of his people for his family? Was it justice for Wei¡¯s people to take matters into their own hands after his mortifying failures to stop the Zhou Army or the demonic plague? Was this his retribution? Meihua¡¯s bright smile and flowing chocolate hair appeared in his mind before the illusion was shattered by the drab, lifeless expression that filled her face when she watched him get stabbed through the heart thousands of times. Tears welled up in his reddening eyes but he quickly blinked them away, bringing up a white robe to wipe at his face as his lower lip trembled. A sob rose in his throat but he held it back, the only sign of his overwhelming pain in the tremble of his lashes. Wei had always been an emotional man¡ªtoo sympathetic and empathetic for his own good. It was what made him the greatest divinity, but it was also what made him weak enough to be trampled. Even if this was how Wei would be repaid, and even if he would be stripped of all his divine powers in the end, he couldn¡¯t hate these people. Because if Meihua and Ailun and all the others were alive, then there must be other good people left in the world, too. At least, that¡¯s what Wei wanted to cling onto. The forest path became more and more familiar as he could make out the tip of the shrine peeking out through the trees before he suddenly skid to a halt. The green grass below him was colored a deep red. But weren¡¯t Meihua and Ailun headed to his parent¡¯s place? His eyes tracked the bloody mess on the ground into a cluster of looming, dark trees, and Wei felt his heart tighten in his chest. The scent of peach blossoms and lilies filled the air, giving the scene a light, iridescent glow. If Meihua released this powerful of a skill, she must¡¯ve been gravely injured. And if Ailun didn¡¯t warn him with his communication skills¡ ¡°Daji¡ I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Wei swore, darting into the forest and leaping through it, his feet no longer touching the ground as he flew toward the end of the bloody path. His heart beat relentlessly in his suffocating chest, his face growing more and more red as he could no longer stop for breath. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The buzzing in his ears grew louder and louder; Wei readjusted his grip on the hilt of his sword, trying to hide how much he was trembling. What if what he found at the end of the trail wasn¡¯t Meihua? What if all he saw was the bloodied and mutilated corpse of his most beloved, clinging onto Ailun until her last breath? He grit his teeth and finally reached the end of the path, eyes wide and crazed. ¡°Wei!¡± Ailun¡¯s shrill voice screamed his name, and it was no longer quiet or timid or a familiar ¡°Your Highness.¡± Before Wei could even let out a sigh of relief or cry out in joy, Ailun¡¯s voice screamed once more. ¡°Ha ha ha! Wei! Wei is too late!¡± Before Wei, a vile, grotesque sight met him; bile rose immediately in his throat, burning him. A towering white fox with nine flapping tails met him, its long and snarled teeth coated in both dry and wet blood. Its face was nimble and thin, almost beautiful, apart from its muzzle stained in crimson and its jeering yellow eyes. Its sharp, pearly white teeth had pieces of pink flesh stuck between. One of its arms was held up beside its cocked head¡ªwith Ailun skewered on its finger. Daji¡¯s two black claws had pierced through his small chin and throat and were playing him like a puppet. The fox¡¯s face twisted into a mocking sneer, light dancing in its eyes. ¡°Your Highness, save me! Save me!¡± Ailun¡¯s small mouth moved up and down with each word, and the rest of his body shook in the air as he was controlled like a puppet on strings. Blood dripped down the gash in his throat all the way down to his foot, smearing Daji¡¯s white fur coat. Wei froze at the scene, all that adrenaline and anger in him seeming to vanish all at once. An eerie numbness traversed throughout his entire body as he stared at his younger brother¡¯s corpse being played like a tool before him. Suddenly, he took a mortified step back, his sword violently trembling. Ailun¡¯s eyes were filled with tears as they darted around and blinked at Wei. Ailun was alive. Daji cocked Ailun¡¯s head to the side to match her own pose, still mocking Wei. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Your Highness?¡± Daji spoke through Ailun¡¯s body, ¡°Cat got your tongue?¡± One of the sharp claws in Ailun¡¯s mouth moved and played with his small, swollen tongue. Ailun¡¯s body seemed to gag as an immediate response, but he could only feebly claw at the massive hand that held him. ¡°Y-You¡¡± Wei stammered, his vision going red. ¡°How dare you?!¡± Wei roared, his cultivation robes flying around him in a flurry of violent, dangerous, and uncontrollable spiritual energy. Suddenly, a small whimper behind him caught his attention. It was barely audible and quickly carried away by the breeze of spiritual energy. Meihua¡¯s body clawed toward Wei. A trail of blood was behind her, growing as she dug her hands into the ground and moved forward one grueling bit at a time. Clutched in her arms was the serpent¡¯s eye, glowing with demonic energy. Its bright red pupil was shooting around and taking in all the surrounding sights. Her robes seemed to fall flat just after her torso, and they were soaked in blood. As Meihua pushed herself up, flashing Wei that warm smile, he noticed it. One of her legs was completely torn off. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Wei,¡± she whispered, bright tears streaming down her face now. They pooled at her lashes before they fell down like bright orbs, splattering on the ground below her. ¡°I really¡ I really¡¡± Even with Yang worshiping both divinities using Chang¡¯ scales, it didn¡¯t matter if no one believed in these two. And no one did. Daji¡¯s tails suddenly grew, waving all around her and seeming to grow until they hid the glowing sun with their thick fur. At once, they shot forward¡ªstraight at Meihua. Wei lept forward and with a few flicks of his sword deflected the tails relentlessly; they were never ending, pushing him further and further back until he slammed into a tree. He picked up Meihua into one of his arms, shielding her body as they both were thrown into the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your breath trying to talk to me!¡± Wei screamed, his voice hoarse as he held back his tears. ¡°Heal yourself! Heal yourself!¡± he repeated frantically, ¡°You have enough spiritual power from Yang!¡± Meihua grabbed a hold of her pink ribbon sword again and whipped it against the ground¡ªbut for whatever reason, it didn¡¯t seem to respond to her nearly as well. In fact, its base was slowly turning black. ¡°Yeah, from Yang? He''s a sweet boy. Peijin works really hard for us too, Wei.¡± A mixture of sheer horror, frustration, and utter despair bloomed in Wei¡¯s chest. Blood soaked all of Meihua¡¯s robes, and she looked like a fragment of the woman she was. ¡°Stop it! Conserve your energy, Meihua!¡± Meihua gently shut her eyes, her lashes twinkling from moisture as a few more tears slid down her cheeks. ¡°I am,¡± she whispered softly. The only time in her life that she had made a decision for herself and her family, it ended like this. Daji¡¯s claws swept toward the duo as Ailun¡¯s body was violently swaying back and forth on her claws. Ailun tried to let out a strangled cry, but Daji would quickly shut his mouth and dig her nails further into his chin. Carrying Meihua in one arm and his sword in the other, Wei darted forward and shot for Daji¡¯s back. He landed a hit, twisting his blade as he forced it into Daji¡¯s flesh deeper and deeper until a spray of blood shot at his face. Daji roared out of pain and anger as she whipped around, swiping at him and forcing him to retreat. She steadied herself on her feet¡ªthe gash had torn the tendon in one of her hind legs, leaving her stagnant and crippled. ¡°Daji, if it¡¯s power you wanted, if it¡¯s money you wanted, whatever it is, you can have it all!¡± Wei screamed, whipping the blood off of his sword. More and more of Meihua¡¯s pink sword was turning black, and Wei couldn¡¯t stop the anxiety overtaking him. ¡°But leave my family out of this!¡± Daji glared at him with her fox eyes before she finally spoke from her own mouth and not Ailun¡¯s body. Her lips curled into a snarl and spoke with a deep, sultry voice. ¡°As long as people with the same values as yours exist, people like me will never thrive.¡± Wei¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°You¡¯re no divinity. No matter what you claim, none of us would ever act like you!¡± Meihua, in an even quieter voice, murmured, ¡°She¡¯s not. She¡¯s a demonic cultivator that infiltrated the heavenly realm.¡± She held onto her nearly all-black spiritual weapon with a horribly shaky arm. Her breaths were short and rapid now, but neither Daji or Wei seemed to notice. At this revelation, Wei scoffed out of disgust and readjusted his sword for the final time. A demon infiltrating the heavenly realm? How far had this world fallen? How many more times would he be disappointed? ¡°Then I¡¯ll tear you down right here, and you won''t have to worry about any ¡®values¡¯ anymore.¡± Blood erupted from Wei as a bronze sword pierced straight through his chest. Blood pooled in Wei¡¯s mouth as he coughed, causing it to spray out. Wei¡¯s grip on Meihua slackened as she slowly fell onto the ground. Sweat covered her forehead; Meihua was practically panting now as her entire body trembled out of pain. Despite being one of the greatest divine healers, she was in riveting pain and could do nothing but collapse on the ground. The serpent¡¯s eye slid from her grasp. The man behind Wei stepped forward, sliding his blade out of Wei in a clean movement. It was the man from the Anyang wall¡ªthe one who led the massacre against Wei. At the sight of him, Wei¡¯s heart filled with immediate fear as he clutched his chest. It was in the very same place that he had stabbed Wei earlier¡ right through the heart. ¡°What do you think of my disciple, Wei? Isn¡¯t he impressive?¡± Daji called out, her ears pinned back and tails swirling in the air in a playful manner. Daji¡¯s disciple walked forward and placed a foot on the serpent¡¯s eye. Meeting eyes with Meihua, he crushed it fully and twisted his foot so it would be no more than ash mixed into the bloody dirt. Meihua let out a loud cry as she watched the serpent eye crumble beneath him. She hollered and cried before another wave of pain tore through her, causing her to fall limp. She hid her face and weapon from him as she hid in the ground, but he kicked her back and jostled her face forward, staring right at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay on the wall?¡± Wei focused his spiritual energy on quickly reviving himself, but it would still take some time to recover from a fatal wound. Daji was laid back, looking like she had no care in the world as she tediously licked at the wound in her leg. ¡°Meihua,¡± Daji spoke nonchalantly, ¡°You¡¯re a fool if you think such a meager demonic object would affect me. Especially when you guard it so weakly. It has no more power than the lowest goblin. This is really how one of the heavenly realm¡¯s strongest divinities tries to save the world? Look at all the people you let die.¡± After a painstaking amount of time, Meihua¡¯s body finally stopped trembling. She slowly navigated herself until she was standing and turned to face Wei. Miraculously, it seemed like she had healed or repaired her leg¡ªWei couldn''t make it out from beneath her bloodied robes. Her lashes were lowered and hid her eyes as she spoke to both Wei and Daji. ¡°The only world I wish to save¡ is him.¡± Meihua erupted into the air with a flash of blinding lightning as she whirled the black sword in the air, whipping it as the forest around her seemed to awaken and burst out of the soil. Chapter 56: The World - Ep. 9, I ?????*???. ????*???.? *???? ?. ????*???. ????*???. ? *???? ? I shot up, immediately grasping at the empty space before me. A piercing headache stabbed through me, and as I looked around, I realized I was surrounded by the collapsed bodies of my party members and an iridescent blue barrier.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

¡°Socrates!¡± I exclaimed, panicked as I grabbed Zhige firmly and moved to shake Yang awake.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Wei knocked Jia Li out then left to find Meihua! Chang said something is blocking him from moving the broadcast, so I can¡¯t see where they are.

I knew something was wrong. Something had to be wrong. I shoved Yang with even more desperation, slapping his cheeks. ¡°Wake up, god damnit! Yang, don¡¯t you always brag to me about how you don¡¯t need naps? Come on!¡± Blearily, his eyes fluttered open and darted around for a moment before landing on me and, with seeming relief, shutting again. I firmly punched his gut. ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Yang!" I exclaimed, "Wei is gone!¡± He got up with a start and slapped Yue awake. I didn¡¯t bother waking Amelia, instead grabbing onto her and hoisting her over my back. It was best that, if anything did happen, she wouldn¡¯t be exposed to it. Even if this world was endlessly cruel and would continue to be, I wanted to protect her from all of it. Tch, when did I get so soft? ¡°Zhige, break the barrier.¡± Zhige flew out of my hand and slammed against the barrier a few times. With its overwhelming spiritual energy, it quickly created a tear before flying through and destroying the barrier. With my chest heaving up and down from my nervous breath, I began running as I shouted at Yang and a dreary Yue: ¡°Meihua and Ailun were headed for Wei¡¯s parents at the temple. She¡¯s trying to feed them the serpent¡¯s eye to cure their illness and escape with them!¡± A stranded civilian, who was yet to push through the wall, reached out for me with a hysteric look; I quickly slammed Zhige against their shoulder and slammed them down onto the ground, sparing a look of disgust. Yang winced for a moment but averted his gaze from the crying civilian. If he was a character I was writing then, just like Wei, he would¡¯ve lost much of his faith in humanity after witnessing the brutality of this war. ¡°What do you mean by the serpent¡¯s eye?" Yang asked, "Is it a cure?¡± ¡°No, but if she feeds it to Wei¡¯s parents, the serpent¡¯s demonic energy will clash with Daji¡¯s,¡± I fought to catch my breath, surprised by my own weakness despite my current physique level, ¡°Meihua has the medicinal skill to balance it out well enough so that it should neutralize and dissipate instead of killing them.¡± I was by no means strong enough to fight Daji if we did come face to face¡ªbut as long as I could support Wei and Meihua, there was a chance. Wei would follow Meihua to the end of the world; if she was at the temple, I knew Wei would follow, the loyal dog he was. In Surviving My First Run, when writing Wei, he was no more than a dumb, tail-wagging dog. His endless faith and loyalty to those around him didn¡¯t really help his case, but it was also what made him so popular among his people. Everyone liked a man who listened to them whether they were right and wrong. Wei was someone who made people feel good, feel important. In the first iteration of this arc, Wei was relentlessly persecuted by the entire heavenly realm. After he was banished, people called him many things¡ªif they bothered to refer to the heaven¡¯s failure at all. Stupid mutt, vile cur, and a whore¡¯s whelp (of course in reference to Meihua). All of these had become names for the fallen Blessed Martial Guard of Salvation. ¡°Socrates,¡± I hissed quietly through my teeth, a pang in my chest, ¡°Is it my fault?¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Does Jia Li want my opinion or for me to read her reviews out loud?

I snorted before averting my eyes from the pop up. ¡°I¡¯ll make you and Karma look like a fool.¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: I didn¡¯t say anything, Jia Li! It¡¯s everyone else¡¯s opinion!

¡°Shut up.¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: You¡¯re the one that asked me¡ª

I closed the blue screen. Yue, who looked like she had just risen from the dead, groggily blurted, ¡°Peijin, there¡¯s a shortcut through these trees. I made it during one of my recent trips.¡± Yang propped her up, practically dragging her through the road. ¡°How much time does it save?¡± ¡°Ten minutes,¡± Yue replied. So, the shortcut sucked. Still, I wanted to save as much time as I could. I wasn¡¯t sure how long we had been knocked out, and I couldn¡¯t jeopardize any opportunities. ¡°Is it somewhat paved?¡± ¡°A little,¡± she replied, trying to make her voice louder, ¡°I got mad and started destroying trees.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± In any other pretense, such a comment from Yue would have made me snicker, but my head was swarming with the thought of Wei needing to face the same fate, a fate I assigned him. ¡°Gosh, what am I feeling so guilty for,¡± I grumbled, grabbing onto Zhige and stroking the blade. ¡°Zhige, aren¡¯t you such a cool sword? Remember that one time in Yang¡¯s room?¡± Yang immediately looked embarrassed, and his face twisted into a sour expression. ¡°W-What are you bringing that up for?¡± ¡°Zhige, you did so well there!¡± I praised. The eye squinted, looking pleased, as the sword grew to nearly double its size. I continued speaking to the sword, looking like a maniac to anyone who would¡¯ve seen me. ¡°Zhige, I¡¯m very sorry for the times I criticized or doubted you. You know, I actually think you¡¯re very brilliant.¡± Its bright red eye spinning in delight, the sword grew even larger. It was almost where I wanted it. ¡°Have you fucking lost it, Peijin?¡± Yue cried, staring at me with a look of bewilderment. Zhige shrank. I glared at Yue over my shoulder, screaming at her. ¡°Shut up! Zhige is very sensitive!¡± Upon hearing my defense, the blade grew massively. ¡°Yes! Good Zhige!¡± I came to a sudden stop and held Zhige parallel to the ground. ¡°Stay up, okay?¡± The blade hovered in the air, the eye following me as I grabbed onto it and hoisted myself onto the blade. To my relief, my weight and Amelia¡¯s didn¡¯t seem to affect it. ¡°Yang. Yue. Climb up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not riding on the sword!¡± Yue exclaimed, taking a step back. ¡°Are you trying to kill us before we get there?!¡± ¡°Are you seriously going to argue with me right now?¡± I cried, ¡°Just get on the damn sword!¡± Stolen story; please report. Yang gently ushered Yue to the sword and helped lift her onto it while she argued with me the entire time. She sat down on the hilt and clutched it while Yang stood between us. ¡°Zhige, take us to Wei¡¯s temple. Follow the path, and I think we should end¡¡± I turned to Yue. ¡°By the river,¡± she answered, her voice tinged with annoyance. ¡°Okay, by the river,¡± I confirmed. At once, Zhige accelerated to unbelievable speeds and swerved through the forest. Yue let out a loud scream and clutched the hilt as I stumbled, struggling to keep my balance on top of the sword. Yang held me steady by clutching my robes, spitting as my long hair whipped against his face. ¡°Sorry!¡± I apologized, trying to stop it from hitting Amelia and Yang, but Amelia¡¯s eyes slowly opened. She let out a shrill scream and grabbed onto my neck with a suffocating grip, and I choked as she continued wailing. But, thanks to Zhige¡¯s incredible speed, we quickly arrived at the side of the river, the gorgeous temple looming over us. The sun hit against the colorful tiles, casting a beautiful golden sheen. It was perfectly still, not one disturbance other than the sound of running water. Bai gawked at us as he stood submerged in the river, washing all of the clothes including his own. They were surrounding him in the river as he scrubbed his skin with a bar of pink soap. Yang quickly grabbed Amelia and covered her eyes as I flung Bai¡¯s robes at his face. I scolded, ¡°How could you be so indecent in front of a child?!¡± Bai tore the robes from his embarrassed face. ¡°What the fuck?! What are all of you even doing here?¡± He exclaimed, reaching for a cloth he kept dry at the side of the river to dry himself. ¡°Why the fuck would you bring a kid unannounced?!¡± Yang also quickly covered Amelia¡¯s ears. ¡°Are Wei, Meihua, and Ailun inside?¡± I asked, already halfway up the temple steps. Bai turned around, tying his robes. ¡°His Highness? Isn¡¯t he with you?¡± My blood ran cold as I turned around to face him, my hands trembling. ¡°His Highness is with me?¡± ?????*???. ????*???.? *???? ?. ????*???. ????*???. ? *???? ? An incomprehensible amount of spiritual energy erupted through the forest as all of the plants and flora seemed to tear out of the ground, twisting and turning into the air before shooting straight toward the man and Daji. Daji¡¯s eyes widened in complete disbelief as her nimble body leapt onto its feet and dodged quickly. The movement caused Ailun¡¯s body to slam around violently, and fat tears dripped from his face. Wei¡¯s expression was twisted into fear and terror; did Meihua¡ have this kind of power? As she swirled in the air, her black sword slicing and tearing into Daji¡¯s skin, she resembled a primal, terrifying beast. But still, to Wei, it almost looked like she was trying to hold back. This newfound power tapped into an endless pond of spiritual energy, but Meihua wasn¡¯t using all of it. Realizing the new threat that Meihua posed, Daji darted behind her disciple before she unhinged her jaw, fire bursting out and causing all of the neighboring trees to light on fire. Meihua coughed, covering her mouth with her already bloodied robes but not once did she slow her endless attack. Wei gripped his chest, blood trickling out from the hole in his heart. Please, please, please, please. He begged and pleaded, tears welling up in his eyes as he desperately tried to recover. He gripped onto his sword as Daji¡¯s disciple stormed straight at him, killing energy blazing from him. Wei could only stumble back, the wound healing but not healed. The man was relentless, however, and continued to approach with even more ferocity. He sliced past the various trees and slashed right through Wei''s entire abdomen before a root burst from the ground, piercing the man''s body. He let out a pained grunt, but Meihua had now turned her focus onto him. At the sight of the man¡¯s murderous intent, she let out an anguished cry as she turned all of her power to him, watching as branches erupted through his entire body before they tore spun and tore him into pieces. Daji¡¯s tails suddenly seemed to multiply, turning into dozens behind her as they all shot straight at a distracted Meihua. ¡°No!¡± Wei screamed, darting forward, blood spilling out of the gaping wound in his chest, his hands sweating, his eyes welling with tears, his entire body trembling in complete horror and fear and devastation. Meihua whipped her head back around and attempted to cut through the tails but to no avail¡ªthey pierced through her before erupting into bright red flames. She created a vortex with her sword, whipping it in the air to quell the raging fire, but it couldn¡¯t fix the wounds littering her already wrecked body. Whatever power she had used to heal her leg, she now held it back. With a faint smile, she thrashed her sword one last time before letting it go; its long black blade buried into Daji¡¯s entire body like too-tight shackles before she was seized. ¡°No!¡± Wei cried, his hands digging into the ground in disgust of his weakness. A martial god? Really? How could he have ever called himself a martial god?! How could he call himself anything other than a useless fucker?! ¡°No! Please, I¡¯ll do anything! Daji, please, you can do whatever you want to me, but leave Meihua out of this! Please! Torture me for centuries, banish me for a millennium, but let her go!¡± Wei screamed, feebly slashing his sword as tears streamed down his face. ¡°Please!¡± ¡°Wei,¡± Meihua said softly, looking up at him as the tales slowly crushed her body. Her eyes were bright red, and little tears trickled down her face as she gave him a wide grin. ¡°I¡¯ll die without regrets.¡± ¡°Please!¡± Wei screamed, feeling no shame or dishonor at his pitiful state. Meihua didn¡¯t bother bracing herself as Daji¡¯s jaw unhinged, her claws and tails holding Meihua down as they dug into her small body. Meihua let out a small sob through her endlessly bright smile. ¡°At least that¡¯s what I¡¯d like to say,¡± she choked, ¡°Truth is, I do have one. I wish I could¡¯ve spent the rest of eternity with you.¡± ¡°MEIHUA!¡± Daji''s jaw snapped shut on Meihua¡¯s head before tearing her entire spine out of her body. Crimson blood erupted as Meihua finally fell limp, completely lifeless. Meihua¡¯s beautiful features were lost in the hungry snaps of Daji¡¯s mouth as she hungrily chewed and swallowed her body, blood covering her lips. Wei collapsed and stared at the sight before him in utter silence. He couldn¡¯t hear anything other than one repeating phrase. I wish I could¡¯ve spent the rest of eternity with you. I wish¡ I¡ ¡°Ah¡¡± Wei gasped, staring at the ground as his nails gripped the dirt, digging into it. ¡°Aghhh,¡± he wailed, crying and screaming as he shouted louder and louder, pounding into the ground as hard as he could but hardly making a dent. He gripped his head and screamed, the sound of Meihua¡¯s body crunching beside him. There would be no funeral. There would be no worship or candles burned or a goodbye. There would never be a sendoff, never be another picture taken, never be... Meihua was dead. ¡°Meihua, please, I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t!¡± Wei continued screaming, curling up into his small body like a pathetic, abandoned dog. Daji let out a satisfied sigh before cackling wildly, Meihua¡¯s blades still digging into her skin. Even after her death, her blade refused to let go. A spiritual weapon without its owner was wild and lost. Daji grabbed onto Wei¡¯s ruined body and hoisted him into the air, her face and claws covered with the scraps of Meihua. She smiled at him, licking her chops as she gently undid his hair ribbon, tying it to both his hands instead. Instead of thrashing or attempting to escape, Wei merely hung there, completely limp and empty. He was no more human than Meihua now. ¡°You really are a dumb dog,¡± Daji said with her sly, sultry voice, ¡°To let your emotions take such a hold over you. That¡¯s why fools like you end up abandoned on the streets.¡± She tightened the bands around Wei¡¯s hands, and he squirmed from the pain, trying to pull back. ¡°But, Your Highness,¡± Daji continued, ¡°I don¡¯t fall victim to such foolish emotions. I don¡¯t stop just because someone dies.¡± Her ears flickered toward her dead disciple¡¯s body still bleeding out on the ground. She brought Ailun¡¯s body in between Wei¡¯s tied hands. Wei¡¯s eyes widened in horror as he quickly recovered, thrashing and kicking as much as he could, even if all he could muster was a wiggle. ¡°Stop it, please,¡± Wei pleaded, trying to kick himself back. Daji maneuvered the ribbon around Ailun¡¯s neck. Ailun¡¯s eyes welled with tears, and his pupils desperately remained locked onto Wei¡¯s, pleading with him.

Ailun: Wei, please, please help me! Please!

Ailun: It hurts! It hurts! Please end it!

Wei shook his head slowly, a horrified expression torn into his face. ¡°Why do you have to do this to me¡?¡± He cried.

Ailun: Gege*, please, are you really going to make me suffer?!

Ailun: PLEASE! Don¡¯t kill me like you killed Meihua!

Ailun: Hahaha, do you really think that was her only regret?

Wei¡¯s face turned a sickly blue shade.

Ailun: You¡¯re a fool for thinking that Ailun can even talk to you anymore. When will you ever learn, Wei?

Daji spoke through poor Ailun¡¯s body, and Ailun couldn¡¯t help but wretch and gag, trying to pull Daji¡¯s claws out of his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Wei swore, spitting and tearing and clawing at Daji. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you kill me now! I¡¯ll come back as a ghost and haunt you forever! I¡¯ll never let you live!¡± Suddenly, Daji pulled his two hands tight, and Ailun became strangled by his ribbon. Daji withdrew her claw from his throat, and blood poured out as Ailun let out gargled cries. ¡°No!¡± Wei screamed, trying to loosen the ribbon, but Daji pulled his hands further and further apart, causing Ailun¡¯s face to turn blue and purple. ¡°You, Your Highness,¡± Daji gave a patronizing smile, ¡°are going to be the one to kill your very own brother. His blood will be on your hands.¡± ¡°Stop it! Stop it! I can¡¯t! I can''t, I can''t, I can''t!¡± Wei screamed, his head roaring in pain as his migraine only worsened and made his jumbled thoughts explode. Ailun¡¯s young face, his plump cheeks and wide eyes, turned bright red as the ribbon only tightened more and more. Tears fell down his face and soaked the ribbon, and he could only let out barely audible cries and groans, staring at Wei. Until finally, Ailun¡¯s head erupted. Blood poured out of every single one of his orifices as his eyes popped out of his head, and his neck completely snapped in Wei¡¯s very own hands. Daji dropped Wei, and he slumped to the ground. Chapter 57: The World - Ep. 9, II Wei tumbled toward the ground, slamming against the sharp rocks and landing awkwardly. His limbs were entangled with the bloodied ribbon still wrapped around his wrists, yet he made no effort to set himself upright. ¡°Ah¡¡± A small, pitiful, and defeated groan was all Wei could muster as Ailun¡¯s body thumped to the ground beside him soon after. Immediately, Wei diverted his gaze, turning his back on his little brother and Meihua''s corpse. Meihua was dead. Wei killed his own brother with these very hands. Wei let out an anguished and animalistic moan, pressing the back of his hands against his shut eyes, which were riddled with tears as they streamed down his face. ¡°Agh¡ I¡ª¡± he stammered, ¡°I¡ I¡¡± I can¡¯t. Those were the only words His Highness wanted to say, and Wei couldn¡¯t even do that. Because for someone who had fallen from such a dazzling height, Wei realized he couldn¡¯t do a lot of things. No matter how strong he was, he couldn¡¯t save his people. No matter how loyal he was, it didn¡¯t mean whoever he protected wouldn¡¯t leave him in the dust, with no regard or care for him. No matter how much he loved both Ailun and Meihua, he couldn¡¯t save either of them. No matter how strong Wei was, no matter how many worshippers he had, no matter how many soldiers he killed before returning to Meihua in complete tears every day, Wei still couldn¡¯t do anything. In the end, Wei became nothing more than a stray dog kicked to the curb, tail tucked, and clinging onto memories of the generosity he once experienced. And no one would even bother to throw him a scrap. Daji sneered above him, her lips curled over her stained-red teeth and her fox eyes were slanted and menacing, full of malice and raging fire. Nine white tails flickered behind her slowly as if Daji were deeply entertained by the sight before her, and she lifted a slim paw to humorously shove and pull on Wei. She batted him with his foot, and he accepted it. Peijin meant it when she wrote him as a, "stupid mutt." How could any of this be fair? It wasn¡¯t. It definitely wasn¡¯t. But Wei was only a boy, freshly eighteen, and one who thought that the world was righteous as long as he worked hard enough. And he could always work hard enough¡ªwho was going to stop him? The horrible reality of the world and people around him sank in. ¡°I thought I could change something,¡± Wei cried softly, Daji¡¯s paw knocking him around on the ground as he clung onto the ribbon firmly, holding it against his chest in a feeble effort to protect it like it was his only thing left. Protect if from what? Why did he even care? There was blood on his hands. There had always been blood on Wei¡¯s hands. Wei was no saint, and he was no pinnacle of morality¡ªhow many families had he torn apart as he slaughtered their sons and daughters on the battlefield? But, this was Ailun¡¯s blood on his hands. With his own two hands, whether or not he was manipulated, Wei murdered his baby brother. That was the undeniable, indisputable truth. Ailun and Meihua were dead, and it only made sense for Wei to be next. His piercing headache only became worse and worse as it brought a fresh set of tears to his reddened eyes; it was accompanied by the bright flashing images of Peijin¡¯s face and the face of a young blond girl who had endlessly clung onto Ailun. The thought brought another rush of hot tears to his eyes as he cried even harder, Daji¡¯s grin only growing into a horrific sneer. How could Amelia ever handle the news that This Highness had killed her dearest friend, and his own little brother? There would be no body to take back¡ªAilun was nothing but a completely mutilated, erupted head and a small, limp body. His blood on Wei¡¯s hands. Wei¡¯s. Wei''s only. Ailun''s blood on Wei''s hands. Fairness? Fairness?! Was this how he was supposed to be repaid for all he had done?! Was this all people ever wanted from him? And now, after he had lost it all, the rest of his days would be spent in the heavenly court. What a sick, twisted, cruel joke¡ªand the undeniable truth. Just like how Ailun''s blood was on Wei''s hands, and Meihua was only leftover scraps of meat and skin behind him. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Peijin. I hope that your end is better than mine,¡± Wei prayed under his breath before grabbing the hilt of his sword. Suddenly, Daji burst out laughing, cackling and howling with sheer pleasure. ¡°And here I thought you were the darling of the heavens!¡± She cried, her intonation rising and falling with each word like the shrill calls of a fox, ¡°Dream on. ¡°You think it¡¯s your fault, Your Highness? You¡¯re wrong,¡± Daji spat, lowering her face so she was level with Wei¡¯s dead and cold eyes. ¡°The world has failed you. There is no justice or salvation, and you, with all your foolish thoughts, never recognized that. ¡°Do you think your people would¡¯ve left you otherwise? Do you think they would¡¯ve stabbed you in the heart thousands of times until you were nothing more than a puddle of flesh that stuck to the bottom of their shoes as they walked away?! Are you really that much of a fool?! ¡°The only one who has ever wronged you are all of the people you ever believed in,¡± Daji finished, her voice jeering and eyes slitted. Anger flared in Wei¡¯s heart, beginning as a small seed before it became a roaring fire in his chest. He grit his teeth to hold back his words back as his hands trembled violently. Normally, His Highness would have never reacted so strongly to provocative words¡ªit clashed the Four Books and Five Classics, which he preached to everyone around him.* Lead a good life, become a strong leader, cultivate a moral and righteous character... A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. But with Gang, Ailun, and Meihua gone, weren¡¯t his people to blame? Wasn''t there some truth in Daji¡¯s words, even if she was a cruel and unforgiving beast? With a growing shout, Wei stood up and lifted his sword, swinging it toward Daji¡¯s head, his emotions bursting and overflowing out from his ruined body. Wei tumbled forward, his blow missing as he landed on all fours again, clutching the ribbon like a crazed man. Blood splattered all around him. Wei slowly lifted his lowered eyelashes, bringing a hand up to his chest. It wasn¡¯t his blood. Daji let out a wretched scream as Meihua¡¯s black sword suddenly tightened, digging right through all of Daji¡¯s fur and skin. The spiritual weapon seemed to have one last eruptive burst of energy as it cut into her large body, causing blood to spray out. Reeling back, Daji clawed at her own body, trying to get the sword to loosen as it returned to its original light pink color and slowly fell off of her¡ªthe black energy that once possessed the blade began seeping into Daji¡¯s body instead. Without warning, Daji¡¯s entire body began to twist as mysterious black forms pushed out of her body. Inky vomit erupted from her mouth as her eyes widened, bloodshot and trembling. ¡°Wei, you fucker!¡± Daji roared, latching her tails onto the nearby trees in a feeble attempt to steady herself. Her claws dug into the ground, but more and more black figures erupted from her face and resembled the tails of a snake. ¡°You fucking dog! You were married to a demon this entire time?! Ha ha ha, to think that even someone like His Highness would do such a thing!¡± Daji¡¯s screams became more and more frantic as figures resembling serpents grew off of her body. In futile, desperate attempts, Daji lit herself on fire in an attempt to stop the overflow of demonic energy. Her demonic energy was clashing with someone else''s¡ªWei stared in utter disbelief. Meihua? A demon? Never. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll really fucking kill you this time, Wei! You would let your wife die just to kill me?! I never took you to be that kind of man, Wei, you fucking womanizer! You¡¯re just as twisted as the rest of us are!¡± Daji¡¯s physical form alternated between her countless disguises. Suddenly, she was a beautiful woman with long white flowing hair; a seductive concubine; a small and tattered fox. With a heinous bellow, she returned to the massive demonic fox and shrunk her paw, sticking it straight down her throat and into her stomach. The sight was horrific as Daji fished around her body, desperately trying to fish out Meihua''s demonic core. Finally, she pulled out Meihua¡¯s decapitated head and spine and threw it onto the ground. Both Wei and Daji immediately noticed her piercing red eyes, and the black slits for her pupils. Wei froze, no longer trembling. Nothing moved except for the steady stream of tears down his face. Finally, he understood. Earlier, the serpent eye that was so easily crushed was a fake. The real one? Meihua had consumed it. ¡°Meihua,¡± Wei whispered under his breath, clutching his sword until his knuckles were white, ¡°you stupid, stupid, stubborn woman.¡± Consuming a demon¡¯s core, in this case the serpent eye, was a way to absorb all of their demonic energy. If it was powerful enough, it would turn that person, or divinity, into a demon, though not without massive complications. Demons never worked together. They were just as bad with people or divinities as they were with each other, and any attempt to murder another was always taken. Consuming another demon¡¯s core would still assimilate all their power, however, that energy would fight against and try to overtake their demonic consumer. As a solution, anyone who ever consumed a demonic core would go into isolation for days, weeks, or months, until the assimilation was complete. For Meihua, a divinity, to have hidden as many signs of her transformation as she did was an impossible feat. It would have been completely grueling¡ªone of the most painful experiences. ¡°You¡¯re such a dummy, Meihua,¡± Wei faintly muttered, wiping his tears again as he turned away from Meihua¡¯s corpse and jumped backward, his heart filled with tumultuous emotions ranging from frustration, anger, pity, spite, admiration, and undying sorrow. "I wish I could have spent the rest of eternity with you.¡± Wei never heard Meihua¡¯s fleeting confession to Peijin and thus, he could only come to one misguided conclusion: Meihua did this to save her people. Typically, martyrdom would evoke feelings of honor. But, Wei only felt a growing spite for the very people Meihua died to save. That included himself, and a deep self-loathing seeped all through Wei¡¯s being. As the serpent¡¯s demonic energy flowed throughout Daji¡¯s body, her white fur coat turned gray and black; she made a last ditch effort to transform her body, making it bigger and bigger as her limbs became contorted and bloated. ¡°This will be the last thing you ever see!¡± Daji roared, her face burlish and completely disproportionate. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re still being persecuted! How do you think it¡¯ll look now to the heavenly officials after you killed your own brother?! Ha!¡± Her teeth were terrifyingly massive, one of her eyes was double the size of the other, and her lower jaw hung awkwardly from her mouth as she lunged straight toward Wei. Filled with fresh anger, Wei¡¯s eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed as he stood up, bringing his sword across his bloody body to defend himself, when suddenly two arms slammed into his back and lifted him into the air. ¡°Who told you to go running off like that?!¡± Peijin barked, straining to lift Wei¡¯s heavy body onto the soaring Zhige. She slipped from the side of the sword and awkwardly fell, shouting as she fell onto Zhige¡¯s hilt. ¡°Where¡¯s¡ª¡± Peijin immediately stopped speaking when she saw the ribbon in Wei¡¯s hands. Doing her best to disguise it, she sneaked a peek back toward the corrupted and growing Daji¡ªimmediately piecing it together. She replied to him firmly. ¡°We¡¯re heading back to the other temple in Anyang. The one with your parents. Citizens are trying to burn it down right now along with all of your other temples." Wei''s wide, lonely back faced her. Faced with this knowledge, he had no reaction anymore. Nothing but a foreign emptiness flowed through him. ¡°Peijin,¡± Wei began. Peijin cut him off. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re worrying about, stop.¡± Wei only repeated himself. ¡°Peijin.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Did you know this would happen?¡± Peijin paused for a moment before trying to fill the silence with her awkward shuffling, standing up on the sword and guiding Zhige. ¡°No,¡± she finally replied. ¡°Then, Peijin, what are all these memories I keep getting?¡± Zhige suddenly plummeted straight down before catching itself above the river. Wei¡¯s stained robes whipped in the air, and he held the bloodied ribbon with a tight grip, gently stroking it with his thumb before he began to weep. Peijin responded with nothing but complete silence. She lifted her hand and amateurly placed it on his shoulder. Chapter 58: The World - Ep. 9, III ?????*???. ????*???.? *???? ?. ????*???. ????*???. ? *???? ? As we soared further up the river, I grew more and more tense, apprehensively staring at Wei every once in a while. It had been a while since I¡¯d withdrawn my hand from his shoulder¡ªin all honesty, I didn¡¯t think I was capable of comforting him. Being his creator, I knew exactly what Wei needed. Emotionally vulnerable and terribly lost, Wei needed security and someone who could both truthfully and endlessly reassure him. That wasn¡¯t me. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want to help Wei, it was that I couldn¡¯t. Yang could. ¡°Peijin.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Wei remained silent, not making another sound as if expecting me to fill in the emptiness around us.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Jia Li, you need to do something.

With Wei¡¯s back turned, I nodded at the notification, acknowledging it.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: If you comforted Meihua, why can¡¯t you comfort Wei?

I just¡ didn¡¯t understand Wei. I didn¡¯t understand the endlessly loyalty, devotion, and naivety that defined his character. When writing him, I¡¯d written his downfall with the mindset that all of his core qualities were the flaws that caused it. I could not, truly, understand the lonely man in front of me. I had memorized every fiber of his being; I knew exactly what he wanted, what he was thinking, what he needed, but it didn¡¯t mean I understood it. I could comfort Meihua because in the end, she had taken the selfish path I would. If I once held any of Wei''s qualities or values, they died in my childhood home. If an inkling of them survived, then they were buried and cremated when he¡ª The sound of clamoring people filled the air as Wei peeked over the edge of Zhige''s blade, staring at the growing riot outside of his temple. Thousands of people were making their way up the river, some wielding swords and others torches, as they clamored and struggled to burn down Wei¡¯s temple; the citizens who had broken through the wall of Anyang weren¡¯t pleased with the failure of their god and intended on destroying him. Wei was growing weaker and weaker with the destruction of each temple, but he couldn¡¯t even react apart from the small, growing frown on his face. Bai stood by the river, doing his best to drive the people back; but, he was struggling, straining to use his rather weak spiritual energy. Bai was worshiped primarily for his relationship to Wei as his servant, but now that Wei was being ostracized by both his people and the heavenly realm, he was also growing weaker rapidly. At once, Wei¡¯s face darkened a few shades as he pressed his lips into a thin line, his throat bobbing up and down with a swallow. ¡°Are they really coming for all of my temples now, Peijin?¡± I turned away from him, only focusing on guiding Zhige toward the temple for a smooth landing. ¡°Your Highness, just¡ go inside when we land.¡± ¡°They really are, then,¡± Wei murmured, squeezing his eyes closed and bowing his head as he hung his legs over the side of Zhige, preparing to jump down as we approached. As more and more of the crowd spotted our landing, they cried out, screaming and reaching out for Wei, enraged by his failures. Wei would be taken by either his people or by the heavenly realm. He was trapped in an inescapable double bind, and with every passing moment, it weighed down greater on Wei than it ever had thus far. ¡°Please, Your Highness, just check in on your parents," I pleaded, "They¡¯re still ill, so we need to keep looking after them.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easier for them to stab me to death, too?¡± Wei asked cruelly, his head still lowered.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Archangel Michael is being released soon, Jia Li. You better hurry.

Agh, I really didn¡¯t want to get skewered by an archangel. Wei leapt off Zhige, landing by the raging river beside Bai. Bai¡¯s face immediately lit up as he reached out and grabbed onto Wei''s stained red sleeve, pulling Wei into him. ¡°Your Highness, you fool!¡± Bai cried, his face twisted with tumultuous emotions as he held onto Wei¡¯s arms, gently shaking it. As I dismounted Zhige, I turned toward the blade with a pained expression before it shrank down to its normal size. I let out a shaky sigh, doubting whether or not I would really be able to change anything. So far, even though I had changed the entire situation with Wei, Meihua, and the heavenly realm¡¯s persecution, Daji¡¯s influence simply got stronger. Even though I had found a cure for the demonic disease, Meihua still died, and I couldn¡¯t cure Wei¡¯s parents. Even though I had altered Meihua¡¯s entire character, she still died at the hands of Daji. No matter what I changed, and no matter to what degree, it was as if these characters had been chained down by the fate I designed. I knew my chances would be slim with karmic restrictions, but it was as if nothing I did amounted to anything. And now, as I watched Bai desperately cling onto Wei, trying to uncover just a sliver of the man he once was, I knew the fate of their relationship was sealed. The only thing I could do was ensure that Wei''s karma didn''t worsen. As Bai shook Wei, Wei¡¯s grasp tightened on the bloodied ribbon before he shoved Bai backward, his lip trembling while he struggled to quell his emotions. ¡°Let go.¡± Bai was a little stupid. He figured he didn¡¯t need to have good morals as long as he had Wei because Wei would always make the right decision. But, all of a sudden, he felt as if Wei now stood on the other side of the world, and no matter how hard he looked for him, Bai couldn¡¯t find him. ¡°Your Highne¡ª¡± Wei whipped around as he felt a civilian breach the barrier and grab onto his robes. With a quick kick, Wei sent the man flying, not even hesitating. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Bai shouted in shock, stepping back in shock. My gaze widened in alarm as I quickly split the two up, standing before Wei and trying to look into his eyes. ¡°Your Highness,¡± I said firmly, ¡°Go inside.¡± Bai stood back for a moment, finally noticing the absence of Meihua and Ailun. His eyes darted around rapidly, but they would never meet Wei¡¯s. Wei slowly looked over his shoulder, his brows furrowed as he finally looked toward Bai''s feet. ¡°You don¡¯t need to hold up the barrier here, Bai. Let them try and burn down the temple, and they¡¯ll see what a fallen god really looks like.¡± Taking another step back, Bai shook his head as he replied, ¡°You don¡¯t mean that, Your Highness. You wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± I shouted firmly, ¡°Get inside the temple!¡± My heart was about to burst out of my chest from the mixture of anxiety and frustration. Wei was already losing himself in his mind, and if this continued further, he would release his rage on the world around him before being imprisoned by the heavenly officials. As he walked away, he lifted an arm toward the clamoring civilians, shooting them with a beam of spiritual energy and causing many to falter and scream out of the pain and shock. Blood erupted onto the side of the barrier, and many collapsed on the spot, the sound of blood gurgling in their throats and lungs filling the air. Bai reached out and slapped Wei¡¯s arms down, but Wei immediately pushed Bai to the ground, his entire body shaking. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. If a dog could be lovely and loyal, it could also turn around and snap the arm of its owner, tearing it to shreds. ¡°Your Highness!¡± I grabbed his robes and tugged him down to my eye level. ¡°Fucking pull it together! You¡¯re upset, but you can¡¯t afford to wallow in your self-pity! Get inside because we still have to get up and continue tomorrow and the day after that!¡± Perhaps it was my own past, perhaps it was the fact that a part of me still saw Wei as a character, perhaps it was a mixture of many things¡ªbut my pity for him was quickly turning into frustration at his outward display of weakness.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

As I looked up, I noticed his brows were completely furrowed as tears streamed down his face. Large droplets welled up like glistening, crystal balls before they streamed down his wrinkled and bloody face, and he brought up his torn hands to try and wipe them away before wailing. My composure faltered. ¡°Your Highness¡ª¡± Wei pushed me aside, walking into the temple, the bloody ribbon wrapped around his forearm, just like how it was when I first met him on the freeway during the first arc. ¡°Get out of here, Bai!¡± Wei cried, his voice cracking with overwhelming emotions. ¡°Get out! I don¡¯t ever want to see you again!¡± Bai¡¯s face contorted as he softly called back, ¡°Wei¡ª¡± ¡°Get out!¡± I turned my head around to face Bai, my face finally relaxing as I heard Wei enter the temple, and my complete exhaustion finally showed on my expression. ¡°Peijin," Bai called. ¡°Just¡ I¡¯m tired,¡± I confessed, sitting on the ground and staring at the civilians clamoring against Bai¡¯s barrier, ¡°Give me a second.¡± ¡°Peijin, I¡¯m leaving.¡± I looked up instantly, a look of mild surprise on my face. In Surviving My First Run he would die at the hands of Wei, after Gang, but it looked like they would both run away from their fate in this version. Ha, smart bastards. I laughed weakly, grabbing the skin beneath my eyes and tugging down before letting it snap back up. ¡°Alright," I replied simply. Bai turned away, waiting for me to say more. ¡°I understand. You can go. I hope you don¡¯t regret it, Bai.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you have to say?¡± He asked, the hurt apparent in his voice. I nodded, shrugging with a shoulder. ¡°Is there anything I could say that would convince you to stay?¡± ¡°No,¡± he admitted, ¡°But there¡¯s¡ there¡¯s nothing I can do for His Highness anymore." I pointed out, ¡°You were with him ever since you were children, but suddenly this is the end for you?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the man I grew up with.¡± ¡°Then leave. Don¡¯t turn to me to empty your guilt,¡± I declared, standing up and fishing through my bag, handing him a few bottles of elixir. ¡°You¡¯re leaving His Highness. At least admit that to yourself, and don''t lie about it to my face." Bai, who had been so critical of Gang, and who had always followed his vow to never turn his back on His Highness, was now abandoning all of his values. Feeling my self-loathing stir, I redirected my anger by questioning Bai, hardly knowing the answer to the question myself. ¡°So, what changed your mind? You found a woman for yourself?¡± I asked, dropping all formalities. Bai¡¯s tan face turned wine red, and I got my answer. Ha, in the end, I was still his creator. ¡°Then go. You¡¯ve made your decision.¡± Without another word, Bai turned around and walked away, enacting a light barrier around him to easily push through the crowd. And even though Bai left, the weak barrier around Wei¡¯s temple remained. ?????*???. ????*???.? *???? ?. ????*???. ????*???. ? *???? ? ¡°Honey, where are Meihua and Ailun?¡± Wei¡¯s mother asked, gently pressing her sickly and frail hand against his. Her once beautiful and alluring face, as stunning as peach blossoms in clear lakes, was caked with layer upon layers of makeup to hide the grotesque black limbs growing out of her body. Wei remained silent¡ªit was the only way for him to keep his composure¡ªas he gently held the bloody ribbon, not wanting her to taint her own hands with the blood. She blinked at it before looking up at Wei, obviously confused. ¡°I,¡± Wei began, stammering and stumbling on his words, ¡°This is¡ I¡¡± Slowly, his mother brought two trembling hands before her face, shaking her head back and forth in complete and utter shock as tears immediately spilled from her eyes. At once, Wei¡¯s father approached, his face dark and solemn. The sight of his ruined mother, his dying father, and the bloodied ribbon being the last semblance of Ailun and Meihua¡ªall of it was too much for Wei to ever bear in such a vulnerable state. Defensively, and in the irrational fear of his parents lashing out, Wei took a step back, grabbing onto the ribbon. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do anything! I couldn¡¯t! You don¡¯t understand, I can¡¯t do everything all the time!¡± He cried, falling to the ground and grabbing onto his hair. ¡°I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t do it anymore! I don¡¯t care if they all die! ¡°Every single day, I got up, and I killed thousands¡ thousands and thousands of men died by my hand! And all my people still don¡¯t care about me! They don¡¯t care about me, they don¡¯t care about Meihua, they don¡¯t care about anyone! They don''t care about anyone but themselves! Wei let out an anguished cry, any piece of composure completely lost as he bashed his head against the marbled ground, ¡°Now, I¡¯m expected to come back here, and I need to ward off all of these people from my temples?! I can¡¯t take it!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to do anything,¡± his father replied, trying to comfort his sobbing wife, ¡°Wei, you can just stay here. It¡¯s okay.¡± His poor, poor mother. Weeping and sobbing and wailing into her own hands at the miserable sight of her son completely destroyed, and there was nothing she could do to help. She knew very well that she was only contributing to his burdens. ¡°I can¡¯t just wait it out here!¡± Wei screamed, his hands extended out before him in utter frustration, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?! I can¡¯t stop until I¡¯m dead or imprisoned! There¡¯s no way out, and I have to work like a dog until then! ¡°Meihua, Meihua is dead, too. I couldn¡¯t even¡ oh¡¡± Wei collapsed onto the ground, burying his face into the fabric of his robes to muffle his sobs. Never, not once, had anyone seen Wei in such a state. He was doubled over, shrieking like a wild animal, and completely inconsolable. His mother only cried harder at seeing her glorious son fall so far, knowing there was nothing she could do. ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she cried, her face pitiful and full of terrible sorrow. Her tears made her heavy makeup run down her face, only making her look even uglier. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that your mother and father haven¡¯t been able to help you. We¡¯ve been such a burden to you.¡± ¡°Oh¡ oh¡ and Ailun, I killed him. It was me. It was with my own hands,¡± Wei cried out to himself. Was it to himself? Wei couldn¡¯t tell who or where or what or when anything was. Yet, he was trying his best to receive any kind of comfort, any sort of consolation from who he had left. He needed them more than ever, even if he couldn¡¯t reach them. ¡°I killed him. It was me! Me! My own brother!¡± His father suddenly lifted Wei off the ground and pulled him into a tight hug. Wei thrashed like a suffocating fish, throwing his fists against his sick father¡¯s back. He could feel the demonic limbs kicking out of his father¡¯s body, but his father only held on tighter. Suddenly, when looking out of the window, Wei caught sight of a familiar figure walking away into the crowd, away from Peijin. ¡°Bai? Bai!¡± Wei shouted, immediately wriggling out of his father''s grasp and dropping the ribbon on the ground. He repeated, ¡°Bai! Bai!¡± As he raced out, his parents shouted for him, but he couldn¡¯t make out the words. He skid to a halt outside, sprinting right past Peijin before stopping at the barrier. ¡°Bai! Bai! Where are you going?! Bai!¡± Even if Wei had snapped at him earlier, Wei wanted nothing more than to reach his arms out and grab onto Bai forever as if they were still two little boys playing in the Anyang courtyard, talking about their future palace. With a boy who had taken an oath to stay with him forever. ¡°Bai, don¡¯t you dare! You told me that you¡¯d never leave me! You said you wouldn¡¯t be like Gang!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Peijin grabbed onto Wei, pulling him back. ¡°Your Highness, let him go! You can¡¯t keep him chained here.¡± ¡°Bai! Please! Bai! Don¡¯t walk away right now! I''ll never forgive you, I swear! I really won''t!¡± Bai vanished into the crowd, not turning around. Peijin desperately looked around, as if trying to find Yue or Yang, but there was nothing she could do other than hold onto Wei, trying to keep him on his feet. ¡°Your Highness, you need to rest. Please, just go back inside, and I¡¯ll take care of everything out here! I¡¯ll come up with something, I promise you!¡± Another migraine shot through Wei, and he fell into Peijin¡¯s arms, groaning in pain as he tried and failed to get up. He couldn¡¯t hear any of her words as she held onto him tightly, refusing to let him go. Gently pulling him up, Peijin tried to bring him toward the temple before dragging him under a tree, trying to nurse him back to health. His voice was slurred as he spoke. ¡°Peijin, please don¡¯t lie to me anymore. Is there anything you can do? Please, please just tell me honestly¡± To Wei, Peijin¡¯s eyes always held a cold fire. They were like those of a furious cat or phoenix¡ªcruel and unrelenting, but at times possessing an unforeseen vulnerability. ¡°Don¡¯t talk.¡± Wei shut his eyes, giving up. After some time, Wei finally reopened his eyes, another wave of incomprehensible memories or visions having flooded his mind. He groaned as he gently got up, Peijin lifting him. The surrounding riots seemed to only get more and more violent, but they were luckily drowned out by Bai¡¯s barrier. ¡°Your Highness, let¡¯s go back inside. Yue and Yang will be back soon. We¡¯ll all be there for you, so please just hang on.¡± Wei limply moved toward the temple like a zombie, his limbs dragging behind him with every step. His breaths were short puffs, and he couldn¡¯t do anything but lean on Peijin as a crutch. ¡°Your Highness,¡± Peijin continued to talk as if it comforted her, ¡°I don¡¯t blame you for whatever route you take. But Meihua did what she did for you. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can hear me, Wei,¡± Peijin¡¯s voice cracked as she used his real name, ¡°But, Meihua¡¯s selfishness was just to protect you, all parts of you, from the world.¡± Wei remained silent for a moment before finally replying as they stepped onto the steps of the temple, Peijin pushing open the door. ¡°Then, do you want me to help all those people flooding Anyang?¡± ¡°No,¡± Peijin instantly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do that. I don¡¯t want you to do anything at all. Please, Your Highness, just leave it in the hands of others for once.¡± Before Wei could even process all the complex emotions behind the small woman¡¯s words, he walked into the temple and turned toward the room his parents were in, the door swung wide open. Two bodies hung from the ceiling, a familiar bloody ribbon keeping them suspended in the air as they swung back and forth. Wei collapsed onto his knees. Chapter 59: The World - Ep. 9, IV The moment Wei opened the door, his pupils shrank to trembling black dots. His arms hung at his side. The ribbon hung from the ceiling. His mother and father dangled from it, their bodies already stiff. Wei couldn¡¯t process the sight before him. Soon, Meihua would wake him from this bad dream. It was just taking her a while, that was all. He could wait a little longer for her. He curled up on the ground, bringing his hands up to his face before he gagged, choking on air. Peijin was shouting something, desperately trying to lift him back up and block his view, but Wei couldn¡¯t hear her anymore. A shrill laughter split through the air as Wei laughed maniacally, cries occasionally breaking through. He laughed and cried¡ªthen he laughed, laughed, and laughed more. ¡°I¡ no, you¡ you can¡¯t¡ wait¡ I¡ I¡ ha ha¡¡± Rambling incoherently, he brought his knees up into his chest, curling into a fetal position. Peijin must have been standing just before him, but he couldn¡¯t even see her anymore. His vision had gone out, and in the end, he couldn¡¯t even form a sentence. ¡°M-Mei¡¡± Suddenly, he sat up, and he could see Peijin nodding her small head, trying to coax him into standing up. But, he let out a loud scream before he smashed his head into the ground over and over. Peijin¡¯s hand cushioned his forehead¡ªher hand and fingers had already been split apart from the earlier battles, and now, he was crushing her bones and tearing her skin with the force. His hands then frantically smacked the ground until he found his sword, and he desperately tried to drive it through his chest, but a force pulled back and stopped him. Wei should have known. His father was a bold, proud, traditional king who preached filial piety and always held his son under the most critical but love-driven standards. His mom couldn¡¯t bear to see the sight of her own son, who shared so many of her features, driven to complete despair¡ªcomplete despair just to keep her safe. Both had never known the discomfort of war or ever battled a crippling, agonizing disease. It was a miracle that they even survived for so long¡ªand it was just as obviously done for Wei¡¯s sake¡ªbut convinced they were only hurting him, they tried to relieve his burden. None of them had realized that Wei needed them now more than ever. Bai, Gang, his mother, his father... none of them were burdens. They had kept him rooted through every crisis. Wei let out pathetic wails like a dog kicked to the mud and beaten with a bat over and over and over again. Another piercing headache burst through his head, and he grabbed onto his blood-caked hair and writhed on the ground, his screams silent. ¡°B-Bai,¡± he called out weakly, ¡°D-did you have to go out and leave me like that?¡± His voice trembled with each word before he dug his face into the dented marble ground below him. The blood from his forehead trickled down and stained his eyes red. ¡°Meihua, my mother and father are dead,¡± he mumbled, ruined. No one was listening. Peijin was kneeling in front of him, frantically typing what looked like essays on a keyboard, but he couldn¡¯t process any of this before him. If he could, maybe he would¡¯ve realized where he was. He stood up and staggered forward, reaching out to support his weight on the wall, as he headed toward his parents. He reached up to gently lower his parents'' bodies to the ground, shutting their eyes which had been filled with blood and trying to straighten their heads despite their snapped collar bones and necks. Suddenly, he watched with surprise as the dirty ribbon moved around like a newborn snake. Its movements were awkward, but it was undoubtedly shifting and waving on its own before it eventually flew out of Wei¡¯s hands. The ribbon had become its own spirit. After absorbing the chaotic, resentful, and malevolent energy from Wei¡¯s entire family, it manifested into an autonomous spiritual weapon, just like Peijin¡¯s sword. ¡°Wei-shushu, why do you wear this ribbon?¡± ¡°My younger brother gave it to me a few years ago on my birthday.¡± Another memory flashed before his eyes and he winced, rubbing his brow. He was on a street near a pest control car. ¡°Where¡¯s your brother?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other since I moved out for university. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s doing well. I¡¯ll look for him soon.¡± Where were all of these memories coming from? Waves and waves of more suffocating memories assaulted him, but the little white ribbon gently drifted over to him and nuzzled against his cheek. It had just been born and was completely oblivious to the nature of its creation. It waited in front of him, looking for any sign of affection from Wei. However, Wei couldn¡¯t even spare it a glance as he gripped his head and roared, ¡°Kill me! Just fucking kill me! Somebody, kill me, please!¡± If only this woman, this cursed, wicked woman could just help him break free from his endless pain and torture! It was suffocating, it was ruinous, and it was utterly unbearable; all of it had begun ever since she appeared, and Wei was certain that, if Peijin resided in his memories, he would never find peace. Suddenly, loud thundering could be heard outside. Wei¡¯s hearing was finally beginning to return, but he promptly tuned out Peijin¡¯s pleading words. Driven to his feet, he rushed to the front door. Then, it clicked. It wasn¡¯t a rampage or anything of the sort. Instead, it was the sound of celebration and festivities. People were beginning to break through Bai¡¯s barrier, and all the civilians cheered and commemorated the destruction of Anyang. All the civilians joined in jubilation, cheering for Wei¡¯s demise. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. They bore bright, thrilled smiles as they tore through the barriers and swarmed around Yang and Yue. Wei recognized it to be the exact same expression they wore on their face when Wei announced that he would save them from the Zhou army. And it was the same expression they wore when they realized that, by stabbing through his heart, they would be spared from the demonic disease. Why¡ Why did he have to witness such a sight? Why did he have to see all of these people cheering and commemorating his downfall while the bodies of his poor mother and father lay by his feet? ¡°Ha ha ha¡ ha¡ ngh¡¡± Wei didn¡¯t know if he should laugh or cry. Suddenly he burst out giggling, holding onto his wounded stomach as he rolled around on his back, laughing until tears spilled down his face. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you off easy¡ no, not at all,¡± he mumbled to himself, staring straight at Peijin¡¯s panicked face as he said so. ¡°I¡¯ll kill all of you. None of you deserve to live! Ha ha ha ha!¡± It was hard enough to save a man who didn¡¯t want to be saved by you. ¡°Do exactly as I say, because if you don¡¯t, Wei will die at my hand.¡± But, it was harder to save a man who thought you were preying on his downfall. Wei¡¯s face suddenly fell as he stared at Peijin, her image blurring with all of her past appearances in his memories as if they were flickering back and forth. For a moment, his face relaxed and his tears stopped flowing. ¡°Peijin?¡± Finally, Peijin¡¯s words could reach him. ¡°Wei,¡± Peijin cried out, immediately realizing that Wei had finally regained all his memories, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯m so, so, so¡ª¡± His brows furrowed and his face fell into a frown. ¡°You knew this was going to happen to me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Peijin¡¯s eyes widened before she turned away. Mercilessly, Wei continued his judgment. ¡°You knew this was going to happen to me, but you didn¡¯t say a thing? Were you always planning on killing me from the start?! Why did you ever approach me in the first scenario? "How did you know what happened to me in my first life? Oh my god, it¡¯s all coming back. It¡¯s all¡ agh!" He stumbled backward and gripped his head, staggering and stumbling but fighting to keep his balance. ¡°You knew this would happen to me, but you let it happen! I thought¡ I thought you said you would¡ ¡°Where am I now? Was this my second chance? Peijin, did I mess it up? Did you mess it up? ¡°You knew what would happen from the very start! Ever since I first met you, you egged me on about why I wore the ribbon before laughing at my response! You knew what would happen!¡± ¡°W-Wei,¡± Peijin stammered, her expression full of guilt, ¡°Let me explain. It¡¯s really not like that. I¡¡± Wei tuned her out. At this moment, Wei came up with a name for the white band gently flying around him lazily like a seal in water. Cancuo: ¡°wretched mistake.¡± But, despite giving the ribbon a cruel name, Wei gently lowered his head and extended his arm, allowing the band to wrap around it. With a small burst of spiritual energy, he quickly cleaned off all the blood on it before staring at it for a moment, his eyes a clear pool of sadness. Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to shake violently, Peijin stumbling and grabbing onto the wall to keep herself standing. Wei immediately noticed her struggle but turned his back to her, sprinting to the front of the temple and peering outside. Yue was using ¡®Magician¡¯s Hand¡¯ to keep Yang hidden as he kept the civilians back with his bar, but suddenly, a massive, writhing tail smashed into her illusion and it shattered, causing Yue to cry out in pain. A horrifically large, corrupted Daji had lumbered her way to the temple. Her fur was spotted with massive black spots, entire snakes pouring out of the gaping holes before burrowing in her abdomen. Her eyes came to mimic that of a serpents, but they were blinking independently, as if fighting within her for control. ¡°Wei!¡± she roared, the sound of it grating and horrific, ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill you!¡± As she spoke, pools of black blood poured out of her mouth; she choked on it when speaking, so constant black splatter erupted from her throat. At once, the surrounding civilians let out mortified cries, a few of them running toward the temple in hopes of seeking shelter by Wei. Daji slammed her tails on the ground. Her skin rippled and looked like scales before it was covered in fur then scales again; countless civilians shouted and dashed out from under her vicious attacks. She lunged straight for Wei, but Peijin quickly intercepted, shoving Wei back and slicing through Daji¡¯s decaying body with Zhige. ¡°Wei! Get out of here!¡± Peijin cried before Daji slammed her against a wall. Peijin let out a pained grunt before stumbling back onto her feet and leaping off the wall, slashing and stabbing at Daji. But, despite her attempts, Daji¡¯s eyes remained glued onto Wei as she lumbered toward him, roaring and screaming curses at him. Her long, black claws extended out for him yet before they could reach him, Peijin lept back in, struggling to clutch Zhige with her crushed hand. She had torn off a part of her cultivation robes to tie the blade to her hand. Even though Zhige¡¯s movements were restricted, it gave her more control. ¡°Wei!¡± Peijin exclaimed, ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot! What are you standing there for?!¡± Wei was as still as a statue, but it wasn¡¯t because he was terrified or worried or in shock. Rather, it was because he had decided that none of this was worth it. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t hide from the heavenly court, and his end would be the same as his first attempt. He would be caught, tried, sentenced, and then have his memories wiped for the next two thousands years while held captive. Then, as his final punishment, he would be sent into the apocalypse as a meek disciple with nothing more than his white ribbon to accompany him. That was his fate in his first try¡ªand Peijin, the so-called god of fate and fortune, couldn¡¯t change the outcome one bit. It was difficult for a man who had spent his whole life serving to suddenly turn against those people. But, what could he do when they never spared him an ounce of compassion? The answer was nothing. There was nothing left for Wei to do. Peijin¡¯s eyes widened with a flash of realization. ¡°Wei! Wei, you don¡¯t need to do anything for these people, but don¡¯t do something you¡¯ll regret!¡± Daji smashed her tails against the walls of the temple, and half of it immediately crumpled from the force. Debris flew at Peijin and pinned her to the ground as she let out a pain cry, her injured arm crushed beneath large marble chunks. As more and more people flooded into the temple, looking for any semblance of protection they could find before Wei, he whipped out his sword and, instead of attacking Daji, he darted toward the wall of civilians and cut the ground beneath their feet, dividing them. ¡°Y-Your Highness?!¡± ¡°What are you doing?!¡± ¡°He¡¯s trying to kill us!¡± Daji stood behind Wei for a moment before letting out a manic howl, cackling and crying out in complete joy. ¡°Ha ha, you¡¯ve finally crumbled, haven¡¯t you?! Go on, slice through them next! Why stop there? They didn¡¯t care as they stabbed you!¡± ¡°Wei!¡± Peijin let out an anguished cry, blue sparks all around her as she desperately updated her physical stats to try and escape from under the debris. Yue and Yang, covered in blood, had arrived and were trying to shovel Peijin out of the marble, but dozens of civilians scrambled toward them, grabbing at their ankles and feet and slowing them down. Daji darted forward and pinned Wei beneath her claws, holding him down as dozens and hundreds of civilians grabbed onto his robes and screamed and cried, begging for his help while Daji¡¯s tales turned any attempting to run away into a bloody paste. As more and more gripping onto Wei''s arms, his legs, tugged at the ribbon, tore through his hair, he lifted his sword and charged it with overwhelming spiritual energy. But, just before he could swing it down against the necks of those all around him, a glowing ball burst down from the sky, light erupting out from it. Blue, pink, and white robes swirled in the air alongside red flowers that sprinkled down from the sky in a flurry of gold karmic sparks. A woman with long, waving brown hair and a pink sword flew straight at Daji, her waving sleeves billowing up her pale arms and revealing the black tattoo trailing up her arm, Chinese characters scribbled messily under it. ¡°The World.¡± Chapter 60: The World - Ep. 9, V ?????*???. ????*???.? *???? ?. ????*???. ????*???. ? *???? ? ¡°M-Meihua?!¡± I exclaimed under my breath, staring at the glowing ball of spiritual energy in the sky. She twisted with stunning grace, raising her pink sword before whipping it right at Daji, her robes blowing back up against her body. They slid up her arms, revealing the large tattoo with large black characters beneath: ¡°The World.¡± Another tarot card¡ªand I had no fucking clue what it meant. I let out a pained grunt as I felt a massive piece of marble pierce into my side, and I was desperately upgrading my physique level until I could handle the pain¡ªbut I was still frugal, and I needed as many coins as I could for the next chapter. "Stop squirming, Peijin!" Yue ordered, desperately trying to lift the piece with Yang. Finally, it shifted, and I let out a relieved gasp. A burst of spiritual energy erupted from Meihua¡¯s sword as it landed straight on Daji¡¯s body. Daji led out a gruesome, animalistic howl and immediately shrunk, trying to avoid her piercing sword, but there was no use. Wei¡¯s eyes widened in total shock. He lay there, unmoving, except for his eyes that followed Meihua without blinking once. In them was a mixture of awe, hope, and a deep pain. I¡¯ll make it up to you. I swore that to myself¡ªI hated to admit it, absolutely despised it, but I could almost understand Karma for a moment. Why had I written like this? Dumping endless misfortunes on Wei, even if he were only a character¡ someone who was so endlessly kind, forgiving, and selfless. I¡¯d written it because I was bitter. Bitter and mad at the entire world around me because I felt as if I¡¯d been dealt an unfair hand ever since I was born. So, I wrote. And I wrote and wrote and wrote to create a world where I¡¯d never be dealt an unfair hand because I was the dealer. Tears spilled out of Wei¡¯s face as ¡°The World¡± brutally sliced and cut into Daji¡¯s fleshy and distorted body. He clutched his heart like it was radiating an uncontrollable pain through his body. I stared at him and thought about all the thoughts going through his head and how I had originally written his room in Surviving My First Run. "Wei clutched his chest and felt his entire being split apart. Today, Wei learned that the shattering of a heart made a sound¡ªthe sound of the world crumbling before him with the realization that he would never again love or be loved the way he had with Meihua." That''s how Wei felt in the original. I was sure he felt something similar now. The combination of the serpent¡¯s demonic core and Meihua¡¯s endless assault turned Daji smaller and smaller until she was nothing more than a whimpering puddle of fur and flesh. Her once giant demonic body looked pitiful now. It was like the smeared guts of a bug on an old newspaper. Finally, Yue and Yang pulled the last piece of debris off. At once, I leapt forward, diving, stumbling, and limping toward Wei. I pushed past dozens of civilians who, now that the threat seemingly vanished, turned awkwardly toward one another and Wei before they began to file out. Any who attempted to near Wei I shoved back mercilessly, not caring if they were thrown across the entire temple from my strength.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: ¡°The World¡± tarot: Fulfillment and harmony or emptiness and incompletion. It¡¯s about reaping the fruits of your labor after a tumultuous event.]

¡ Haaaaaa?! Fruits of my labor?! Bullshit! ¡°Yang and Yue, stand back a little bit!¡± I ordered, turning over my shoulder. Yue was leaning against Yang¡¯s shoulder as he supported her. I don¡¯t know when the two got so close, but I felt¡ I quickly shook my head. Wei was gently reaching out a trembling hand toward Meihua¡¯s fluttering pink and blue robes. His jaw trembled like he was in freezing temperatures. Before he could say anything, she got the first word in, cutting him off before he could come to any ill conclusions. She bowed deeply before him, practically kowtowing. ¡°Your Highness. I apologize for all the hardships you have faced,¡± her tone was sympathetic and civil, but it remained a little distant, not holding any sort of intimacy or affection for Wei. At once, his face fell with a bit of recognition. I froze in my tracks, too¡ªwere there¡ multiple Meihuas? No way.

Peijin: Amelia, you can come out. Come to where I¡¯m standing. You¡¯ll see a gross little clump of writhing black fur splattered on the ground. Absorb it into your wristband.

I had hidden her far from all of the chaos. I didn¡¯t want her to see any of it.

Yang: You can use your dire wolf, Amelia. Don¡¯t get too close to Wei right now, alright? Or Meihua.

Of course, that meant Amelia was oblivious to all the slaughter that had just occurred, including Ailun. I¡¯d find a better time to tell her, though, if I came to the conclusion that it was necessary. Wei shook his head as he stared at Meihua before he looked down at the band wrapped around his arm. He clutched it firmly; it was responding to ¡°The World¡¯s¡± presence, trying to grab onto her like a curious snake. ¡°You died two thousand years ago, right? This room¡ it was just reminding me of that,¡± Wei whispered, doing his best to try and smile at Meihua, but he could only manage a grimace. Suddenly, I felt a small tap on my shoulder, and I whipped around, swinging Zhige, but I only met a terrified Chang. ¡°That¡¯s her!¡± He cried, grabbing onto one of my shoulders and shaking it. ¡°She¡¯s the one who caused the integration! Can¡¯t you feel the spiritual energy pouring off of her? It¡¯s like karmic restraints can¡¯t even touch her!¡± Meihua gently touched the side of Wei¡¯s arm, and she immediately cleaned all of the blood off of his robes. At once, blue sparks lit up around him, and he assumed his typical appearance. She gave him a pitiful look, her eyes soft and hair flowing gently in the light breeze. There was a haze of blood that gave everything a red tint, but Meihua still looked as lovely as ever. ¡°Wei, it ruins me to see you like this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry," Wei muttered. ¡°You lost yourself for a moment,¡± she gently scolded him. Wei remained silent, tears slowly trickling down his face. ¡°Heavenly officials will arrive soon, and you¡¯ll be sentenced to two thousand years of isolation before you¡¯re integrated back into the arcs.¡± In an act of generosity and kindness, she gently rolled up Wei¡¯s sleeves before attaching a small bracelet around his wrist. It was made of braided red fabric with a small blossom made of gold in the center. Meihua made no move of explaining the item, but she lightly squeezed his arm before rolling his sleeve down.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: Spiritual energy? A spiritual dyad? Just a bracelet??

At such a tender move, Wei¡¯s face twisted into one of sheer agony and regret. Even though Meihua¡¯s face was full of pity, it was hardened and serious as she repeatedly pat the side of his shoulder. ¡°Get up, get up, get up.¡± ¡°M-Meihua,¡± he finally sputtered, grabbing onto her long sleeves, ¡°Meihua. Meihua.¡± Wei kept repeating it to himself as if it would prove to him that she was real¡ªthat the fabric and flesh in his hands wouldn¡¯t vanish again. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I raised Zhige firmly toward Meihua, my eyes like slits as I glared at her. ¡°You¡¯re not Meihua,¡± I spat. She turned toward me and bowed deeply, her hands folded together in a formal greeting. ¡°The Tower. It¡¯s very nice to meet you for the first time. I wish it would have been under better circumstances.¡± Meihua then gestured toward Zhige, giving the blade a faint smile. "And Haimo, it''s always a joy to see you. I do believe your new name suits you more, but your creator might have some protests." Zhige''s eye spun wildly; the blade tried to jerk away from her, but I held it firm. I grabbed Meihua by the collar and pulled her near, sliding the sleeve of her robes up to expose her pale arm. ¡°The World¡± was scribbled, just like "The Tower" was on mine, except hers depicted a woman in long white robes standing atop a blooming lotus flower. The lovely woman held onto a vase of gushing water, and swirls of white foam swirled around at her feet. I shoved her arm back firmly. Yellow sparks were slowly springing out from Meihua''s feet, but she quickly suppressed them. ¡°So,¡± I remarked, ¡°You¡¯re the one who integrated us into the timeline.¡± ¡°I must apologize,¡± she bowed again, and my face twisted into a look of disgust. I had to confirm my suspicions now. She looked identical to Meihua, but there was no way this could be the same woman I¡¯d gotten so close to. ¡°Who are you?¡± I questioned. She looked at me simply, her long lashes glistening in the light and her lips bright and red. ¡°The World.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking you. You look just like her," I protested, referencing the Meihua I knew. The World nodded slightly, closing her eyes to avoid Wei¡¯s stare. ¡°I¡¯m not the Meihua you met earlier.¡± ¡°Then are you from a different timeline?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think of it that way.¡± ¡°Ha,¡± I laughed cruelly. ¡°So it¡¯s really like that then, right?¡± I stood there for a moment, dozens of thoughts swarming through my head. There was one rule¡ªonly one¡ªthat I held to myself ever since I began Surviving My First Run. No matter what, without any exception, in any universe, would I ever fuck around with time. I couldn¡¯t understand it, and as soon as it was brought up, nothing was ever set in stone. Suddenly, there were infinite possibilities, and I wouldn¡¯t know any of them. ¡°Fuck!¡± I screamed, digging Zhige into the ground before turning around, taking in a deep breath. Meihua stood there silently, watching me pensively. I hated the feel of her stare on me; it felt so alien and inhuman, and I thought about tearing her down, but I knew that would be stupid. I spotted Amelia suddenly beside Daji¡¯s tiny mutilated corpse. She was kicking and stomping on her, squishing Daji''s tail and smearing it on the ground; but as soon as she felt my stare, she quickly stopped. Meihua looked over at Amelia and then back at me, noticing the interaction. ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± I scoffed. ¡°So, what, you don¡¯t know everything? Or has no one saved Amelia before me?¡± ¡°Amelia is a lovely name.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me!¡± I shouted, holding back my anger and frustration. I grabbed onto Wei¡¯s arm and pulled him up, holding his hand firmly and stepping in front of him. ¡°If we¡¯re both part of this Major Arcana, then don¡¯t speak down on me! I don¡¯t fucking care who you are! The World is a stupid fucking name, and you come off as a total narcissist!¡± Suddenly, I noticed a blue glint in her eyes, and she was staring too intently at me.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

The World winced and drew a hand before her eyes. ¡°You have a strong skill to block me like that.¡± ¡°Oh, are you fucking kidding me?! Really?! You¡¯re really fucking trying that right now?!¡± I roared, infuriated at her attempt to read my profile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be straight with you now,¡± Meihua said honestly, ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left before Karma overpowers me.¡± I immediately tensed up¡ªso she knew about Karma, too. At least now I knew there was a power that could rival it. A burst of jealousy and desire spread through me as I recalled my first interaction with Karma. The utter humiliation; the complete ruin of me with a few simple words. I craved the power that could put me on the same level as Karma. Meihua cleared her throat but never broke eye contact. ¡°Yes, I was the one who caused the integration," she confessed. "It was the only way for Wei to proceed in this timeline. With the charm I gave him, he won¡¯t lose his spiritual powers. He¡¯ll return to the present timeline with them, but they¡¯ll be limited by Karma. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know the integration was cruel. But, I¡¯m impressed by the work of The Tower. For such an abysmal arcana, you surprised me.¡± Abysmal?! This pseudo-Meihua continued to talk however, and I could see her struggle to control the growing yellow sparks beneath her. To have influenced the scenario this much, to have caused an integration, and to allow Wei to keep his power¡ she was wickedly powerful. Probably more than most gods I¡¯ve written. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen you," Meihua continued, "To answer your question, no, I¡¯ve never met most of you. In fact, the only ones I recognize here are Wei and Yue.¡± Then only the characters, huh? I bit my tongue. She didn¡¯t know I was the author then or who was or wasn¡¯t a character. Sick and tired of her droning, and growing increasingly mad at the air of superiority she carried, I cut her off, asking questions instead. ¡°How many runs has it been?¡± She shook her head slightly. ¡°I¡¯m the youngest known one,¡± she trailed off, staring at my arm, ¡°except for you. I¡¯ve been around for¡ maybe a hundred?¡± A hundred runs? Oh, I¡¯m really fucked. Surviving My First Run was 3,649 chapters with just one incomplete run. Suddenly, I thought back to the start of this arc, when I had tried to get on the train first with my party. Back then, Feiyu''s party somehow entered, and on the front of the car were the words "Major Arcana." More importantly, there was that one obstructed figure at the back of the car with flowing white hair. "Fuck," I muttered under my breath. So one of the disciples must have gone through the past runs, too. "Who is it?" I demanded, stepping toward Meihua and closing the distance. "Who the fuck is this goddamn disciple?!" "You''ll meet them in the second chapter of this arc when you compete with the top three parties." My eye twitched out of frustration at her useless answer, but I took a step back. ¡°Have you ever tried to destroy the system in any of the past runs?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Meihua smiled wistfully for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to tell you this. In the run just before this, we made it. But, right at the end, this unknown rogue skill sent us ba¡ª¡± She winced, a flurry of yellow sparks biting into her ankles. Karma was throwing a complete tantrum, and her spiritual energy could only hang on for so long. "Rogue skill?" I grabbed onto her, shaking her. "What do you mean? What was it called?! What about the ''Eternal Wish?!''" ¡°The Tower,¡± she urged, ¡°I don¡¯t have much time, so let me say this. The timeline will progress as it should. The only anomalies are Bai and Gang. Wei will return with you on the train. The moment you step off it, he¡¯ll experience his heavenly punishment in an instant, since he has already lived it. Wei will retain his powers. ¡°But, your future is destruction and revelation. That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been picked as The Tower. Back in your room, something blocked me, blocked all of us, from watching your fight with Karma. "Somehow, you''re the god of fate and fortune, but none of us have ever see you before this run. But, here you are, predicting all of it. So, I need you to get to the end!¡± Meihua hurryingly exclaimed, cutting her arm and letting blood flow out as flowers erupted all around her. She summoned the train as Yue and Yang rushed toward it, Amelia waiting for me to follow as I held onto Wei. ¡°Wait!¡± Wei cried, reaching out to her, ¡°I-Is this the last time I¡¯ll ever see you? You¡¯re here now, right? So that means I must have saved you at some point?! There was a way, right?!¡± Wei shouted, desperately trying to stay with her. She gave a weak smile. ¡°I¡¯m the youngest of all the Arcana because my survival meant ruin for many others. None of us can avoid Karma.¡± Chang tugged on my ears, dragging me toward the train. The entire world shook, as the integration slowly fell apart. The world seemed to turn to ashes and crumble at the edges. ¡°Peijin,¡± Meihua shouted, using my name for the first time, ¡°Let¡¯s meet again!¡± My body moved toward the train before I could even process anything that was happening. I stepped onto it and stared out for a moment, not knowing what to do or say. I could feel Amelia clinging onto my leg, Yue shouting at me, and Yang restraining her, but more importantly, I could feel Wei¡¯s heavy body lean on mine. He held onto me for a moment before he began crying again. He clawed at my robes and grasped at them, sobbing and wailing like a child. Wei was much larger than me. I was short and never worked out, and now that he maintained his spiritual energy, he almost threw me off my feet. I pushed my weight toward him, making sure to hold him tightly. ¡°P-Peijin,¡± he cried, the band whirling up around him, ¡°What am I supposed to do now? Is it true? Is this going to happen over and over? What did she mean when she said she recognized me? Do I have to do this again? Please, Peijin.¡± I tightened my grip around him, trying to stop him from squirming. Of course he would panic about Meihua recognizing him. It meant that he had been in all the past rounds, and he was damned to relive his most feared moment over and over. ¡°No,¡± I declared, ¡°I¡¯m ending this goddamn thing.¡± As I clutched Wei, I looked at my reflection in the train window. Around me were characters¡ªno, people¡ªwho I¡¯d grown so close to. I could see their images in the tinted window, comforting me and Wei, but I couldn¡¯t focus on them. I saw my own reflection twist into a childish smile, and I stared at it, my reflection not matching my own expression. Karma was pissed.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ has rejoined Channel #IS-2948

Chapter 61: The World - Ep. 9, VI

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is announcing his return from prison!

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ uses confetti screen effect!

Divinity ¡®Spirit of the Jade Moon¡¯ is pleading with Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ to read the room.

Divinity ¡®Great Sage Equaling Heaven is snickering.

Divinity ¡®The One Who Fights in Front¡¯ has smacked the Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ in the back of his head.

Demon ¡®Abyssal Kraken of Black Seas¡¯ is deeply embarrassed.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is scrambling to catch up on the broadcast stream at max speed.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ screams in terror.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is attempting to descend into the arc!

Thousands of observers and gods immediately disable him!

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is begging for Divinity ¡®Blessed Martial Guard of Salvation¡¯ to forgive him.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ sponsors 100,000 stars!

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is coughing blood at the injustice.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ calls for the eradication of all demons.

Demon ¡®Abyssal Kraken of Black Seas¡¯ flushes awkwardly.

Demon King ''Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven'' cries out in rage!

¡°It¡¯s strange to see myself addressed as a divinity now,¡± Wei said softly. He was sitting up himself now, his hands politely folded in his lap like he were a timid child in a new classroom.

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: What a total mess.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is applauding Wei¡¯s strength through tears.

Divinity ¡®Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts¡¯ is urging observers to give Divinity ''Blessed Martial Guard of Salvation¡¯ a five star review to boost his spiritual energy.

¡°It¡¯s okay, Archangel Michael,¡± Wei whispered with a weak smile on his face, ¡°It was mostly Meihua.¡± I glared at him with his response before he added, ¡°And my party members.¡± Archangel Michael proceeded to blow up the chat and surrounding area with blue boxes before Chang opened up a one on one between him and his disciple. Something Archangel Michael said must have been very emotional because Wei¡¯s eyes welled up with tears again, but Yang quickly comforted him as I stared, my lips slightly agape. ¡°Peijin!¡± Chang cried out, grabbing onto my face and practically crawling all over me. His long claws dug into my robes, and he would grab onto my skin, pinching and tugging and pulling at it until I firmly slapped him back. ¡°What is it with you?!¡± He quickly handed me an orange lollipop, and I shut up temporarily, listening to him. ¡°Peijin, do you think I¡¯m going to get fired from my job? If they find out that some extinct goddess just entered my arc and altered two thousand years of history, I¡¯m going to be murdered! I¡¯ll be put in the Hall of Shame for every dragon to mock!¡± I shot him a judgemental look. ¡°You¡¯re fine. The higher-ups will call an emergency meeting if they haven¡¯t already. You¡¯re at the bottom of the pyramid, so they can¡¯t blame you for not being strong enough to stop it.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Peijin!¡± Change shouted, pulling at his whiskers at my glare, ¡°I¡¯m going to get skinned. They¡¯re going to make a fashion line out of my scales, and you¡¯ll probably buy the whole collection just to pawn me off to some church or cult for worshiping.¡± ¡°... You think so lowly of me.¡±

Observer ¡®Socrates¡¯: I mean, he¡¯s not wrong.

¡°Of course I do!¡± Chang retorted, ¡°Do you know what your current rating score is?¡± ¡°Hey, I disabled those for a rea¡ª¡± ¡°0.54 stars. How do you even get that low? The lowest is 0.5. You might be the lowest ranked disciple in all of China.¡± I grabbed onto Chang and squeezed him until he squeaked, and he vanished in a flurry of sparks. ¡°I hate that stupid dragon,¡± Yue spat, ¡°If he¡¯d done his job, maybe none of this would¡¯ve happened.¡± I popped the orange lollipop out of my mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t shit on him like that. He¡¯s been good to us. Once we land and get a short break, I¡¯ll explain what we¡¯re going to do about the Major Arcana.¡± Yue gave me a disappointed, disgruntled, and dismayed look before she nodded toward Amelia, who was sitting across from me, her short legs dangling and unable to touch the floor beneath her. ¡°You know she wants you to talk to her, right?¡± Yue said. ¡°You¡¯re so bad with kids. Actually, you¡¯re just bad with people in general.¡± My eye twitched as I held myself back from punching her. She seemed to recover just fine, so what the hell was I worried about? I looked at Amelia, but she avoided my gaze. She pretended to finally look up accidentally, and I gestured for her to come sit by me. At once, she leapt toward me and wrapped her arms around my neck. She remained silent, but I knew what she wanted to say. I let out a heavy sigh, unsure of how to tell her about what she had missed and what Wei had just gone through. But, when it was me with my own mother and father, had I not wanted to know? But, maybe Amelia was too young to know. Maybe she was too young to be in these scenarios at all, and so was Ailun, but that hadn¡¯t held me back when I was the one holding the pen. When I broke the news of Ailun and Meihua¡¯s death to Amelia, she didn¡¯t cry at all. It felt like this train ride was going to go on for an eternity. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked her softly, gently running my hands through her hair with my good hand. The other was still severed, but the wrapped bandage was doing a good enough job holding it together. She nodded and opened her mouth to speak, but she held herself back and blinked repeatedly. I could tell that the moment she opened her mouth, she would burst into tears. ¡°You can cry if you want to,¡± I reassured her, still combing through her hair before pulling it over her shoulder. She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not crying.¡± I gave her my best smile. Amelia was like an open book, and I viewed her as a bit of a crybaby¡ªnot that that was a bad thing. Since I met her, I thought that she had reminded me of someone or something. I wondered if that had been myself. ¡°Alright,¡± I said simply. While I stroked the back of her head, I noticed it was rather flat. Her parents must not have held her much when she was a kid and let her lay in her crib most of the time. Thinking about this made me feel a little bit better. I thought that maybe I could treat her sweetly without having to feel so bad about my role in her parents¡¯ deaths. Wei sat beside me, and I felt like I couldn¡¯t quite face him. He was turned toward Yang who comforted him relentlessly. I wished I could have said something to Wei that would have made him feel better the way Yang could. But, that¡¯s why Yang was always a star, even if he worked in a pest control company. I think if I was reborn, I would want to be someone like him. I wanted to be well-liked, approachable, and comforting. It was silly that I could write characters like Feiyu perfectly, but I myself could never fill any of those roles in person. With Amelia in my arms, I moved until I was standing before Wei, my hurt hand gripping onto the pole to balance myself in the moving car. ¡°Wei,¡± I stated, ¡°I hope you can forgive me for not doing better.¡± The band around his arm floated up and around me, gently pressing against me curiously before pulling back and twisting and turning like a newborn kitten in the grass for the first time. Wei looked surprised, but his gaze quickly softened. ¡°Peijin, thank you for not leaving.¡± For some reason, his words caused my chest to swell up, and my expression faltered for a moment. Back in Yue¡¯s room, I was someone she could never rely on, but here, I was relieved to find that at least someone could look at me differently. ¡°Wei, be my sword,¡± I suddenly declared, ¡°I want you to stay by my side until this apocalypse is over. In a few moments, we¡¯ll be off this train. Whether or not you agree, I will end this. But, when I reach the end, I want you to be there, too.¡± His eyes widened slowly as he blinked at me before he stood up and laughed lightly. ¡°You make it sound so transactional, Peijin. I¡¯d do it for you regardless.¡± He took my hand and shook it as the train stopped and the doors slid open. I turned back toward my party. ¡°We¡¯ll most likely be the second party to have completed this challenge with Feiyu being first, so we have time to rest and recover until all parties have finished or been exterminated. ¡°The next arc begins with us fighting against the top parties. I want all of you to take some time off. By the time you all wake up from your kiddy naps, I¡¯ll have dissected the Arcana,¡± I said in a cocky tone, smiling widely to seal their doubts. And so, the poor dog was back in service¡ªmaybe it was out of a sense of guilt or obligation, but Wei grabbed his sword and walked out of the train first. At once, he relived all of his years in that prison, slowly losing his mind and memories of Meihua, before he was back to reality, and opened his eyes to see the rest of his holding onto him tightly. His panicked breathing calmed as he relaxed. The train rumbled and groaned before it left for its next destination. In front of us, Feiyu sat on a foldable chair that looked comically small beneath him. A long black blade was being sharpened in his hands, gleaming as the light reflected off of it. ¡°Welcome back.¡±

Arc #2 - Dungeons of Great Turmoil has concluded!

Coins Received: 10,000

Hiatus Update Hello, my lovely readers! Alas, it has been a very long time. I will cut straight to the chase and keep you waiting no longer! This main section will give book 1 + book 2 + hiatus updates. For those of you who are very curious about my life since vanishing (aka no one, but I''ll still bore you with it), that''ll be in the post-chapter author note. I already snitched on myself in the comments of the previous chapter, but Scathing Reviewer got signed with a publisher! Yay! I finally get to pursue my starving artist dreams. But, this also means I''ve been revising Book 1 for the past few months. I write to you at 3:30am after editing all day lol So, what does this mean for Scathing Reviewer''s future? Well, I wanted to lay out the potential paths for moving forward and see what you think is best. After all, you are my original readers, and the last way I want to reward your patience is by screwing you over. Here are some of the edits that have been made: - Peijin is no longer AS big of a bitch (I''m weak. I caved to the comments. Forgive me! She''s still prickly, though, because it feels wrong to write her in any other way) - The first arc and the battle with the sea serpent has been slowed to include more context about the system, Survivng My First Run, and better establish Peijin''s goals - Peijin... gets good reviews? She no longer has an average score of 0.06/5. She''s actually a bit of a celebrity among the observers, and this comes into handy. She is still VERY unlucky. - Observers have been changed quite a bit. There are a lot more of them, they''re more vocal and play a larger role in the story, and it extends beyond only those Peijin has blocked - Peijin''s backstory was tweaked (not significantly, I lowkey cooked on her dungeon room and karma, so that''s mostly the same) - Wei''s dungeon room got rewritten. Peijin is now a much more pivotal character, and it''s a lot less depressing and sad. (Spoiler alert?) It''s not going to be a room where Peijin succeeds. She still fails, but it doesn''t play out like a soap drama anymore. It sticks closer to the version depicted in Surviving My First Run, where a beserk Wei poses a threat to his party, and Peijin needs to stop it. As a result, it focuses a lot less on the Meihua, Wei, Daji conflict and the political corruption. It''s also been shortened so it doesn''t take up half the book. In general, Wei''s character is more fleshed out, and so is Ailun''s character. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. - Karma appears more! - Remember how the characters got new skills at the end of their respective dungeon rooms? Well, I sure didn''t because Peijin and Wei never got any. The revised version includes their skills, and Peijin''s has to do with a new concept of the "minor arcana" - Names changed. Don''t use real people! These aren''t set in stone, and more edits have been made. Here''s where I really need your opinion! Ways to move forward with Book 2: "Banana, these edits sound very minor. Please, for the love of God, just post book 2!" - This is an option! If you think that you can keep reading without the edited details or scenes, book 2 will be posted as a continuation here "Banana, some of these edits seem important, but I don''t want to read another 600 pages of Peijin''s ramblings!" - I can try and post a comprehensive list of all edits made. For scene rewrites, I can give a very brief summary. This would give enough details for you to jump into book 2 without needing to reread, but you lose some of the magic Liu Peijin : HolyMapleSyrup --> MolaMola : Surviving My First Round --> Surviving My First Run : "Feiyu''s" party is called "Twenty-Two" instead of "Major Arcana" : Liu Ting --> Wang Ting (for those who forgot who Wang Ting is, she is the one who tried to party with Peijin during Chapter #2¡ªParty Time. Peijin refused her and she ended up dying. Explained more in a later edit.) - A few formatting changes. Reviews should (unless RR hates me) look entirely different with usernames and stars to reflect the review. Observers <3 Peijin this time around (for the most part). Instead of writing "Observer" before each name, there is simply an "Observer''s chat." It looks like a Twitch stream chat. - This is a change for the RR version only, but certain scenes were sped up to keep the pacing fast. These additional moments are kept in the Amazon version. This is because Amazon is more flexible when it comes to content and pacing. These altered scenes won''t change your understanding of Scathing Reviewer or the characters. For example, a scene of Peijin cooking for herself may be changed so that she is already eating when the scene begins. - Gods can condense their spiritual energy into a spiritual core. The destruction of this core results in the death of a god. This core can be placed anywhere in the body, which makes killing gods harder. - Most POV changes have been removed. It is almost all in Peijin''s POV, with very few exceptions - Most arcs remain the same except for Wei''s, but more text and detail was added to the first third of the novel. A lot of this is Peijin reacting to what''s going on around her + how to use the system. Some fights have also been extended, and Karma plays a bigger role. PRE-APOCALYPSE/PREREQUISITE ARC EDITS: - Peijin is less bitchy and more reactionary. In the beginning scene, instead of automatically arguing and blocking MolaMola, she tries to be civil and heed to MolaMola''s feedback. It is only when MolaMola says something snarky that they get blocked. Peijin is motivated less by her bitterness/anger and more by insecurity and a failure of being patient. But, don''t worry! She''s still the same sassy MC you know. She just shows more care for the people around her and isn''t as dismissive of human life. - When the system apocalypse first begins, Karma is hinted at, interacting with Peijin in the reflection of her pest control''s rear view mirror. Karma says, "Found you." - The fight between Yue and Peijin at the beginning is extended. Instead of Yue being possessed, she actually signs a contract with the Demon King of Resourceful Goblins, making it the first interaction between god and disciple before the later interaction between Athena and Peijin. Wei and Yue fight one another during this scene and Peijin injects Yue with an exorcism potion after tricking her. - Peijin is much more sympathetic during her interaction with Wang Ting in Chapter #2¡ªParty Time. Originally, she figuratively kicks Wang Ting to the curb and leaves her for dead, receiving a system message that her action will have unforeseen consequences. This time, Peijin still refuses to allow her to join her party, but Peijin tells her where she can find another capable party. Wang Ting reacts violently to this and puts Peijin''s party in danger, and Peijin quickly leaves. She still receives a message that her action will have unforeseen consequences. In response to her leaving, Observer Socrates reacts with shock, not understanding why Peijin would abandon Wang Ting. This goes unexplained to the reader until Peijin''s confrontation with Karma, in which it is revealed that Wang Ting was created by Peijin to represent her mother and was a major character in Surviving My First Run.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. - Instead of failing to run from the serpent, Peijin charges toward it. This fight has been extended as Peijin makes three attempts to kill it and fails the first two. First, she tries to ride the serpent and smash it into rocks. Second, she forces countless other underwater demons to attack it. Third, she kills it with Medusa''s head. - When negotiating with Athena during her fight with the serpent, Peijin reveals (and lies lol) about her skills to get Athena to trust her. She tells Athena that her Editor''s Pen skill only works once at the start of an arc/chapter, and that all recollection of her edit will be deleted. This is not entirely true. She can use Editor''s Pen as much as she likes, but she made this lie to convince Athena that she was a god, since she would need to know something about the future to make all her edits. - Tech (like phones) do not work at all unless a disciple has specialized skills. Despite this, Peijin''s phone still works. It is implied this is due to MolaMola or Scathing Reviewer. - When recovering from the serpent alone, Peijin sets a goal for herself that she will find a sword hidden in the train station that Feiyu won''t know about until the third arc. She also says she will buy special white robes for Wei. However, when she arrives to the station, she sees Feiyu with this sword and Wei with these robes. She''s shocked about how they could have possibly known about these items when it was supposed to happen later. ARC 2: - The earlier condition that getting onto an earlier train car meant concluding the arc a bit earlier does not exist. The only benefit is you look cool lol and that''s a big plus to observers and gods. Feiyu''s party still obtains the first train car. AMELIA DUNGEON ROOM EDITS: - Peijin sets up a situation where Amelia is threatened in her dungeon room to see if Athena or Artemis will save her. She determines that it is Artemis because of her sacrifice. Peijin also allies herself with Greek gods. YUE DUNGEON ROOM EDITS: - Yue''s original dungeon room was a desolate island, but it changes to backstabbing (same as original) after seeing how Peijin is willing to manipulate and sacrifice people for a greater mission. - Peijin signs a contract with Archangel Michael to gamble. She swears to ally her party with Paradise (Abrahamic divinities) as a new condition YANG DUNGEON ROOM EDITS: - Overall, Yang takes on a more active role. Peijin''s injuries are less severe. Most edits to this arc were scene-level PEIJIN''S DUNGEON ROOM: - Key events remain the same in this dungeon room (i.e. Peijin''s denial, Peijin''s confession, the scene with her dad, and the reveal of Karma). However, the order has been changed slightly so that her interactions with her party members are more genuine. She spends more time talking about Wei when she turns into a child (foreshadowing that he is a god) - The situation behind Peijin''s assault is different. Peijin''s dad worked in mining/factory jobs and would occasionally bring work friends over to their home, frequently getting blackout drunk and leaving his daughter unsupervised. This was a repeat occurence. - In the interaction between Scathing Reviewer and Karma, Scathing Reviewer drops new information about the Major Arcana: ¡°Zhige has marked Peijin with the Tower tarot. Soon, she¡¯ll meet the other members. The Major Arcana already have their eyes locked on her. Once the Hermit and the Chariot tarot uncover Peijin¡¯s true identity, you¡¯d be a fool to think they¡¯d ever let her go.¡± This was not explained yet but will be in book 2... ^^ - I forgot to give Peijin and Wei skills after beating their dungeon rooms!! This was catastrophic on my part, so I am very sorry! Peijin''s skill is Card Dealer. Here is a description of it. "The key life moments, events, and emotions of those you interact with will be categorized into 56 different minor arcana tarot cards. Depending on how well you know the person or character, you will be able to take a card and alter it through various methods such as altering a card¡¯s contents, deleting a card¡¯s contents, or swapping people¡¯s cards. This will alter their current perception of an event, memory, or emotion. You will not have access to cards for events you do not know. When using this skill, there is a chance of backlash, where one of your own cards is affected. You will not know which card it is or what happened to it. This skill relies on significant spiritual energy. Once you alter a card, you cannot undo this effect." - Peijin is very apprehensive about using this skill because she doesn''t want to lose her own cards or severely ruin someone. It also takes an incredible amount of energy. WEI''S DUNGEON ROOM: - Instead of occurring over 1-2 weeks, the entirety of Wei''s room takes place in one day... it''s no longer 1/2 of the word count. Large parts of this room were changed, so I''ll summarize it. - First, it opens up with how this room played out in Surviving My First Run, when Feiyu had to beat it. Wei was a part of Feiyu''s party. It was revealed that Feiyu actually failed to to beat this arc. In fact, Wei goes berserk, and Feiyu struggles to figure out what is happening and why Wei is reacting the way he is. Wei successfully rampages and kills most of Feiyu''s party. Driven by desperation, Feiyu signs a contract with a demon to disguise himself as Meihua and manipulate Wei. This causes a massive rift between Feiyu and Archangel Michael. Peijin establishes that she does not want to rely on this method because she doesn''t think the manipulation of Wei will ever turn out right. It caused massive consequences for Feiyu down the road. - Onto Peijin''s turn. These following events are somewhat similar. Yue and Peijin are dropped off significantly later¡ªWei''s 18th birthday, aka when Meihua and Ailun are supposed to die. They find a temple in which Wei''s life history is depicted. The inital paintings show a glorious prince but they become more and more violent and horrific until they''re torn apart and show Daji. They find Yang, Amelia, Wei, Meihua, and Ailun, who have already been working together the last few days. A fight scene ensues as they are ambushed by Daji''s minions. Later, they arrive on the battlefield/outside the walls of Anyang, where the plague has spread. Wei goes to fight off Zhou shoulders. Peijin tells Meihua that she knows how to cure the disease, and it is with serpent eye''s extract (Peijin wants to keep whatever is left of the eye). In the end, Daji''s disciple sets up Wei and it results in the mass stabbing of Wei. Meihua betrays her morals to escape and try to kill Daji. Wei races after her after Peijin intervenes. - These following events are significantly different from the original. After Daji eats Meihua (and the serpent eye extract), Wei regains his memories. Peijin finds him soon after and rescues him before Daji can further harm him. Wei immediately grows aggressive, accusing Peijin of setting him up. He then kills Ailun with his hands. He remembers than in Surviving My First Run, he used his hair ribbon to kill Ailun and that the ribbon is his spiritual weapon. He says Peijin knew this from the start, and that was why she always made snide remarks about it. He proceeds to attack the rest of the party, and Peijin activates her new skill Card Dealer. She hesitates, debating whether or not she should use the skill, but she decides not to. She convinces Wei to leave with her and the party. Wei agrees. This violates the need for sacrifice establishing in Surviving My First Run. An enraged Karma appears, attacking Peijin successfully. But, before Karma can kill Peijin, the World (one of the Major Arcana) appears. The World and Karma fight, and the World wins, exposing to Peijin that multiple timelines and previous runs exist. Wei picks his skill and gets "Thirty Aethyrs," which does the following: "The Thirty Aethyrs would allow Wei to enter the Enochian plane and contact all Judeo-Christian divinities with ease while also accessing secrets of the universe." This will make more sense in the future LOL. Peijin''s party returns to the station and is greeted by Feiyu. THE END! Wow! That was like 2,000 words of just edit summaries. Longer than my chapters! If any of these are confusing, please leave a comment (with a spoiler!), and I''ll reply to the best of my abilities. I want to thank you all again for being so patient and understanding with me. I couldn''t have asked for better readers ^^ I''m thrilled to see you all in two weeks! Please make sure to follow/favorite/rate/review the new launch. It really goes a huuuuuge way in getting more eyes on this work, and you will have my eternal gratitude! See you January 15th! Art! Here''s some (incomplete lol) cheerleader peijin and jock feiyu art as an apology for being slow ]: