Chapter 397: Foolish Trickster |
In the Sunset Ruins, players gathered beneath the stele of the World Tree, watching as the name corresponding to the [Taboo Scholar] on the Stele of Revelation changed rapidly—from [Asakura Yuko] to [Vader Hayes], and finally to a complete blank.
The words [Taboo Scholar] faded away as if scoured by a file, leaving the seventeenth line of the twenty-two displayed Identity Cards completely empty.
The spectating players exchanged glances, and a buzz of discussion erupted among them.
“What’s going on? Weren’t we told that even if the holder dies, someone else can just pick up the Identity Card and rebind it? Why did it just vanish?”
“No idea. Could there be a limit to how many times a card can be bound within a single instance? Maybe once the holder changes, it can’t be bound again for a while?”
“Tsk. Looks like this [Taboo Scholar] card is truly ‘taboo.’ Whoever binds it dies. They were in way over their heads, just became a prime target for everyone else. What a tragedy.”
“Haha, I used to envy those guys with Identity Cards. Now, I think I’m happy to just watch from the sidelines while they tear each other apart for them.”
Constantly under the high pressure of the Weird Game, forced to watch daily broadcasts filled with death and terror, a small fraction of the players had become psychologically twisted. Witnessing the deaths of their peers, they found an outlet for their stress in a dark sense of glee, discussing the abruptly terminated fates of others with a grim satisfaction that only a survivor could feel.
Soon, a new player joined the discussion. This man was the analytical type, and he explained in a serious tone: “According to recent research by our Listening Wind Guild, after the Stele of Revelation appeared, players who have already bound an Identity Card cannot hold a new one—not even if they just keep it in their inventory without binding it.
“In that case, there’s only one possibility: all the players who didn’t already have an Identity Card have died in the instance. The only ones who survived are the known Identity Card holders—that is, Fu Jue and Si Qi.”
As if to confirm his words, lines of text materialized on the recording slate across from the stele.
[*Holy City* Instance True End - “Godless Land” Unlocked]
[Unlocked by Player: Fu Jue]
[The *Holy City* Instance has been permanently closed due to irreversible events.]
[Final Player to Clear: Fu Jue]
The players, who had been chattering excitedly just a moment ago, fell silent.
Only Fu Jue had cleared it, and he was alone. This was highly unusual. Even Si Qi, whose reputation had skyrocketed recently, had died in the instance. Could Fu Jue have had a hand in it?
Even though Fu Jue had been embroiled in controversy lately, to most players, he was still a "Savior," the "Hope of Humanity." He was like a lighthouse on a boundless sea, a bonfire in the darkness—a safe harbor that brought everyone peace of mind and relief.
His detractors would mock and criticize him for not saving everyone, while his supporters would defend his authority by citing his past sacrifices. Both sides based their arguments on the same premise—that he was an outstanding leader who would do his utmost to protect everyone.
Players were used to considering it a stroke of luck to be matched into the same instance as Fu Jue, as if just seeing him was a guarantee of survival. But in *Holy City*, the one instance he didn’t livestream, he became the sole survivor. Not one of his twelve companions made it out alive...
Was it a mistake, or had the Savior grown disillusioned with humanity, no longer willing to offer his protection, and had instead embraced a darker path?
A collective chill ran through the players, as if they had just learned that the sun, which had always cast its light and heat, would no longer rise, and that the survival of human civilization for millennia had been nothing more than a coincidence...
The analytical player from the Listening Wind Guild was the first to compose himself. He tapped his chin with his folding fan. “It seems that as we enter the countdown phase for the Final Instance, the difficulty of other instances in the Weird Game has also increased significantly. Even the great Fu Jue could only look out for himself.
“I suggest everyone enter an instance as soon as possible, before the Final Instance begins, to reset your seven-day countdown. That way, you can avoid being accidentally drawn into the struggle between the Identity Card holders.”
By now, someone had recognized him and called out in surprise, “President Yu, what are you doing here in the Sunset Ruins?”
Only then did the other players notice that this young man with a generic face, who looked utterly unremarkable and had a presence so faint it was almost unnerving, was the famous Yu Jinsheng, the acting president of the Listening Wind Guild, one of the top three guilds.
Yu Jinsheng gave a slight nod to the person who had identified him. He raised his wrist and habitually glanced at a non-existent watch before saying calmly, “It’s now 9:00 PM on May 3rd. There are twenty-seven hours until the Final Instance begins. Everyone should prepare. Those who need to enter an instance to reset their deadline should do so quickly. Those who need to buy items, buy them.
“After May 5th, everyone should avoid entering the game if possible. Let’s leave this dangerous stage to those unlucky enough to have been chosen.”
Although his explanation still held an implicit warning of the crisis, it at least offered a clear solution.
The crowd in the Sunset Ruins thinned by more than half in an instant. Many players scrambled back to their game spaces, spending points to select familiar instances and begin matchmaking.
Yu Jinsheng stood quietly beneath the World Tree the entire time. Once the crowd had dispersed, he cast his gaze toward the Babylon Tower, which pierced the clouds behind the tree.
The black tower stood between the dusky yellow sky and earth, grim and imposing like a deliberately inflicted scar. The perpetually monochrome sky faintly glowed with a golden luster, casting a sacred glaze over the tower's light-devouring surface.
The young man stared for a long time, a flicker of emotion in his eyes that quickly vanished into his dark brown pupils. He lowered his head and sighed softly. “Twenty-two years... Countless people have fallen, one after another. We’ve already lost too much...
“Will this dawn be the final victory after the storm, or just a prelude to yet another loss?”
...
At the Unnamed Guild's headquarters, inside an office in the Frog Hospital.
Lin Chen stared unblinking at the large screen displaying the events in the Sunset Ruins. When he saw the name listed as the player who had cleared the *Holy City* instance, a sharp ringing filled his ears, and his vision began to blacken.
He had learned about the *Holy City* instance from reports on the forums. As soon as he got the news, he had rushed into the game and opened Asakura Yuko's livestream. His intention had been to track Fu Jue's movements, but in a fleeting glimpse, he had seen Qi Si.
But Qi Si had only appeared on screen for a moment before the entire livestream was shut down for “Involving Contamination.” All he could do afterward was wait for the stream to resume while trying to contact Qi Si through the Soul Leaf.
However, the livestream's black screen never lit up again, and Qi Si didn't reply to any of his messages. Lin Chen guessed that Qi Si probably didn't want to be disturbed while clearing the instance and must have had his reasons for entering alone without telling him. But he never expected that Qi Si would die in the instance, leaving Fu Jue as the sole survivor.
How could Qi Si die? He was so brilliant; his puzzle-solving skills and knowledge were top-tier. Even back in the novice instances, he was able to see through a scenario’s core mechanics. After becoming an official player, he had breezed through every puzzle with ease.
Even in the *Colosseum* instance, when he became the target of everyone’s malice, facing the ill will of every other player, he had survived against all odds.
What kind of instance was *Holy City* that so many people could die, even with both Qi Si and Fu Jue present?
Right, it was a faction-based instance. One side was destined to fail. Fu Jue survived, but everyone else died. Could it be that Fu Jue killed Qi Si?
Lin Chen stood up and walked toward the door, his heart turning to ice.
When he first entered the Weird Game, like many well-intentioned players, he had admired and looked up to the top-ranked player, Fu Jue, due to all the hype on the forums.
That goodwill had gradually faded over time, eroded by Qi Si's subtle influence. It hadn't yet solidified into concrete hostility but was more of a wariness toward a rival.
But in that moment, an irrational hostility took full form.
Even knowing that faction games were part of the Weird Game's design, and that you couldn't blame the survivor no matter who lived or died, Lin Chen was absolutely certain of one thing: if Fu Jue had really killed Qi Si, he would want Fu Jue dead.
“Lin Chen, is this a good time? There's something I need to tell you. I hope you'll listen carefully.” A familiar voice echoed from the depths of his mind. Lin Chen froze, pulling back the foot he had just lifted over the threshold.
He felt as if he had just returned to the world of the living from the brink of death. Only when he understood that the person was still there did he truly feel alive himself. He stood stunned for two seconds before asking in a hoarse voice, “Brother Qi, are you okay? I saw on the recording slate that your name wasn’t among those who cleared the instance...”
“I didn't enter the instance as a player, so how could my name be on the list?” Qi Si's tone was perfectly natural, his voice relaxed. “Besides, this isn't the first or second time my name hasn't appeared on the record. What's all the fuss about?”
Lin Chen let out a sigh of relief. “I thought Fu Jue had... you...”
“What are you thinking?” Qi Si laughed. “Our collaboration went rather smoothly. Even if it hadn't, given his current strength and considerations, he wouldn't dare make an enemy of me so recklessly. A mutually destructive fight would only benefit others, and that wouldn't look good.”
“Uh... huh? A collaboration? Oh, oh, I see...” Lin Chen remembered that Fu Jue had indeed mentioned wanting to talk to Qi Si about a collaboration. It seemed now that the talk had been successful?
He calmed down and carefully reviewed the current situation, realizing that Qi Si was right.
When two powers sit down at the bargaining table as equals, all prior disagreements and conflicting views can be set aside. Interests always come first—Fu Jue had no reason to move against Qi Si.
His emotions settled, and he belatedly realized his back was drenched in cold sweat. He now felt weak all over, and a faint sense of embarrassment crept into his heart: for a moment there, he had been on the verge of turning on the Kyushu Guild.
Qi Si continued, “Alright, I contacted you this time to tell you something. The difficulty of the Final Instance will be higher than any before it. If you have any spare points, you should exchange them all for survival items.
“If you can clear the Final Instance, fulfilling your wish will be no problem. If you can't, you won't live long enough to save up those points anyway.”
The words were harsh, but they were the truth. Lin Chen nodded and immediately opened the shop interface to browse for items. Then he heard Qi Si continue, “Also, you may have heard of the existence of the Ancestral God...”
...
Back in his game space, Qi Si unilaterally cut off his connection with Lin Chen and began to review the entire *Holy City* instance.
The Ancestral God had revived. Even teaming up, he and Fu Jue couldn't do anything to Her. In the end, they were forced to kill all the believers and end the instance prematurely, making what could only be called a messy escape.
Although their temporary plan hadn't backfired and accelerated the Ancestral God's revival, they hadn't gained anything from it either. They had even nearly lost their lives in the instance.
The eyes of the Ancestral God lingered in his memory, impossible to shake off like a haunting specter, accompanied by the visceral fear of being dominated.
This was the first time since entering the Weird Game that Qi Si had failed to achieve his goal, forcing him to carefully consider his next steps.
Every step he took from now on was outside of Qi's past plans. He was now entering a game between gods as a god himself. There was no omniscient perspective; he could only proceed by trial and error, and... survive as long as possible.
But was survival really something worth striving for with all his might? If he had to fight so hard just to live, why not just die?
Qi Si still remembered that his original reason for entering the Weird Game was to find an interesting way to die. That initial goal hadn't changed, but when he thought about how his death might allow the Ancestral God to achieve her desires more easily, he felt it was better to live a little longer.
As for what Lin Chen had told him earlier about the existence of “another him,” he had come to some conclusions after this latest instance.
After Vader died, the [Taboo Scholar] Identity Card was immediately reclaimed, which basically proved that the same person couldn't hold more than one Identity Card. Although the [Foolish Trickster] card in his inventory still looked intact, its actual condition was unknown.
Following his memory, Qi Si opened the inventory he used for miscellaneous items. He lifted away a towel and some papers on top, and with two fingers, he plucked the red and black card from the bottom.
On the blood-red face of the card, a magician wearing a jester's mask and an intricately patterned black formal suit was bowing. But then, he suddenly removed his top hat and flung the playing cards from within it forward.
A long, narrow chasm appeared in the center of the image, with countless cracks spreading out from it to either side. They interlinked into an irregular spiderweb, with even more fine lines branching out between the threads of the web.
With a conceptual “crack,” the card completely disintegrated into fine powder in Qi Si's hand. Golden specks of light scattered in the air, falling like a rustling shower.
For a fleeting moment, Qi Si thought he saw the figure from the *Grand Performance* instance—himself, wearing a mask and a blood-stained white shirt. It hadn't been that long ago, yet the image felt strangely unfamiliar.
“The Foolish Trickster, Zhou Ke?” He spoke the name, then chuckled softly, as if he had heard a joke.
Far away, in Jiang City, a surging sea of roses swallowed all living things and buildings, transforming the world into a scarlet stage.