Chapter 453: The Final Gamble |
On the fifth basement level of the Jiang City Weird Investigation Bureau, in a containment cell at the end of the hall, the same soldiers who had locked a man away under heavy guard eleven days prior now stood assembled at the door, once again armed to the teeth.
Councillor Hayes walked at the forefront. He raised a hand and rapped twice on the electronic screen embedded in the iron door, then entered a password into the verification interface that appeared.
The iron door slid open automatically. Inside, Lin Jue sat perfectly still on a chair in the center of the room, dressed in a crisp black suit. At the sound, he calmly raised his eyes to meet the councillor’s, as if he had been absolutely certain of his arrival.
Councillor Hayes forced a bitter smile. "Lin Jue, whether you still trust me or not, what I'm about to say is from the bottom of my heart: we have all wronged you."
Lin Jue remained noncommittal, tilting his head back to look up at him. "Tell me what has happened in the last eleven days. I need to know how far the Ancestral God's reclamation has progressed."
"Every city except Jiang City has fallen," Councillor Hayes stated, his words crisp and clear. His demeanor gradually grew more natural, as if the recent tribunal against Lin Jue had never taken place.
"Over the last two weeks, the Ancestral God, inhabiting the body of White Crow, has appeared in city after city, corrupting children under the age of fourteen through a strange medium shaped like candy. As of today, every child has been transformed into one of those... things. Even infants."
Children are the hope for the continuation of any people. With all of them corrupted, the future of civilization has been severed at its very root. If the core of this problem isn't addressed, humanity's extinction is only a matter of time.
Lin Jue gave a slight nod. "You have no means of stopping the Ancestral God, so you're pinning your hopes on me, someone who has clashed with her on multiple occasions, to turn the tide. But I must be clear: I am not certain I can change any of this."
But in truth, he was a man, not a god; and even gods could not guarantee that all things would go according to their will. Councillor Hayes knew this. After a long silence, he spoke slowly. "We have to try. Lin Jue, we hope you will give it everything you have, one last time. Of course, if you are unwilling..."
"Is the God-Slaying Sword still here?" Lin Jue asked.
Councillor Hayes knew what this meant: Lin Jue was willing to confront the Ancestral God. No one knew if the God-Slaying Sword could actually kill a deity of that magnitude, but they had to try.
Two investigators carried a rust-mottled longsword down to the fifth basement level. The ancient bronze glinted with a deadly aura under the cold white lights. Merely sharing the room with it, one could almost smell the eons of accumulated chill and bloodlust clinging to the blade.
Lin Jue grasped the bronze sword. Beneath his rimless glasses, his eyes reflected nothing, his gaze lowered to some indeterminate point. He stood in silence, his thoughts an unreadable mystery.
A piercing alarm suddenly blared without warning. Fine, silvery threads unfurled and drifted through the corridor. It was as if the eye of a god, high in the heavens, had pierced through the building's defenses to fix its gaze directly upon this small space on the fifth basement level.
In an instant, a bizarre vision flooded everyone's minds. A woman with white hair and a white dress stood atop a pristine snow mountain. Her long hair trailed to the ground, seeming to merge with the ice and snow at her feet before melting into a silver-white glacial river that wound through mountains and cities. The crisscrossing network of waterways became the world's very lifeblood, enveloping and binding the entire land.
All living things—humans, birds, beasts, and plants—began to melt. Their flesh turned as transparent as flowing water, revealing shimmering skeletons beneath. Gradually, even the bones dissolved into snowmelt. The living and the dead became flat in the same moment, merging into a vast white ocean that flowed into every ravine and riverbed.
The vision dissipated, leaving every witness with a grim expression. Lin Jue, carrying the bronze sword, started toward the elevator. As he passed Councillor Hayes, he turned his head slightly. "Prepare a plane. I'm going to the Snow Mountain in Shangri-La."
That vision was undoubtedly a declaration from the Ancestral God. She was waiting for Lin Jue on the Snow Mountain, though for what purpose, none could say.
So, after everything he had been through, would Lin Jue still stand with humanity? Could the Ancestral God persuade him to join the ranks of the divine?
Councillor Hayes didn't know. The truth was, he had never been able to trust Lin Jue completely. But now, he had no other choice.
The plane was readied quickly. Investigators and councillors waited on the tarmac, their expressions a mixture of emotions, as they watched the man they had so recently condemned as a criminal walk up the ramp.
A silvery-white light filled every corner of the world, draping everyone out in the open in an overexposed cloak of brilliance. It became impossible to make out one another's expressions; even faces and figures blurred into indistinguishable shapes.
It felt like a return to the Twilight of the Gods, twenty-two years ago. Back then, beneath the Babylon Tower in the Sunset Ruins, Lin Jue and the members of the Ark Guild had gathered, hoping to end the Weird Game by conquering its rules.
The outcome of that gamble had been undeniably disappointing. What about this new one, about to begin? Could humanity achieve victory?
"President..." Councillor Hayes silently formed the title, just as players had done twenty-two years ago, always asking Lin Jue that same, supremely foolish question: "Can we win?"
But whatever the answer, it was fragile in the face of reality. They were not young anymore, and this was their very last chance to place a bet.
The plane took off. Councillor Hayes watched in silence as the dark silhouette ascended, shrinking in his vision until it became an indistinct black dot and vanished without a trace.
...
The direct flight from Jiang City to Shangri-La would take six hours. These were the last six hours that would decide the fate of humanity. It was like a box that might contain a lethal gas; only upon opening it would one know the outcome of life or death. And now, that box—the one that would determine the continuation or annihilation of civilization—was set to be opened in six hours.
The plane was on autopilot, with Lin Jue as its sole passenger. For six hours, he would have no one to speak to, a journey in complete silence. And in the world below, people maintained a similar silence, waiting with bated breath for the apocalypse, terrified that any movement might disturb the unseen presences around them.
As if by unspoken agreement, they took out their phones and computers and logged into the Weird Game forums. Through trivial, meaningless discussions, they sought communion with others who shared their fate, a way to dispel the indescribable terror.
"This is terrifying, it's like a bad dream. Just a few days ago they were telling us to stay calm and wait for the Weird Investigation Bureau to save us. How did the contamination suddenly break out everywhere? And on the children, of all people..."
"I'm an elementary school teacher in real life. Right now, I'm hiding in the office with my colleagues. The students have all gone mad, they just keep slamming against the door. I don't know how much longer we can last. If Lin Jue wins, we'll be revived, right?"
"Everyone, don't be afraid! Lin Jue has already gone to the Snow Mountain. He'll definitely be able to end all this. As long as he wins, the world will be restored, just like Jiang City was. Everyone who died to the weirdness and everything that was destroyed will go back to how it was."
"Lin Jue will definitely win. He's so powerful, he's never lost in thirty-six years. It's not like he hasn't killed a god before... Everyone, don't worry. Maybe we'll just wake up from a nap and the world will be back to normal!"
Those who had condemned Lin Jue, those who had championed him, those who opposed the Kyushu Guild, and those who supported it... people of every stance and viewpoint were finally united in this moment, bound by a shared hope for his victory.
At six in the evening, the plane reached Shangri-La Town. Lin Jue stood at the foot of the Snow Mountain. The town, which had been bustling with life just a month ago, was now utterly deserted, as silent as a dead city overrun by ghosts.
A small wooden cabin with a sign that read "Mountaineering Supplies" stood at the end of the street. A woman in a traditional Tibetan robe sat by the window. She turned a bronze mirror toward Lin Jue, her voice soft and slow. "Before you ascend the mountain, why not take a look at your fate?" Lin Jue glanced at the mirror. Its surface was a milky white, like frosted glass, reflecting nothing at all—not even his own face.
He gave a short, dismissive laugh and continued on his way. "Do you need a guide?" the woman called after him. "According to our legends, those who climb the mountain alone never make it back down."
Lin Jue acted as if he hadn't heard, stepping onto the snow-packed mountain trail. There were always those who, before ever setting foot on the Snow Mountain, had already prepared to remain there forever. Why couldn't he be one of them?
Beneath a gloomy twilight sky, the ice and snow cast an eerie white glow, illuminating his face to a ghostly pallor. The mountain wind howled without end, flinging shards of ice against his skin that cut tiny, bleeding nicks.
Up here, all thoughts and emotions ceased to matter. Lin Jue seemed to feel no pain, letting the blizzard obscure the path ahead. All he knew was that he had to keep climbing, and climbing...
The four cards appeared in his hand one by one: Despair Screenwriter, Scarlet High Priest, Silent Dictator, and Fallen Savior. Their scarlet and silver-white surfaces seemed to intertwine.
A person could only ever bind to a single Identity Card. To possess more than one was to be a god. And now that he had finally taken this last step, there was no turning back.
The blizzard sweeping down from the summit grew even more ferocious. Lin Jue held the bronze sword out in front of him, cutting his way through the storm step by step.
The towering glaciers parted to either side, revealing a path just wide enough for one person to pass. The woman with white hair and a white dress stood at the end of the passage. In a flash, she was standing before Lin Jue.
"I have been waiting for you." The Ancestral God's silver-white eyes gazed gently at Lin Jue through the openings of her mask, her voice kind. "Whether you pursue fairness or destruction, neither is a long-term solution in the eyes of the rules."
"From every angle, you are the most suitable person to succeed me. It is a pity you harbor such great hostility toward the rules—and toward me. It makes it impossible for us to entrust our authority to you with peace of mind."
Lin Jue looked directly into her eyes. "And yet, you still delivered both the Despair Screenwriter and Scarlet High Priest cards into my hands."
The Ancestral God shook her head slightly. "I am also known to gamble on occasion."
She had dispatched Charlie to Jiang City with orders to bring back Si Qi, using the reasoning that "the Scarlet High Priest must not fall into the hands of the Silent Dictator."
But she had left out one crucial part of the directive: "If the Scarlet High Priest card has already fallen into the hands of the Silent Dictator, then ensure he obtains the Despair Screenwriter card as well."
The Despair Screenwriter, Humanoid Evil, Scarlet High Priest, Foolish Trickster, Silent Dictator, and Soul Master all belonged to the same sequence, any of which could eventually ascend to become the Lord of Gods.
With the Soul Master card yet to appear, Lin Jue, who now possessed three of the cards, held a clear advantage.
And when a man draws infinitely close to godhood, possessing the memories and perceptions of a divine being, how could he ever be content to be constrained by weak, lowly humans? How could he possibly be willing to continue representing their interests?
The Ancestral God remembered the vessel she now inhabited. The woman known as White Crow had also tried to resist the divine will in her final moments, but aside from leaving behind a God Mask to restrain her power, the human's consciousness had been instantly diluted by divine memory. She was certain Lin Jue would be no exception.
She gazed at Lin Jue and continued. "I am constrained by the God Mask, and I am fated to be unable to continue executing the commands of the rules. You need only take my place, restart this world, and you will become the one and only god of the new world."
"If you are fond of humans, you can recreate the species in this new world. Perhaps a new humanity, born from your will, would be more rational—and less prone to the ridiculous follies of the current one."
Lin Jue listened intently. When the Ancestral God finished, he lowered his head in thought for a moment before looking up to meet her gaze. "I do agree that this world needs to be restarted. Humanity is, for the most part, foolish and arrogant. They attack one another over trivial gains and trust in external powers more than their own kind. So many terrible traits are concentrated in this one species. I sometimes wonder why it was them, of all creatures, who gave rise to civilization."
His tone was sincere, as if he truly believed what he was saying. Disillusioned with humanity after their unjust treatment of him, he was now embracing the divine perspective. It seemed perfectly logical. As if to prove his point, he stepped back, plunged the bronze sword into the snow, and then returned before the Ancestral God, empty-handed.
The Ancestral God gave a slight nod. A white, blood-stained card materialized at her fingertips. A silvery stream of light flowed from her fingers into the Identity Card as phantom images of white birds, frogs, and snakes flickered around its edges. All manner of living creatures were simplified into totems and engraved upon its surface, becoming part of the flock to be shepherded.
The Ancestral God pushed the card toward Lin Jue. "This is the Undead Shepherd card from my sequence," she said softly. "I will place my authority within it. You will swear an oath before the rules to complete your mission. And then, you will obtain everything."
Lin Jue stared at the faintly glowing Identity Card and was suddenly reminded of the army ant crawling out of the circle of tea stains. Because someone had deliberately created a gap in the ring, the ant had a chance to escape its loop.
To the gods, humanity was as insignificant as ants. But the Holy City, the Final Instance, the God-Slaying Sword, the God Mask... one variable after another had pushed the Ancestral God from her original mission. A gap had formed. And in it, he saw a sliver of a chance for victory.
"I, Lin Jue, hereby swear that I will restart this world, just as the rules desire," Lin Jue recited, enunciating each word with precision.
As he spoke the words, a presence in the heavens above resonated with them. Golden threads materialized from the void, wrapping around his body layer by layer.
CONTRACT SIGNED. THIS CONTRACT IS GUARANTEED BY THE RULES OF THE WORLD. NO ENTITY MAY DEFY IT.
Lin Jue reached out with his right hand to grasp the Undead Shepherd card. The instant his fingers touched its surface, his left hand closed around the Fallen Savior card. He gathered all his power into his fingertips and abruptly squeezed.
A sharp *crack*, like shattering glass, echoed in the air. A dense web of fissures spread across the face of the Fallen Savior card. Blinding white light erupted from the cracks, violently tearing the card's remnants apart until it was reduced to nothing but fine dust.
"Fu Jue... I'm sorry. It seems that this time, once again, I've left you with no other choice."
A sigh, as faint as a hallucination, drifted away on the wind. The silver-white light in Lin Jue's eyes faded at a visible rate, returning to a dim black. The golden threads that had just been woven snapped and vanished in an instant, signaling the disappearance of the one bound by the contract.
A being wielding the authority of the Ancestral God could, by exerting their full power, naturally destroy an Identity Card. And a soul forcibly returned to the mortal world by the Fallen Savior card was destined to dissipate the moment that card was destroyed.
Therefore, Lin Jue had died twenty-two years ago, during the Twilight of the Gods. No one could ever prove he had returned.
The one standing on the Snow Mountain... from the very beginning... had always been Fu Jue.