Yi Fengchu was just about to take out his phone to check the time when his fingers, searching through the pocket of his clothes, brushed against something light and delicate.
What he felt was a fragment of a moth’s wing.
He pinched the fragile remnant between his fingers and drew it out. At first he lowered his head only casually, glancing at it without much thought.
But his gaze abruptly froze.
“This is…”
The pad of his finger slowly rubbed along the jagged edge of the broken wing. As he examined it more closely, Yi Fengchu gradually made out a faint and indistinct pattern printed upon its surface.
It was a pair of numbers.
“01”.
The characters looked as though they had been deliberately imprinted through some technological means. The neat, square shape of the printed font resembled a form of numbering or perhaps an unknown code. However, after the passage of time and the erosion of wear, the markings had become blurred and difficult to distinguish clearly.
What exactly did these two numbers represent?
Who had placed them there?
And why would such a mark appear in the corner of the Moth God’s wing?
If this truly was the “serial number” of the Moth God, did that mean there might also exist numbers like 02, 03 and beyond?
Leaving these unanswered questions quietly in the back of his mind, Yi Fengchu took out his phone and unlocked the screen, checking to see whether any new changes had appeared inside the device.
Sure enough, something had changed.
In the small glass display case located at the lower right corner of the screen, besides the golden eyeball he had obtained from the Whale Bone Aquarium dungeon, there was now an additional item.
It was a neatly folded silver outer robe.
The fabric looked like snow bright silver. Under the soft light shining down from the top of the display case, the surface of the cloth shimmered with faint rippling reflections, as though gentle currents of light were flowing across it.
The effect was reminiscent of a quiet galaxy, streams of starlight drifting endlessly across its surface.
Yi Fengchu tentatively tapped on the two “collectibles.”
Immediately, related information appeared beside them.
Collection One: The Eye That Gazes Upon Fate
Description: It quietly opened its gilded golden pupil and beheld the unfolding trajectories of countless lives. Thus it bent low and began to watch this strange performance with interest.
Collection Two: The Garment of Calamity
Description: The final relic left behind by the Moth God. It is an incomplete authority belonging to the domain of curses. If you drape this outer robe upon yourself, perhaps you will gain mastery over the destructive power hidden within language.
“One fate… and one curse.”
Yi Fengchu pondered silently.
It seemed that these past few days had yielded quite a substantial harvest.
Although he still had no idea what practical use these two powerful collectibles might ultimately have.
The van rattled and swayed along the road, speeding steadily toward the nearest town.
As they drew close to the outskirts, the first buildings gradually came into view.
Parked nearby were several police cars and ambulances waiting at the roadside. The bright, flashing lights on their roofs pierced through the growing dusk, casting sharp beams across the dim surroundings.
For the group of students who had just escaped from mortal danger, the sight brought with it a faint but unmistakable sense of security.
The two vans slowed down.
At last, they came to a stop directly in front of the police vehicles.
Medical staff were the first to rush forward in a small crowd.
They quickly wrapped several severely frightened students in warm, soft blankets, speaking in gentle voices as they asked about their conditions.
Meanwhile, Li Yin, who appeared to be burning with a high fever and was trapped deep within the grip of a nightmare, was carefully lifted onto a stretcher.
The medical personnel swiftly carried her into the waiting ambulance.
Several police officers stood nearby with grave expressions, speaking for a long time with Teacher Ju and the two students who had driven the vans. It seemed they were carefully gathering details and trying to understand what had happened.
Yi Fengchu, however, had little interest in their conversation. Leaning lazily against his seat, he quietly pulled the soft fleece blanket tighter around himself, passing the time in silence.
Suddenly, he felt a faint stirring of intuition.
His gaze drifted past the row of police cars and came to rest on a government vehicle parked slightly farther back.
The car was completely black.
The windows were probably coated with a privacy film, because Yi Fengchu could not clearly see what was happening inside. All he could make out were several vague silhouettes shifting faintly in the dim interior.
For some reason, an inexplicable instinct arose within him.
It told him that there were people with supernatural abilities inside that car.
Not only that, they seemed to be the kind of ability users who had some sort of connection with him.
Yi Fengchu stared in that direction for only two seconds before lazily withdrawing his gaze.
After all, they weren’t edible.
Why should he bother staring at them?
Wang Lin huddled in the corner of the van. He had spent a full two or three hours letting his mind drift blankly before he finally managed to recover from the shock and terror of encountering unknown creatures.
For reasons he could not explain, Wang Lin kept feeling that the oppressive presence emanating from Yi Fengchu had somehow grown stronger.
Just sharing the same vehicle with him was enough to make the moth wings lodged in Wang Lin’s throat shrivel and curl up uneasily.
Every now and then, they trembled faintly, as if filled with fear toward Yi Fengchu.
It must be my imagination…
Wang Lin tried hard to convince himself.
After all, Classmate Yi had always seemed like such an approachable and kind person.
No, wait.
A kind non human!
At the very moment the vehicle finally drove out of the mountain range, the amusement park system’s voice sounded inside Wang Lin’s mind.
Immediately afterward, the settlement panel appeared before his eyes.
“Congratulations. You have successfully cleared the special dungeon ‘Echoes Within the Chrysalis.’ Calculating evaluation…”
“Exploration Rate: 20%
Mission One: Leave the mountain range where Bee Ant Village is located alive (Completed)
Mission Two (Side Quest): Not Unlocked”
“Evaluation: Your mind is as empty as a hollow shell. Both your exploration progress and mission completion relied entirely on the assistance of your teammates, as well as the support of forum users. The only commendable aspect of you appears to be your luck.
I am curious, when you shake your head, can you hear the sound of waves sloshing inside?”
“Congratulations. You have obtained 300 points.
Additional reward: Special Title ‘Doubt of Fate.’
This title has no special effects. You may choose whether or not to equip and display it. It has been stored in your system backpack.”
“Due to the intervention of the great Sovereign of Fate, the dungeon boss ‘Moth God’ has disappeared. The dungeon has been permanently sealed and will not reopen.”
“And finally, congratulations on successfully surviving.”
After being mercilessly mocked by the system, Wang Lin could only pull a wry smile.
Well…
Even though he really hadn’t accomplished much, he was still a brand new rookie after all.
Being able to survive a battlefield where gods were clashing was already pretty impressive!
Thinking about it this way lifted his spirits a little.
Wang Lin opened the system shop and used his small stash of points to purchase a few life saving tools and emergency medicines. The lingering tension that had hung over his heart the entire time finally eased slightly, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.
Then he opened his system backpack.
Dozens of small storage slots appeared before his eyes, though almost all of them were completely empty.
He clicked on the special title called “Doubt of Fate,” examining this strange reward with curiosity.
Special Title: Doubt of Fate
Rarity: SS (Extremely Rare)
Special Effect: None
Description: Certain aspects of your performance caused Fate to feel a slight moment of doubt. Therefore, the system has specially granted you this title.
Fate… could actually feel “doubt”?
Wang Lin was stunned for a moment.
Then he recalled what the system had said, that the Moth God had vanished because of the intervention of the “great Sovereign of Fate.”
Could it be that the “Fate” mentioned here referred to that mysterious deity who controlled the authority of destiny?
The same divine figure who stood behind Classmate Yi like a powerful guardian?
With this speculation in mind, Wang Lin logged back into the system forum.
The moment he entered, he was greeted by an outpouring of enthusiastic “concern” from fellow forum members.
No. 303
It’s been seven hours since the original poster disappeared. I miss him.
No. 304
Sigh… The OP didn’t seem very smart. Who knows what’s happened to him by now. Lighting a candle.
No. 305
Forever remembered. This thread counts as one of the year’s most exciting posts. Even if the OP is gone, the thread remains. A classic that will be passed down forever.
No. 306
Remembrance +1.
Reading this far, Wang Lin could no longer hold himself back. He hurriedly posted a reply to prove that he was still very much alive.
No. 307 (Original Poster)
I’m still alive and perfectly fine! Stop lighting candles for me!
No. 308 (Original Poster)
By the way, all of my classmates and our teacher survived too. The worst case is just someone running a high fever right now. Overall everyone’s doing pretty well!
No. 309
Wow! The OP is back!!
No. 310
Celebrating the safe survival of the OP and the classmates!
No. 311
That survival rate is honestly unexpected. I’ve never seen a dungeon where not a single ordinary person died and this one wasn’t even low risk.
No. 312
Classmate E deserves a huge portion of the credit, right? Without a big shot holding the line, those young students probably would’ve been doomed.
No. 313
Praise be to Classmate E!
Seeing Yi Fengchu mentioned on the forum inevitably reminded Wang Lin of those strange “crunch crunch” sounds that had seemed suspiciously like someone chewing on the Moth God.
And then there had been that enormous serpent that had later coiled itself around the van.
Even now, recalling the memory made Wang Lin shiver, his hands trembling slightly.
Nevertheless, he carefully organized the entire sequence of events and shared it with the forum.
In reality, Wang Lin was not particularly eloquent. His writing ability was also rather mediocre.
Even so, the forum users were still able to glimpse the thrilling scenes through his simple descriptions.
The relentless swarm of human faced moths pursuing them through the forest.
The mysterious deity standing behind Classmate E.
The gigantic serpent that had once coiled around the vehicle in tightening loops.
No. 320
OP, if I didn’t know you’re such an honest guy, I’d think you were writing a novel.
No. 321
One dungeon experience equal to three years of someone else’s life!
No. 322
From the sound of it, Classmate E’s true form might be something snake like?
No. 323
If you imagine it, the appearance would probably be pretty handsome… definitely top tier looks among divine creatures.
No. 324
Thinking about it that way, a snake swallowing a moth actually sounds perfectly reasonable. Nods.
Maybe the giant snake wrapping around the van was just Classmate E being unfamiliar with his original form and sleepily crawling back, trying to get inside the car. Poor OP almost got scared to death. Hahaha.
No. 325 (Original Poster)
…Sigh. You guys don’t understand. At the time I genuinely thought I was about to die inside a snake’s stomach. I was practically drafting my will in my head.
No. 326
Poor OP. Nobody understands his sorrow. Everyone just wants to laugh.
No. 327
Only I truly sympathize with OP, dear brother~
No. 328
Look on the bright side. Even if you had been eaten, it would’ve been by either Classmate E or his divine guardian. That counts as visiting a classmate’s house, right?
No. 329
A visit with a one way ticket, though. The person above you didn’t spare him at all.
No. 330 (Original Poster)
Stop making fun of me. Let’s talk about something serious… Can someone explain what a “title” is?
No. 331
Titles are rewards the system sometimes gives when you fulfill certain rare conditions or achievements inside a dungeon.
Wait, OP just finished his first dungeon and already got a title??
No. 332
Wow! Titles usually come with special effects or influences, right? That’s a great reward. What did you get?
No. 333
Thinking back on OP’s performance… he didn’t really do anything except cling to Classmate E’s thigh.
No. 334
Maybe the title is something like “Professional Leg Clinger” or “Attendant of the Divine Son.”
No. 335
Cough. It could also be “Chronicler of the Daily Life of a Divine Descendant.” OP reports everything to the forum whenever something happens. I’ve never even met Classmate E but I feel like I already know him.
No. 336
E boss! I’m your long lost classmate! Can you come rescue me in a dungeon too?
No. 337 (Original Poster)
The title I got is pretty strange too. It’s an SS rank one called “Doubt of Fate,” but it doesn’t have any additional effects…
After Wang Lin posted the description of the title, the forum suddenly fell silent for a brief moment.
Then,
No. 338
Holy crap. I thought we were joking earlier but now it really seems like there’s an actual true god behind E!
No. 339
Only the system does this kind of nonsense title when it’s flattering the gods. The system is arrogant as hell. If your level is even slightly lower, it won’t even glance at you.
System Warning: This message contains unfriendly content and has been hidden. If you are blocked three times within one week, your account will be suspended for three days.
No. 340
So in the end it must have been the true god of the Fate domain descending personally and killing the Moth God.
OP, you just unlocked a life achievement, witnessing the descent of a god!
No. 341
Looks like E is really valued, huh? There are many divine creatures but very few receive this kind of treatment where a true god personally steps in.
No. 342
The true favored child of a god. The forum’s crown prince has appeared.
No. 343
OP, you should cherish this connection. That kind of golden thigh doesn’t appear every day.
Actually, if you don’t appreciate it… can I take your place?
Wang Lin was completely absorbed in the forum discussion when suddenly someone knocked on the window beside him.
Lowering the window with confusion, he saw a police officer standing outside. The officer showed him an identification badge with a solemn expression, then stepped back half a pace as if making way for someone of higher authority.
From behind the officer, a young man slowly stepped forward.
He wore a long coat and his eyes were covered with a strip of white gauze.
Even though those eyes were hidden beneath the cloth, Wang Lin inexplicably felt that the young man was carefully watching him, studying him with quiet attention.
“Hello. I am Jiang You, a staff member from the National Bureau for the Research and Management of Supernatural Abilities.”
The young man with his eyes covered by white gauze extended his hand toward Wang Lin. They exchanged a brief, polite handshake.
“Regarding everything that happened in Bee Ant Village, we hope you will cooperate with our investigation.”
✦ ✧ ✦
Nycreth
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
A small offering may keep this translator’s soul attached to their body.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Mysterious letterChapter 2 · Divine MessagesChapter 3 · Gamer ForumChapter 4 · Invitation from GodChapter 5 · JudgeChapter 6 · TerminalChapter 7 · Destruction of recordsChapter 8 · Whale Bone Aquarium (1)Chapter 9 · Whale Bone Aquarium (2)Chapter 10 · Whale Bone Aquarium (3)Chapter 11 · Whale Bone Aquarium (4)Chapter 12 · Whale Bone Aquarium (5)Chapter 13 · Whale Bone Aquarium (6)Chapter 14 · Whale Bone Aquarium (7)Chapter 15 · Whale Bone Aquarium (8)Chapter 16 · Whale Bone Aquarium (9)Chapter 17 · Whale Bone Aquarium (10)Chapter 18 · Whale Bone Aquarium (11)Chapter 19 Part 1 · Whale Bone Aquarium (12)Chapter 19 Part 2 · Whale Bone Aquarium (12)Chapter 20 · Interlude: His ApostlesChapter 21 · Echoes in the pupa (1)Chapter 22 · Echoes in the pupa (2)Chapter 23 · Echoes in the Pupa (3)Chapter 24 · Echoes in the Pupa (4)Chapter 25 · Echoes in the Pupa (5)Chapter 26 · Echoes in the Pupa (6)Chapter 27 · Echoes in the Pupa (7)Chapter 28 · Echoes in the Pupa (8)Chapter 29 · Echoes in the Pupa (9)Chapter 30 · Echoes in the Pupa (10)Chapter 31 · Echoes in the Pupa (11)Chapter 32 · Echoes in the Pupa (12)Chapter 33 · Echoes in the Pupa (13)Chapter 34 · Interlude: Investigation by the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs (1)Chapter 35 · Interlude: Investigation by the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs (2)Chapter 36 · Interlude: Investigation by the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs (3)Chapter 37 · Small World: God’s Chessboard (1)Chapter 38 · Small World: God’s Chessboard (2)Chapter 39 · Small World: God’s Chessboard (3)Chapter 40 · Small World: God’s Chessboard (4)Chapter 41 · Advertisement Coming Soon (1)Chapter 42 · Advertisement Coming Soon (2)Chapter 43 · Advertisement Coming Soon (3)Chapter 44 · Advertisement Coming Soon (4)Chapter 45 · Advertisement Coming Soon (5)Chapter 46 · Advertisement Coming Soon (6)Chapter 47 · Advertisement Coming Soon (7)Chapter 48 · Advertisement Coming Soon (8)Chapter 49 · Advertisement Coming Soon (9)Chapter 50 · Advertisement Coming Soon (10)Chapter 51 · Advertisement Coming Soon (11)Chapter 52 · Advertisement Coming Soon (12)Chapter 53 · Advertisement Coming Soon to EndChapter 54 · Interlude – Tonight No One Sleeps (1)Chapter 55 · Interlude – Tonight No One Sleeps (2)Chapter 56 · Interlude – Tonight No One Sleeps (3)Chapter 57 · Interlude – Tonight No One Sleeps (4)Chapter 58 · Childhood Ghost Stories (1)Chapter 59 · Childhood Ghost Stories (2)Chapter 60 · Childhood Ghost Stories (3)Chapter 61 · Childhood Ghost Stories (4)Chapter 62 · Childhood Ghost Stories (5)Chapter 63 · Childhood Ghost Stories (6)Chapter 64 · Childhood Ghost Stories (7)Chapter 65 · Childhood Ghost Stories (8)Chapter 66 · Childhood Ghost Stories (9)Chapter 67 · Childhood Ghost Stories (10)Chapter 68 · Childhood Ghost Stories (11)Chapter 69 · Childhood Ghost Stories (12)Chapter 70 · Childhood Ghost Stories (13)Chapter 71 · Childhood Ghost Stories (14)Chapter 72 · Childhood Ghost Stories (15)Chapter 73 · Childhood Ghost Stories (16)Chapter 74 · Childhood Ghost Stories (17)Chapter 75 · Childhood Ghost Stories (18)Chapter 76 · Childhood Ghost Stories (19)Chapter 77 · Childhood Ghost Stories (20)Chapter 78 · Childhood Ghost Stories (Complete)Chapter 79 · Interlude: His Kingdom (1)Chapter 80 · Interlude: His Kingdom (2)Chapter 81 · Interlude: An Epic of Faith (1)Chapter 82 · Interlude: An Epic of Faith (2)Chapter 83 · Interlude: An Epic of Faith (3)Chapter 84 · Interlude: An Epic of Faith (4)Chapter 85 · Interlude: An Epic of Faith (5)Chapter 86 · Interlude: An Epic of Faith (Complete)Chapter 87 · Fate casually rolls the dice (1)Chapter 88 · Fate Casually rolls the dice (2)Chapter 89 · Fate Casually rolls the dice (3)Chapter 90 · Fate Casually rolls the dice (4)Chapter 91 · Fate casually tosses the dice (5)Chapter 92 · Fate casually tosses the dice (6)Chapter 93 · Fate casually tosses the dice (7)Chapter 94 · Fate casually tosses the dice (8)Chapter 95 · Fate casually tosses the dice (9)Chapter 96 · Fate casually tosses the dice (10)Chapter 97 · Fate Casually tosses the dice (11)Chapter 98 · Fate casually tosses the dice (12)Chapter 99 · Fate casually tosses the dice (13)Chapter 100 · Fate casually tosses the dice (14)Chapter 101 · Fate casually tosses the dice (15)Chapter 102 · Fate casually tosses the dice (16)Chapter 103 · Fate casually tosses the dice (17)Chapter 104 · Fate casually tosses the dice (18)Chapter 105 · Fate casually tosses the dice (19)Chapter 106 · Fate casually tosses the dice (20)Chapter 107 · Fate casually tosses the dice (21)Chapter 108 · Fate casually tosses the dice (The End)Chapter 109 · Interlude