[You have gained the "Black Python" Authority.]
[(Black Python Authority): Consus 100 points of Emotion Value to imbue the weapon with "Annihilation," which possesses "Absolute Destructive Power" against all things except shields.]
[Detection of a similar skill "Annihilation" already in possession...]
[The additional ability of this authority will be settled after the end of this instance.]
...
[Combat Power: 2600 50]
...
"Ding-dong—"
A bracelet engraved with a black python lightly jingled on Su Ming’an’s wrist, clashing with the clear sound of the Black Lamb bracelet.
He stood above the corridor of the Stone Fortress, overlooking the scene of the tribe below.
The succession ceremony had ended, but the tribespeople were still hiding in the rain-protected square, as the toxic rain would continue for so ti.
To achieve Bai Shen, he was only missing the Black Crow Authority, which he could obtain only after Yuan Shuangshuang, who was unconscious in the cabin, died.
Now was a ti for rest.
He checked his occupation skills; after killing a few top-ranked players, it had smoothly leveled up to 30, breaking through another major threshold.
Just in the Eighth World, his occupation "White Judgnt" had risen from level 20 to 30, faster than in any previous instance—thanks to the benefits brought by that group of top-ranked players.
This kind of top-ranked hundred-player competition brought many advantages. The only worry was so Underworld people would cause him trouble; these people liked to bide their ti and only showed their fangs at the very last mont.
He looked at the new changes after his skills upgraded to level 30.
...
[Occupation: Bai Shen (Gold Level) lv.30
(Core Skill 1) Bright Night Clone (Current State: Shadow State. Full Elental Resistance/Full Abnormal Resistance.)
(Core Skill 2) Judgnt: Long-range control, forcefully imposing a Weakened State on the enemy. (Current Emotion Value: 700 points. Single-target Judgnt consus 50 points, group Judgnt consus 500 points.)[After level 30, additional effect: After the Judgnt Skill hits a target, you may infuse your stored Emotion Value into an NPC or player to alter their ntal state.]
(Passive Skills) Restriction Release: Your equipnt is unaffected by any Four Dinsions Attributes.
(Occupation Task) Path of Truth: Swallow other equipnt to charge your weapon; upon filling the charge bar, your weapon will further upgrade.]
...
[Additional Skill of the Eighth World (This skill will be settled after the instance ends and part of the skill will be permanently retained)
Black Lamb Authority: Consus 100 points of Emotion Value to establish a Shield.
Black Python Authority: Consus 100 points of Emotion Value to imbue with Annihilation.]
...
[Occupation Upgrade Condition: Occupation Advancent Gemstone (Special Grade)*1, or kill a player possessing Purple Grade skills.]
...
A pile of information popped up in front of Su Ming’an.
After leveling up to 30, the "Judgnt" skill gained a new effect.
[After the Judgnt Skill hits a target, you may infuse your stored Emotion Value into an NPC or player to alter their ntal state.]
This description was sowhat vague, and it was still unclear how it would change another’s ntal state—further experintation was needed.
Moreover, the conditions for occupation upgrade beca more stringent.
Purple Grade skills were skills that only an S-tier Perfect Passer might chance upon in the Skill Pool, equal in strength and space. Aside from peak competition worlds, it’s rare to encounter such players in regular instances.
Besides, Su Ming’an himself was not inclined to kill players to upgrade his skills. Tasks above S-level might drop Occupation Advancent Gemstones, and killing a world-peak boss could also have a chance to obtain them. It wasn’t necessary to spend ti hunting players, as following the plot was more important to him.
Of course, except for the likes of Edward.
That kind of person, he generally hits them each ti he sees them. These types of people simply deserve it.
The third change is the last sentence on the occupation panel.
...
"In every level-up hereafter, you will be able to choose the direction of evolution for your occupation."
"(Direction 1) Bright Night Clone: Enhance the ’Bright’ and ’Shadow’ states’ combat abilities, survival abilities, freedom of action, and clue exploration abilities."
"(Direction 2) Judgnt: Enhance the ’Judgnt’ skill’s single-target control ability and group suppression ability. Enhance the emotional infusion effect’s infectivity."
...
He stared at the panel, pondering, as sowhat ethereal footsteps sounded behind him.
He turned his head and saw a pale, stern young man.
"...So you’re going to be Bai Shen from now on?" Fengchang said.
After handing over the Black Python Authority, he looked considerably weaker, even his walking posture trembled, like soone who had been ill for a long ti.
Authority, if it could be handed over so easily, would be too much of a child’s play. Since Fengchang chose to give up the authority he had followed for a long ti, it was as if he had torn off his strength, both skin and bones.
...To maintain the secrecy of conservative faith, he had actually gone this far.
"If I can successfully obtain the Black Crow Authority... I will beco Bai Shen," Su Ming’an said.
Fengchang moved closer, his slightly trembling hand resting on the edge of the window, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
The dim light of the oil lamp shone on his scarred hands, marks left from protecting his tribespeople against toxic rains.
"To beco a deity in a human body... it seems so simple." Fengchang said softly.
Su Ming’an remained silent.
Xiber could never beco a deity, for she was hindered by her identity as a heretic, unable to garner "faith."
Being a person of Qiongdi, she could never break the ga from the perspective of soone within the system.
"...I used to think, Lord Bai Shen, born from the purest faith, was a blessing from heaven," Fengchang said. "But later I discovered that deities... are rely combinations of several elents. As long as conditions are t, even an outsider like you could beco a deity. Then what exactly is our faith?"
"Outsiders, through a simplified and extre mode of thinking, turn so concepts into awe-inspiring representations of ’great justice’ and honor them with the beautiful na of divine right," Su Ming’an said. "You are the most clear-headed person in Qiongdi, clearer than Xiber; you don’t need to ask these things."
Fengchang frowned deeply, his anger filled towards the people beyond the Black Wall.
His ancestors, having actively built the Black Wall to isolate the curse, yet outsiders still dared to fabricate faith, alter legends, and deceive the people of Qiongdi to such an extent.
"In that underground laboratory, the ho letters of Zhao Weidong and Fang Ping, you’ve seen them too," Su Ming’an said.
"...I’ve read them."
"Hatred isn’t as absolute as it seems. There are people outside who want to destroy you, but also those who want to save you," Su Ming’an paused for a mont before suddenly asking, "...How is Xiber doing?"
Fengchang pointed towards the room behind him, indicating that she was receiving treatnt.
Upon realizing that Xiber was not the source of calamity for Qiongdi, he didn’t wish to eradicate her completely. However, to quell the public’s anger, he had to adopt the posture of executing a heretic.
At the recent succession ceremony, under the pretense of capturing a heretic, he had brought her into the Stone Fortress, in reality, to treat her.
"...You’d better compensate her well," Su Ming’an said. "You have always misunderstood her."
Fengchang remained silent.
An invisible gloom seed to lurk in his eyes and eyebrows, his fingers curled as though his entire body was strung tightly.
He seed to be pondering sothing, and after a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Su Ming’an," he said:
"...If in the beginning, your guide had been , that would have been better."
Su Ming’an raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise.
"If it had been accompanying you from the start, an unprotected Xiber would have crazily sacrificed life force, killing others," Su Ming’an said.
"...but now, the victor wouldn’t be her," Fengchang said.
"Yes, if that were the case, I would have chosen to help you and punish Xiber, that ’heretic,’ in the na of Bai Shen. She would not have lived till today," Su Ming’an said.
"So, it’s just a matter of stance between her and ."
"Naturally," Su Ming’an said. "All sources of conflict stem from stance—Xiber wants to beco a deity and wants to reveal the truth because she is a mainstream believer who was let down. You want stability and to suppress the truth because you bear the responsibility of Qiongdi’s stability. Whichever side I chose between you two would ensure one side’s failure. The one I matched with was her, so I will always help her; the ending is as simple as that."
"...You really are a pure utilitarian."
"Many people say that," Su Ming’an said. "By the way... where is your adventurer?"
He did not see Su Rin by Fengchang’s side and wondered where he had gone to cause trouble.
"I don’t know," Fengchang said. "He disappeared quite early on."
Su Ming’an was sowhat speechless.
He had always thought that Su Rin was forming a powerful alliance with Fengchang, the ruler of Qiongdi, planning so underworld dealings, but instead, the man had completely disappeared to go wild, even abandoning his own guide.
"Ding—Dang—"
A crisp clashing sound suddenly rang out.
A sacrificial saintess, wearing a plain white long dress, was walking gracefully, the silver bells on her waist ringing.
"Have you beco obsessed with cross-dressing?" Su Ming’an said.
Noel was still in a long dress despite there being no need for disguise anymore, leaving one to wonder for whose fetish he was indulging.
...Perhaps he was indulging the fetishes of the several hundred million viewers outside?
He had heard from the barrage of ssages that the forums were already dominated by major fan works...
"I’m here to tell you sothing," Noel coughed. "...Xiber can no longer be saved."
Fengchang’s gaze slightly hardened.
"The life force sacrificed cannot be reclaid, her body has completely deteriorated," Noel said. "Su Ming’an, if your path to a perfect pass has nothing to do with her, just give up on her. You are only one step away from Bai Shen, and you can already sweep across Qiongdi."
Su Ming’an was silent.
His TE route was "Day of Blossoming," which could be achieved by becoming Bai Shen; indeed, Xiber was irrelevant to the route.
"First, take to see her," Su Ming’an said.
Noel nodded and led him to the upper levels of Stone Fortress.
This room, Su Ming’an was very familiar with, was exactly Cici’s room from five years ago.
On the table stood a family portrait made with special craftsmanship, and the corner of the room was piled with large plush toys, the whole room decorated in cozy, adorable pink, with so scattered butterfly-knot ornants resting in the jewelry box.
Such a room seed to fit the identity of a fifteen-year-old girl, the temperant she displayed had long made him forget her real age.
She had matured through endless reincarnations, a passive growth that was regrettable.
Entering the room, Su Ming’an saw Guang Li sitting by the bed, her side accompanied by the teacher Fang Ping with braided pigtails who had once brought sweet potatoes to Xiber’s cabin, a kind soul aiding children.
Her eyebrows were tightly furrowed at this mont, her eyes clear as the river Seine beneath them.
"Can’t be healed?" Su Ming’an asked directly.
"...Yes, Cici..." Fang Ping was about to speak when Xiber on the bed opened her eyes.
Her eyes were still as deep as the ocean, but within the pupils, there was a visible ring of sludge-like shadows.
"Guang Li, Fang Ping, both of you leave," she said.
Fang Ping sighed and before leaving said, "Chang Sheng asked you to visit him when you’re free. He lives just east of the rain shield. He wants to give you candy."
"Who wants his candy, they’re all stones from the river... let him go play by himself," Xiber said.
Fang Ping didn’t persuade further, and with several others’ departure, the room was left with only Su Ming’an.
Xiber lay in bed, her hair spread out dry and white like a layer of snow about to lt.
"You know I’ll be reincarnated after I die," she said.
This was already known between the two of them since she had previously tried to shoot herself in mid-air, revealing this fact.
"I know," Su Ming’an said.
"Good," she said, "...If you believe in , that’s enough."
...
[NPC (Xiber) Favorability: 95 points.]
...
She closed her eyes briefly, wrinkles now marking her face.
"I’m going to die..." she said.
"You won’t die," Su Ming’an said, "Do you want to hear a story?"
"...Go on," Xiber blinked.
Su Ming’an thought for a mont and told Xiber the twisted fairy tales that the madman Boris had once spoken of.
The sea-daughter cut off the sailors’ legs, Cinderella killed the prince who ca for her, and the Lettuce Maiden destroyed a kingdom with lettuce...
After talking for over an hour, even the viewers started to wonder why Su Ming’an would do such a aningless thing, why he would tell stories to a dying person unrelated to a perfect pass of the instance.
[Shock, Number One Player is actually doing sothing completely unrelated to the instance?]
[This is a peak competition instance, and he still has the leisure to tell stories to soone...]
[Has Lighthouse changed? This story is quite compelling...]
[...]
"...Later, the princess killed the prince who ca to marry her, escaped a lifeti of confinent in the palace, and founded her own kingdom, becoming a queen..."
Xiber kept listening quietly, like a little girl about to fall asleep.
She listened, her expression serene.
Until her hair turned completely withered yellow and her eyes slowly closed.
Until her face was completely covered with wrinkles and her breath beca faint—
She was dying.
She opened her mouth, her voice very faint.
"Okay, after I die this ti, I will definitely rember you..." she said, "You must... save again..."
...
[NPC (Xiber) Favorability: 100 points.]
...
Su Ming’an stopped talking, watching her, weak as a thread.
"No need for a next ti... I’ve already co to save you," he said.
"Co with , Xiber."
...
"Ding-dong!"
[Triggered Third Rank Ruler Skill "Follower": You can take a npc who is fully favorable towards you as a "Follower" (this action requires the other party’s consent), limited to once per instance.]
...
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