The next day, 10 PM on the dot.
The one and only livestream channel ever hosted by the Nightmare App was open.
Even before it started, tens of thousands of players across the country had tuned in, and the number continued to soar with each passing second. It was apparent that all players’ eyes were on this channel at this very mont. The Nightmare had even enabled the live chat feature, allowing players to interact with each other in real ti. They could also choose whether to go anonymous or not. This gave rise to a strange feeling, as though the Nightmare, too, was keeping up with the current trend.
Two or three minutes had passed, yet the screen remained dark.
The players, growing restless and impatient, spamd the chat relentlessly.
[What’s going on? Where’s the Divine Oracle?]
[Are we really going to watch Sword of Heaven’s last mont? Damn, I’m scared...]
[It must be grueso. The one who could kill him must be a high-level nightmare creature!!!]
[Wuwuwu our fourth Legendary player has just ascended recently, so how could he die all of a sudden?]
[RIP Sword of Heaven.]
[RIP 2]
[RIP 3 I’ve once entered the sa Cycle as him. He’s a good ol’ guy.]
[...Help, I’m scared as well.]
[I don’t want to watch, but I also don’t want to miss out on the news.]
[You guys are so sure that the one who killed him is a nightmare creature. I bet it’s a fellow player! Imagine all the props and skill card you can obtain from killing a Legendary player!]
[LOL what’s the odd that the Divine Oracle is the one who killed him?]
[Kill him, then broadcast it live? Upstairs, are you sick??]
[Am I the only one who’s not curious about how he died? The world of Legendary players is beyond us. It’s obvious that he died in a high-level Cycle. Co on, it’s not even mandatory. He’s the one who jumped there on his own. I can only say he deserved it.]
[??? Are my eyes playing a trick on ? How does the Divine Oracle beco a suspect all of a sudden?!]
[Leave my idol out of this!]
[Lmaoo so what if the Oracle is the killer? Will he be proven guilty? Nah, it’s Sword of Heaven’s fault for being too weak.]
[Well said, upstairs!]
[You said Sword of Heaven is weak??? I dare you to switch off your anonymous status. If he’s weak, what are you? A puny ant??]
[My idol is dead, and now his death is going to be broadcasted live? Can you guys spare him a bit of dignity... QAQ]
[The Oracle is too much! What does he plan to achieve by doing this?!]
[LOL the Oracle can do whatever he wants. If you don’t want to watch, just click exit and leave the channel. What are you doing yapping your mouth here?]
Sword of Heaven and Divine Oracle’s die-hard fans tore at each other in the chat column. The two were Legendary players with huge fanbases, and so the battle was particularly fierce. On the other hand, the neutral side varied— so were apprehensive about the live stream, so were simply watching the drama, while the others fanned the fla behind the scene, feeling a sense of schadenfreude for Song Yunshi’s death.
This lasted for fifteen whole minutes until a slight rustle ca from the screen, followed by a man’s deep, languid voice laced with huskiness:
"Sorry everyone, I accidentally fell asleep."
The rolling comnts paused for a split second before it visibly surged with such speed that the words nearly beca a blur.
[It’s the Divine Oracle! The Divine Oracle ahhh! I’m a huge fan!]
[My God has finally co online!]
[Idol, please notice !]
[Why aren’t you turning on your cara? Co on, we’ve been waiting for this!]
[Are you really going to broadcast Sword of Heaven’s death? That’s so fucking cruel.]
[Just leave him alone, for God’s sake! He’s already dead, so what are you doing this for?!]
[Ahhhh, it’s starting, it’s starting, I’m so excited!]
[Mama, I’m scared. I can’t do this. Let go to the bathroom first.]
[I’m not a fan, but why does his voice sound so nice?]
[Upstairs, you’re not alone! My voice-con ears are tingling ahhhh!]
"Shall we start?" he chuckled lightly.
Very few people knew that the Divine Oracle was blind both in reality and the Nightmare Cycle, and yet he still managed to address the players’ doubts with terrifying precision. "Oh before that, if you’re wondering if I’m the one who stabbed the Sword of Heaven behind his back, unfortunately you’re wrong." He clicked his tongue as though he genuinely felt remorseful for missing out on the opportunity, rendering the players speechless for a couple of seconds.
Then he continued, "And if you’re asking where I obtained this clip from, well... you should ask the deceased himself. He’s the one who asked to do him this favor if he’s truly dead one day. Tsk, I didn’t expect the ti would co so soon."
The rowdy crowd was stunned by the revelation, causing the barrage of comnts to pause for a few seconds.
All this ti, they had been arguing who could be so vile to record Sword of Heaven’s last monts and broadcast it in public, yet it turned out the culprit was... the man himself???
Why? What exactly was his purpose?
Ignoring the ruckus he stirred up, Divine Oracle cackled heartily before saying, "Shall we watch it right now? The fall of the mighty and righteous Sword of Heaven!"
Following this ominous remark, the black screen flickered slightly before it showed a desolate expanse of overcast sky and scorched landscape frad by jagged hills.
For two whole seconds, the players had no idea what they were supposed to see. Until the cara shifted slightly and—
A massive black hole was seen among the clouds, as though soone had punched a hole through the sky. It churned like a violent whirlpool, dragging the clouds into a spiraling storm, while countless dark tendrils cascaded down, wriggling and swaying in a chaotic manner.
The sight was so bizarre that it unmistakable chills down everyone’s spine.
And Song Yunshi was currently facing the colossal entity with his back to the cara. In his grasp was a long sword made up of condensed light, befitting of his official title. Despite the wounds on his body and his blood-soaked clothes, his back remained ramrod straight, exuding unparalleled sense of power and resilience.
The rolling comnts instantly grew wild.
[W-What the hell is that thing?]
[Fuck, I knew this would be bloody!]
[Helppp, what kind of Cycle is this?!]
[I’m dizzy and nauseous even when staring through the screen. Is this ntal corruption?]
[Nooo, I can’t bear watching any further...]
All of a sudden, Song Yunshi took off running. He gripped his sword with both hands, raised it high above his head, leaped toward the black hole and made a powerful slash—!
The recording had no sound. Yet in spite of that, everyone seed to hear the howling winds, the earth splitting apart, and the thunderous clash brought by this one attack. They subconsciously held their breaths, their hearts lodged in their throats.
A burst of blinding light erupted from Song Yunshi’s sword, swallowing the entire screen white, and then—
There’s no ’and then’. The recording ended there.
[?]
[?]
[???]
[...huh? That’s it?]
[What the hell is going on? Why can’t I understand anything???]
"That’s it?" The oracle echoed, disappointnt bleeding into his tone. "I don’t even mind the fact that it’s a soundless clip, but how could you cut it in the most important mont? Where’s your—" he was halfway through his heartfelt complaint when a loud commotion erupted, followed by the loud bang of the door being kicked open. His shocked exclamations traveled clearly through the speaker, "Hey, hey, who are you? This is illegal trespassing— you can’t do this to @%$^!()E—"
The voices from the live stream suddenly beca chaotic, catching everyone off guard.
[...??]
[???]
[W-What’s going on this ti?]
The noisy rustles on the other side continued for quite so ti before ceasing into silence. Then a cool female voice took over,
"Hello players, this is Sovereign of the Dead, Ying. Please do not panic and spread any inappropriate rumors. I’m simply inviting the Divine Oracle over for tea. We will also be having a friendly discussion while we’re at it. Thank you for your understanding. Have a good night."
Beep—
[Live stream has ended.]
The audience: ...?
The audience: !!!
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