Vol. 1 Chapter 25 – Reality? Illusion?

In less than a day, the village chief of Novice Village No. 60001’s affection for Ye Tian Xie had already reached the level of 『Confidant』, which undoubtedly put him in an excellent position during his time in the novice village. After bidding farewell to the village chief, Ye Tian Xie entered Old Wang the blacksmith’s forge.

“Hello, Uncle Blacksmith. Here are 500 wolf fangs. That should be enough to last you a while.” Ye Tian Xie smiled as he placed all the wolf fangs he had collected today in front of Old Wang the blacksmith. Old Wang stopped hammering, and with a sigh of amazement, said, “Brave one from another world, you’ve once again impressed me with your courage and generosity. Such fine crafting materials—I’m truly grateful beyond words.”

【Ding… You have successfully completed the quest 『Old Wang the Blacksmith’s Request』, earning 1,200 experience points and a level 5 apprentice assassin leggings. Because you exceeded Old Wang’s request by a great margin, his affection for you has increased by +15.”

【Ding… Old Wang the Blacksmith’s affection for you has increased to the level of 『Confidant』.】

Having completed the blacksmith’s request by more than ten times, although the material rewards hadn’t changed, the 15-point increase in affection made Ye Tian Xie quite satisfied.

Just as Ye Tian Xie was about to leave, Old Wang’s voice suddenly called out from behind, “Brave one, may I take a look at the ring on your hand? From that ring, I can sense a mysterious flow of power.”

Ye Tian Xie quickly turned around, removed the Ancient Life Ring from his finger, and placed it in front of Old Wang. The blacksmith picked up the ring, examined it carefully for a while, and then looked up, saying, “Indeed, this is a ring imbued with mysterious power. However, due to its age, it can no longer display its full potential. Brave one, would you allow me to reforge it? I am confident that I can awaken greater power in it. Consider this a small repayment for the great help you’ve provided to me and for reviving my wife.”

“Of course” Ye Tian Xie smiled calmly, though inside, he was so excited he could barely contain himself… Affection points, damn, they are so amazing!

“Thank you for your trust. I will need half a day to unleash its power. Come back after half a day, and I might just have a surprise for you” Old Wang said with a cheerful smile.

“Alright.”

Leaving the blacksmith’s shop, Ye Tian Xie bought a small pile of reasonably tasty fruits from the grocery store and ate until his hunger metre was completely emptied. Feeling a bit of guilt, he even left one of each kind of fruit for Guo Guo. Speaking of which, since returning to the Eternal Moment, Guo Guo hadn’t come out—probably, possibly, or maybe, she just overslept.

Ye Tian Xie glanced at the time and closed his eyes, whispering, 《Log off》.

The world in front of him spun, and when his vision cleared again, he was staring at the familiar wall. It was already 8 p.m., and after eight hours without eating, he naturally felt hungry. He sat up, picked up the remote, and turned on the TV, then stood up to search for something to eat… but the news broadcast on the screen made him suddenly stop in his tracks, his brow furrowing unconsciously.

“…At 7:30 this afternoon, Pross, the president of Tianwai Corporation, the developer and publisher of the world of 『Destiny』, suddenly passed away in his home. The cause of death is currently unknown, and an urgent investigation is underway. According to the expression on Pross’ face before his death and the confirmed handwritten note found by his side, initial conclusions suggest suicide…”

Pross… died!?

The world’s major media outlets were all covering the shocking news in great detail. No one had anticipated that, on the very day 『Destiny』 conquered almost the entire human race within less than 24 hours, its creator would die… The report mentioned that his body, both inside and out, was in perfect condition. There were no signs of damage, and no deadly substances were found in his system, yet Pross had mysteriously lost his life. The world’s top doctors tried to revive him using the most advanced pacemakers, but to no avail.

Next to his body was a suicide note. It was long, but the key lines were:《The online numbers far surpassing any virtual game in history prove 『Destiny』 success. My lifelong dream has finally been fulfilled, and I can now end this unremarkable life with peace of mind. Though I am no longer in this world, 『Destiny』 will never fall. Alpha has returned to his homeland, and from a distant place, he will continue to control everything in 『Destiny』…》

The last line of the note was written in deep red, blood-like ink: 【Cherish your… destiny!】

This striking and peculiar phrase sparked global discussion and speculation. Theories stemming from those words almost completely filled the online world.

As Ye Tian Xie’s gaze fixated on the serene expression on Pross’s face before his death, that faint smile showed no attachment to life but rather a sense of fulfilment and release. The mysterious words from Pross’s final press conference at noon echoed in Ye Tian Xie’s mind. After a long moment of contemplation, he muttered, 『Pross, what were you trying to say but couldn’t bring yourself to reveal?』

“Oh la la…that was such a nice sleep. Did master miss me… huh? What’s this place?”

Hearing that familiar and crisp voice, Ye Tian Xie—usually composed no matter the situation—felt as if he had seen an alien. His expression froze, his entire body stiffened, and he stood there utterly petrified.

An illusion… An illusion… It must be an illusion!

But the floating ball of white light shattered his attempt at self-deception.

The white orb of light ascended, rising to eye level with him. Suddenly, the light dispersed, revealing a petite girl gracefully turning mid-air. Her flowing black hair and white dress fluttered gently as a perfectly delicate face appeared before Ye Tian Xie’s astonished gaze.

“Huh? Master, what’s wrong? Why are you staring at me like that? Do you miss me too much?” Guo Guo moved a little closer, cupping her own face with her hands in an adorable display of shyness. Seeing that Ye Tian Xie remained in a daze, she puffed out her cheeks and hesitantly reached out to poke his forehead, “Hey, master…”

The sensation from the touch jolted Ye Tian Xie’s soul back into his body. He shook his head vigorously, his eyes locking onto Guo Guo as he lightly touched the spot on his forehead where she had poked him. Then, with a violent shake of his head, he looked again—Guo Guo was still there, gazing at him with a curious expression.

An illusion…

Could this not be an illusion…?

Then what on earth is happening?! Has the world gone mad? Why is this little thing here… what is going on?!

Ye Tian Xie reached out and, amidst Guo Guo’s surprised yelp, gently cupped her tiny body in his hands. The soft, cotton-like sensation in his palms was undeniably real. There was no way the world could create such a vivid hallucination.

Guo Guo shifted cautiously in his hands, lifting her head with a nervous and pitiful expression, “Master… Did I sleep too much…? Did I make you angry?”

“Guo Guo,” Ye Tian Xie looked at her seriously, “Answer me honestly… who are you really? And how did you manage to come out of the game world into here?!”

“Huh?” Guo Guo blinked at him, taking a moment to process the question before suddenly covering her mouth with a gasp. Her eyes widened in shock, and her face was filled with panic as she whispered softly, “This… this… this is another world… Oh no, I must have overslept and didn’t realise where I was coming out from. No wonder everything smells so strange… What do I do, what do I do, I shouldn’t have come out so early, oh no… what do I do…”

Her soft, self-pitying murmurs reached Ye Tian Xie’s ears without missing a single word…So she accidentally came here…?

This little thing…

Ye Tian Xie collapsed onto the sofa, his heart still filled with shock that refused to subside. He sighed helplessly, “Guo Guo, since you like calling me master so much, you should listen to me. If you keep hiding things from me, I might actually get angry.”

“Wahhh…” Guo Guo shook her head vigorously, looking up timidly. She released her hands from her lips, her big watery eyes gazing at him, and then she said, “I want a lollipop.”

Thud! Ye Tian Xie face planted onto the floor.