Chapter 401: Snow Mountain (I) — The Fifth Day of the Fifth Month

Unknown time, unknown location. A large bus drove slowly down a deserted highway.

The road was old, the asphalt surface riddled with cracks. As the wheels rolled over it, the bus bounced, causing the passengers’ heads to mechanically bump against the seatbacks, producing dull “thump-thump” sounds.

On both sides of the highway stretched an endless wasteland. Low, scattered tents dotted the chest-high wild grass. The fabric, faded and tattered from sun and wind exposure, hung limply. In the blink of an eye, a rotting hand seemed to reach out.

The sky was gloomy, as if rain was imminent. Outside the bus, strong winds blew in continuous gusts, flattening the wild grass and revealing scattered travel bags and clothes nearby.

Objects in the distance were backlit, appearing as vague, indistinct black shadows when viewed from the bus. They seemed to move slowly alongside the vehicle, but stopped whenever one looked directly at them.

Inside the bus, it was very quiet. Even though half the seats were occupied, most people had their eyes closed, resting. The few who were awake stared straight ahead, quietly attending to their own matters.

Sitting next to Qi Si was a young woman with a large belly. A serene smile hung on her lips, and she was using knitting needles to sew a baby’s hat.

Strangely, the yarn in her hands had run out, yet she continued to repeat the sewing motion endlessly, her smile fixed and unchanging as if stitched onto her face. Watching her for too long felt utterly bizarre.

Qi Si sat in a window seat in the back row, staring blankly at the front seats.

Today was May fifth, the day the Final Dungeon was set to begin.

According to the information gathered previously, the Final Dungeon would take the form of players holding Identity Cards entering the black Tower of Babylon behind the World Tree in the Ruins of the Sunset, climbing the tower floor by floor, accompanied by their respective Minor Card holders.

But clearly, the information was wrong.

Qi Si had inexplicably lost consciousness at midnight on May fourth. When he opened his eyes again, he was already on this bus.

His divine power and authority had vanished into thin air, and even the special bracelet on his wrist was gone. He seemed to have reverted to being a player who was nothing more than ordinary, stripped of all his special characteristics. All he could utilize were his skills, items, and the power of his Identity Card.

Qi Si wasn’t even sure if he had been pulled into a dungeon, directly sent into the Tower of Babylon, or perhaps teleported to some Haunted Domain in the real world.

There was no System interface and no mission prompt. Furthermore, the environment felt so real, possibly a genuine location existing in the actual world… Who could tell?

Not only that, but ever since he woke up on the bus, Qi Si noticed that most of the crimson leaves in his Mind Palace were missing. His connection with Dong Xiwen and Zhang Yiyu was completely severed, leaving no trace, as if he had never signed a contract with them or acquired their souls.

It seemed “the other him” had made a move. He just didn’t know if that “him” had any connection with the rules or the Ancestral God… “Brother Qi, there’s something wrong with the people on this bus.” Lin Chen’s voice came through the soul leaf. “I have a distinct feeling of being watched…”

“Don’t overthink it. I’m sitting behind you; maybe I’m the one watching you.” Qi Si offered an irresponsible consolation, then closed his eyes to rest, mentally sorting through the remaining soul leaves in his Mind Palace.

The two Minor Cards, 【Noble】 and 【Merchant】, were still under his control, but the whereabouts of the corresponding two teammates were unknown. Only he and Lin Chen were on the bus.

And only he and Lin Chen were confirmed players.

“Brother Qi, I suspect we are currently in some sort of death trap. The old man to my left keeps eating, but his bowl is empty; the young girl in front of me clearly has her back turned, yet I can feel her gaze fixed on me…”

Lin Chen gathered information by moving his gaze while simultaneously transmitting his conclusions to Qi Si.

Their meeting in the Ruins of the Sunset had ended too abruptly. At the time, Qi Si had told him about the Ancestral God’s existence in a tone resembling a final testament and suggested that he could switch allegiance to Fu Jue.

“I can’t guarantee I’ll win in the end, nor can I continue to look out for your safety. If you keep following me, you might die an unexplained death,” Qi Si had said.

Lin Chen naturally wouldn’t leave at a time like this. His life had been saved by Qi Si, and dying for Qi Si would be a fitting end. He only felt guilt—

Ultimately, he wasn’t strong enough, which was why Qi Si worried about him. He wished he could become more useful and genuinely help Qi Si in the dungeon.

He had spent the entire day on May fourth preparing for the Final Dungeon, first reviewing the Game Mall and exchanging all his points for the most cost-effective items, then watching numerous past dungeon recordings and studying guides… As soon as midnight passed, at zero o’clock, he was halfway through a guide when his head swam and his vision blurred, and he found himself sitting on the bus.

He was in the front row, and Qi Si was in the back row, about a meter apart—not too far.

Lin Chen gripped the surgical knife he had just purchased from the Mall and said, “Brother Qi, I estimated the bus speed is eighty kilometers per hour, and the chassis height is twenty centimeters. We could jump out the front door…”

Qi Si sighed, “Lin Chen, if you’re really scared, just switch seats with the lady to my left and come sit here.”

Lin Chen was startled, but quickly understood that Qi Si intended to remain on the bus.

Could this not be a death trap, but rather a plot introduction?

Thinking about it, no matter how difficult the Final Dungeon was, it wouldn’t immediately throw people into a guaranteed death situation. Five minutes had passed without any crisis appearing, so the possibility of this being a death trap could largely be ruled out.

Lin Chen, realizing he was worrying needlessly, gave a slightly awkward “Mm,” stood up from his seat, and walked into the aisle.

Ahead on the road, a small mound suddenly appeared, looking like a grave.

The bus took a sharp turn, causing all the passengers to fall straight forward with a clattering sound.

More than half the passengers instantly vanished. On the seat where the woman beside Qi Si had been, only a small mahogany box remained, topped with a half-knitted wool hat.

Black and white portraits of the deceased were scattered on the floor. Every face held a bizarre smile, and their pitch-black, lifeless eyes slowly turned to stare at Qi Si and Lin Chen.

Lin Chen held his breath, approaching Qi Si step by step, his expression slightly rigid. “Brother Qi, besides us, I’m afraid everyone on this bus is a ghost…”

“It appears so for now.” Qi Si also stood up, stepped over the portraits on the floor, and stood in the center of the aisle.

After rounding the mound, the bus stabilized. Although it was still bumpy, people could at least stand and sit steadily.

The fallen portraits vibrated, stood upright, and successively jumped back into their seats. The old man picked up his empty bowl again, and the woman resumed her knitting.

The sky outside the window grew gloomier. Heavy black clouds blanketed the desolate wilderness like a lid.

The wind intensified, letting out wailing, ghostly cries. Swaths of grass were flattened, revealing white stems that looked like the earth had grown fangs.

A shrill female voice, mixed with static, came from the driver’s seat: “Dear passengers, we are traveling to the purest and highest Snow Mountain Sacred Land. Your cemeteries are located halfway up the mountain, under the protection and blessing of the Mother God.

“This is a geomantically blessed treasure land we have carefully selected for you. Geographically, it backs onto mountains and faces water, with convenient transport; culturally, it boasts a long history and friendly neighbors. Buried there, after being cleansed of all sins, we shall return to the Mother God’s embrace, ushering in true rebirth and a beautiful cycle of reincarnation!”

This speech sounded like a property listing, but the subject had been swapped to a cemetery, and the audience was no longer the living, but the deceased.

The so-called “Mother God,” if expectations held true, was the Ancestral God who had been devoured billions of years ago—the Master of Life and Breath whose resurrection process was blocked in the Frog Hospital, and the “Huo” nearing revival in the Holy City dungeon… As someone who had once participated in devouring the Ancestral God and had recently competed with the Ancestral God for a body, Qi Si had absolutely no desire to return to the Mother God’s embrace. “Rebirth” and “reincarnation” for him would likely be equivalent to being eaten by the Ancestral God and melted down for recycling.

“Brother Qi, is this dungeon related to the Ancestral God?” Lin Chen frowned slightly. “Not only is She a participant, but She is also the rule-setter. Could our presence here be Her way of targeting us?”

“It’s possible.” Qi Si nodded. “So it’s still not too late for you to distance yourself from me. As an Identity Card holder of the same path as Her, She will likely show you a little more patience.”

Was he joking, or did he mean something else?

Communicating via the soul leaf, Lin Chen couldn’t discern Qi Si’s tone, but the content of the words made his heart jump.

For some time now, he had a faint feeling that Qi Si might genuinely be prepared to die in a dungeon.

More accurately, at some unknown point, Qi Si’s desire to survive and his interest in clearing dungeons had become extremely faint. He was merely continuing the game process out of the inertia of winning.

His connection to reality felt too ethereal and shallow, like a wisp of smoke that could break at any moment, or a dream about to end… Lin Chen couldn’t grasp the origin of this thought and decided not to dwell on it, changing the subject instead: “Brother Qi, shouldn’t we get off the bus as soon as possible? I’ve read forum posts about death traps involving buses. Once we reach the final destination, we’ll probably be treated as corpses and buried in the cemetery.”

“Wait a little longer. After all, I don’t think our chances of survival are any higher if we jump out of the moving bus, given our current physical state,” Qi Si said with slight humor.

He stepped past Lin Chen, steadying himself on the seats as he walked toward the driver’s seat.

Instantly, the gaze of every deceased passenger in the entire bus focused on him, carrying obvious malice and craving, as if they might rush forward at any moment and devour him alive.

These deceased were not the communicative NPCs found in dungeons, nor were they the ghosts in reality who desperately avoided him. They seemed more like filthy entities condensed from malice and all negative things, driven by instinct to consume him.

Qi Si ignored these gazes, settling himself just behind and to the side of the driver’s seat.

He saw a sign conspicuously nailed to the fare box near the entrance, on which three lines of text were written in dark red paint:

【1. The destination of this vehicle is Snow Mountain Sacred City. It will pass through two stops: getting off is allowed but getting on is forbidden at the station before the tunnel; getting on is allowed but getting off is forbidden at the station after the tunnel.】

【2. The Driver is obligated to ensure the safety of all ticketed passengers. Passengers on the bus are generally forbidden from attacking one another.】

【3. Please keep your ticket safe. If you lose your ticket, please purchase a replacement as soon as possible.】

The writing was faded in many places, and the surface paint ran down, looking like splashed blood.

The Driver slowly and stiffly turned his head, his joints emitting a rustling friction sound. His voice was hoarse: “Is there something you need?”

Only then did Qi Si notice that the Driver, clad in a military overcoat, was a paper figure. Two streaks of rouge were painted on his flat, pale face, and his protruding eyes stared fixedly at people.

The voice that had just introduced the cemetery came from a mouth embedded in the center of the steering wheel. Its lips were painted bright red, and its white, sharp fangs were distinctly visible.

Qi Si casually checked his pockets but didn’t find anything that could be called a ticket.

He offered a faux-apologetic smile and quietly asked, “I’d like to purchase a replacement ticket. How should I proceed?”

The Driver’s voice came from deep within his chest cavity: “Exchange it for something you obtained from the Mother God.”

Qi Si narrowed his eyes.

He had obtained quite a lot from the Ancestral God: authority, souls, and even everything that belonged to “Pact”… Was this an attempt to reclaim those bestowed items?

Lin Chen followed Qi Si the entire time. After seeing the three lines of rules written on the sign, he quickly realized that having a ticket meant staying on the bus was likely safer than getting off.

Setting aside the rule that passengers couldn’t attack each other, just considering this desolate wilderness—with Snow Mountain Sacred City as the destination—they didn’t know how many dangers they would encounter along the way.

He thought for a moment and said to the Driver, “I also want to purchase a replacement ticket.”

The Driver repeated, “Exchange it for something you obtained from the Mother God.”

Qi Si mostly understood now. The phrase “something you obtained from the Mother God” didn’t solely refer to the authority gained by the gods, nor was the Driver asking him to return the items to their original owner.

Broadly speaking, everything in the world was derived from the Ancestral God’s flesh and blood, including life and souls, and naturally, the many items containing authority within the strange game.

Immediately, he took out the 【Ghost Driver’s Recorder】 and handed it toward the Driver, asking, “Will this work?”

The Driver raised a hand to take the recorder, examined it by rolling his eyeballs up and down for a moment, then stuffed the recorder into his split-open stomach and retrieved a piece of yellow paper to hand to Qi Si.

Qi Si saw that his face was printed on the yellow paper in black-gray ink, wearing a sinister expression, as if it were a portrait of the deceased drawn for him.

Lin Chen also took out the 【Camera Filter】 and handed it to the Driver. Since acquiring the 【Human Skin Mask】, this item, which could only slightly adjust one’s appearance, had become useless.

The sky was almost completely black now. A blood-red moon hung high in the night sky, casting a crimson light.

Having received their tickets, Qi Si and Lin Chen returned to their respective seats and pressed against the window glass to observe the scenery outside.

Animals gradually appeared on the formerly barren grassland, identifiable by their shapes as yaks and goats. These animals ran in droves in the direction the bus was moving, as if rushing toward a prearranged feast.

A goat ran close beside the bus, turned its head toward Qi Si, and its bizarre horizontal pupils met Qi Si’s gaze through the glass, conveying silent despair and sorrow.

It seemed not to be moving forward willingly, but rather being pulled by a force, rushing toward certain death.

Qi Si saw tents again. Various rotting tents, resembling grave mounds, were pitched in the surging ocean of sheep and cattle. Blown sideways by the gale, the canvas fluttered like flags.

But there were no people. The people who had pitched these tents were gone, as if they had vanished into thin air.

The bus stopped. The shrill female voice and the hoarse male voice simultaneously came from the direction of the driver’s seat: “Those without tickets, please alight at this stop.”

No one got off. Qi Si and Lin Chen had just purchased replacement tickets, making them legal passengers for now.

The bus started moving again, passing a broken stone tablet by the roadside and heading toward the continuous mountain range that abruptly rose from the flat ground ahead.

There seemed to be characters carved on the stone tablet, which Qi Si couldn’t clearly make out. However, he could clearly see thick blood gushing from the tablet’s broken surface, as if a living entity had been slashed by a knife.

Qi Si wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but the moment the bus passed the stone tablet, the sky grew darker, and the ground became much blacker.

Even the previously howling wind quieted down, changing direction to blow more lightly and distantly, as if they had just entered the domain of malicious ghosts from the realm of the living, afraid to speak loudly.

At the same time, Xu Yao’s soul leaf vibrated, transmitting a message: “Qi Si, this place is truly godforsaken. They dumped me and a handsome guy here at a platform, and I have no idea when the bus is coming…”