Chapter 447: Gods (XVIII) Lin Jue’s Plan

In the depths of a safe house converted from an air-raid shelter in Kazan, White Bear County, Meng Wenfei sat at her desk, watching information scroll rapidly across her computer screen.

The guild factions in the Eerie Game consisted only of Jiuzhou, Tingfeng, Sera, and the rest—at most, one could add the Balance Guild, which had a profound influence on reality, and the recently disruptive Unnamed Guild.

Most small guilds either relied on large ones, even being established as vassals under their direct instruction, or simply existed as loose organizations for mutual support, appearing without notice and vanishing silently.

Fengyu Guild belonged to the former category. When Meng Wenfei first founded the guild, she had already prepared to follow the Jiuzhou Guild. This was not only because of her long-standing admiration for Lin Jue and Fu Jue but also because she knew that human interests were destined to be incompatible with those of Ghosts; uniting to fight the Eerie Game together was the only responsible choice for the future of their race.

Over the past year, she had first led the Fengyu Guild to publicly announce its cooperation with the Jiuzhou Guild and then maintained a good reputation by befriending various players. In the end, she had secured a relatively stable path for the Fengyu Guild amidst the changes. Although some members had been sacrificed, the impact they faced was almost negligible compared to other guilds of the same level.

A week ago, Si Qi posted on the Eerie Game Forum, using the Eerie under his control as leverage to challenge Fu Jue.

Meng Wenfei vaguely remembered meeting the young man once at a guild representative conference. At that time, Lin Crow was making a name for himself and attracting most of the attention, while the young man followed humbly by Lin Crow’s side, attributing all achievements to Lin Crow’s appreciation.

But thinking back now, were things really that simple? Why had Lin Crow vanished while it was Si Qi who represented the Unnamed Guild to challenge Jiuzhou? Could someone who controlled so much power truly be content to remain a subordinate?

Reviewing the situation then with these doubts, the answer was obvious: Lin Crow was merely a puppet pushed to the forefront, while Si Qi was the true mastermind. But what was the use of knowing this now?

Meng Wenfei observed the trend of public opinion on the Forum. Watching the wave of condemnation against Fu Jue, she knew that this former savior had been pushed to a position where the whole world was his enemy, and no way out of the predicament could be found.

She hadn’t expected that in just one day, Fu Jue would give them a taste of their own medicine. He discarded all the prestige he had accumulated over the past thirty-six years to admit his identity as the Puppeteer, also staining the name that had long been buried in a grave and inscribed on a monument.

“Lin Jue,” Meng Wenfei’s lips moved, whispering the name silently.

The first time she heard this name was twenty-three years ago, on the day she first entered the Eerie Game.

She was only fourteen then, having been sent abroad by her parents to study. While unfamiliar with the place and people, she was caught in a bombing orchestrated by the Balance Church and watched her own limbs being shattered by the blast.

She thought death awaited her, and for a moment, her consciousness even seemed to snap as if she were already in the realm of the dead. But then, a silver-white light suddenly lit up in the darkness, and a voice told her she had become a player in the 【Eerie Game】 and could live again.

She entered the instance in a state of shock. When she came to her senses, she heard two players chatting softly. One of them smiled and said, “Hey, have you heard the rumor? The Ark Guild is about to make a move. Early next year, led by the great Lin Jue, they’ll confront the Supreme rules at the Ruins of the Sunset. Maybe they can end the Eerie Game in one go…”

What does death feel like? It is no different from being snatched from the human race and thrown into a lonely silence, where one knows not what existence is in the vast world.

Even after escaping death, one remains in a daze, ignorant and confused, as if merely pushed from the void into the domain of Ghosts, surrounded by demons and monsters.

The emergence of the terms “Ark Guild” and “Lin Jue” truly pulled Meng Wenfei out of that helpless state of mind. Suddenly, she realized the existence of her own kind; in this world, she was not alone.

After escaping the instance, Meng Wenfei immediately went to the game Forum to gather information about the Ark Guild and Lin Jue. She learned that in this large-scale supernatural phenomenon whose origins no one knew, there was a group of people who had always insisted on maintaining order and peace, uniting to find a way to end the game.

They seemed close to success. As the guild leader, Lin Jue had more than once shared the Ark Guild’s research progress and action plans in public, smilingly promising victory to everyone and calling on players to follow him to deal a fatal blow to the Eerie Game one day.

Everyone shouted the same slogan, their thoughts merging into a single tide. Those who newly joined the collective hallucination drifted unconsciously with the flow, yet believed it was their own independent choice. Naturally, after learning of Lin Jue’s deeds, Meng Wenfei felt admiration for him, just like all the people waiting for a savior to rescue them.

The top player on the overall strength rankings, the person who entered the Eerie Game earliest and adapted to it best, the Guild Leader Lin whom even gods were willing to speak with as equals… with all these dazzling halos upon him, he was truly like the Protagonist of the era; it was only natural that he would achieve the final victory.

So, in early February 2014, half a year later, when she learned that Lin Jue had died during the Twilight of the Gods at the Ruins of the Sunset, Meng Wenfei’s first reaction was disbelief, followed by a sense of panic.

The operation most likely to end the Eerie Game had failed, and the top players had been lost. Where should ordinary people like them go?

There were many people as anxious as she was, until half a year later when Fu Jue rose rapidly, and the wavering hearts of the people gradually stabilized.

Even though their appearances were not similar at all, Meng Wenfei felt from the beginning that the two were very alike—not just in name, but also in their positions, the direction of public opinion, and their trajectories… Fu Jue perfectly took Lin Jue’s place, stepping in to take over what Lin Jue had been doing but hadn’t finished. It was so seamless that many later players didn’t even know of “Lin Jue’s” existence, thinking that the one standing on that altar had been Fu Jue from the very beginning.

Humanity needed such a person, so “Lin Jue” and “Fu Jue” appeared one after another, just at the right time.

The whispers among players soon changed to: “Hey, have you heard the rumor? Several major guilds might be led by the great Fu Jue to cooperate and deal with the Final Dungeon…”

Meng Wenfei later met Fu Jue a few times due to guild matters. While she admired his strength, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of resistance toward his cold attitude. In private, she often had an inexplicable thought: If Lin Jue were in that position, he would probably be much more approachable, right?

Even though she had never met Lin Jue, just as humans tend to beautify the path not taken, she believed Lin Jue was a gentle person full of goodwill toward the world.

At this moment, the wild masquerade in the forest was coming to an end. The fairies and Ghosts were waking up one after another from the frantic drumbeats, tearing off their brilliant masks in their final drunken stupor to bite each other until their flesh was mangled and their bones were exposed.

Lin Jue, Fu Jue, and the Puppeteer—these three seemingly unrelated identities were tied into a knot. A piece of white paper stained with filth was destined to never be cleaned. The pure white statue belonging to “Lin Jue” collapsed in an instant, and all his actions were covered in the name of a conspiracy.

Meng Wenfei sensed a feeling called “the end.” This was the ultimate gamble where both sides recklessly staked everything. The general trend pushed everyone to the brink of the finale, and ordinary people had no choice but to wait and watch.

She couldn’t see through it; she couldn’t see through anything. After thinking for a long time, she finally picked up her phone and dialed a number: “Hello, Yunyang, it’s me. Do you know what’s going on with Fu Jue?”

Li Yunyang knew nothing.

She was a professional soldier. Having entered the Eerie Game just six months ago, she was transferred to the Bureau of Anomaly Affairs through internal military channels. Her communication with Fu Jue basically didn’t exceed the scope of superior-subordinate and senior-junior relations.

Only once, before entering an instance, Fu Jue said to her: “Respond to all changes by remaining unchanged, and then just try your best to survive.”

But that time, Fu Jue had intentionally used her to restrain the high-level officials in the Bureau of Anomaly Affairs who were dissatisfied with his management. That sentence, rather than being out of concern, was more like an instruction for her to complete the task.

The Puppeteer uses a conspiracy to purge opponents in the Bureau of Anomaly Affairs… This headline would definitely cause an uproar on the game Forum, wouldn’t it?

Li Yunyang hung up the phone, quickly sealed the last gap in her protective suit, and ordered through the built-in intercom: “All members of Team 3-518, check your equipment. We’re heading to Riverside Estate.”

The Investigators followed Li Yunyang silently and boarded the military truck. No matter how the high-level officials of the Eerie Investigation Bureau changed, clearing Eerie and protecting the people was always their duty.

But everyone, including Li Yunyang, inevitably ruminated on what had happened these past few days.

Before Fu Jue admitted his identity as the Puppeteer, most of them were supporters of Lin Jue or Fu Jue, participating in mission after mission with a simple sense of justice to punish evil and promote good, and a beautiful vision of saving humanity, willing to trade their sacrifices for the end of the Eerie.

But now, the person who once stood under the spotlight preaching noble ideals and purposes, instilling the so-called belief in saving the world, was actually the leader of the Sera Guild, which symbolized sin and slaughter—the legendary, inhuman, evil, and insane “Puppeteer,” the very existence they had always regarded as their mortal enemy… How much of the past was true, and how much was false?

Even if Lin Jue did have his difficulties and used the identity of the “Puppeteer” to wipe out all Slaughter-path players in line with utilitarian principles; even if, in the face of wavering hearts, only iron-fisted dictatorial methods and awe-inspiring malice could stabilize the situation and minimize internal friction… most people still couldn’t accept this level of unscrupulousness.

Just as Si Qi said, rational people like Lin Jue are a minority in the world. Otherwise, why has the trolley problem been debated for so many years without a standard answer?

To trade controllable sacrifices for the survival of more people is inevitably too cold-blooded. The person who makes such a decision has already exiled himself from the ranks of humanity and will eventually be rejected and feared as a non-human monster.

Lin Jue had no way back and could not turn around. Fortunately, he had always been an arrogant person. His past plans never needed the understanding of others; he only needed to stubbornly ensure that every step was strictly implemented.

Now, he finally had practical control over the helm of the great ship called “Humanity” and could mobilize a large number of Chips to execute his plan… Deep in the fifth basement level, in a containment room encased in new alloys and concrete, the electronic screen on the iron door displayed the corresponding information:

【Eerie Name: Sea God】

【Type: God】

【Danger Level: S】

【Remarks: The Sea God who has returned to the world through a human soul and shell, the most loyal follower of the Progenitor God and an extension of its will. Its human soul has been completely contaminated by the god; except for some residual memories, it is no different from a true god. The contamination is currently being controlled by Puppet Threads, effectiveness unknown.】

Lin Jue walked to the door holding a rusted bronze sword. After scanning his face, the screen flashed the words 【Identification Passed】, the iron door opened automatically, and he stepped straight into the room.

Unlike the containment room that previously held the Sea God’s corpse, which was filled with the smell of brine and phantoms of marine creatures, the room before him was dark and cold. A young man wearing a trench coat and gold-rimmed glasses sat in the center, quietly flipping through a book.

Except for the translucent spider silk extending from the four corners of the room to bind the young man’s limbs, everything here was no different from an ordinary cell in a federal prison.

Lu Li had been escorted back to Jiang City via a military truck along another route after Lin Jue, the Tingfeng Guild, and others landed. He had been surprisingly cooperative throughout the journey, whether because he was controlled by the Puppet Threads or because he simply didn’t have much will to resist.

Seeing Lin Jue enter, he put down the book in his hand. His tone and expression were as usual: “Guild Leader, what do you plan to do next?”

He was undoubtedly speaking to the Puppeteer as a member of the Sera Guild, the smile at the corners of his mouth carrying a hint of temptation: “Eighty percent of humanity is in your hands. As long as you are willing to give up a few unrealistic ideas, the position of the Progenitor God will be within your reach. And as long as you become the Progenitor God, all problems will be solved.

“Otherwise, they will know they have been deceived for years by the mask you created. Their old admiration has completely turned into loathing and hatred. To prove they are not fools led by the nose by lies, they will be eager to turn into hyenas and tear you to pieces.

“After you win the game against the rules, what awaits you will not be flowers and applause, but judgment and imprisonment. In a world without the Eerie Game, you will be nothing more than a lone mortal. There will be no place for you in heaven or earth, and even death will be a form of easy redemption.”

Lin Jue did not respond directly to his proposal. His silver-white eyes watched him through his glasses, stating in a tone used to clarify confusion encountered in research: “Before entering the Final Dungeon, your contamination was not this severe.”

Lu Li smiled. He casually flipped the pages of the book, making a “rustling” sound as if creating trendy background music for the stage.

After a long silence, he spoke slowly, as if telling a story that had nothing to do with him: “In the climbing preparation area at the foot of the snowy mountain, an NPC named ‘Pema’ had a mirror that could see fate. I couldn’t see myself in it, but I saw you.

“I saw you complete every step of your plan, offering enough sacrifices to the rules in a short time to trade for enough sin, crushing all gods, Eerie, mysteries, and the grotesque, creating a new world where the Eerie Game no longer exists. And that new world had no place for me.

“It’s a contradictory thought. On one hand, I’m glad you achieved the final victory and saved humanity as you promised; on the other hand, I regret that such a beautiful future has nothing to do with me, and my bones are merely a step on your path to the end. At the same time, I can’t help but have delusions. Since the situation has been pushed to this point, what difference does it make who achieves the ending?”

Yes, whether it was Lin Jue or Fu Jue, they had both promised to resurrect everyone after winning the final victory, but only “humans” could be resurrected.

The ideal new world was a world without gods. All those who were too deeply involved with the Eerie and the gods would be buried in graves, including Lu Li, who had made contact with the gods under Fu Jue’s instruction.

“Sorry,” Lin Jue said.

“It’s truly rare to hear you say that to me.” Lu Li’s smile remained, his gaze falling on the bronze sword in Lin Jue’s hand. “But I understand what you want to do now. Although the hope is slim, seeing that your mind is made up, I suppose I can’t stop you. If that is your choice, I am willing to accept such an ending.”

Lin Jue remained silent, lowering his eyes slightly, and thrust the bronze sword in his hand vertically into the ground.

The soft sound of glass shattering was instantly swallowed by the surging sound of waves. Dense cracks covered the invisible barrier between the two of them, and every thin slit burst with a holy, blinding golden light, looking like the cracking of the heavens from ancient times.

A shriek capable of tearing the soul drifted in the void. After piercing the eardrums, it filled memories and thoughts. Scattered golden-red blood droplets floated in the air, with scalding divine power and authority entwined upon them, steaming with gilded smoke.

The impartial existence high in the heavens opened its chaotic and heartless eyes, knowing that the God-Slaying Sword would kill the first god after hundreds of millions of years of silence, serving as the start of a grand sacrifice with a human as the High Priest.

The one to fall was named “Sea God.”