Chapter 34: Achieved a Life Milestone, Witnessed a Divine Descent 【Half Forum】
Chapter 34: Achieved a Life Milestone, Witnessed a Divine Descent 【Half Forum】
Chapter 34: Achieving a Life Milestone—Witnessing Half the Forum's Divine Descent
Yi Fengchu was about to pull out his phone to check the time when his fingers brushed against something light and fluttering in his pocket—a moth wing fragment.
He pinched the delicate remnant and gave it a casual glance, only for his gaze to freeze abruptly.
"This is..."
Rubbing the edge of the wing with his thumb, Yi Fengchu slowly deciphered the faint, blurred pattern.
Two numbers—"01."
They appeared to be artificially imprinted using technological means, the neat, printed characters resembling some kind of unknown code or identification number, faded with time.
What did these numbers signify? Who had left them there? And why were they etched onto the corner of the Moth God's wing?
If this truly was the Moth God's "identification number," did that mean there were also numbers like 02 and 03?
Pushing the question aside in his mind, Yi Fengchu unlocked his phone to see if any new changes had appeared.
Sure enough, in the small glass display case at the bottom right of the screen, alongside the golden eyeball obtained from the Whalebone Aquarium Instance, there was now a neatly folded silver robe.
The silvery fabric shimmered under the display light, its surface rippling like a flowing stream of starlight.
Yi Fengchu tapped on the two "collectibles," and their descriptions instantly appeared beside them:
"Collection I: Eyes Gazing Upon Fate"
"Description: It quietly opens its golden eyes, seeing the paths of all living beings' destinies. Then, it leans down to watch this peculiar performance."
"Collection II: Curse Cloak"
"Description: The final relic of the Moth God, an incomplete scepter of the Curse Domain. Wearing this cloak may grant you the destructive power hidden within words."
One for "fate," the other "curse."
Yi Fengchu pondered thoughtfully. It seemed he had made good progress these past few days... though he still wasn’t sure what use these powerful collectibles would serve.
The van continued its rocky ride, swiftly arriving at the nearest town.
As they approached the outskirts, they spotted several police cars and ambulances waiting nearby, their flashing lights cutting through the twilight, offering a sense of security to the students who had just escaped danger.
The two vans slowed to a stop in front of the police vehicles.
Medical personnel rushed forward first, draping warm, soft blankets over the more traumatized students while gently inquiring about their conditions. Li Yin, who was showing signs of a high fever and trapped in nightmares, was lifted onto a stretcher and carried into an ambulance.
Meanwhile, several officers spoke gravely with Teacher Ju and the two students who had driven the vans, seemingly getting details about the incident.
Yi Fengchu wasn’t particularly interested in their conversation. He leaned back lazily in his seat, tightening the blanket around himself.
Then, as if sensing something, his gaze drifted past the police cars and landed on a jet-black government car parked behind them.
The car’s windows were likely tinted, making it impossible for Yi Fengchu to see inside clearly. He could only vaguely discern a few shifting silhouettes.
For some reason, an instinct told him: there were Ability Users in that car—ones who had some connection to him.
Yi Fengchu only stared for two seconds before indifferently looking away.
Since he couldn't eat them, why bother?
---
Wang Lin huddled in the corner, his mind blank for two or three hours before he finally recovered from the shock and terror of encountering an unknown entity.
For some inexplicable reason, Wang Lin felt that Yi Fengchu’s presence had grown even more oppressive. Just sharing the same vehicle made the moth wings in his throat crumple and tremble sporadically, as if terrified of Yi Fengchu.
It must be his imagination...
Wang Lin tried to convince himself. Classmate Yi was clearly an approachable, kind person—no, a kind non-human!
The moment the van left the mountains, the voice of the Playground System echoed in his mind, followed by the appearance of a results panel.
"Congratulations on clearing the special instance 'Echoes in the Cocoon.' Evaluating results..."
"Exploration Rate: 20%
Mission 1: Escape the mountain range where Bee-Ant Village is located (Completed)
Mission 2 (Side): Unlocked"
"Evaluation: Your mind is utterly empty. Your exploration and mission completion relied entirely on your teammates' help and the support of forum users. The only commendable thing is your luck.
One can’t help but wonder—when you shake your head, do you hear the sound of water sloshing?"
"Congratulations on earning three hundred points. Additional reward: Special Title 'Fate’s Bewilderment.' This title has no special effects and can be optionally displayed. It has been stored in your system backpack."
"Due to the intervention of the great Lord of Fate, the instance boss 'Moth God' has vanished. This instance is permanently sealed and will not reopen."
"Lastly, congratulations on surviving."
After being ruthlessly mocked by the system, Wang Lin forced a bitter smile.
Well... he hadn’t actually accomplished much, but he was still a rookie, after all.
Surviving a battle between gods was already impressive!
With this optimistic thought, Wang Lin opened the system shop and spent his meager points on a couple of life-saving items and medical supplies. The constant tension in his chest finally eased, allowing him to relax.
Then, he opened his system backpack. Dozens of empty grid slots greeted him, nearly all vacant.
He tapped on the special title "Fate’s Bewilderment," staring in confusion at this inexplicable reward.
"Special Title: Fate’s Bewilderment"
"Rarity: SS (Exceedingly Rare)"
"Special Effects: None"
"Description: Your actions have slightly bewildered Fate itself. Thus, the system awards you this title."
Fate... could feel "bewildered"?
Wang Lin froze for a moment before recalling the system’s earlier words—the Moth God had vanished due to the intervention of the "great Lord of Fate."
Did this mean that "Fate" referred to the mysterious deity who wielded the scepter of destiny? Was this the same being who served as Classmate Yi’s "parental" backer?
With this speculation in mind, Wang Lin logged back into the system forum.
The moment he entered, he was bombarded with eager "concerns" from fellow forum users.
No.303:
It's been seven hours since OP went silent. Miss them.
No.304:
Sigh, OP didn't seem the sharpest. Wonder how they're doing now (lights virtual candle).
No.305:
Gone but not forgotten. This thread is one of the year's wild threads, and proof OP existed. OP may be gone, but the thread remains—a classic for eternity…
No.306:
+1 for missing OP.
Reading this, Wang Lin couldn’t hold back anymore and hurriedly posted to prove he was still alive.
No.307 (OP):
I’m alive and well! No need to light candles in remembrance!
No.308 (OP):
By the way, all my classmates and the teacher survived. The worst case is just a high fever—everyone’s doing fine!
No.309:
Wow! OP’s back!!
No.310:
Cheers for OP and the classmates’ safe survival!
No.311:
This clear rate is beyond expectations. First time seeing an instance where no normie died, and it wasn’t even low-risk…
No.312:
Classmate E deserves most of the credit. Without a heavy hitter having their backs, these young students would've been toast.
No.313:
All hail Classmate E!
Seeing the forum mention Yi Fengchu inevitably reminded Wang Lin of the *crunch crunch* sounds that seemed like the Moth God being devoured, and later the Serpent coiling around the vehicle.
Even now, recalling it made his hands tremble with lingering fear. Still, he clearly organized the events and shared them with the forum.
Wang Lin himself wasn’t articulate in real life, and his writing skills were nothing special.
Yet, the forum members could still piece together the harrowing scenes through his simple words—the nightmare-fuel moths with human faces in the mountains, the mysterious deity behind Classmate E, the giant Serpent that once coiled around the vehicle…
No.320:
OP, if I didn’t know how straightforward you are, I’d seriously suspect you were writing fiction…
No.321:
One instance's worth three years’ worth of experiences for others! lol
No.322:
So, does this mean Classmate E’s real form is some kind of snake-being?
No.323:
Imagining it, that’s actually quite good-looking… the divine beings' hottie!
No.324:
Now that I think about it, a serpent eating moths checks out *nods*.
Maybe the Serpent coiled around the car because Classmate E wasn’t fully used to his real form and was sleep-slithering back, trying to get in? Poor OP in the car nearly pissed themselves, haha!
No.325 (OP):
…Sigh, you don’t understand. I really thought I was about to be serpent chow—I was writing my will in my head.
No.326:
I feel bad for OP. No one understands his sorrow; everyone just wants to laugh (trying not to laugh).
No.327:
Only I truly care about OP, giegie~
No.328:
Look on the bright side—even if you got eaten, it’d just be by Classmate E or his parent. Consider it a playdate at E's place.
No.329:
A no-return policy kind of visit, right? Even you won’t give him a break, huh?
No.330 (OP):
Quit messing with me and focus up… What exactly is a "title"?
No.331:
Titles are things the system might hand out if you meet certain conditions or achieve rare feats in an instance.
OP, you just finished your first instance and already got one??
No.332:
Wow~ Titles usually come with special effects or buffs, right? Sweet loot. What did OP get?
No.333:
Thinking back on OP’s performance, what did she even do… except ride Classmate E’s coattails.
No.334:
Could the title be something like "Professional Clinger" or "Divine Son’s Familiar"?
№335:
Ahem, it could also be "Demigod Life Recorder." OP posts about everything they encounter on the forum. Even though we've never met, I somehow feel like I’ve known Classmate E for ages...
№336:
Waaah, Boss E, I’m your long-lost classmate! Can you come rescue me in a dungeon too?!
№337 (OP):
The title I got is pretty weird too—SS-grade "Doubt of Fate," but it has no additional effects...
After Wang Lin shared the description of the title, everyone fell silent for a moment, then—
№338:
Holy shit, I was just joking earlier, but now it seems E really has a genuine True God backing him up!!!
№339:
Such a bizarre title could only be awarded when the system is brown-nosing the deities. This system is so arrogant—it wouldn’t even look at anyone below a certain rank...
[System Warning: This comment contains unfriendly content and has been blocked. Three or more blocks within a week will result in a three-day account suspension.]
№340:
So in the end, it must have been the True God of the Fate Domain who directly manifested and took down the Moth God.
OP, you’ve achieved a life achievement—witnessing a divine manifestation firsthand!
№341:
Seems like E is really favored? There are plenty of divine entities, but few receive such preferential treatment or can consistently prompt a True God to intervene personally...
№342:
The Gods' favored child, the forum royalty has arrived (grabs popcorn).
№343:
OP, you should cherish this connection. A golden opportunity is right in front of you...
By the way, if you don’t want it, mind if I take your spot?
Wang Lin was engrossed in the forum when suddenly, the car window beside him was tapped from outside.
Puzzled, he lowered the window to see a police officer solemnly showing his badge before stepping half a pace back, as if making way for a superior.
From behind the officer, a young man in a long trench coat slowly emerged, his eyes concealed behind a white cloth blindfold.
Even though his gaze was hidden, Wang Lin couldn't shake the feeling that the other was studying him intently.
"Hello, I’m Jiang You from the National Supernatural Research and Regulation Bureau."
The blindfolded man extended his hand for a polite handshake. "Regarding everything that happened in Bee-Ant Village, we need your cooperation in our investigation."