Chapter 58: “It Must Be the Gods Playing with Me…”
Chapter 58: “It Must Be the Gods Playing with Me…”
Chapter 58 "It must be the gods playing tricks on me..."
As soon as Yi Fengchu left, "Luo Shengle" immediately slipped into the room, swiftly completing the series of actions—entering, closing, and locking the door—in one fluid motion.
Even after the lock clicked into place, her heart continued to pound violently in her chest, each thud striking against her ribs like a hammer, bringing waves of oxygen-deprived dizziness.
Feeling the accelerated secretion of certain hormones within her body, she thought blankly:
Is this... what humans call fear?
So terrifying, so terrifying that it made her tremble uncontrollably, almost reminding her of those days when she was forced to work for the Father of Cursed Nightmares.
Such overwhelming divine presence—how eerily similar!
"But by all appearances, he's just a human..."
"Could it be that he carries the special favor of some powerful deity, or perhaps the bloodline of a high-tier divine being?"
"Hah, how enviable these lucky ones born with powerful backings. If only I had even a fraction of their fortune, I wouldn’t have toiled diligently for half my life only to end up in this state."
Letting out a mirthless laugh, "Luo Shengle" leaned against the cold security door, feeling her legs weaken beneath her, as if they could no longer support her weight.
Resigned, she slid down to sit in the entryway, back pressed against the door, slowly calming the shock from confronting such immense pressure.
After an indeterminate amount of time, she finally regained her composure. Grumbling to herself, she stood and walked toward the living room:
"Damn it, I just randomly picked an unlucky-looking player to replace... How could I have stumbled upon such a high-tier 'neighbor'?"
"Isn’t this supposed to be a world where mysticism has faded?"
Filled with doubt, "Luo Shengle" willed her newly acquired human legs to move.
Yet, she had only taken a few steps when she suddenly froze stiff, stiff as a statue.
Pressing her fingers to her temples, she sensed a faint, rustling disturbance deep in her mind—like the buzzing of tiny flies inside her skull, bringing an almost imperceptible itch.
If an ordinary person stood here, they likely wouldn’t notice such a deeply embedded anomaly in their thoughts.
But "Luo Shengle" was no ordinary person. Her perception and control over her own consciousness far surpassed that of a human!
So she pressed harder against her temples, as if trying to reach deeper into her brain through flesh and bone.
Horrified, she thought: What is this sound?
Something’s wrong...
This sound came from her memories—specifically, the memories she had inherited from the real Luo Shengle!
Not daring to waste a second, "Luo Shengle" immediately plunged into the depths of her consciousness to inspect her memories.
Soon, she uncovered the original Luo Shengle’s memories regarding the Fate Apostle—
A golden-haired, crimson-eyed man seemed to have been granted life and soul, his entire presence like a cut-out figure from an old book, breaking free from the memory’s owner.
In her mind, he lifted his head. The moment their eyes met, the man curved his blood-red eyes into a gentle smile, then reached out toward "Luo Shengle."
Then, his figure twisted into a coiling ribbon of gray and gold, slithering through the cracks in "Luo Shengle’s" memories and emerging into the real world.
Like a wisp of mist, he materialized on the ground, his form solidifying.
"...Shit."
That was the first word to leave "Luo Shengle’s" mouth.
When she finally snapped back to reality, she let out a disbelieving shriek:
"Bryce? You're alive?"
"No—wait, how are you in this world too?!"
A chill ran through her body as she sighed in utter despair, "It must be the gods playing tricks on me..."
Who would’ve thought that the world she randomly chose for refuge would turn out to be some damned convergence point for divine beings?
Watching "Luo Shengle’s" expression shift from shock to realization, then to profound despair, Bryce’s gaze shifted subtly.
—This sneaky imposter, wearing someone else’s skin, actually knew him?
So Bryce remained expressionless, concealing the fact that he had no memory of her, and nodded with a smile. "Long time no see."
Sure enough, "Luo Shengle" showed no hint of doubt at his words.
She returned the greeting naturally, then ran her hands through Luo Shengle’s neatly combed hair, tugging at it anxiously. "Last time we met, I was still—well, not exactly your equal, but at least capable of putting up a fight as an Apostle of the Cursed Nightmares. Now, here we are again, and I’m reduced to stealing someone’s identity and body just to escape a dungeon..."
She truly found it unbelievable. What had she done wrong to end up in such a miserable state compared to her peers?
Was it really just her rotten luck?
After all, even in her frantic flight, she’d somehow stumbled into this place, running into both a neighbor of unknown origin and her "old associate" Bryce...
"As you can see, I’m in no position to pose any threat to you now. All I want is to live a peaceful, ordinary life in this world."
"Luo Shengle" spoke with desperate sincerity, trying to appeal to their past connection. "So, for the sake of our old ties, could you pretend you never saw me?"
Bryce maintained his smile. "What old ties did we have, exactly?"
His tone held no real question—just a playful lilt that made it impossible to tell whether he genuinely didn’t remember or was simply teasing.
True to form, "Luo Shengle" didn’t detect anything amiss. She gave a nervous chuckle, inadvertently revealing more: "Well, at least we never tried to kill each other during the war. That counts as a connection, right?"
"Besides, I’ve betrayed my old employer now. There’s no conflict of factions between us anymore. Why finish me off?"
"If you spare me, I can tell you many of the Father of Cursed Nightmares’ secrets..."
Bryce’s expression didn’t change. He remained unmoved.
What use did he have for the Father of Cursed Nightmares’ secrets?
He had no interest in a failure who couldn’t even control the high-ranking beings of his own domain.
After all, part of the Curse Domain’s authority was already in his hands. The Father of Cursed Nightmares posed little threat to him now.
"Luo Shengle" also noticed Bryce’s indifference. Desperate, she scrambled for more leverage: "And—! Since you’re now an Apostle of Fate, the one you serve—the Lord of Fate—must be your mentor, the Silver Ouroboros, right?"
The moment these words left her mouth, Bryce’s demeanor visibly shifted. He raised his eyes slightly, giving "Luo Shengle" his full attention, as if waiting to hear more.
To "Luo Shengle," this reaction meant her words had finally hit the mark!
Thank fate!
It had always hated fanatics, but this was the first time it felt so grateful—thankfully, Bryce, warm on the outside but cold inside, was a closet fanatic. As long as the matter concerned his teacher, there was a chance to negotiate and converse.
"Luo Shengle" immediately worked harder to show its value: "I recall your teacher has a fondness for hunting divine beings. I wonder if He has any interest or appetite for the Father of Cursed Nightmares and His followers? I can lead the way!"
Bryce went quiet in thought.
But unlike what "Luo Shengle" imagined, he wasn’t considering its seemingly loyal suggestion—he was merely pondering—
Teacher? What teacher?
So Bryce had an important, formidable mentor?
Wait, the description "Silver White Ouroboros" sounded strangely similar to his real form. Even in the official title of his Narrator identity, there was a line: "King of the Silver White Snakes"...
Could it be that this unknown creature’s mention of "Bryce’s teacher" actually referred to himself?
"Don’t you think the similarities extend beyond just that title?"
The phone’s voice spoke directly into Bryce’s mind, sounding somewhat puzzled. "That description of a gluttonous, hunting-crazed predator—doesn’t that also fit you perfectly?"
Bryce casually ignored the phone’s remarks.
He thought that since "Luo Shengle" seemed to know quite a bit, keeping it around for a while couldn’t hurt.
At the very least, he wouldn’t let it disappear before its usefulness was completely exhausted.
Bryce turned his gaze to "Luo Shengle," who was nervous during the brief silence, and brought the conversation back to his original purpose: "You’ve taken over this body’s real owner. Where is the real her?"
It froze for a moment, unable to suppress its curiosity. "Why are you looking for her? She’s just an ordinary player with a fourth-tier ability—not worth paying attention to."
Fourth-tier?
The last time he saw Luo Shengle, she was only at the third tier... She’s improving quite fast, Senior.
Pushing aside his wandering thoughts, Bryce decided that, when in doubt in front of an old acquaintance, he’d act like a fanatic. Mimicking the devout gestures of divine worshippers he’d once seen in an amusement park, he placed his right fist over his heart reverently. "This is the will of my Lord."
In an instant, dozens of possibilities raced through "Luo Shengle’s" mind.
Could it be that the real Luo Shengle, whom it had replaced, was actually a Chosen hidden among regular people?
It grew even more fearful: How could it have randomly picked a player who turned out to have such hidden secrets?
Whether she was merely a fleeting plaything of the gods, a decorative piece, or a pawn meant to serve a purpose at some point—none were to be trifled with.
A chess piece of the Supreme—no, even dust fortunate enough to be trampled under Their feet—held a status far above its current worthless self.
With that thought, even before Bryce could fabricate an excuse, "Luo Shengle" was already breaking out in a cold sweat.
It began desperately trying to remember—aside from secretly stealing the real owner’s identity and her body, had it done anything else to provoke hatred?
Though the first two offenses already seemed severe enough, it believed there might still be a chance to make things right...
"I never question my Lord’s intentions. I merely carry out His will."
The advantage of playing a fanatic was that no matter what the other party asked, Bryce could always respond vaguely, deflect, and finish with, "Praise the great and merciful ‘Fate.’"
"Luo Shengle": "..."
What a load of useless nonsense—truly, it still despised these overly loyal, dull-witted fanatics!
After seething internally, "Luo Shengle" could only reluctantly admit the truth: "She’s currently trapped in a special dungeon."
"It was originally a prison the Father of Cursed Nightmares constructed to entrap me, but recently, for some reason, He turned it into a dungeon and started sending players into it. Unfortunately, Luo Shengle was one of them."
"From what I recall, at least two hundred players have entered that dungeon. Aside from Luo Shengle, who’s probably still struggling, the fate of the others was..."
"Certain death."
After a pause, it added, "I think Luo Shengle might be about to break too. I’ve seen the forum thread where she recorded her dungeon experience. It seems she’s already starting to forget who she is."
"She posted that thread in the system forum as a way to remind herself of the memories she was losing."
"But she probably never expected that one day, she’d even forget the game system itself—trapped in the dungeon, completely lost..."
...
>> Gods’ Playground >> Casual Chat >> Monologue
"Personal Log" I think I’ve entered a strange dungeon...
No. 0 (OP - Original Poster):
Here, my memories seem to be slowly fading. Sometimes, I suddenly forget that I’m a player, naturally treating the dungeon as my everyday life—as if I’ve lived here since long ago...
No. 1 (OP):
This fear of forgetting myself makes me write everything down—to document every experience here.
No. 2 (OP):
But how should I record this? Writing things down won't work. The "mother" in this dungeon often inspects my room, goes through my backpack, and even forbids me from closing my door, ensuring they can watch everything I do from the living room...
No. 3 (OP):
After thinking it over, I’ve decided to use the system forum!
This way, I can write and check anytime, anywhere, while ensuring the dungeon’s monsters can’t see it.
No. 4 (OP):
Hence this thread. It’ll mostly contain my notes and thoughts. Those uninterested can skip it.
No. 5 (OP):
First, let me write down the survival rules I’ve discovered in this dungeon so far.
1. My identity in this dungeon is a third grader. At school, I must obey the teachers.
2. On the way to school, I must go to the right floor and classroom. Pay attention to the elevators! Never, ever enter the elevator that shouldn’t exist!
No. 6 (OP):
3. During class, I must not leave the classroom, whisper, or mess around. If I hear children’s laughter nearby, I must tell the teacher right away.
4. My class, Grade 3 Class 4, is a happy, friendly class. Students must be nice to each other and can't lie to or harm one another.
No. 7 (OP):
5. There is only one path home after school. I must not stray from it or take any side paths.
If you feel an unexplainable gaze during the journey, accompanied by footsteps behind you, just ignore it and act normal. After a while, the gaze and footsteps will naturally disappear.
No. 8 (OP):
Sixth, the park on the way home is under construction. Swings, slides, and other recreational facilities are prohibited, or you're on your own.
No. 9 (OP):
Class is about to start, so I'll stop here for now and finish up later.
No. 10 Gulu Gua:
Oops, sorry OP, I accidentally stumbled into your personal record post!
No. 11 Gulu Gua:
Your records look so interesting, I'm really curious about what you'll discover next... (peeking) Do you mind if I just quietly follow along?
No. 12 (OP):
Ah, someone's actually interested in my records?
No. 13 (OP):
Of course, as long as everyone stays civil, go ahead... Though I might have one request.
No. 14 Gulu Gua:
Awesome, thanks OP~ Please go ahead!
No. 15 (OP):
My request is... If possible, when you read my records, if you notice any things that don't add up, or anything weird to you, could you give me a heads-up?
No. 16 (OP):
For example, if you feel like I'm not acting like myself anymore... Call me out right away!