Chapter 156
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
In KP's silence, the game came to an end.
A thick book jumped out of the light and shadow, unfolding in front of him and Crow, with countless pages flipping until it stopped at the blank space at the end of the volume.
A silver feather pen danced on the pages, ignoring the stunned KP, leaving behind a dark ink mark on its own, declaring the end.
【FalseEnd】
—Alternate ending: No 'person' survives
KP looked down at the line of writing, dumbfounded.
"Oh my, oh my, isn't this a bit rude?" Crow chuckled with delight. "I've felt for a while now that this kid has the potential to become a villain in fan fiction, but I didn't expect him to progress so quickly..."
With that, she raised her eyes and gazed at her former colleagues.
"So, how does it feel, hosts?" she asked softly. "My scribe, does he meet your expectations? Is he the kind of recorder you seek? Is he someone who can impartially judge the past and the future, balance fiction and truth?"
"Marvelous..." KP murmured softly.
"Hmm?"
"I mean... marvelous! Absolutely legendary performance! Legendary!"
He finally looked up, his eyes devoid of regret and displeasure, but filled with amazement, excitement... and a gleam of light. "Marvelous! A true legend!"
Behind him, the figure of a woman cloaked in black appeared, nodding slightly but not hiding her admiration. "A destined hero."
And in another empty chair at the table, a stern-faced old man raised his deep eyes and spoke in a low voice. "Admirable achievement."
Satisfied, Crow nodded and rubbed her small wings.
"Well then, let's discuss what comes next... for example, compensation?"
...
When Huai Shi opened his eyes from unconsciousness, he felt like he was about to die from exhaustion.
It was as if he had run a hundred thousand marathons after a hangover and then been beaten by a hundred thousand people.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What exactly happened?
Then, he saw the grinning face of Old Xiao in front of him.
"Not bad, kid," the rough man patted his shoulder hard. "You did well."
Huai Shi jumped up from the bed in shock, almost pulling down the IV drip hanging from his body.
He almost lost control and swung an axe.
"Wake up, wake up, it's all over," Old Xiao coughed awkwardly and turned to his supervisor, the smiling old man. "What are you still looking at? Come over and explain what the hell you've done with my face! I shouldn't have come!"
"What's going on?"
Huai Shi looked bewildered, seeing Ai Qing sitting next to the table with a grim expression, and KP smiling and playing dice on the opposite side.
"Cough, in simple terms, this was a sudden impromptu inspection," the elderly supervisor coughed and said. "At the suggestion of Mr. KP, we made the recovery of the philosopher's stone a test this time."
"What?" Huai Shi was dumbfounded. "You arranged all this?"
"Although there were some unpleasant surprises, part of it... yes."
The actual player of Old Xiao in the module, the elderly supervisor, showed an embarrassed smile and reached out. "I apologize if I have offended you."
Huai Shi was speechless and looked at Ai Qing, trying to figure out what was going on.
Ai Qing's face was still not good. "In short, the operation was a test from the beginning, and we were both played like fools. Even the examiner almost messed up."
"Don't say that, Miss Ai, although there were quite a few accidents, this was the probation inspection for you and Mr. Huai," the old supervisor coughed awkwardly and looked away.
"What accidents?"
"It's a long story..."
The old supervisor pondered for a moment, sighed helplessly.
A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled.
In fact, there was no module or game at the beginning.
According to the original plan, everyone was to raid the smugglers' ship, have a great time, and then, unexpectedly, when they were about to successfully recover the fragments of the philosopher's stone, there was a sudden betrayal.
Lei Feizhou.
Under the direction of his supervisor, they were ready to grab the fragments of the philosopher's stone and run away, hiding in the border to sell the loot. The betrayal went smoothly at first, until they tried to betray Huai Shi... things went wrong.
According to the supervisor's description, Huai Shi, who realized what was happening, displayed a terrifying reaction speed and launched a guerrilla attack on the ship with his killing skills, showing a terrifying combat power beyond imagination.
In just fifteen minutes, he single-handedly took down Lei Feizhou and his four subordinates who were also sublimators.
Finally, unexpectedly, Lei Feizhou, in a desperate move, directly triggered the fragments of the philosopher's stone, causing a large-scale erosion phenomenon and leading to unknown consequences.
Helplessly, KP had to forcibly erase this segment of the event in some way and start over, which was the first round.
But the fragments of the philosopher's stone had completely eroded the surroundings, deepening the ship and the surrounding area, forming an expanding hell.
The recovery difficulty skyrocketed to a terrifying level, and the second round of recovery failed.
The Astronomical Society had to agree to KP's proposal to cover this area with the dark web border and forcibly modularize everything, and then began the third round.
The intrigue and power struggles in this segment of the story could easily fill twenty thousand words in the Book of Destiny. Huai Shi felt extremely regretful when he heard it. Why was this part omitted from the erasure?
When he subconsciously felt that something was wrong, KP just mysteriously smiled and blinked at him when no one was paying attention.After explaining to Huai Shi, the old inspector straightened his expression and solemnly said, "Miss Ai, your performance in the assessment has shown the qualities of a good inspector, sharp thinking and intuition, deep trust with colleagues, and the ability to remain calm and decisive in adversity.
The Bureau highly appreciates your performance and has approved your promotion application, and once again invites you to join the Central Decision-Making Committee..."
"I've already said, I refuse!"
Ai Qing interrupted indifferently, "Enough with the nonsense. I hope to see you again at the internal inquiry meeting."
"Very well, I hope you will be more accommodating then."
The old inspector smiled helplessly, then turned to Huai Shi, "As for Mr. Huai, you have successfully completed a task that I thought was impossible, and you possess the rare integrity and outstanding skills of this era.
Ah, although your thinking is a bit simple, and you have a tendency towards excessive violence, this cannot conceal your exceptional talent. The Astral Society is proud to have an operative like you. This is your official identification. We will complete the registration later. You can come to Jinling to register in a few months when you have time."
"Hmph..."
In the corner, Yin Yan snorted disdainfully, then quickly averted his gaze when he noticed Huai Shi looking at him.
He continued to shrink back.
"Due to the harm caused to colleagues during the operation, Mr. Yin has temporarily had his inspector qualifications revoked. Your inquiry will be held in Jinling later. Please pay attention to the notice."
The old inspector shook his head sympathetically, filled out the form in his hand, and handed Huai Shi a new identification.
"Well, my task is done."
He smiled as he put away the items in his hand and bid farewell with the others, leaving only him and Ai Qing in the room.
"I've been completely played," Ai Qing sighed unwillingly, her expression dark as she tapped the armrest and closed her eyes.
In the silence, Huai Shi coughed awkwardly, "Um... Ai Qing..."
"Hmm?" Ai Qing raised her eyes to look at him, still with an angry expression.
"Ah, thank you... I mean... I don't know what you encountered, but thank you in the end." Huai Shi thanked her earnestly.
"Assign the task to subordinates and bear the consequences yourself. Isn't that the duty of an inspector?" Ai Qing glanced at him, then moved her gaze away with little interest. "I'm going out for some fresh air. You rest well. A boat will come to pick us up later."
"Okay."
Just before leaving, Ai Qing's wheelchair paused. After a long silence, she sighed helplessly and turned back to say, "You did well, I mean at the end."
"Hmm?"
Without explaining further, Ai Qing left the room, leaving him alone.
In the silence, Huai Shi turned back and saw KP, who had reappeared behind the table at some point.
"Are you leaving now?" KP raised an eyebrow and sighed, "She's really not straightforward. Having such a boss must be quite a trial, right?"
"...It's not that bad, actually."
Huai Shi scratched his head, looking at him awkwardly. After a while, he couldn't help but ask, "Was that really just a test?"
"It was partly that. At least, that's what they think," KP shrugged. "Don't worry, they just hitched a ride. The crucial part, I've kept it secret for you."
"Ah, thank you."
Huai Shi nodded and looked at the small box on the table in front of him, containing a shattered crystal ball that resembled an eye.
It was a fragment of the philosopher's stone, but unfortunately, more than half of its miracles had been lost, making it hardly useful.
"Don't worry about this. It has already consumed a lot to maintain that module. Compared to what we have gained, these losses are insignificant."
KP comforted him understandingly, then raised his eyebrows and clapped his hands cheerfully. "So, as a good friend of the investigator, we are now entering the post-game rewards and interlude growth phase.
Although you didn't successfully clear the module, you achieved an unexpected ending. As the master of this game, I must reward you for it."
"Is there a reward?" Huai Shi was taken aback.
"Of course."
KP said matter-of-factly, "The original reward for clearing the module was this character card. As long as the source material is sufficient, you can once again transform into the character of Fan Haixin in a short time. But to be honest, I think this meager reward is insufficient to commend all that you have done."
With that, he tore Fan Haixin's character card into shreds without hesitation.
What the heck? Wait a minute!
Huai Shi was dumbfounded. He had wanted to say that it was okay and that he didn't mind if KP gave him that thing... but he didn't expect KP to act so quickly.
That was a border relic that could instantly transform a person into a third-tier top sublimator as long as the source material was sufficient!
And it was just one step away from becoming a Celestial Angel!
Why did he tear it up so easily?
"Anyway, let's put that aside for now and roll for the interlude reward."
KP took out a thick rule book and explained its meaning to Huai Shi.
It seemed that in this game, as long as a player completed a module, their character could grow and receive skill rewards. But according to KP, this reward could be directly applied to himself?
Free skill upgrades!
Huai Shi's eyes lit up with excitement. Following KP's guidance, he began to roll the dice for the judgment. Soon, his face turned extremely dark, lost in the blue sky and white clouds of Africa with a dumbfounded expression.
Deception, rhetoric, and stealth, the skills that had been highly successful in the module, had all failed to grow?
After a round of rolling, only the most basic skills of "listening" and "observation" had been upgraded.Soon, as the dice rolled, Huai Shi felt his vision clear and the world became much clearer in an instant. Countless small traces that he had previously ignored became vivid before his eyes.
He could even hear the sound of people's clothes rubbing outside the cabin, as well as the surging of the waves, like a symphony.
His perception, which had already been pushed to the limit by the Yin Soul, unexpectedly increased by a large margin!
This alone was a pleasant surprise.
But then, when he rolled the dice for the last time, his mind was flooded with a wealth of knowledge - about the properties of various metals, the methods of processing, and the details to be noted in each process.
The information and knowledge that had been memorized from so many books suddenly and miraculously came together, and the details and key points mentioned by Crow during his teachings were vividly clear.
The alchemy growth assessment was successful!
In an instant, he had passed the long period of repeatedly memorizing, futile attempts, and experiments to slowly master the apprentice stage, and officially entered!
When he raised his palm and focused his mind, he saw countless tiny metal fragments floating in the void above his palm.
Pure white alchemical fire rose up, its temperature changing flexibly, swiftly melting, refining, purifying, extracting, and synthesizing them.
Until finally, it turned into a surging silver-white liquid.
A small miracle had occurred.
Silver Blood Elixir!
Although the medicinal effect was slightly weak, Huai Shi had crossed the long period of apprenticeship with just his hands, achieving results that had been previously out of reach.
Just as he was pleasantly surprised, he heard KP's excited snap of his fingers as he contemplated.
As if a sudden inspiration had struck him.
"I've got it!"
KP raised his eyes joyfully. "This is the most suitable reward to delight you!"
Just as Huai Shi looked up in astonishment, he saw KP reaching out towards him from a distance, as if grabbing something and pulling it back.
Huai Shi's mind buzzed, as something was being pulled out of his soul by KP. When he looked up, he found that KP's hand now held a magnificent cross-shaped long spear.
The silver blade was engraved with intricate and solemn layers of emblems, as if it had gathered all the light in the world.
"The Spear of Compassion?"
KP gazed down at the inscription on the long spear, nodding in admiration. "A good name."
With that, he picked up a fragment of the Philosopher's Stone from the table, once belonging to the Fifth Order Sublimator, Qingguan Long Fan Haisin's Eye of Repentance.
The crystal eye turned into a stream of light in his hand, attaching itself to the blade of the spear.
Illuminating KP's smile.
"Let this commemorate your 'dragon-slaying feat.'"
In that instant, the light dissipated from the blade, and a fresh bloodstain appeared on the silver blade.
As if the never-ending blood of the Qingguan Dragon was slowly dripping from the blade, falling to the ground, silently decaying the floor. Then, clusters of pure white iris flowers bloomed from the decay, emitting a refreshing fragrance.
"Defeating evil, overturning fate, and saving the princess trapped in endless cycles of death - your actions are the embodiment of glory."
KP smiled, gazing at the magnificent long spear. "For such a long time, from 1620 to now, this spear has pierced through it all."
- "This is the indestructible proof of legend."
With that, he turned the long spear around, elegantly and solemnly presenting it to Huai Shi.
Huai Shi slowly reached out and grasped the hilt of the spear.
As he focused his mind, the magnificent cross-shaped long spear unexpectedly shrank inch by inch, transforming into an ancient book in his hand. When he lowered his head to examine it, he saw the title on the time-worn cover, carrying an ancient and meaningful title.
"Four Hundred Years of Astonishment."
He was stunned.
"KP..." With his last glimmer of hope, he gazed at the man in front of him. "Is Lily really still alive?"
"Who knows?"
KP mysteriously smiled. "The life and death of humans are like morning dew and bubbles, and the life and death of created beings are even more illusory.
Moreover, wasn't she originally someone who shouldn't exist in this world? The void of life, the etherealness of death - these are inherently difficult to define matters."
"But is it really...?"
"Is reality and illusion really that important?"
KP said calmly. "I believe that, regardless of which it is, you will treat it equally and consistently. That is enough. I sincerely appreciate your generosity and tolerance."
With that, he took a step back and took his hat and coat from the nearby shelf.
"Well then, Mr. Huai Shi, allow me to bid you farewell here."
KP bowed solemnly. "I sincerely hope that one day, you and Miss Lily will meet again in this dreamlike world."
He paused, then smiled meaningfully.
"Until then, please wait and keep hope in your heart!"
In the silence, KP turned and left.
The door closed.
Huai Shi stared blankly at the ancient book in his hand.
Was this the end of this story?
Perhaps.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
In KP's silence, the game came to an end.
A thick book jumped out of the light and shadow, unfolding in front of him and Crow, with countless pages flipping until it stopped at the blank space at the end of the volume.
A silver feather pen danced on the pages, ignoring the stunned KP, leaving behind a dark ink mark on its own, declaring the end.
【FalseEnd】
—Alternate ending: No 'person' survives
KP looked down at the line of writing, dumbfounded.
"Oh my, oh my, isn't this a bit rude?" Crow chuckled with delight. "I've felt for a while now that this kid has the potential to become a villain in fan fiction, but I didn't expect him to progress so quickly..."
With that, she raised her eyes and gazed at her former colleagues.
"So, how does it feel, hosts?" she asked softly. "My scribe, does he meet your expectations? Is he the kind of recorder you seek? Is he someone who can impartially judge the past and the future, balance fiction and truth?"
"Marvelous..." KP murmured softly.
"Hmm?"
"I mean... marvelous! Absolutely legendary performance! Legendary!"
He finally looked up, his eyes devoid of regret and displeasure, but filled with amazement, excitement... and a gleam of light. "Marvelous! A true legend!"
Behind him, the figure of a woman cloaked in black appeared, nodding slightly but not hiding her admiration. "A destined hero."
And in another empty chair at the table, a stern-faced old man raised his deep eyes and spoke in a low voice. "Admirable achievement."
Satisfied, Crow nodded and rubbed her small wings.
"Well then, let's discuss what comes next... for example, compensation?"
...
When Huai Shi opened his eyes from unconsciousness, he felt like he was about to die from exhaustion.
It was as if he had run a hundred thousand marathons after a hangover and then been beaten by a hundred thousand people.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What exactly happened?
Then, he saw the grinning face of Old Xiao in front of him.
"Not bad, kid," the rough man patted his shoulder hard. "You did well."
Huai Shi jumped up from the bed in shock, almost pulling down the IV drip hanging from his body.
He almost lost control and swung an axe.
"Wake up, wake up, it's all over," Old Xiao coughed awkwardly and turned to his supervisor, the smiling old man. "What are you still looking at? Come over and explain what the hell you've done with my face! I shouldn't have come!"
"What's going on?"
Huai Shi looked bewildered, seeing Ai Qing sitting next to the table with a grim expression, and KP smiling and playing dice on the opposite side.
"Cough, in simple terms, this was a sudden impromptu inspection," the elderly supervisor coughed and said. "At the suggestion of Mr. KP, we made the recovery of the philosopher's stone a test this time."
"What?" Huai Shi was dumbfounded. "You arranged all this?"
"Although there were some unpleasant surprises, part of it... yes."
The actual player of Old Xiao in the module, the elderly supervisor, showed an embarrassed smile and reached out. "I apologize if I have offended you."
Huai Shi was speechless and looked at Ai Qing, trying to figure out what was going on.
Ai Qing's face was still not good. "In short, the operation was a test from the beginning, and we were both played like fools. Even the examiner almost messed up."
"Don't say that, Miss Ai, although there were quite a few accidents, this was the probation inspection for you and Mr. Huai," the old supervisor coughed awkwardly and looked away.
"What accidents?"
"It's a long story..."
The old supervisor pondered for a moment, sighed helplessly.
A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled.
In fact, there was no module or game at the beginning.
According to the original plan, everyone was to raid the smugglers' ship, have a great time, and then, unexpectedly, when they were about to successfully recover the fragments of the philosopher's stone, there was a sudden betrayal.
Lei Feizhou.
Under the direction of his supervisor, they were ready to grab the fragments of the philosopher's stone and run away, hiding in the border to sell the loot. The betrayal went smoothly at first, until they tried to betray Huai Shi... things went wrong.
According to the supervisor's description, Huai Shi, who realized what was happening, displayed a terrifying reaction speed and launched a guerrilla attack on the ship with his killing skills, showing a terrifying combat power beyond imagination.
In just fifteen minutes, he single-handedly took down Lei Feizhou and his four subordinates who were also sublimators.
Finally, unexpectedly, Lei Feizhou, in a desperate move, directly triggered the fragments of the philosopher's stone, causing a large-scale erosion phenomenon and leading to unknown consequences.
Helplessly, KP had to forcibly erase this segment of the event in some way and start over, which was the first round.
But the fragments of the philosopher's stone had completely eroded the surroundings, deepening the ship and the surrounding area, forming an expanding hell.
The recovery difficulty skyrocketed to a terrifying level, and the second round of recovery failed.
The Astronomical Society had to agree to KP's proposal to cover this area with the dark web border and forcibly modularize everything, and then began the third round.
The intrigue and power struggles in this segment of the story could easily fill twenty thousand words in the Book of Destiny. Huai Shi felt extremely regretful when he heard it. Why was this part omitted from the erasure?
When he subconsciously felt that something was wrong, KP just mysteriously smiled and blinked at him when no one was paying attention.After explaining to Huai Shi, the old inspector straightened his expression and solemnly said, "Miss Ai, your performance in the assessment has shown the qualities of a good inspector, sharp thinking and intuition, deep trust with colleagues, and the ability to remain calm and decisive in adversity.
The Bureau highly appreciates your performance and has approved your promotion application, and once again invites you to join the Central Decision-Making Committee..."
"I've already said, I refuse!"
Ai Qing interrupted indifferently, "Enough with the nonsense. I hope to see you again at the internal inquiry meeting."
"Very well, I hope you will be more accommodating then."
The old inspector smiled helplessly, then turned to Huai Shi, "As for Mr. Huai, you have successfully completed a task that I thought was impossible, and you possess the rare integrity and outstanding skills of this era.
Ah, although your thinking is a bit simple, and you have a tendency towards excessive violence, this cannot conceal your exceptional talent. The Astral Society is proud to have an operative like you. This is your official identification. We will complete the registration later. You can come to Jinling to register in a few months when you have time."
"Hmph..."
In the corner, Yin Yan snorted disdainfully, then quickly averted his gaze when he noticed Huai Shi looking at him.
He continued to shrink back.
"Due to the harm caused to colleagues during the operation, Mr. Yin has temporarily had his inspector qualifications revoked. Your inquiry will be held in Jinling later. Please pay attention to the notice."
The old inspector shook his head sympathetically, filled out the form in his hand, and handed Huai Shi a new identification.
"Well, my task is done."
He smiled as he put away the items in his hand and bid farewell with the others, leaving only him and Ai Qing in the room.
"I've been completely played," Ai Qing sighed unwillingly, her expression dark as she tapped the armrest and closed her eyes.
In the silence, Huai Shi coughed awkwardly, "Um... Ai Qing..."
"Hmm?" Ai Qing raised her eyes to look at him, still with an angry expression.
"Ah, thank you... I mean... I don't know what you encountered, but thank you in the end." Huai Shi thanked her earnestly.
"Assign the task to subordinates and bear the consequences yourself. Isn't that the duty of an inspector?" Ai Qing glanced at him, then moved her gaze away with little interest. "I'm going out for some fresh air. You rest well. A boat will come to pick us up later."
"Okay."
Just before leaving, Ai Qing's wheelchair paused. After a long silence, she sighed helplessly and turned back to say, "You did well, I mean at the end."
"Hmm?"
Without explaining further, Ai Qing left the room, leaving him alone.
In the silence, Huai Shi turned back and saw KP, who had reappeared behind the table at some point.
"Are you leaving now?" KP raised an eyebrow and sighed, "She's really not straightforward. Having such a boss must be quite a trial, right?"
"...It's not that bad, actually."
Huai Shi scratched his head, looking at him awkwardly. After a while, he couldn't help but ask, "Was that really just a test?"
"It was partly that. At least, that's what they think," KP shrugged. "Don't worry, they just hitched a ride. The crucial part, I've kept it secret for you."
"Ah, thank you."
Huai Shi nodded and looked at the small box on the table in front of him, containing a shattered crystal ball that resembled an eye.
It was a fragment of the philosopher's stone, but unfortunately, more than half of its miracles had been lost, making it hardly useful.
"Don't worry about this. It has already consumed a lot to maintain that module. Compared to what we have gained, these losses are insignificant."
KP comforted him understandingly, then raised his eyebrows and clapped his hands cheerfully. "So, as a good friend of the investigator, we are now entering the post-game rewards and interlude growth phase.
Although you didn't successfully clear the module, you achieved an unexpected ending. As the master of this game, I must reward you for it."
"Is there a reward?" Huai Shi was taken aback.
"Of course."
KP said matter-of-factly, "The original reward for clearing the module was this character card. As long as the source material is sufficient, you can once again transform into the character of Fan Haixin in a short time. But to be honest, I think this meager reward is insufficient to commend all that you have done."
With that, he tore Fan Haixin's character card into shreds without hesitation.
What the heck? Wait a minute!
Huai Shi was dumbfounded. He had wanted to say that it was okay and that he didn't mind if KP gave him that thing... but he didn't expect KP to act so quickly.
That was a border relic that could instantly transform a person into a third-tier top sublimator as long as the source material was sufficient!
And it was just one step away from becoming a Celestial Angel!
Why did he tear it up so easily?
"Anyway, let's put that aside for now and roll for the interlude reward."
KP took out a thick rule book and explained its meaning to Huai Shi.
It seemed that in this game, as long as a player completed a module, their character could grow and receive skill rewards. But according to KP, this reward could be directly applied to himself?
Free skill upgrades!
Huai Shi's eyes lit up with excitement. Following KP's guidance, he began to roll the dice for the judgment. Soon, his face turned extremely dark, lost in the blue sky and white clouds of Africa with a dumbfounded expression.
Deception, rhetoric, and stealth, the skills that had been highly successful in the module, had all failed to grow?
After a round of rolling, only the most basic skills of "listening" and "observation" had been upgraded.Soon, as the dice rolled, Huai Shi felt his vision clear and the world became much clearer in an instant. Countless small traces that he had previously ignored became vivid before his eyes.
He could even hear the sound of people's clothes rubbing outside the cabin, as well as the surging of the waves, like a symphony.
His perception, which had already been pushed to the limit by the Yin Soul, unexpectedly increased by a large margin!
This alone was a pleasant surprise.
But then, when he rolled the dice for the last time, his mind was flooded with a wealth of knowledge - about the properties of various metals, the methods of processing, and the details to be noted in each process.
The information and knowledge that had been memorized from so many books suddenly and miraculously came together, and the details and key points mentioned by Crow during his teachings were vividly clear.
The alchemy growth assessment was successful!
In an instant, he had passed the long period of repeatedly memorizing, futile attempts, and experiments to slowly master the apprentice stage, and officially entered!
When he raised his palm and focused his mind, he saw countless tiny metal fragments floating in the void above his palm.
Pure white alchemical fire rose up, its temperature changing flexibly, swiftly melting, refining, purifying, extracting, and synthesizing them.
Until finally, it turned into a surging silver-white liquid.
A small miracle had occurred.
Silver Blood Elixir!
Although the medicinal effect was slightly weak, Huai Shi had crossed the long period of apprenticeship with just his hands, achieving results that had been previously out of reach.
Just as he was pleasantly surprised, he heard KP's excited snap of his fingers as he contemplated.
As if a sudden inspiration had struck him.
"I've got it!"
KP raised his eyes joyfully. "This is the most suitable reward to delight you!"
Just as Huai Shi looked up in astonishment, he saw KP reaching out towards him from a distance, as if grabbing something and pulling it back.
Huai Shi's mind buzzed, as something was being pulled out of his soul by KP. When he looked up, he found that KP's hand now held a magnificent cross-shaped long spear.
The silver blade was engraved with intricate and solemn layers of emblems, as if it had gathered all the light in the world.
"The Spear of Compassion?"
KP gazed down at the inscription on the long spear, nodding in admiration. "A good name."
With that, he picked up a fragment of the Philosopher's Stone from the table, once belonging to the Fifth Order Sublimator, Qingguan Long Fan Haisin's Eye of Repentance.
The crystal eye turned into a stream of light in his hand, attaching itself to the blade of the spear.
Illuminating KP's smile.
"Let this commemorate your 'dragon-slaying feat.'"
In that instant, the light dissipated from the blade, and a fresh bloodstain appeared on the silver blade.
As if the never-ending blood of the Qingguan Dragon was slowly dripping from the blade, falling to the ground, silently decaying the floor. Then, clusters of pure white iris flowers bloomed from the decay, emitting a refreshing fragrance.
"Defeating evil, overturning fate, and saving the princess trapped in endless cycles of death - your actions are the embodiment of glory."
KP smiled, gazing at the magnificent long spear. "For such a long time, from 1620 to now, this spear has pierced through it all."
- "This is the indestructible proof of legend."
With that, he turned the long spear around, elegantly and solemnly presenting it to Huai Shi.
Huai Shi slowly reached out and grasped the hilt of the spear.
As he focused his mind, the magnificent cross-shaped long spear unexpectedly shrank inch by inch, transforming into an ancient book in his hand. When he lowered his head to examine it, he saw the title on the time-worn cover, carrying an ancient and meaningful title.
"Four Hundred Years of Astonishment."
He was stunned.
"KP..." With his last glimmer of hope, he gazed at the man in front of him. "Is Lily really still alive?"
"Who knows?"
KP mysteriously smiled. "The life and death of humans are like morning dew and bubbles, and the life and death of created beings are even more illusory.
Moreover, wasn't she originally someone who shouldn't exist in this world? The void of life, the etherealness of death - these are inherently difficult to define matters."
"But is it really...?"
"Is reality and illusion really that important?"
KP said calmly. "I believe that, regardless of which it is, you will treat it equally and consistently. That is enough. I sincerely appreciate your generosity and tolerance."
With that, he took a step back and took his hat and coat from the nearby shelf.
"Well then, Mr. Huai Shi, allow me to bid you farewell here."
KP bowed solemnly. "I sincerely hope that one day, you and Miss Lily will meet again in this dreamlike world."
He paused, then smiled meaningfully.
"Until then, please wait and keep hope in your heart!"
In the silence, KP turned and left.
The door closed.
Huai Shi stared blankly at the ancient book in his hand.
Was this the end of this story?
Perhaps.
In KP's silence, the game came to an end.A thick book jumped out of the light and shadow, unfolding in front of him and Crow, with countless pages flipping until it stopped at the blank space at the end of the volume.A silver feather pen danced on the pages, ignoring the stunned KP, leaving behind a dark ink mark on its own, declaring the end.FalseEndAlternate ending: No 'person' survivesKP looked down at the line of writing, dumbfounded."Oh my, oh my, isn't this a bit rude?" Crow chuckled with delight. "I've felt for a while now that this kid has the potential to become a villain in fan fiction, but I didn't expect him to progress so quickly..."With that, she raised her eyes and gazed at her former colleagues."So, how does it feel, hosts?" she asked softly. "My scribe, does he meet your expectations? Is he the kind of recorder you seek? Is he someone who can impartially judge the past and the future, balance fiction and truth?""Marvelous..." KP murmured softly."Hmm?""I mean... marvelous! Absolutely legendary performance! Legendary!"He finally looked up, his eyes devoid of regret and displeasure, but filled with amazement, excitement... and a gleam of light. "Marvelous! A true legend!"Behind him, the figure of a woman cloaked in black appeared, nodding slightly but not hiding her admiration. "A destined hero."And in another empty chair at the table, a stern-faced old man raised his deep eyes and spoke in a low voice. "Admirable achievement."Satisfied, Crow nodded and rubbed her small wings."Well then, let's discuss what comes next... for example, compensation?"...When Huai Shi opened his eyes from unconsciousness, he felt like he was about to die from exhaustion.It was as if he had run a hundred thousand marathons after a hangover and then been beaten by a hundred thousand people.Who am I?Where am I?What exactly happened?Then, he saw the grinning face of Old Xiao in front of him."Not bad, kid," the rough man patted his shoulder hard. "You did well."Huai Shi jumped up from the bed in shock, almost pulling down the IV drip hanging from his body.He almost lost control and swung an axe."Wake up, wake up, it's all over," Old Xiao coughed awkwardly and turned to his supervisor, the smiling old man. "What are you still looking at? Come over and explain what the hell you've done with my face! I shouldn't have come!""What's going on?"Huai Shi looked bewildered, seeing Ai Qing sitting next to the table with a grim expression, and KP smiling and playing dice on the opposite side."Cough, in simple terms, this was a sudden impromptu inspection," the elderly supervisor coughed and said. "At the suggestion of Mr. KP, we made the recovery of the philosopher's stone a test this time.""What?" Huai Shi was dumbfounded. "You arranged all this?""Although there were some unpleasant surprises, part of it... yes."The actual player of Old Xiao in the module, the elderly supervisor, showed an embarrassed smile and reached out. "I apologize if I have offended you."Huai Shi was speechless and looked at Ai Qing, trying to figure out what was going on.Ai Qing's face was still not good. "In short, the operation was a test from the beginning, and we were both played like fools. Even the examiner almost messed up.""Don't say that, Miss Ai, although there were quite a few accidents, this was the probation inspection for you and Mr. Huai," the old supervisor coughed awkwardly and looked away."What accidents?""It's a long story..."The old supervisor pondered for a moment, sighed helplessly.A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled.In fact, there was no module or game at the beginning.According to the original plan, everyone was to raid the smugglers' ship, have a great time, and then, unexpectedly, when they were about to successfully recover the fragments of the philosopher's stone, there was a sudden betrayal.Lei Feizhou.Under the direction of his supervisor, they were ready to grab the fragments of the philosopher's stone and run away, hiding in the border to sell the loot. The betrayal went smoothly at first, until they tried to betray Huai Shi... things went wrong.According to the supervisor's description, Huai Shi, who realized what was happening, displayed a terrifying reaction speed and launched a guerrilla attack on the ship with his killing skills, showing a terrifying combat power beyond imagination.In just fifteen minutes, he single-handedly took down Lei Feizhou and his four subordinates who were also sublimators.Finally, unexpectedly, Lei Feizhou, in a desperate move, directly triggered the fragments of the philosopher's stone, causing a large-scale erosion phenomenon and leading to unknown consequences.Helplessly, KP had to forcibly erase this segment of the event in some way and start over, which was the first round.But the fragments of the philosopher's stone had completely eroded the surroundings, deepening the ship and the surrounding area, forming an expanding hell.The recovery difficulty skyrocketed to a terrifying level, and the second round of recovery failed.The Astronomical Society had to agree to KP's proposal to cover this area with the dark web border and forcibly modularize everything, and then began the third round.The intrigue and power struggles in this segment of the story could easily fill twenty thousand words in the Book of Destiny. Huai Shi felt extremely regretful when he heard it. Why was this part omitted from the erasure?When he subconsciously felt that something was wrong, KP just mysteriously smiled and blinked at him when no one was paying attention.After explaining to Huai Shi, the old inspector straightened his expression and solemnly said, "Miss Ai, your performance in the assessment has shown the qualities of a good inspector, sharp thinking and intuition, deep trust with colleagues, and the ability to remain calm and decisive in adversity.The Bureau highly appreciates your performance and has approved your promotion application, and once again invites you to join the Central Decision-Making Committee...""I've already said, I refuse!"Ai Qing interrupted indifferently, "Enough with the nonsense. I hope to see you again at the internal inquiry meeting.""Very well, I hope you will be more accommodating then."The old inspector smiled helplessly, then turned to Huai Shi, "As for Mr. Huai, you have successfully completed a task that I thought was impossible, and you possess the rare integrity and outstanding skills of this era.Ah, although your thinking is a bit simple, and you have a tendency towards excessive violence, this cannot conceal your exceptional talent. The Astral Society is proud to have an operative like you. This is your official identification. We will complete the registration later. You can come to Jinling to register in a few months when you have time.""Hmph..."In the corner, Yin Yan snorted disdainfully, then quickly averted his gaze when he noticed Huai Shi looking at him.He continued to shrink back."Due to the harm caused to colleagues during the operation, Mr. Yin has temporarily had his inspector qualifications revoked. Your inquiry will be held in Jinling later. Please pay attention to the notice."The old inspector shook his head sympathetically, filled out the form in his hand, and handed Huai Shi a new identification."Well, my task is done."He smiled as he put away the items in his hand and bid farewell with the others, leaving only him and Ai Qing in the room."I've been completely played," Ai Qing sighed unwillingly, her expression dark as she tapped the armrest and closed her eyes.In the silence, Huai Shi coughed awkwardly, "Um... Ai Qing...""Hmm?" Ai Qing raised her eyes to look at him, still with an angry expression."Ah, thank you... I mean... I don't know what you encountered, but thank you in the end." Huai Shi thanked her earnestly."Assign the task to subordinates and bear the consequences yourself. Isn't that the duty of an inspector?" Ai Qing glanced at him, then moved her gaze away with little interest. "I'm going out for some fresh air. You rest well. A boat will come to pick us up later.""Okay."Just before leaving, Ai Qing's wheelchair paused. After a long silence, she sighed helplessly and turned back to say, "You did well, I mean at the end.""Hmm?"Without explaining further, Ai Qing left the room, leaving him alone.In the silence, Huai Shi turned back and saw KP, who had reappeared behind the table at some point."Are you leaving now?" KP raised an eyebrow and sighed, "She's really not straightforward. Having such a boss must be quite a trial, right?""...It's not that bad, actually."Huai Shi scratched his head, looking at him awkwardly. After a while, he couldn't help but ask, "Was that really just a test?""It was partly that. At least, that's what they think," KP shrugged. "Don't worry, they just hitched a ride. The crucial part, I've kept it secret for you.""Ah, thank you."Huai Shi nodded and looked at the small box on the table in front of him, containing a shattered crystal ball that resembled an eye.It was a fragment of the philosopher's stone, but unfortunately, more than half of its miracles had been lost, making it hardly useful."Don't worry about this. It has already consumed a lot to maintain that module. Compared to what we have gained, these losses are insignificant."KP comforted him understandingly, then raised his eyebrows and clapped his hands cheerfully. "So, as a good friend of the investigator, we are now entering the post-game rewards and interlude growth phase.Although you didn't successfully clear the module, you achieved an unexpected ending. As the master of this game, I must reward you for it.""Is there a reward?" Huai Shi was taken aback."Of course."KP said matter-of-factly, "The original reward for clearing the module was this character card. As long as the source material is sufficient, you can once again transform into the character of Fan Haixin in a short time. But to be honest, I think this meager reward is insufficient to commend all that you have done."With that, he tore Fan Haixin's character card into shreds without hesitation.What the heck? Wait a minute!Huai Shi was dumbfounded. He had wanted to say that it was okay and that he didn't mind if KP gave him that thing... but he didn't expect KP to act so quickly.That was a border relic that could instantly transform a person into a third-tier top sublimator as long as the source material was sufficient!And it was just one step away from becoming a Celestial Angel!Why did he tear it up so easily?"Anyway, let's put that aside for now and roll for the interlude reward."KP took out a thick rule book and explained its meaning to Huai Shi.It seemed that in this game, as long as a player completed a module, their character could grow and receive skill rewards. But according to KP, this reward could be directly applied to himself?Free skill upgrades!Huai Shi's eyes lit up with excitement. Following KP's guidance, he began to roll the dice for the judgment. Soon, his face turned extremely dark, lost in the blue sky and white clouds of Africa with a dumbfounded expression.Deception, rhetoric, and stealth, the skills that had been highly successful in the module, had all failed to grow?After a round of rolling, only the most basic skills of "listening" and "observation" had been upgraded.Soon, as the dice rolled, Huai Shi felt his vision clear and the world became much clearer in an instant. Countless small traces that he had previously ignored became vivid before his eyes.He could even hear the sound of people's clothes rubbing outside the cabin, as well as the surging of the waves, like a symphony.His perception, which had already been pushed to the limit by the Yin Soul, unexpectedly increased by a large margin!This alone was a pleasant surprise.But then, when he rolled the dice for the last time, his mind was flooded with a wealth of knowledge - about the properties of various metals, the methods of processing, and the details to be noted in each process.The information and knowledge that had been memorized from so many books suddenly and miraculously came together, and the details and key points mentioned by Crow during his teachings were vividly clear.The alchemy growth assessment was successful!In an instant, he had passed the long period of repeatedly memorizing, futile attempts, and experiments to slowly master the apprentice stage, and officially entered!When he raised his palm and focused his mind, he saw countless tiny metal fragments floating in the void above his palm.Pure white alchemical fire rose up, its temperature changing flexibly, swiftly melting, refining, purifying, extracting, and synthesizing them.Until finally, it turned into a surging silver-white liquid.A small miracle had occurred.Silver Blood Elixir!Although the medicinal effect was slightly weak, Huai Shi had crossed the long period of apprenticeship with just his hands, achieving results that had been previously out of reach.Just as he was pleasantly surprised, he heard KP's excited snap of his fingers as he contemplated.As if a sudden inspiration had struck him."I've got it!"KP raised his eyes joyfully. "This is the most suitable reward to delight you!"Just as Huai Shi looked up in astonishment, he saw KP reaching out towards him from a distance, as if grabbing something and pulling it back.Huai Shi's mind buzzed, as something was being pulled out of his soul by KP. When he looked up, he found that KP's hand now held a magnificent cross-shaped long spear.The silver blade was engraved with intricate and solemn layers of emblems, as if it had gathered all the light in the world."The Spear of Compassion?"KP gazed down at the inscription on the long spear, nodding in admiration. "A good name."With that, he picked up a fragment of the Philosopher's Stone from the table, once belonging to the Fifth Order Sublimator, Qingguan Long Fan Haisin's Eye of Repentance.The crystal eye turned into a stream of light in his hand, attaching itself to the blade of the spear.Illuminating KP's smile."Let this commemorate your 'dragon-slaying feat.'"In that instant, the light dissipated from the blade, and a fresh bloodstain appeared on the silver blade.As if the never-ending blood of the Qingguan Dragon was slowly dripping from the blade, falling to the ground, silently decaying the floor. Then, clusters of pure white iris flowers bloomed from the decay, emitting a refreshing fragrance."Defeating evil, overturning fate, and saving the princess trapped in endless cycles of death - your actions are the embodiment of glory."KP smiled, gazing at the magnificent long spear. "For such a long time, from 1620 to now, this spear has pierced through it all."- "This is the indestructible proof of legend."With that, he turned the long spear around, elegantly and solemnly presenting it to Huai Shi.Huai Shi slowly reached out and grasped the hilt of the spear.As he focused his mind, the magnificent cross-shaped long spear unexpectedly shrank inch by inch, transforming into an ancient book in his hand. When he lowered his head to examine it, he saw the title on the time-worn cover, carrying an ancient and meaningful title."Four Hundred Years of Astonishment."He was stunned."KP..." With his last glimmer of hope, he gazed at the man in front of him. "Is Lily really still alive?""Who knows?"KP mysteriously smiled. "The life and death of humans are like morning dew and bubbles, and the life and death of created beings are even more illusory.Moreover, wasn't she originally someone who shouldn't exist in this world? The void of life, the etherealness of death - these are inherently difficult to define matters.""But is it really...?""Is reality and illusion really that important?"KP said calmly. "I believe that, regardless of which it is, you will treat it equally and consistently. That is enough. I sincerely appreciate your generosity and tolerance."With that, he took a step back and took his hat and coat from the nearby shelf."Well then, Mr. Huai Shi, allow me to bid you farewell here."KP bowed solemnly. "I sincerely hope that one day, you and Miss Lily will meet again in this dreamlike world."He paused, then smiled meaningfully."Until then, please wait and keep hope in your heart!"In the silence, KP turned and left.The door closed.Huai Shi stared blankly at the ancient book in his hand.Was this the end of this story?Perhaps.
