Ten Day Ultimatum

Chapter 404

Chapter 404

Ten Day Ultimatum

Chapter 404 New Organization

“She…” Zhang Chenze turned back to the other two in astonishment.

“Her condition was already very poor…” Lin Qin remarked with a look of sorrow. “For her, this may be a kind of release… When she comes back next time with her sanity restored, we’ll ask her what she truly saw.”

Zhang Chenze nodded silently.

This place was far more terrifying than she had imagined.

“May I ask…” Zhang Chenze looked up at the two of them, “does using {Reverberation} always leave such severe aftereffects? Isn’t it supposed to be a kind of superpower?”

“{Reverberation} has never been a {superpower}; it is a double-edged sword,” Qin Dingdong replied. “In this place, everyone’s {Reverberation} inevitably comes with a glaring drawback.You are no exception.”

Zhang Chenze thought of her suit jacket that had {fled} the night before.

To her, {Reverberation} was more than just a double-edged sword.

It was nothing but a worthless scrap of iron.

“Generally speaking… if a {Reverberation} acts upon the body itself, it is highly likely to harm the user,” Lin Qin explained. “Su Shan is a clear example of this, though her deteriorating state seems to have been caused by another factor.”

“What factor?”

“If a {Reverberation} acts upon external aspects, then it damages the user’s brain, leading eventually to the loss of sanity. If I’m not mistaken, the three of us share this drawback.” Lin Qin paused, glancing at Su Shan’s corpse. “By rights, Su Shan’s {Reverberation} acted upon her own body—its side effect should have been nothing more than destroying her eyes. Yet she also lost her sanity. Perhaps her {Reverberation} possesses functions we do not yet understand.”

“I see…” Zhang Chenze lifted her left hand and studied it. “If I were to use this ability excessively… would I go mad?”

“Yes.” Lin Qin nodded. “Once one enters the state of {Madness}, perception collapses. That may cause a {Reverberatee} either to grow monstrously stronger… or to utterly destroy themselves.”

After speaking, Lin Qin turned her gaze to the display ahead—{Soul Reposition} still remained on the list.

She knew Zhang Chenze’s {Reverberation} was of a wholly different nature than her own. It was more akin to a {Beckoned Calamity} skill—once invoked, it carried a tremendous likelihood of causing negative repercussions. If such a {Reverberation} could not be mastered, the situation would only grow increasingly dire.

“Chenze.” Lin Qin called out, “I’ve never met you before, so I don’t know how you’re supposed to shut off your own {Reverberation}. But when you hear the {bell toll} again, make sure you remember exactly how you’re feeling at that moment.”

“Oh…” Zhang Chenze nodded earnestly.

The three of them stood staring at Su Shan’s corpse, pondering whether they ought to bring her body back to the {Passage to Heaven}, when they noticed three figures approaching from the distance.

“Eh…?”

Both groups showed startled expressions upon seeing one another.

The ones arriving were Yun Yao, Tian Tian, and Li Xiangling.

Thus, six girls stood face-to-face before the giant bell.

“Are you all going out to partake in a game?” Lin Qin asked

“No…” Yun Yao shook her head. “The three of us have already withdrawn from the {Passage to Heaven}.”

“Hm…?” Lin Qin paused. “Yun Yao, aren’t you the deputy leader of {Passage to Heaven}?”

“A lot has happened…” Yun Yao’s expression dimmed. “That place has already changed. The Chu Tianqiu I knew is gone.”

“Is that so?” Lin Qin and the others knew little about Chu Tianqiu and thus had nothing to say on the matter.

Yun Yao’s gaze fell upon Su Shan’s body lying on the ground. “What happened to her…?”

“We took part in an {Terrestrial-grade} game…” Zhang Chenze said. “Su Shan managed to trigger her {Reverberation}, but the backlash claimed her life.”

The others nodded sympathetically.

“By the way…” Yun Yao began, “I’m planning to form a new organization, and I’m just about to recruit some teammates. Would you be interested?”

“A new organization…?”

“Yes.” Yun Yao looked at them earnestly. “We’ve been surviving here for so long, we’ve nearly forgotten our true goal—we need to escape, to return to the world we once belonged to. I want to dedicate myself to that aim. But I know my strength is limited, so I called Tian Tian and Li Xiangling to join me. Will you?”

Qin Dingdong rubbed her chin, stealing a glance at Lin Qin.

“I…” Qin Dingdong said, “I’m just a small-time swindler, used to roaming alone. Joining an organization hmm… better hear Lin’s opinion first.”

Lin Qin fixed her gaze on Yun Yao’s eyes for a long while before speaking. “I’m part of {Judgment’s Domain}.”

“Eh?” Yun Yao froze. “What did you say—”

“I am Lin Qin, an {Adherent of Judgment’s Domain}.” Lin Qin smiled. “Have you thought it through before drawing me into your fold?”

Yun Yao’s expression soured. In that instant, she felt leaving {Passage to Heaven} had been the most correct choice she ever made—for {Judgment’s Domain} had already seeped deep into that place.

Whether it was Yan Zhichun or Lin Qin, either could utterly dismantle {Passage to Heaven}.

“{Judgment’s Domain} is absolutely out of the question,” Yun Yao said coldly. “What I loathe most is anything related to {Judgment’s Domain}. So you cannot join us. But what about the others?”

“What’s {Judgment’s Domain} ever done to you?” Qin Dingdong snapped. “Did they take what was yours, or eat what was yours? Some people really are amusing—don’t even bother to understand the truth, and already they start shutting others out.”

“I don’t understand enough?” Yun Yao said evenly. “Back then, the purpose of our {Passage to Heaven} was pure—only to break through the games. Yet {Judgment’s Domain} constantly infiltrated and sabotaged us. At best, they ruined strategies we had labored over for so long; at worst, they caused the annihilation of our entire team. And you say that’s not enough?”

“Do you even know the reason why?” Qin Dingdong retorted. “So you killing the {Earthly Branches} is correct and them trying to stop you is not?”

“That’s not the point.” Yun Yao frowned. “They could have simply chosen not to interfere. As you said, if it’s impossible to judge who’s right or wrong, we could each walk our own road. But those lunatics—time and again, they lured us into trusting them, only to sell us out again and again. Tell me, is that reasonable? Must their mission always be founded upon betrayal? Betrayal is the thing I hate most in my life.”

Qin Dingdong fell silent. From a certain angle, Yun Yao’s words were not without merit.

If {Judgment’s Domain} meant to protect this place, the only way was to keep shattering the plans of others—and for Yun Yao, that was unbearably cruel.

Lin Qin stepped forward. “I may not wish to join you, but let’s be clear: each {Adherent of Judgment’s Domain} acts differently. You cannot condemn us all because of one person’s treachery.”

“Perhaps. But I will still hold to my stance,” Yun Yao said firmly. “I don’t know how many of you there are, nor what methods each might use. My only choice is to cut it off at the root.”

“But that’s not fair.” Zhang Chenze suddenly spoke up. “No one should be punished for something they have never done.”