Chapter 153: God’s Favor (2)

Chapter 153: Divine Patronage (Part 2)

In reality, when Xie Fangcheng first entered Zhang Daoan's dreamscape, he intended to exit immediately.

Everyone harbors secret wishes nestled deep within their hearts, desires mostly kept hidden from the world. Despite his daily lethargy, Xie Fangcheng respects people's privacy; his casual demeanor does not equate to rudeness.

Yet, witnessing himself seated in the first row, Xie Fangcheng couldn't help but be filled with curiosity about Zhang Daoan's desire.

Truly his dear friend through and through! Even in his dreams, he is thinking about him!

Xie Fangcheng thought blissfully that in the depths of his own desires, Zhang Daoan featured prominently... Of course, even though the theme of the wish was "Zhang Daoan helping me with the paperwork", it essentially confirmed the significant place Zhang held in his life.

And as it turned out, Zhang Daoan's dream included him too!

Initially intending to leave, Xie Fangcheng found himself irresistibly rooted to the spot.

He just wanted to uncover what this wish concerning him in Zhang Daoan's heart was. As soon as he found out, he would leave immediately.

But this classroom, this dream of Zhang Daoan... could it be? Was Professor Zhang's lifelong dream to tutor him in studies?

Had his persistent indolence and reluctance to engage intellectually pushed Zhang Daoan to harbor a deep-seated desire for him to be more proactive mentally?

Xie Fangcheng scratched his head, unable to hold back his confusion.

The bell signaling the beginning of class rang, and at the doorway, Professor Zhang entered punctually.

He was clad in a sharply tailored black cashmere overcoat, complemented by a suit

Vest,

A crisp white shirt paired with a navy blue tie, golden wire-framed glasses perched neatly on his straight nose. His hair was meticulously groomed, and as he ascended the podium with the textbook in hand, he exhibited an impressive figure, a persona emanating both elegance and authority.

Xie Fangcheng, generally indifferent to appearances, couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Damn, he looks good."

It was undeniable, Professor Zhang usually exuded an elite demeanor, always maintaining a poised posture, with a sartorial taste that, even to Xie Fangcheng's inexperienced eye, was undoubtedly handsome.

While he never voiced it, Xie Fangcheng always felt Zhang was a bit of a show-off, flaunting himself like a peacock, albeit a very attractive one.

Though a bit pretentious, there was no denying Zhang's genuine attractiveness, and as long as he wasn't being overtly bizarre, he remained quite likable... well, even his quirky moments were somewhat endearing to Xie Fangcheng, especially when he was teasing others.

On the podium, Zhang Daoan appeared to be the only person unaware of the floating spectators in the air.

His gaze swept across the room, eventually landing on the sole figure with a head of hair amidst a sea of bald heads.

Indeed.

In the Buddhist academy where bald heads were the norm, Xie Fangcheng's luxuriant hair shone conspicuously, akin to a bright indicator lamp.

In the dream, Zhang Daoan seemed to be split into two halves: one part cognizant of the dream's illusionary nature, and the other immersing himself as the "real Zhang Daoan" in the dream, constantly whispering: "You can stay in this beautiful dream forever if you wish."

Beautiful, was it?

Adjusting his glasses, Zhang Daoan refrained from looking at the "Xie Fangcheng" seated in the first row. Instead, he began the lecture with a tranquil demeanor.

The real Xie Fangcheng, akin to a ghost, floated in mid-air, keen to see just how absurd Professor Zhang Dao'an's dream could get, all while enjoying the spectacle with an amused interest.

Then... he just listened as Zhang Dao'an conducted a lesson in a calm and composed manner.

In exactly forty minutes, at six-twenty, both of them opened their eyes simultaneously.

Xie Fangcheng couldn't resist stealthily glancing at Professor Zhang Dao'an beside him.

Unbelievable.

Xie Fangcheng had speculated about the kind of dreams this person might have; perhaps the common human desires for immortality, immense wealth, or wielding great power... Although Zhang Dao'an didn't seem to be that kind of person - despite his ruthless methods, he held high ideals, even instigating popular uprisings from time to time.

Xie Fangcheng had initially thought his ultimate aspiration would be world peace and unity, but he never anticipated that entering his mind would reveal a vision of himself.

Seeing himself was one thing, but to think that his dream was simply to conduct a proper lesson peacefully?

It must be said, Professor Zhang's dream seemed even more absurd than "world peace".

Impressive!

Xie Fangcheng was left utterly astonished.

Zhang Dao'an's expression remained unchanged as he exited the dream.

He looked at the white candles surrounding them.

The candlelight flickered, half of the white candles had already melted away.

Around them, Wei Yuan, Nie Shuangshuang, and the others were still with eyes closed, their faces serene and tranquil, evidently immersed in beautiful dreams.

"Ahem, did you notice anything?" Xie Fangcheng felt somewhat sheepish after emerging from the dream.

Although Zhang Dao'an's dream wasn't particularly remarkable - just a rather interesting philosophy class that even the usually unenthusiastic Xie Fangcheng found engaging - he couldn't shake the feeling that he had invaded someone's privacy, leaving him slightly guilty.

But having secretly observed someone else's dream, Xie Fangcheng felt somewhat like a voyeur, hence a tinge of guilt.

Zhang Dao'an was deep in thought at the moment and didn't notice Xie Fangcheng's sheepish demeanor.

As he pondered, he began to speak, "Wei Yuan was right; this sensation is indeed hard to describe. It's as if you're experiencing a lucid dream."

The daily prayer time was from five forty to six twenty. Once the forty minutes passed, it felt as if one had gotten a full night's sleep, being able to wake up at will. Logically, they should be able to exit the dream immediately, like Xie Fangcheng and Zhang Dao'an, but judging from Wei Yuan and the others' reactions, it seemed they chose to remain in the dream willingly.

After finishing his thoughts, Zhang Dao'an asked Xie Fangcheng, "Did you discover anything?"

Xie Fangcheng indeed had made a discovery.

"If you find the scenario in the dream too absurd, you will wake up immediately."

He hadn't tried to control the dream intentionally, curious to see what kind of mischief this replica could muster.

But because the replica crafted such a false vision for him, something akin to a boss offering empty promises to an office worker, the Xie Fangcheng in the dream not only immediately realized the absurdity of the dream but even felt an undercurrent of rage bubbling up, bordering on outrage.

Drawing pies again! Always drawing pies! This is the thing bosses are best at!!

Fifty years ago, they said that the Underworld would be completely modernized, phasing out paper records to establish a high-tech Underworld where reviews could be typed on computers, eliminating the need for tedious handwriting.

However, after years of empty promises, Jie Fangcheng finally retired. The retirement application and personal history forms took a whole three years to complete, comprising over four hundred pages of content! Just the referenced documents alone involved tens of thousands of archives. The most dreaded part was the paperwork required to borrow and return these archives. Due to this, Jie Fangcheng often felt that not retiring might be better, fearing that in another hundred and eighty years he would have to restart and fill out these forms again.

After going back and forth for so long, Jie Fangcheng thought he could finally retire in peace, but in the blink of an eye, he found himself in this darn game.

Now look at this mess. Back then, his boss would lure him with promises, and now even this simulation is doing the same. While others dream of reuniting with parents or lovers, he was stuck in this lousy dream meeting his boss?! What on earth is this about!

An office worker couldn't bear to stay in the dream for even a second.

Shang Daoan pondered and nodded slightly.

As they chatted here, the players around them remained devout, their hands clasped tightly, deeply immersed in their dream worlds.

"Should we explore the temple for more clues?" Shang Daoan suggested, "Let's search within this room. In case of any emergency, I'm not sure if Wei Yuan and the others will be able to wake up."

"Alright."

The two of them wandered around the temple.

The temple was spacious and bright, with the dome towering more than ten meters above the ground.

Jie Fangcheng observed attentively, realizing that the painting on the dome depicted a complete story.

Initially, there was a desolate city where humans lived in dire conditions, barely clothed and fed. Whenever drought struck, a large portion of the population died, some resorting to cannibalism for survival. When floods came, the waters broke the riverbanks, submerging villages.

Human life was exceedingly difficult.

Eventually, unable to endure further, humans prayed to the deity, pleading for mercy upon their wretched city. They offered their children to serve the deity as a gesture of devotion.

The benevolent deity appeared.

It provided clothing for the naked, food for the hungry, commanded the sun to soften its rays, and tamed the raging floods to gentle streams.

In the end, it took the human children under its wings, nurturing them as its own, teaching them the ways to survive.

Once educated, the deity returned the children to the city, encouraging them to spread the skills they had acquired, facilitating a happier, more convenient life for the city's inhabitants.

Grateful for its kindness, humans voluntarily built a temple on the easternmost mountain, allowing the first ray of light to shine into the sanctuary.

This was the origin of the deity and the temple.

"Quite mythological."

Not just mythological, but something seems oddly... off...

After reading, Shang Daoan moved forward a couple of steps, standing at the central point under the dome.

At the very center of the dome is a depiction of the deity.

They bear gentle silver hair, are garbed in a white robe, with their eyes closed.

They seem to be holding something in their hand, but due to the ravages of time, it's impossible to discern the details of the object in the painting anymore.

At the frontmost part of the temple stands a statue of the deity, where they are portrayed with crossed arms resting on their chest.

"There might be something amiss there," Zong Dao'an pointed at the deity's depicted hands in the painting.

Jie Fangcheng nodded, about to suggest, "Shall I go up for a closer look?", when at that moment, Wei Yuan and the others finally awakened from their dream state.

It was already 7:20.

The originally scheduled prayer time was supposed to end at 6:20, but Wei Yuan and their group's dream seemed to extend longer and longer, now having exceeded by an hour.

Zong Dao'an glanced at the burning candles.

At 5:40, when the prayer had just begun and the sky outside had not yet darkened, these candles were ignited.

They have been burning up until now, with about a third of their original length remaining.

After waking, Wei Yuan and the others were still immersed in the remnants of their dream, quietly sitting in their seats, reliving everything in their dreams. It took them a few more minutes to seemingly regain their senses.

The members of the Death God Guild had already left the temple.

This group indeed doesn't interact much with other players; even during the day when Wei Yuan and their group were assisting the town's residents to accumulate divine power, their whereabouts were unknown, having not appeared at all.

Now, they were the first to regain their senses, a group of about twenty people silently departed.

The remaining individual players, faces radiant with peace and happiness, also left the temple one after another.

Wei Yuan's group was the largest, and after the dream ended, many people engaged in brief exchanges.

Wei Yuan was completely enveloped in happiness, engrossed in conversation with Qiao Mai.

It was Nie Shuangshuang who seemed a bit lost.

Upon seeing Jie Fangcheng, Nie Shuangshuang sighed, her expression a mix of melancholy and sorrow.

"Brother Jie..."

Without exaggeration, Jie Fangcheng felt a sudden surge of goosebumps.

This young lady had always been very bold and unrestrained. Her swift responses not only meant that she would often dash off abruptly, but her speech was also rapid-fire, resembling a machine gun's continuous chatter.

Hearing her suddenly speak in such a tender and melancholy tone now made Jie Fangcheng feel incredibly uncomfortable.

Nie Shuangshuang's moment of sentimentality lasted but a second. Seeing Jie Fangcheng's expression, her fleeting sadness vanished instantly.

She couldn't help but inquire, "Big brother, what's going on with you? What did you dream about?"

The expressions on everyone's faces around them were filled with joy; it was evident they had all dreamed of things they dearly wanted to dream about.

This realization irritated Jie Fangcheng: "I dreamt of my boss painting pie-in-the-sky promises for me."

His gloominess was something that Nie Shuangshuang couldn't comprehend; she was never a corporate drone pelted with empty promises during her life.

Qi Chanyang, however, overheard and couldn't help but mutter, "Oh my God."

"What kind of sweet dream is that?"

Hadn't they heard enough of their boss's empty promises while they were alive?

Having been a corporate drone before his death, Qi Chanyang could fully empathize with why Jie Fangcheng was feeling downcast.

He gave an awkward, sheepish smile.

"I also dreamt of our boss."

For all the time Qi Chanyang has spent in the game, his sole aspiration is to return to the real world.

He doesn't yearn for riches or prestige in the real world; he simply wishes for a stable and peaceful life.

This wish manifested in his dream, where he saw Jie Fangcheng slaying Ji Chaoyang and destroying the game.

The idea that their countless wandering souls, having no place in the underworld, could temporarily return to the real world might be far-fetched. But once back in the real world, upon seeing his long-lost mother, what did it matter if it was real or not? With his temperament, Qi Chanyang has been struggling in this game just to reunite with his loved ones, if only for a moment.

He even feels grateful for this temple; even if it was just a dream, seeing his loved ones is already the greatest reward.

Moreover, in the dream, he reverted to his original identity—a commonplace office drone.

Yet it wasn't so ordinary; even after "returning to the real world," his skills remained.

Subsequently, he discreetly exposed the scandals of his boss—something he'd always wanted to do but had refrained from for fear of losing his job.

After an internal audit, his boss was dismissed, and Qi Chanyang, owing to his consistent good performance, was promoted.

His career prospered, life went smoothly, he dutifully cared for his parents, and engaged in charitable acts.

In this dream, he was a quintessential winner in life, living the ordinary yet secure happiness he had always longed for.

Upon waking, Qi Chanyang found it hard to distinguish between reality and the dream, feeling as if he truly was the blissful person he had been in the dream, and that this Infinite Game was nothing but a nightmare.

At that moment, he completely understood Wei Yuan and the others.

To be honest, he had been extremely cautious when he saw Wei Yuan and the others so relaxed yesterday, as if they had all undergone a transformation.

Although he hadn't cleared many instances, he was acutely aware of the horror this game could hold. He knew the game couldn't possibly be benevolent enough to offer such a "service."

However, after experiencing today's "prayer-induced dream," Qi Chanyang's outlook shifted.

What are the players pursuing? For most of them, the ultimate dream is to return to the real world.

However, unknown to others, the people of Ronghua are aware that "returning to the real world" is a false proposition. No matter how hard they strive and fight, even if they break through the game, there's the Underworld blocking their way, making return an impossibility.

Frankly, the driving force keeping Wei Yuan and the others going in the game and clearing dungeons at this point is solely "to avenge the guild leader".

But in reality, with their strength, their role is merely to cheer and support, everyone clearly knows who the main force is.

Therefore, the individuals from Ronghua are the ones most immersed in the dreamscapes within the dungeons.

Because they've attained a happiness in dreams that is elusive in reality.

Yes, happiness!

However, such happiness is transient, and some, like Nie Shuangshuang, have already started to feel a sense of melancholy upon waking up from this dream.

Nie Shuangshuang is a sentimental person. In her dream, she and all the people of Ronghua - those who have died and those who are still alive, along with her friends - built a new city in the game following its destruction, where everyone found their happiness.

The guild leader came back, becoming the city lord, continuing to embrace everyone and leading them in cultivating the city to gradually resemble a larger version of the once glorious Ronghua.

Everyone was kind and loving, leading a good life in the city.

Yingying returned as well, the two of them remained the best of friends, residing in the same building.

The Ronghua guild's building became bustling once more, and she fulfilled her dream of becoming a top-tier real estate salesperson.

In today's dream, she was enjoying a special, generous serving of pancakes made by Aunt Li, while shopping with Yingying.

They laughed about dyeing their hair green together, as a playful jab at Brother Jie and his iconic green glow.

Yet, upon opening her eyes again, she was met with the sight of the temple, and although surrounded by members of Ronghua... it just wasn't enough.

The happier the dreams, the colder the reality feels with friends having passed away, the former glory of Ronghua gone, and the game still ongoing.

At this moment, although no one voiced it, some were already contemplating it in their hearts.

Perhaps it would be better to die in the dream, at the happiest moment, rather than oscillating between joy and disappointment time and again.

Qi Chenyang, having experienced the dreamscape only once, had yet to harbor such thoughts.

Not only had he not developed such thoughts, but as he locked eyes with Zhang Dao'an, he abruptly snapped back to reality, turning to look at the seated members of Ronghua around him.

Many of them were unfamiliar to him, but the atmosphere in Ronghua was good, and as a newcomer, Qi Chenyang often chatted in the guild channel, making them at least familiar faces.

Now, seeing the dazed expressions on these once-familiar faces, Qi Chenyang felt a jolt of urgency, blurting out, "The dreams are fake!! Everyone, don't get lost in them!!”

The dream world is blissful, but it is an illusion!

At this moment, Qi Chenyang was incredibly lucid, even experiencing a sense of horror.

After he uttered those words, everyone merely exchanged glances, at a loss.

Wei Yuan comforted him with words, saying, "We all know it's an illusion, this dream is quite peculiar. Even within the dream state, we are acutely aware that it is just a dream, not to be confused with reality. Rest assured, we have a clear understanding of it and won't succumb to its grasp..."

"There's something wrong with the temple," Zhang Dao'an suddenly interrupted him.

"...Huh?" Wei Yuan seemed a bit slower to respond, hesitating for a moment before nodding in agreement, "I suspected as much, this place holds significance, therefore..."

"The problem lies within the temple itself. I believe it would be best to demolish it entirely."

"What are you talking about?!" Before Wei Yuan could respond, someone already spoke anxiously, "What's wrong with the temple? If you intend to bring it down, you must provide an explanation, right?? What if destroying it prevents us from clearing the level?"

"The condition for clearing the level is 'find one hundred godsons', how is that related to the temple? Why would bringing down the temple prevent us from clearing the level? Finding the godsons should suffice. Given Manager Jie's combat capabilities, clearing this dungeon should be straightforward." Zhang Dao'an waved his hand impatiently as he spoke, "Manager Jie, just smash the statue and bring the temple down!"

Although Jie Fangcheng was unsure of his exact intentions, a single glance exchanged with him was enough to compel him to draw a golden greatsword from his backpack, charging towards the statue.

"Stop!!"

Instantaneously, more than a dozen figures blocked Jie Fangcheng's path, their faces filled with desperate pleas, speaking all at once to save the deity statue.

Wei Yuan's expression turned anxious, "Let's discuss this calmly! Why is it necessary to tear down the temple? There must be a rationale, right??"

Zhang Dao'an quietly looked at him.

Wei Yuan felt a chill under his gaze, forcing a nervous laugh, "What is going on, after all?"

Zhang Dao'an's voice resonated eerily within the temple, "Is this what you mean by not being enthralled?"