Chapter 252

Chapter 252

Upon returning to reality, Lane's first step was to check on the status of the Perfect Humans.

Fortunately, Lane had chosen to open the portal near Arkham's outskirts. Without his orders, the players hadn't dared to release the Perfect Humans, so the ship and its passengers remained in place.

After returning with Ogar, Lane keenly scanned their surroundings but found no trace of Bader. Ogar also shook his head, indicating that Bader had indeed left.

After some thought, Lane used his authority over space to send the ship's Perfect Humans back to the Kamui territory. Carmen and Carrens were already waiting there, ready to help these newcomers from the Dream World adapt to modern society.

As the Perfect Humans, guided by the players, gathered courage to exit the ship, their eyes were immediately drawn to the blue sky above them. It was a sight they hadn't seen in the Dream World for far too long, as no one dared to gaze at the sky due to the contamination from the Red Moon.

The blue sky, clean air, and steel forest... everything in this new world captivated the Perfect Humans, and they felt immense gratitude for having made the journey here.

The players, upon exiting the ship, cheered in excitement, realizing that the third stage of the quest had been completed. They eagerly discussed among themselves how many players now qualified to enter the Church of the Stars.

Only God Among Men maintained his composure. The moment he stepped off the ship, his gaze instinctively swept around until it landed on the contemplative Lane.

"Lord Lane, is something wrong?"

The deity in the mortal world asked calmly, "Based on our experience transitioning from reality to the Dream World, passing through your portal shouldn't take that long."

The reason the players had obediently stayed in the cabin was because the mission indicated that it was still incomplete. The requirement was for the players to remain in the cabin, and thus they couldn't move until the mission showed completion.

However, the deity in the mortal world keenly sensed something amiss. The time they spent 'crossing dimensions' seemed excessively long.

Since the players were also in the cabin like the Perfect Man, they didn't witness Baldur entering the portal at the last moment.

Lahn: "The betrayer of the Old Gods passed through the 'door' at the last moment and entered reality."

The deity in the mortal world was taken aback, immediately connecting this with 'Judas,' the mastermind behind the series of missions and the current game's main boss, "So that means..."

"Indeed, the final showdown is imminent. You'd best prepare yourselves."

After Lahn finished speaking, he triggered the final stage of the mission for the players and returned to the Divine Realm.

He had a premonition that peace in reality wouldn't last much longer.

"Main Quest - Mortals and Gods (Final Stage)"

Task: The moment the people passed through the portals, Bader Hoggard, the betrayer of the Old Gods, also stepped into reality. He intended to incite Armageddon in the human world and seize the faith in 'God' to become the sole deity, the betrayer and transformer, the God of Light and the Shepherd, clashing with both God and the devil. The final battle was imminent.

Reward for Success: Retention of closed beta account data, Epic Title 'Shining Stars of Humanity,' one attribute at max value, and one skill point upgraded to max.

Failure Penalty: Zeroing out of closed beta data.

After Lane vanished, the other players continued celebrating their victory. The God on Earth silently posted a screenshot of the mission on the forum, predictably sparking numerous replies.

Druid: ???? I've never seen a failure penalty like this before.

In the game Fate's Requiem, there usually weren't any task penalties, or at least none that were openly stated. However, those who had truly played the game understood that the in-game penalties typically didn't involve tangible things like experience loss or level reduction.

Upon logging back in after a reset, one might find a village missing, stumble upon a news report of a death on TV while strolling down the street, or discover an extra tombstone in a graveyard.

During sleepless nights in the real world, players might recall those non-playable characters (NPCs) who would never return, remembering their mistakes and pounding their beds in regret: Damn it, I should have known better.

Some found the game's overly grim realism too much to bear and chose to leave quietly.

Yet, it was precisely these realistic and harsh details that constructed this second world, eerily close to reality.

And precisely because there were barely any explicit penalties for failure in this game, the players were utterly stunned when they learned that the beta test progress would be reset. They started discussing the final main quest nonstop on the forums.

Black Cat: ...Given the game's nature, if we were to fail...

God Among Men: We might face an apocalypse? Or perhaps a world taken over by an evil deity.

Black Cat: Hiss—

Yoyoyo: This must be the last mission of the beta, right? (Shivering)

Babaa: Come on, I'm all set.

Matcha Milk Green: This time it's in the game's real world, so presumably all players can join in.

Immoral Idol: Then I'll be living in the game for the next two days. (Collapses)

Odd Seeker: Cheer up! Everyone, don't lose! I'm still looking forward to showing off my Hall of Fame character card to newbies after the open beta!

Uncle Hao: Right, if we complete the final main quest, we can choose one attribute or skill to max out, which means we all have a chance to enter the Hall of Fame!

(The Hall of Fame is reserved for those who master a specific attribute or skill to become legendary masters in their field, while the Cathedral of Stars admits those who have made honorable sacrifices.)

Currently, many character cards have entered the Cathedral of Stars within the game, but the Hall of Fame still only boasts a handful of fortunate players.

Not Crazy: Oh oh oh oh! I'll be the king of beginners, and from now on, I'll live inside the game!

Nayi: Don't do that, hahaha. It's not good for your rest. I suggest we add each other as friends and leave one person in the game to call you all when it's time to log in.

Taxman: I agree with that suggestion.

Looks Matter: Since this is the final main quest, I bet it'll be tough. Folks, if you have any hidden gems, now's the time to use them. Don't hold back on great cards; if we lose, the beta data will be wiped clean, and those cards won't matter anymore!

Druid: Understood, it's time to reveal my secret divine card.

Black Cat: Haha, then I'll also prepare in-game. See you all there when the time comes!

Having received the message, the players each began making their own preparations according to their understanding of the situation.

On the third day in-game, changes started to unfold.

On this day, within the University of Michigan.

"Hmm? Shouldn't the Orlan TV station be broadcasting the weather report at this time?" Professor Alders fiddled with his small television in confusion. Instead of the usual weather forecast, a news bulletin had interrupted the programming.

"The head of the Christian headquarters announced today that God has revealed through a dream that the Day of Judgment is imminent..."

"According to news reports, there have been recent occurrences of unusual phenomena worldwide, with scenes from the biblical Book of Revelation appearing in the skies above religious sanctuaries."

"Might this be some novel form of prank? Or perhaps a jest from the realm of religion?" The faces of news anchors across channels were grave as they reported.

In the realm of self-media, it is an outright carnival for anchors.

"Hey there, folks, can you all see the scene in the sky behind me? Isn't it just like what's described in the Bible!" The internet celebrity, aiming the camera at the sky behind him, grinned, revealing his white teeth as he watched the viewer count on his live stream soar. "Ghosts are really appearing now, and you know what, this Jesus fellow is quite a handsome one indeed."

Behind him, the crowd had swelled, their fingers pointing skyward, and from time to time, a devout believer would make the sign of the cross on their chest with solemnity.

A translucent figure, resplendent in white, emerged in the sky. Seven golden candelabras materialized at its side, and from its lips protruded a double-edged sword. Its strikingly beautiful face bore not an ounce of mercy; instead, as it gazed upon the humans below who dared to point and gesture, a cruel intent flickered within its eyes.

If Lane were here, he would instantly recognize this as Balder.

Just as he had seen in Kerry's Dream Gap, the entity would recreate scenes from the Apocalypse in reality, seizing the long-prepared faith as it descended to Earth as a 'God.'

The Day of Judgment had arrived.