"Reverse the era... Restart the world?"
Chen Ling understood each of these eight words individually, but when put together, they made no sense to him.
"It means exactly what it says." Chu Muyun spoke slowly. "Reverse everything that has happened since the Great Cataclysm and return human civilization to the day the Crimson Star descended..."
"You mean, reverse time??"
"Not reverse, but restart... There's a big difference between the two."
Chen Ling looked at Chu Muyun in disbelief. "Is... is that even possible?"
"Haven't you already seen it?"
Chu Muyun pointed to the USB drive in Chen Ling's hand. "The result of our attempt."
Chen Ling's mind immediately recalled the scene of inserting the USB drive into the snow and traveling back to his "previous life"... Without a doubt, that was the world he had once lived in, the era just after the Crimson Star had descended.
"How... how did you do this??" The idea of restarting the world was beyond Chen Ling's comprehension, yet he had personally experienced it.
"The process is quite complex... After all our efforts, we've only managed to create a two-hour 'save file.' But we've found a method. One day, we will replace history with this save file and restart the world."
"But if the world can truly be restarted, then you should inherently represent 'justice.' Why are you hunted by the nine major human domains? Why not join forces with them?" Chen Ling countered.
Chu Muyun smiled.
He adjusted his glasses and spoke calmly,
"In time, you'll understand."
Chen Ling fell silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"I've explained the most basic principles of the Twilight Society to you." Chu Muyun's eyes fixed on Chen Ling. "Now... it's time for you to make a decision."
"Will you join us, becoming the highest-level fugitive in the nine major domains, destined to wander for life, despised and feared by the world... Or will you leave?"
Chen Ling's eyes flickered with uncertainty. After a brief pause, he slowly raised his head and spoke with determination:
"I'll join."
Reverse the era. Restart the world.
For others, the Great Cataclysm was just a line in history. But for Chen Ling, it meant the destruction of everything that belonged to him.
He didn't like this world, didn't like this era. He wanted to return to where he belonged, to care for his parents, to live a stable life... He wanted to rewrite the predetermined history, to ensure his father, relatives, and friends could all live well.
He wanted to go home.
Hearing these three words, Chu Muyun smiled faintly. He took out three playing cards from his pocket and laid them out on the table.
6 of Spades, 6 of Hearts, 6 of Clubs.
"What's this?"
"Joining the Twilight Society means, for many of our members, completely severing their past—names, families, identities... They use the face of a playing card to represent themselves. You can choose one."
"...Why are they all sixes?"
"The number represents seniority. The earlier you join, the higher the number... For your batch, it starts with six." Chu Muyun shrugged. "Actually, six isn't bad. I joined a few years before you, and I'm only a seven."
"Then why are there only three suits? Where's the Diamond?"
"Two months ago, another newcomer joined, and they took the Diamond."
"Alright..."
Chen Ling's gaze swept over the three playing cards, and he subconsciously touched his chest... Beneath his skin, there was only emptiness.
"I'll choose the Heart. [6 of Hearts]."
Chu Muyun raised an eyebrow, then nodded and pushed the card toward Chen Ling.
"Then, officially welcome to the Twilight Society... [6 of Hearts]."
The woman who had been silently sitting in the corner began to clap at just the right moment.
Chen Ling gave her a strange look, and she yawned before turning her head away.
"...Is she also a member of the Twilight Society? What's her card?"
"She has no divine path or special abilities. She's just an ordinary person, so she's only a peripheral member... Usually responsible for relaying messages. There's basically one in every domain, every city."
"And what's your card?"
"[7 of Spades]."
Chen Ling nodded.
He looked at the [6 of Hearts] in his hand, feeling a sense of unreality... He had just randomly picked a playing card in a small grocery store and become a fugitive of the nine major domains, a member of the Twilight Society... Just a few hours ago, he had been convinced this was a cult.
"That save file, there are only three copies in the entire Twilight Society. The Red King and the Gray King each have one. This one will be kept with you for now, but you can only open it once a month, or it will damage the contents."
"So what should I do next?" Chen Ling asked. "Do I need to report somewhere, go through some formalities, and then live in some dormitory?"
"..." Chu Muyun shook his head in exasperation.
"The Twilight Society is a loose organization. We have very relaxed management of our members' personal actions. You can do whatever you want... Just make sure to complete any tasks assigned to you as quickly as possible, and maintain your disguise to avoid being discovered by the human domains.
Speaking of disguises... you should be the best at that."
"Me?"
"Didn't you step onto the 'Path of the Thespian God'? Disguising yourself as different roles should be your forte." Chu Muyun spoke matter-of-factly. "And your skill seems even more abnormal than the normal Path of the Performer."
"Path of the Performer... skills..."
Chen Ling seemed to remember something. He reached his fingertips to his chin, and with a thought, he tore off his entire face.
Under the woman's astonished gaze, two identical Chu Muyuns sat facing each other.
"That's right, this is it." The Chu Muyun on the left nodded. "After stepping onto the divine path, with each tier you advance, you automatically master a corresponding skill. The skill varies depending on the path you choose... You've taken a twisted divine path, so your skill should be unique."
"So that's it..." The Chu Muyun on the right looked down at his body. Even his clothing and voice had changed.
If the woman hadn't known their seating arrangement beforehand, she wouldn't have been able to tell which one was the real [7 of Spades].
"From what I know, the first-tier skill of the normal Path of the Performer is called [Thousand Face]. It allows you to freely change your face and voice, but not your clothing, and certainly not transform into objects... But you can do all of that." Chu Muyun paused. "You're the only one who's taken this path. Don't you want to give this skill a name?"
"[Thousand Faces]..." Chen Ling thought for a moment.
"In that case, my skill will be called [Formless]."
Formless and shapeless, form arises from the mind.
"Your divine path is quite peculiar. Although the abilities are strong, the side effects are also significant. If nothing goes wrong, every time you advance, you'll experience short-term mental confusion. Be especially careful of that."
"Mental confusion? Did I have that when I advanced?"
"..."
Chen Ling had no memory of the process of turning into a gun barrel and Chen Yan, then going on a killing spree.
Chu Muyun briefly described it to him, then glanced at the darkening night outside and slowly stood up.
"It's about time. I should go."
"Where to?"
"Back to Aurora City. I still have a mission there."
As he spoke, Chu Muyun took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Chen Ling.
"What's this?"
"Your mission." Chu Muyun answered seriously. "A mission personally assigned to you by the Red King... In the entire Twilight Society, perhaps only you can complete it."