If Wen Xishu is the Sect Hierarch, the god on high, then Wen Xiangge is the god's spokesperson in the Bunker.
He might be even more persuasive than Wen Xishu, the Sect Hierarch.
With a single shout, he resolved the massive crisis of negative emotions in the Bunker.
Of course, if Wen Xishu doesn't return... the impending storm will only grow more intense.
...
...
Deceit Tower Rest Area.
Several hours before "The Legend Falls" and "The Dean Has Fallen."
Wen Xishu had no idea what was about to unfold.
As usual, he occupied the Celestial Essence position in Deceit Tower's rest area.
As usual, he began to interpret the mission.
This time, the mission was called "The Child of the Land of Dust."
[A child is lost in the Land of Dust. It is a forbidden area, and no one who has entered has ever returned alive. Please delve into the Land of Dust or leave the Land of Dust.
Note, this mission is a survival task. You will be transported directly into the Land of Dust at the start. Leaving the Land of Dust is considered the minimum resolution, but even the minimum resolution will be relatively challenging. This area is observed by several constellations, so make choices that align with your heart.
If you find the child and bring them out... it will provide you with great benefits.]
That's it.
The mission's annotation is even longer than the description.
Wen Xishu thought for a moment; the mission content was really scant—only that he needed to head to the forbidden area.
"Delving into the Land of Dust or leaving it both count as mission completion."
"But obviously, delving into the Land of Dust and bringing back the child is the right choice. But it's definitely difficult, considering I don't have the Three-phase Power."
Indeed, once again, Wen Xishu was without Three-phase Power.
He threw out an inauspicious and limited set of new numbers.
414.
This number is considered very inauspicious among Longxia People.
He had three options.
The first was "Good Things Come in Pairs," decided by two even numbers.
But the second was "Courage to Try Four."
Only after all the indecisive options, Four's Evil, and the mismatched options are thrown can 414 be thrown and unlock the option "Courage to Try Four."
The effect of "Courage to Try Four" has three aspects.
First, in this challenge, you will have fourteen opportunities to die. As long as your deaths do not exceed fourteen times and your final pass rating exceeds Level 4 completion, you will resurrect and receive generous rewards. However, each death will bring a curse related to the level.
Note: If below Level 4 completion, the death exemption is void, resulting in true death (even if you haven't died), or if exceeded fourteen times, it will be considered true death.
The second effect, when the "Courage to Try Four" option appears, your chance of death will relatively increase.
The third effect, even if you do not choose "Courage to Try Four," you can still receive a random option related to Four merely by having thrown it.
The option Wen Xishu received was, in fact, the most useless among the Four options, at least for his current challenge.
Four's Evil.
So this time, Wen Xishu has the following options:
Four's Evil, Courage to Try Four, Good Things Come in Pairs.
"Courage to Try Four" is undoubtedly a new option, and it carries great risk.
It's a rare option that comes with negative effects. It feels like a gamble.
If chosen, death will not result in true death but in some curse.
And you can die fourteen times. As long as the total is fourteen or less and the achievement exceeds Level 4 completion...
Death will be exempted, otherwise... even if chosen and one does not die.
Most crucially, this number increases the chance of death.
Indeed, it takes courage to choose, no wonder it's "Courage to Try Four."
But Wen Xishu has never received a rating below Level 4.
So for him, not choosing this is simply unreasonable. Without Three-high, being able to die more times is also good.
Though Four's Evil seems meaningless, what if there's an NPC ally? With this thought, Wen Xishu also chose Four's Evil.
Reviewing the task, combined with this inauspicious number... Wen Xishu felt like he was heading into Silent Hill.
The Land of Dust, it sounds like a grey, misty place, and it seems to have that kind of vibe.
He is actually looking forward to this kind of journey.
Compared to the previous round's player gambit, he prefers pure distortion and eeriness.
After all, distortion and eeriness only seek to kill him, not deceive him.
However, what Wen Xishu does not know is that the Bunker is about to bid him farewell.
...
...
[Prologue: Chapter One: The Hanged Man.]
What appeared before Wen Xishu's eyes was a narrow, deep alley forever shrouded in twilight.
And the chapter title hint for The Hanged Man.
He felt a sudden sense of commencing the challenge.
He wondered if this place was somehow related to Scorpio?
But soon, he discovered that the Scorpio Knife effect this time was exactly this.
It would show the chapter name, turning the mission into levels and displaying level progress.
This was a very player-friendly hint for an all-achievements player.
The Land of Dust, this place was indeed filled with dust. On both sides, towering ruinous brick buildings loomed in the gray mist, teetering on collapse. The ground was cold and damp, dotted with small puddles.
At the end of the alley was a crooked, clockless bell tower.
But at this moment, the bell tolled.
Before Wen Xishu could react, in the reflection of the puddle, a terrifying figure appeared.
A hanged dust humanoid, with shriveled skin tightly clinging to its bones, suddenly lunged at Wen Xishu.
Not just one, many hanged men followed, swooping in like bats discovering fresh blood.
Their necks were suspended by a coarse rope of dust and thorns from beams, street lamps, or any high place.
Their bodies were like desiccated specimens covered in an even layer of fine dust.
Wen Xishu felt a massive gravitational force suddenly assault him, a terrifying power instantly bending his knees.
He quickly realized that these hanged men had a certain domain in their bodies, and once approached, the gravity factor would change.
Wen Xishu quickly withdrew, not daring to explore the bell tower or approach these hanged men.
He cursed internally:
"Damn, increasing the chance of death... is this how you increase it? Starting with no puzzles, straight to a boss fight?"