Infinite spooky game

Chapter 441 The Gods (Thirteen) Collapse
On May 10, 2014, atop a snow-capped mountain. The icy blue sky was clear and cloudless. Standing on the towering ridge and looking up, it felt as if one could see beyond the dome of the universe.

Before winter arrives, the weather is fine, and thousands of climbers from all over the world gather here, guided by locals to ascend this snow-capped mountain known as the world's highest peak, demonstrating their courage and power to conquer nature.

Every year, people leave their bodies on the mountain after exhausting themselves, and every year, reckless young people with some irrational persistence follow one after another. The old bodies are frozen into sculptures, becoming signposts for those who come after; the new bodies are buried in the snow and ice, adding colorful ornaments to the white mountain.

Qi Si sat by the mountain path, resting his chin on his hand, watching the climbers, their faces and heads covered in ice shards, trudging up the mountain with uneven steps.

These people couldn't see or hear him; though they were right next to him, they clearly belonged to two different worlds. Fortunately, three members of the Ark Guild accompanied him, and the four of them chatted aimlessly about analyzing the current situation and speculating about future developments, so at least they didn't forget how to speak.

Qi Si couldn't help but recall a science fiction novel he had read before: after the apocalypse, humanity was on its last legs, and the last survivor in the universe went mad in extreme loneliness and terror.

The four of them are watching the bustling crowds, yet they are unable to join in. Meanwhile, the ghosts from another time and space are helplessly wandering around, unsure of their own existence. Isn't that a similar kind of torment?

Especially when two sides from different camps come together for a common goal and have to maintain a facade of peace and live together day and night, Qi Si felt that all the bad things he had done in the first half of his life were probably being punished here.

“I just heard from the guide over there that we’re still 2.5 kilometers from the summit, which is about the distance of a physical fitness test I did in college,” Chu Yining said excitedly as she wheeled herself back from a distance. “I’ve heard that many people consider reaching the summit a remarkable achievement. I never thought we’d make it this far. Should we have a little ceremony, like making a wish to the mountain god?”

The four of them traveled without feeling cold or tired, nor did they experience pain or any of their five senses; they were more ethereal than ghosts. At one point, Chu Yining returned home and saw her own portrait and an obituary in her bedroom, announcing her death in the line of duty. She was, in effect, dead, no longer entitled to exist. To remain optimistic even in this state, it must be said, her mindset was truly extraordinary.

Qi Si sighed: "Now you're making a wish to the mountain god. Let's not even talk about whether we're in the same plane as that mountain god, or whether he can even hear our prayers. Even if we get a response... are we trying to send a message to the ancestral god from afar, telling him that we're still alive?"

Xiao Fengchao added, "I still remember the setting of the final instance. It is said that the entire snow mountain is the incarnation of the ancestral god, and everyone from top to bottom worships the so-called 'mother goddess'. In this case, if Sister Chu's prayers are really answered, it will be a real horror movie..."

“Indeed, the final instance is too closely connected to reality.” Chu Yining nodded in agreement, picked up her notebook and quickly wrote something down. “We never reached the top of the mountain in the final instance, so based on the information we have, the final instance cannot be cleared through in-game means. That’s why Lin Jue activated the effect of [Dark Judge]… But what if the key to clearing the instance is at the top of the mountain?”

"Sister Chu, what's done is done. There's no use thinking about it now, haha." Xiao Fengchao abruptly changed the subject. "Besides, given the state of all of us back then, we probably wouldn't have even made it to the top of the mountain..."

In any case, the four of them eventually followed a random guide and headed towards the summit.

The guide and the climber were, after all, just ordinary human beings, and by this point they were already showing signs of fatigue, staggering and crawling like snails on the last two kilometers. The four of them followed slowly, chatting idly.

Regardless of his inner workings, Fu Jue disliked idle chatter. After entering the territory of Shangri-La Town, he remained silent from beginning to end. Until this moment, he held a piece of broken ice between two fingers, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he were pondering something before finally making a decision, and casually tossed it to the guide's feet.

The guide clearly saw the ice shard; he paused, spat into the air, and mumbled something to the climber. The climber, already pale from exhaustion, murmured, "How could this be? I always thought the Yeti was just a legend..."

The two looked around nervously for a long time before the guide said stiffly in broken Mandarin, "Maybe I'm seeing things." The journey continued, and the players all understood what this meant. Fu Jue said calmly, "After arriving in Shangri-La Town, our connection with reality has deepened, and we can exert some influence on some people and things."

Xiao Fengchao's eyes lit up: "Then can we try contacting the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation? What do you mean, we can use ice blocks to form words on the snow mountain and have someone who sees them pass on a message to the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation?"

"Good idea, let me organize my thoughts first." Chu Yining, being the most efficient, immediately started scribbling in her notebook. "It really feels strange. Do you think that all the paranormal events and urban legends we've encountered before might actually be people trapped in parallel universes asking us for help?"

Qi Si didn't have many wild ideas. Whether or not he could contact the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation, it wasn't a bad thing for him at the moment.

He was just born in 2014 and hadn't yet committed those heinous acts. Even if there were disagreements in the final instance, it was all Zhou Ke's doing, what did it have to do with Qi Si?
Similarly, he has no power in this timeline. Not to mention the supernatural beings under his control, he doesn't even know if Bob, who runs a pig farm, is still running his pig farm. To change the status quo, he can only rely on the power of the Supernatural Investigation Bureau.

In any case, being able to reconnect with the real world is always good news. After several days of trekking, the four regained their energy, ignored the slow-moving guide, and sped towards the summit.

An elusive substance seemed to float in the air, growing thicker and thicker as the four approached the summit, creating immense pressure that loomed heavily ahead.

A sense of resistance arises from the depths of one's heart without any reason, like a psychic old man's warning of ghosts and death. Before even arriving at the mountaintop, the brain conjures up a series of terrifying images, frightening the bold and reckless to stop or even retreat.

But now that we've come this far, how can we give up halfway?

Fu Jue walked silently at the front, grabbing a protruding icicle for leverage, and stepped onto the highest point of the snow mountain. He then turned back to help Chu Yining. Qi Si and Xiao Fengchao followed closely behind, stepping on the footprints to reach the top.

The moment everyone stood still on the mountaintop, they were enveloped by a vast expanse of pristine white snow reflecting crimson beams of light. The dome seemed to have been cleanly severed by a knife; one half of the sky remained icy blue, while the other half blazed with fiery gold and red. Rolling lava and blazing fire poured down from the sky like a torrential downpour, creating a golden curtain between heaven and earth.

"Collapse"—this word immediately comes to mind. The sky is shattering and crashing down; there's no more apt description. This leads to thoughts of the end of the world, the end of time, and then to ancient myths of the collapsing sky and the earth sinking, and the legend of Nuwa mending the sky.

Qi Si thought of "Ragnarok," the catastrophic event circulating on the eerie gaming forums that destroyed all the core members of the Ark Guild, causing a massive upheaval in the player community. Was that also a grand spectacle, or was it precisely because of its magnificent appearance that it was given the name "Ragnarok"?
Or perhaps, the scene before our eyes is the Ragnarok that occurred in the eerie game Sunset Ruins.
"Who are you? How did you suddenly appear on the mountaintop?" came the urgent, fearful question from behind.

Qi Si looked back and saw that the guide and the climbers had also reached the top of the mountain, holding trekking poles and watching Chu Yining and Xiao Fengchao warily.

At the same time, Chu Yining looked in his direction, a hint of confusion and panic in her eyes: "Qisi, Fu Jue, where are you? Why... can't I see you suddenly?"

(End of this chapter)