Lucky billion players, you've never seen one before / I can accumulate my own luck

The way to gain merit is to accept tasks issued by the underworld, go to the human world to catch ghosts, or solve some supernatural events involving extraordinary souls.

These tasks... are all incredibly difficult!

Even for A-level players, earning merit points is extremely difficult.

Solving paranormal events, in particular, is extremely dangerous!

Five or six players died here.

As for ghost hunting... those ghosts that can be forcibly kept in the mortal realm are all formidable. Donghui even witnessed an A-level player being devoured alive by a female ghost... not in a sexually suggestive way, but literally...

The tasks assigned by the underworld are increasingly dangerous!

But there are more than just these two ways for players to die.

Some players, while traveling to the human world to complete missions, were so arrogant that they were easily killed by powerful locals who possessed extraordinary abilities and considerable strength.

Some simply vanished because they couldn't accumulate enough merit points to exchange for the Other Shore Flower and enter the Star Memory Realm, nor could they cleanse their sins... After a few days, they simply disappeared.

These people are mostly B-level players with relatively low evolution rates.

He and Frey, at the cost of two items, inquired about this phenomenon with the people of the underworld. The answer they received was that these people who suddenly disappeared were because their "concept of existence" had been completely stripped away by the evil self within the Star Memory Realm.

He was as dead as could be.

The reason why he and Frey, the two players with the lowest evolution rates, have never been in trouble is because they have committed too few sins. Therefore, the clones of them emanating from the Star Memory Realm are friendly to them—the clones do not actively deprive them of their sense of existence, so they have been able to survive.

After half a month, among those still alive... one person had cleansed their sins, completed the third instance quest, and left. According to the people of the underworld, those who leave without completing the "reclaim your name" quest will have their sinful aspects disappear upon returning to the real world, resulting in a complete personality change. In a sense, it's like their consciousness was killed once; they emerge with a completely new personality... practically the same as being dead.

Excluding the other dead people...

It's estimated that now, only he, Frey, and one cannibalistic player are left alive.

He hasn't seen any other players in the last two days.

As for that cannibalistic player, Bian Peng... Bian Peng is stronger than him and Frey, and he hasn't committed many sins. Yes, although Bian Peng is a cannibalistic player, he is actually a very nice person. At least after spending these days together, Dong Hui didn't see what kind of bastard he was. Because he hasn't committed many sins and is willing to risk his life, Bian Peng has accumulated enough merit to exchange for the Other Shore Flower.

This morning, Bian Peng used the Spider Lily to enter the Star Memory Realm.

Haven't returned yet.

I don't know if he's dead, in the process of clearing the game, or has already cleared it and left... Donghui sighed inwardly, not holding out much hope.

He and Frey are currently in the process of accumulating merits.

Neither of them had a high level of sin—after all, neither of them had been identified as evil clones in the Star Memory Realm, so how bad could they be?

Although they had done some wrong things in the past, none of them involved killing anyone. At most, they had just relied on the players' strength to act arrogantly for a while.

Their sins... would probably only require completing one mission in the underworld to accumulate enough merit to completely cleanse them.

However, this mission proved to be incredibly difficult – they were among the weaker B-rank players, otherwise they wouldn't have been sent here for delaying their participation in the dungeon.

Every task issued by the underworld was thoroughly investigated by the two of them in the human world. The targets to be captured and the related events involved were all beyond their ability to handle.

Left with no other choice, they had to give up accumulating merits and instead try to complete the dungeon quest by "clearing ten game worlds" so they could leave this place as soon as possible.

As a result... even the "Fantasy Fairy Tale Book Cluster," considered the safest by the dungeon's inhabitants, was dangerous enough to easily wipe out an A-level player.

Even a powerful A-level player couldn't defeat a single upright gray wolf... They could only sigh with self-deprecation, "No wonder it's an S-level dungeon."

They've spent all their game currency, even giving away some items, so they don't have any extra money to bribe the staff in the game area to give them a shortcut to pass the game.

They also didn't have the money to hire someone to help them get through customs.

Entering the game now... is almost certainly a death sentence.

After much thought, the only remaining unexplored dungeon quest is the fourth one—gaining the approval of the Whale Fall Heavenly Court.

Frey and Donghui both looked up at the sun hanging in the sky—they had heard many myths and legends from the dungeon's inhabitants…all of which they had paid to learn.

In almost all the legends about the whale falling to heaven, the heavenly palace is located on the sun.

Frey does have a talent for flying, but unfortunately... the sun in this instance world is different from a star; it's not in outer space.

To reach the location of the sun, one must navigate through the "Thirty-Three Heavens Beyond Heaven," a game field.

They are now penniless and have no chance of making it through.

The only way to try to communicate with the Heavenly Court of Whale Fall is to recite the name of the gods and pray.

Information about the names of gods doesn't need to be bought with money.

In most parts of the human world, there are legends about whales falling into the heavenly court.

There are three gods who can represent the Heavenly Court: Wang, Lu, and Ming.

They are also known as the Three Egyptian Gods.

This does correspond to the fourth point in the dungeon prompt.

"Frei, which one do you think we should pray to?"

Donghui asked cautiously.

Although Frey was a girl, her courage and conviction were much stronger than his.

He wanted the other person to make the decision.

"Judging from the names of the three Egyptian Gods... it seems like 'Fate' is a safer choice?" Frey suggested. "Why don't we choose 'Fate'?"

Dong Hui did not object.

The two spent some time preparing lilies as offerings, and then recited the name of the god of "life" and the corresponding folk blessings to begin the prayer ceremony.

After the ceremony, they all felt a gaze upon them.

Time seemed to slow down around them, and the two of them felt uneasy as if they had been seen through from beginning to end.

Soon, the strange feeling dissipated.

Everything is back to normal.

Donghui and Frey looked at each other, both showing expressions of relief, but at the same time... a great sense of frustration arose in their hearts.

Because nothing happened.

This probably means that they are not recognized.

That's true. According to the beliefs that have spread among the people in the Heavenly Court of Whale Fall, it's normal for cowardly and weak people like them not to meet the standards.

The last glimmer of hope was extinguished.

After a long silence, Dong Hui finally spoke: "According to the people of the underworld, we only have 20 days to cleanse our sins."

"If we are still sinful after 20 days, we will be reincarnated."

"Now half a month has passed, and only 5 days remain. 5 days..."

He shook his head: "For these last five days, I've decided to explore this instance world thoroughly and not do any quests. It's so big, so incredibly big. If I can see the scenery of this mortal realm in the final moments of my life, it will be... well, not a wasted trip. Frey, what about you? Want to come along?"

"Are you just going to give up like that?" Frey asked.

"I'm just a little tired."

Dong Hui said with a self-deprecating smile, "Since becoming a player, I haven't had a good night's sleep. I'm actually quite impressed with myself for managing to stay awake until now."

He shook his head: "Even if we got incredibly lucky this time and managed to clear the dungeon... how many more times can we be so lucky next time, and the time after that?"

"Rather than living in constant fear, I might as well... just die here."

"At least there is reincarnation here, there is an afterlife, so there is something to look forward to. In this life, I have lived too miserably, in the next life... I hope I can live more bravely."

"...Everyone has their own ambitions, perhaps you are right."

Frey sighed softly, then her eyes hardened: "I won't stay with you. I... have a reason to go out!"

"Are you still thinking about those children?"

Donghui advised, "In the last five days of your life, I think... you should live for yourself for once."

"There are too many beings in this world who are far above us, and we simply cannot afford to offend them."

"Sometimes, you have to learn to compromise."

Unlike him, Frey did not deliberately delay the interval because she was afraid of entering the dungeon, which resulted in her being teleported into the dungeon.

In the outside world, Frey works at an orphanage—an orphanage built on the ugly desires of an A-level player, containing many children who have been harmed or are about to be harmed. Frey's task is to manage this orphanage.

Not daring to resist, she could only turn a blind eye and let everything happen, while secretly providing the children with whatever care she could in private.

Overwhelmed by guilt, she developed a degree of self-harm, so she deliberately chose not to go to dungeons, attempting to punish herself with the looming threat of "high-risk dungeon crisis" to make herself feel better.

She was filled with contradictions. She dared not directly resist A-level players, but she dared to punish herself with the "high-risk dungeon crisis" that could come at any time. She could neither be a depraved bad person nor a brave good person. She lived a very conflicted life.

Or rather, she's just an ordinary person.

Donghui tried to persuade Frey to think more about herself, but unfortunately... Frey wouldn't listen.

She's probably still thinking about those children... Oh well, let her be.

Seeing Frey's insistence, Donghui stopped trying to persuade her and simply said, "Then... we'll meet again sometime."

……

A whale fell from the heavens.

The Heavenly Palace.

Fan Xiaoxiao is playing Go with the "Heavenly Way," an intelligent consciousness installed in the Heavenly Court.

She had a dispute with Fan Xiao about the naming of the Heavenly Court's intelligent consciousness.

For some reason, Fan Xiao insisted on calling it "AlphaGo".

She felt that calling him "Xiao Tian" was simpler and cuter.

Both of them eventually compromised and named the Heavenly Court's intelligent consciousness, which was formed from the rules of the instance, "Heavenly Dao".

At one point, Fan Xiaoxiao, through her surveillance privileges, glanced at the human world and then looked towards a certain otherworld.

After watching for a while, she looked away and placed a white piece, deciding the future course of the game.

……

Two days later.

Donghui received an emergency distress call from Frey, initiated through a Yin Si-standard token.

Donghui hesitated for a while, but finally decided to go.

……

Donghui is dead.

He died in battle with a vengeful ghost.

Like the A-level player not long ago, he was directly devoured alive by the vengeful ghost.

However, his desperate rescue did not bring him the result he wanted—Frei, like him, also died in the mouth of the vengeful ghost.

After their deaths, their souls wandered in the mortal realm for a short time before being received by the underworld officials.

To their surprise, the person who came to pick them up was none other than Bian Peng, the cannibalistic player who had disappeared for several days.

No, Bianpeng is no longer a player—just like them now, he is only a soul, incorporated into the reincarnation system of the dungeon world, and is no longer a player.

"Bianpeng? That's great! You're still alive!" Donghui said happily.

"...Are you telling a hellish joke?" Bian Peng said helplessly, "Do you think I can be considered alive in my current state?"

"Uh... okay. What's going on with you right now?" Donghui asked curiously, "Players who enter the Star Memory Realm either die or clear the game, but you... how did you end up in a third situation? Have you completely joined the Underworld?"

"This is my own choice."

Bian Peng recalled what had happened a few days ago and said, "I've completed the mission in the Star Memory Realm, and I've also gained the approval of the Punishing God 'Death'... Oh, by the way, the Star Memory Realm is 'Death's' territory. You didn't know that, did you?"

“‘Death’ acknowledged my nature, did not destroy me, and gave me a chance to atone for my sins—to die here, and then… remain in the Netherworld, shed my sinful identity, and with a new identity, cleanse myself of my original sins, and then… re-enter the cycle of reincarnation.”

At this point, he smiled and said, "I won't be tormented by the cannibalistic instincts of players anymore. I can do good deeds to atone for my sins, and after atoning for them, I can be reincarnated and have something to look forward to in the next life... For me, this is the best ending."

"Is that so... then congratulations." Donghui congratulated him with great joy: "Before, you always had a gloomy face, and I thought you were a bad guy with something on your mind... but you're much better now."

"Watch your mouth!" Bian Peng laughed and scolded, "Aren't you pretty much the same? Before, when I met you, I always thought you were the kind of stinking rat in the gutter, cowardly, weak, and treacherous. But now... I feel like you look much more cheerful?"

"Well... I guess I've fulfilled a wish in the final moments of my life," Donghui said. "It's just a little regrettable that it couldn't end perfectly."

After saying that, he glanced at Frey, who looked lifeless, and sighed softly.