This bug is amazing!

Chapter 153 The Ancient Gods' Sins and Atonement Beneath the Earth
[Danger Level: Extremely Dangerous.]

Looking at the woman in front of him, Ji Yi's eyes narrowed, and he subconsciously took a few steps back.

His mind suddenly exploded. Had all his previous reasoning been wrong? But...
Amidst a flurry of thoughts, rapid thinking has already begun.

Immediately afterwards, Ji Yi realized that her previous logic had been too presumptuous.

It was initially thought that the young couple killed by the man in the lake were the least suspicious, but that's not entirely true.

If any of the five people are truly willing to risk their lives for that evil creature underground, then it's not impossible for them to avoid being attacked by monsters, since all the ghosts and monsters in the fog originate from that evil creature.

Wang Xiaoqing is a pitiful woman deceived by the "Ancient God," but she is also a ruthless one.

She grew up in poverty in a single-parent family. Her father raised her with great difficulty, but one year, due to the malicious withholding of wages by an engineering company, he was driven to suicide by setting himself on fire after failing to collect his pay.

She hated the world, but she tried to struggle and fight back, still holding onto a sliver of hope for its betterment. She worked illegally while seeking justice for her father's death. But in the end, besides receiving a paltry, symbolic compensation, she felt she had lost so much.

Shortly after, after being raped by the shop manager who had helped her, she felt the world was completely hopeless. By chance, a stranger gave her a book.

That cult book, obviously blatant nonsense, would have been scorned by anyone else, but she believed it. From it, she learned about the "Ancient Gods" and the ruins where they were sealed. Thus, a revenge plot unfolded. She deceived her boyfriend and her friends, completing the sacrificial ritual described in the book and communicating with the Ancient Gods.

[She abandoned the last remaining bonds of humanity, and with the power bestowed upon her by the ancient gods, turned a ruthless company upside down, even beheading a store manager.]

She thought she had the resolve to destroy everything, but after the revenge, she was consumed by endless emptiness and regret, and in the end, she regretted it.

As Ji Yi looked at the biographical overviews before him, he couldn't help but feel a pang of melancholy.

Even though it's just a simple written narrative without any detailed descriptions, it vividly portrays Wang Xiaoqing's tragic life.

The woman lowered her gaze to Ji Yi: "You remind me of my ex-boyfriend."

Ji Yi: "Is he the same age as me?"

"No, he was pitifully small, but he always carried several large condoms on his person and displayed them in a conspicuous place, showing them off unintentionally, and even giving them away to everyone he met."

Ji Yi: "."

Wang Xiaoqing's expression was calm and composed, showing no signs of having had any unpleasant experiences.

"I said, Ms. Wang."

Ji Yi spoke, and at the same time took out his clothes and put them on in front of the other person in a very generous manner.

"You pledged allegiance and prayed to the ancient gods, and completed your revenge. Yet you betrayed them, letting those who came here go unpunished. So why do you intend to stop me from sealing the ancient gods this time?"

Ji Yi's words were incredibly informative.

Based on the experience shared by Data Eye and his own analysis, he had a pretty good grasp of Wang Xiaoqing's situation.

She did not completely abandon the ancient gods, but rather had her own principles for doing things.

Wang Xiaoqing can sense the behavior of everyone who comes here, whether they are native NPCs or players.

[Passive skill "Fog Vision" allows the user to observe all life activities within a fog-shrouded area.]

[The active skill "Mist Flash" allows the user to instantly reach any area within the mist.]

That's why she secretly gave Ji Yi a head massage.

Under normal circumstances, Wang Xiaoqing would never show her face.

She gives everyone who comes here a choice.

"Sacrifice" and "Sealing".

Clearly, this was just a test of humanity she had set up.

Neither sacrifice nor sealing is a real ritual; it's just a formality.

Zhang Lang's notebook did indeed contain incorrect information, and he did indeed mislead Ye Luoyanyu later on.

But before that, Wang Xiaoqing, who had planned everything, had also misled Zhang Lang.

Only she knows everything, only she can decide everything.

If someone chooses to perform a sacrifice, what awaits them in the end will be something even more terrifying.

If those who come to this place choose a more difficult sealing ritual and none of them harbor any greed for profit, then this group of people can leave alive.

This can be considered a test that Wang Xiaoqing left for people.

For every person like her who kills for selfish gain, she will ruthlessly torture and kill that person.

Whenever visitors decide to share life and death, abandon the sacrificial ritual, and reactivate the seal, they can leave safely.

Once the test is over, Wang Xiaoqing will "reset" this place.

The reason why someone like Ye Luoyanyu understands this instance so well must be because it is a rare "resettable" instance.

He either completed the game normally before, or his friends did, so he had a clear understanding of the dungeon information and could mislead players.

Ye Luoyanyu thought that offering sacrifices would bring endless benefits, but that was not the case.

Wang Xiaoqing will view the villain who made the sacrifice in the same way she viewed herself in the past.

She will torment these people's flesh and soul, ultimately offering them up to the ancient gods.

What is certain is that when the ancient gods revive, all life on this planet will perish.

Wang Xiaoqing clearly did not expect Ji Yi to know this complex information.

A look of surprise welled up in her astonished eyes.

Clearly, Ji Yi's deliberate disclosure of so much information had already intimidated the other party.

She exclaimed in surprise, "You're wearing your underwear inside out!"

"what?"

Looking down, I saw that was indeed the case, so I immediately took it off and put it back on.

"You still haven't answered my question. Are you preventing me from completely sealing the seal because you don't want me to clear the game in one go? Do you think it's cheating?"

Ji Yi spoke again, while her hands continued moving.

After all, Ji Yi is trying to achieve the so-called true ending, which can completely seal the ancient gods underground.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiaoqing frowned.

"If I seal it away completely, I will also disappear; I will no longer be human."

I understand, there are limits to human capabilities.

Ji Yi stared at Wang Xiaoqing's face, and the Data Eye also discreetly provided relevant information.

[The followers of the ancient gods have had their physical structures completely transformed into a non-human state.]

[You should be familiar with the source of her power; it's what the island nation calls "Calamity Element." According to the islanders' classification, Wang Xiaoqing is an S+ level monster. Let's give her a nickname for now, how about "Mist Woman"?]

Ji Yi was too lazy to read the second half, but she was surprised by the information in the first half.

The evil spirit?
Ji Yi frowned. Could it be that the Calamity Essence wasn't originally from the island nation, but rather originated from an ancient god?

I know what you want to ask me. This place is clearly not in the same space as the island nation, but the source of the evil spirit does indeed come from the ancient gods.

[However, the island nation's research direction has clearly distorted the original use of the Calamity Essence; monsters are the original and most primitive form of its application. And yes, also the most powerful.]

Having learned all this, Ji Yi seemed to realize that there might be some commonality among these seemingly disparate instances. It was like an invisible thread connecting the different worlds.

Could this be related to what Chang Kong mentioned about "game exploration level"?

Putting these questions aside for the moment, Ji Yi continued to ask:

"Because your power comes from the ancient gods, and you will die once it is completely sealed. In other words, you..."

“No, I’m not afraid of death,” Wang Xiaoqing interrupted.

"A wicked person like me, who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, should have died long ago."

Ji Yi remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

“If I could, I would rather die. But right now, all I can do is delay the revival of the ancient gods. Once you use the true seal, the will of the ancient gods will definitely awaken a trace, but only a trace. Do you know what you will face then?”

Ji Yi frowned involuntarily:

"Your body will be taken over by the ancient gods, and they will wipe us all out?"

Wang Xiaoqing nodded.

This woman has done many extreme things, but she still has a conscience.

If she hadn't reminded him, Ji Yi would have insisted on writing the so-called "true ending," which would probably have backfired.

"You are special."

Wang Xiaoqing suddenly spoke up.

Ji Yi paused, recalling her actions since entering the dungeon: "Did I?"

"Yes, it's very big."

Ji Yi: "."

Seeing Ji Yi's speechless expression, Wang Xiaoqing smiled:

"So I plan to let you go, as long as you dig out the immortal molt and put it in a temple in the dense forest to the south, and do as I say, you can leave."

"After all, your companion—no, it was that person who called himself the Sound Tuner—destroyed the method I left behind for the 'sealing ritual,' and you need my help. As for the Immortal Execution Sword, please put it back."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yi took out the Zhuxian Sword from his inventory, only to see Wang Xiaoqing inadvertently take a half step back.

When she was still human, she could take the immortal sword and break the seal. Now that she has become a monster, she seems to have a natural fear of this thing.

Perhaps she can no longer even touch this Immortal Execution Sword.

"Ms. Wang, what if I say no?"

As soon as Ji Yi finished speaking, Wang Xiaoqing's eyes widened, clearly not understanding what he meant: "You don't believe me?"

Ji Yi shook her head firmly:
"No, it's not that I don't believe you. If I said I could completely seal the ancient god and guarantee your survival, would you believe me?"

"impossible!"

Wang Xiaoqing immediately interrupted, clearly not believing that Ji Yi had that ability.

Ji Yi remained calm and composed.
“I don’t have the habit of making wild claims, and I hope we can skip arguing about whether this matter is true or false. Let’s talk openly and honestly: if I help you break free from the control of the ancient god and allow you to survive, what can you give me in return? Or, to put it another way, would you be willing to become one of my people?”

Wang Xiaoqing's eyes flickered upon hearing this:

"So you've taken a liking to me. If you just wanted my body, there was no need to make such a promise. While I can no longer experience physical pleasure, I can still satisfy your needs."

"stop!"

Ji Yi quickly interrupted.

If we keep going, this topic will veer off course and I don't know where it will end up.

Although both are young girls with limited life experience, Shikiko is clearly much more mature than Wang Xiaoqing.

"It has nothing to do with that kind of low-class stuff. I want to be friends with you. Of course, not like Xuanxuan and He Yong. I don't want to die yet."

Upon hearing this, a hint of melancholy flashed in Wang Xiaoqing's eyes.

Was that something she wanted to do?

If it weren't for the ancient god's sacrifice, which required the blood and soul of the person she cherished most, she would never have agreed.

Ji Yi seemed to be able to read the pain in her heart:
"You have suffered hardship since childhood, enduring much oppression and injustice. In your quest for revenge and to vent your anger, you have done many things that harmed the innocent, including killing your lover and friends with your own hands. Your actions may be understandable, but they are still unforgivable!"

Ji Yi's words struck Wang Xiaoqing's heart like a heavy hammer.

She clutched her chest; she clearly didn't have a heart, but it felt as if that non-existent heart was throbbing with intense pain.

Wang Xiaoqing is ultimately a human being; even though her body has become a monster, her soul is no different from that of an ordinary woman.

I will feel anger, sadness, and even more guilt.
She often asks herself if what she did was worth it, and if she regrets it.
It wasn't worth it, and I'll regret it.

Perhaps she had a chance to avoid falling into this abyss, but it's too late to say anything now.

Perhaps it would have been better if she had died.

Ji Yi was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke again:

“But I have also made similar mistakes, and I have also done things that hurt innocent people in the heat of anger. In this respect, I am the same as you.”

This statement is half true and half false.

But Ji Yi doesn't mind becoming a "deceit master" in order to achieve her goal.

Wang Xiaoqing raised her head somewhat blankly.

"You are a sinner, and so am I."

Ji Yi sheathed the Zhuxian Sword in his hand and took a few steps closer to her.

"But compared to death, you have other ways to atone for your sins. Although I have no right to forgive you on behalf of your friends, who may even wish for your death, I hope you can live. I hope you can forgive yourself, and I hope even more that you can find the mysterious person who gave you the book and eliminate the culprit who lured you into the abyss."

This is an incredibly shameless form of advice.

Wang Xiaoqing is indeed an unforgivable person who deserves to die.

However, she is also an important tool for Ji Yi, a character who can help Ji Yi gain a deeper understanding of the dungeon world, and a helper in the future.

Among the extensive textual descriptions provided by Data Eye, what caught Ji Yi's attention the most was the mysterious person who introduced Wang Xiaoqing to the ancient gods.

He suspected there was more to the story.

Furthermore, Wang Xiaoqing is not inherently bad.

Therefore, Ji Yi wanted her to live and genuinely become his help.

“You cannot die yet. You still have many things to do: help the poor and kind, and rid the most wicked and vicious people. Isn’t that what you’ve been doing since you came here?”

Wang Xiaoqing was gradually persuaded, and her voice trembled slightly as she said:
"Will you help me? But I still feel that if you can really complete the seal, you don't need to save me anymore."

Ji Yi sighed deeply: "Then you shall die."

"From this day forward, you are no longer Wang Xiaoqing. You are a wandering soul seeking eternal atonement, named—"

"The Mist Woman".

(End of this chapter)