T0 Gaming Guild Saves the World.

Chapter 269, Section 268: Nightmare Mode
The game freezes, and a beam of light descends.

A magnificent rainbow stretches across the sky, becoming the only bright color amidst black and white.

The sound of the garlic sprout machine rang out.

"The Underground Temple of the Clarity, Normal Mode, Completed".

"Rewards for clearing the Underground Temple..."

"【Origin Element Set】"

"[Sage's Memory Fragments (Selection)] ×7"

"【Star Sand】×2"

"[God-forged universal material]"

"[Avatar Fragment] ×80"

"【Revelation of the Sun Shower】×9"

"The coordinates of the Underground Temple of the Clarity have been injected. The Starry Sky Jade will be transported to the coordinate system of the Underground Temple without incurring any further costs."

"After communicating with Saintess Elsa, the underground temple stronghold of the Clarity will be fully open."

"Players who have cleared the level belong to the same guild, so the condition is met."

"Guild [Boundary Between Reality and Illusion], greatly increases guild puppet experience."

"Free building upgrade privileges x1"

Jiang Heyi was overwhelmed by the series of rewards.

The rewards for clearing the dungeon are absolutely worth the difficulty; they're simply impeccable!

They smell so good, they want every single one.

A complete set of Origin Elemental armor, even without the weapon, is enough to make anyone drool.

The boundary between virtual and real worlds is unique, with only two sets of Rainbow-level equipment available on the entire server.

Although Orange Tea was very lucky and managed to get Sage's Memory Fragments for everyone several times, there was no chance to choose your own fragrance randomly.

With a second job, they can also consider saving money for a rainy day.

It's just unknown whether there are any more nightmarish dungeons waiting for them than the Clarity.

Stardust, a versatile material for divine forging, is also a good thing.

The former involves exchanging items with story NPCs to obtain the necessary information, while the latter is a core component for forging rainbow-grade equipment.

The transformation into fragments and the transformation into a sun shower brought the spectators' gasps to a fever pitch.

Originally, it was just an "Oh~~~"

Now, however, all I can hear is the chorus of frogs.

Obtaining Avatar Fragments is far more difficult than obtaining Rainbow-grade equipment. Up until the rewards for clearing the Temple of the Clarity, the only way to acquire them was through luck.

With a generous 80 fragments, and after agreeing on the allocation during the fixed team meeting, creating a powerful avatar is not a problem.

Wait a minute... the Sun Shower is an incarnation of a revelation, and it's actually 9 copies per player who completes the game?
No allocation is needed; as long as the level is cleared, the entire team will immediately transform into the Sun Rain Squad!

While watching the battle, some insightful story analysis creators deduced from the performance of the support diary that all members of Sun Shower might be within the avatar system.

Now that their deductions had come true, they couldn't help but boast to the fans around them, all the while drooling.

During the journey, the help provided by Sunrain and the player's own cool demeanor left a deep impression on the player.

These nine exceptionally talented individuals, each possessing extraordinary abilities, would have had limitless potential had they not perished.

The mere thought of possessing a portion of the power of the Sun Shower, or summoning it to aid them in battle, was enough to excite them.

"Why am I not the boundary between the virtual and the real? If I were the boundary between the virtual and the real, I could use the sun shower too!"

"Why are people at the boundary between the virtual and real worlds discussing choosing an avatar for Orange Tea?"

"What?"

"When did the Tea God have 25 incarnation fragments?!"

"As expected of you, Tea Master."

Orange Tea had 25 fragments shortly after the server opened. In order to help Jiang Heyi get the avatar first and improve the team's margin for error, she did not awaken the avatar first.

The 80 fragments are just enough to help her become the second person in the guild to have an avatar.

Once the rewards have been verified, time begins to flow again.

Yuru maintained her bowed posture.

In past artistic creations, visitors from other worlds often represented misfortune, destruction, and disaster, but Yuru is completely different.

I couldn’t sense the slightest arrogance or superiority of a strong person from her.

She always spoke slowly and deliberately, genuinely empathizing with the tragedy of the sun shower, and comforting them like a teacher.

A boundless yet well-defined curiosity, mixed with a touch of...gentleness that's hard to describe?
The enamel mug says, "It's like gazing at your past self."

"My past self?"

The enamel mug asked, "Have you ever fantasized about going back to your childhood, saying something to your younger self, or doing something for him?"

Chen Shaoyu was speechless.

He thought about it.

He's definitely not the only one with this idea.

Tetra recently shared his experience of buying a drink at a convenience store.

Three children who had just finished school were paying for their snacks, but one of them couldn't find any cash and was extremely embarrassed when it was time to pay.

Tetraprotozoa generously paid for the child's bill.

According to Tetraprotozoa, there was indeed light in the child's eyes at that time.

"I also experienced this when I was a child. Everyone else has, but I haven't... It was a very unpleasant experience."

"It's a bit strange to be called 'uncle,' but oh well, I am indeed of the uncle generation."

For children, a few dollars is a huge deal.

For them, who have grown up, it's just a small favor.

It's just like the sunset and the natives.

Be strong, and understand what you need when you are weak and helpless.

Perhaps, like the four original entities, she was helping not only the children, but also her former self.

Chen Shaoyu swallowed hard, looked back at Xi Lu, and suddenly thought of something.

The final scene, which incorporates them and the candlelight, makes perfect sense!
How could they be so similar?

Evening dew is a visitor from another world, as is candlelight.

The event "Evening Dew Descends" will provide assistance to players, guiding them through new challenges and helping them grow stronger.

The candlelight ceremony provided them with the entertainment of witnessing the stars, while also placing enticing rewards in the world championship.

Games and reality coexist, satisfying everyone's needs and desires, and subtly driving overall progress.

Could the candlelight and the evening dew come from the same place?
The entire game was created by them traversing various worlds to collect materials; there was no need to deliberately create a script, they only needed to recreate the original.

If the guess is correct, are Xilu and Zhuhuo colleagues, or are they superior and subordinate?
Everyone knew that the boundary between reality and illusion was already exhausted, and there wasn't enough time left to fully address Yuu-dew's challenge, but...

Jiang Heyi's private messages were popping up like crazy.

Huangliang Yimeng: "Could you please fight once? Even if you get beaten up, just let us see it first. We're in a real hurry. The rest of us in the guild will do anything."

What a selfish statement! This person only thinks about themselves.

Ready to eat right out of the can: "I want to see what Yuru has to offer, let me see, listen to me, let me see!"

Crimson Music Box: "You hit it now, and I'll go to the foreign forums and work with Nongya to create a big news story for you tomorrow. Hurry up, quick!"

French fries also received the message.

I want to go to the end of the stars with you: "Xiaofei, Xiaofei, please accept my friend request. Also, I want to see you get tortured by Xilu."

French Fries sighed, feeling powerless as the sense of helplessness chased after him from reality into the game.

Why was she able to draw a game qualification? Originally, only her dad was in the game, and he was quite easy to deal with.

The jailer clicked his tongue in amazement: "They're all telling us to go take a peek."

Jiang Heyi hit the nail on the head: "They want to see us get humiliated and beaten up by a beautiful girl."

"The job of a streamer is to provide entertainment for the audience," Zhong Zemo said. "Since spectator access is being opened up, why not grant that request?"

The atmosphere has been built up to this point; it would be impolite not to try it out. Besides, I'm also curious about the boundary between reality and illusion, and what kind of performance the game will give to showcase Yuu-dō's power.

This is a powerful being that can make the world's will take it seriously.

Xi Lu gracefully rested her chin on her hand, and when she saw Jiang Heyi walking towards her, her smile deepened.

"It seems you're ready."

"This is just a friendly sparring match, nothing will happen."

Please treat this as a little game.

Jiang Heyi nodded.

Xi Lu clasped her hands together, and a faint light burst forth from her palms, causing the celestial globe to appear out of thin air.

"You can choose different intensities."

Jiang Heyi was surprised. There was an additional difficulty level?
Considering Xilu's background, he immediately felt relieved.

In her eyes, the players were nothing more than slightly stronger natives.

It was originally just a friendly exchange, and as an unparalleled powerhouse, one would naturally be able to control the use of power with ease.

What choices are there?

"If you intend to relive everything in the Temple of the Clarity, it wouldn't be difficult for me to set it up with my power. This will be very helpful for you to review your past experiences and summarize your combat experience."

I understand. This is a second playthrough option, allowing you to choose which floor to challenge, further refine your strategy, and discover hidden easter eggs within the game environment.

"If I were to fight, this state of restricted magic power would be quite suitable."

This is the normal mode.

"Of course, the soul of Sun Shower has already completed the communication with the world's consciousness for me, allowing me to briefly regain my strength and fight to my heart's content. I gladly accept."

This is Nightmare Mode.

Jiang Heyi stroked his chin, curious: "Is there any reward?"

Xi Lu smiled and said, "Why don't you give it a try?"

This is encouraging them.

"Then, please restore your strength."

Xi Lu nodded approvingly, her celestial globe floating above her head.

On the celestial globe, countless scenes flashed by.

"Are you ready, great star travelers?"

She stretched out her slender fingers, the tips of which shimmered with black light.

Beneath the pristine white robes, thick, churning black mist poured out.

The deep darkness spread out from the evening dew as its center, reaching past everyone's feet.

"Feel the tremor of the annihilation of the heavens."

The black light at Xi Lu's fingertips shone brightly, overlapping and reflecting the illusory image released by the celestial globe.

Layers of afterimages rippled outwards like waves, while endless black mist roared, swallowing all the light before the boundary between reality and illusion.

The image of the celestial globe is frozen in time.

Amidst the rolling mountains and verdant forests, towering ancient trees are shrouded in black smoke, and a raging fire burns fiercely.

The flames mercilessly devoured the surrounding trees, scorching the vibrant greenery into a destructive red.

Built atop ancient trees and mountains, the palace complex teetered on the brink of collapse. Its magnificent halls crumbled one after another, and its massive pillars shattered and plunged into the abyss.

The area they were in was similar to the one they encountered when fighting the Origin Element of the Elemental Realm; it was a circular platform.

The sand and gravel constantly sliding off the edge of the platform indicate that there is a fall mechanism here.

As Yuru said, this is a game, and what players need to do is enjoy it.

Musical instruments played and a chorus sang in my ears.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, the players realized that Yuu-dō had its own background music!

She has her own unique music, and it is a grand symphony.

Of all the content explored since the launch of Proof of the Stars, this is the only one.

After a majestic and soaring chorus, they repeated a certain word over and over in a language that the players couldn't understand, their pace getting faster and faster.

Is it the lingering echo of believers' prayers, desperately seeking a response?

Was it a barbaric and insane ritual?

Or is it the passion nurtured by yearning for the noble and great?
As if hearing a distant, urgent call, Yuu-ro, who had her back to everyone, slowly turned around, her blindfolded eyes shining brightly with golden light.

His imposing gaze pierced through the blindfold, reaching the very depths of each person's heart, blurring the line between reality and illusion.

The heavy, dull drumbeats struck like the footsteps of countless creatures, each one seemingly hitting the hearts of the listeners.

The strings then enter, like a raging storm, and the player can almost picture the trembling wrists of the instrument user, sparks flying from their fingers.

Oppressive, suffocating, solemn, and dignified.

The sacred and the distorted are intertwined, indistinguishable from one another.

Even those who don't understand music will be moved by the music playing in that moment, evoking their most primal emotions.

That is an emotion that can be conveyed even if the language is different.

The sense of oppression escalated, each note like a boulder pressing down on the shoulders of everyone at the boundary between reality and illusion.

As music was missing from the game's dungeon performance, the Stars unexpectedly appeared, completing the final piece of the puzzle for this grand show.

Jiang Heyi gazed at Xi Lu, who had a smile on her lips, as if an ant were gazing at the blazing sun.

She was like a goddess.

The evening dew in the enamel cup had somehow transformed into the shape of candlelight.

On the day I first met him, his expression was just like that of the children playing in the game.

Black fog obscured the sky and dimmed the sunlight.

In this world, only the flames of destruction provide a meager amount of light.

Xi Lu waved her hand playfully, as if bestowing a favor, thus preserving the embers that were about to be extinguished.

Possessing pure white wings, yet wielding dark magic that devours light.

That's incredibly deceptive.

"The performance was so good! Eat my corpse explosion!"

That's the good thing about the prison guard guy; he can always break character.

But it's also a annoying little flaw.

Everyone is experiencing it firsthand, enjoying the intense pressure brought by the evening dew, and reveling in this visual feast.

His mind was filled with thoughts like, "Will the zombie explosion at least slightly damage Yuu-ro's high-slit dress?"

"If we win, can we let Xilu change into a nun's habit and take a picture?"

Is Yuu-royal a hidden romanceable character?

Very pure.

The shockwave from the zombie's self-destruction caused Xi Lu's clothes to flutter loudly.

"It looks like it could really be destroyed!"

Some people have impure motives.

The enamel mug asked curiously, "How do I pass this level in this mode?"

"Having gained Yulu's approval, Candlelight seems to have said that it's unlikely that players can defeat Yulu."

"Hmm?" The enamel mug frowned. "Can't be defeated? Isn't that the garbage design that players talk about?"

"A lack of interaction is a bad design. If the performance is excellent, players will flock to the dungeon because of the boss's unique personal charm and the exquisite and gorgeous dungeon performance."

The enamel mug was a little puzzled, but when he saw the players' excited discussion in the chat, he immediately understood.

As an additional challenge level, it does not affect the main completion rewards and progress. Yuu-dew is like a dessert given to players by the planners, a wonderful gift.

Just seeing it for the first time is worth the ticket price.

(End of this chapter)