After using the ability of the 'Dark Crow of Profane Fortune,' three choices were once again presented to Yang Qizhou.
Waiting in place was ruled out immediately.
Staying there would only result in being tortured to death again by the vengeful Alice, utterly pointless, with the added risk of being camped by her at the respawn point. That would be game over. Until her venting ended, there was no hope of playing the game normally.
That left only two options: continue heading toward Dark Mist Town, or return to Fire Stealing Village to report the situation to Lena.
"The ability of the 'Dark Crow of Profane Fortune' has already been used up. Until a new option appears, there will be no save point to roll back to. So this time, I truly face a 'two-choice' dilemma."
"Returning to Fire Stealing Village is the safest decision,"
"But just from the descriptions in the game, it's clear how terrifying the wilderness is—roaming evil creatures, twisted lifeforms, Old God believers, hidden entities, and more. It's a minefield, step by step, and sooner or later, it will kill you."
"Moreover, the divine path leading back to the village is still intact and blessed by the gods, offering immunity to the horrors of the wilderness. It's obviously much safer."
"Once back in the village, I can also inform Lena about the broken divine path and discuss the next course of action."
"So my choice is..."
Yang Qizhou chose 'Option One' and continued heading toward Dark Mist Town, following the road signs.
Danger and opportunity coexist. Yang Qizhou understood this well. Choosing to return to Fire Stealing Village may seem like the safest option, but it also brings the smallest reward. Continuing toward Dark Mist Town, though it meant traversing the mysterious and unknown wilderness, promised immense rewards if successful in unlocking a new map.
Besides, his confidence in this choice wasn't unwarranted.
[Effect of Hidden God's Clothes triggered...]
"You have donned the 'Hidden God's Clothes.' Without your permission, no one can perceive your identity. You are now in a Hidden State, undetectable by anyone. This effect automatically cancels if you attempt to interfere with reality."
"You have entered the Hidden State."
"The Quasi-legendary ancient object is so powerful that it fills you with confidence, convincing you that you can easily traverse the mysterious and unknown wilderness and reach Dark Mist Town to fulfill Lena's commission."
"You left the divine path and proceeded toward the road signs pointing to Dark Mist Town."
"You kept moving forward."
"You encountered a giant serpent. Due to your Hidden State, it did not notice your presence."
"You kept moving forward."
"You continued moving forward."
"You saw Alice. She had apparently sensed your aura and was searching along the divine path. This event serves as a reminder: never offend a woman who holds grudges."
"Since you were in a Hidden State, Alice did not notice you and left in frustration and anger."
Nice.
Yang Qizhou was in a great mood, taking a deep swig of cola that filled him with exhilaration.
Alice was by far the most terrifying BOSS he had encountered, aside from the two gods 'Dream Hidden King' and 'Mother of Beauty and Fertility.' She could instantly reduce Fire Stealing Village to decay and dust, and her roar could kill any twisted lifeforms within a hundred meters—a level of power so overwhelming it utterly crushed hope.
To think he could even avoid Alice's detection—no wonder 'Quasi-legendary' ancient objects were OP. Hidden God's Clothes was indeed a god-tier item.
"Dark Mist Town, here I come."
Yang Qizhou thought to himself. This one's in the bag.
Continuing the game.
"After escaping Alice's relentless pursuit, you let out a deep breath of relief. Confidence surged, believing that with Hidden God's Clothes, traveling to Dark Mist Town would be a breeze."
"You kept moving forward."
"You hummed a little tune as you walked."
"You encountered a wandering undead in the wilderness. You even cheekily waved at it. The wandering undead, unable to detect you in your Hidden State, did not respond."
"Your smugness grew."
"You kept moving forward."
"You encountered a giant as tall as a mountain. Since you were in a Hidden State, it did not notice you."
"The giant did not detect your presence and, while passing by, accidentally stepped on you, turning you into a smear of flesh."
"You died."
????
"What the fuck..." Yang Qizhou furiously pounded the table. He had been so sure that with Hidden God's Clothes—after even avoiding the detection of Alice, a suspected Old God follower—traveling to Dark Mist Town would be a cakewalk.
And yet,
He truly hadn't been discovered, but due to the sheer size of the giant, his game character had inadvertently been stomped to death.
Just like an ant, squashed pointlessly.
Nonetheless, this served as a valuable lesson for Yang Qizhou: while the effects of Hidden God's Clothes were indeed formidable, they were by no means invincible. Plenty of factors could still lead to his character's death.
The same applied to the real world.
"Let's hope I can make it to Dark Mist Town today without any more bullshit. My heart can't take it."
Mumbling to himself, Yang Qizhou refocused on the game.
The death sequence was the same as previously: his soul appeared at the River of Death, coming under the gaze of an unknown presence. But since he had already used the ability of the 'Dark Crow of Profane Fortune' for a prior decision, there was no option to roll back this time—he had no choice but to proceed with a standard resurrection.
"You opened your eyes once more on the wilderness ground. Remembering the experience of being squashed to meat paste, you couldn't help but feel a lingering fear."
"You reactivated the effect of Hidden God's Clothes and once again set off for 'Dark Mist Town.'"
"You continued moving forward."
"You spotted a small town. Illuminated by bright lights, its residents were laughing joyfully, and the scenery seemed vibrant and prosperous."
"Of course, this wasn't your destination, as you were still some distance from 'Dark Mist Town.' Moreover, in your understanding, this small town shouldn't have existed—Lena had told you that the nearest settlement to Fire Stealing Village was Dark Mist Town."
"Fate's crossroads appeared before you again, the adventurous spirit within stirring restlessly."
"Do you choose to enter this mysterious small town to explore its customs and have a few drinks?"
"Or do you press forward and head to Dark Mist Town to complete Lena's commission?"
More bullshit? Seriously?
Typical of this trash game, Deceit World, to make sure players are never at ease while traveling to 'Dark Mist Town.' Turns out this was no exception.
A mysterious small town? Obviously, he had to check it out.
Unlike other players, Yang Qizhou wasn't afraid of making the wrong choice. With the 'Dark Crow of Profane Fortune' ability, he could undo any disaster if things went awry.
"Feels like I'm playing with hacks here. Is this too OP?"
Despite this thought, Yang Qizhou had no intention of abandoning the 'Dark Crow of Profane Fortune.' It was an official cheat he'd obtained fair and square—why wouldn't he use it?
"You chose to enter the small town to take a look."
"The town was warm and welcoming. The residents greeted you with open arms, offering the finest fruit wine and most fragrant roasted meat."
"You marveled at the simplicity and hospitality of the people. Curious, you asked the boy on your right what this town was called."
"The boy said this was 'Wind Bell Town.' Originally, the residents here were plagued by the unknown horrors of the wilderness, until a Divine Envoy from the 'Golden Country' appeared."
"He was a Law Enforcer of the True Court, a Swordman of order."
"He rewrote the town's laws, guiding us to worship the blazing True Sun suspended above, granting us protection from the unknown terrors of the wilderness."
"The town's faith was actually in the 'Sun.'"
"A chill ran down your spine."