The cola and duck gizzards were both erased by the negative effects of the 'Hidden God's Clothes.' Left with no options, Yang Qizhou had to order takeout…
After all, he couldn't possibly starve until midnight.
But this incident served as a stark reminder for Yang Qizhou that the 'Hidden God's Clothes,' as a quasi-legendary ancient object, wasn't playing around with its negative effects. Today it merely erased dinner; tomorrow it might erase an appliance, and the day after, potentially an entire building. Sooner or later, it would backfire on him directly.
If he wanted to keep this item, he had to figure out a way to handle the problem.
Otherwise, he would have no choice but to abandon it.
"I wonder if anyone in the 'Secret Cultivation Society' might know how to solve this…"
The takeout arrived soon, and after eating to his heart's content, Yang Qizhou thought about summoning the 'Genting Hound' to reality to bond with his new pet. But remembering the consequences of using artifacts, he ultimately decided against it after weighing the pros and cons.
Midnight came quickly.
A strange clarity flashed through Yang Qizhou's mind, and the flames of his blessing reignited. The 'Dark Crow of Profane Fortune' emitted its vibrant caws once more, and his three resurrections along with five retries were fully refreshed.
"Let's hope today I can resolve the crisis at 'Fire Stealing Village.'"
He opened the software, and the game resumed.
"You awaken again within the boundaries of Dark Mist Town."
"You recall the experience of death, shivering uncontrollably, and feel an inexplicable fear of the wind."
"The questions haunting your mind remain unanswered: How was Dark Mist Town destroyed? What is the source of the strange and terrifying power within the wind?"
"Even more perplexing... Dark Mist Town has already been annihilated, leaving no hope for rescue. What should you do next?"
"Once again, the crossroads of fate lie before you, dear explorer who was just blown to death by the wind."
"Will you choose to take a stroll around the boundaries of Dark Mist Town, hoping to find any survivors or methods to aid 'Fire Stealing Village' in its time of crisis?"
"Or will you return to 'Fire Stealing Village' right now and report the situation to Lena?"
"Please make your choice."
And once again, Yang Qizhou found himself in his favorite two-choice scenario. While others might agonize over such decisions, he saw the question as practically a gift. With his 'Dark Crow of Profane Fortune' ability, even if he chose wrong this time, he could always come back and pick a different option.
"Look, isn't my cheat god-tier? Courtesy of the dev team."
Grinning, Yang Qizhou chose 'Option One.'
He would first take a look around the ruins of 'Dark Mist Town.' Who knew? He might stumble upon a treasure or two. After all, everyone in the town had mutated, which theoretically left all possessions unclaimed.
"You were hunted by Alice, a believer of the Old Gods, crossed the wilderness teeming with the unknown and enigmas, and endured the horrors of Wind Bell Town—all just to arrive at 'Dark Mist Town.' Unwilling to leave empty-handed, you decided to scavenge the area first."
"'Hidden God's Clothes' activated, and you entered the Hidden State."
"You wandered through the ruins of Dark Mist Town."
"You wandered through the ruins of Dark Mist Town."
"You spotted a bizarre creature, featuring the head of a bird, the gills of a fish, and a body coated in slimy mucus. It was letting out a low, pained moan, with faintly audible human-like speech."
"The wind… terrifying… the gods… have abandoned… us."
"Curiosity got the better of you, and you boldly deactivated the effects of the 'Hidden God's Clothes,' intending to inquire further."
"The creature, unable to suppress its craving for flesh, lunged at you in a frenzy. The surrounding monsters, drawn by the scent of blood, also charged at you."
"You were torn apart and devoured."
"You died."
So, it turned out that Dark Mist Town had been destroyed by a storm. As expected of the accursed Old World, where the sun couldn't be looked upon, the night couldn't linger, dreams were horrifying, and even the rain and wind carried calamity.
What followed was the familiar routine: the character's soul drifts to the River of Death, attracting the attention of an unknown entity. The flames of his blessing flickered, and the 'Dark Crow of Profane Fortune' let out its calls again.
This time, Yang Qizhou opted for a straightforward revival…
The exploration of Dark Mist Town had barely begun. Using the power of the 'Dark Crow of Profane Fortune' would overwrite the last checkpoint, and if he got trapped in an endless cycle of death before the next choice, he wouldn't be able to rewind. With only three resurrections per day, it would likely cause significant delays.
The game continued.
"Your eyes flutter open again amidst the ruins of Dark Mist Town."
"You immediately activated the effect of 'Hidden God's Clothes,' trembling at the memory of being torn apart. No matter how many times you experienced it, the sensation was unbearable."
"You entered the Hidden State and were not discovered by the surrounding monsters."
"You continued wandering."
"You continued wandering."
"You heard a laborious, sharp, twisted voice, grating on your eardrums like nails on a chalkboard."
"Help… help… me."
"Having been devoured once already, you dared not reveal yourself hastily. Instead, you wandered aimlessly through the ruins of Dark Mist Town."
"You discovered the [Polluted Silver Holy Object]."
"You picked up the [Polluted Silver Holy Object]."
Polluted Silver Holy Object (Epic): This is an ancient sacrificial artifact from the 'Silver Kingdom,' once an offering to the gods. By chance, it found its way to Dark Mist Town. During the previous epoch, it was corrupted by the powers of a wizard and has since lost its original brilliance. Effects: ???
A treasure, as expected! From the Silver Kingdom? And tied to a wizard? Its origins are no small matter. Not bad, not bad. But what's the deal with these three question marks?
So, basically, I picked up a mystery box.
Initially, Yang Qizhou had been thrilled, but the moment he saw its properties, his enthusiasm dissipated. He cursed inwardly—lately, his luck had truly been abysmal. Yesterday he obtained an unusable quasi-legendary artifact, the [Wind Bell Town's Law Book]; now, it was the [Polluted Silver Holy Object].
When was this streak of misfortune going to end?
At this point, Yang Qizhou even started missing the 'Dream Realm's Mother Goddess Flower Seed.' Sure, it had screwed him over with its insane "pregnancy and childbirth" mechanic, but at least it was usable right off the bat.
Whatever. Something was better than nothing.
Pushing aside extraneous thoughts, Yang Qizhou refocused on the game.
"You continued wandering."
"A massive python passed by, nearly crushing you. Luckily, you dodged in time."
"You continued wandering."
"You picked up a pile of junk, only to discard it immediately in disgust."
"You continued wandering."
"You continued wandering."
"You continued wandering."
"Suddenly, you heard cries for help emanating from an ancient temple ahead—filled with pain, despair, unwillingness, and roars of anguish."
"The path of an explorer is always rife with choices, something you understand all too well."
"So, dear daring and greedy explorer,"
"Will you rely on the effects of the 'Hidden God's Clothes' and decide to investigate the source of the cries?"
"Or will you ignore the pleas and move on?"
"Please make your choice."