One day earlier.
In the Yao Country, on the second floor of an apartment in Yuanyang City’s old district.
Golden sunlight flowed through the window, dripping like melted honey onto the soft black hair of the youth sitting by the window.
Bai Yi hummed softly as he lifted his pen to write the final paragraph.
[His first task in his determination to rebuild the Artists’ Association was to recover the Association’s lost items.]
[—Especially the “Sabbath” that had been lost to the outside world.]
Just then, a strong premonition struck him.
Since obtaining the “Heavenly Master of Divine Calculation” combination card, Bai Yi’s intuition and sudden insights had become incredibly accurate.
This sudden premonition was definitely not a false alarm.
He immediately put down his pen, his slightly widened pupils showing curiosity. “Ah, let me see what’s happening.”
An invisible ethereal card rose in midair, with a figure in formal robes and crown drawing hexagrams in the void, as if consulting the Big Dipper.
As the ethereal light dissipated, Bai Yi, seeming to have gotten his answer, blinked and suddenly opened his phone.
“...Ah, found it.”
“So someone is trying to ride on the popularity of the ‘Sabbath’?” Looking at the mystery exploration livestream program scheduled to begin in half an hour on the foreign website, along with its pre-released theme, Bai Yi could no longer contain himself as his smile grew wider and wider, “This is truly a stage delivered right to our doorstep!”
During the half hour before the program started, he skillfully logged onto his computer and went through everyone’s information, including both program team members and guests, whether it was public information or hidden content unknown to others—by the way, the internal network of the Extraordinary Forum, also known as the Shadow Forum, had already established quite a comprehensive database. Sometimes he didn’t even need to search himself, as he could easily find information about certain people in the Shadow Forum’s database.
In any case, when all the information about “Andre,” one of the four guests, appeared before Bai Yi’s eyes, he made his decision.
“...Since the stage has been set up by others, it wouldn’t be right for the main character not to make an appearance.”
At the distant end of the world, in the Green Autonomous Region.
A jeep slowly drove through the road carved out of ruins toward a castle at the end. The sunset glow had imperceptibly faded away, and dark clouds piled up layer by layer across the sky.
An ethereal scroll faintly appeared between heaven and earth.
Two figures opened their eyes in the depths of the castle.
—This was the beginning of everything.
After completing the Art Realm instance, Bai Yi had exchanged for a collection of artworks, including the Death Gallery and the “Sabbath.” During the time since then, he had invested quite a few points in exchanges to fill the non-existent Artists’ Association’s collection.
—Since Joey was playing the role of #The Last Spirit Forger#, #The Last Administrator of the Artists’ Association#, and #Just Awakened from Slumber to Recover the Association’s Lost Collections#, props serving as the association’s collections were indispensable.
But those exchanged artworks varied in strength, and Bai Yi had classified them according to his own ideas.
Special hazardous SSS-class items like the “Sabbath,” “The Last Supper,” and “Deity Beyond Dimensions”—if carelessly released, would undoubtedly cause unimaginable mental contamination to those who encountered them during their circulation.
[They unfurled the ‘Sabbath’ scroll, luring everyone into an illusory painted world, attempting to devour their blood and souls to strengthen their paper and paint.]
[Their actions undoubtedly caused great panic in the outside world.]
[...Shortly after devouring the first person, the awakened Joey found them, intending to recover the lost collection piece.]
[Under Joey’s guidance, the painting spirits, now understanding their true identity, developed human hearts and were no longer driven by resentment and madness. Realizing they still had infinite potential for evolution, Joey ultimately abandoned the idea of taking the ‘Sabbath’ back, hoping to witness the ultimate radiance of art he pursued someday in the future.]
...
Joey walked out of the castle.
The dark sky, massive gathering clouds, and the large shadows enveloping the castle rapidly retreated into the distance the moment he opened the door, as if breaking the boundary between illusion and reality, or like a spread painting scroll being swiftly withdrawn.
Then the real, clear sky unfolded, brilliant sunlight pouring down, illuminating the young man.
His silk-like long hair gleamed like water.
Looking through the open door behind him, there were three unconscious people, and Andre, who appeared horrifying and completely lifeless.
Joey’s long eyelashes flickered, and an extremely faint smile flashed across his classically beautiful face.
“Perfect! Everything has been accomplished!”
Meanwhile, in the distant apartment, the youth who put down his pen snapped his fingers joyfully.
—When Andre’s information appeared on his computer screen, Bai Yi knew clearly that even though the painting spirits were dominated by resentment and hostility toward all living people, among a group of people, they would inevitably be most attracted to the most corrupted soul.
Therefore, he wasn’t worried about them harming innocents.
Because “Joey” would appear timely after they devoured the first soul, resolving their madness and chaos.
In this grand performance, he had merely utilized what should have been disposed of as trash, allowing the two intended protagonists to achieve a successful debut.
Surely the horror of the “Sabbath” would be deeply etched in people’s memories, while Joey’s unfathomable nature would leave an impressive mark.
Now, countless people were probably racking their brains, trying to comprehend deeply the script he had written.
While doing reading comprehension might be painful, having others do reading comprehension of one’s script was quite enjoyable.
The youth at the desk stood up, pushed open the window, and gazed into the distance.
“Come, set your clever minds in motion, thoroughly explore the truth of the world I’ve woven for you.”
“...Then, with the answers you understand, advance toward the direction I anticipate.”
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