Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 2220: Chapter 2215: The Crucified King (5)

A time card?

Fu Qian naturally wouldn’t refuse and reached out to take it, expressing curiosity about the acquisition.

It’s understandable to have such thoughts; on one hand, the female gatekeeper’s tone was too vivid, and on the other hand, the shape of the object resembled it.

Bright yellow, rectangular, a thin translucent piece.

It’s about half the size of a palm, and at a glance, it gives a strong sense of déjà vu.

Although there’s no information or photo on it, it’s replaced by crisscrossing prints.

Moreover, the prints are inside, and the surface feels smooth and warm to the touch.

"It will take you through the illusion barrier, to the Great Court."

While Fu Qian was fiddling with it, the male gatekeeper began to introduce it solemnly.

"So, how should it be used?"

Fu Qian continued to express curiosity.

"Hold it and let it soak in the cut wounds."

The other party continued to share patiently.

"Like this?"

Before the words were finished, Fu Qian had already put it into practice.

He didn’t ask how to create a wound because the one thing that made the card unlike an office supply was its edge, sharp as a blade.

For a normal person, just holding it with a bit of force would cause a wound to accompany this action.

"Good, keep it that way."

The gatekeepers looked very satisfied with such decisive behavior.

"I know it’s very painful, but please believe me, it will soon transform into an unimaginable pleasure...it’s something you once longed for in the unknown dreams..."

Not short of praise, the female gatekeeper even spoke with intonation, as if reciting a holy text.

Longed-for thing...a desire to kill?

Fu Qian didn’t mind, even interpreting what the other party said seriously.

Whether it was the questions during the "interview" or the handling of those eliminated just now, it seems this point can be felt.

Beneath the serious exterior of the gatekeepers lies a constant accumulation, an impulse they want to release every second.

It’s just a pity that, although full of blood, such destructive violence indeed doesn’t pique much interest.

There indeed is pain.

Fu Qian’s gaze fell on the card drenched in fresh blood, with the internal imprints seeming like some kind of transcendent passage, and the blood even seeped in first.

So much so that even though it was an inanimate object, it seemed to be trembling with sensation.

Exactly, the pain didn’t come from the bleeding wound but rather from the implement that cut the wound.

...

Could it be that the pressure I gave was too great?

The trembling wasn’t just a figure of speech; at that moment, Fu Qian could feel the obviously extraordinary card might disintegrate at any moment.

Even so, one can’t blame it for being too fragile. After all, it is taking me "through the illusion barrier."

Don’t forget that the warehouse, as strong as it is, still bears a heavy burden when synchronizing tasks with me, appearing quite short-handed.

Indeed, this is easy to handle as well.

Without blaming it, Fu Qian actively looked for a reason within himself and even began synchronizing the process.

Certainly, I can’t let this thing shatter; if Lord Ariel I’m looking for has already passed through the illusion barrier, it means synchronizing even a Second Phase problem shouldn’t be a big deal.

While thinking, utilizing a newly acquired skill in adjustment and control, Fu Qian’s own ranking slid rapidly—sure enough.

At a certain moment, the trembling of the card in hand subsided, and the slide stopped, staying around the Second Phase level.

In a way, it’s even more resilient than the previous Reminiscence Record.

Fu Qian also gave a positive evaluation at the same time.

Judging from the previous feedback, setting the ranking a bit higher shouldn’t be an issue either.

One could say it has a higher carrying capacity than the Reminiscence Record limited to the Second Phase.

This is both good news and bad news. The good part is that actions beyond the barrier don’t need to worry about excessive ability limitations.

As for the bad part, although it’s unclear what the precise situation is, it’s likely that encountering experts in there has increased as well—

While silently evaluating, the scene in front suddenly blurred, and the two gatekeepers vanished.

"Witness the Lonely King..."

Only the final harmonious echo remained.

...

The Lonely King?

Though brief and somewhat vague, this last sentence conveyed quite meaningful information.

Could it directly be the name of this containment object?

Fu Qian naturally recalled the mission introduction and the distinct blood-red phantom in the warehouse.

So it really is a "king," especially given the use of the term ’witness.’

Furthermore, from this perspective, it seems to make sense.

Even those interviewed in the periphery exhibit such a bloodthirsty desire, so whoever is to be witnessed must indeed be even more sanguinary.

Even the mission strategy seems to have become much clearer—did Brother Ariel come here in disguise also to witness it?

If that’s the case, doesn’t it just mean waiting by the Lonely King’s side, and Ariel will deliver himself?

Though this also brings up a problem: where should one witness the Lonely King?

Fu Qian looked around, recalling the paths explored just now.

Indeed, the scene in front of him had already become clear once more.

While it’s no longer the previous interview location, Fu Qian, standing at a street corner, could easily recognize the consistent architectural style around him.

...

Piercing the illusion barrier implies arriving at another layer of the same place?

If that’s true, then the idea of existing other groups synchronizing interviews in a time-space overlap manner seems increasingly likely.

Fu Qian raised his left arm to look at his palm, where the special card had disappeared, replaced by crisscrossing imprints etched into his palm, vibrant red.

Very reasonable; a time card should indeed be strictly bound.

Furthermore, determining this place as another layer based on similar architectural styles, rather than being teleported somewhere from just now, is quite simple—there are people here.

In this short moment, Fu Qian confirmed someone had already noticed him.

Although their gaze might not be friendly, this liveliness instantly contrasted the dead city previously seen—

"The time has not yet come—"

With a crisp ring of a bell, a voice filled with inflection echoed in front of him the next moment.

It was one of the gazes that initially noticed him, though looking back now required him to lower his head.

Indeed, holding a hand bell in one hand and covering their chest with the other, it was an unusually small figure.

But probably not a dwarf, as the face and voice were equally youthful.

Meanwhile, the black eyes harbored a compassion unfit for this appearance, alongside an inexplicably fitting indifference.

Oh?

Even the indifference manifested in the next moment; while Fu Qian was about to ask when the time would come, the figure had already walked away.