Chapter 271: Chapter 271: Secrets and Failure, Desire is My Will!

"Do you know this person?"

Xie Antong nodded and replied:

"The first representative figure of the Renaissance, most famous for 'The Divine Comedy,' the first to shake the foundations of the Church and divine authority."

"Correct." Know-it-All nodded in satisfaction. "Didn't he himself say that 'The Divine Comedy' was written after his journey through Hell..."

The surrounding crowd immediately understood his implication, their jaws dropping in shock, finding this perspective difficult to digest for a moment.

Xie Antong double-checked that the game's live broadcast was indeed turned off.

Otherwise, given Lu Ce's influence, such words being spoken publicly would cause absolute chaos...

But this also indirectly proved how detailed the game's monitoring could be - capable of identifying which conversations shouldn't be seen.

Ignoring everyone's astonishment, Know-it-All continued:

"In the beginning, people couldn't enter voluntarily. Only in certain special areas with chaotic magnetic fields might some individuals accidentally enter another world."

"What you now call this game world."

"Later, around the Republican era to our present time, some extraordinary individuals emerged - what you might call 'the chosen ones' in your terms."

"We could voluntarily enter other worlds to explore mysteries, seek treasures, or... obtain superpowers!"

Everyone listened intently, as if this senior was telling a story from another world.

"Wait!" Lu Ce's voice suddenly cut in sharply. "There's a problem here."

"In your account, you... weren't assigned game missions? You entered freely to explore?"

Hearing Lu Ce's questioning, Know-it-All suddenly clutched his head in pain, even grimacing!

"Tsk~ That's the issue! My memory has major gaps here!"

"I'm not sure which version is real. Maybe later... or perhaps from the very beginning, after entering, we'd hear a voice telling us what to do to leave."

"And all of us anomalies, for some unknown reason, seemed to have started... some kind of rebellion!"

"Rebellion?" Lu Ce frowned.

Know-it-All was in terrible condition now, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"Tch, I can't remember clearly!"

"Anyway, we definitely failed! That's why this thing has now descended upon the world so brazenly."

"This is absolutely not good! Absolutely not... AAAAAH!"

By the end, Know-it-All was clutching his head and howling in pain, even collapsing to the ground.

Everyone took two steps back in fear, unsure what taboo they'd triggered during what seemed like normal conversation.

Lu Ce knew he wouldn't get any more answers and sighed.

"Just suffer for now. Here's a chocolate bean for you."

With that, Lu Ce casually tossed an Exit Coin at Know-it-All's feet.

He didn't know if it would help, but honestly, Exit Coins were worthless to him anyway.

[Game Over!]

[Redemption of the Kidney Thief, successfully completed.]

[All remaining players may freely explore the world for half an hour or exit immediately.]

Suddenly, the same game announcement sounded, making everyone freeze. Turning around, they saw the "cleanup work" was already finished.

"Heh." A bleak, desolate laugh sounded as the warden's gaunt figure stood rooted like a withered tree.

A black, glowing thread emerged from his forehead like a crack, seemingly splitting his body in half.

"It's over~"

The warden sighed, his voice carrying unexpected delight.

Looking at the numerous corpses on the ground, everyone felt uneasy. This game session seemed to have no player deaths.

But this was undoubtedly still real hell!

"Pleasure meeting you all," the warden said, then turned to Lu Ce.

"You're impressive, strong - much better than that howling mess over there."

"But I have advice... don't let desire pierce through your will."

Lu Ce's mask performed an eerily human-like eyebrow raise.

He hadn't expected everyone wanting to chat with him lately.

But he didn't hold back, replying:

"Pierce? Desire is my will!"

"HAHAHAHA!" The warden suddenly laughed loudly, saying nothing more before brilliant light erupted from his body. Split down the middle by that line, he instantly lost all vitality.

The game officially ended.

No survivors except the players!

The next second, the entire prison began changing colors.

First turning phosphorescent green, like seeping dye, then the green dispersed with the wind.

Then the seemingly indestructible walls instantly crumbled, collapsing like ancient temples weathered by millennia of sandstorms.

Next, the numerous corpses on the ground all turned to ash, scattering with the wind as everything disintegrated.

Finally, the entire prison collapsed, everything transforming into ash that swirled upward, becoming multicolored lights streaking rapidly skyward.

By the time everyone reacted, even the ground beneath their feet grew insubstantial, as if reality itself was dissolving.

The prison vanished, leaving only emptiness surrounded by dazzling light ribbons ascending like grand fireworks.

At the distant apex of this void was pitch darkness - a spiral black mire that Lu Ce stared at unblinkingly.

This thing resembled what he'd seen underground before - the end of [Life].

Lu Ce was almost certain it was the same entity! Only now it was enormous - what was once a wall now seemed to divide two universes.

Meanwhile, Xie Antong had her own focus.

She was staring intently at Sin's exposed right hand.

This same hand she'd deliberately held before, memorizing every knuckle.

It really was similar...

Though now disfigured, though now skin and bones, that texture...

Should she grab it again to confirm?

But there didn't seem to be any reason to now...

...

"Let's go. I'll return your stuff next time!"