Mirage

Ling PingAn looked at the monster in front of him that was banging its heads like crazy and the person who had headed for the hills.

He couldn't help but say to himself, "This is quite a potent skill!"

"And I like it."

The second icon in his skill bar lit up:

Buddhist Hymn Level 1: Cost 80 Mana Points; Release Buddhist Hymn at all enemy subjects within a 30-yard radius.

All the enemy targets that are impacted by the Buddhist Hymn will be subjected to a mandatory mental exam. If they fail the exam, they will be controlled by the Buddhist Hymn and chant the Buddhist Hymn for 15 seconds. They can't cast spells or fight while being controlled in this way. If they pass the exam, their mental attributes will be lowered by one to three points. It is probable that the subject could be put into a state of shock.

Note: The effect of the Buddhist Hymn will be raised to 200 percent on ghosts, spirits, specters, and monsters.

Instruction: Compassion is the principle of life for enlightened monks.

The skill didn't seem to be very powerful on paper.

But it was actually very effective in reality.

Not only did the visuals look good, the skill also came with special effects.

Most important, the controlling effect was extremely useful.

Its only downside was that enemies could resist the Buddhist Hymn if they had enough strength of will.

Nevertheless, it was an impressive skill to have.

At the very least, it was remarkable when dealing with low-level monsters.

Ling PingAn finally understood the thought processes of the rich people who spent money like water on computer games.

Who could resist such a gratifying gaming experience?

"Thankfully, I was born into an ordinary family..." Ling PingAn thought to himself, "Otherwise, I probably would have squandered all the family fortune!"

Be that as it may, he still cared about his public image in the game.

He walked to the enormous nine-headed serpent that was kneeling on the ground.

He stretched out his hand benevolently and chanted, "Amitabha. Excellent! Excellent!"

The giant nine-headed serpent collapsed with a loud bang.

Beams of Buddhist light shone out of its gigantic body.

This was the additional absolution effect of the Buddhist Hymn.

There was also an option for absolution for all the subjects that were controlled by the Buddhist Hymn.

The gamer could administer absolution after spending certain Mana Points.

Although there was no official description explaining in detail what this absolution was, Ling PingAn figured that it must be similar to redeeming the souls of the subjects.

As he expected, he soon received a message from the Legend of Nightmare: You administered absolution for "the enslaved Hydra" and received 2,000 Point Certificates of Nightmare. You also gained the admiration of the Hydra clan. From now on, there is a certain probability that folktales and a holy picture of you will appear in all the worlds in which the Hydras live.

Ling PingAn was astounded by the message. "Is that allowed?"

"If this game starts Beta Testing..." His eyes widened.

He understood how attractive such a design was to players with deep pockets.

He imagined that some rich people might be willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars once the holy picture option had been officially added.

"Therefore...," A possible reason suddenly popped into Ling PingAn's head. "...maybe I'm a beta tester selected by the company to assess the game before they activate the in-game purchase option?"

It was the only logical explanation.

Since that was the case, Ling PingAn decided not to turn it down out of courtesy.

It was a test!

What kind of a test would it be if he didn't torment the game designers and developers?

So he turned back and waved at the dumbfounded, open-mouthed onlooker and said, "Lucky one, come here and open the treasure boxes!"

Countless treasure boxes were lying on the ground.

The one next to his feet looked like it was made of gold.

It was the one that had been left behind by the enslaved Hydra.

...

Chu Weiwei raised her head and looked at the shadows that had been illuminated by the Buddhist light as they slowly rose from the ground and disappeared in the sky.

She exhaled a sigh. "Whew! It's finally over."

"Torture and suffering for 200 years!"

She understood that she was at Aker Castle.

The ancient battlefield from 200 years ago.

Now, with his great compassion and magical power, the eminent monk had redeemed those pitiful souls that had been confined in the darkness for so long.

They had finally gained redemption.

Chu Weiwei watched those smiling shadows slowly vanish from her sight.

She remembered the heroes of the Federal Empire who had sacrificed themselves for the justice and liberty of humankind during numerous wars.

Many of them were nowhere to be found.

Perhaps they had also been trapped in this World of Nightmare.

If they could only be lucky enough to meet that venerable monk...

"They will definitely meet him!" Chu Weiwei said to herself with full confidence.

At that moment, she heard the monk calling her, "Lucky one, come here and open the treasure boxes."

She answered right away, "I'm coming, master."

She totally ignored that the monk had called her the "lucky one".

Was there anything wrong with a powerful and distinguished monk having a flippant and cynical attitude?

Absolutely not!

...

It was a warm and sunny morning in Paris.

Tourists had gathered in front of the famous Arc de Triomphe and were taking pictures.

Little children were busy running around and playing.

All of a sudden, the sound of music reverberated in the air.

The entire avenue resounded with impassioned singing.

"March on! Sons and daughters of the motherland! Arise!"

"An honorable day is waiting for you!"

Military boots stamped on the cobblestone streets rhythmically.

Countless people cast their eyes toward the direction of the music.

A contingent of troops wearing elaborate uniforms was marching down the street with great vigor and momentum while holding a ragged military flag high.

"Look, the despot is facing us!"

"Raise the blood-stained flag!"

"Raise the blood-stained flag!"

The tourists were stupefied.

"It's the Garde du Corps!" Some people who were familiar with history exclaimed.

Throughout the history of France, only one army had fought for the Emperor and the homeland with such fortitude and determination.

They were the only ones who could march so vigorously.

And they were the only ones who wore such extravagant and sophisticated uniforms.

Everyone took out their cameras and wanted to take pictures.

However...

These troops walked directly through the tourists' bodies, the cars, the buildings, and the walls of the stores.

It appeared to be an illusion, yet they looked extremely real.

The crowd was struck dumb and stared vacantly at the soldiers who were singing the battle song in high spirits.

The troops marched toward the south, where the Emperor, their comrades-in-arms, and the past greatness of their country lay buried.

Then the people woke up from their stupefaction and began to take pictures with their phones and cameras frantically.

Click. Click.

Nevertheless, the soldiers were not visible on the negatives or on the phone cameras.

Even so, the passionate battle song and the rousing chorus were still lingering in people's ears.

Several minutes later, tourists who were visiting Les Invalides watched a group of soldiers singing and parading. They walked through crowds and streets, cars and walls, and eventually marched into the tomb of the Emperor.

"March on! Sons and daughters of the motherland! Arise!"

"An honorable day is waiting for you!"

The rhythmic sound of footsteps mixed with their sonorous voices.

Tears streamed down many people's faces.

However, the sound of singing and the footsteps of the soldiers got farther and farther away and eventually faded.

They disappeared into Les Invalides and the tomb of the Emperor.

As though they were demonstrating that that epoch had finally come to an end.

Everything was over now.

As a result of these incidents, the Internet in France exploded.

But all the posts about these incidents were deleted within one hour.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of France immediately issued a statement claiming that this had only been a mirage caused by a fluctuation of the magnetic fields of Earth, and people shouldn't be alarmed.