[Bonus chapter] Worldview
Zhang Yong looked at Wang Jing who had just rag-dolled through the air and felt a cold shiver run down his whole body, making the hair on his neck stand on end. He thought about his behavior in the morning, and imagined himself taking that blow. Could he have blocked it? He wasn't sure. In fact, he couldn't tell what exactly happened at all.
Li Yangyi gulped. He was currently all eyes. "Li Yinyi... I think I believe you." He felt his throat parch, the moment these words left his mouth. Truthfully speaking, he didn't know what to believe. His eyes fell on Wang Jing. Next, his eyes fell on the inconspicuous youth. He pursed his lips together. Ah! In one day, his worldview had collapsed.
He definitely had to tell father about this!
"Geez, I've told you this whole time," Li Yinyi pouted happily. Now that he understood, they could finally play. "Shou, open that artifact-thingy for my brother please!" She gave Shou the money.
This time, no one dared to intercept it. "Sure thing," Shou told her with a smile.
Li Yangyi was still rather confused on what's happening, but he decided to follow his sister for now as when he saw that youth lips curve upward, he felt a shiver caressing his whole body.
Li Yinyi led him into the other room, and Zhang Yong followed right after. Shou stood right behind them, all seemingly knowing what to do—well, Wang Jing didn't. As per instructed by his sister, he hovered his hand over that strange-looking lamp and inserted a wisp of spiritual energy.
"Entering Memory 'Deadly Witch Hunt', asking costumer to prepare," the familiar system voice rang out.
"Oh, that wasn't there last time," Shou marveled at the synthetic voice.
"[smile] I thought it'd be a good to prepare costumers before they entered the memory world."
Li Yangyi promptly slumped over. Luckily, Shou was there to catch him, and he gently laid him on the table, additionally giving him a blanket too. Though it looked rather cozy, Shou still felt they were missing proper care units for the fainted people. Costumer satisfaction was key after all.
"What the hell is this," a voice resounded through the small screen projected from the cube. On it, everyone saw the astonished Li Yangyi amidst the colorful flower-field.
"Ah," Li Yinyi hid her mouth in embarrassment, "I forgot to explain what this is all about." She was too amazed by the screen to notice.
Zhang Zong too, carefully sized up the projected image from the core. They both hadn't seen how the outside looked like when they entered the illusory world, and they both were amazed by the intricate mage-craft displayed.
"It's no problem," Shou said, "just watch first."
In front of Li Yangyi—whose mouth hung wide enough for an egg to enter seamlessly—a window popped out. It was much like the one hovering above the core (or for a more apt description: like the windows Si would issue). Though he was overwhelmed by the many things he saw, he automatically felt his befuddled mind drawn toward it.
The window displayed the entrancing painting he had also seen at the counter. Underneath it, there were some simple words:
[Welcome, Fated one, to the Deadly Witch Hunt!
You have entered an illusory world.
An illusory world is a place that does not truly exists, and thus can only be entered through the mind. Like a dream or a mirage. Beware though, for an illusion can be realer than the truth and danger can come unexpectedly. But worry not, the Store of Fates™ will never truly put the costumer at risk, so explore leisurely. Rather, we recommend you to keep your mind on the rewards:
This world is 'unwritten' and there's no fate governing over it. By writing the costumers story, they write the story of this world. Leave an everlasting imprint of your fate to earn sizable rewards and a string of karma.
Completion rate: 1%]
Everyone reading it—except for Shou—fell into a stunned silence. Was it not for their mental capacity, they might have fainted on the spot.
"Boss! Why did I not get this kind of message when I entered," Zhang Yong screamed and his breathing grew erratic. Ever since he reached adulthood, he had never cried in his life, but now, he wanted to wail like a baby. It was too unfair. "I had no idea. If you'd just told me what the illusory world was about..."
He did not understand much of the text, but one thing he knew—fate! Anything containing these words possessed more value than a crate of gold. This store—if the text was to be believed—sold an opportunity for them to experience it. No, it did more, it allowed them to shape it!
"I did. I told you my store sells fate." Shou shrugged his Shoulders.
Zhang Yong couldn't find a way to rebut. He quietly started to ponder away.
Li Yinyi jumped in excitement. The storm yesterday had been the greatest fortune in her life. Otherwise, she would have never found this place. She did not like thinking too hard about hard things; it was solely the adventurous spirit that told her how much fun it could be. A string of karma must be something invaluable.
Li Yangyi didn't know what to think. His mind instinctively rejected the idea and told him to not believe it, but the worldview he had so strenuously build, collapsed just a few minutes ago and had no time to recuperate. He decided to see what more there was first.
On the window, three buttons shone brightly. They read: Private mode, Communication, Logout. Arranged in that order. Thankfully, they had simple explanation plastered beneath them, or he would be lost due to these outlandish terms.
The Private mode allowed him to close the screen displayed outside. He didn't even know that people were watching, quite honestly. The Communication button existed for him to communicate with the outside. The Logout one, unarguably the most useless one, gave him the option to leave. Why would any want to do so?
He clicked on the middle button, Communication, to test out its effects.
Immediately, he heard his sister scream, "Heyo, bro~ can you hear me?"
Li Yangyi almost stumbled into the flower-field as he was too shocked by the voice that came from nowhere. "I can, I can."
Li Yinyi giggled. "That's great. Since you read the basics, I'm going to assume I needn't explain anything to you. However, I will give you some tips instead!" she rested her hands on her hips and declared proudly. "First, did you realize that the Spiritual Energy in this world is a lot purer?"
"What, I don't be—it's true!" He sensed the air around him and only now realized how intense the waves of energy here were. He closed his eyes and prepared to meditate, but his sister promptly interrupted him.
"Don't sit down and cultivate, you'd be wasting your precious time," Li Yinyi reprimanded him, and for some reason, Zhang Yong clutched his heart as if it hurt. "What you should do now is look for a washed up road. Turn slightly to your right and keep walking straight. You'll meet an important key-point of this world." And more than anything, she wanted to see her reliable and stoic brother fall into a fluster once more. It seemed to slowly be turning into a hobby for her.
"Mhm, I see." Li Yangyi nodded. "if you say so . . . then I shall go the other way."
"Ah, you~! I thought you'd have gotten more trusting!" she grumbled and pointed her finger at the screen.
Li Yangyi paid no heed to his sister and continued on the opposite path. Truly, ones perspective in life was not that easy to change after all.
He walked for almost half an hour, and slowly, a farm appeared before him. As he got further, and the flower-field was replaced by a grass field, and the grass field was replaced by tilted earth, he saw the first few houses.
He had arrived at a village.