Chapter 161
“This was the last chance to regret.”
“I will announce your arrival to everyone.”
“—You will have to become the Child of the Sub in everyone’s eyes, bearing everyone’s hopes and future.”
He opened his eyes, hearing the Grand Mage’s familiar words.
Bai Yi gazed at the back of the figure walking ahead and, just as he had done countless times before without changing, he spoke cheerfully:
“Great! I’m super excited!”
————
Character: Day
Age: 10
Skills: Mastery of All Holy Light Spells, Purification Technique (Perfect Grade), Praise of the Blind, Falling Flames (Day of Darkness)…————
This was the character’s basic information panel newly added by the system after Bai Yi’s suggestion. He was using this new function for the first time.
Bai Yi glanced at the character’s skill column.
All skills that originally needed learning had become max level due to infinite rollback and hanging, and obviously the NPCs in this world couldn’t know about Bai Yi’s cheat-like method.
Thus, in the short days that followed, Bai Yi’s performance shocked everyone watching him—
[You received Holy Light attack spells from the Grand Mage: Seven basic spells.]
[You learned them instantly, experience maxed out. Additionally, you derived advanced Holy Light spells by combining basic spells.]
[You received Holy Light defensive spells from the Grand Mage: Three basic spells.]
[You learned them instantly, experience maxed out. Additionally, you derived advanced Holy Light spells by combining basic spells.]
[You received Holy Light healing spells from the Grand Mage: One basic spell.]
[You learned it instantly, experience maxed out. Additionally, by combining healing arts, you improved the original healing spell from physical healing to physical and mental dual healing. You integrated the core characteristics of melancholy arts, where the greater the melancholy critical hit on the healer, the better the healing effect.]
[The Grand Mage was astonished by your talent, believing you possessed the potential to surpass gods and create miracles.]
[After your performance spread, all Chasers of the Sun no longer doubted and firmly believed in your identity as the “Child of the Sun”.]
[You received Purification Technique from the Grand Mage.]
[You learned it instantly, experience maxed out. Additionally, you independently improved it to perfect grade, creating an entirely new purification technique.]
The experience from multiple solo hangings allowed Bai Yi to learn extremely quickly, rapidly pushing the game progress to the most critical point of each cycle—whether he could change the outcome of this nightmare fragment instance and alter everyone’s fate depended on now!
In the depths of a dark valley shrouded in darkness, a white-robed figure wearing a white holy light robe, with a face hidden behind a white mask, seemed to have been waiting quietly for a long time, until light footsteps sounded.
He turned around. The small girl, also wearing a white holy light robe, appeared before him like a nimble white cat.
He heard the little girl politely greet him.
“Good evening, Mr. Gadley.”
Although Bai Yi wasn’t sure if it was actually evening—in this instance, it was always “good evening” regardless of day or night…
“Good evening, Your Highness,” Gadley responded, slightly bowing, “You summoned me suddenly. What are your orders?”
…Regardless of the title of Child of the Sun or his current status as the Grand Mage’s student, Bai Yi’s position among the Chasers of the Sun certainly warranted such an address.
Bai Yi did not answer but instead asked, “Mr. Gadley, do you remember what we discussed on the way here? I want to know, your attitude remains unchanged, doesn’t it?”
What they discussed on the way? Gadley quickly recalled, then nodded firmly. “Yes. I always believed that you are the one who can end the desperate fate.”
“…Or rather, I am now more convinced than before.”
The girl in the white robe laughed, her laughter mysterious and profound in the night: “Then, please continue to hold firm and do not waver. I have a surprise to share with you.”
Saying this, “she” walked towards the valley’s exit. “Please follow me.”
As for what the surprise was, of course, it was the Purification Technique!
—In this cycle, Bai Yi did not choose to directly pass on the improved perfect-grade Purification Technique to everyone like the characters in infinite rollback, but instead quietly contacted Gadley.
As the person who discovered him and brought him back to the Chasers of the Sun’s headquarters, Gadley was undoubtedly the one who most believed in his identity as the Child of the Sun—whether he truly believed or was just clinging to a lifeline, Bai Yi would make it real.
Long before realizing that the key to clearing the game was not truly saving the world, but deceiving everyone into believing they could be saved, Bai Yi had understood why previous cycles had failed—
Because he wasn’t enough of a charlatan!
Having already created an astonishingly effective perfect Purification Technique, although still unable to completely root out the erosion of the Void, its amazing effect should have been a miracle in the Chasers of the Sun’s hearts. On this basis, with just a bit of his mesmerization skill to exaggerate the technique’s effects, fooling everyone would not be difficult.
Some true charlatans in history had deceived people completely with a bowl of water that had absolutely no effect.
In previous cycles, he had been obsessed with using the Purification Technique to eliminate erosion, so the character imbued with obsessive traits could only repeatedly improve the technique and conduct in-depth experiments on each version’s actual effects, informing everyone of the results.
—This was nothing like a mage. It was clearly an extremely rigorous scientist. Whether it could or could not do something, how much it could reduce the Return to the Void’s erosion… “She” told the Chasers of the Sun everything without reservation.
The Chasers of the Sun, upon being told the truth, would indeed be amazed by his talent and the improved Purification Technique’s effects, but would be even more desperate that such a powerful Purification Technique still could not resolve the erosion.
This was the pain of facing the truth.
No wonder the Holy Light Mages of the past had fabricated false prophecies rather than directly revealing the cruel truth.
So, the previous cycles had indeed gone astray.
—The most correct path should not be a rigorous genius scientist, but a charlatan who could deceive the entire world.
What Bai Yi needed to do now was actually similar to what that batch of Holy Light Mages did back then, except that making everyone believe his lie was not as simple as randomly inventing a prophecy—he also needed concrete hope that would make them waver.
The perfect-grade Purification Technique was this key element.
He still needed the one most likely to believe his lie.
And for this breakthrough, Bai Yi chose Gadley.
Not only because of Gadley’s high level of trust in him, but also because Gadley’s level of erosion was not deep, so the perfect Purification Technique would show very obvious effects when applied to him.
“Although it might sound incredible, through my understanding of Holy Light spells and combining some of my own insights, I have improved the original Purification Technique… Now, apart from sharing the same name, both its principles and effects have undergone earth-shattering changes,” he said before Gadley. “I believe it is the hope you have been pursuing.”
In the night, a faint light emerged between the little girl’s fingers. Just a trace of this subtle aura made Gadley feel incredibly comfortable.
“How about it? Want to try?”
Feeling the mysterious aura surrounding the girl, Gadley’s eyes widened in disbelief, his voice slightly trembling. “Are you saying this is the method to dissolve the curse?”
“Of course, as long as you believe.”
The subtle smile on Bai Yi’s lips was enigmatic, like that of a profound mystic.
“Didn’t you say I am the Child of the Sun in the prophecy?”
Whether it was his own max-level Bewitch skill or the vests Flower Speaker, Heavenly Master of Divine Calculation, and other card personas, he possessed extraordinarily rich experience in bewitching people’s hearts.
Gadley quickly realized from his subtle tone and other hints, lost in thought.
…The “Child of the Sun” in the prophecy?
The sun, moon, and stars had once been the dwelling of gods! To dissolve the gods’ curse, why must it be the “Child of the Sun”? What kind of existence could dissolve the gods’ curse?
…Of course, it must at least be on the same level as the gods.
And no matter how talented the girl before him was, she couldn’t possibly reach the gods’ level in such a short time.
—So, the key was the Purification Technique? A spell on par with the gods’ curse? It must be!
Gadley suddenly understood. “Could it be… a divine spell?”
He quickly found an explanation for the special energy around the little girl that he couldn’t see through. “Yes, only a truly divine spell could have such an astonishing effect!”
Following this train of thought, Gadley immediately understood why Bai Yi said the Purification Technique could dissolve the curse as long as he believed.
Gods in legends were always associated with faith. Divine spells were likely the same. Thus, they could dissolve the gods’ curse.
Nicely done! Bai Yi nodded inwardly.
This way, he could save himself some effort and didn’t need to explain further.
Those many previous rollbacks were not in vain. He was already quite familiar with Gadley and the Grand Mage’s personalities, and knew exactly how to guide their actions.
The Grand Mage, the only one who knew the true nature of the gods’ curse, would not expose his lie. Bai Yi asked again, “So, want to try?”
“…In honor of being my first believer.”
Gadley looked so excited he could barely speak.
After a long while, he calmed down and nodded heavily.
“—It is my honor.”
Gadley took the bait. Bai Yi almost saw the light of clearing the game. Without another word, he cast the Purification Technique on the spot.
The abnormal bodily conditions rapidly receded. The distorted body under his robes gradually returned to its original state. The curse surrounding him, like thick darkness, was quickly dispersed by light. Although his body had not completely recovered, Gadley had reason to believe that in at most a quarter of an hour…
At the moment he realized hope was about to be realized, enormous joy overwhelmed his heart, and he suddenly knelt to the ground.
Hazy light elements surrounded the area, like stars descending from the sky. He looked up at the person before him in the starlight.
At this moment, he was utterly certain. The prophecy was true. The Child of the Sun from the prophecy had descended to the world and come to his side.
Simultaneously, an incredibly pure faith power surged from this person towards Bai Yi.
The nightmare world manifested by obsession seemed to undergo an invisible change—when the dreamer believed themselves omnipotent, they became omnipotent. Gadley’s faith alone was not enough to save everyone, but it was sufficient to save Gadley himself.
…With this one miracle born, alive and visible to others, who wouldn’t believe?
The subsequent developments were exactly as Bai Yi expected. For him, it was like entering a professional charlatan’s domain.
In the end, even the Grand Mage who originally helped fabricate the prophecy couldn’t help but wonder: Could their randomly invented prophecy have accidentally aligned with the true fate?
But more and more people who sincerely believed in Bai Yi truly obtained salvation. The truth before their eyes forced him to believe.
After a long time, the Grand Mage revealed a bitter smile.
…Fate was never something ordinary people could comprehend. We are mere mortals beneath fate, and when we fabricate lies in its name, who knows if we’ve already plucked the strings of fate, becoming part of its coincidence and drama?
“Is fate so fond of playing tricks?” In the end, the Grand Mage could only sigh from the heart, “Bringing us destruction, yet also giving us hope and salvation?”
“No, giving us hope and salvation was never fate, but the Child of the Sun who helps us defeat fate!” The now fanatical Gadley immediately retorted.
More people enthusiastically agreed with him.
As more Chasers of the Sun in the headquarters dissolved erosion through the Purification Technique, the reputation of the Child of the Sun spread wider. Chasers scattered elsewhere began rushing from far and wide.
The faith converging on Bai Yi grew deeper and more extensive.
When all the obsessions in this nightmare fully believed he would save them, the entire nightmare fragment instance began to tremble from its deepest parts, like waves rising in the deep sea.
And at this moment, the “god” they believed in said, “The gods’ curse has penetrated deeply into this world. Even if I drive away the curse from your bodies, as long as the curse covering this world remains unresolved, you will continue to be eroded by the curse…”
All the Chasers gathered together, looking at the little girl standing atop the highest rock. She had summoned them together for this day. Each person still seemed to hear the previous words of this Child of the Sun—
“So, on this day, I will gather everyone together and, borrowing your faith, cast the most recently comprehended divine spell to dissolve the curse covering the entire world.”
“And each of you will obtain complete salvation.”
With those previous words still echoing, everyone’s gaze turned to the figure shrouded in white robes.
—If it were Her Highness, they would surely be able to do it!
As this belief rose, the nightmare fragment instance shrouded in despair completely trembled, and countless Return to the Void energies began to dissipate.
The master of the dream had completely reversed the nightmare.
Bai Yi was the first to notice the changes in the nightmare fragment instance.
—Awesome!
He cheered internally, activated the Purification Technique, and added some special effects for himself. After all, it was just for show. Essentially, the true force changing this nightmare fragment was the will of those people.
Since they now believed the world would be saved, the Return to the Void energies would dissipate no matter how casually he performed.
A completion notification slowly emerged in mid-air.
Clearly, the system had also determined the instance was cleared.
However, Bai Yi did not choose to exit immediately.
The corner of his mouth curved slightly. “As the Child of the Sun, I naturally need a Child of the Sun’s way of exiting~”
Gathering so many people together was not just to strengthen their belief, but for this grand performance’s finale!
The curve at the corner of Bai Yi’s mouth grew larger and larger.
Above the valley, a massive magical array rose beneath the feet of the girl in white robes, gradually enveloping everyone.
Massive light elements surged from the array, and together with the girl in the array, it seemed like an incredibly brilliant sun rose from the mountaintop, burning light flooding the entire world and engulfing everyone.
In the sun-like flames, numerous soft monsters shed their distorted bodies and recovered human form. The Chasers of the Sun stared blankly at the light, tears welling in their eyes at the figure disappearing within the brilliance.
Gadley suddenly knelt to the ground.
“…Child of the Sun, Your Highness!”
More and more people fell to their knees.
“May your radiance shine eternally!”