Chapter525-Illusion Earth
As long as one advances to the Fake God level, they must undergo a trial. However, the contents of the trial vary for each awakener. Even for gods of the same rank, the content of their trials is different.
Without hesitation, Daniel used Flashback. The next moment, he found himself outside the Forbidden Lands. During this process, he did not face any obstruction from the God of Knowledge.
Turning around, Daniel looked at the twisted and bizarre landscape behind him, the Place of Twisted Minds. He couldn't help but feel confused. Why was the God of Knowledge so afraid of him entering other Forbidden Lands?
After pondering for a moment, Daniel still couldn't come up with an answer. So, he shook his head, deciding not to dwell on the matter any longer. Instead, he focused on preparing for his final trial.
However, before proceeding, he needed to ensure that he was in a safe place. In an instant, he returned to the City of Luck.
Just as he leaned back on the couch, Daniel suddenly felt his consciousness fade into nothingness. When he opened his eyes again, he realized that the scenery around him had changed.
Daniel was no longer in the City of Luck. He found himself in a familiar yet unfamiliar two-bedroom apartment.
"Daniel, come eat before the food gets cold," a woman wearing an apron called out. Her face showed signs of irritation, as if she was about to scold him but stopped herself.
However, as Daniel looked at the woman, his eyes gradually became red-rimmed.
This was the deepest secret hidden within his memories.
"Mom, I miss you," Daniel murmured.
The woman paused in surprise, clearly not expecting Daniel to say such sentimental words. She hesitated for a moment and then awkwardly embraced him.
"Alright, alright, did you do something bad again?" she said with a sigh. "Never mind, hurry up and eat. The food's getting cold, and I'll warm it up for you if you're late."
Feeling the lingering warmth of the embrace, Daniel's face broke into a rare, warm smile. He slowly closed his eyes while sensing the activation of his God Rank Skill, which was still active at that moment.
It was evident that the scene before him was another illusion.
However, unlike the illusions Daniel had encountered before, this one came from another world.
If he really thought about it, it had been 18 years since he last saw his parents. After numerous time travels, Daniel's memories of his previous life had become quite blurry.
Yet, when his parents, hidden deep within his mind, appeared before him once again, Daniel still felt a deep emotional surge.
He took a deep breath to calm himself and then walked over to the dining table. He picked up his chopsticks and carefully grabbed a piece of his favorite dish, chili stir-fried pork.
The moment the food entered his mouth, Daniel could no longer hold back. Tears instantly welled up in his eyes.
The taste was so familiar. Even though so many years had passed, he could not forget it.
Even though he knew that everything before him was fake, Daniel still chose to savor every moment of it.
Although everything seemed so real, the activation of his God Rank Skill constantly reminded him that all of this was an illusion.
Daniel had a strong intuition: as long as he chose to remain in this illusion, he could live here forever in this familiar Earth. At any moment, he could leave and return to his previous world.
For Daniel, this was the trial of becoming a Fake God.
In other words, as long as Daniel was ready, with just a thought, he could truly become a Fake God.
...
"Try this lotus root pork rib soup. It's your favorite when you were little," his mom said as she brought over a small bowl with delicate floral designs, filled with a generous serving of soup. She looked at him eagerly.
Looking at the succulent ribs in the bowl, Daniel's face was filled with conflict.
Such a warm, loving scene made him reluctant to leave.
Eventually, he drank all of the soup, including the last bit of the pork rib soup, something unusual for him.
His mom, surprised at his strange appetite, raised her eyebrows. "Son, are you alright? Is there something wrong with your body?"
Daniel shook his head and gave his mom a big hug. Then, he turned and walked back to his room.
The familiar room from his memories appeared before his eyes once again.
The familiar computer was still displaying the paused screen of his favorite anime.
Before he knew it, everything around him seemed to change, but also remain unchanged.
Daniel glanced at the time on the computer screen and couldn't help but murmur.
"So, it's this day again?"
Indeed, this was the day Daniel first arrived in the Land of Origin.
That night, after he went out, the blood moon descended.
Wait, there's also this.
Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Staring at the familiar wallpaper, he felt an overwhelming sense of nostalgia.
In that other world, technology wasn't so advanced.
Daniel lay down on his bed and stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.
His life wasn't bad at all. There was no great enmity, only a warm, happy family.
Although his family wasn't wealthy or extravagant, they were considered middle class.
And Daniel himself was a graduate from a prestigious university. His future was not necessarily bright, but finding a comfortable and high-paying job wasn't difficult.
After resting for a while, Daniel opened the window and flew into the air.
Looking down at the bustling city below, he asked himself, "So all of this is fake, right?"
Grinding his teeth, Daniel still wasn't entirely convinced. He decided to summon the Tree of Faith.
Once the Tree of Faith was established and properly concealed, Daniel used Time Stream and returned to the moment before the trial began.
However, when he returned, Daniel did not sense the presence of the Tree of Faith in his mind.
At this point, it was almost certain that everything he had seen was just an illusion.
He had never actually returned to Earth.
Daniel sighed, but then something suddenly popped into his mind.
He remembered that one of the top 20 God Rank Skills in the God Rank Skill Compendium was Mind Traverse.
The effect of Mind Traverse was simple: as long as you wanted to go somewhere, you could instantly arrive, ignoring all limitations of the rules.
And most importantly, Mind Traverse could take you to a place that didn't even truly exist.
In other words, even a place imagined in your mind could be reached instantly.
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