Go, for my Lord has generously bestowed upon you... 'eternal life'.

"Understood."

The response from the void was crisp and decisive, without a hint of hesitation.

Of course... it wasn’t actually that clear on the matter.

Casually slaughtering one's own followers was the kind of act that lost both face and substance.

If word got out, who would still be willing to worship and follow the Lord of Sin?

But as a subordinate, some questions were better left unasked.

And that wasn’t all.

"Remember..." The Lord of Sin's voice suddenly dropped to a whisper. "Kill them however you like, but don’t use my abilities. Hmm... just imitate the Ashen Lord next door. I sensed his presence not long ago in this tiny... beautiful world..."

"Yes..."

The Lord of Sin was about to make his exit, but he still felt uneasy and added one last instruction: "After this job, take a break. Get as far away as possible... enjoy the scenery. Come find me again in a hundred thousand years."

Finally, even the dimmest of minds would have picked up on the unusual tone: "Could it be...?"

Yet before the thought could fully form, the Lord of Sin cut it off.

His indistinct figure seemed to punch heavily into the air, striking something with a dull "thud," his voice sharp with urgency: "Disrespectful!"

...

Meanwhile, the burly man in the mascot costume and the sacrificial summoners had no privilege to witness this scene.

The burly man was still basking in the joy of his plan’s success.

He removed the mascot suit, revealing a white dress shirt underneath, and slowly walked toward the makeshift "escape room."

Step by step.

His face was alight with fanaticism: "Great Lord of Sin! Are you pleased with this offering?"

"Will you grant your most loyal follower... eternal life?"

Though, the burly man didn’t actually expect a response.

The summoners weren’t a unified force either, divided into many factions.

For example, in Jiangxia, there were two main factions.

One leaned toward the Ashen Lord, who sought the annihilation of all things, while the other followed this Lord of Sin, master of guilt and punishment.

But no matter the faction, the odds of receiving a divine response were less than one in ten thousand...

Otherwise, Great Xia would have long fallen into their grasp.

Unless the offering was truly... "divinely tempting."

All this was just the "lowly foot soldiers" trying to prove their loyalty.

Like how some people loved to kiss up to their bosses...

Those above might not even notice.

But he couldn’t afford not to try.

The next moment, a voice so heavy it threatened to shatter his soul echoed in his mind.

Piercing through his skull, searing into the depths of his being, as real as a brand.

"Pleased."

The burly man shuddered violently.

He... heard it?

Had the great Lord of Sin actually responded to him?!

An indescribable euphoria surged through him like an electric current.

More intoxicating than any carnal pleasure.

It left him weak-kneed, nearly collapsing to the ground.

Not an illusion!

Ecstasy, like a breached dam, instantly drowned all his rationality.

"The Lord said he’s very pleased..."

"He must have remembered you."

How many years had it been?

From an obscure summoner to where he stood now, offering countless sacrifices, participating in countless rituals—never had he dared hope for such a clear response!

That one-in-ten-thousand chance had actually landed on him!

This offering truly was extraordinary!

Eternal life!

The thought spread like wildfire, consuming his entire mind.

Yet, just as the burly man was drowning in this overwhelming bliss, the air around him seemed to thicken slightly.

A faint, almost imperceptible scent—like something burning to ashes—drifted past.

Huh?

He paused, instinctively sniffing.

Was that his imagination?

Or perhaps the first signs of the Lord of Sin’s divine blessing?

He bowed his head even more reverently.

"Go. My Lord has generously granted you... 'eternal life.'"

...

Time blurred.

The burly man snapped back to awareness.

He felt a fire raging inside him...

Was this the gift of 'eternal life'?

So!

Damn!

Good!

He’d gambled right!

But before he could revel in it, his communicator buzzed.

The voice on the other end was urgent and grating, like a bucket of ice water trying to douse his joy.

"...The Ashen faction reached out. They said Yun Huang can’t die yet—it’ll interfere with their plans. Stop immediately..."

Stop?

He nearly laughed out loud.

A mere mortal leader, daring to order a soon-to-be 'chosen one,' blessed with 'eternal life' and personally acknowledged by a supreme being?

He didn’t even bother replying, crushing the communicator in his grip, letting the fragments slip through his fingers.

Since the great Lord of Sin had declared himself "pleased" and bestowed his grace, what did the whims of the 'Ashen' faction matter?

The heat coursing through his veins grew fiercer.

No longer the gentle warmth from before, but something more... scorching.

Beneath his skin, tiny flames seemed to flicker and lick at his flesh.

Ah, he understood.

This must be the unbearable pain one had to endure to ascend to 'eternal life.'

Instead of fear, a twisted excitement took hold.

He could already picture it—himself bathed in divine radiance, his body imperishable, his soul eternal, looking down upon the pitiful worms still trapped in the cycle of life and death. Including... that blabbering leader from the communicator.

...

As for Su Qi and the others?

Liu Yuan stood on tiptoe, adjusting the game plaques on the wall. "Yun Huang, which theme should we pick?"

Yun Huang barely glanced at them. "Any is fine."

Because she knew—there was no real 'escape room' behind that door.

The choice didn’t matter.

But since Su Qi insisted on not dampening Liu Yuan’s excitement, she had to play along...

"Then I’ll choose?"

After skimming the descriptions, Liu Yuan picked [Blood Sacrifice].

The name sounded the most terrifying, and it gave her the best excuse to cling to Su Qi.

But the bald man scowled impatiently. "Someone’s already in there. Pick another."

Liu Yuan pointed at [Whispers of the Old Gods].

"Not ready yet."

Finally, reluctantly, she tapped [Elegy of the Sinner].

"This one?"

The bald man’s expression brightened, as if he’d been waiting for this. "Follow me."

As he led them, he explained, "[Elegy of the Sinner] requires a team of 5 to 8. There are two other guests inside who’ll join your session."

He gestured toward the lounge. "Do you three mind?"

Su Qi followed his gaze.

On the couch, a young girl stirred the pearls in her milk tea with a straw.

Beside her, a bespectacled middle-aged man clutched his briefcase nervously.

Noticing their stares, the girl waved. The man adjusted his glasses.

Su Qi took a moment to send a message to Old Jiang: "Jiangxia Gate, basement level C zone—there’s a large number of Descenders here. Can you send people to take control of the situation?"

In just a few seconds, Su Qi received a reply: "Our people are already there. Just leave and don’t put yourself in danger."