Chapter 1924 - 1923: Bountiful Harvest

For Denos, his greatest regret was not being able to save Ilotan back then.

Saving Vissen was a way to compensate for that regret.

To him, saving and avenging were equally important.

Saving was even slightly more important than avenging.

And if He Ao hadn’t delayed until the Witch of Desire’s furious advent, he wouldn’t have been able to save Vissen.

If he left at any point, Vissen would become a sacrifice.

Either as a sacrifice to the Grim Reaper or as an offering to the Witch of Desire’s wrath.

Only in the moment when the Witch of Desire’s anger exploded, when both divine beings could not pay attention to Vissen, could he release Vissen from the ritual.

For Denos, even if he could have risen from the grave smoothly back then, saving Kwoatra of that time was an almost impossible task.

And for He Ao, the difficulty wasn’t much different.

If he hadn’t opened a new front to use the Holy Master to block the Witch of Desire, creating a chance to steal the Dreamer Talent Sequence, the Witch of Desire wouldn’t have been so enraged.

The Witch of Desire’s rage startled the Grim Reaper, causing a momentary lapse in overseeing the ritual.

Under normal circumstances, solely relying on Denos, He Ao couldn’t have saved Vissen.

This was a ritual orchestrated by the Grim Reaper, a construct reinforced for countless years by Sulan.

The Grim Reaper pinned hopes on this ritual to find the War God’s Tomb, control the War God, diminish the War God’s power, and heal the Netherworld’s scar.

As long as events progressed within this circle, staying within the Grim Reaper’s expectation, He would not forgo tugging at the ritual.

Even if Sulan perished and the core of the ritual collapsed, He still attempted to reconstruct the ritual.

Ultimately, He Ao turned the impossible into possible to dispel Denos’ deepest dissatisfaction.

And judging from Anke’s situation, Denos should have had descendants escaping the Kwoatra’s destruction back then and bequeathing it to Vissen.

The ancestors of the Wisener might have been Kwoatra people lucky not to be in the city.

So these weren’t completely different cities but intertwined bloodlines.

Just like the river named Kwoatra has always flowed through the city.

Feeling the soul’s gradual enhancement, He Ao took a deep breath and looked at the subtitles below.

Next is the comprehensive evaluation.

[Your comprehensive mission evaluation: Legend (9.9)]

[Your comprehensive mission settlement Exchange Star: ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★]

The last line of text shifted slightly,

[Your comprehensive mission settlement Exchange Star: ★×36]

The Exchange Stars increased by three and a half, three in the side missions, and half in the main mission.

He Ao’s gaze fell on the comprehensive evaluation of 9.9.

This rating somewhat exceeded his expectations.

Because according to his previous estimates, the main mission score weighting was very high — so high that a 0.5 increase could raise the overall rating by 0.4.

Thus, with no increase in the main mission evaluation, even a perfect side mission wouldn’t increase the score significantly.

The previous Copy World score was 9.7. He anticipated this time it might be about 9.8, but unexpectedly, the system raised it to 9.9.

However, this situation had seemingly occurred previously.

Was the main mission’s actual rating higher than shown?

Even if it shows 9.5, was it calculated as the actual rating during the weighting?

Thus resulting in a 9.9 comprehensive rating?

He Ao gazed at that score, taking a gentle breath.

9.9,

Just a step away from a perfect ten.

But who knows what difficulties lie in that step?

While thinking, the subtitles in He Ao’s field of view rapidly changed.

[Because you obtained a perfect evaluation in the side mission and simultaneously in the hidden mission, plus a comprehensive evaluation of ’9.9’, congratulations on achieving ’Advanced Player’]

[Advanced Player: When a player’s comprehensive evaluation exceeds 9.9, this can occasionally take effect. At the start of the next Copy World, the player can choose a role’s Transcendent Level for role matching (Mythical Creatures cannot be selected).]

What does it mean? An achievement applicable to role selection?

Can the next role be directly chosen by level?

What does it mean that Mythical Creatures cannot be selected? Not choosing divine beings is understandable, but Angels can’t be chosen either?

He Ao recalled, he indeed never drew an Angel role.

The highest was akin to Denos, a role almost reaching Angel Tier.

Previously, he thought it was due to the Copy World’s difficulty. Still, it seems the system inherently has some restrictions on such roles.

Could this lead to issues?

He Ao pondered over his past experiences.

Do Angels have divine attention or influence? Is the soul easily sensed by related divine beings? Which might lead to the Copy World directly spawning divine beings before you at the start?

Even if Mythical Creatures can’t be chosen, selecting by level is a particularly good outcome.

Though Angles can’t be chosen, a B-level can carry part of He Ao’s Soul Power, allowing him to directly perform Mechanical Descent then.

Moreover, this achievement isn’t mandatory, it can be bypassed if necessary.

This achievement is acceptable.

The first achievement hits gold, thanks to the dual perfect evaluations.

[Since you steered a key historical turning point in the Copy World, guided civilization’s development, and altered the historical trajectory, congratulations on achieving the ’Guide’]

[Guide: Effective only once. Upon achieving this, the player receives 3 extra Exchange Stars during the Copy World settlement. It triggers when the player significantly impacts the civilization’s process and historical evolution. When upgrading rewards, a general direction can be selected to determine the upgrade (chosen direction dependent on pre-upgrade reward attributes).]

The previous one was the comprehensive evaluation achievement. This should be the side mission achievement.

Two effects. The first directly gives three Exchange Stars. The second allows direct choice in the reward upgrade direction, meaning He Ao could obtain rewards beneficial for specific paths?

Yeah, but it’s still dependent on the basic reward’s attributes. Attributes absent from the basic reward may not be selectable.

This achievement is acceptable, He Ao took a gentle breath.

This counts as hitting gold too.

Is there a third achievement?

He Ao’s gaze moved downward.

[Due to your involvement in the Copy World, creating a major event involving over six Divine Level entities and perfectly withdrawing after achieving your goals, congratulations on achieving ’Starry Sky Dancer’.]

[Starry Sky Dancer: When three or more Divine Beings are involved in the Copy World task, it triggers likely. When player rewards are upgraded, a one-time stable concept can be implanted into the reward. When the reward item goes out of control, the concept triggers, resetting the item to a stable state.]

Multiple Divine Beings, stability, He Ao always feels like this achievement is the system pushing him to walk a tightrope.

But looking purely at the effect of the achievement, the effect is tremendously strong.

This is the first achievement for He Ao that still has effect in the Main World after claiming the reward.

Although the effect is implanted during the reward upgrade and only works once, from the introduction, it seems like a rule-based effect.

It can reset out-of-control items directly to a stable state.

As the difficulty of the Copy World increases, the rewards provided by the system become more powerful, likewise, the risks of the rewards become greater, often requiring He Ao to carefully use the reward items.

From another perspective, this achievement also gives him an ’opportunity,’ which means He Ao can forcibly stimulate reward items to reach some kind of extreme unexpected effectiveness in certain circumstances, and then use this achievement’s effect to reset the item to a stable state.

This achievement might play a significant role under certain conditions.

This one is a big score.

He Ao gazed at the subtitles in his eyes, but did not see a fourth achievement appear.

It seems three achievements is the limit, and this time these three achievements are all powerful, this wave really earned.

Is this double perfect evaluation?

As thoughts in He Ao’s mind rapidly shifted, the text within his field of view rapidly changed.

[Calculating your task reward]

[This task reward is: Angel-level item]

[Due to obtaining the main line Legend and subline Hidden double perfect super unbeatable score in this task, with a comprehensive evaluation of over 9.9, congratulations on triggering the singularity explosion entropy silence heat silence causal destruction time-space reversal material evaporation time fracture universe collapse myriad silence Star River backflow rule crash two-dimensional curl three-dimensional collapse four-dimensional collapse Abyss boil ultimate burn ultimate mighty super super super unbeatable massive massive massive massive critical strike]

Is this sci-fi wind on this critical strike term.

[Upgrading your reward]

[Congratulations on triggering the achievement ’Defier of Gods’ effect]

[Defier of Gods: Chance to take effect during reward upgrade, may refresh items relevant to ’Divine Beings.’]

Permanent guest number one, seems like I really have an unresolved fate with Divine Beings.

[Congratulations on triggering ’Eternal Chant’ effect]

[Eternal Chant: When players create deeds in the Copy World that can be sung throughout history, chance to take effect, rewards may likely appear with broadly influential reward. ]

Permanent guest number two, the gold content of the subline task being perfect, it’s unreasonable if this does not trigger.

[Congratulations on triggering ’Starlight’ effect]

[Starlight: When players achieve extraordinary deeds that can be sung in the Starry Sky, chance to take effect, adds attributes related to stars and Divine Beings in generated reward.]

New permanent guest, six Divine Beings group fight grand chaos, mah-jong table used to fit, now mah-jong table can’t.

[Congratulations on triggering achievement ’Forbidden Land of God’ effect]

[Forbidden Land of God: Chance takes effect when players conflict with Divine Beings in Copy World and gain some advantage, refreshes out Extraordinary Items possibly effective against Divine Beings in Copy World reward.]

Achievement gained from last Copy World, He Ao foresaw, this buddy estimated too becoming permanent guest now.

[Upgrading your reward again]

All these achievements relate to Divine Beings, seems likely to become permanent guests later on.

No wonder system doesn’t give similar achievements anymore, these achievements are somewhat too many, only give stronger ones now.

This upgrade took a little while, He Ao quietly waited a bit.

[Upgrade successful]

[Please select one from the following three options:]

[1. Witch’s Dance Shoes]

In the ancient legends of the Empire, there circulated such a fairy tale; a country girl once wore a pair of exquisite and splendid crystal dance shoes, entered the city, walked into the capital, became one of the Empire’s best dancers.

Yet she still wasn’t satisfied; she secretly cut her companion’s feet, fed friends disabling medicine, eventually all dancers similar to her couldn’t dance, she became the Empire’s best dancer.

She was ordered to perform before the Emperor, performed from Dawn till dusk, until the Emperor ordered her to stop, she still did not stop.

Her dance shoes seemed to have acquired life; she danced from the palace to the city, back to the countryside, regardless of dawn or twilight.

Her feet were worn to blood, her body skinny as a skeleton, yet she still did not stop dancing.

No one knows whether she finally stopped.

After hundreds of years, some claim to have heard singing at night, seen a slender skeleton dance across the wheat fields under the night sky.

This story perpetually circulated through the Empire, from fields to capital, from planetary era to interstellar era, to Star River era.

It was used to warn arrogant and greedy children, caution them to restrain their desires, many heard such stories since childhood, yet they regard ancient planetary era fairy tale indifferently.

Even still, some claim to have seen a skeleton dance across the wheat fields.

Until an exploration spaceship arrived at an uncharted planet on the edge of the Star River, not yet annexed into Empire territory, civilization remained in ancient farming and pastoral era.

The Explorers landed their spaceship on the outskirts, yet found not a single person, in the wild only matured but unharvested wheat stalks.

Finally, they found nearby city residents.

All residents were dancing, wearing beautiful crystal dance shoes on their feet.

The entire planet shrouded in pervasive music, everyone danced.

Explorers terrifiedly left, returned to the Empire.

Brought back several pairs of exquisite crystal dance shoes.

From border to center, dance prevailed, one planet after another danced sleeplessly.

Empire’s army unable to suppress this eerie phenomenon, they destroyed one planet after another, but dance continued spreading.

Until soldiers began to dance too.

Emperor summoned Empire’s most powerful Wizards, seeking Wizard help.

Wizards arrived personally on the frontline, yet all began dancing.

One ancient Wizard severely injured returned from frontline, advised Emperor to implore Church assistance.

Emperor sought advice from Church leader, the Church then prayed to Divine Beings.

When the Pope walked out of the cathedral, Emperor was no longer seen, only shining crystal shoes shimmering under sunlight.

So, he too began dancing.

From Star River’s edge to center, all Life was dancing.

An ancient skeleton moved through the crowd, amidst prosperous city indulged in dance.

Empire’s believed Divine Beings felt Star River’s change, the scorching Sun began to burn, brilliant rays illuminated the entire Star River.

Countless Stars in brilliant light instantly wiped away, within the cosmos appeared a pitch-black Vacuum, and a pair of crystal dance shoes.