Glorious God Throne

The red-haired youth was named Jonas, the son of a duke in a certain kingdom. Through Bai Yi’s intentional interactions, he successfully became friends with Jonas and obtained many secret pieces of information that ordinary civilians wouldn’t know from this noble youth.

The academy’s library, as another channel for learning about the extraordinary world’s common knowledge, also became a place Bai Yi frequently visited.

Under these circumstances, Bai Yi quickly understood the general situation of this nightmare fragment instance.

In terms of power levels, this was probably the highest-level extraordinary magic world he had encountered so far. It consisted of multiple planes, with the current plane dominated by wizards being the strongest and the center of this extraordinary magic world.

The mortal kingdoms on the continent were similar to medieval Western societies, composed of various kingdoms and duchies of different sizes. However, even the emperor of the strongest country was merely a mortal before wizards. Becoming a wizard apprentice was an honor that even princes and princesses yearned for, even more attractive than the emperor’s throne.

The existence of wizards on this continent was semi-public and semi-secret. Nobles of certain status all knew of their existence, and once a descendant with talent appeared in their bloodline, they would do everything possible to send them to wizard academies for training. However, ordinary civilians were unaware of wizards’ existence, thinking they were just legendary stories.

Unless they got extremely lucky and encountered a passing wizard who happened to discover someone with talent among the commoners and took them as an apprentice.

But this small action would change a family’s fate.

If this apprentice didn’t die prematurely and became a powerful wizard, perhaps they would establish a wizard family in the future.

Additionally, wizards generally condensed energy cores within their bodies, making each wizard equivalent to a walking radiation source. The waves they emitted wouldn’t harm extraordinary creatures but were harmful to ordinary people, eroding their life force over time.

This drew an even clearer line between wizards and ordinary people, as if they were two different species of different levels.

Because of this, wizards did whatever they pleased in this world, their status even higher than feudal emperors, as their power meant they could never be overthrown.

Among them, dark wizards treated ordinary people like any other extraordinary creatures – merely as experimental materials to be used at will. White wizards wouldn’t actively harm ordinary people unless necessary, but they showed no mercy toward non-human extraordinary creatures.

Among the wizards, there were various organizations of different sizes distributed across the most mysterious areas of the continent. These were also the various dangerous forbidden zones that continental adventurers spoke of, including but not limited to forests, swamps, graveyards, deep seas… and various other regions.

Elemental school wizards generally chose places rich in natural elements, Life school wizards had interest in graveyards, forests, and many other places depending on their main branch of study, while Bloodline school wizards could be found wherever there were extraordinary creatures with special bloodlines.

Beyond the wizard plane, there were many other planes dominated by other extraordinary creatures. Powerful wizards were very enthusiastic about exploring other planes, acquiring new knowledge of truth, supplementing their school’s subject knowledge, and improving their strength. The Bloodline school and Life school, in particular, always had their eyes on extraordinary creatures from other planes – the former was keen on studying the extraordinary powers inherent in their bloodlines, while the latter targeted their life essence and body structures different from humans.

Wizards’ spells were different from magic. The fundamental source of spells came from research and exploration of truth knowledge.

Just like formulas in mathematics, physics, and chemistry, mastering certain “formula theorems” researched by predecessors allowed one to combine elements according to formulas and release them as spells.

But such people could only be considered ordinary wizards.

Only by researching new formula theorems and creating new spells could one continue to advance, eventually even establishing their own system and gaining their own title.

“Feels like wizards are just slightly crazier scientists…”

Realizing this point, Bai Yi found it somewhat amusing.

The Elemental school, Life school, and Bloodline school – some courses from the three major schools were the same. Choosing one school didn’t mean you couldn’t study courses from other schools, it was just a matter of primary and secondary focus, and you couldn’t call yourself an apprentice of other schools you studied as minor subjects.

“How should I put it? It’s like attending a special university. I probably won’t have the chance to go to university in reality, but who would have thought I’d experience university life in a nightmare fragment instance? Life really is mysterious…”

Moreover, studying as a wizard was more interesting than reality. After mastering the formula for fire, one could cast fireball spells with a wave of the hand. Combined with the science education Bai Yi had encountered in reality, it was like examining previously learned content from a completely new perspective.

Take anatomy in the Life school for example – it seemed similar to the anatomy Bai Yi had self-studied in reality, but during the learning process, the wizards’ perspective was different from those anatomy textbooks in reality. The elemental waves, blood energy, and even life souls that wizards could observe were scenes that scientists in reality could never see.

But certain data captured by scientific instruments in reality were similarly not valued by this world’s wizards.

It was as if scientists and wizards had chosen different angles to observe and study the same things. And Bai Yi, who could combine both ways of thinking, undoubtedly saw the most comprehensive view that was closest to the essence of truth.

Bai Yi almost became immersed in the joy of learning for a moment, nearly forgetting he was in an instance.

His displayed talent and insight quickly caught the attention of several instructors, and thus he received “investment” from many wizards who saw promise in his future. This freed him from the troubles brought by this character’s poor background, allowing him to focus more on studying.

At the wizard academy, on a gray-white walkway, purple bell-shaped flowers swayed by the roadside, emitting melodious songs.

This was the necessary path from the classroom to the dormitory.

The purple flowers by the road were extraordinary items called “Ghostwort” that could be used in medicine. Both the pollen dispersed in the air and the melodious songs contained hallucinogenic energy. In the wild, once someone carelessly fell victim, falling asleep drowsily, they would quickly have their blood drained by the opening flowers. Countless novice mercenaries had fallen prey to this and perished in the wilderness.

These extraordinary plants, which were extremely lethal to ordinary people, were merely the lowest-grade and most harmless extraordinary plants in the wizard world. Every wizard apprentice had to learn two minor spells in their first class – the lowest-grade “Awakening Spell” and “Dustless Spell” – one equivalent to pricking yourself with a needle when dozing off, the other like a transparent shield that could only block powdery substances in the air from invading the body surface. Any slightly forceful attack would make this shield pop like a bubble – just enough to deal with these harmless extraordinary plants.

The pharmacy instructor would occasionally issue tasks requiring the collection of certain amounts of Ghostwort for medicine. Many wizards also liked to grow Ghostwort at home as natural music boxes.

The youth wearing a dark gray apprentice robe walked leisurely past, carrying several books. Transparent spell runes like dense formulas combined before his eyes, transforming into an invisible ripple of water that floated gently around the youth’s body like a transparent bubble, keeping the pollen in the air out. As for the hallucinogenic effect of the song, it couldn’t even cause a ripple in Bai Yi’s mental world.

— His movements were so casual, casting spells with such proficiency. No wonder in such a short time he had already risen to the highest level of apprentice, changing from the original light gray robe to a dark gray one, just one step away from becoming an official wizard.

Other wizard apprentices couldn’t possibly be so composed. Some fools who didn’t pay attention in class had fallen prey on their first trip back from class to the dormitory, collapsing on this seemingly ordinary path and becoming nutrients for the Ghostwort.

Others in the academy were accustomed to this.

This was the cruelty of this wizard world.

Returning to his single dormitory, Bai Yi put down the books he was carrying. On the cover of the books, power-imbued patterns outlined a complex square design.

Bai Yi operated the academy’s meditation technique, his spiritual power sketching in mid-air, and an identical ethereal pattern instantly formed, floating down onto the pattern on the cover, fitting perfectly like a key into a lock.

The black book floated up on its own and slowly opened.

Strange lights and shadows floated out from the pages, slowly outlining on this book, seeming to form a three-dimensional VR projection.

In the projection, an extraordinary creature resembling a black snake let out a silent but real scream, disintegrating from skin to bones, being thoroughly dissected from top to bottom by floating crystal knives. Clearly, the person performing this possessed extremely sophisticated dissection skills.

Next to those fragmentary parts floating in mid-air, corresponding explanatory notes gradually appeared.

Including the names of these parts, their structure, functions, magic storage conditions, and which subject’s spells they could be used in, or which subject’s spells borrowed the abilities of certain parts of this extraordinary creature – everything was clearly annotated.

— This was a book borrowed from the wizard section of the library through the qualification certificate granted by Instructor Julian.

From the cover and first page content, it was obviously extraordinary creature anatomy, and moreover, it was a Blood school wizard’s notes.

“Is this the legendary holographic teaching mode?”

Bai Yi gave the author of these notes a good review.

“…If textbooks in reality were all in this mode, it would definitely be much easier for poor students to learn.”

In the single dormitory, he read with great interest, fully concentrated, occasionally letting out sounds of sudden understanding, just short of having an extraordinary creature to personally practice on.

After an unknown period, when Bai Yi came to his senses, it was already evening. He cast an illumination spell, slowly leaned back in his chair, and finally realized what had happened.

“I actually studied seriously for an entire afternoon…?”

Bai Yi was dazed, immersed in disbelief.

…Was he originally such a study-loving person?

Well, of course, he had always been this kind of person.

After a moment of doubt, Bai Yi nodded to himself.

However, he felt like he had forgotten something?

What had he forgotten?

“Ah!” Bai Yi had a flash of insight and slapped his right hand with his left, “Studying is something that can be AFK’d, isn’t it?”

…Letting the character study and grow on their own, then taking over later, wasn’t this his usual approach?

Moreover, compared to those characters in previous instances who started out ordinary, while Bai Yi was studying in the instance he could also improve the character. This character already possessed the experience of nearly a thousand resets, although the wizard level was reset to zero, the truth knowledge he had mastered was undoubtedly maxed out, and he didn’t even need to continue learning these spells that he had already mastered.

In other words, had Bai Yi actually held things back this time?

If this character was a fresh level one account, Bai Yi, who was encountering the wizard system for the first time, was undoubtedly a novice in this instance and certainly couldn’t compare to the original owner who had already experienced maxing out the account multiple times. Therefore, choosing to AFK and letting the original character grow on their own would definitely be more efficient than Bai Yi controlling them.

“Could it be that this time I’m going to win by doing nothing?”

Bai Yi, realizing this point, felt complicated.

However, since this character had failed to escape death despite so many resets, it showed that relying on the character’s own growth alone couldn’t complete the task. Even if this character had once grown to become the ceiling of the wizard world, possessing the strongest power.

To complete the task and survive the inevitable fate of death, it would definitely require Bai Yi’s intervention as a variable.

Then, what did Bai Yi have that could help this character change their fate?

The answer to this question was simple–

Bai Yi possessed truth knowledge from outside this world, belonging to other worlds.

And for wizards, truth knowledge was the source of power. Whether it was the science of the real world, the martial arts system’s development of the human body, the Spirit Forger system’s use of spiritual power and exploration of spirituality, or the knowledge from so many nightmare instances that Bai Yi had experienced, all could be transformed into new power.

During this time, the reason Bai Yi had been immersed in studying spells in this instance wasn’t just because he was interested in the new system and addicted to learning. More importantly, his goal was to imperceptibly integrate knowledge from outside this world, using his broad thinking mode to replace the local wizards’ long-held thinking mode.

In other words, giving the character he controlled more of the characteristics Bai Yi had displayed in this instance.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

This way, after choosing to AFK, this character would carry the new characteristics bestowed by Bai Yi and embark on a new path of growth.

[AFK mode about to activate.]

[Under AFK mode, time accelerates within the nightmare fragment instance. The game character will continue to grow according to the characteristics bestowed by the player, with the system extrapolating their fate line for the coming period until reasonably reaching the peak of destiny.]

[Game character [Palmer] inherent characteristics: [Obsessive] [Survival Desire] [Fear of Death] [Survival First] [999 Resets of Complete Spell Mastery Experience]]

[Current characteristics bestowed by player on game character [Palmer]: [Love of Learning] [Thinking Mode Different from Others] [Research Fanatic] [Special Knowledge Not Belonging to This World] [New Understanding of Spells] [New Application of Spiritual Power and Soul Energy] [Extreme Self-Confidence]]

[The character’s original [Self-Doubt] characteristic from multiple failures has been crushed by the [Extreme Self-Confidence] characteristic you bestowed.]

[Combining the worldview of the nightmare fragment instance, in the coming time, character [Palmer] bestowed with new characteristics by you will relearn spells from a new perspective, recognize the world, and tirelessly strive to avoid the coming fate of death… The system will extrapolate the character’s coming fate line based on this.]

[Activate AFK mode?]

After choosing to AFK, Bai Yi logged out of the instance.

But he didn’t immediately leave the nightmare, instead reappearing above that deep sea, on the sea surface illuminated by two great stars.

“How are these people performing?”

As soon as Bai Yi appeared, Adams reacted. “I’ve recorded everyone’s performance as you said, especially those who performed most outstandingly…”

He handed a black notebook to Bai Yi.

“Although it’s only been one night, these people in the nightmare trial have all died more than ten times…”

Bai Yi enabled part of the system’s functions in the nightmare trial. Every time a trialist died, the next cycle would automatically start. They couldn’t choose to exit, nor could they choose whether to start a new cycle. They could only passively reset again and again, watching the disaster happen again and again, trying everything to save others, only to helplessly face death in the end.

— This sounded like some kind of cruel punishment.

But what was about to happen in the real world would be no easier than the constantly resetting nightmare world. On the contrary, in the nightmare world they still had chances to reset repeatedly, while in the real world, every choice they made couldn’t be undone, and might even determine the future of many people in the world.

Bai Yi just treated this as a kind of advance rehearsal.

Surely after experiencing so many trials in the nightmare world, when the real world similarly faces desperate situations, these people would definitely be able to make choices more decisively and with more experience?

And that would avoid many troubles that shouldn’t have happened.

Among the starlight in the sky, the youth on the sea surface suddenly bent deeply forward, his pale face almost colliding with the black sea surface. The deep water washed over his nose and eyelashes, the youth’s black pupils reflecting the swaying starlight beneath the deep sea, and many different scenes.

Those were scenes of everyone’s trials in the nightmare world.

Bai Yi suddenly raised his head.

There were still crystal droplets hanging on his eyelashes, with water drops sliding down his face.

“Enough. That’s enough, we can stop here.”

“It’s time to let them know the truth about the world.”

Among the floating fragments of starlight, consciousness after consciousness injected into them transmitted along the Web of Thoughts, slowly emerging in the blank dream space constructed by Bai Yi. Hundreds of human figures were projected into space, falling into vast expanses of cloud-like whiteness.

They hadn’t yet understood exactly what had happened, only instinctively dodging, using the experience of multiple deaths in the trials to immediately position themselves in a posture that would minimize injury, before having a chance to observe their surroundings.

Then, they discovered others who were also vigilantly looking around, seeing their vigilant selves in others’ vigilant eyes.

“What happened?”

“Failed again?”

“Still couldn’t save those people. Although I know they’re just NPCs in a false dream, but are they really just NPCs? That world… is it really just a dream?”

“…Finally out of that hellhole!”

“Is the mastermind finally going to show themselves?”

“So many people! So many familiar faces… Special Investigation Department, Haotian Temple, Council… Could this be the work of official organizations? Wait, that person is…”

Many thoughts arose in everyone’s minds, but they maintained vigilance and calm on their faces, at most only exchanging glances when recognizing acquaintances from reality.

“Not bad. You all look more presentable now.”

In the sky of the blank dream, a figure rapidly appeared. It was as if someone had taken a brush to white paper, forming a complete image in just a few strokes.

“…Now you’re worthy of Lord White King’s attention!”

The small boy in a suit nodded seriously. His gaze swept over everyone, as if selecting watermelons at a market.

The people below didn’t answer, only maintaining caution while silently watching him. Although the Special Investigation Department people recognized Adams’s identity, they didn’t intend to speak up in this situation.

So, Adams continued, freely elaborating on the script Bai Yi had given him. “Many people still don’t understand why they entered the nightmare trial, let me explain.”

“– This is an opportunity given to you by Lord White King.”

As he spoke, Adams’s tone grew increasingly high, he waved his short arms, emotionally high and frantically advocating.

“Lord White King has been watching everyone. Your qualities shown in disasters moved him, winning you such a precious opportunity…”

Such excessive fan statements made others powerless to retort.

Finally, someone who had endured endless mental torture in the nightmare trial couldn’t help but quietly speak, “So being thrown into an apocalyptic world to die and revive repeatedly can also be counted as a precious opportunity?”

No one noticed, but the boy’s figure in mid-air became ethereal for a moment.

The avatar switched users, Bai Yi silently logged in.

He looked down at the people below. Although many hadn’t rashly spoken up, they probably had similar thoughts.

Bai Yi spoke decisively using the vest Adams:

“Of course!”

A faint trace of mockery crossed the young boy’s childish face. “You don’t think those nightmare trial worlds were just constructed dreams, do you?”

He raised his finger and shook it. “They’re not.”

“– They are absolutely real worlds.”

“– Worlds that have already been destroyed in the Return to the Void.”

“Lord White King merely observed the projections of their past destruction and recreated that history within dreams.”

Although referring to himself this way seemed somewhat strange, Bai Yi felt he was getting increasingly skilled… He showed no abnormality, calmly watching everyone’s dramatically changing expressions.

Among them, some might have already guessed the truth.

Baili Zhaoxue suddenly spoke. “I believe you. In the nightmare trial, I walked alone through hundreds of countries across the entire planet. That vast world, different ethnicities, thousands of years of historical culture, isn’t something that can be easily fabricated as a false story.”

“To be able to observe the destruction of real worlds and recreate them in dreams, that Lord White King is not overstating to be called a deity.”

Others also fell into silence.

Their silence was already a kind of agreement.

But if Baili Zhaoxue’s words were true, a deity-like figure certainly wouldn’t be bored enough to throw so many of them into dreams to save worlds that had already been destroyed. What was the purpose of these so-called trials?

Many people had guesses, and these guesses made their hearts sink.

They didn’t even want to hear what came next.

“It seems many people have already guessed…”

Bai Yi, as if unable to read the atmosphere, directly stated their most worried answer: “The nightmare trials are just a small reminder. The fate faced by those nightmare worlds is also the future this world must face.” He blinked his left eye, speaking cheerfully, “In other words, what the nightmare world residents experienced, you’ll be experiencing soon too~”

Everyone’s hearts plummeted straight down, as if long-worried things had finally happened, both boots finally hitting the ground.

In a cold dead silence, only Bai Yi was still earnestly explaining, like a serious teacher giving a lesson.

“The Return to the Void is the destination every world must face. It is the end of all things, the universe’s finale, everything must be destroyed.”

“The disasters during this period are signs of the Return to the Void. The day the Return to the Void arrives is very, very close~”

Saying this, the small boy casually pulled out a virtual countdown in mid-air. “Let me see… hmm.”

“Get ready, only forty days left~”

“At that time, it will be the first wave of disasters affecting the entire globe, not just small troubles like now.”

His black eyes watched everyone. In the depths of those empty, void pupils, there seemed to be another blurry figure. For a moment, everyone almost thought that “Lord White King” had descended.

“Do you, who have been chosen by Lord White King, accept such a future?”

“How could we possibly accept!”

Among the silent, suppressed crowd, someone clenched their fists.

But the boy didn’t say anything more, just gently pushed forward with both hands.

In the blank dream world, it was as if an invisible wind had blown up, its gentle force pushing everyone back.

“Go then, everyone.”

“Go face the inevitable fate of destruction… or strive with all your might to change that hopeless future.”

This world was about to become the grandest stage.

Human struggle, death, salvation, destruction, the purest good and most extreme evil, would all be performed in the coming Return to the Void. Life was merely the cheapest one-time prop among them.

And I will sit in the place closest to the stage, as the last audience member to exit, watching everyone’s entrance.