By the ti they ca to their senses, the Gate of Heaven, along with the Secret Ceremony, had completely collapsed. In the distance, the elegant and peaceful sound of a piano began to play.
’It’s over... just like that?’
"Jiang Che, which Tier Five was that?" After a stunned mont, Zhou Chen quickly asked.
But the communication channel was completely silent.
The signal was lost.
"Anyone who can hear , please respond," Ya Yi called out, but his call was t with nothing but silence.
’That’s not right. We had a signal just a mont ago... Did soone block it?’ Zhou Chen frowned and looked toward the auditorium. ’It couldn’t have been that Tier Five, could it?’
’That mysterious person destroyed the projection of the Gate of Heaven, so they’re most likely allied with the Star Association. But why would they block the signal here?’
"...Should we go take a look?" Zhou Chen asked Ya Yi, wondering if they should leave or investigate.
After a mont of silence, Ya Yi shook his head. "We still have a mission. A Tier Five won’t necessarily care about small fries like us. Besides, that person probably has more important things to do."
"Let’s go then. We need to get over there and provide support as soon as possible." Zhou Chen nodded. After getting his bearings, he and Ya Yi walked toward the distant Barrier Bubble Wall.
Then, their bodies froze as if soone had pressed a pause button, unable to move an inch.
"..." Zhou Chen’s heart leaped in alarm. ’Could it be that Tier Five isn’t on our side? Are they going to silence us now?’
The next second, his body began to move on its own, striding toward the auditorium. Ya Yi’s body also started moving by itself, heading outside.
At the Barrier Bubble Wall, Ya Yi’s body suddenly relaxed. The unknown power controlling him had vanished. He turned his head to look at Zhou Chen, who was walking away into the distance, unsure what the Tier Five wanted. The only thing he could be sure of was that they didn’t want him involved.
As he was weighing his options, Ya Yi stumbled, shoved forcefully out of the Barrier Bubble by the Mysterious Power and into the Cursed Black Sea. He decisively strode forward—the Tier Five’s intentions were now perfectly clear.
He tried hailing on the communication channel again and finally got a response.
"Ya Yi, what’s the situation?" Jiang Che asked.
"Gentleman and Lover have been dealt with. As for the projection of the Gate of Heaven, it was shattered by a mysterious Tier Five. They used so kind of music-related Ability, turning lodies and notes into chains that crushed the Gate of Heaven," Ya Yi reported.
"What about Zhou Chen?" Jiang Che looked at the silent communication channel on her screen. If they had co out together, Zhou Chen would definitely have contacted her imdiately, but his channel had been quiet this whole ti.
"He’s being controlled by that Tier Five and was taken to et them," Ya Yi replied.
In the command room, Jiang Che raised an eyebrow. The King of Mirrors, who was beside her, thought for a mont and said, "Using musical notes as a ans of attack... that should be the King of Music’s Ability. Don’t worry, she bears no ill will."
"The King of Music..." The corresponding information imdiately surfaced in Jiang Che’s mind—a Crowned King who controlled the Authority of the Music Realm, hailed as the Ascender with the greatest hope of achieving Demigod Status in the last century.
It was said she had already walked the final third of her Ascension Ladder.
She was an elusive, reclusive Tier Five who had not yet joined the Star Association, but maintained a good relationship with them.
’But what could she want with Zhou Chen?’
Jiang Che didn’t dwell on the question for too long. According to classified files, the King of Music was trustworthy. Perhaps this was a fortuitous opportunity for Zhou Chen... probably?
anwhile, Zhou Chen, still under the control of that inexplicable power, pushed open the doors to the auditorium.
Inside the solemn and stately hall, an expensive piano sat on the stage. Ten slender, pale fingers danced across the keys, playing a beautiful lody.
She was a woman in a magnificent black dress, her hair like a waterfall. It was hard to describe the first impression she gave. She was like a perfect sculpture carved by a master artisan from Ancient Greece, or a beautiful Goddess from the brush of a peerless painter... If he had to find the words, Zhou Chen could only say she embodied the pinnacle of beauty from all of human art history.
—As if she were the personification of art itself.
"Ma’am, is there sothing you needed to see about?"
Zhou Chen found he could move again. He took a deep breath, placed a hand over his chest in a salute, and asked politely.
The music stopped abruptly. In the silence, the King of Music looked over at him, her voice like the music of the heavens. "Your fate is blurry and chaotic, filled with many unknown possibilities. You could beco a killer who commits every evil imaginable, you could beco a perfectly ordinary slacker, or you could beco a hero revered by the masses... But as you are now, frankly, you’re a disappointnt. You’re too average. Even among slackers, you’d be the most average one."
"..." Steeling himself, Zhou Chen asked, "You’re a Tier Five. Why are you paying attention to ?"
"A certain annoying fellow prophesied that sothing major would happen in Jinzhu today. That chaotic fates would intertwine here. It might bring about a new birth, or an eternal fall into Hell. It might bring hope to the world, or it might create a Demon."
The King of Music sighed with a hint of irritation. "I locked onto a few targets. For example, Daun, you, and Erin Elizabeth..."
"Erin’s still alive?" Zhou Chen asked urgently. "Where is she?"
SNAP! The King of Music snapped her fingers crisply. Zhou Chen’s flawed perception was instantly corrected. As he ca to his senses, he rembered that Erin was not his daughter. The desperate urgency to save his daughter began to fade rapidly, and he cald down.
"She’s still alive. But if you want to save her, you might have to pay with your life. Will you go save her?" the King of Music asked.
Zhou Chen fell silent, then asked tentatively, "Could you show so rcy and save her? For you, it would be a simple matter..."
"Do you think I ca here just to go shopping?"
The King of Music pointed upward. "Besides Eternal Fire and Fallen Paradise, several other organizations have sent their Tier Fives here to fish in troubled waters. Who do you think is keeping them in check?
I can point you to where Erin is, but you need to be the one to save her.
How about this? Consider it repaynt for the huge favor I did you by sealing the Gate of Heaven. In return, let see a thrilling scene of a hero saving the damsel. How about it?
I can even provide the background music, you know. That’s a privilege many Crowned Kings don’t even get."
Zhou Chen couldn’t quite figure out this mysterious Tier Five. The more he looked at her, the more he felt she was here to... watch the show?
He agonized over it for a long while before sighing. "To be honest, Erin and I aren’t that close. I’ve seen plenty of people get swept up in the heat of the mont and play the hero, but when it’s my turn, I... get scared."
He stared at the King of Music and said bluntly, "I’m afraid of dying."
The King of Music smiled faintly, seemingly pleased by his frankness. "Fearing death is only human. It’s understandable. Very few people are born heroes or born saints. For a friend you’ve only known for a few days, you’ve already gone into the tiger’s den. To have done that much is already quite impressive."
With a flick of her two fingers, she suddenly produced a snow-white letter, holding it between them. "Want to see this? I stole it from Erin’s room. She wrote it to you in advance."
Zhou Chen didn’t need to be a genius to guess what was inside. He fell into a silent, conflicted state. On one hand, he was afraid of dying and wanted to back down, to play it safe. On the other hand, sothing was stirring within him, making his blood boil and burn, compelling him to open the envelope and play the hero.
The dream of being a hero...
But Zhou Chen knew very well that being a hero was never a "good thing." Behind their glorious facades, there was always a bloody, painful past—anyone who bore the title of hero never had it easy.
Even when he was online finding torrents and links for people online, he would sotis run into difficulties like getting his account banned or finding dead links. He would even get reported, and then the resources he’d painstakingly found would be taken by the reporter and sold for a price.
Every ordinary person has a hero’s dream, but when the critical mont cos, how many actually dare to step forward?
"You don’t have much ti to hesitate and analyze, Zhou Chen. Your ti is running out," the King of Music said in a calm tone. "There’s really only one question you need to consider. If you give up now, in the days to co, will you—
—truly have no regrets?"
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