Sounds of footsteps came from afar, as crowds gathered and the people who had been waiting around the square all night surged forward, calling out names one after another. Some embraced in tears, while others were destined to receive no response. After repeating this process over and over, it seemed they understood something; silently shedding tears or crying out loud.

Even the gaze filled with uncontrollable resentment.

In the chaos of mixed joy and sorrow, Ji Jue quietly observed, yet heard an unexpected joyful call.

"Mr. Ji?!"

A staggering figure squeezed out from the crowd, looking at the 'pendant' behind Wen Wen, wildly ecstatic: "You're really back, it's wonderful! The Commander said you came in too, I didn't dare believe it..."

"Yu Shu?"

Ji Jue's eyebrows raised, surprised to encounter his old employee here, momentarily at a loss.

Clearly held in high esteem among the crowd, others automatically made way, Yu Shu grinned widely, eyes bright with excitement as he approached.

Someone hurriedly stepped forward, looking solemnly at Wen Wen.

Wen Wen nodded knowingly and released Ji Jue: "Yu Shu, take care of him first, I have other matters to attend to."

"Okay okay, don't worry."

Yu Shu somewhat struggled to lift Ji Jue, even resorting to a princess carry, staggering after a few steps, fortunately borrowing a small cart to end this unbearable ordeal for everyone.

He pushed him along, bumping all the way back to his residence.

Exhausted from exertion, he placed him onto the best chair in the house. Alas, it was only moderately good and appeared to be a treatment chair...

"Clinic?"

Ji Jue curiously glanced around, "Is a doctor needed here?"

After bustling around for some time, Yu Shu brought hot water, only to awkwardly realize Ji Jue had no hands, but Ji Jue waved his arms nonchalantly.

"I'm not thirsty right now, um, also not hungry, do I not need to eat?" He analyzed his condition.

"Though theoretically unnecessary, many can't break the habit. Going too long without food makes one hungry, but if you're full, you can go a long time. However, there's still a need for water; after all, drinking is such an instinct that even in dreams it cannot be excluded. Without drinking, you'll become increasingly thirsty, hard to overcome.

Sleep remains as well, with extended consciousness still causing fatigue, only when asleep, there are no longer dreams."

Yu Shu answered, "As for the clinic, it's just a façade.

I'm now grateful I studied surgery back then; most of the time it's just helping stitch things up. Moreover, possibly due to the Vortex System, my spiritual quality can accelerate and induce wound healing, saving even the effort of prescribing medicine.

Ah, sorry, I said so much in one go…"

"No problem."

Ji Jue replied indifferently: "Can you tell me what's going on in this world? Why has everyone fallen to this state, and what exactly are those... Angels?"

"..."

Yu Shu's expression turned complex, as if recalling something repulsive, bitter and heavy: "Specifically what's going on here, it's probably a dream... It seems everyone infected by the dream loss syndrome has arrived here, all dreams piled up together forming the world as it is now."

Ji Jue understood, he had already witnessed from outside, the sea of bubbles formed by countless illusions and light, with the bizarre images of towers and giant trees.

"Though it's a long story, to put it simply, this dream world has divine existence."

Yu Shu sighed: "As long as you believe in the Holy God, you can attain peace and happiness, and with prayer to God, wishes can be fulfilled; with piety, you can live eternally…"

"Sounds beautiful." Ji Jue remarked, smiling, "If it's really so good, I'd want to worship… But, the price?"

"What is the price?"

The price is that, apart from faith and prayer, there is nothing else!

Gradually becoming walking corpses that care for nothing apart from faith and prayer...

Despite having complete souls and intact consciousness, humanity is thoroughly lost and scorched, and the whole person slowly mutates, finally losing eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, becoming Faceless, eternally praising and praying.

"Every year, in every place, one-third of those with insufficient prayer time and efficiency are selected, punished, limbs severed or facial features and organs removed...

If selected many years in a row, or if one says things that shouldn't be said, they're named false believers and thrown into the furnace, burning day and night.

Yet they can't die, eternally wailing…"

Yu Shu's face turned pale, sweating profusely, breathing increasingly rapid, subconsciously pressing down his wrist, touching the long-absent burn scar.

"Yu Shu—"

Ji Jue furrowed his brows, raised his voice: "—Yu Shu!"

Yu Shu shuddered, as if awoken from a nightmare, offered a dim self-mocking smile, wanting to say something, Ji Jue shook his head: "If it's uncomfortable, it's okay not to say."

Either belief, prayer, and praise, gradually losing self and awareness, becoming a shell like a praising machine; or, endless burning in Hell.

These are the only two paths before everyone in this world.

Neither can one live, nor can one die on any path.

"But aside from this? There should be more to it, right?"

Ji Jue pondered, suddenly asked: "By the way, Angels, what are Angels then?"

"Just a bunch of mad dogs with their brains burnt out."

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