Chapter 516: The Gatekeeper Isn't Always a Dog
Chapter 516: The Gatekeeper Isn't Always a Dog
The sky, a somber shade of gray, hung heavily over the pitch-black earth. The roaring Acheron River, a sea of white bones forming the Path of No Return, and the seemingly endless procession of the dead, all under the watchful eyes of the Crimson-Eyed Crow Flock...
Is this what the afterlife looks like?
Through the suddenly opened Gate of the Dead, the souls of three cleaners, two men, and one woman, gazed upon the landscape of the Afterlife and simultaneously fell into a moment of silence.
Although they had long known that their lives as cleaners would likely end prematurely during a dangerous mission, rather than reaching a natural death, they had still prepared themselves mentally for this eventuality.
However, now that it had actually happened, the three of them still struggled to accept it, finding it hard to believe that their lives had come to such an abrupt end.
"I... I can't accept this!"
Having exited the Fairy Spirit state and returned to his normal size, the middle-aged man, Ruben, couldn't help but let out a low whimper. Tears streamed down the forty-something-year-old's face as he spoke with regret, "Everything was going so well, how did we suddenly die? We were right beside the Director, how could we still be blown up by artillery fire?"
"Don't think about it anymore, it's all in the past."
Feeling the increasingly strong force pulling them towards the Afterlife, Frankie, who was standing... floating beside Ruben, couldn't help but sigh bitterly.
"We don't know what happened, but we must have been ambushed. Even the Director couldn't escape, half of his body was blown to pieces. If we don't act soon, he might join us here.
Come on, let's go. Don't think about it anymore, those are the concerns of the living. We're already dead, and no amount of thinking will change that. It's time to move on."
"I... I..."
"I want to try one more time!"
Just as Ruben and Frankie were about to approach the Gate of the Dead, ready to accept their fate, the only female cleaner among the three suddenly raised her hand, grabbing their clothes and pleading with determination, "My Clear Path Forward is an anomaly on the soul level, and I brought it down with me. I can still use it!
Ruben! Frankie! Help me! If the three of us can use Clear Path Forward to open a path back, we might still have a chance!"
This...
After hearing Mona's request, the female cleaner, Ruben and Frankie exchanged glances, then hesitated, "But this is the Afterlife. Even if the Director is dead, he can only temporarily resist the rules of the Afterlife. Eventually, we'll still have to follow the Path of No Return. It's just the three of us, second-class cleaners..."
"Help me!"
Interrupting Ruben, Mona took a deep breath and clenched her teeth, "The Director hasn't arrived in the Afterlife yet, which means he's still alive!
Even if we can't go back, if we can just open a small passage and send my Clear Path Forward back, we might be able to help the Director escape! Please, help me! No matter the outcome, I want to try again. If it weren't for the Director, I would have come here twenty years ago, and I won't accept not trying!"
"Alright then..."
After a mutual glance, Ruben and Frankie nodded. Relying on the strength of their second-class cleaner souls, they struggled against the summoning from the depths of the Afterlife while positioning themselves behind the female cleaner, Mona.
"Thank you!"
With gratitude, Mona glanced at the two of them, and her entire soul suddenly lit up, glowing with a white flame. She turned around, biting her teeth, and took a step towards the endless gray fog behind her.
"Clack!"
The sound of shoe soles striking the bone-like ground echoed as female Purifier Mona took a step forward, and at that moment, the endless gray fog beyond the Gate of the Dead miraculously parted, revealing a narrow path.
Compared to the boundless gray world, this path seemed insignificant, but the gray fog, representing the irreversible death, had indeed made an extremely subtle concession.
This... could it be a real chance?!
Upon noticing this, the other two Purifiers, who had been hesitant, suddenly felt a surge of determination. They clenched their teeth, and their dim souls brightened as if responding to their will, dancing like white flames.
Compared to the boundless gray fog, the three souls burning with all their might resembled fireflies falling into the ocean, weak yet determined. With each step, they forced their way through, carving out a narrow path back to the land of the living.
It's possible! Maybe we can really do it!
As a gentle breeze blew from the narrow path ahead, carrying the faint scent of the living world, the three Purifiers felt a surge of renewed energy.
Sixty Lyon Points is the threshold between gods and humans, and it's also the line that determines whether one can break free from the rules of the Afterlife. As experienced second-class Purifiers, our average Lyon Point value is nearly 30, which is already sufficient in terms of strength. Although we still fall short of the qualitative change needed to cross the threshold of true gods and transcend death, with Mona's Clear Path Forward, we might just be able to forge a path back to life!
And just as Mona said, even if we have to return in the end, it's worth it to at least send Clear Path Forward back, help the Director survive, or even just take one last look at that world.
"Come on! Let's give it our all!"
Feeling the unique breath of the living world rushing towards them, Mona couldn't help but grit her teeth. With every ounce of her strength, she took a step forward and shouted hoarsely:
"Just one more step! We're almost there!"
"Oh... I can't just stand by and watch this!"
"Huh?!"
To the three Purifiers' astonishment, a dozen octopus arms suddenly emerged from behind them, coiling around their limbs like animated pythons.
Each arm was covered in countless tiny suckers, the size of baby mouths, and as they made contact with the Purifiers' souls, they began to frantically drain their power. Within just a few breaths, the power that had been unleashed by their burning souls was completely sucked dry.
As the three power-drained Purifiers were pulled back by the octopus arms, their feet leaving the ground, the hard-earned narrow path quickly vanished, buried under the endless gray fog.
"..."
Just one more step! We were so close!
"Don't blame me, this is my duty."
Facing the resentful gazes of the three Purifiers, a giant horse with octopus arms instead of a mane on its neck sighed helplessly, then opened its mouth and chattered incessantly:
"I usually don't get involved in these matters, but someone in your Purification Bureau is a real tough nut. I don't know what got into them, but they ate the Dog God that was originally guarding this place alive.
To maintain the order of the Afterlife and prevent people from entering and exiting at will, we Death Messengers take turns guarding the Gate of the Dead, and today it's my shift.
Oh, and just out of curiosity, none of you are from the Virgin Division, right?"
(End of Chapter)
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