At first, there were no paths in this world; it was only when many people walked the same routes that they became established. When you opened your eyes, a hazy mist enveloped you — not reality, but the 'Interstice', a transit station for souls.
The air carried the scent of burnt paper ash, and the faint, low sobs of a woman reached your ears. Or perhaps it was the mournful wail of the wind through the withered trees.
Before you floated a thick, ancient tome. Its rough, dead-bark-like cover is embossed with intricate, crisscrossing red lines that pulse like living veins. This is the Book of the Afterlife.[Awakening]
"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Whoever pressed this young master's tail?' A plump, cub-like creature with wings sprouting from its back struggles free from beneath the Book of Afterlife. Rubbing sleep from its eyes, the creature's body shimmered with golden specks — it was a Yangling, the guardian beast of the tome.
It eyed you sideways and pulled a copper coin from its bosom — plucked from who knows where — and nibbled on it while muttering, 'Hmm, rather delicate features, but a frail life indeed. Since I can sense the 'trace the source' aura around you, I'll reluctantly explain: This is the end of cause and effect. I am your guide, 'Golden Bell'. This book is empty, and your task is to fill it with the world's 'regrets'." Your hand touched the cold cover involuntarily. A sharp pain shot through your fingertips and your vision instantly blurred.
In the wilderness, you see a skeleton wearing tattered armour and clutching a withered azalea pot to its chest, kneeling on the ground. Though it has no eyes, it stares fixedly towards the south.
That is the Foolish Grave-Guarding Skeleton.
"See that creature?" Jinling lands on your shoulder, her tone unusually grave. "That is this volume's 'Karmic Preface'." It has waited so long that it has forgotten who it is, remembering only that this flower must not die. If you wish to live, you must uncover the obsession that binds it.'You open the first page. Jinling licked her paw. 'Listen well, Tracer. You are no executioner. Your blade does not take life; it only severs bonds that must be broken. If you can free it, its shadow will remain within these pages. If you fail, you will become fertiliser beneath its feet.'Gray mist churned as the skeletal form seemed to sense your gaze and slowly turned its hollow skull with a bone-chilling creak.
[Book of Afterlife · Title Page Record]
Current status: Awakening to Origins
Karma Value: 0/100
Held cards: None
Companion: Yangling (Golden Bell) — activated
Status: Starving (urgently requires one 'Emotional Fragment' to replenish spiritual energy).
You see a young man dressed in rough cloth and carrying a simple bag standing by the stone bridge at the entrance to the village.
The colours before you spread across the landscape like ink. The grey mist dissipates, replaced by a fiery red which blankets the mountains and fields. It's spring fifty years ago and the azaleas are blooming like a sunset burning across the earth. Opposite the young man, a girl with thick braids stands, clutching a pot of azaleas that have yet to bloom.
'Ah Xiu, when I've earned merit in the army and made money, I'll come back to marry you,' the young man says, smiling brightly and revealing a set of white teeth. 'Then this pot of flowers will surely be in full bloom.'
The scene shifts to a battlefield where the young man lies in a pool of blood, still clutching the pot of flowers. He didn't live to earn merit; he was struck by a stray arrow that pierced his chest instead. In his dying moments, he digs his blood-stained fingers into the soil and murmurs, 'I can't die... the flower can't die... I haven't gone back yet..."
The second chain stretched into the depths of the mist, forming a casual connection to 'Axiu' in the real world. Suddenly, a cold snort echoed from the grey fog. It was a chilling voice, like an icy needle in the dead of winter, piercing the heart and unsettling the soul. 'Fool! What good is seeing through the past? This world is full of wronged souls who understand cause and effect, yet still drown in a sea of suffering.'
A tall, slender figure appeared and disappeared at the edge of the thick fog. He wore a long, dark robe and a broken jade ruler hung at his waist. His eyes were as cold as ice and revealed a weariness born of his profound understanding of the suffering of all beings. He was the Yin Spirit, a god of the underworld and the former judge who held the power of life and death.
He did not approach, but merely watched you from afar. His tone was venomous and contemptuous. 'Tracer of the Source,' he said. 'The "folly" of this withered bone has transformed into "obstacle".' If you cannot return this potted flower to its rightful place within three days, it will transform into 'anger' and consume all living beings within a ten-mile radius. Can you bear this karmic burden?'The Book of Rebirth is updated in real time. Target name: Core Obsession: Current status: Danger Level: Obsession: Tomb Guardian. The promise of the withered bones to return home and marry. Extremely weak; about to go berserk. Level C (Beginner)
Causal clue: The azalea in the withered bones' hand is not just a plant; it is also sustenance for the young man's soul. Interactive Quest:
'If you take the money, you do the work! Hold on tight!' Jinling roared like a tiger and swung its short, chubby claws sharply through the air.
The dark red thread wrapped around the withered fingertip suddenly tightened. Jinling muttered, 'So expensive! This little bit of money can only buy a one-way ticket,' as it wrapped its tail around your wrist.
You felt a tremendous pull and the grey mist before your eyes seemed to be cut by a sharp blade, revealing a rift to the mortal world.
'Hmph, putting the cart before the horse.'
The aloof ghostly spirit (a god of the underworld) shifted slightly and transformed into a wisp of black smoke that followed you like a shadow. His tone was sharp, yet he didn't stop you. 'Use the remaining warmth of your soul to gain the right to cross the divide between yin and yang. If you die in this world, the 'Book of Rebirth' will fall into the hands of those despicable people. However, since you've chosen this path, I'd like to see how you face that 'person waiting to die.'"
After a dizzying spell, the scent of grass and trees dispelled the deadly aura and you found yourself standing on the soil of the real world in a desolate, forgotten village.
Just as you had seen in the illusion, azaleas bloomed in vibrant colours amidst the ruins.
An old woman sat on a stone bench at the village entrance. Her eyes were cloudy and filled with white film. She tremblingly reached out to stroke the most beautiful azalea beside her, her movements extremely gentle as if caressing a lover's face.
[System Interaction: Bond Resonance Map]
At that moment, the 'Book of Rebirth' in your arms began to vibrate violently. On the previously blank second page, a line of elegant, ancient-style characters appeared:
[Book of Rebirth – Recording]
Causal Object: Blind Old Woman – A-Xiu
Related Card: Obsessive – Tomb Guardian Skeleton
Current resonance: 75% (a fateful reunion, yet also the beginning of destruction).
Mind World Dynamics: The skeleton inside the book lets out a mournful cry. It senses A-Xiu's presence and is trying to break free from the seal.
"Oh no!" Jinling shrinks to the size of a kitten, its fur standing on end. 'The skeleton's obsession has sensed A-Xiu's presence and is accelerating its transformation! It wants to force its way into the mortal world through the passage you opened. If it appears now, that skeleton will scare the old woman to death!'
It seems the old woman has heard the commotion. She turns her head, her empty eyes looking in your direction. Her voice trembles with expectation as she asks:
"Is it... Brother Changsheng? Have you returned?"
You slowly approached the old woman and gently placed the broken, dirt- and blood-stained comb in A-Xiu's withered hand.
'Grandma,' you said, 'Changsheng asked me to return this to you.' Your voice was low but firm. The moment A-Xiu's fingertips touched the cold comb, her body stiffened — it was the token of love that she herself had given to the boy; the comb's teeth still seemed to retain the warmth of that morning fifty years ago and the lingering smell of rust from the battlefield.
'This... this is...' A-Xiu's eyes widened abruptly and two clear tears slid down her empty pupils. As she faced reality, the [Obsessive Guardian of the Tomb's Skeleton] raging within her consciousness let out a final, mournful howl and ceased its struggle. The murderous aura surrounding it melted away like ice and snow before the truth.
You see a nearly transparent phantom of a young boy slowly peel away from the bones. After fifty years, he embraces the old woman's hunched shoulders weakly. Though he is intangible and unable to wipe away her tears, he whispers a phrase in Ah Xiu's ear that only she can hear.
Rewards: Card Seal: Humanity – Devoted Youth (Transformed into a Guardian Spirit and entered the Heart World of the Card Book). Relic Acquisition: Broken Wooden Comb (Special Item: can be used to sense nearby 'Obsession' type obsessions)
Causality Value: +15 (Current total: 15/100)
Bond Resonance Map: Fragment of the Heart World, located in the tranquil miniature landscape of a deserted village deep within the 'Book of Rebirth'.
The young Changsheng, now dressed in clean, short clothes, was sweeping the courtyard clumsily, while Jinling squatted on the wall, trying to steal the fruit that had been placed on the stone table.
Jinling chewed on a fragment of spiritual energy and muttered, 'Fine, you...' 'Ruthless! This ending brought tears to my eyes, but that sharp-tongued judge seems to have changed his opinion of you a little.' Not far away, the spirit stood with its hands behind its back, gazing at the newly formed Heart World. It turned to you as you were about to close the book, its tone still sharp but now more serious: 'Don't be too happy yet. This is just the tip of the iceberg of 'foolishness'. Now that you've embarked on this path, those whose dreams you shattered will be watching you closely. Are you ready to face 'greed' next?"