Inside the chat group, after a brief moment of silence, the discussion exploded once again.
Clearly, everyone had finished reading the announcement and figured out the situation.
[Founder of the Golden Spirit:] So… we're all dead now?
[Lord of the Pure White Throne:] Yes. And most likely we're all in soul form.
[Founder of the Golden Spirit:] Then what are these "check-ins" and "missions" it mentioned? Why can't I see any of that at all?
Before the already-dead Jonathan, the light screen of the chat group was so bare-bones that aside from the message window, there was not a single extra button. He felt as though he couldn't even get a grip on his own body anymore.
[Lord of the Pure White Throne:] Ah… those features don't seem to be unlocked yet.
Lin Yuan patiently answered Jonathan's question, while the corner of his own mouth twitched.
God damn it, chat group. Is this really all you can do?
What kind of nonsense was this—all functions temporarily unavailable due to insufficient energy in the chat group, requiring enough points to unlock them?
If you don't give me access to the features, where the hell am I supposed to get points from?
Lin Yuan let out a sigh. Then, right after, he saw David speak up.
[Let Night City Burn:] I think I can sort of see this so-called soul now… I can't touch things, and some of my senses are missing. Feels a bit like cyberpsychosis.
[Let Night City Burn:] But oddly enough, it also feels pretty stable.
Seeing David's message, Lin Yuan was surprised for a moment.
"Why is his soul stable?"
For a moment, Lin Yuan sank into thought.
If it had been Carmen or Jie whose souls were stable and not dissolving, he could have understood that. But there was no reason his soul should be unstable while David's was stable… right?
Something had to be off somewhere.
[Answer: Because the area you are currently located in is special, your soul cannot be fully restored to a completely stable state.]
All of a sudden, the chat group provided an explanation, informing Lin Yuan of his current condition. It made him freeze for a moment.
"Area?"
He lifted his head and stared at the vast river before him.
"Where the hell even is this place?"
Very soon, the words that appeared on the chat group's screen answered Lin Yuan's confusion yet again.
[Detected that you are currently located in the special region: the Primordial River.]
[You have become a bound spirit of the special region: the Primordial River.]
[While acting as a bound spirit of the Primordial River, the difficulty of your restoration will increase, and your soul will be continuously scoured by the Primordial River, pushing it toward the brink of collapse.]
[The foundation of your soul cannot leave the Primordial River.]
A flood of explanations and notices poured across the screen, dazzling him. Lin Yuan stared at them for quite a while before finally piecing together what was going on.
Simply put, after getting run over by that truck, he hadn't reported to the River Styx.
Instead, he'd ended up in an even shittier place.
The Primordial River, to put it simply, was a river that connected all worlds.
Normally, no living thing could exist there.
Because any living thing there would get blasted to death by the drifting information from across the myriad worlds.
Only because the chat group had stabilized his soul was Lin Yuan able to survive here for three extra days.
The key problem was that, for some reason, he'd also taken root here.
He couldn't leave.
So the only thing he could do was find a way to withstand the constant scouring here and survive.
But what exactly could he even do?
Just as Lin Yuan was thinking that, he saw another prompt from the chat group.
[Due to the special region you currently occupy, and after taking your unique nature into consideration, an investment will now be made: you will receive one free potential activation.]
[Potential activation will determine your soul ability.]
In an instant, Lin Yuan felt as though a current of electricity had run through his soul. He lowered his head and saw that within his vague, ghostly body, there now seemed to be a streak of bright white light.
A tingling numbness spread through his entire being. It lasted for around five or six minutes before finally subsiding.
And then, Lin Yuan had a strange sensation…
His head felt itchy, like something was about to grow out of it.
So he reached up and scratched at his head. Even in soul form, it brought waves of relief. So he scratched, and scratched, and scratched, until…
Lin Yuan stared in shock at the fishing rod he had just scratched out from his own hair.
What the hell is this?
Did I just rub together a fishing rod out of my dandruff?
[Soul Ability: Angler]
[Effect: You may fish upon the Primordial River. The items you catch will depend on the worlds with which you have currently established "fate."]
[Through fishing, you may also use the Primordial River as a channel to connect with other group members, and transmit your own power—or even your lifespan—to them.]
[Worlds currently linked by "fate": None]
What kind of thing even is this?
Lin Yuan looked at the fishing rod in his hand, utterly baffled.
[AAA Urban Female Ghost:] I think I roughly understand now… In other words, this thing pulls in people from different worlds and gives us a chance to return from death?
[AAA Urban Female Ghost:] So doesn't that mean this thing is violating some kind of taboo?
[AAA Urban Female Ghost:] Well… I suppose that doesn't seem very important right now.
[AAA Urban Female Ghost:] Then, everyone, how about we introduce ourselves first? We can't even change our display names… fine then. My name is Carmen. I'm from the City. I died in the Outskirts. You all seem to come from different worlds, right?**
All that could really be said was: as expected of someone from the City. She had clearly developed the excellent habit of not being easily rattled by bizarre nonsense.
As one of the major figures of Project Moon's trilogy, Lin Yuan recognized her.
He just didn't know what stage of the story Carmen was currently in.
Still, she was helping him out a lot right now.
[Let Night City Burn:] …David Martinez. From Night City. Born here. Died here.
[AAA Urban Female Ghost:] Ah, that's somewhere I've never heard of… Then what about you, Mr. Golden Spirit?
[Founder of the Golden Spirit:] Me? I'm from England. As for where I died, it should have been on a ship. And my soul now also seems to still be on that same ship…
Jonathan's situation seemed a little unexpected.
[AAA Urban Female Ghost:] I haven't heard of that place either. Unless this is all some elaborate prank, then we can more or less confirm that we really are from different worlds.
[AAA Urban Female Ghost:] Speaking of which, @The Great Yan Creator of Writing, this person hasn't said a single word since entering the group. Are you still in the process of confirming things?**
Oh, right. Jie still hadn't spoken at all.
Lin Yuan waited for a while, but Jie still made no sound. After thinking about it for a bit, he sighed and stopped dwelling on it.
There was probably some reason for it.
[AAA Urban Female Ghost:] @Lord of the Pure White Throne, may I ask who you are?**
Carmen's logic was simple.
The group names were all assigned by the chat group itself… which meant this person's title sounded anything but ordinary.
Showing a certain amount of appropriate respect was an important trick in communication.
[Lord of the Pure White Throne:] Ah, just call me Lin Yuan. I'm actually just an ordinary person. I have no idea why it gave me that name…
It couldn't possibly be because he died on the toilet, could it?
Lin Yuan thought with a headache.
[Lord of the Pure White Throne:] I'm from Earth. For certain special reasons, I know a bit about all of your worlds. I more or less understand your situations and have some information about each of you. Also, I seem to have some special ability right now. Maybe I can help you.**
[AAA Urban Female Ghost:] Help us?**
[Lord of the Pure White Throne:] My situation is a little different from yours. I seem to be in pretty critical condition at the moment. Helping you is also a way for me to figure out my own current state and see whether I have a chance to save myself.**
[Lord of the Pure White Throne:] Anyway, @Let Night City Burn, could you do me a favor?**
[Lord of the Pure White Throne:] If possible, could you let me test my ability on you?**
[Let Night City Burn:] Huh? Me? …What do you need me to do?**
[Lord of the Pure White Throne:] Tell me your current condition. Then just stay where you are and don't move.**
After saying that, Lin Yuan glanced over the description of his [Angler] ability again, confirming once more that all he had to do was swing the rod.
And then, toward the endless and boundless river before him—
He cast his fishing rod.
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