Chapter 34: After You Die, Who Cares if the World Perishes

"Are we going to choose?" Lin Yuan asked out of the blue.

Should they repel the abyss, or let history repeat itself? The dungeon was already finished, so it would be better to just leave and let those fanatical, insane zealots face destruction head-on.

Lin Qingqing and Su Ran frowned slightly, turning their gazes toward Gu Chen. After all, the choice rested with him. Sensing their eyes on him, Gu Chen turned his head and asked, "What do you think?"

"Don't choose," Lin Qingqing said directly.

"Let the temple be destroyed by the abyssal beings," Su Ran added with a nod. After all, those clergy members were a bunch of lunatics and perverts.

Gu Chen thought about it. They had come this far; not making a choice didn't seem quite right. So, a decision had to be made.

He stepped onto the altar and walked toward the Fallen Witch, who was clinging to her last breath. Looking at her cracked body and the ghastly wounds, his expression stiffened slightly. After a moment, Gu Chen spoke in a low, indifferent tone:

"If I give you your heart, you can briefly revive, and then you must sacrifice yourself to resist the abyss. If you pour your blood into the altar, you will die completely, but you will grant the temple the power to resist the abyss."

"So, is resisting the abyss really that important? They drained your blood and tore out your heart just to cling to their own miserable lives. In the entire temple, who actually cares about resisting the invasion of the abyss?"

The Fallen Witch’s body trembled slightly, the blackness in her eyes fading a little. "What are you trying to say?"

Gu Chen crouched down, a strange smile appearing on his face. He returned the sealed heart to the witch, and then returned the sealed blood as well. This move left Lin Yuan and the others bewildered.

Having done this, Gu Chen let out a long breath. "Alright, what I want to say is actually quite simple. After you're dead, who cares what happens next? The heart can revive you temporarily, and the blood can restore your strength—take them both. In your final moments, you can choose to live for yourself for once."

"Before the abyssal beings invade, settle your scores, exact your revenge, and make those who killed you pay the price. Make them die just like you did, in despair and agony. By the way, you can also leave those abyssal beings outside empty-handed. By the time they break in, the temple will be finished. You’ll have had your revenge, and you'll have played the invaders right before you die. Isn't that great?"

They could do that? Lin Yuan and the others realized what he meant and nodded in agreement, feeling very satisfied with this ending. Clearing a dungeon was hard enough; they didn't want the finale to be so frustrating!

Everyone loves a satisfying story; who wants to suffer through a tragedy? Gu Chen broke the seals on the two containers, stood up, and strolled off the altar. Although none of this was real, he still wanted to give the Fallen Witch a chance to take her own revenge. He didn't care what the "true" ending of the dungeon was, and nobody else would either. Everyone wants to see the ending they desire, and this was the one Gu Chen wanted to see.

With the heart and blood restored, the Fallen Witch's body began to glow, and she suddenly dissolved into countless motes of light, flying into the projection above the altar. In the image, the clergy members were panicking over the encroaching abyss. Suddenly, the corpse on the altar floated into the air. A living heart began to beat in her chest, and with the vitality of the blood, an unprecedentedly powerful force erupted from within her.

The Saintess slowly opened her eyes, which were filled with tyranny and resentment. She looked down at the crowd below, her voice dripping with an uncontrollable, intense murderous intent.

"Heh, time is short. I hope I can kill every single one of you before the abyssal beings conquer the temple. High Priest, didn't you pride yourself on being a believer in the gods? I’ll send you to meet them right now."

...

As the dungeon officially came to a close, a series of notifications appeared in Gu Chen's vision.

[Defeated Fallen Witch (BOSS) - LV.15, EXP +5317]
[Level Up]
[Level: LV.10 (1234/14500)]
[Strength: 217]
[Agility: 216]
[Constitution: 218]
[Spirit: 219]
[Summons: Blood Lord LV.10 (Legendary), Nightmare Overlord LV.10 (Epic)]
[Talent: One Dark Bloodline available to be claimed]
[Congratulations]
[You have cleared Temple Ruins (Hell Difficulty). Rewards: Professional EXP +3000, Dungeon Treasure Chest x1 (Hell Difficulty)]
[Dungeon ended. Exiting current scene in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...]

Dungeon Plaza.

Since Wu Ziyi emerged, more and more people had gathered. Everyone knew the dungeon wager was nearing its end. Each person wore an expectant look, waiting to witness the final moment of humiliation.

"Calculating the time, shouldn't Gu Chen be dead by now?"
"I said it before: a commoner Summoner challenging a Hell-difficulty dungeon is bound to die a miserable death."
"Well, that’s that—not only did he lose his life, but he also threw away 500,000."
"Say, Wu Ziyi has been out for so long, why isn't Gu Chen dead yet?"

...

The air was thick with the crowd's chatter. Li Wenhui had already packed up his tent, and after a period of rest, he had almost fully recovered. He stood at the dungeon entrance, the corners of his mouth curling upward uncontrollably.

Listening to the criticism directed at Gu Chen, Li Wenhui said nothing. In moments like these, he only needed to maintain an air of arrogance; if he were to join in the denigration, people might say he lacked class. However, when he saw Wu Ziyi standing outside the dungeon, looking lost, he couldn't resist walking over.

Seeing the smile on Li Wenhui's face, Wu Ziyi raised an eyebrow. "What are you here for? I may be a deserter, but you have no right to humiliate me."

Li Wenhui waved his hand. "No, no, no. I don't have the spare time to mock you. I just want to know, how far did Gu Chen actually manage to get you?"

Wu Ziyi looked displeased. "Is that any of your business?"

Li Wenhui sighed and said in a deep voice, "Fine, let's make it simple. You've been out for so long, why isn't Gu Chen dead yet?"

This question made Wu Ziyi’s expression freeze. Since coming out, he had been trapped in a mental struggle of self-reproach and self-justification, never realizing how much time had passed. Now, prompted by Li Wenhui’s question, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Could Gu Chen have turned the tables? Impossible! Absolutely impossible! That was a Hell-difficulty dungeon. By that stage, Gu Chen would have exhausted all his trump cards; how could he possibly have won?

Just then, a massive screen above the dungeon entrance suddenly lit up.

[Major Announcement: The Temple Ruins (Hell Difficulty) dungeon has been cleared for the first time!]
[Clear Time: 5 hours, 27 minutes, 36 seconds]
[Clear Team Info:]
[Captain: Gu Chen (Summoner)]
[Members: Lin Yuan (Swordsman), Lin Qingqing (Warrior), Su Ran (Assassin)]
[Rewards: Professional EXP +3000, Personal Achievement +1, First Clear Reward Gift Box x1]
[Clear Rating: SSS]