Chapter 48: [No-Form]

"Reverse the era... restart the world?"

Chen Ling understood every one of these eight characters, but put together, he didn't understand what he meant.

"It means exactly what it says." Chu Muyun said slowly. "Reverse everything from the Great Cataclysm to the present, and let human civilization return to the day the Red Star descended..."

"You mean, rewind time??"

"Not rewind, restart... there is a big difference between the two."

Chen Ling looked at Chu Muyun in disbelief. "Is... is that possible?"

"Haven't you already seen it?"

Chu Muyun pointed to the USB drive in Chen Ling’s hand. "The result of our attempts."

In Chen Ling’s mind, the scene of him inserting the USB drive into the snow and transmigrating back to his "previous life" surfaced... There was no doubt that it was the world he had once existed in, the era when the Red Star had just descended.

And the Twilight Society had perfectly restored it and sealed it in this USB drive.

"This... how did you do it??" Restarting the world was a fantasy to Chen Ling, yet he was a personal witness to it.

"The process is quite complex... We have worked hard until now and only completed this two-hour 'save file.' However, we have found the method. One day, we will let this save file replace history and restart the world."

"But if the world can really be restarted, then you yourselves should represent 'justice.' Why are you wanted by the nine human domains? Why not join forces with them?" Chen Ling countered.

Chu Muyun smiled.

He pushed up his glasses and said calmly,

"Later, you will understand."

Chen Ling was silent for a moment and nodded slightly.

"I have finished telling you the most basic philosophy of the Twilight Society." Chu Muyun’s eyes stared at Chen Ling. "Now... you must make a decision."

"Will you join us, become the most wanted criminal in the nine domains, live a life of displacement, be spurned and feared by the world... or will you leave?"

Light flickered in Chen Ling’s eyes. After a brief pause, he slowly raised his head,

and said firmly:

"I join."

Reverse the era, restart the world.

To others, the Great Cataclysm was just a description in history, but to Chen Ling, it meant everything that belonged to him would be destroyed.

He didn't like this world, didn't like this era. He wanted to return to where he belonged, to honor his parents and live a stable life... He wanted even more to reverse the established history and let his father, relatives, and friends live well.

He wanted to go home.

Hearing these three words, Chu Muyun smiled slightly. He took three playing cards from his pocket and placed them on the table one by one.

6 of Spades, 6 of Hearts, 6 of Clubs;

"What is this?"

"Joining the Twilight Society means, for many of our members, completely cutting off their past, including their names, families, and identities... They use playing card ranks to represent themselves, and you can choose one too."

"...Why are they all 6s?"

"The number represents seniority. The earlier you join, the higher the number... For your batch, it starts with the number 6." Chu Muyun shrugged. "Actually, 6 isn't bad. I joined a few years before you, and I’m only a 7."

"Then why are there only three suits? Where is the Diamond?"

"Two months ago, another newcomer joined, and he chose the Diamond."

"Alright..."

Chen Ling’s gaze swept over the three playing cards, and he subconsciously touched his chest... beneath his skin, it was empty.

"I choose Heart, [Heart 6]."

Chu Muyun raised an eyebrow, nodded, and pushed the playing card toward Chen Ling.

"Then, officially welcome to the Twilight Society... [Heart 6]."

The woman who had been sitting silently in the corner began to clap at the perfect moment.

Chen Ling looked at her with a strange expression; the woman yawned again and turned away.

"...Is she also a member of the Twilight Society? What card?"

"She has no divine path and no other abilities; she’s just an ordinary person, so she’s only an outer member... She’s generally responsible for passing messages. Basically, every domain and every city has one."

"Then what card are you?"

"[Spade 7]."

Chen Ling nodded.

He looked at the [Heart 6] in his hand, suddenly feeling a sense of unreality... He had just drawn a playing card at random in a grocery store and become a member of the Twilight Society, wanted by the nine domains... Just a few hours ago, he was certain this was a cult.

"There are only three copies of that save file in the entire Twilight Society—the Red King and the Gray King each have one. Keep this one for now, but it can only be opened once a month, otherwise, the contents inside will be damaged."

"Then what should I do next?" Chen Ling asked. "Do I need to go somewhere to report, handle paperwork, and then live in some dormitory?"

"..." Chu Muyun shook his head speechlessly.

"The Twilight Society is a society; management of members' personal behavior is very loose. You can do whatever you want... as long as you complete tasks as soon as possible when they arise, and then disguise yourself well to ensure you aren't discovered by the human domains.

Speaking of disguises... you should be the best at that."

"Me?"

"Didn't you step onto the 'Path of the Opera God'? Disguising yourself as different characters should be your strength." Chu Muyun said as a matter of course. "Besides, your skill seems even more perverted than a normal Path of the Opera God."

"Path of the Opera God... skill..."

Chen Ling remembered something. He reached his fingertips to his chin, and with a thought, he tore his entire face off the next moment.

In the woman’s astonishment, two identical Chu Muyuns sat opposite each other.

"That's right, this is it." The Chu Muyun on the left nodded. "After stepping onto the divine path, every time you advance a stage, you automatically master a corresponding skill. Skills change depending on the path chosen by the individual... You have stepped onto a twisted divine path, so your skill should also be unique."

"I see..." The Chu Muyun on the right looked down at his body; even his clothing and voice had changed.

If the woman hadn't known where they were sitting beforehand, she wouldn't have been able to tell which one was the real [Spade 7].

"As far as I know, the first-stage skill of the ordinary Path of the Opera God is called [Thousand Faces], which can freely change faces and voices, but cannot turn into objects... yet you can do both." Chu Muyun paused. "You are the only one who has stepped onto this path. Don't you want to give this skill a name?"

“【Thousand Faces】……” Chen Ling pondered for a moment.

“In that case, let’s call my ability 【Formless】.”

Formless and imageless; form arises from the heart.

“Your Divine Path is quite sinister. Although your abilities are powerful, the side effects are equally obvious. If nothing goes wrong, every time you advance in the future, it will trigger short-term mental instability. You must pay special attention to this.”

“Mental instability? Did I have that when I advanced?”

“……”

Chen Ling had absolutely no memory of the process of slaughtering his way through enemies after turning into a gun barrel and Chen Yan.

Chu Muyun described it to him briefly, then glanced at the dim twilight outside and slowly stood up.

“It’s about time. I should be going.”

“Where to?”

“Back to Aurora City. I still have a mission there.”

As he spoke, Chu Muyun pulled a letter from his bosom and handed it to Chen Ling.

“What is this?”

“This is your mission,” Chu Muyun answered seriously. “A mission issued to you personally by the Red King... In the entire Dusk Society, perhaps only you can complete it.”