Die, Replay, Repeat

A spark of realization flashed in Fang Xiu’s eyes. Seemed like he wouldn’t have to go through endless cycles of death to rack up experience anymore.

Xiao Chuxia’s was right: using targeted lies could help them a lot in this battle.

Lies are everywhere, every single day—people throw them around without a second thought. But most of the time, they’re so scattered they don’t really change anything.

However, when lies are concentrated and aimed in the right direction, they can actually influence reality.

That old saying "a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth"? Yeah, turns out, it’s not just a figure of speech.

Think about it like this: people lie all the time, about all sorts of things, but it doesn’t shift the world on its axis. Now, if you took 10 million people and got them to all push the same lie—say, "cilantro is toxic"—then before long, cilantro would be seen as deadly. And even if scientists came out swinging with evidence that it’s safe, people would still be suspicious. That’s the power of a focused lie.

By funneling the force of multiple lies into a single point, you can actually warp the way people perceive the world.

"I get it now," Fang Xiu said, determination in his voice. "Let’s get moving. Attach your Spiritual Energy to me and get ready to absorb the power of these lies."

Xiao Chuxia still wasn’t sure what Fang Xiu had in mind, but she went with it. She linked her Spiritual Energy to him as instructed.

And then, the magic happened.

In the dream world, every single screen flickered to life with Fang Xiu’s face on it. TVs, computer monitors, phones, and even the huge digital billboards in the city center—all of them broadcasted Fang Xiu’s image.

This dream world was practically a mirror of reality, so the two million people inside it were going about their daily routines as if nothing was out of the ordinary. They were working, studying, shopping—living life as usual.

But that was all part of Fang Xiu’s plan. He needed them to believe they were still in the real world for his trick to land. A lie only works when people don’t catch on. If even one person figured out it was a hoax, everything would unravel.

As Fang Xiu’s face popped up on every device, people couldn’t help but take notice.

“What the heck is this?”

“Did my phone get hacked?”

“Who’s this guy?”

Confusion rippled through the masses, as they quickly realized something bigger was going on—every single screen in the city was showing the exact same thing. Whether it was in their hand or on a massive outdoor screen, Fang Xiu was everywhere.

The weirdness of it all cranked up the chatter among the people.

Then, Fang Xiu spoke.

"You can call me the Foreseer."

That single line sent shockwaves through the crowd.

“The Foreseer? Is this some kind of prank?”

“I thought the government hijacked the airwaves for an emergency or something, but instead we get this wannabe prophet?”

“Haha, this is gold! What’s next, he’s playing Werewolf and trying to find the bad guy? ‘Cause I’m the Alpha Wolf, baby!”

Fang Xiu could hear their reactions clear as day, but he wasn’t phased. He pressed on, “Specters are real. To fight them, the world’s governments formed the Global Specter Incident Joint Investigation and Strategic Defense Attack and Logistics Support Bureau, AKA the Investigation Bureau.”

The crowd’s confusion only grew louder.

“Specters? Man, the only thing haunting me is my 12-hour workday. No ghost could be scarier than that.”

"That bureau’s name is so long it sounds like my grandpa trying to remember his grocery list!"

“This guy’s definitely some kind of hacker. Where are the cops when you need 'em?”

On the screen, Fang Xiu remained perfectly composed as he continued, “The Investigation Bureau is composed of psychics—individuals with abilities that go beyond what normal humans can comprehend. Only psychics have the power to fight Specters. I happen to be one of them. My ability? I can foresee the future.

“Today, the Bureau has seized control of the entire national network to deliver a critical prophecy. Using my foresight, I have seen that in exactly ten minutes, the Specter Gate will fully open. When that happens, Specters will flood into our world and humanity will face its doom.

“I’m urging everyone to seek shelter immediately at the Investigation Bureau headquarters. The address is displayed below.”

With that, the broadcast cut off, and everyone’s devices returned to normal. But the people? Far from it. The city of Shangjing erupted into pure chaos.

“The end of the world? Specters will destroy us in ten minutes?”

Most of the population dismissed Fang Xiu’s message as nothing more than a hoax. However, a few more cautious individuals weren’t so quick to ignore it.

They figured that whoever could hijack the national network probably had some authority, and if there was even a shred of truth in what was said, it was worth being prepared.

Those folks started making their way to the headquarters, just in case.

As expected, the reactions from the dream inhabitants were all over the place, but Fang Xiu wasn’t surprised.

People’s responses reflected their personalities, shaped by their life experiences.

This dream, after all, was a replica of reality, formed while these people slept, so their reactions were likely what they’d do in the real world if faced with the same scenario.

In this dream world, logic wasn’t king. What Fang Xiu said wouldn’t hold up under a close, rational look—but that didn’t matter here.* Dreams thrive on the illogical, and that was the beauty of it. In other words, lies and dreams made the perfect pair.

Fang Xiu didn’t need airtight logic. All he had to do was plant seeds in their minds—thoughts of Specters, psychics, and most importantly, the Foreseer. That was his endgame.

As chaos ensued, Fang Xiu and Xiao Chuxia stood silently on a bustling street.

Strangely, no one seemed to notice them at all. It was like they didn’t exist—people passed through them as if they were ghosts.

Xiao Chuxia, puzzled, approached Fang Xiu. “Xiu, what are you doing? Not many people seem to be buying your story. And why direct them to the headquarters?”

Fang Xiu didn’t explain much. He simply smiled and said, “Just watch.”

SNAP!

He snapped his fingers.

BOOM!

Suddenly, the sky darkened as ominous clouds rolled in. Thunder roared and lightning streaked across the heavens.

A bloody moon slowly began to rise, casting an eerie glow over the city.

The shift in the sky threw everyone into a frenzy. The sudden change triggered something in their minds—the prophecy from the Foreseer.

Then, with millions of eyes locked onto the sky, something truly terrifying appeared.

A pitch-black gate materialized within the red moon, its surface covered with horrifying, demonic figures, twisting and writhing as if alive.

The gate radiated an aura of pure dread.

This vision had been inspired by Yan Changshou.

“Look! Up there! What the hell is that?!”

“Is that the Specter Gate the Foreseer warned us about?”

BOOM!

With a thunderous creak, the black gate slowly began to open.

From the other side, an army of grotesque, snake-like Specters poured out, slithering through the sky like a plague of locusts.

In moments, they descended upon Shangjing, swarming the streets, and engulfing the city in chaos.

“Specters! They’re real! Run for your lives!”

“The Foreseer was right! We’re all gonna die!”

Panic took hold as people ran for their lives. Whether in the dream or reality, witnessing such monstrous horrors would terrify any ordinary person to their core.

Under Fang Xiu’s command, the snake-like Specters wreaked havoc, tearing through the population mercilessly.

In just a few moments, the once-bustling city was reduced to a scene of carnage—bodies strewn across the streets, blood everywhere, chaos reigning supreme.

It was like a cutscene straight out of a horror video game, all orchestrated effortlessly by Fang Xiu’s power.

As fear spread like wildfire, Fang Xiu absorbed it all, using the collective terror to stretch the boundaries of the dream and pull more and more people into this nightmarish world.

But the fear was just a tool. Fang Xiu’s real goal wasn’t to feed off terror—it was to set the stage for his targeted lies.

When the people’s terror reached its boiling point, that would be the moment for the Foreseer—Fang Xiu himself—to reappear as the savior they so desperately needed.