The more they oppose, the more it shows that I am doing the right thing-Chapter 678 - 354 "How Do I See a Mushroom Cloud?"_2
Without friends, without a lover, immersed in the virtual magic-guided world every day, I watched others' bittersweet youth and deluded myself into trying to fit into it, claiming disdain but deep down feeling nothing but loneliness and desire. I aimlessly whiled away the days and years, never mustering the courage to take a step further, always torturing myself in wait.
And when they were ready to wake up, they would find that their youth had ended.
The Bishop of Pain was right in his analysis because studying medicine is like watching anime; both are devoid of youth and romance. When one wakes up from the illusion (changing majors), they find their youth has ended (their hair has fallen out).
The candle of pain and blood flickered in the wind, shedding sparks here and there.
And An Su's support rate began to climb again due to the support of the Painful Followers.
[Thirty percent, thirty-one percent...]
"Shut up, this isn't painful enough! Do you know my pain?" the Smiling Lady said coldly. "This level of pain is nothing compared to what I've endured!"
Behind the Smiling Lady, the candle of pain shone as bright as a lightbulb.
"If you think it's amusing to push a girl with bipolar affective disorder, severe depression, arms full of scars, a sensitive and imaginative loner who engages in wild thoughts, wearing a mask of false smiles, severely schizophrenic, and who washes her face with tears every day and night to death, then go ahead and support An Su!"
Jesus, this one's a heavyweight!
The Painful Followers hastily switched their support to the Smiling Lady.
An Su's rising momentum slowly stopped, and the Smiling Lady's smile grew colder and disdainful. In the realm of suffering, you can't compare to this Fairy.
Luo Xiaohei also laughed uproariously, patting its belly. It had been worried that An Su would break its record, but now it seemed that fear was unwarranted!
The candle's small flame struggled to stay lit amidst the cold wind, always on the brink of snuffing out, signalling the end. An Su's past memories of suffering also came to an end. In the long years to follow were his unbearable memories of affluence as a rich second-generation, affluent enough, but not to cause even the slightest flicker in the flame of pain.
After all, those who study medicine have already consumed all the suffering of their next life.
"It's over," Mr. Demon by his side shook his head and urged, "Move on to the next candle."
"The sooner we judge, the sooner we finish."
Just when everyone thought An Su would end up as a mere spark under the scrutiny of the Mother of Pain, his memories of suffering took him to the unruly Dawn Cathedral—to the River of Life.
—Those twenty-one thousand six hundred ascents and descents.
[You have strongly attracted the attention of the Mother of Pain.]
This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.
In that moment, time seemed to stand still.
The Chaotic Citizens stared at the flame as it briefly paused, the rustling autumn wind skimming the icy surface of the river, emitting a slightly sharp and oppressive sound. Besides that, the world was silent—only Life continued to flow gently. The Painful Followers were the first to sense something amiss, rising anxiously and looking around in disbelief, unable to discern the source of their unease, only feeling a sudden stagnation in their souls.
It was as if the primordial pain had descended upon the world in that instant.
It was almost an illusion.
"Look at that candle, look at that candle—" from the spectator seats, a noble gasped, "Quick, look at the candle in front of An Su!"
Everyone turned their gaze to An Su's candle of suffering. Once they looked, they couldn't tear their eyes away.
Their eyes were nearly blinded.
After the blinding brightness and momentary blindness passed, the scene on the altar finally came into view for everyone.
The small flame that had been there was gone. The frenzied crimson flame, fuelled by the Demigod's corpse oil, scattered under the gaze of the Mother of Pain, thousands of separate serpents of fire merged into a vast sea of flames. High-tier defense Arrays had been set up around the Judgement Court, yet in a mere instant, the Alchemical Array was almost completely burned through. All the Priests could hardly believe their eyes; they had presided over many years of judgments but had never seen a person in such agony!
The crimson flame, the color of blood and also of the Mother of Pain, symbolized war, death, and reincarnation.
The citizens outside the Judgement Court had completely descended into madness, chasing the chaos. They excitedly watched it all, looking at the painful crimson sea of fire. This was right, this was interesting, and this was worth the price of today's ticket!
This explosion was far more thrilling than the melancholy scars of an INFP fairy!
Some are mere lightbulbs, but An Su just tossed a grenade onto the stage—a Demigod Level grenade!
[Judgement Hall District support rate: 50%]
In just an instant, An Su's support rate had reached half!
"Okay," An Su replied, as if nothing was wrong, addressing Mr. Demon, "I'll get to placing the next candle right away."
"Hey, buddy, wait—" Mr. Demon hadn't finished his sentence when An Su walked to the northwest side of the altar, the domain covered by Alchemy and Human Body candles.
[You have attracted the attention of the Alchemy Human Body]
[Judgement Court District support rate: 60%]
Freezing blood turned into knives, a hybrid version of Plants vs. Zombies, doorknobs fitted on steel gates, cyber human alchemy...
Various alchemical experiences emerged, and everyone heard another loud bang coming from the altar. This time it was incendiary, with platinum-colored flames rolling in the northwest, the Alchemical Array of the Judgement Court now had a small hole, and the smoke billowed out of it, thick and fuming over the skies of Avad.
The Judgement Court is one of the most luxurious buildings in Avad, costing a vast sum of money, all burning up now in literal flames!
"Stop! Stop it! Cease at once!" Mr. Demon yelled.
His biggest regret at the moment was providing a Demigod Level candle, essentially readying Demigod Level ammunition for birth.
Once a ritual starts, unless the person on trial, An Su, voluntarily stops, anyone who tries to interrupt the ritual is guilty of disrespecting the gods and will incur Divine Punishment.
But to Mr. Demon, this seemed no different than Divine Punishment already.
"Don't stop, keep going?"
An Su was surprised at Mr. Demon's audacity and hastily moved towards the next position.
Wherever he went, explosions followed. The southwest candle was a Catastrophe candle—Fallen Angels, Flower Fairies, Black Death illusions filled his mind. Dark flames burst forth from the candle, this time it was a grenade, black Disaster Fire bloomed from Divine Oil, devouring the remains of the demigod. Crack after crack spread along the barrier, the hole further splitting open.
[You have attracted the attention of the Catastrophe Mother Goddess]
The young man walked quietly amidst the flames, with ash-white hair spreading through the flow of fire, no ripples or confusion in his dark blue eyes. The memories of a lifetime were displayed before him—memories of pain, alchemy, catastrophe—all of the past converging into his present. Crimson fire, bright golden fire, deep black fire, all the flames transformed into gazes staring at him.
An Su walked the path paved with flames and gazes, heading slowly towards the end of the high-tier steps.
The Smiling Lady was utterly dumbfounded. She turned to look at her lightbulb-bright candles and then at the sea of fire that fiercely dominated An Su's altar, feeling her "jade syndrome" had gotten even more severe.
She doubted she was fully awake.
At that moment, the flames on An Su's altar clearly divided into three seas of fire: crimson Painful Fire, bright golden Alchemy Fire, and deep black Disaster Fire... And most bewildering to the Smiling Lady was watching the three fires devour each other, clash against each other, causing countless explosions and showers of sparks.
As if vying for something.
Not only the Smiling Lady noticed this eerie phenomenon, all the Followers in the Judgement Hall did too.
"This... How is this possible, you all think too much..." someone muttered, shaking his head, "with this human... how could he possibly draw the attention of the gods..."
But when An Su arrived in front of the 'Life and Sacrifice' candle, everyone fell silent.
"...How am I seeing a mushroom cloud?"
