He escapes, It chases, he finds escape impossible.

Thinking of the Gods of Four Pillars, Ash's mind inexplicably echoes with domineering CEO BGM, but unfortunately, the domineering CEO is the Gods of Four Pillars, and Ash is just the poor little thing who finds escape impossible, bearing countless love and care.

——But the domineering CEO only wants to gain love from the other party, whereas the Gods of Four Pillars want to exploit Ash's remaining value!

Ash originally thought that becoming the touch of the Gods of Four Pillars would at most mean that the Gods of Four Pillars got his body, but he didn't expect the Gods of Four Pillars also wanted his heart, demanding to unlock more hidden content, transforming him completely inside out into the touch of the Gods of Four Pillars!

When Weiser committed suicide, Ash did think about this touch business because he and Weiser were the only two choices for touch, and now that Weiser is gone, naturally, the Gods of Four Pillars would appoint him. But he wasn't too worried for three reasons:

First, besides him, there is the Mercury Wooden Horse, and the shift in touch position might not be that fast. As long as there's a time gap, Ash should escape long before a forced promotion. However, judging from the situation in the hallucination, Mercury Wooden Horse probably went ahead of Weiser, though it's unclear if she was killed by Black Crow and the others or consumed by disaster;

Second, Senluo is close to annihilation, and countless Senluoians have died. Even if Ash becomes the touch, what's the use? Help collect bodies for Senluoians? He's not Harvey. Whatever purpose the Gods of Four Pillars have, the Kingdom of Senluo should hold greatly diminished value for them; they should be reducing positions instead of increasing them, right?

Third, there are quite a lot of bugs on the Wasteland, but the Holy Sanctuary Mage doesn't need to be afraid at all. Sometimes when he steps on bugs, Ash deliberately shouts 'The tyrant has burst!' 'The traitor's feces are flying!' 'The Merciful Father is sentenced to the stake!' 'The Prince turned into a painting!' and other blasphemous words.

This kind of behavior would be sued for 'slander of another's reputation rights' in the Kingdom of Blood Moon, even if he insults the Evil God. It's worth mentioning that Black Crow greatly appreciates this behavior; every time Ash steps on a bug, Black Crow stops to clap.

Therefore, for a trial employee whose utilization value has greatly decreased, often insults leadership, and isn't even the only candidate, Ash naturally doesn't think he merits the Gods of Four Pillars wasting energy. But surprisingly, the Gods of Four Pillars really converted him into the most important touch; this heavy sense of trust genuinely makes Ash want to cry to death.

Weiser likely hasn't forgotten about the touch, but the end-time situation is so rotten that being touch is better than being a Green Beast; moreover, Ash's repeated legendary escapes from the Gods of Four Pillars' control are enough for Weiser to trust him enough.

However, without external aid, it's as if the tide has receded, and the naked swimming Ash is immediately surrounded by the Gods of Four Pillars.

Though Ash escaped the hallucination through "refusing to acknowledge my wife is a paper person," he still hasn't dodged the Gods of Four Pillars' gaze. Now, his senses seem loaded with some plugin, perceiving a world completely different from before, colorful and full of sinister phantoms, even Silver Lamp turned into a mass of color.

Perhaps the next second, perhaps later, he will be drawn into hallucination again, until he can no longer distinguish hallucination from reality.

Ash isn't without solutions. The simplest is to flee the Kingdom of Senluo. Now that the flame of the Knowing Guardian has extinguished, he can directly return to the Heavenly Kingdom of Thousand Wishes using the Heart's Desire Hub.

But this solution might not be effective; if Ash returns to the Heavenly Kingdom of Thousand Wishes but the situation doesn't improve, even introduces the advanced Gods of Four Pillars to the Heavenly Kingdom of Thousand Wishes, wouldn't he then be a pathfinder?

But leaving it be is not okay.

Ash holds his temple, breathing shallowly, echoes of Suo, Joy, and his brother ring through his throat and mind. Clearly, his previous company didn't have four bosses, nor did colleagues include Eternal Damnation, but...

But others, they seem real.

Given his situation, to meet former roommates, it's likely only possible at a wedding. His brother always asks about his dating status in calls, eventually chatting with parents, conveying their latest instructions...

Their voices, tones, reactions, are identical to Ash's memories. In his daze, Ash isn't sure if the wedding was a hallucination fabricated by the Gods of Four Pillars, or if it's a forgotten reality...

If he has a way to escape hallucination, can he return home... even if it's a hallucination home... even if it's just seeing family in the hallucination...

This thought, once raised, spreads like wild grass on a midsummer night, uncut and unburnt, blown by wind, wild grass connects the sky.

Ash bites his thumb hard, yet cannot stop thoughts from expanding: he deliberately found a loophole to exit the hallucination, conversely, as long as he's willing, he could stay in the hallucination forever, living a normal quiet life, being a successful working stiff...

Is it possible that everything he experienced this past year... is... hallucination?

Suddenly, Ash releases his teeth, watching his right hand moved away by a silver block. He looks down to find he bit his thumb to bleeding.

The silver block seems to be saying something, but he can no longer hear it. The entire world has become dazzling and chaotic, dizzying, seemingly urging him to escape this hallucination promptly.

But at this moment, Ash instead gains clarity, exhaling a deep breath, speaking to the silver block: "I'm fine, just haven't fully woken up, give me a little time."

The Gods of Four Pillars' hallucination strikes the softest spot of the human heart. It not only drags you in at any chance, even if you luckily escape out, you'll be tempted to return to the hallucination. Reality holds too many regrets, it's immensely vast, vast to the point of making one timid to run away, only most people have no escape thus have to face it, but even so, they dig many pits for temporary escape; Blood Moon's pit is 'enjoy the moment,' Gospel's pit is 'follow the gospel,' Senluo's pit is 'faith supremacy.'

The powerful aspect of an illusion is that it offers you a safehouse where you can hide forever. As long as you wish to grasp those sands slipping through your fingers, you will unconsciously open the door to the safehouse.

If Ash had just crossed over and The Gods of Four Pillars tested him with this service, Ash could only say, "The Gods of Four Pillars, you really have a keen eye."

But now, besides the sands he cannot hold, he also has the inevitable wrap around his fingers.

However, how can he escape the gaze of The Gods of Four Pillars?

... Are The Gods of Four Pillars truly 'actively' watching?

Ash recalls his two encounters with The Gods of Four Pillars, both having a 'falling into the Deep Sea' process. It could be connecting to the Void Realm or the Heavenly Kingdom, but regardless, to make him the feeling, they must first let him 'fall into the Deep Sea.'

If The Gods of Four Pillars are watching Ash and Weiser's live interaction every day, waiting for one of them to die so they can quickly drag the other into the Deep Sea to complete this year's KPI, Ash would not believe it. But since Ash and Weiser would not actively call upon The Gods of Four Pillars, only one possibility remains: Senluo has a detection mechanism, which, once detecting the death of Ash or Weiser, will pull the other into the Deep Sea for a five-party meeting with The Gods of Four Pillars.

Currently, Ash's senses are changing due to this mechanism, constantly dragging him into the Deep Sea.

Even if Ash can temporarily escape the illusion, he cannot confront The Gods of Four Pillars right now. In the entire process, the only point he can tackle is the unknown detection mechanism. Although he does not know if this mechanism is a Miracle or Wonder, Ash cannot dispel the curse on him using multiple 'Cut Me' and 'Joyful Sword,' meaning he cannot violently break the detection mechanism.

He can only deceive this mechanism to let it abandon reporting him.

How can he make the mechanism stop reporting him to The Gods of Four Pillars?

The correct method almost leaps out of Ash's mind impatiently: as long as the second candidate Weiser still exists, this mechanism will not be activated.

Make the Substitute turn into Youlan Weiser? Or...?

In his contemplation, Ash suddenly remembers picking up a note from Youlan Weiser in the illusion, which says, "Death is just an illusion."

Upon closer thought, this detail is indeed bizarre; Weiser never said such words to him, and Ash cannot find any related statement in his mind. It was almost inserted into Ash's illusion out of nothing, just like the person in charge of the Dazzling Star project and the new game event "Hunting Angel," all thoughts inserted by The Gods of Four Pillars.

Yet Ash is sure that "Hunting Angel" is the subjective wish of The Gods of Four Pillars. They seem to want Ash to execute this Task, going so far as to deepen Ash's impression of this Task with bonuses and career prospects in the illusion. Conversely, the Dazzling Star person in charge and the Weiser note may merely be unintended actions by Them...

Or perhaps...

Ash suddenly recalls their first meeting with Mercury Wooden Horse, where Mercury Wooden Horse mentioned one theory: The Gods of Four Pillars symbiotically share existence with the senses, using them to connect with reality, while the senses can, in turn, access The Gods of Four Pillars' reality.

The Gods of Four Pillars have no reason to suddenly implant the Dazzling Star person in charge and Weiser note; these are irrelevant to the Task, thus these bizarre pieces of information can only be Ash's reinterpretation of 'reality' after accessing The Gods of Four Pillars' 'reality'!

The Dazzling Star person in charge he has never encountered, yet possibly heard of from the Sword Maiden. Concerning the Weiser note, it should be Ash's observation of high-dimensional reality from The Gods of Four Pillars' perspective.

Death is just an illusion.

For mortals, transforming into a green beast may be more terrifying than death, and becoming a Great Skill more exalted than death, but they all equate to death. However, for beings on the level of The Gods of Four Pillars, do the green beast and the Great Skill really count as death?

On the Time Continent, Ash knows the Divine Lord possesses the means to collect soul fragments in Hell, helping people rise from the dead. The Divine Lord can escape absolute death, much less these secondary deaths like the green beast and the Great Skill, right?

More crucially, Weiser's situation in the illusion is merely resignation!

Even The Gods of Four Pillars don't consider Weiser completely dead!

Ash suddenly becomes excited, calling out Aurora's Mage Manual, opening Operators Management, but he immediately feels a chill in his heart: Youlan Weiser's operator illustration has already turned a gray, lifeless hue.

To Ash, Aurora's Mage Manual is more authoritative than The Gods of Four Pillars. But just as he prepares to close the interface, he notices a pulsating diamond mark in Youlan Weiser's illustration.

He clicks on the mark, and a new message promptly pops out:

"Your operator has entered a state of death, do you wish to inherit their legacy?"

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