"Reverse the era... restart the world?"
Chen Yifei understood each of these eight words, but when put together, he didn't understand their meaning.
"It means exactly what it says," Chu Muyun said slowly. "Reverse everything since the Catastrophe and bring human civilization back to the day when the Red Star descended..."
"You mean, go back in time??"
"Not go back, but restart... there's a big difference between the two."
Chen Yifei 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 Yifei's hand. "The result of our attempt."
Chen Yifei's mind immediately recalled the scene of inserting the USB drive into the snow and traveling back to his "past life"... Undoubtedly, that was the world he had existed in, also the era when the Red Star had just descended.
And the Twilight Society had perfectly recreated it and stored it in this USB drive.
"How... how did you do it??" Restarting the world was like a tall tale to Chen Yifei, but he was an eyewitness to it.
"The process is quite complex... We've only managed to complete this two-hour 'save' so far, but we've found a way. Someday, we'll make this save replace history and restart the world."
"But if the world can really be restarted, then you should represent 'justice'. Why are you being hunted down by the nine major human domains? Why not work with them?" Chen Yifei asked.
Chu Muyun smiled.
He pushed his glasses up and spoke calmly,
"Later, you'll understand."
Chen Yifei was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"I've told you the most basic concept of the Twilight Society," Chu Muyun's gaze fixed on Chen Yifei. "Now... it's time for you to make a decision."
"Join us, become the most wanted criminal in the nine domains, live a life of wandering and being despised and feared by the world... or leave?"
Chen Yifei's eyes flashed, and after a short pause, he slowly lifted his head,
Speaking firmly:
"I'll join."
Reverse the era, restart the world.
To others, the Catastrophe was just a description in history, but to Chen Yifei, it meant that everything belonging to him would be destroyed.
He didn't like this world, didn't like this era. He wanted to return to where he should be, to be filial to his parents and live a stable life... He even wanted to change the predetermined history so that his father, relatives, and friends could all live well.
He wanted to go home.
Upon hearing these three words, Chu Muyun smiled slightly. He took out three playing cards from his pocket and placed them on the table in sequence.
The Spade 6, the Heart 6, the Plum 6;
"What are these?"
"Joining the Twilight Society means completely cutting off one's past for many of our members, including their names, families, identities... They use playing card faces to represent themselves, and you can choose one as well."
"...Why are they all sixes?"
"The number represents seniority. The earlier you join, the higher the number... For your batch, it starts with a six." Chu Muyun shrugged. "Actually, six is not bad. I joined a few years earlier than you, and I'm only a seven."
"Why are there only three suits? Where's the diamond?"
"Two months ago, another new member joined and chose the diamond."
"Alright..."
Chen Yifei's gaze swept over the three playing cards, and subconsciously, he touched his chest... Beneath the flesh, it was empty.
"I choose the heart, the Heart 6."
Chu Muyun's eyebrows raised, and he nodded, pushing the playing card towards Chen Yifei.
"Then, officially welcome to the Twilight Society... Heart 6."
The woman who had been sitting silently in the corner started applauding at the right moment.
Chen Yifei gave her a strange look, and the woman yawned again, turning her head away.
"...Is she also part of the Twilight Society? What's her card?"
"She doesn't have a divine path or any other abilities; she's just an ordinary person, so she's only an outer member... Generally responsible for passing messages, and there are members like her in every domain, every city."
"What's your card?"
"Spade 7."
Chen Yifei nodded.
He looked at the Heart 6 in his hand and suddenly felt a sense of unreality... He just randomly picked a playing card from the convenience store and became a member of the Twilight Society, hunted by the nine major domains... Just a few hours ago, he was convinced that this was a cult.
"That save, there are only three copies in the entire Twilight Society, one for the Flame Emperor and one for the Shadow King. This one will be kept by you temporarily, but it can only be opened once a month; otherwise, it will damage the content inside."
"What should I do next?" Chen Yifei asked. "Where do I need to report, go through procedures, and where will I live?"
"..." Chu Muyun shook his head speechlessly.
"The Twilight Society is a loose organization with very little management over its members' personal actions. You can do whatever you want... Just make sure to complete tasks as soon as possible and disguise yourself well to ensure you're not discovered by the human domains.
Speaking of disguise... you should be the best at it."
"Me?"
"Didn't you embark on the 'Path of Drama Deity'? Disguising as different roles should be your forte." Chu Muyun spoke as if it was obvious. "Moreover, your skills seem even more exceptional than a normal Drama Deity's path."
"Path of Drama Deity... skills..."
Chen Yifei seemed to remember something, his fingertips reaching up to his chin, and with a thought, he tore off his entire face.
Under the woman's stunned gaze, two identical Chu Muyuns were sitting opposite each other.
"That's right," the Chu Muyun on the left nodded. "After embarking on a divine path, you automatically master a corresponding skill each time you advance a stage. The skills vary depending on the path chosen... You're on a distorted path, so your skills should 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 their seats beforehand, she wouldn't have been able to distinguish which one was the real Spade 7.
"From what I know, the first-stage skill of a normal Drama Deity's path is called 'Thousand Faces,' allowing free transformation of face and voice, but not clothing or objects... You can do all of that." Chu Muyun paused. "You're the only one on this path. Don't you want to give this skill a name?"
"Thousand Faces..." Chen Yifei thought for a moment.
"Since that's the case, I'll name my skill 'Formless'."
Formless, shapeless, with shape arising from the heart.
"Your divine path is quite unusual. Although your abilities are strong, the side effects are also pronounced. If nothing unexpected happens, every time you advance, you'll experience short-term mental confusion. You must be particularly cautious about this."
"Mental confusion? Did I have it when I advanced?"
"..."
Chen Yifei didn't remember the process of turning into a gun barrel and Chen Muxu, wreaking havoc everywhere.
Chu Muyun briefly described it to him and then glanced outside at the dim night sky, slowly rising to his feet.
"It's almost time. I have to leave."
"Where are you going?"
"Back to Aurora City. I have a task there."
As he spoke, Chu Muyun took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Chen Yifei.
"What's this?"
"This is your task." Chu Muyun answered seriously. "It's a task assigned to you directly by the Flame Emperor... Maybe only you in the entire Twilight Society can complete it."