Lin Qiye was really tired.
Both mentally and physically.
He never expected something like this to happen on his first day at the new school. He encountered a monster, was betrayed by a classmate, fought for his life, suddenly woke up, and then a mysterious superhero appeared and snuck away...
Lin Qiye wasn't foolish. He knew that everything he experienced tonight was tied to the hidden side of this world—the monster with a human-eating face, the golden light that emerged from his own body, and the man who took down the monster alone.
That man was no ordinary person. From the way he reported over the intercom, it was clear that he was part of a large organization, one that might be hidden from the public and specialized in dealing with bizarre events like this.
He must have seen the light on Lin Qiye's body, maybe even witnessed him defeating the monster alone, and that was likely why he wanted to recruit him...
To say that Lin Qiye wasn't curious about the hidden side of the world would be a lie. He wanted to understand what happened to him tonight and what was really going on with himself. But he didn't want to get caught up in this web of intrigue simply out of curiosity.
Some secrets, once known, are impossible to escape from.
He didn't want to be a hero protecting humanity—he only wanted to protect… his home.
Soon, he drifted off into sleep.
...
The familiar mist descended once again.
In the dream, Lin Qiye looked around, sighed in frustration, "Still not going to leave me alone? Fighting monsters while awake, now knocking on doors in my sleep... my luck is terrible."
Lin Qiye took a few steps, soon seeing the outline of a mental asylum appear before him.
On the ancient plaque to his right, a line of large characters was engraved.
— Asylum of the Gods.
He stopped in front of the door, reaching for the ring on it. The moment his fingers brushed the ring, the ground beneath him trembled slightly!
The surrounding mist suddenly began to swirl.
Lin Qiye gripped the ring, confused.
What's going on? I haven't even knocked yet, why is it shaking?
It wasn't like this before…
Suddenly, a thought struck him like lightning.
Could it be… because I opened my eyes today?
Lin Qiye lowered his gaze and observed his dream body. His eyes gradually lit up.
Normally, his dream body was translucent, as fragile as drifting mist.
But today, his body was noticeably more solid, still not physical, but no longer transparent.
He quickly raised his head, looking at the large door that had blocked him for five years, his gaze growing hotter.
Today… maybe I can do it!
He took a deep breath, tightly gripping the ring, and pushed against the door!
*Clang!*
An ancient bell rang from inside the asylum, louder than before. Fortunately, Lin Qiye had no body in this dream, or the sound would have been enough to hurt his eardrums.
As the bell sounded, the entire asylum began to shake violently!
There's a chance! Lin Qiye's eyes brightened.
*Clang!*
*Clang!!*
*Clang!!!*
Lin Qiye didn't stop and struck the door three more times, the asylum shaking as if an earthquake had hit!
Finally, after the last strike, a loud noise came from inside the asylum, then everything fell silent…
Just as Lin Qiye was about to strike again, the door in front of him groaned and slowly began to move.
The door opened.
*Humm—Boom!*
Once the door fully opened, a long, dark corridor appeared before him.
The floor was made of an unknown material, giving off a faint glow, and burning orbs of light hung on the walls, giving the place a mysterious and eerie atmosphere.
Lin Qiye walked down the corridor, soon reaching a junction where a modern-style sign was hanging above.
"Left is the wards, right is the activity area..." Lin Qiye mumbled as he read the sign. "This layout... it's exactly like the mental asylum I used to stay in."
After a brief hesitation, Lin Qiye walked into the activity area.
The activity rooms were few but had everything needed—there was a multimedia room for watching TV and movies, a lounge for chess and other entertainment, a study for reading and learning… even a round outdoor lawn with various exercise equipment.
"Really the same... this dream is so strange," Lin Qiye muttered, shaking his head in confusion.
After walking through the activity area, he turned back toward the ward area.
When he reached the entrance of the wards, he suddenly stopped.
"This… is different." Lin Qiye looked at the dim, monotonous corridor in front of him, muttering to himself.
He clearly remembered that in the Sunshine Asylum, the wards had multiple floors, and although the facilities weren't luxurious, at least they were clean.
But the ward area in front of him had only one floor and just six rooms.
The doors of these rooms were covered in strange symbols and patterns, so dense that they looked like some kind of seal. Just glancing at them made Lin Qiye dizzy.
He forced himself to look away and steady his nerves before turning his gaze elsewhere.
On the upper right side of the wards, there was an old doorplate with different symbols for each room.
For example, the doorplate for Room One, where Lin Qiye stood, had a large black circle.
Room Two had a symbol that resembled a staff or pen.
Lin Qiye walked down the corridor, passing by rooms one after another until he reached the sixth and last room, still unsure of the significance of the doorplates.
He stared at the eerie doors, deep in thought.
In this dream asylum, only the ward area was different from what he remembered about the Sunshine Asylum.
So, were there really patients inside these rooms?
Or, as the name of the asylum suggested, were there gods inside?
Lin Qiye hesitated for a moment before slowly reaching for the handle of the sixth room.
It wasn't recklessness—on one hand, this was his dream, so even if something went wrong, it wouldn't have a lasting impact; on the other hand, he had knocked on this asylum's door for five years, and he didn't want to leave with no answers.
Subconsciously, he felt that perhaps there was a secret related to him inside this asylum.
Otherwise, why was the layout so similar to the Sunshine Asylum he had once stayed in?
His hand grew closer, his fingers lightly touching the handle, sending a faint chill through him.
There was no resistance or pain as he naturally grasped the handle.
Lin Qiye gave a strong pull!
The door didn't budge.
He planted his feet and pulled harder!
Still nothing.
Lin Qiye moved on to the fifth room, pulling at that door.
Still locked.
The fourth, third, second…
Lin Qiye tried every door, but none would open until he reached the first room.
With a mindset prepared for failure, Lin Qiye gave the first door a strong pull.
*Click!*
A soft sound came from the handle, and the intricate patterns carved into the door shattered, slowly dissipating into the air.
Lin Qiye jumped back, staring at the door ahead.
The door… opened.