Lin Qiye was truly exhausted.
Both mentally and physically.He really didn't expect that his first day at a new school would turn out like this: encountering monsters, being betrayed by classmates, engaging in a life-and-death struggle, mysteriously waking up, and then another mysterious super-powered man appearing and quietly leaving…Lin Qiye wasn't stupid; he knew that what happened tonight definitely involved the hidden side of this world—the monster with a face that eats people, the golden light that appeared on his body, and the man who single-handedly took down the creature.That man wasn't just anyone, and judging from the way he reported through the walkie-talkie, there was definitely a huge organization behind him, one that was likely hidden in the world and specifically dealt with these bizarre occurrences.He saw the light on his body, and maybe even saw the scene where he single-handedly killed the monster, so he probably wanted to recruit him…It wouldn't be true to say he wasn't curious about the hidden side of things—he wanted to know what exactly he encountered tonight and what was happening to him, but he didn't want to get caught up in this whirlpool because of his curiosity.Some secrets, once known, could never be escaped from.He didn't want to be some hero protecting humanity. What he wanted to protect…Was only his own home.Before long, he sank into a deep sleep.The familiar mist descended once more.In the dream, Lin Qiye looked around and sighed helplessly. "Still not letting me go? Fighting monsters while awake, now you come knocking in my sleep? Life is tough…"Lin Qiye walked a few steps with ease, and soon, the outline of a mental hospital appeared before him.On the ancient plaque to his right, a line of large characters was engraved.— The Gods' Mental Hospital.Lin Qiye walked up to the large door and stood still. As his fingers touched the circular ring on the door, the ground trembled slightly!The mist around him suddenly began to swirl.Lin Qiye grasped the ring, his face full of confusion.What the heck? I haven't even knocked yet, why is it shaking?This didn't happen before, did it?Suddenly, an idea struck him like a flash of lightning.Could it be because… he opened his eyes today?Lin Qiye lowered his head, looking at his body in the dream. His eyes gradually lit up.In the past, Lin Qiye's body in the dream was semi-transparent, almost like mist drifting away. But today, his body was much more solid, though still not entirely tangible, it was no longer transparent.He suddenly raised his head, gazing at the massive door that had blocked him for five years, his gaze growing more intense.Today… maybe it will work!He took a deep breath, clenched the ring tightly, and forcefully slammed it against the door!"Ding—!"An ancient bell rang from within the mental hospital, much louder than before. Fortunately, Lin Qiye didn't have a body now, otherwise, his eardrums would have been blasted with pain.As the bell rang, the entire mental hospital began to tremble violently!There's hope! Lin Qiye's eyes lit up."Ding—!""Ding—!!""Ding—!!!"Lin Qiye didn't stop. He knocked three more times in quick succession, and the mental hospital seemed to shake like an earthquake!Finally, after the last knock, there was a loud crash from within the mental hospital, and everything fell silent again…Just as Lin Qiye was about to knock again, the door in front of him let out a dull creaking sound and slowly began to move.The door… opened."Vroom—Boom!"Once the door was fully open, an ancient and dimly lit hallway appeared before Lin Qiye.The floor of the hallway seemed to be made of some strange material, glowing faintly, while the walls on either side held floating orbs of light, giving off a mysterious and eerie atmosphere.Lin Qiye walked down this hallway, and soon, a fork in the path appeared. Above the fork, a modern-looking sign hung."Left is the wards, right is the activity area…" Lin Qiye mumbled as he looked at the sign. "This layout… is exactly like the mental hospital I stayed in back then?"After hesitating for a moment, Lin Qiye first walked into the activity area.There weren't many rooms in the activity area, but all the necessary facilities were present—there was a multimedia room for watching TV and movies, a lounge for playing chess and relaxing, a study room for reading and learning… and even an outdoor circular lawn inside the building, with all sorts of sports equipment scattered around."Exactly the same. This dream is really strange." Lin Qiye furrowed his brow, shaking his head in confusion.After touring the activity area, he turned back and walked toward the ward area.When he reached the entrance of the ward area, Lin Qiye suddenly stopped."This place… is different." Lin Qiye muttered to himself, staring at the dark and monotonous hallway ahead.He clearly remembered that back when he stayed in Sunshine Mental Hospital, there were several floors in the wards, and although the facilities weren't exactly top-notch, at least they were clean and tidy.But the ward area in front of him only had one floor, and there were only six rooms.The doors of these six rooms were covered with strange symbols and patterns, dense and intricate, like some kind of seal. Just looking at them made Lin Qiye dizzy and light-headed.He forcibly diverted his gaze and steadied himself, looking elsewhere.At the top right of the ward area, there was an ancient room sign hanging. Each room sign had a different pattern, none of them identical.For example, the room sign of Ward One, where Lin Qiye was standing, depicted a large black circle.The room sign of Ward Two had an image of something resembling a staff or a pen.Lin Qiye walked down the hallway, reaching the last, sixth room. He looked at the room signs, but still had no clue.He stared at the eerie doors ahead, lost in thought.In this mental hospital within his dream, the only thing different from the Sunshine Mental Hospital in his memory was the ward area.So, were there really patients living in these rooms?Or, just as the mental hospital's name suggested, were gods living here?After a brief hesitation, Lin Qiye slowly extended his hand toward the door handle of the sixth room.It wasn't that Lin Qiye was reckless. On the one hand, this was his dream, so even if something went wrong, it wouldn't have any major consequences. On the other hand, after knocking on this door for five years, he didn't want to leave without answers.And in the depths of his subconscious, he felt that perhaps there was something related to him inside this mental hospital?Why else would it be laid out exactly like the Sunshine Mental Hospital he stayed in?Lin Qiye's hand slowly approached, his fingertips lightly brushing the door handle, sending a cool sensation through his body.There was no expected resistance or pain, and his hand naturally grasped the handle.He yanked it!He stood still, exerting all his strength, and yanked again!Still nothing.Lin Qiye gave up on this room, walked to the fifth room's door, and pulled it with all his might.It still wouldn't open.With a resigned attitude, Lin Qiye yanked the handle of the first room."Click—!"A soft sound came from the handle, and the intricate patterns and symbols etched into the door shattered, gradually dissipating into the air.Lin Qiye was startled, stepping back several paces, his eyes fixed on the door ahead!The door… opened.