It was a massive steel gate, the frame intricately carved with strange, obscure, and indecipherable runes.
Bai Ye looked up, feeling the weight of the colossal gate, and simultaneously, a surge of excitement.
Ten years!
A full ten years!
For a decade, Bai Ye had awaited this day, and now, he had finally made it, finally stood before this gate.
This would be his…
Final battle on the World Battlefield!
…
It all traced back to sixty years ago.
Perhaps the gods in the heavens, bored and seeking amusement, decided to stir things up. The peaceful world subtly changed. That day, a colossal shadow blotted out the sky, and then, a vast number of humans vanished.
Because, the World Battlefield had opened!
From then on, every ten years, a large number of people would disappear, and the World Battlefield would randomly summon beings from parallel worlds of various civilizations, sending them into its depths.
Zombies roamed the ruins beneath the apocalypse, dragons soared in the skies, ready to unleash their fiery breath, vengeful spirits from the Nine Hells crawled into the mortal realm, and in abandoned warehouses, machines whirred, and mechanical fanatics emerged from conveyor belts.
It was a place teeming with endless danger, where a single misstep could cost one their life.
Only those who survived to the end were granted the right to leave.
Within the battlefield, it was life or death!
Only those who emerged victorious, who laughed last, would live. The rest would only be buried within its confines.
Those who survived were called—the Chosen!
Bai Ye was one of the Chosen. Ten years ago, Bai Ye had been sent into the World Battlefield!
Then, for an entire decade, Bai Ye had endured countless battles, finally arriving before this gate. As long as he stepped through this door and completed the final fight, he could leave!
At the same time, Bai Ye waved his hand to the side. The air beside him suddenly distorted, and a machine abruptly descended from the sky, landing with a clang beside Bai Ye.
That thing…
Was a gashapon machine!
Bai Ye felt a bit awkward, pulling out such a contraption on the eve of a major battle. But in reality, this thing was Bai Ye's most powerful weapon.
Bai Ye could obtain various items and abilities from those gashapons, including some unimaginably powerful ones. This was the very reason Bai Ye was able to stand here today.
Bai Ye took a deep breath and turned the gashapon machine. Soon, a golden gashapon dropped out.
Bai Ye's eyes lit up. A golden gashapon could yield the most powerful items, the most formidable abilities.
He was going to leave the World Battlefield, he was sure of it!
Thinking this, Bai Ye picked up the gashapon and twisted it open. Inside was a golden card, bearing the words: Try Again!
"?"
Bai Ye was instantly bewildered. What was going on?
What kind of weapon or ability was "Try Again"?
Did his gashapon machine have such things?
Suddenly, Bai Ye noticed the air around him begin to distort. A vast expanse of white radiance appeared without warning, enveloping him!
…
After an unknown duration, as the light gradually dispersed, the scenery before Bai Ye's eyes slowly came into focus.
Then…
Bai Ye was dumbfounded!
Towering buildings, their exteriors weathered and showing signs of damage everywhere. Rubble littered the streets, and abandoned vehicles lined the roads. Pedestrian crossing barriers had long since collapsed. The entire city was desolate and ruined, imbued with an indescribable sense of dead silence.
"The apocalyptic ruins zone?"
Bai Ye stared around in astonishment. This was a region within the World Battlefield. Why had he appeared here?
Just then…
"Welcome to the World Battlefield, all Chosen."
"From this moment on, you will battle for the Divine Stones, for only by collecting ten Divine Stones can you leave the World Battlefield."
"The Gate of the Gods welcomes the truly brave."
"Finally…"
"We wish you good luck!"
…
A voice echoed in Bai Ye's ears, followed by a projected light screen that materialized before his eyes.
September 10, 2125!
Bai Ye's eyes widened as he looked at the date displayed in the top right corner of the screen.
Ten years ago?
Bai Ye would never forget this date, because…
It was the day he was chosen and sent into the World Battlefield!
"I've returned?"
Bai Ye's expression was somewhat stiff, completely unable to comprehend what was happening. He had clearly fought on the World Battlefield for ten years, evaded countless dangers, battled countless beings from different worlds, and endured unimaginable life-and-death struggles to collect ten Divine Stones. All he needed was to push open that final Gate of the Gods and complete the last battle to leave the World Battlefield.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Bai Ye. He remembered the golden card from the gashapon, the "Try Again" on it, and then looked again at the projected light screen.
Participant: Bai Ye
Combat Power: 22 (Gray)
Divine Stones: 0/10
Divine Stone Fragments: 0/99
Held Items: Loki's Gashapon Machine
Indeed, in the Held Items section, Bai Ye saw the gashapon machine. He then waved his hand, and the air beside him distorted. The massive gashapon machine appeared out of nowhere, crashing heavily onto the ground.
As the gashapon machine whirred, a large green gashapon dropped out. Bai Ye casually twisted it open, revealing a handgun.
Glock 17, magazine capacity 17 rounds, polymer grip, simple and lightweight. It could empty 17 rounds in a short time and was a high-performance handgun, accompanied by ten magazines.
"Damn it, is this what 'Try Again' meant?"
Bai Ye was almost certain that his return to ten years ago was most likely the gashapon machine's doing. Yet, a sliver of hope remained, wishing it was all a lie, especially since ten years of effort had been in vain.
That feeling was unbearable, like finally getting to a point with the goddess you'd been pursuing for so long, only to discover she had her period.
It was infuriating!
"Speaking of which…" Bai Ye muttered, "I was quite frustrated ten years ago too."
Bai Ye vaguely recalled how miserable he had been when he first entered the World Battlefield ten years ago.
Because Bai Ye's world was a peaceful one, devoid of war and well-ordered, he possessed almost no combat ability.
Even more unlucky, Bai Ye remembered being chased relentlessly by someone from a martial arts world as soon as he entered the World Battlefield. He had been thoroughly humiliated and disheveled. If he hadn't been quick-witted enough to use the complex terrain of the apocalyptic ruins to hide in the sewers, he might have already become a pile of bones upon entering the World Battlefield.
Just then…
"Looks like you're my first prey?"
A voice suddenly sounded from behind Bai Ye.
…