The golden light painted a cityscape on the mirage. It layered it with a soft sheen of glory. Gu Jun’s heart warmed like a drowning man being given a breath of air. The miraculous city had large pavilions and gardens in bloom. Everything was clean and perfect. It made him excited but also fearful from disbelief. City of Dusk, Rudolph Carter Foundation, can they be real? The organization that Gu Jun and Yu Chi had been searching for which could save their worlds? Was this not an illusion? Or any trick by the enemies…

“Our foundation’s goal is to help and unite all kinds of human worlds to prevent the spread of darkness…” The powerful male voice continued. They were standing on the marble-paved street. Verdant trees lined and vibrant flowers bloomed down the streets. There were also ivory statues and great architecture with red-colored tiles. Pebbled alleys snaked between the houses and opened up into emerald-colored lawns. This City of Dusk was like a paradise.

“But, we have many limitations… We cannot conduct live communication and access to various worlds… We need the other party to receive and accept our transmission first… Gu Jun, after you and Yu Chi gained contact with us, we have been making our moves… I know you are still suspicious but remember, the Great Old Ones and Nyarlathothep are not the only power in this universe… There are other powers and existence…

“Common humans can become strong too without losing themselves… Rudolph Carter is the perfect example…”

These statements inspired Gu Jun, it caused his heart to beat stronger. Human beings could gain immense strength by requesting it from the Great Old Ones but that would require paying a hefty price. However, Gu Jun was told now there were other methods…. ‘Who is this Rudolph Carter?’ Names possessed power and this name radiated a light and glory but at the same time, a kinship that was unique between human beings. ‘What kind of person is this…’

“This City of Dusk was created by Rudolph Carter…” The man continued with adoration, “We are following in his path… He experienced adventures that are far more dangerous than we can imagine, we only know parts of them. He has seen through Nyarlathothep’s tricks and looked into Yog-Sothoth… Currently he is missing, but his legacy remains. This city is one of them… We… too can…” Gu Jun believed he saw a tall figure standing at the tallest building looking out over the city. But the vision swam and his consciousness was pulled away. “Your world will face greater danger because it has been targeted by these dark forces… When you return, try to make contact with us but there is no need to rush… Due to temporal limitation and the weakness of your physique and mind, we cannot channel power directly into you… Instead we will send aid in a manner that you can understand. You need to wait for it to recover, digest and accept it. Then you’ll understand how to contact us….

“Remember, do not lose hope, we still have a chance…”

Then Gu Jun could hear not only the man’s voice but also the others on the street calling him, cheering for him. “Turn towards light, never despair!” For some reason, Gu Jun’s eyes wetted. Perhaps it was the realization that the fighters from Mysterium World and Phecda World were never alone…

“Go back home! Your friends are waiting for you, bon voyage!” Suddenly, the glow from the setting sun intensified. A powerful and warm energy enveloped him.

Prof Armitage on the ground already perished, a pool of bloody pus was what was left of it. The reading room was cracking, the script was disintegrating too. Gu Jun could feel himself rising. He did not do anything and he was dropped inside a rainbow-like space. However, none of the colorful light was blinding to the eyes. If anything, they made him feel rejuvenated. He felt like he was getting reacquainted with his body. The familiar broken pinkie, the familiar scars, the familiar PEEK polymer… Gu Jun never expected he’d one day miss these wounds and deformities.

Not only that, another sense of awareness returned. His hands became dexterous and his heart beat stronger. His previous two abilities had returned. They had all returned. In his sea of mind, the ball of chaos glowed in gold. The power from City of Dusk was streaming into it. Soon among the blur, he believed he saw the chaos reform into a menu, the system’s interface…

“Ah!” Gu Jun gasped in shock. This had to be the ‘aid’ that the foundation spoke of. This was indeed a welcome aid. The transformation occurred fast in the space channel. Gu Jun felt like he was an asteroid flying through space. Then, he saw a familiar blue planet. His consciousness suddenly snapped into place. His body filled with strength.

With a bang, Gu Jun landed heavily onto the ground. There were minor pains. He took a deep breath and raised his eyes to look around. It was a paddy field. The paddy stalks were golden in ripeness. Blazing sun hung in the sky and cicadas called from the shadows. Not far from the paddy field was a stretch of road. There were electric poles and lines, cars zoomed down the street. This did not look like a secluded village but probably a metropolis’ countryside outskirts.

“My backpack…” Gu Jun then discovered his backpack landing beside him. He picked it up to inspect. All his Carlot instruments were still there. He stood up and touched his left hand, forehead and his crotch. Yes, it was his old body. The statements by the people from the foundation echoed in his mind again. He looked to his sea of consciousness, an interface was there. But different from the previous system, this interface had a gilded edge. This power appeared to present itself in the form of a system, to guide him to improve himself, and lead him to the City of Dusk.

Gu Jun tried to open it but as the man said, it was still uploading. Gu Jun had to wait for it to come fully online. Gu Jun had to remind himself to be cautious, he mustn’t place his trust too easily on unknown people; but on the other hand, he couldn’t help but be excited, he seemed to have found the correct ally this time. There were many thoughts that he needed to sift through.

“I’ve left the world of King in Yellow, the shackles Nyarlathothep has on me is broken.” Gu Jun looked around, yes it did feel different. There was no feeling of suspension. The place felt real. Gu Jun felt sorry that he did not have the chance to read Necronomicon or even say farewell to Bob and Jennifer. Even though their contact was brief, he was indeed well taken care of by his fictional family… he hoped that they had a happy ending…

With caution regarding his surroundings, Gu Jun picked up his backpack. Many faces crossed his mind, some of them were his enemies. ‘I’m back, Phecda World…’

As the cicadas sang, Gu Jun walked out from the paddy field, towards the street, towards home.