CHAPTER 391: 0333 TURNING BACK IS NOT AN EASY PATH (PART 1)_1

[Name: No Return Path (Deceased, Soul)]

[Appearance: A road paved with bone bricks that are pale yellow in color, starting from the entrance of the Realm of the Dead. It passes through well-known landmarks like the "Gate of the Deceased," "Nest of Crows of Death Report," "Black and White Bridge," "Yellow Springs River," "Mortician’s Corridor," "Burial Garment Mirror Lake," "Corpse Soil Black Forest," "Baigu Palace," "Sage’s Cemetery," "City of Regret," and "Ghostly Mire," extending all the way to the deepest point, the "Cliff of the End."]

[Ability: Shedding of the Corpse, Soul Purification]

[Cost: Cannot be used by the living. If completely killed, or if the Contamination Value is lower than 60 at the time of death, one will automatically become a user of the No Return Path.]

[File: This ancient road has existed for nearly as long as the Realm of the Dead and was created by the Overlords of the Dead Realm, the "First Deceased." It laid the bricks by pulverizing bones from its own corpse, forged with its Soulfire.

Newly dead souls walking on it gradually shed all remnants from their previous life as they venture deeper into the realm. They remove their clothes and skin, disperse flesh and blood textures, erode bones and organs, purify will and memory, and finally leap from the "Cliff of the End," returning completely to the world.

However, among the users of the No Return Path, those who refuse to believe they have died will wander within the "Mortician’s Corridor," endlessly reliving their death in this maze without an exit and witnessing the world after their demise until they accept death.

As for those who are obsessed with their identity and appearance and cannot shed the garments woven from their souls or forget their life’s image, they will remain by the "Burial Garment Mirror Lake," looking at their living reflection on the lake’s surface until they give up maintaining all false facades.

Those who indulge in the worship of power, or still have a longing for their flesh and blood form, will be taken to the "Corpse Soil Black Forest" to walk within it...]

[Evaluation: Don’t touch it; this isn’t something you should be dealing with right now.]

[Contamination Value: Stays the same as the user, granting each deceased an equal termination.]

...

Sage’s Cemetery... Burial Garment Mirror Lake...

Wasn’t that the cemetery where the Third Generation Director was buried, and the large lake where Senior Emma often stayed?

After recalling the scenes from before, Leon’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

According to the system’s introduction, the surface of the "Burial Garment Mirror Lake" could reflect the deceased’s appearance from their "previous life," and all of Senior Emma’s kin were dead. She inherited the lives of her people.

*When she looked at the lake, was she seeing her own face, or those of the original owners of the Crows of Death Report?*

"Sorry."

After vaguely understanding why Senior Emma preferred staying by the lake, Leon slowly withdrew his hand from touching the bone bricks. He shook his head at her, who looked quite tense, and gave a slightly apologetic smile.

"Senior Emma, the information provided by my ability leans more toward ’users,’ and this path can only be used by the deceased. I haven’t found a way to keep it from affecting the living; sorry about that."

"I see..."

Hearing Leon’s words, a trace of disappointment flashed in Emma’s eyes, yet she shook her head and responded in a gentle tone,

"You needn’t apologize to me. It’s normal to have no means in the face of something like the No Return Path. In fact, I should apologize to you. I shouldn’t have let you come into contact with something so dangerous because of... certain reasons."

"It’s okay."

Recalling the solitary figure by the lake, Leon shook his head to indicate it was fine. Then he sincerely and actively spoke,

"You saved my sister’s life, gave me weapons when I first joined the Bureau, taught me what to watch out for during missions, showed me how to protect myself, and even went so far as to protect me by going down with the Goddess of Fortune.

Senior Emma, I won’t repeat my gratitude. If there’s anything I can help you with, I hope you’ll tell me. As long as it’s possible to do, I’ll do my utmost to accomplish it."

"I... I do have something I’d like to ask you."

After looking gratefully at Leon, Emma, whose complexion was still rather pale, took a deep breath. She then willingly held his hand, bit her lip, and said,

"Leon, my... my regrets are too many, and this road is too difficult for me. So, if possible, I hope you can walk it with me.

When we reach the Black and White Bridge, further ahead we would provoke the No Return Path. If I suddenly stop or want to turn back, you must wake me up!"

"Mm."

After hearing Emma’s request, Leon nodded slightly, grasped her somewhat cold hand tightly, and then spoke with a face full of seriousness,

"I will definitely do that!"

"Thank you..."

After making an agreement, the two, who had stopped not far from the Red-haired Director, held hands once more and started to walk toward the majestic bridge, built with black and white stones, that stretched over the turbid Yellow River.

Along the wide and winding No Return Path, newly deceased souls, accompanied by the Crows of Death Report, walked forward. Some wailing in grief, some lost and at a loss, and others with eyes full of confusion stumbled toward the depths of the Realm of the Dead.

Compared to these uncertain souls whose bodies and wills were even occasionally incomplete, Leon and Emma, the only two with living, substantial bodies, who could "walk backward" on this path, should have been the heavier ones.

But when Leon dodged too late and collided "head-on" with a hunched old man, passing right through each other, he was surprised to find that he seemed to have turned into a puddle of water or even a piece of air. Something incredibly solid seemed to have passed through his body unobstructed.

"Don’t worry, this is the rule of the death realm. In the Realm of the Dead, the soul is greater than everything, while the physical body doesn’t exist."

Carefully avoiding a young deceased with a face full of angry blade wounds, who was walking quickly toward him, Senior Emma seemed to notice the puzzled look on Leon’s face and explained,

"The world’s rules are above all else. Therefore, when traversing different worlds, our souls and bodies, or rather our ’existence’ itself, must adapt to the current world’s rules.

Just as descending Holy Spirits and True Gods will form flesh and likewise need to breathe and eat, the living entering the Realm of the Dead with their bodies will also follow the rules of the death realm, with their existence accordingly adapting to the world."

As she spoke, she squat down slightly and stopped in front of a sobbing little girl, gently giving her a hug.

Yet this young deceased passed through Senior Emma’s body as if walking through a breeze, continuing toward the depths of the Realm of the Dead.