However, not all dreams were an Eden.
In the "Nightmare Zone," the desolate and dark fringe of the dreamscape, wails of agony echoed everywhere.
Once the veneer of civilization was stripped away and desires were infinitely magnified, humans exposed their nature's more twisted aspects than those of any wild beast.
Reflected in the mirror was an arms dealer, once a man who played God with world events, now using his canine teeth to tear open the throat of his own kind.
Blood splattered across his hideous face; even as his spirit endured the phantom agony of ten thousand arrows piercing his heart, a fanatical bloodlust still flickered in his eyes.
The Nightmare Realm was the ultimate amplifier of good and evil intent. Here, malice acted like a plague, completely overwhelming whatever remnants of humanity remained.
"Unrepentant until the end."
The Beast God's voice was like the cracking of a glacier—devoid of emotion.
The chill that had slightly thawed at the sight of the earlier warmth froze solid once more in an instant.
—The two chances had both been exhausted.
She had thought that pain might catalyze a conscience, only to find that for some souls, rotten to the very marrow, pain was merely fuel for madness.
Suddenly, a grand oracle, bone-chilling to the soul, pierced the void like a thunderclap:
"Attention to all within the dream: this dream trial is about to conclude."
An invisible force instantly tore the consciousness of billions from the dreamscape.
In the final second before returning to reality, five blood-red words were branded into everyone's hazy vision, hanging like sharpened blades over their necks:
[LIST GENERATING...]
"The Great One, why give these 'humans' chance after chance?" The Nightmare Beast withdrew its dream powers, its tone thick with bewilderment.
The Beast God stood atop the void, Her fingertip brushing across space as if plucking a string of Karma that no one else could hear.
"Since they cannot be redeemed, let them see the truest form of their souls within the Judgment."
She did not turn back, but Her voice seemed to travel from eons ago, carrying an inexplicable sigh:
"Because in the beginning of chaos, all spirits shared a single root. The 'humans' you see today as lowly and twisted once shared the same origin as you and Qinghong."
The Nightmare Beast felt as though it had been struck by lightning; its pupils contracted sharply.
It opened its mouth, something in the depths of its soul stirred by those words—a sense of absurd yet shivering resonance. It wanted to ask more.
But the Beast God merely waved a hand, refusing further scrutiny.
"Go. Everything... has already been decided."
As the oracle fell, everyone's consciousness was violently yanked back to reality.
Green Pheasant Country, 3:00 AM.
Zhizhi snapped his eyes open, pursing his lips in regret. He hadn't had the chance to eat a single "strawberry cracker" made by "Mama" in the dream.
"Sigh—" Zhizhi exhaled.
And the entire world, at that moment, fell into a sigh of deathly silence.
It was a sleep like no other. The globe fell into an eerily calm state; even as alarms blared frantically, those who were mentally exhausted remained submerged in a state of "post-judgment collapse".
However, this calm was shattered in an instant within a command center thousands of meters underground.
The Minister of Defense was the first to wake. He felt no comfort in waking, but rather a bone-deep chill—it was too quiet. He slammed a fist onto the desk, the loud bang jolting the officials awake, who had been slumbering.
"Stop sleeping! Look at the screens!"
The technical expert in charge of communications felt his pupils shrink, his voice trembling: "...The broadcast... It's off."
The sentence was like a thunderclap in a clear sky.
The "Divine Broadcast," which had hung over the heads of all humanity for twenty-four hours, playing without interruption, was gone. The screens that once held images of execution were now nothing but a pitch-black void.
In that instant, the world erupted.
Some cheered frantically, believing the apocalypse had ended; others fell into a deep, abyss-like terror, seeing it as an omen of total annihilation.
Everyone instinctively grabbed their phones, trying to confirm through the chaotic network: Was the Beast God's game over, or was this the prelude to an even grander catastrophe?
[I can't see the broadcast... is everyone the same?]
[Me too! Is it finally over... (weeping with joy)]
Just as the internet was awash with the joy of survival, the screens flickered slightly. The broadcast opened once again.
The New Su Qiang, the New Mad Dog, and the rest of the 165 "humans" were packed densely into the frame.
To accommodate this crowd of twisted subjects, the edges of the screen seemed to have been forcibly stretched by some external power, exuding a nauseating sense of wrongness.
"It seems... a lot of people missed us." The New Su Qiang's lips curled upward, his tone trailing off into a mocking, wicked playfulness.
—No one missed you. This was the only consensus shared by billions of people across the globe at that moment.
"But what can be done? By the grace of our Goddess, you are granted a day of rest today." He paused, his eyes turning cold and dark. "Remember to thank the Beast God for Her 'mercy'."
As his words fell, their figures flickered and vanished like signal interference, but the screens did not go dark.
Deep within the background, from that space composed of chaotic mist, came a sound that made one's teeth ache and heart wither—it wasn't simple chewing, but sounded more like massive gears forcibly grinding down heavy weights, accompanied by the sizzling of viscous tissue being dissolved.
The comment section fell deathly silent for a moment before exploding.
—[I'm alive! Kneeling in thanks to the Beast God for sparing my life!]
—[I don't have to watch the skinning livestreams anymore! Is it really over?]
However, before the tears of gratitude could dry, they were drowned out by a new wave of dense wailing.
—[AAAGH! My boss told me to come back to work! He said since the executions are suspended, it's back to a 007 schedule immediately to make up for the last three days of KPIs!]
—[Help! Is this a 'stay of execution'? The project lead sent a notice: since we don't have to watch the stream, it's the perfect time to pull an all-nighter fixing bugs!]
—[(Going insane) Hahahaha! The Beast God gave me a day off, but my boss gave me a lifetime of work! I don't even know which one is the bigger 'God' anymore!]
—[Mine is worse. HR emailed saying to 'thank us for our perseverance', this weekend's break is canceled, plus everyone must attend a stray dog rescue event on Sunday... kill me now!]
The clamor of the virtual world and the absurdity of reality formed a grotesque reflection.
On the streets, signs of life began to stir. Some hurried along, while others strolled with the air of survivors.
The only difference was that the wealthy, who once viewed small animals as mere dust, now acted like startled birds.
They carefully avoided every ant on the ground and bowed respectfully to every stray cat they encountered.
One man even pulled a gold-plated business card from his bespoke suit, bowed ninety degrees, and humbly presented it to a grey pigeon pecking for food on the plaza, muttering:
"Brother Pigeon, if you want to eat anything in the future, just find me. This is my contact info, open twenty-four hours..."
Before he finished, he slapped himself hard. The crisp sound sent the pigeon fluttering away in fright. Ignoring the red mark on his face, he cursed his own "pig brain": How is a pigeon supposed to make a phone call? I've truly been driven mad by fear!
He looked around nervously, terrified someone had seen the gaffe, then straightened his clothes and strode away.
In the face of ultimate terror, human dignity was crushed into powder, leaving only the most primitive survival instinct.
For most ordinary people, this "reprieve" was merely a switch from a bloody torture to a slow, chronic torment called "living".
Green Pheasant Country, inside a luxury suite of a remote hotel.
The faint sound of water came from the bathroom. Zhizhi was meticulously cleaning himself—a habit he held even as a fancy rat: he loved being clean.
He looked into the mirror. This time, he didn't avoid the "murderer's" face; instead, he allowed a faint smile. It was a sign of total reconciliation with the past and a sprint toward the future.
For that future, he had to return to Tian Shuangxin as soon as possible.
At that moment, a wisp of faint golden light pulsed deep within his abdomen. Though it vanished in the blink of an eye, it carried a refreshing warmth. Just as he tried to examine it—
Knock, knock, knock.
A gentle but undeniable rapping came from the door.
Zhizhi instinctively shrank his neck, wanting to find a pile of wood shavings to burrow into, but he forced himself to stop: Don't be jumpy. You're a 'human' now; you can't shame the Rat Tribe.
The door opened, and two Guardians in black uniforms entered with a bow. The eerie green collars around their necks shimmered with a soft glow, and their eyes held absolute obedience.
"Lord Zhizhi," the leader said in a low voice. "By order of 'Hive', we're here to escort you back to your country. The private jet is ready. Shall we depart now?"
Though the name "Hive" was unfamiliar, the familiar ripple of divine power from the men was undeniable.
At the Pheasant City Airport, morning mist lingered.
The once-disposable lab rat was now a "Lord" surrounded by attendants, with crowds bowing and averting their eyes in fear.
This absurd reversal of status made Zhizhi feel as though he were in a dream. Just as his foot touched the boarding stairs, a grand and gentle voice boomed in his mind like a holy spring cleansing his soul:
"Zhizhi."
The voice of the Beast God.
Zhizhi shuddered. The Guardians around him noticed nothing, but he alone heard the whisper from the Divine Realm amidst the silent reality.
"You endured agony in a rat's frame, yet guarded kindness with a human heart. The bond of your soul has moved even Qinghong."
There was a hint of imperceptible warmth in Her voice. "I hereby appoint you as the Anchor of 'Livestream Room A'—to wield the authority of judgment, to look down upon the sins of all beings, and to decide the fate of life and death. Do you accept?"
"Livestream Room A". It was the very fountainhead of global terror, a throne that dictated the laws of causality.
To possess it meant transforming from a mere pawn into the grandmaster of the board. The temptation surged like a tidal wave, threatening to submerge his small soul.
Zhizhi slowly raised his hand, his fingertips brushing against the skin that had once inflicted so much agony.
He remembered the despair in Tian Shuangxin's eyes; he remembered the blood-red thread connecting them—a bond far heavier than any crown.
"...Thank you for Your grace, my Great Beast God."
Zhizhi's voice was soft, yet it carried a stubborn, unwavering tenderness.
"But I... I only want to go home and see her."
He declined the supreme authority, choosing instead to be a soul that could simply seek comfort in her embrace.
He chose to remain within the skin of Sato, to be a "sinner" with a human identity—at least this way, he could return to Tian Shuangxin's side.
He could use these hands to wipe away her tears, these eyes to see her smile again, and this body with its extended lifespan to... accompany her for a long, long time.
The Beast God fell silent for a moment. There was no rebuke, no attempt to sway him. Only a faint sound—half-sigh, half-recognition—echoed in the void before Her presence completely withdrew from his mind.
At the same time, within the "Paradise", the old yellow dog lies quietly watching its only puppy.
The puppy ran freely across the vast grasslands, rolling and chasing butterflies. Seeing this, the old dog's weathered eyes filled with profound solace.
Suddenly, a divine light pierced the boundary between reality and spirit. The Beast God's transmission struck its consciousness like an electric current.
The old yellow dog snapped its head up. Its clouded eyes cleared instantly, sharpening with an unprecedented intensity and resolve.
It rose slowly, walked to its puppy's side, and circled it tenderly, licking its forehead.
With a firm gaze, it whispered to its puppy: "Little one, Mama has to leave for a while. I will come back to see you very soon."
Then, it turned resolutely and stepped toward a specific point in the void. Behind it, the puppy barked happily, as if cheering for its mother as it set out on its "expedition".