Ding-dong—
The sudden announcement interrupted Song Zang’s thoughts.
“We have arrived at Terminal 3. Passengers disembarking here, please exit promptly and do not miss your opportunity. There is no turning back on this journey… The next stop is Terminal 4. Passengers, please prepare.”
As the announcement sounded, the tide eagerly surging forward seemed to have its advance checked, granting everyone a brief opportunity to rest.
“Brother Xie, what does ‘no turning back’ mean? What happens if we get off at the wrong station?” Xiao Li Li asked curiously.
“You might miss your flight, you might die, or…” As Xie Chun Ye spoke, he carefully straightened Ning Si Si’s disheveled bangs. “It might open another branch of the storyline.”
Xiao Li Li’s eyes lit up. “Wouldn’t that be interesting?”
Qiu Shuang immediately smacked her in exasperation. “Li Li, getting carried away in here will kill you. Could you please behave yourself for the time being?”
Xiao Li Li gave an “Oh” and fiddled with the red emergency hammer in her hand, her face openly displaying her boredom now that nothing was happening.
The train came to a stop, and the doors opened automatically. The passengers who had narrowly escaped disaster were drenched in cold sweat and practically fled the carriage on unsteady legs.
Some people rushed to get off even though they clearly were not supposed to leave at Terminal 3.
“Ah!”
The scream vanished as quickly as it arose.
Those who should not have disembarked suddenly disappeared.
They were erased so completely that it was as though they had never existed in this world.
Before the survivors could react, the doors emitted two piercing beeps and closed again.
The subway train sped forward once more.
Boom—
Perhaps unable to bear the strain any longer, the rear carriages, which had been completely submerged by the tide, suddenly tore away from the front section and remained forever within the depths of the tunnel.
The cold wind inside the tunnel abruptly intensified. Several pieces of sheet metal hanging from the damaged connection between the carriages flapped wildly as the train raced onward.
One passenger was so frightened that he could not suppress two startled cries.
Immediately afterward, an extraordinarily powerful gust swept through the carriage. A sheet of metal snapped loose and flew toward the front at a speed so unnaturally fast that it defied common sense.
Qiu Shuang instinctively grabbed Lin Wen Jing and Xiao Li Li by their collars and yanked them backward. She used so much strength that Xiao Li Li nearly struck the back of her head hard enough to raise a lump.
The enormous sheet of metal shot past them and smashed into the passenger, splitting his head open and leaving him collapsed across the seat without the slightest sign of life.
Blood splattered across the side of Song Zang’s face.
He trembled violently in fright and shrank back into his seat, his face deathly pale. His reddened eyes instantly grew wet.
Xie Chun Ye helplessly searched his pocket, took out a packet of tissues, and handed it to him. “It’s all right. Wipe your face.”
“Thank you…”
Song Zang’s voice was extremely soft as he opened the packet with trembling hands.
Just as he was about to wipe his face, the tissue was burned to nothing by the invisible pale blue flames.
At least, Xie Chun Ye did not see it.
Only a few scattered ashes drifted through Song Zang’s fingers and stained one corner of his shirt.
Song Zang froze, then tentatively took out a second tissue.
This time, not even ash remained.
He suddenly felt somewhat aggrieved.
What exactly did it want? Bullying him earlier was one thing, but now it would not even let him clean the blood from his face. It had dirtied his clothes too. Horrible creature…
As he thought about it, tears began falling.
The sinister blue flames that had secretly revealed themselves abruptly froze.
They seemed to understand what Song Zang was thinking and hurriedly wound around his wrist, rubbing against him. The warm tongues of fire slid ingratiatingly across his palm.
The temperature was genuinely comfortable to Song Zang, like a disposable hand warmer. But if anyone else touched it, even their bones might be melted into liquid.
Song Zang seriously doubted whether it understood how destructive its flames were.
Although its attitude had suddenly improved, it still refused to allow him to use the tissues Xie Chun Ye had given him to wipe his face.
Where had this inexplicable possessiveness come from?
They had known each other for less than half a day.
Song Zang was thoroughly confused, but he did not persist in defying it.
Pretending to wipe away his tears, he raised an arm and carefully cleaned the blood from his face with his sleeve.
The creature was satisfied. It even seized the opportunity to lick the side of his face.
It was slightly hot.
And just like that, an expensive white shirt was ruined.
Song Zang stared blankly ahead, deeply distressed over the loss of his personal property. He sat there numbly without moving.
His mood was somewhat low, but everyone else appeared rather excited.
“Qiu Shuang, have you secretly been practicing martial arts behind our backs?” Xiao Li Li stared in astonishment while touching her stretched-out collar. “You hid it well, you freakishly strong woman.”
Qiu Shuang looked completely bewildered. “I-I don’t know either… Sister Jing Jing, are you all right?”
“I’m fine. You only nearly strangled me.”
Lin Wen Jing remained expressionless.
She wore a pristine, delicate white chiffon dress, but its neckline had been stretched two sizes wider.
“Pfft…” Xiao Li Li nearly failed to suppress her laughter.
“Quiet.”
Xie Chun Ye finally spoke, equally expressionless.
The two lively women instantly transformed into obedient quails and sat properly in their seats.
No further disturbances occurred during the remainder of the journey.
The remaining half of the subway train had been left forever in the depths of the tunnel, swallowed by the dark-red sea.
Naturally, many of the “blood clots” still clung to the severed rear of the train, creating the prickling sensation of danger at everyone’s backs.
Freshly grown fleshy tendrils gripped the broken sheet metal as though intending to take root there permanently. Like writhing carnivorous plants, they watched everyone inside the train hungrily, prepared to crack open their bones and suck out the marrow at any moment.
Clearly, the earlier announcement had not contained a single false word. There truly was no turning back on this journey.
The atmosphere inside the carriage remained oppressive. Song Zang worked hard to keep his eyes red, while some passengers quietly suppressed hoarse sobs.
Only Ning Si Si continued smiling happily, her gaze clear and innocent.
She seemed entirely unable to see the grotesque, revolting blood clots, the travelers who had abruptly died and collapsed, or anything capable of frightening her.
Xie Chun Ye had noticed this problem long ago.
He looked at Ning Si Si with a trace of deeper meaning in his eyes but said nothing. Without warning, he tugged one of her pigtails.
Ning Si Si: ??
Xie Chun Ye tugged it twice more.
Ding-dong—
“We have arrived at Terminal 4.”
At this moment, the cold, mechanical female voice sounded extraordinarily gentle and melodious, like music from heaven.
Xie Chun Ye released Ning Si Si’s pigtail.
The survivors had learned their lesson. Everyone remained silent, lowered their heads, and hurried off the train as though fleeing for their lives.
The instant everyone had left the carriage, the double doors closed swiftly.
The furious blood clots slammed madly against the doors. Dragging the filth behind it, the train began moving and rapidly sped toward the terminal station.
The red tide following closely behind swallowed the spacious tunnel whole.
A blue screen appeared before Song Zang once again.
【Game Title: “Journey Through Tianhai”
Assigned Role: None
Clearance Requirement: Take three different forms of transportation within Tianhai City and successfully reach the corresponding destinations. (2/3)
Optional Mission: Uncover the truth concealed behind Tianhai City. (30%)】
“One final stage remains.” Xie Chun Ye breathed a sigh of relief. “Stay alert. Escaping from an airplane will be extremely difficult, so be cautious in everything you say and do.”
His own novice instance back then had not been nearly so grotesque.
“By the way, does everyone still want to eat? I’m starting to feel hungry,” Xiao Li Li said, rubbing her stomach.
Qiu Shuang was the first to nod. “I’m hungry too! Come on, let’s buy more food.”
Xie Chun Ye did not stop them.
After a person’s emotions and body had been strained to their limits and then abruptly relaxed, feeling hungry was perfectly normal.
It was fortunate that the writhing blood clots had not disgusted them so much that they lost their appetites.
They all needed a considerable amount of energy now, lest they become incapable of running later.
Qiu Shuang and Xiao Li Li returned with piles of takeaway food, while Xie Chun Ye led Song Zang and the others to a nearby congee, rice-noodle, and noodle shop close to the boarding gate.
Lin Wen Jing paid and bought everyone a bowl of steaming soup noodles. They were expensive because they were sold inside an airport, but the flavor was passable.
Many travelers sat around the restaurant, most of them survivors from the same subway train.
Everyone remained shaken and discussed the bizarre incidents aboard the train with those around them.
At some point, Xiao Li Li joined their discussion and chatted enthusiastically.
Only Song Zang looked timid and helpless as he lowered his head and ate his noodles exceptionally quickly.
It was as though the bowl of noodles was the only outlet through which he dared vent his emotions.
Xie Chun Ye glanced at him several more times and could not resist adjusting his glasses again.
“After we leave the instance, add my contact information. My WeChat ID is ‘winterpeace,’” Xie Chun Ye told Song Zang. “You really are strange. I’ve never met a player as weak as you.”
Song Zang: ?
He did not understand what had prompted this. Lowering his chopsticks, he said softly, “Brother Xie, I don’t have a phone.”
Xie Chun Ye froze. “What do you mean?”
“I can’t afford one. I’m very poor.”
Song Zang lowered his eyes, appearing exceptionally pitiful.
Xie Chun Ye glanced at the thin shirt Song Zang wore and his jeans, which had faded slightly from repeated washing. Realization dawned upon him.
It seemed Song Zang was so poor that he could barely survive, which was why the game system had selected him as a player.
Xie Chun Ye had previously met people with circumstances similar to Song Zang’s. Inside the game, their potential would usually be awakened, or they would reveal a ruthless fearlessness toward death… Yet the instance was almost over, and Song Zang remained as frail and timid as ever.
His temperament was too weak, and he lacked the ability to stand on his own. No wonder someone so beautiful could still be impoverished enough to go hungry.
Had the system encountered a bug while selecting players?
Xie Chun Ye suddenly felt that Song Zang was an extremely unusual case worthy of continued observation—provided he did not die.
“Which city do you live in?” he asked.
“Hai City,” Song Zang answered obediently.
“Do you know the Pearl Tower north of Hai City? There’s a temple inside. After we leave, I’ll buy you a phone and place it behind the incense donation box for Manjushri Bodhisattva. Remember to collect it.”
“Brother Xie, I don’t nee—”
“Survive the instance first.” Xie Chun Ye gave him no opportunity to object. He picked up his chopsticks and began eating his noodles in large mouthfuls.
Song Zang could only nod obediently, maintaining his submissive disposition.
He had already finished his soup noodles and was now eating the butter bread Qiu Shuang had purchased.
At that moment, Xiao Li Li returned, carrying two large bowls of steamed dumplings given to her by the travelers at the neighboring table.
“Brother Xie, are all the people inside these games really only NPCs?” She placed the steamed dumplings on the table. “The guy at the next table was wonderful. The two of us got along like old friends from the moment we met.”
Song Zang stopped eating and secretly pricked up his ears, lightly dragging the plastic fork back and forth across the slice of bread.
“Of course. Even if they die once, they’ll restart when the instance opens again,” Xie Chun Ye said flatly. He adjusted Ning Si Si’s pigtails, speaking with deliberate implication. “That includes her, so you don’t need to feel guilty.”
“In other words, these NPCs are merely data?” Lin Wen Jing softly interjected.
Xie Chun Ye shook his head. “None of you carefully examined the entire Points Shop, did you? At the very bottom, there’s a special exchange category.”
Song Zang froze, then hurriedly opened his status panel and scrolled to the bottom.
【Special Items:
- Convert an instance NPC into a living person: 5 billion points per individual.
- Convert a human corpse into a randomly assigned instance NPC: 300 million points per individual.
Note: Animals are eligible for exchange. Limited-time promotion: 50% discount.】
“Holy shit, that’s incredible!” Qiu Shuang stared in astonishment. “Could I put my dead cat into a game instance?”
“Of course, but you would need to provide the body or eighty percent of its ashes,” Xie Chun Ye said. After a pause, he continued, “And NPC assignment is random. You wouldn’t know which instance your cat had been placed in, so you would need to keep entering games for the possibility of finding it again.”
“I see… No wonder it only costs three hundred million.”
Lin Wen Jing glanced at Qiu Shuang. “Then if a player dies, is there still a chance to revive them?”
“There is. As long as you can bring the player’s corpse out of the instance, exchange them into an NPC, locate them within a random instance, and then exchange them back into a living person…” Xie Chun Ye smiled. “A top player once tried to revive his lover that way. Unfortunately, before he could find his lover, he unexpectedly died inside an instance.”
Everyone fell silent after hearing this. Xie Chun Ye solemnly emphasized once more, “So rather than hoping someone else will resurrect you, find a way to preserve your own life. Leaving this place alive matters more than anything.”
Song Zang silently memorized the information and likewise said nothing.
As he listened, he used the plastic fork to carve Xiao Bai’s likeness into the bread.
Song Zang’s control over his strength was perfect, without the slightest wasted movement.
It was a fluffy, cheerful-looking large dog with its mouth open and tongue hanging out. Its gaze was clear and slightly foolish.
Just then, something tightened abruptly around Song Zang’s left wrist. His hand rose uncontrollably, seemingly intending to destroy the bread and eliminate all evidence of it.
A cold gleam flashed through Song Zang’s black eyes as he forcibly resisted the terrifying force.
This creature’s inexplicable possessiveness was remarkably intense.
Had it treated another player this way, the force it had just used to control Song Zang would have been enough to crush an ordinary person’s wrist into powder.
He could not understand it. The creature was simply awful.
Song Zang decided to speak with it.
Maintaining his persona, he looked timidly toward Xie Chun Ye. “I need to use the restroom. Brother Xie, do you want to go too?”
Ning Si Si tilted her head. “Big Brother, you’re already a big boy. You need to learn how to pee by yourself. Don’t be shy!”
Song Zang: …
Amusement flashed through Xie Chun Ye’s eyes. “I won’t go. You can. Be careful not to touch or look at anything you shouldn’t. Boarding begins in half an hour, so all of you should take care of your physical needs in advance. There’s no telling what will happen on the plane.”
“All right, Brother Xie!”
Before Song Zang could answer, Qiu Shuang responded first.
She pulled Xiao Li Li and Lin Wen Jing to their feet, and the three happily headed toward the restroom together.
Song Zang silently followed behind them. After entering the restroom, he quickly shut himself inside the stall farthest in.
He raised his left wrist and narrowed his eyes to examine it carefully.
A faint red mark had actually appeared across his pale, jade-like wrist bone. It had clearly been left by the earlier force.
Song Zang’s eyes darkened, and he discreetly tugged at the corner of his lips.
The small pale blue flame poked out its head. Seemingly able to sense Song Zang’s dark mood, it ingratiatingly rubbed itself around his wrist twice.
It did not expect Song Zang’s tears to begin falling in the next instant.
“Please stop bullying me. I’m begging you. No one else can see you—only I can. They’ll think I’m insane.” Song Zang looked on the verge of tears, his voice trembling. “Even if… even if you want to bully me, could you at least take on a normal form? Let them see you. Let everyone know that you truly exist, all right?”
The dancing flame abruptly paused, as though it had temporarily crashed.
Song Zang refused to relent. “Please. I’m truly terrified. Don’t make me become a madman. I don’t want to go to a hospital. I don’t want them to abandon me. Please.”
His eyes were red, and his slender back pressed tightly against the cold tiles, trembling faintly without his awareness. He looked exceptionally pitiful.
A domineering warmth rushed toward him. Song Zang instinctively closed his eyes, then discovered… that every tear he had worked so hard to squeeze out had vanished.
The sinister blue flames had deliberately burned them away without leaving a trace.
Every tear that slid from the corners of his eyes was swiftly licked clean by the sensitive tongues of flame and completely incinerated, behaving with outrageous arrogance.
Song Zang’s frightened expression grew even more helpless. His pale face was filled with confusion and uncertainty, but he still bit his lip firmly, gathered his courage, and asked in a trembling voice, “D-Did you agree?”
His wide eyes were filled with mist, like a startled deer in the forest.
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