The afternoon of the second day after the instance was activated.
Amanda’s interview with He Ran’s younger brother was not broadcast publicly but through the miniature camera device she carried on her person, Ye Jinran was able to watch the situation on site in real time.
It wasn’t raining today. There were many pedestrians outside and customers entered the convenience store from time to time. Ye Jinran could only patiently watch the feed in fragments, interrupted again and again.
After disabling the cameras belonging to the news agency and the military, Amanda met Wang Aimin alone in a room with relatively high confidentiality.
“You shouldn’t have dragged your sister into this,” Amanda said bluntly the moment she opened her mouth. “You can’t possibly imagine how terrifying an opponent Bai Yanzhou is.”
He Ran’s younger brother, Wang Aimin, pursed his lips and shrugged. “So what? I’ve seen plenty of so called high level players.”
Amanda frowned. “The games created by the Main God aren’t something you can lump together with the video games you play in reality. You’ll die. If you lose your life in the game, both you and your sister will really die.”
“No need to worry about the two of us. Besides, we’re already in, do you think there’s any way out now?” Wang Aimin maintained the same attitude, unmoved by Amanda’s attempts at persuasion. “I’ve wanted to run into him myself for a long time.”
Amanda said, “I know your sister has ways to save her life. You probably do too. I’ll pretend to have a conflict with you, Bai Yanzhou shouldn’t suspect that we’re on the same side. Once you leave the instance, you won’t need to worry about him targeting you.”
She hadn’t intended to drag two children into this. As a teacher, her sense of responsibility wouldn’t allow her to simply let them continue down this path.
After meeting Ye Jinran, she had more or less realized that being marked by Bai Yanzhou was a dead end. Before her own life came to an end, she wanted to protect the safety of those close to her as much as possible.
Wang Aimin said seriously, “Bai Yanzhou may not be clear about our relationship right now. Amanda, in your reports afterward, you can criticize my weapons testing for causing severe atmospheric pollution and say that the recent extreme weather conditions were all caused by this experiment.”
“But I’m supposed to be going around proclaiming that a world destroying hurricane is about to arrive,” Amanda gave a bitter laugh. “I can’t say that for the latter half. Those are omens of disaster.”
Wang Aimin thought for a moment, then said, “Then handle it however you see fit. Over the next few days, I’ll find time to lock down Bai Yanzhou’s hiding place, then go check out the system shop my sister mentioned and prepare for a direct confrontation.”
In this instance, he had the protection of the local government and military. Relatively speaking, he was quite safe and that advantage had to be fully utilized.
Sitting behind the screen, Ye Jinran saw straight through the boy’s little schemes. Wang Aimin indeed knew how to make good use of available resources to play the game well but compared to Bai Yanzhou, he was still lacking.
That difference was probably the gap between life and death.
The infinite game treated all players equally. Even if he was just a child, he wouldn’t receive any special favor. The only thing protecting him were the already overstretched adults around him. Ye Jinran felt a trace of regret.
However, if Wang Aimin could offer value that was tempting enough, he could still receive assistance from Ye Jinran’s side. The system shop was fair, Ye Jinran silently reminded himself.
Before Amanda could try persuading him again, Wang Aimin shoved both hands into the pockets of his white lab coat and swaggered out of the room.
The interview was about to begin. Amanda rubbed her temples and picked up the script prepared in advance by her superiors.
He Ran understood very clearly that the problem did not lie with the weapons testing at the neighboring meteorological facility. In the past, players who entered this instance and drew the same role might pour all of their efforts into confronting the player responsible for developing the weapon but that was a fatal misdirection.
She possessed a natural advantage. After contacting her younger brother and resolving this issue directly, she likely triggered some kind of instance mechanism. As a result, Professor Reed, the NPC who provided crucial information, was released ahead of time.
If she had honestly fought with the weapons development player until the last one or two days before learning this information, all that would have awaited her would be despair.
Even though the timing had been brought forward, He Ran didn’t feel the slightest bit happy. Hope was still slim.
This hurricane from the Arctic was a supernatural phenomenon. With humanity’s current level of technology, it couldn’t be observed, couldn’t be predicted, let alone stopped by a group of students. Everything they did was futile.
There was no such thing as a truly unsolvable dead end. The game had to have a way to win. Holding onto that belief, after that abrupt visit, He Ran went alone to Professor Reed’s office to speak with him, hoping to find clues to break the impasse.
Information was far too scarce. If Professor Reed had truly seen “that thing,” perhaps something could be gleaned from his experiences.
Inside the office, the elderly professor invited He Ran to sit with a look of utter helplessness. He poured two cups of water and set them on the desk, pushing one toward the young female student in front of him.
The window was open. The cool night breeze drifted in, dispersing some of the tension in the air. Professor Reed lifted his eyes to the bright stars in the sky and spoke slowly, “I know what you came to ask but don’t go near it. That is my advice to you.”
He Ran knew that if she didn’t reveal something special about herself, Reed would be unwilling to continue the conversation. So she said, “I understand those terrifying entities. I’ve come into contact with them before, so there’s no way for me to escape. You know it too, Professor, once we’ve glimpsed those unnameable things, we’ll spend the rest of our lives paying the price for that moment of curious indulgence.”
The aged professor looked deeply at her. “Then you truly are an unfortunate child and you are still so young. I once thought that concealing the truth from you would prevent your fates from ending too early but now…”
“I understand what this means, Professor. Please tell me everything you know. Perhaps there is still a solution,” He Ran pleaded.
The stars blanketing the sky continued to flicker tirelessly, gazing down with cold indifference at all living beings struggling in hardship. When had it begun, that they could no longer guide the lost toward the right path but instead became a nightmare lodged deep within the human heart?
Professor Reed spoke slowly, as though doing so might lessen the pain. “In the distant reaches of Siberia, there exists an ancient tradition. It is a method of survival devised by indigenous peoples living upon the permafrost. Through cruel and bloody rituals, they appeased the aberrations within the storms of the far north, so as to avoid being swallowed by the raging winds.”
“You can find Its shadow in many North American folk legends. If I were to describe It in a way more aligned with your understanding, It would resemble an element of air. It is walking death itself, Its footsteps boom like thunder, Its breath carries ice and snow. The immense shadow within the storm drags people away to Its frozen plains, far removed from the warmth of the human world.”
“Bloody sacrifices…” He Ran could more or less guess what that meant. The offerings were living humans but this was a society governed by law, how could such a thing possibly be carried out so easily? And she herself was incapable of committing such acts.
Was this truly what the game wanted the players to do, abandon morality, become cultists, slaughter their own kind to please a god?
He Ran bit down hard on her lower lip. She refused to believe it. There had to be another way.
Professor Reed paused, allowing the girl time to process the information. Seeing her expression ease slightly, he continued, “That existence never complied with the natural laws humans understand. Nor can divine intent be comprehended by mankind. Therefore, everything you are doing is futile.”
“I know someone who might be able to help us,” He Ran said after much deliberation. “That person is capable of communicating with gods. Only by borrowing power from a higher level do we have any chance of turning the situation around.”
In her words, there was little joy on the professor’s face. “You have dealings with someone like that? That is dangerous.”
Those who could communicate with the incomprehensible gods were often high ranking priests of some cult, people who disregarded life, steeped in sin, with no one in their eyes except the master they served.
He Ran nodded. “He’s not as you imagine. I can guarantee that.”
She recalled the person who sat inside the shop. Though his identity undeniably made him a dangerous figure, he always gave people an inexplicably reliable feeling.
Not only He Ran, most players had to admit it. They truly relied on the system shop. For human players without superpowers or racial talents, their greatest support in these peril filled instances was the god blessed items.
On the surface, whether to purchase goods and what to purchase were choices freely made by players but in truth, they had never had any alternative.
Everything had already been arranged behind the scenes. He Ran understood this clearly and decided to visit the system shop again the next day.
In Country A, the weather over the past several days had been gloomy and unpredictable. Today was another overcast day and many people had begun complaining. No matter the weather, daily life had to go on. Office workers hurried through the streets and those with the means piled into various forms of transportation.
Ye Jinran yawned. He hadn’t been able to get proper rest. After all, a twenty four hour convenience store left only one person on duty, without colleagues to take shifts, he had no choice but to sit behind the counter all day.
What an inhumane design! Truly worthy of a Main God who delighted in tormenting humans, not even willing to hire one extra employee.
He had originally planned to install an intelligent robotic stand-in to manage the surface world convenience store, while he himself stayed within the real system shop to wait for players.
However, sales of such items had been particularly strong lately and stock was low. He worried that if he used one now, other players wouldn’t be able to buy it, potentially delaying their game progress. Since he wasn’t in urgent need either, he refrained from misusing public resources for private ends.
Decision made, next time, he would apply to the Main God for a vending machine.
Three days had passed since the instance opened. Compared to other PvP instances, the hostility this time was minimal. All players were still alive and the fiercest clashes revolved solely around Amanda, the journalist.
Her sharp interviews targeting the meteorological weapons developer spread across major social platforms today, sparking intense discussion. Meanwhile, conspiracy theories about the apocalypse quietly took root online and a wave of stockpiling supplies began to surface.
After tidying himself up briefly, Ye Jinran sat down to review footage recorded by the miniature camera device the previous day.
Two startled cries rang out from outside, followed by the store door being shoved open as two people entered one after the other.
Ye Jinran looked up and nearly laughed out loud. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together, the Wang siblings had run into each other inside the convenience store.
“Good morning,” He Ran tugged at her younger brother’s sleeve and greeted Ye Jinran first. “Sorry to make a spectacle of ourselves. I really didn’t expect to run into acquaintances here.”
Ye Jinran smiled in response. “Good morning. How can I help you?”
Her younger brother’s eyes darted around, curiosity written all over his face as he examined the shop’s layout, reaching out to touch the items displayed on the shelves.
Ye Jinran had no rule against looking but not touching, so he didn’t stop him. He remained seated quietly, waiting.
He Ran walked up to the counter, both hands braced against its surface, as though she had made a tremendous decision.
“No matter the cost, please tell me how to stop this storm.”
✦ ✧ ✦
Nycreth
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
A little coffee for the person who made these words happen? (｡•́‿•̀｡)
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Blood Moon Town: ShhhChapter 2 · The Mist of Nanjin Village (1)Chapter 3 · The Mist of Nanjin Village (2)Chapter 4 · The Mist of Nanjin Village (3)Chapter 5 · The Mist of Nanjin Village (4)Chapter 6 · The Mist of Nanjin Village (7)Chapter 7 · The Mist of Nanjin Village (6)Chapter 8 · The mist over Nanjin Village (7)Chapter 9 · The Mystery of Nanjin Village (The End)Chapter 10 · Real WorldChapter 11 · Riding The Wind (1)Chapter 12 · Riding The Wind (2)Chapter 13 · Riding The Wind (3)Chapter 14 · Riding The Wind (4)Chapter 15 · Riding The Wind (5)Chapter 16 · Riding The Wind (6)Chapter 17 · Riding The Wind (7)Chapter 18 · Riding The Wind (8)Chapter 19 · Riding The Wind (9)Chapter 20 · Riding The Wind (10)Chapter 21 Part 1 · Riding The Wind (11)Chapter 21 Part 2 · Riding The Wind (11)Chapter 22 · Real World (1)Chapter 23 · Real World (2)Chapter 24 · Golden Sands Fade Away (1)Chapter 25 · Golden Sands Fade Away (2)Chapter 26 · Golden Sands Fade Away (3)Chapter 27 · Golden Sands Fade Away (4)Chapter 28 · Golden Sands Fade Away (5)Chapter 29 · Golden Sands Fade Away (6)Chapter 30 · Golden Sands Fade Away (7)Chapter 31 · Golden Sands Fade Away (8)Chapter 32 · Golden Sands Fade Away (9)Chapter 33 · Golden Sands Fade Away (10)Chapter 34 · Golden Sands Fade Away (11)Chapter 35 · Golden Sands Fade Away (12)Chapter 36 · Golden Sands Fade Away (13)Chapter 37 · Golden Sands Fade Away (14)Chapter 38 · Golden Sands Fade Away (15)Chapter 39 · Golden Sands Fade Away (16)Chapter 40 · Golden Sands Fade Away (17)Chapter 41 · Golden Sands Fade Away (18)Chapter 42 · Golden Sands Fade Away (19)Chapter 43 · Golden Sands Fade Away (20)Chapter 44 · Golden Sands Fade Away (21)Chapter 45 · Golden Sands Fade Away (22)Chapter 46 · Golden Sands Fade Away (23)Chapter 47 · Golden Sands Fade Away (24)Chapter 48 · Golden Sands Fade Away (25) The EndChapter 49 · Main God’s DomainChapter 50 · Anomaly Investigation Bureau (1)Chapter 51 · Anomaly Investigation Bureau (2)Chapter 52 · Item FactoryChapter 53 · Defrosted Friendship (1)Chapter 54 · Defrosted Friendship (2)Chapter 55 · Defrosted Friendship (3)Chapter 56 · Defrosted Friendship (4)Chapter 57 · Defrosted Friendship (5)Chapter 58 · Defrosted Friendship (6)Chapter 59 · Defrosted Friendship (7)Chapter 60 · Defrosted Friendship (8)Chapter 61 · Defrosted Friendship (9)Chapter 62 · Defrosted Friendship (10)Chapter 63 · Defrosted Friendship (11)Chapter 64 · Defrosted Friendship (12)Chapter 65 · Defrosted Friendship (13)Chapter 66 · Defrosted Friendship (14)Chapter 67 · Defrosted Friendship (15)Chapter 68 · Defrosted Friendship (16)Chapter 69 · Defrosted Friendship (End)Chapter 70 · The Real WorldChapter 71 · Matching TimeChapter 72 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (1)Chapter 73 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (2)Chapter 74 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (3)Chapter 75 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (4)Chapter 76 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (5)Chapter 77 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (6)Chapter 78 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (7)Chapter 79 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (8)Chapter 80 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (9)Chapter 81 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (10)Chapter 82 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (11)Chapter 83 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (12)Chapter 84 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (13)Chapter 85 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (14)Chapter 86 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (15)Chapter 87 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (16)Chapter 88 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (17)Chapter 89 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (18)Chapter 90 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (19)Chapter 91 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (20)Chapter 92 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (21)Chapter 93 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (22)Chapter 94 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (23)Chapter 95 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (Complete)Chapter 96 · The Main God Invites You for TeaChapter 97 · The Player ForumChapter 98 · Training GroundChapter 99 · Eternal Night – The Stone-Striker (1)Chapter 100 · Eternal Night – The Stone-Striker (2)Chapter 101 · Eternal Night – The Stone-Striker (3)Chapter 102 · Eternal Night · The One Who Strikes the Stone (Finale)