Xing Yun realized the situation before her and fell silent for a long time. Finally, she applied the skin mask provided by the God onto her face. With a transformation, she became the spitting image of Xu Lang: “Hey, can you remember anything now?”
Xu Lang was stunned. Standing before her, the two identical faces, like a mirror image, plunged him into a state of chaos. After all, these people who had lost their self-awareness were not very bright right now. Xing Yun’s actions effectively fried their circuits. Those who had originally been attacking Xing Yun turned their aggression toward Rong Ping’an instead.
Xu Lang’s body and face were covered in filth, and his hair was so matted he did not know how long it had been since he last washed it. He wiped his face haphazardly, but since his hands were equally dirty, he only succeeded in smearing the grime evenly. He stared at her blankly: “It is the God. It is a miracle from the God.”
For a fleeting moment, Xing Yun felt a mix of laughter and bitterness. She had not expected that even after losing their sense of self, they would still remember the existence of the God. Was their faith simply too rigid, or was the God’s influence so powerful that it left such deep imprints?
The little girl, who had been observing them from the shadows, was so angry her face twisted. She truly had not expected Xing Yun to keep pulling one trick after another, leaving her unable to guard against them all.
Xing Yun stood in front of Rong Ping’an, making the others afraid to act rashly. Rong Ping’an looked a bit awkward: “It is fine, do not worry about me. I am usually the one taking care of others.”
Xing Yun raised an eyebrow. Her first reaction was to question the truth of that statement. After all, if Rong Ping’an held so many trump cards, why had she watched her companions from the previous dungeon die?
“…” But she only thought it; she did not say it. There was no need to put Rong Ping’an in a difficult position. She had already provided much help, and it would prick Xing Yun’s conscience to embarrass her.
“I have a method that might get us out.” Xing Yun took out the bead she had kept in her pocket. The surface of the bead had become pockmarked; one could feel that the dents formed a coherent sentence.
“Take a look.” Xing Yun rubbed the bead in her hand and handed it to Rong Ping’an. Rong Ping’an was full of confusion; she felt nothing.
Up close, the bead smelled like something scorched. Looking at it from a distance, if one did not know it was human bone, it would feel like an ordinary trinket that could be hung on a string as a necklace pendant. Strange. Xing Yun frowned. Why was she the only one who could perceive it? Was there some difference between her and Rong Ping’an?
Her thoughts fluttered, restless and wild. Suddenly, she tore the skin mask off her face. When she touched the bead again, she found that she, too, could no longer understand the meaning of the pits and bumps. To avoid being attacked, however, she quickly put the mask back on.
Through this little test, she realized that God’s creations likely shared some sort of sensory connection. She was delighted by this new discovery. She wanted to tell Rong Ping’an the content, but the moment she opened her mouth, she felt her throat clog and her tongue go stiff. She was literally unable to reveal the message: “￥&@（！&￥）… Muting me?”
Xing Yun fell into deep thought and proposed a solution: “Why do you not try touching it with your leg?” She immediately bent down and brought the bead close to Rong Ping’an’s leg, looking expectant. “Your leg is also a creation of the God; why do you not try sensing the patterns on the bead with your leg?”
Rong Ping’an: …
The little girl was already fuming with rage: “Do you think I do not exist!”
Rong Ping’an decisively told Xing Yun to start running, distancing themselves from the little girl.
The little girl: …
Rong Ping’an: “I do not know what you were thinking just now, but it was indeed useful. It told us to transform into flying birds and seek the direction of the door. Could it be that it wants us to return to the first dungeon through a connection point? Regardless, we cannot stay here; it will only lead to our own destruction.”
Xing Yun was puzzled: “But was the first dungeon not already destroyed?” And by the God’s own hand, no less.
“Since it is a dungeon without missions, we must search for the door to clear it. The little girl knows of the door’s existence, but she will not take us there. She does not seem to fear us finding it either. Perhaps that is the place?”
“What if it is not?” Xing Yun felt anxious. “Entering a place that has already been destroyed, I do not need to think twice to know the chances of dying are high.”
“Is there any other way?”
Xing Yun hung her head in silence. Every dangerous move she had made before was to collect information, but this was akin to walking into death: “Let me think.”
Rong Ping’an emphasized: “Transform into birds. Does that not mean we should reach our destination as fast as a bird?”
Xing Yun poked Rong Ping’an’s stiff, hanging arm. She rolled up Rong Ping’an’s sleeve and took a bite, only to get a mouthful of straw: “Let us stick to my idea.” She turned to look at the fluffy clouds in the sky. “Only in the sky can one be called a bird.” Just for a second, she hallucinated again; when she looked at Rong Ping’an, she saw her head had vanished, and countless tiny kittens were crawling out of her neck, threatening to drown her.
“…” Xing Yun had received enough shocks, but this scene actually looked kind of cute. She shook her head, taking a while to return to normal. “Maybe transforming into birds is telling us to find them?”
Rong Ping’an’s mouth twitched. She did not look directly at the sky and sighed: “Have you gone mad, or have I? Just looking at them makes one feel uncomfortable, and you want to make contact?”
Xing Yun weighed the risks: which was more dangerous—going to the previous dungeon or provoking the clouds? If they went to the door, they might die instantly, but if they provoked the monsters, even if the monsters got angry, they could find a way to escape. It was worth a try.
Without further ado, under Rong Ping’an’s shocked gaze, Xing Yun threw the bead at the strange clouds in the sky.
After the cloud swallowed the bead, it turned from white to black, and upon closer inspection, a metallic luster could be seen flickering on its surface.
Rong Ping’an’s eyes widened: “Are you insane! Are you not afraid of angering it?”
“I am.” Xing Yun nodded seriously. She did not know how to explain to Rong Ping’an that this decision was something she had carefully considered. But fundamentally, a small, demonic seed was sprouting in her heart. Given how the God toyed with her time and time again, she had unknowingly stopped caring about other things; it was as if making the God panic had become her top priority.
She gave a bleak smile. In reality, she understood that to some extent, she had no choice now. Only by making the God find her interesting could she survive.
In a place she could not see, Tong Huiran was secretly watching them. She leaned behind a house, using a cart to block her form. The clothes she wore were stripped from an NPC specifically to confuse the low-IQ entities. She smashed a hammer into the back of an NPC standing with its back to her, laughing wildly.
Because she had attracted the vast majority of the firepower, Xing Yun and the others had significantly reduced her pressure. She even had the leisure to give a thumbs up in their direction and whistle: “Cool.” Although her hair had turned into messy straw, it did not stop her resolve to observe the situation. She watched from the shadows, attacking NPCs from time to time and stealing items from them while the situation was in complete chaos.
She was born in a dilapidated little house and had never seen her parents. Sometimes she felt that the Infinite World was her true home; one only needed to live or die. Such a simple life was what she should be living.
Drinking water from an NPC’s canteen and changing into a new pair of shoes, she felt her straw-like transformation deepening. Perhaps becoming a happy scarecrow that swayed in the wind would not be so bad?
Tong Huiran shouted at Xing Yun: “Give the little girl a taste of her own medicine!”
Xing Yun heard the shout and glanced in the direction of the voice.
She busily gave both the little girl and Tong Huiran a middle finger, then punched an NPC, twisting its face: “Wait until I play a dress-up game with you later.” The little girl turned blue with rage, her whole body trembling.
Xing Yun felt her body become lighter. She was quite excited; was she about to turn into a bird? After all, who had not dreamed of getting a pair of wings and flying in the sky without needing to walk? If possible, she wanted a pair of wings more majestic than the God’s, the kind that would create a hurricane with a single flap and shove the God into a wall.
But the scene she envisioned, flying into the sky or being lifted away by a finishing light beam, never happened. Instead, she collapsed onto the ground. After the world spun around her, she felt her body stiffen, smoke even beginning to rise from her. A delayed, agonizing pain swept over her entire body.
Seeing Rong Ping’an running toward her, she suddenly understood: she had been struck by lightning.
She opened her mouth, and a wisp of black smoke drifted out. She had never been struck by lightning before; this was a novel experience. She struggled to move, but the pain made her grit her teeth.
She had seen science videos; surely this was different from being struck in reality. After all, if lightning struck the body directly, it would cause moisture to evaporate, ripping clothes apart, yet her pajamas were still perfectly intact.
Regardless of the difference, she did not think anyone would enjoy this feeling. If someone did, that would be a truly outrageous and niche hobby.
Her eyelids became heavy against her will. Then, she felt her legs start to cramp, accompanied by a tingling, stinging pain. Oh no, surely she had not been paralyzed while keeping her consciousness, had she?
With her last breath, she suddenly opened her eyes, only to find the scene had changed to the crystal coffin project in the library. She was lying on the bed, soaked in sweat. Could everything she had just experienced be a dream? Xing Yun felt momentarily dazed, unable to distinguish reality from dreams.
She checked the time; only nine hours had passed since she fell asleep. Theoretically, this was a good amount of sleep, not so little that she felt awful, nor so much that she got a headache. Yet, she did not feel refreshed; on the contrary, she was incomparably exhausted. When she got to the mirror, she was shocked by her own appearance: a haggard face topped with a mess of tangled hair.
Xing Yun’s naturally wavy hair tips usually gave her a playful, cute look, but now it only made her look more disheveled. With dark circles under her eyes, she could not even lift her eyelids. She was both hungry and sleepy; it was not just her body that was tired, but her spirit as well. After one glance, she did not dare to look a second time. Closing her eyes, she tried to recall fragments of her appearance, eventually giving up: “Setting the dungeon in a grassland and giving me a cold from the wind; you really are a piece of work, are you not.”
Xing Yun rubbed her face and, to get better quickly, silently exchanged for cold medicine at the system store. She choked on the first gulp of water; it was scalding hot, the capsule stuck in her throat, and she nearly ascended to heaven: “Cough, cough, cough…”
A stinging sensation came from her back. She decisively lifted her shirt and saw lightning-strike patterns spreading from the nape of her neck downward, like vigorous tree roots or a blooming flower: “Marking me?”
“God, I know you can hear me. You better not have done this on purpose.”
She turned her head to look at the mirror in an awkward posture, staring blankly for five full minutes.
“Actually, it looks pretty good.”
“So much for transforming into a bird. Why did I turn into a tree?”
Xing Yun looked again and again. From initial dissatisfaction to acceptance, she already thought it was somewhat beautiful. She did not resist it in her heart: “Thanks. It is not bad; it makes my skin look delicate and pretty. A beauty like me really should have something unique.”
As she emerged from the crystal coffin, she looked toward the library stairs. She grew increasingly curious about what was inside, but now was not the time to check.
Leaving through the library door, she made up her mind never to return to that damn crystal coffin. The name alone sounded like a bad place; was it not better to just rest in her assigned room?
Xing Yun walked down the street full of resentment, her face cold, radiating an air of hopelessness. The first person she encountered was Yu Yan. Yu Yan looked energetic, out for a morning run; when she waved, she seemed to bring the scent of sunshine: “Morning! Did you not sleep yesterday?”
Xing Yun stiffly turned her head in her direction, moving like a robot without lubricated joints, or perhaps a worn-out monster. She had lost so much weight overnight that she was practically skin and bones.
“No… yes, I slept. Can say I slept for several days…” She walked unsteadily, every joint aching, especially her back, which felt particularly bad. Then, under Yu Yan’s puzzled gaze, she simply knelt down.
Yu Yan scratched her head: “I am not giving you a red packet.” Although she said that, she walked over to help Xing Yun up.
The Infinite World was treacherous, and having an interesting character like Xing Yun allowed her to pick up a lot of entertainment.
Yu Yan walked beside Xing Yun to support her: “Can you use a little strength?”
“I… I am fine…” Xing Yun had her face toward the ground, the air of a living dead about her. She tried to grip Yu Yan’s hand, but she truly had no strength. “Why… were you not pulled into… the dungeon? I did not see you.”
Yu Yan realized what she meant instantly. She smiled, unable to hold back a pig-like snort, and teased Xing Yun: “You mean the light that suddenly appeared on the door while sleeping last night? I just treated it as borrowing light by drilling a hole in the wall, took a book, and recited the Great Compassion Mantra beside it. By the third time I recited it, it disappeared. I am not a moron protagonist in a horror story, so of course, I did not open it.”
Xing Yun, the moron protagonist: “…”
Xing Yun hung her head: “I feel like you are insulting me, but I have no evidence.”
Yu Yan looked at her, looking smug: “That is right, do not doubt it.”
The God was secretly observing Xing Yun. Seeing that she was still alive, He felt it was somewhat unbelievable. She was as tenacious as a cockroach…
The God flicked His finger in the air, and Xing Yun was lifted up by thin air.
Yu Yan couldn’t describe what she saw. Xing Yun looked as if she were being held by her back collar by some irresistible force, dragged up from the ground. Xing Yun herself definitely was not using any strength, as her limbs hung limply.
It was exactly like a female ghost descending to the world, giving Yu Yan goosebumps instantly.
Xing Yun floated for a couple of steps and then fell to the ground with a thud, appearing to have zero strength left.
Yu Yan, of course, could not leave Xing Yun alone, and she did not suspect the God. She tentatively squatted in front of Xing Yun: “Did you enter that door and gain the ability to traverse the air? Are you currently in the testing phase?”
Xing Yun moved her fingers and tremblingly held up an international gesture of friendship toward Yu Yan. She was in this state, and Yu Yan was talking about testing?
In the end, she was helped up by Yu Yan, her legs trembling: “I have reached a state of enlightenment regarding this world. I advise those not yet born to remain unborn; living is truly too much of a torment.”
“Perhaps you offered this advice a long time ago, and everyone heard it. Otherwise, why does one cry instead of laugh when born?” Yu Yan stifled a laugh. “Well, that makes sense, but it is too late once you are alive.”
Yu Yan had started out laughing, but as she spoke, she thought of past events, and her emotions dipped. If not for that cave exploration where she counter-killed those with ulterior motives, she would be the one dead, would she not? Yet, knowing that living was suffering, why did she still strive to maintain her life?
“Yo, I also have a life advice.” A quirky-looking woman walked over; it was Tong Huiran. “I advise everyone who has not experienced the Infinite Games to come in and try. You might just find the true meaning of life.” She liked the Infinite World. Her philosophy was not as complicated as Yu Yan’s; her stance was to find thrills in the line-world, and whenever she thought of that, life was full of motivation.
The two turned to look at her. Xing Yun leaned on Yu Yan, rolled her eyes, and did not have a good impression of Tong Huiran, but not wanting to cause a conflict, she ignored her. Yu Yan frowned; she had no special feelings for the Infinite World, did not believe in God, and could not understand Tong Huiran’s statement.
As a veteran of the Infinite World, she certainly understood that Tong Huiran was aiming for the library.
“Looks like you have been through the gates of death again?” Yu Yan raised her head slightly.
Tong Huiran smiled: “What are you talking about? Did the God not hold a summary meeting for everyone?”
Indeed.
A chill ran down Xing Yun’s back. After every infinite dungeon, the God usually came out to review things, but now, nothing had happened. God knows how she had survived it. If it did not count toward her dungeon count, she would truly vomit blood and die. She felt stars dancing before her eyes; if resentment could take form, she would be a black fog even larger than the God’s.
Could everything just now really have been a dream?
Xing Yun felt her adrenaline surge in anxiety; she pinched her cheek and felt a sting. If anyone could tell her the truth and talk about what had happened before, it certainly had to be Rong Ping’an. Her originally chaotic mind instantly cleared; her first order of business now was to find Rong Ping’an.
“I have something to do; I am leaving first.” Xing Yun left behind these words and ran stumblingly toward Rong Ping’an’s room, leaving Yu Yan full of question marks.
Tong Huiran looked composed: “Do you not think her appearance is very strange?”
Yu Yan gently rubbed her chin. She was not an idiot; of course, she could see it. But who in the Infinite World did not have secrets? Digging to the bottom would only add trouble, and she might not be able to solve it anyway, so she chose not to add pressure to Xing Yun: “So what?”
Tong Huiran’s words had hidden meanings. Although Yu Yan did not understand, she did not want more interaction with Tong Huiran and replied vaguely: “I will ask her clearly later.”
“Oh?” Tong Huiran’s eyes rolled around, her hand placed on her lips, pouting slightly in a troubled manner. “But she will not tell you, because this is a secret between her and the God, you know.”
“Hmm?” Yu Yan clenched her hands. Although she had warned herself not to be affected by Tong Huiran’s words, this person always managed to poke the spots she disliked hearing the most. Despite knowing she did not believe in God, she mentioned Him countless times. This deliberate needling of people’s pain points was practically Tong Huiran’s specialty.
Yu Yan turned her head, looking at Tong Huiran unkindly: “You are pretending, are you not? After all, how could you know things I do not?” If it were true, that information gap made her feel subtly uncomfortable.