After hearing the employee’s bizarre words, a newcomer spoke in disbelief: “Do you mean you want us to become one of you?”
The employee chuckled and opened his arms in a wide embrace, smiling in a deeply eerie manner: “Why? Is this not good? Not only would you be free from fear, but you would also have a stable job.”
The newcomer choked on his words and backed away repeatedly, his face filled with horror: “Do you even know what you are saying? How is this good? You are truly a madman.”
The employee’s face turned cold: “Why are you afraid to stay? Rather than living in fear, joining us is the better choice.” He suddenly pointed toward Liu Cui: “Especially you, my compatriots, why are you still hesitating?”
As soon as the employee finished speaking, those with lifeless faces began to stir collectively.
Xing Yun could not see the others clearly, but Ge Chuan was right beside her. The bulging veins on his arms and neck were clearly visible.
Yu Yan furrowed her brows: “Those who have been transformed are actually swayed by a few words from an NPC.” She crossed her legs and glanced indifferently at Ge Chuan: “Oh my, this is a major problem.”
“Does he still have his own consciousness?” Xing Yun asked Yu Yan.
Yu Yan thought for a moment and then nodded: “You actually discovered that he is different from a normal person. Are you not afraid?”
“Being afraid is useless,” Xing Yun replied calmly as she bent down to roll up her pant legs.
Yu Yan was surprised at first, then burst into laughter. She grabbed Xing Yun’s waist and pulled her directly onto her lap: “Want to rest here with me?”
Xing Yun delivered an elbow strike that left Yu Yan doubled over in pain. Xing Yun looked at her: “Thanks, but rest by yourself.”
Yu Yan clutched her stomach: “Damn it.”
Xing Yun moved her wrists and composedly traced a path from Yu Yan’s pained brow to her chin. She lifted Yu Yan’s head and looked down at her with a gentle smile: “Young lady, do not spend your whole day cursing, okay?”
Yu Yan scoffed and turned her head away.
In the book The Interpretation of Dreams, Freud wrote that consciousness is a special psychological act; it is the product formed by the sense organs processing material from other sources. He also mentioned the connection between the ego, the id, and the superego.
When Yu Yan discovered the weakened Lucifer, she used him to erase Ge Chuan’s individual consciousness. In other words, she shielded his senses and turned him into a walking corpse from the inside out, capable only of following her orders. Even if he regained his sense of self, his subconscious would remember the fear from this period and remain obedient to Yu Yan’s words.
However, Yu Yan did not expect that he would be summoned by another NPC and classified as one of their kind. It was a true headache for her.
Player knowledge regarding NPCs was just the tip of the iceberg. Due to internal competition, few were willing to share their data. Consequently, everything had to be discovered personally, and many died during the process of exploration. Resilient as she was, Yu Yan had survived, yet she did not care about so-called information; she did not mind sharing it with people she liked.
Liu Cui could ignore the allies who went to the employee’s side, but Yu Yan could not ignore Ge Chuan. After all, they shared a life and death bond as teammates. Yu Yan held Ge Chuan back: “Do not move.”
Two conflicting commands fought within Ge Chuan’s body. Unable to process them, he fell into a state of total stillness.
Xing Yun asked the employee: “Exactly how many employees are you looking for?”
“Initially, we had enough.” The employee turned his head silently, blinked at Xing Yun, then looked at Ge Chuan and giggled: “But since you asked, I think” He pointed his finger at Ge Chuan and tilted his head: “We are still missing him.”
Yu Yan looked at Xing Yun with a speechless expression. Xing Yun was also stunned, not expecting her help to backfire. She asked Yu Yan: “What is your relationship with him? Should we just let him go over there?”
Yu Yan beckoned Xing Yun closer and whispered through gritted teeth: “He is my teammate.”
Xing Yun felt that Yu Yan was on the verge of cursing, but she managed to swallow her words. Xing Yun was right; in Yu Yan’s mind, a cycle of insults was already spinning.
While Yu Yan had a specific person to protect, Xing Yun was in a state of waiting for a bite on her fishing line, without even a potential target. Most people were in a similar position; those who had not found their teammates treated their numbers as a life-saving charm, only shouting them out for help in critical moments. Often, this would catch the teammate completely off guard.
Xing Yun wondered what would happen if her teammate was among those walking corpses. Even shouting the number might not work. This thought only flashed through her mind briefly because she had to find a way to help regardless. Since Yu Yan had helped her, she could not offer zero repayment.
After thinking for a moment, Xing Yun asked the employee: “Is your boss not here? Did he agree to you hiring new people at will? Should you not go and ask?”
Both the newcomers and the employee were startled. Initially, the employee did not speak, but eventually, he waved his hand and actually let the walking corpses go: “You are right.”
“How did she know that clue? Was it deduced from the situation? That should not be possible.” One veteran raised a question, and others echoed it. Some looked at Xing Yun in surprise, as this was not information a newcomer should possess.
“Is she naturally gifted?”
“Truly remarkable.”
“On par with the strongest one.”
“Stop joking. Is she even worthy?”
Yi Ban rubbed her chin, certain that Xing Yun’s teammate was Yu Yan. This discovery gave Yi Ban a headache, as the two of them being teammates would be difficult to handle. Nevertheless, she had to find a way, as she was the only one who could be allowed to see God in the end.
The employee did not leave. Instead, he clapped his hands and announced: “Everyone, please move to the racing showground. Our boss has prepared something good for all of you.”
Everyone followed the employee’s guidance. Xing Yun was surprised to find that the place was vastly different from what she had seen during her first exploration; it could be described as brand new. Every speck of dust on the stands had vanished. Numerous cameras were pointed at the showground, and the lighting and music were perfectly arranged. There was not a trace of the previous dilapidated state.
Xing Yun pondered. She realized that any place designated by the employee would be renovated. It was possible the lobby was also very different from its original appearance. As for the places where the employee did not allow long stays, such as the residential area, they remained filled with a grim and terrifying tone.
The haze in the sky finally dissipated, and sunlight enveloped the earth. The breeze was warm, and the grass along the way swayed. As Xing Yun walked over, she felt a sense of cleansing. Her mind went blank momentarily, allowing her spirit to find relief.
The clash of machinery and engines began. The stunt performance was incredibly colorful as cars drove through rings of fire, leaving trails of flames behind. Streamers suddenly sprayed from the sides of the arena, adding even more color to the show.
Xing Yun witnessed the famous “Kiss of Death,” where a trailing car accelerated to the front and then turned around to bring the fronts of the two vehicles into close contact.
Or at least, that is how it should have been.
Xing Yun stared at the showground without blinking, her entire being enveloped in tension. She leaned back as flames erupted in her amber eyes. She felt a heatwave sweep over her. The two cars, which should have been fine, collided. The impact crushed the front ends of the vehicles. The rear car flipped over, and then flames surged.
For a moment, no one spoke; a bizarre silence fell over the crowd. This was just the beginning, as more explosions followed. The lights became dim and flickering, and the smoke from the explosions gradually obscured their vision.
Yu Yan said calmly: “Move.”
Xing Yun added: “Go back. Beyond the showground is the unmodeled area.”
Despite the urgency, the two of them maintained a calm demeanor. Xing Yun followed closely behind Yu Yan. She saw that Yu Yan’s back was wet with sweat; she realized that Yu Yan was also nervous. Xing Yun blurted out: “I thought you were not afraid of anything.”
“By the way, I think I have figured something out about this instance.” As soon as Xing Yun finished speaking, her vision shook violently. Then, she felt a sharp pain in her chest, and her footsteps became light and airy.
As everyone scattered like birds and beasts, someone had shot her.
She suddenly felt as if she were sinking into a swamp. Everything around her was spinning and shifting, constantly consuming the air around her. The ebbing of her life actually made her calmer. Her past played before her eyes like a revolving lantern: her father, her mother, and her like-minded friends. It seemed she would not be able to return home.
If only I could have one more chance.
Yu Yan also noticed something was wrong and rushed to check on Xing Yun. She saw the blood soaking Xing Yun’s chest and tried desperately to stop the bleeding: “Hold on.” However, when her hand was about to touch Xing Yun, she felt an inexplicable resistance.
“What is happening?” While Yu Yan was bewildered, she suddenly felt the earth trembling. Small rocks fell before her eyes, and the scene underwent a world-shaking change. They were moved from the hotel’s showground to an actual racing competition, where several cars were locked in a struggle on the track.
Yu Yan asked: “A racetrack?”
Suddenly, a rear car collided with a front car. The rear car jerked the steering wheel and charged toward the spectator stands at 200 miles per hour. It was as fast as lightning, making it difficult to react. The car crashed into the stands, but that was not the most terrifying part.
Xing Yun watched as a tall person beside her was cut in half at the waist, and another was decapitated on the spot. Warm blood sprayed across her face. Massive helplessness and panic overwhelmed her. She turned her head stiffly. Car parts were flying out at high speeds due to inertia, acting like harvesters. Wherever they went, they easily sliced through skin and flesh. The spectator stands were filled with screams and lamentations.
Perhaps to escape the horror, her mind went blank for a moment. She felt her limbs stiffen; she wanted to run but could not move. It was a sunny afternoon, but blood mixed with sunshowers slid down Xing Yun’s cheeks. Lao Xiangyun pulled her away. All the survivors had faces full of confusion and bewilderment.
Yu Yan was panicked for only a moment before calming down: “This is a living hell.”
Supported by Lao Xiangyun, Xing Yun managed to stand steady, though her head was still spinning. She wiped her face: “Blood… so much blood.”
To avoid and escape, people fell during the shoving. The sound of bones being trampled and distorted, along with shrill screams, rose and fell like a symphony in Xing Yun’s ears. It made her see stars and left her emotionally dazed.
Yu Yan swallowed: “How did this happen? Why did this happen? We actually went from the hotel to another space.”
Xing Yun walked a few steps forward to check on the racer. She found that his body had been charred black, but she recognized him as one of the puppets beside Liu Cui, the same one who had attacked her.
Yu Yan patted her shoulder: “I do not know if this is good luck or bad luck. Once you move to another space, your bodily functions are restored as compensation. As long as you are not dead, fatal wounds can heal.”
Xing Yun pressed her chest; the piercing pain had indeed subsided. Despite this, seeing the blood on the grass of the stands made her skin crawl. She murmured: “No wonder the boss’s girlfriend did not want him to continue this hobby. It is too dangerous.”
“What is wrong with my hobby?” Someone suddenly stepped over the blood on the grass, smiling. Xing Yun tried to look, but she could not see the face clearly. Based on the voice, she could tell it was a woman.
It turned out the boss was also a woman.
Xing Yun backed away quickly and said to Lao Xiangyun: “It is the Boss.”
As she spoke, her expression turned to one of despair. Her lips trembled, and her heart pounded uncontrollably. She took small steps backward, wanting only to escape: “What should we do?”
Lao Xiangyun was dazed: “We are doomed.”
Xing Yun stared at the human-shaped silhouette of the boss, desperately trying to see her face, but it was in vain.
“What you see now is my memory, or the memory of me and my lover.”
Xing Yun looked at some of the severed limbs that were still twitching, and her eyelids jumped. This was a completely unsolvable situation. The time and space had shifted suddenly, and player positions were randomly assigned. It was a round based entirely on luck.
However, it seemed it was not all luck. Liu Cui, with her Sand Transformation, had warded off the crisis. Lucifer had protected Yi Ban. Yu Xi had somehow survived, but Ren Na lay dead with her eyes wide open. She was luckier than her companion, of whom no remains could be found.
“You, come with me.” The boss suddenly pointed at Xing Yun.
It was as if another storm was brewing.