Lin Yun's gaze faltered, mirroring the uncertainty of a delicate kitten faced with an unexpected visitor at its doorstep, tentatively nudging the prey it had brought—a lifeless giant python—with its pristine pink paw pads.
Beside him, Tang Ning's murmurs persisted like a distant echo, "But when I departed, there seemed to be a glitch in the reflection, and I'm unsure if the rules have shifted since."
Lin Yun stared at Tang Ning in disbelief.
Prior to this moment, clandestine discussions had swirled about the identity of the player who had conquered the haunted depths of the game.
A player capable of reclaiming life from the brink of a collapsing game was unquestionably formidable; such was the unanimous sentiment among them.
The collapse of the game implies that the core NPC within the game has lost control. This NPC can be humanoid or even supernatural, and the methods of losing control are diverse. For example, Lin Yun knew of a ghostly NPC that, before losing control, followed a specific pattern of killing. After losing control, this NPC simply wanted to slaughter all living beings, becoming an unbridled killing machine.
How exactly did Tang Ning manage to escape from such a collapsing game? What cards does he hold? And what are the unknown rules?
Under Lin Yun's scrutinizing gaze, Tang Ning opened his phone's memo app, reviewing his schedule with a furrowed brow. "But lately, I've been so busy with filming during the day that I haven't had time to go to the school. If I want to make time, it'll have to be at night."
Although it was a multimillion-dollar deal, it wasn't ideal to casually ask for leave from the regular director.
Having unexpectedly deciphered Tang Ning's thought process, Lin Yun's expression grew more complex. They settled on a time, and Lin Yun also provided Tang Ning with the contact information for the director.
After a hearty hotpot meal, Lin Yun hailed a cab to escort Tang Ning back to his residential compound. Tang Ning's nerves were on edge throughout the journey home, still shaken by a previous encounter with the supernatural. Sensing Tang Ning's unease, Lin Yun sought to reassure him, saying, "The game I just played didn't collapse. Even if there were supernatural intrusions, they were minor, like encountering a mere sheet of paper. It's highly unlikely for formidable entities like Gong Yun's level of monsters to appear."
At the mere mention of Gong Yun, Tang Ning, who had been absentmindedly rubbing his stomach, froze in place.
Lin Yun astutely picked up on Tang Ning's subtle reaction but chose not to dwell on it. "I ventured into a B-grade game, establishing some cause and effect with the monsters inside, so weaker ones may come after me. However, you've only completed three games. Unless the other two you played collapsed, you shouldn't expect many monsters knocking at your door."
Having offered his reassurances, Lin Yun observed Tang Ning's expression stiffen further.
"My first game was one that Mo Yunchu created," Tang Ning whispered.
A chill accompanied by the cold wind seeped through the car window, blowing over Tang Ning and Lin Yun.
"On the very night I entered the game, I encountered a ghostly woman in white during a variety show recording. But after I gave her some prop money, it seemed like she spared me," Tang Ning said uncertainly.
Frowning at his words, Lin Yun searched online and quickly found a paranormal intrusion incident.
[The Ghostly Hitchhiker]
A series of bizarre deaths occurred in City A, with victims of all ages and walks of life. The only similarity among them was the appearance of a white-clad woman waving for a ride, captured on dashcams.
"Is this it?" Lin Yun asked.
Tang Ning nodded.
Opening the detailed account of the incident, they found numerous images of the white-clad ghost, including a crystal-clear video clip from a variety show. In it, Tang Ning confronted the ghostly woman, a scene that had only been uploaded yesterday. Despite the woman's appearance ten days prior, it wasn't until she caused several mysterious deaths that everyone confirmed her role in the paranormal contamination.
As they clicked on the variety show video, numerous comments from players flooded the screen:
"Damn, buddy, I've searched high and low! All four people in this video are still alive! This player named Tang Ning is incredible! It's the first time I've seen someone casually handle three regular folks during a paranormal invasion."
"What quality of prop money is this? Must be at least B-grade, right? Can you buy one for a million?"
"Damn, I remember this trending a while back. At the time, I was thinking this variety show was pretty damn cool, the monsters they made were as oppressive as the real deal. Who would've thought it was actually, damn it, real? These days, pro gamers even have to venture into the entertainment industry?!"
"It might not necessarily be a pro gamer; they seemed scared out of their wits. Probably latched onto some wealthy big shot, tossing out four lifesaving talismans in one go. If I were the big shot, I'd just kick them off. Yeah, they do look pretty good, though. If I were the big shot, I'd be willing to give them props."
Tang Ning awkwardly finished reading these comments and quietly explained to Lin Yun, "This prop money is just an E-grade item. Handing it to a fierce ghost has a certain chance of reducing the ghost's hostile intentions. I think I just got lucky at the time, hitting a rare event with a very low probability."
Lin Yun remained silent, slowing down the video playback and replaying it several times before stopping at a specific moment. "What did you say back then?"
Tang Ning leaned in closer to the screen, where he was seen confronting the ghost with the prop money, his lips moving rapidly but subtly, as if murmuring to himself.
"I..." Tang Ning's mind went blank, his memory failing him as he couldn't recall what he was murmuring back then.
"You were saying..." Lin Yun whispered, "...Mo Yunchu."
Tang Ning jerked his head towards Lin Yun, once again sensing a deep-seated fear emanating from him.
Lin Yun had mentioned Mo Yunchu in passing when discussing Ji Lianyin's fate.
Even just uttering the name once, Lin Yun couldn't maintain a composed demeanor.
"You seem scared?" Tang Ning asked softly.
If you delve into the descriptions of Mo Yunchu on forums, you'll find that despite often roughing up players, he's still regarded as a powerful figure. So, why does Lin Yun mention Mo Yunchu as if referring to a malevolent ghost?
"If you were to encounter his other form," Lin Yun lowered his voice, "No, you wouldn't want to."
Tang Ning looked puzzled. Another form?
All he knew was what Boss Hao had mentioned: Mo Yunchu's parents had resorted to a life-for-a-life deal, allowing him to live up to now. But once Mo Yunchu died, he would transform into an unstoppable evil spirit.
But hadn't Mo Yunchu already died?
"It's said that his birth was stillborn, and his parents used a forbidden method to extend his life, maintaining his appearance as normal as possible. No one could imagine he was a monster," Lin Yun's voice grew softer as he spoke, "One day, this monster 'committed suicide.'"
Tang Ning widened his eyes, listening incredulously to Lin Yun's trembling voice. "When he was about to kill himself, he suddenly changed his mind, forcibly sealing the evil spirit within himself."
"Some say it was out of curiosity about what the evil spirit truly looked like, others say it was due to boredom with life, and some say it was a desire to control the power of malevolent spirits," Lin Yun's voice trembled slightly. "I don't know if it's fortunate or unfortunate, but I've seen his other form once."
"It's truly an unsolvable evil spirit."
The car came to a stop, and the driver called out, "We're here!"
Tang Ning opened the car door, noticing that Lin Yun's forehead was covered in cold sweat at this moment, seemingly still immersed in boundless fear of Mo Yunchu.
Although Lin Yun spoke with sincerity, Tang Ning didn't seem particularly affected. However, since Lin Yun had revealed so much information, it seemed fair to reciprocate. After pondering for a moment, Tang Ning quietly said to Lin Yun, "I did mention a name in a game once. It was the name of my boyfriend."
As Lin Yun stared at him in astonishment, Tang Ning waved his hand towards Lin Yun and whispered, "Keep it a secret!"
As the driver took Lin Yun away, Tang Ning walked through the residential compound, reflecting on Lin Yun's earlier words. An unsolvable evil spirit?
It sounded formidable.
But Mo Yunchu had always been formidable! Whether as an actor, he was the most outstanding performer; as a Taoist, he was the most cunning; and even after death, he remained an insurmountable malevolent spirit!
Tang Ning finally felt relaxed enough to mention him with a light-hearted inner voice.
"He truly is my boyfriend!"
As he rode the elevator and made his way to his doorstep, he fetched his keys and opened the door to find his beloved cat, Kaixin, waiting there.
"Kaixin!" Tang Ning exclaimed loudly.
Kaixin stretched lazily, then expertly flopped down, exposing his belly to Tang Ning.
Tang Ning didn't even bother taking off his shoes. He squatted down and gently stroked Kaixin's soft and warm belly. Kaixin was incredibly soft all over—his belly, his paws, even the purring sounds were soft and soothing.
"Kaixin, do you see how happy I am today?" Tang Ning said to the sleepy-eyed cat. "Because I'm about to make big money. Do you know how much money? You're just a cat, how would you know? Oh, and I've got a reliable new teammate, and I might even get to star in Director Xu's movie."
Tang Ning shared many things with Kaixin, and Kaixin responded with contented purring, so it didn't feel like he was just talking to himself.
Tang Ning hugged the little cat, sitting with Kaixin on the sofa. The smile on his face gradually faded. "I seem..."
"Not that happy after all."
As Kaixin continued to purr in his arms, Tang Ning lowered his head and gently buried his face in the cat's belly. He whispered softly, "Mo Yunchu, Lu Qinghe, Qi Yun, Gu Ming, Gong Yun, Ji Lianyin."
"If only they were all cats."
"Then I could buy them all and keep them at home. Hmm, I'd need to get a bigger villa. In winter, the cats would all snuggle up on the bed, fluffy and warm, and I wouldn't even need a blanket."
Kaixin's soft paws gently tapped Tang Ning's face. Tang Ning held onto Kaixin's paw, sniffed it, and after not detecting any litter smell, he lovingly kissed the paw pad. He looked at Kaixin earnestly and said, "Don't worry, even if there were many more cats, you would still be my most beloved treasure among them all!"
The next morning, Tang Ning reluctantly dragged himself to the set for work, only to find Lin Yun's presence there again. Lin Yun seemed to know Director Chang and exchanged a few words before shamelessly pulling up a chair to watch Tang Ning act.
Tang Ning toiled away all morning, with Lin Yun standing by like an old man, contributing nothing except upgrading the lunchboxes for the entire crew, especially the one he bought for Tang Ning, which seemed like it was straight from a Michelin-starred restaurant.
"I watched your previous films and your performance on set today. Your progress is truly remarkable," Lin Yun remarked sincerely.
Tang Ning felt a bit awkward. "My previous films could have been better."
Lin Yun asked again, "Did Mo Yunchu teach you this much improvement in acting?"
Tang Ning, focused on his meal and not wanting any distractions, simply shook his head without paying much attention to Lin Yun's oddly phrased question.
After a brief lunch break, Tang Ning resumed work, prepared for an evening of filming. However, he ended work early at noon, for reasons unknown. Perhaps it was something Lin Yun and Director Chang said.
Lin Yun had warned that entering the game at night was too dangerous and suggested they go while it was still daylight.
After some time, they arrived at the high school around three in the afternoon.
This high school was called Deming High School, a renowned elite institution in City A with a strong faculty. Many parents had gone to great lengths to enroll their children there. However, recently, the school had experienced numerous bizarre deaths. Some attributed it to the intense academic pressure on the students, while others claimed it was due to ghosts invading the campus!
"The first few who died weren't exactly clean individuals," Lin Yun, with his special channels of information, shared a few examples with Tang Ning. Tang Ning listened with furrowed brows, finding it hard to believe that students of this age could engage in such evil deeds.
Soon, they stood at the entrance of the school.
The campus was expansive, with lush vegetation covering every corner. Apart from the resemblance in the words "Deming" and "Mingde," there seemed to be little connection between this beautiful campus and the haunted school in the game.
Taking a deep breath, Tang Ning entered the school with Lin Yun by his side.
As they stepped onto the campus, they first noticed their own shadows, which appeared normal. Then, they surveyed their surroundings, but within moments, they sensed something amiss.
The unsettling feeling stemmed from the lack of vitality among the students and the teachers. Everyone seemed lifeless, with expressions as though trapped in a fortress.
"Don't worry, as long as I don't actively interact with anyone here, the supernatural contamination won't spread to me," Lin Yun explained to Tang Ning in a low voice. "Of course, there's a time limit to this. If we stay here for 24 hours without leaving, we'll also be affected by the contamination."
One of the rules of the reflection is to kill those who violate school rules, and this rule itself has an unspoken limitation: it only applies within the campus.
So typically, players won't be killed immediately upon entering.
The few players who met their demise here did so because they had explicit interactions with certain students, blurring the boundaries of their identities from those outside to those within the campus.
Tang Ning nodded, feeling slightly relieved after hearing Lin Yun's explanation. He wandered aimlessly around the campus, his mind replaying the events that occurred in the haunted school replica.
Initially, another rule of the reflection was that anyone who felt fear and was noticed would die. However, upon leaving the replica, it was unclear what changes had occurred in the reflection and whether the rules had been altered.
If the rules haven't changed, then being in this campus makes Tang Ning practically invincible. And if they have changed, as long as he avoids interacting with anyone from this school, he should be able to leave without being affected by any supernatural contamination.
As Tang Ning walked, he noticed several figures not far away. They weren't wearing school uniforms and seemed to be around his age, suggesting they were also players exploring this place.
Despite the numerous casualties caused by the supernatural invasion this time, the rewards were too lucrative, attracting a constant stream of players willing to challenge it. Some players were even more inexperienced than Tang Ning, just trying their luck.
As Tang Ning approached to assist these players, they also noticed him and began whispering among themselves. "Hey, isn't that the player who gained popularity from a variety show recently?" "So he's sponsored by Lin Yun, no wonder he has paper money similar to talismans." "You mean the little celebrity? No wonder he looks so confident."
Tang Ning felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny of these players. Their gazes lingered, starting from his feet and slowly moving up until they settled on his face, then wandered around in a flippant manner, causing Tang Ning to furrow his brows.
Seeing this, Lin Yun stepped in front of Tang Ning, but the feeling of being observed persisted.
Something wasn't right.
Tang Ning shifted his gaze towards the teaching building nearby. The corridor was nearly deserted, except for a student figure at the end of the third-floor corridor, peering down.
As if sensing Tang Ning's gaze, the student waved towards him.
Was this greeting meant for someone else?
Tang Ning blinked, scanning his surroundings, and noticed that some of the players who were previously discussing had also looked up towards the student.
The player who greeted seemed to know the student upstairs, as they waved back.
Tang Ning, puzzled, turned back to look for the student upstairs, only to find the corridor empty, suggesting that the student might have entered a classroom.
"Li Ming'an, do you know them?" one of the players beside Tang Ning asked.
Li Ming'an didn't respond, but took a step forward, still looking up towards the teaching building, as if trying to spot something.
Tang Ning's gaze, originally on Li Ming'an, couldn't help but return to the teaching building. Suddenly, he spotted the student again, this time on the fourth floor. It turned out that the student had disappeared earlier because they were climbing the stairs. With a cheerful smile, the student waved energetically towards the building.
Tang Ning then noticed Li Ming'an. This time, not only was Li Ming'an waving back at the student, but there was also another player behind him, joining in the enthusiastic greeting.
The player who had just asked Li Ming'an if he knew the student was the same one now waving alongside Li Ming'an. Their gestures were so synchronized that even the angle of their upper and lower arms seemed meticulously coordinated, giving off an eerie vibe that made their companions instinctively distance themselves from them.
Something was off!
Tang Ning's heart skipped a beat. He slowly retreated with Lin Yun, moving away from the two players exhibiting peculiar behavior while simultaneously glancing back towards the teaching building.
This time, the student was on the fifth-floor corridor, still waving towards the bottom of the building. Upon closer inspection, the waving motion seemed identical to that of the two players.
Was this the sign of the supernatural contamination this time? Tang Ning felt extremely uneasy, casting a nervous glance at Lin Yun, fearing that she might suddenly start waving too. Fortunately, Lin Yun showed no sign of abnormality, and the other two players didn't seem to notice anything wrong either.
Tang Ning continued towards the teaching building. The building had a total of five floors, and as the student's figure disappeared into the staircase again, was he going up to the roof? Or...
Tang Ning held his breath, silently counting to five in his mind. Then, the student's figure appeared on the rooftop!
From the fifth floor's height, Tang Ning couldn't discern the expression on the student's face anymore. However, judging from the exaggerated waving motion, it wasn't difficult to imagine the smile on their face.
Waving their hand as if bidding a final farewell to the world, the student then leaped off the rooftop—
"Bang!!!"
The ground, including Li Ming'an and the other two players, witnessed a simultaneous collapse, and crimson blood splattered, creating a massive bloodbath.
Although death occurred in an instant, witnessing the two players' actual demise gave Tang Ning a sense of grim inevitability.
The other two surviving players, visibly shaken, hurriedly decided to leave the area, their faces pale with terror.
As Tang Ning turned to glance at the two players rushing away, they unexpectedly turned back suddenly, flashing him a beaming smile and waving!
At that moment, Tang Ning's heart seemed to skip a beat.
Why are they waving at me?! Is there a student behind me waving?!
Tang Ning swiftly looked behind him, but there was nothing there. He then nervously glanced around the nearby teaching building several times, ensuring he didn't spot any eerie figures.
After completing this series of checks in a very short time, Tang Ning's heart reluctantly calmed down, even feeling uncertain if the two players were just playing a prank before leaving. If that were the case, it would indeed be a rather twisted joke, given how his heart was still pounding.
"Boom! Boom!"
A series of explosions suddenly resounded from behind.
Tang Ning's pupils contracted, stiffening as he turned his head, only to see the two players who were about to leave the campus being struck on the head by flower pots falling from above, collapsing into a pool of blood.
What's going on?!
Tang Ning couldn't calm down, looking extremely uneasy as he turned to Lin Yun, "Did you see anyone waving nearby just now?"
Lin Yun's expression was equally grim, staring at Tang Ning intently. "I did."
"What? Where?!" Tang Ning asked urgently, his voice lowered in anxiety.
Lin Yun lowered her head, speaking each word carefully, "Your shadow, it was waving."