Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 72

Shirley turned into stardust, sinking into the swamp, while Sarah was buried in a sea of flames. Many witches and townsfolk learned the truth. Although many would be immersed in grief for a long time, and even though the impact of radiation from the Mirror of All Things would take time to fade, and human genetics might be irreversibly affected…

A conspiracy had been thwarted.

[Player Zhou Qian’s Rank: B → S]

[HP: 8,000 → 50,000]

[MP: 8,000 → 50,000]

[Skill Points: 1,000]

[“Rib of God” Unlocked Function: Summon Bone Spirit; the Bone Spirit is nourished by the player’s health; each summoning requires sacrificing health.]

After reviewing his level-up prompt, an intense light shone directly above Zhou Qian. The light was so bright he had to squint. When he blinked, he found himself in a high-tech room.

The familiar metallic door of the room soon opened, and a familiar figure walked in—it was Ryan in a white lab coat, looking part doctor and part researcher.

What’s going on? 

Zhou Qian frowned slightly. Ryan approached him and reached out his hand. Zhou Qian didn’t reciprocate, pulling his hand away. Ryan didn’t seem to mind and pulled back.

“Was it you who sent us to that world?” Zhou Qian asked. “There was a Ryan there. You’re also Ryan. Are you Ryans from different timelines?”

“Yes. This is a multi-dimensional universe. The universe has countless parallel time-spaces, so there are countless Ryans,” Ryan explained. “You were sent to universe S7889. That world was heading towards destruction due to Sarah’s experiment, which would eventually affect other time-spaces, even posing a threat here. We sent you there to correct the history and change the tragedy. Congratulations on completing your mission.”

Zhou Qian remained expressionless and non-committal. Soon after, Ryan handed him a small orb, resembling a globe with lands and oceans. He could hold it in one hand.

As Zhou Qian took it, Ryan said, “God was displeased with the chaos on the land. He commanded the waters to gather, revealing the land. Thus, the waters formed the oceans, and dry land emerged. Under God’s guidance, fruits and vegetables flourished. Now, having saved the world, God grants you the ‘Continent’.”

[Player obtains the item: ‘Continent’]

[Function: ?]

[Grade: ?]

After gathering all the rewards and dropped loot boxes, the surroundings faded from Zhou Qian’s view.

The last message he saw read: [Zhou Qian, having passed the gambler’s evaluation, gained the title: Nightmare Commander.]

[Gambler’s postscript: I was watching your videos on the side, and, given your mastery of dreams and the fact that others couldn’t make you lose yourself in them, I felt this title suited you. You’re the master of dreams, the commander of all within them. Even though you might not always listen to me… I hope you’ll be careful and choose a safer path.]

After reading the postscript, Zhou Qian found himself back in Zone 1 of the Spring Hill Mental Asylum.

It was late at night. The main lights in the ward were off, with only his bedside lamp still on. Beside him, Qi Liuxing was already asleep, probably tired. Zhou Qian leaned back for a moment, then got up and retrieved a tie from his wardrobe.

As Qi Liuxing dozed, he felt a shift on the bed.

“Hm? Zhou Qian, are you back?” He yawned and instinctively turned on the light, indeed seeing Zhou Qian.

But Qi Liuxing wasn’t sure what Zhou Qian was planning. He moved to Zhou Qian’s side of the bed, very close.

Meanwhile, Zhou Qian’s gaze was unusual. He stared at him coldly, and his expression seemed malicious.

Suddenly, Qi Liuxing noticed the tie wrapped around his own neck, as if Zhou Qian was trying to strangle him!

“What the fuck, Zhou Qian?”

Qi Liuxing snapped awake, but his gaze wasn’t defensive—it was concerned. He patted Zhou Qian’s face.

“Are you alright? Under an illusion? Wake up, Zhou Qian! You’re out of the game and back in reality!”

Hearing those words, the cold and murderous look in Zhou Qian’s eyes gradually faded. He suddenly smiled at Qi Liuxing with a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes. “Ah, didn’t scare you?”

Qi Liuxing was angry. “Zhou Qian, you’re sick!”

“Not really. I was just practicing,” Zhou Qian replied, raising an eyebrow, still in a strangling posture.

Qi Liuxing: “?”

Zhou Qian: “I was thinking… we should both hurt each other a bit!”

Qi Liuxing: “……???”

Zhou Qian continued, “I want to sneak into Zone 2. Going to Zone X from here is too difficult. But Zone 2 is very close to there.”

After a three-second pause, Qi Liuxing realized. “You mean—we hurt each other, even attempt to kill, then both of us are considered to have worsened conditions, and both of us get locked up in Zone 2? Don’t tell me… you want to find Bai Zhou?”

Zhou Qian remained silent and released the tie, leisurely going back to his bed. He seemed to think of something and looked at his wrist, but there was no system panel response—

No messages from anyone.

Qi Liuxing said, “If you go to Zone 2, you can’t order hotel takeout anymore. It’s off-limits. The management there is very strict. You won’t be free.”

Zhou Qian replied, “In theory, yes. But currently, Dr. Li is my gambler. I just need to win him over.”

“You’re crazy!” Qi Liuxing frowned, looking very serious.

Zhou Qian, however, was seriously planning. “Of course, I also need to notify Officer Chen. In case of any accidents, he should try to get me out.”

Qi Liuxing: “……”

“It’s not as simple as you think. While I do intend to find Bai Zhou, that’s not my only goal. If we can make it to Zone 2 and Zone X, we can get closer to some of the core players in this game. Given the vast scope of this game, players are not limited to just this asylum. However, looking at the current player matching situation, the probability of people from one hospital being matched together seems quite high. This might be for easier management and control.”

“For instance, the doctor who extracted Zhu Qiang is likely some sort of manager placed in the real world by the game. Even if he isn’t a manager, he probably knows more details than we do. In any case—”

Zhou Qian summarized, “Now that we know the pattern and understand that there’s a high probability of encountering high-end players in Zone 2 and Zone X, we should go there to scout out their details in advance. Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle*, right?”

*Line from The Art of War by Sun Tzu.

Qi Liuxing looked skeptical. “Really? If I go to Zone 2 with you for the investigation, you won’t drag me into Zone X to find Bai Zhou with you, right? I’m making it clear; I definitely won’t go to a place like Zone X!”

“Of course not!” Zhou Qian said earnestly. “About Zhu Qiang, you know the situation. He was in Zone 2 of this hospital before. So a doctor in Zone 2 definitely has a problem, right? Think about it. He probably helped many murderers escape punishment. We must find him. You are an agent of justice, after all!”

“Hmm… you make a good point,” Qi Liuxing admitted, getting serious. “That doctor is truly evil! Maybe…”

“Why hesitate? That’s not like you. You should be more aware, my Brother Sword God,” Zhou Qian advised before heading to the bathroom for a shower.

A moment later, after Zhou Qian finished his shower, Qi Liuxing seemed to have made up his mind.

He declared, “Zhou Qian, I’ve decided. Regardless of whether I’ll meet all the gods in the game, I don’t care! But regarding Zhu Qiang… if someone in this hospital is helping him evade punishment, it’s definitely abnormal! I’m willing to dive deep into this with you! One must enter the tiger’s den to catch its cubs!”

Zhou Qian nodded appreciatively. He towel-dried his hair, approached Qi Liuxing, and said, “Good.”

Qi Liuxing, filled with newfound enthusiasm, asked, “So now we—”

Zhou Qian, yawning, got into bed. “Now? Now it’s bedtime, kid.”

Qi Liuxing: “…You woke me up just to sleep again?”

“Who told you not to wait for me? So heartless.” Zhou Qian yawned again.

“I did wait for you.” Qi Liuxing explained seriously, “I accidentally fell asleep. Look, I didn’t even change my clothes. I didn’t really plan to sleep.”

Zhou Qian smiled contentedly. “Mm. Good job, Xiao Qi!”

Qi Liuxing asked, “By the way, I’ve leveled up to A. What about you?”

“S.” Zhou Qian yawned for the third time and was immediately awakened by Qi Liuxing, who grabbed his collar.

“You’re already at S? You’ve only done three side missions, and you’re at S?” Qi Liuxing was genuinely shocked.

“So, grinding the ultimate hidden mission in the instance is quite useful, huh!”

Zhou Qian pushed Qi Liuxing’s hand away and snuggled back into his bed covers. “Alright, time to sleep. We can discuss things tomorrow. If you can’t sleep, ponder over how we can harm each other convincingly. Remember to make it look real!”

Qi Liuxing: “………”

……

The next morning, as usual, Li Xuehai came for his rounds.

What was different this time was that he not only came alone but also closed the door behind him, clearly indicating he had something private to discuss with Zhou Qian.

However, he didn’t exclude Qi Liuxing, probably because he knew that he too was a player in the game.

When Li Xuehai arrived, Zhou Qian was deeply engrossed in various studies on his system panel.

After being promoted to Rank S, many new features were added to his system, and he was trying to figure them all out. Moreover, he hadn’t found the right opportunity to test the newly added “Bone Spirit” skill.

When Zhou Qian noticed Li Xuehai closing the door, he glanced at him and then continued with his system panel.

It seemed he had an inkling of what Li Xuehai wanted to discuss, perhaps thinking that some of his in-game actions were too reckless.

So, before Li Xuehai could even start, Zhou Qian preemptively showed an expression of “I’m not listening to any nagging*”.

*(不听不听王八念经) Internet buzzword referring to refusing to listen to another person’s point of view. It became a meme of basically psyduck covering its ears. 

Upon seeing Zhou Qian’s reaction, Li Xuehai shook his head, sighed softly, and then seriously said, “Zhu Qiang from Zone 2 has died. The cause of death was a sudden heart attack.”

Zhou Qian raised an eyebrow, indicating that he already knew, and then continued to look at his system panel without any expression.

Li Xuehai glanced at him and asked, “I suddenly remembered that the day after Dong Xiang died, you asked me if many people had recently died in the hospital. After reviewing your video playback, I understood what you meant. Why didn’t you say it directly?”

“How could I say it directly? Wouldn’t that make you think I’ve gone even crazier?” Zhou Qian replied candidly. “You’re so old-fashioned, having never played online games. You’d certainly think it’s all a hallucination of mine.”

Qi Liuxing, hearing these potentially offensive words, quickly shot Zhou Qian a warning glance.

But Zhou Qian, with his head lowered, didn’t see it at all.

Qi Liuxing frowned immediately, only to hear Zhou Qian laughing. “Dr. Li wouldn’t be so petty!”

Qi Liuxing: “……”

Li Xuehai: “……”

All the good and bad words were spoken by Zhou Qian alone.

“Speaking of which…” Having probably finished researching the system panel, Zhou Qian finally looked up at Li Xuehai. “So, who was the person that got Zhu Qiang out?”

“I’ve checked. Regarding Zhu Qiang’s mental assessment report, it was personally signed off by the deputy president in the end. But the assessment process wasn’t conducted by him alone. The hospital has a strict procedure, and many doctors are involved.”

“Zhu Qiang went through three evaluations. The deputy director, director, and deputy president all submitted a report. Everyone judged that he indeed had mental issues. Zhu Qiang was confined to a single room in Zone 2, which isn’t much different from a prison. Actually, Zhou Qian…”

Pausing for a moment, Li Xuehai’s voice became graver. “Zhou Qian, the deputy president, is my teacher. I can vouch for his character with my integrity. If you think he’s an accomplice, then perhaps the whole hospital is corrupt.”

Reaching this point, Li Xuehai’s gaze turned even more serious, meeting Zhou Qian’s probing look, and added, “Including me.”

Zhou Qian blinked several times and then stared intently at Li Xuehai. “I certainly don’t think you have any issues. Right now, you’re my fellow gambler. We share glory and disgrace. However…”

After pondering for a moment, Zhou Qian continued, “If there’s nothing wrong with the doctors, then Zhu Qiang indeed had mental issues. Hmm… After winning some bets, he had some value and could afford a lawyer, so getting himself out of prison is plausible. But it also means that the game affects gamblers’ mental states. Dr. Li…”

Zhou Qian’s tone became slightly heavy. “I think, under these circumstances, you should be more cautious.”

“Don’t worry. If I ever notice anything wrong with myself, I’ll have my colleagues handle it in time. As for what this game is all about… we’ll investigate it together later on.”

Li Xuehai turned around, ready to leave.

Zhou Qian stopped him. “You haven’t asked anything today.”

To which Li Xuehai replied, “There’s not much to ask. Actually, I think… this game might be beneficial for you.”

“Oh? How so?” Zhou Qian inquired curiously.

Li Xuehai explained, “Although in the game, I don’t agree with many of your actions, thinking you’re too reckless, I’ve noticed… this game stimulates your emotions. I’ve conducted many emotional stimulation activities with you before. I even hypnotized you, but the results weren’t satisfactory.”

Zhou Qian seemed to find something amusing and chuckled, “So you mean, gamblers might go insane because of me, but I’m becoming a normal person through the game?”

“It’s just my current assessment,” Li Xuehai said. “Haven’t you noticed? You have low self-esteem. But often, this game seems to push you to be a hero. That level of immersion isn’t comparable to other ordinary treatments.”

“Is that so…” Zhou Qian looked at Li Xuehai. “Then let me ask you another question.”

“Go ahead.” Li Xuehai sat back down on the sofa.

Zhou Qian questioned, “I mentioned before that I saw a dragon, and you believed it was a hallucination. What about now? Do you finally believe me?”

But Li Xuehai firmly shook his head. “No. I still don’t believe it truly exists.”

“Why?” Zhou Qian pressed.

“It’s simple, because this is the real world,” Li Xuehai said. “You all load your consciousness into the game. That’s a unique space. If a dragon appears in the game, it’s no big deal. But in reality… are you telling me that during that time, a dragon appeared at this hospital every night? But why is it that only you saw it, and no one else did?”

Before Zhou Qian could reply, Li Xuehai posed another question. “Unless you’re telling me that even now, you’re actually in the game. And I am just an NPC within your game.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qian didn’t react. However, Qi Liuxing, beside him, jumped up in surprise. “Is that possible? Could it be…”

He suddenly turned to look at the pillow beside him, as if someone was there, and asked earnestly, “Little brother, are you real? If what I perceive as reality is also a game… are you an NPC in the game? If that’s the case… where is true reality?”

Zhou Qian, who heard this: “……”

Zhou Qian still didn’t speak, but Li Xuehai, looking at Qi Liuxing, tried to reassure him. “For now, relax. I don’t think that’s likely. I clearly know my life’s journey. Apart from this game, I’ve never encountered any supernatural creatures or phenomena. I can’t possibly be an NPC. As for that dragon… we might need further investigation.”

……

A few minutes later, Li Xuehai left.

Zhou Qian reopened his system panel and began researching something. Qi Liuxing, who was still slightly shocked by Li Xuehai’s speculations, felt that maybe all his memories from birth to now were false.

He turned pale and went on a long ramble to Zhou Qian, and seeing no response, eventually went over and tugged at Zhou Qian’s sleeve. “What do you think? Why aren’t you speaking?”

“Yes, yes, it’s all a game. We’re all toys for the gods.” Zhou Qian yawned. “Maybe the gods are placing bets on who will be the next US president!”

“Yeah! That’s possible!” Qi Liuxing said, analyzing seriously. “We’re just toys for the gods’ amusement. Who knows how much the bet regarding the US president is worth. Wait… do gods use money too?”

Hearing this, Zhou Qian finally couldn’t help but laugh.

Qi Liuxing realized something and frowned, looking at Zhou Qian with dissatisfaction. “Are you making fun of me?”

“Not at all. Just a little joke,” Zhou Qian said seriously. “I believe everything is real. Reality is still reality. It’s just that dragon…”

Zhou Qian suddenly stopped speaking here.

Qi Liuxing, not getting a continuation, immediately inquired, “What? What about the dragon?”

Soon, Qi Liuxing saw Zhou Qian look up and smile at him.

It was a rare, genuine smile from Zhou Qian.

But Qi Liuxing, used to Zhou Qian’s teasing, instinctively stepped back.

Then he saw Zhou Qian raise his left hand and point to the watch on his wrist with his right hand. “137 has contacted me. I’ll ask him if he knows anything about the dragon.”

“Uh… so who exactly is 137?” Qi Liuxing asked, clearly confused. “Zhou Qian, there’s something off about you. Weren’t you looking for Bai Zhou? I spent all night thinking of ways we could hurt each other. Are you going to act or not? Hey, where are you going? To chat with 137? Why are you avoiding me? Why are you so happy that 137 contacted you? Aren’t you looking for Bai Zhou anymore?”

……

Earlier in the ward, while Qi Liuxing was rambling, Zhou Qian opened his trade notifications and saw a message from [137]: [Are you there?]

Seeing such a question, Zhou Qian instinctively wanted to reply with— [Not here.]

However, after typing them, he deleted it.

Without replying, he went out for a walk.

After reaching the cafeteria’s small garden, Zhou Qian entered a green-shaded corridor before leisurely opening the system panel again, seeing a message sent by [137] half a minute ago—

[You’ve reached Rank S. Now you can take on disciples but can no longer have a master.]

Zhou Qian frowned at this message, then checked the trade notifications and saw his purchase requests being covered by trade notifications one by one, all initiated by [137].

[137] was offering him the items he was looking to purchase, and the price for each was [0 gold coins].

It seemed like 137 was helping Zhou Qian clear out his shopping cart.

Quickly, Zhou Qian clicked on all the notifications, accepting all the items in order, immediately revealing his “online” status. However, he still didn’t reply to any of the messages.

After a while, when ​[137] generous gestures ceased, perhaps fearing that Zhou Qian would log out of the trading hall after his shopping cart was emptied, ​[137] sent another message: [Zhou Qian, do you know everything now?]

Zhou Qian continued to remain silent.

A bit later, a message finally came from the other side: [Are you angry?]

Zhou Qian: “……….”

Staring at the message, Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes, only to receive another message. [You’ve reached Rank S, and the system has activated the ‘Prospective Teammate’ feature for you. I just used that feature to request to add you as my ‘Prospective Teammate’.]

[Why don’t you accept? This way, it’s like we’ve added each other as friends, making it much easier to communicate.]

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>