Chapter 238: Ghost in the Mirror (Part 1)

Chapter 238: Ghost in the Mirror (Part 1)

But Jie Fangcheng just thought briefly, feeling mildly impressed by the "green man from the backwater's" attire, thinking, "That outfit does look rather good." But that was it.

After returning to District D19, he quickly learned from Zhan Xiaoming about what had transpired during his absence.

When the white light flashed, Jie Fangcheng didn't appear at the teleportation point with them. Zhan Xiaoming initially thought it was because they had entered the hunting grounds from different teleportation points. So, after teleporting back to District D19, Zhan Xiaoming checked his friend list, planning to message Jie Fangcheng to ask for his whereabouts.

Upon opening his friend list, he was shocked to find Jie Fangcheng's name had vanished.

For players of "Worlds of the Three Thousand," a friend's name disappearing from the list was virtually unthinkable.

After all, if a player entered a hunting ground or an instance, their name would turn red, with a note indicating their location.

If, unfortunately, a player died within these instances or hunting grounds, their name wouldn’t disappear but would instead turn gray.

A player's name vanishing could only mean one thing: they had removed you from their friends list.

That couldn’t be, right?

Zhan Xiaoming was fully aware of the vast gap in skill between him and Jie Fangcheng. If it were any other elite player, Zhan might have doubted, wondering if he had been removed because he was constantly holding them back.

But Jie Fangcheng wasn't like that!

So, tentatively, Zhan Xiaoming opened the "Recent Co-op Players" list, only to find Jie Fangcheng's name missing there too.

It was only at this moment that Zhan Xiaoming realized something was amiss.

Such an event was unprecedented in his experience.

Zhan Shi—a former hunter who was deeply concerned for his nephew—was waiting in the player's hall.

As soon as Zhan Xiaoming appeared in the hall, an eagerly waiting Zhan Shi immediately approached him.

The uncle and nephew, who hadn’t seen each other in a long time, reunited. Emerging from the teleportation point with a heavy heart, seeing Zhan Shi left Zhan Xiaoming momentarily dazed.

Only after embracing his uncle did Zhan Xiaoming, tears brimming in his eyes, ask, "Uncle, have you seen Brother Jie?"

"Who?"

Zhan Xiaoming briefly recounted what had transpired in the hunting ground and shared how he discovered Jie Fangcheng's name missing from his friend list.

Zhan Shi was equally clueless about the situation.

But a player's name disappearing...

"When a player's name vanishes, it doesn't necessarily mean they've removed you," Zhan Shi said, pausing for effect. "There's another possibility..."

"What is it?"

Zhan Shi paused for a moment: "The player's profile has vanished."

"What?" Zhan Xiaoming was stunned.

However, for a player's profile to vanish, only six individuals within the entire game could achieve this.

And then, considering Jie Fangcheng's strength, which was unlike any ordinary player...

Although merely a D-rank hunter, Zhan Shi was no fool.

"Your friend... his capabilities and identity might be beyond our comprehension," Zhan Shi said, looking at Zhan Xiaoming. "We're just ordinary players. With someone of his caliber, perhaps... it's best we avoid disturbing him in the future."

Of course, that's assuming Jie Fangcheng still has a future.

Zhan Xiaoming felt lost and instinctively uneasy.

"But Brother Jie is a good person. He's saved me numerous times. Uncle, are you suggesting I should distance myself from him?"

Zhan Shi shook his head, then nodded: "Xiaoming, we don't possess the power or means to assist him. We would only become a burden."

Zhan Xiaoming didn't know how to counter this, but he knew deep down that Zhan Shi was right.

In silence, the two returned to their snack shop.

Nonetheless, Zhan Xiaoming had successfully completed an instance and was now a formal player.

Liu Feiyao and her two companions had already left the shop, each going their separate ways.

As for Liu Feiyao, although Zhan Xiaoming had spoken ill of Zone C and earnestly invited her to settle in Zone D, she ultimately declined.

"Zone C suits me."

Liu Feiyao stated it matter-of-factly.

Indeed, Zone C was the most brutal area in the entire game, where murders and wickedness ran rampant.

But by the same token, it also boasted the game's fairest judgment mechanism.

— Strength.

As long as one possesses overwhelming strength, every word they utter is deemed correct.

Liu Feiyao is not like Zhan Xiaoming. Although she appears delicate, she endured countless tortures in that microcosm without ever conceding guilt. In this game, she grew rapidly in such a short time. Inside Liu Feiyao, there roars a fierce tiger.

This realization made Zhan Xiaoming uneasy.

But however uncomfortable he felt, everything was already set in stone.

Whether Liu Feiyao and her group will remain ordinary players, or perhaps have some unique adventure and dominate a realm, or even die prematurely in an instance, it no longer concerns Zhan Xiaoming.

In the future, Zhan Xiaoming will guard his snack shop, using the shop's points to pay the exorbitant stay fees, until the day he can't afford them.

As for Brother Jie...

Brother Jie...

Zhan Xiaoming's emotions were in turmoil.

However, before he could sink deeper into his thoughts, a notification lit up on his friends list.

Clicking on it revealed a message from Jie Fangcheng.

"How are you all doing?"

Previously resigned to his fate, Zhan Xiaoming immediately set aside the shovel in his hand and sprinted to the player's hall to meet with Jie Fangcheng.

Though they had been apart only a few hours, seeing Jie Fangcheng's face made Zhan Xiaoming feel as if reuniting with a long-lost friend.

"Brother Jie!"

Jie Fangcheng, who was busy responding to messages, looked up with a cheerful wave, "Hey!"

Like a spilled bag of beans, Zhan Xiaoming excitedly updated him on recent events.

Honestly, there wasn't much to tell; Liu Feiyao and her group made choices that were only natural. Beyond that, Zhan Xiaoming had no riveting tales to share.

Jie Fangcheng didn't seem to mind. He listened while strolling alongside Zhan Xiaoming.

"Oh! That sounds pretty good!"

Liu Feiyao truly has her convictions! Moreover, when Jie Fangcheng checked his friends list, it indicated that Liu Feiyao was currently in an instance.

"What's your next move, Jie Ge?"

"Me?" Jie Fangcheng didn't directly mention, "I'm planning to take down those six old men in Area A1." He merely outlined his recent objectives, "I aim to ascend to an S-class hunter first."

To become an S-class hunter, one would have to conquer dungeons level by level.

Currently, the highest-level dungeon Jie Fangcheng can access is level three. He needs to clear levels three, four, and five - three more dungeons to reach S-class.

"Oh!" Zhan Xiaoming nodded obediently, "When are you heading out, Jie Ge?"

"Right now," noting that Zhan Xiaoming and the others were free, Jie Fangcheng decided to start his leveling journey.

Hearing this, Zhan Xiaoming made no attempt to hold him back.

He handed over two bags of sunflower seeds he'd prepared to Jie Fangcheng.

"Here, take these, Jie Ge. You can snack on them inside the dungeon."

In the game, products from official food stores can be taken into dungeons as items, although they don't have any specific effects.

Jie Fangcheng didn't stand on ceremony, accepting the seeds and waving to Zhan Xiaoming.

"Alright, I'm off to the dungeon now. You should head back!"

Zhan Xiaoming smiled and nodded in response.

Jie Fangcheng turned and entered the teleportation point. Selecting "Level 3 Dungeon," a flash of white light enveloped him, and he disappeared.

Zhan Xiaoming gazed at the spot where Jie had vanished, then with a touch of melancholy, he boarded a regional hovercraft bound for Zone D19.

Once inside, he sensed an odd smell as his nostrils flared.

— Bang!!

It felt like a slow-motion replay.

Zhan Xiaoming heard a deafening explosion close by, and the next moment he was hurled into the air.

Screams, roars.

"What just happened? How could the hovercraft explode?!"

Zhan Xiaoming's head spun mid-air, gazing at his mangled body, twisted and distorted, resembling sludge within the deformed wreckage of the hovercraft.

Beside his ear, an exasperated voice seemed to murmur.

"... Is it malfunctioning?... The control panel's delayed... Why can't I sever his connection? Don’t I have sufficient privileges? Damn it, just for a minor character..."

Zhan Xiaoming's head, thrown by the blast, fell back into the hovercraft, his eyes wide in disbelief.

—How... could this happen...

.

[Beep — Welcome player Jie Fangcheng to the dungeon [Mirror Ghost (Level 3)].]

[Dungeon: Mirror Ghost (Level 3)]

[Description: Have you ever wondered if the "person" in the mirror is simply a refraction of light, a mere illusion, or if there's genuinely someone living inside, mirroring your appearance and mimicking your movements? Perhaps, he truly exists?]

[Objective: Is it a ghost or a human in the mirror? Perhaps only the one inside the mirror knows?]

[Clearance Condition: Become the one inside the mirror.]

Jie Fangcheng opened his eyes.

He found himself on a moving bus, with the scenery around him swiftly receding.

For a moment, engrossed by his surroundings, Jie Fangcheng felt disoriented, believing he'd returned to his familiar world... Was that the Yang Guofu Spicy Hot Pot shop he just passed by???

Jie Fangcheng quickly leaned over to peer out the window.

—Damn, this is his familiar world! Not only did Jie Fangcheng spot Yang Guofu Spicy Hot Pot, but he also recognized the Ginza district, Wanda Plaza...

He lifted his head.

On the side of the bus, the route map displayed familiar stops, ones Jie Fangcheng frequently used during his earthly assignments.

At that moment, other players aboard the bus began to stir awake.

Everyone initially eyed their surroundings warily. Then, following the seasoned players' typical etiquette, they nodded in acknowledgment to one another, quietly introducing themselves.

This indicates that everyone isn't ready to turn hostile yet. If it becomes apparent later that there's competition within this dungeon, people will not hesitate to fight.

Jie Fangcheng wasn't overly enthusiastic about these introductions but went with the flow, briefly stating his name before resuming his observation of the outside view.

At that moment, Jie Fangcheng heard an unfamiliar voice.

"Hello everyone, I'm Guan Yingying."

Guan Yingying? Where had he heard that name before...

A thought crossed Jie Fangcheng's mind, causing him to pause and quickly turn his head.

The girl sitting diagonally from him looked gentle and soft-spoken. She continued calmly, "My personal skill is unique. It lacks offensive power, but my perception is quite strong."

"It's called 'Heart of the Butterfly'."