Chapter 245: Ghost in the Mirror (Part Eight)

Chapter 245: Ghost in the Mirror (Part Eight)

"You can't be serious."

Although the player community might have even worse behavior than the NPCs in the dungeons, Qiao Qiang's actions wouldn't be considered particularly significant in the annals of player history. There are many who would harm other players without even a hint of provocation.

Nonetheless, such individuals only make up a small percentage of the vast player base, and they often exhibit certain aberrant tendencies.

Yet looking at Qiao Qiang, these players have weathered many storms and seen the full spectrum of human nature. Had it not been for the subsequent events, they would still see him as a straightforward supermarket manager.

How could someone who conceals himself so well use such harsh language?

Especially in this case, where the woman returning the lamp didn't really do anything wrong.

But when Qiao Qiang berated her, it was as if she had committed some unforgivable sin.

Running a community supermarket, such incidents are likely common.

Getting so worked up over such a minor dispute makes him seem incredibly petty.

To think about Qiao Qiang's eventual demise, surely it wasn't triggered by such a trivial matter?

The players exchanged glances, seeing Qiao Qiang return to his appearance of an unassuming individual.

Zhu Ping was quick to respond, "Let's follow that woman and see where she goes."

Perhaps there's a prior conflict between the two of them? After all, with no other leads to pursue, following her might reveal something.

But while they might track the woman, they certainly couldn't ignore Qiao Qiang.

Zhu Ping assigned two to stay behind, "Guan Yingying, Ares, you two stay here. Keep an eye on Qiao Qiang and see what he's up to."

Ares looked as if he wanted to protest, but both he and Guan Yingying were the least powerful among the current players.

In the end, he kept silent.

This is why Zhu Ping chose them to stay; players with lesser abilities are easier to manage.

The rest of the players left the supermarket.

Once they were out of sight, Ares murmured, "Damn it, always picking on the easy targets."

Guan Yingying didn't respond; she was intently watching Qiao Qiang lounging in his chair.

Seeing her expression, Ares leaned in and whispered, "Did you find any clues?"

Guan Yingying's gaze remained fixed on Qiao Qiang. Upon hearing Ares' question, she shook her head.

"I haven't found any clues. If we're left behind, we should just focus on our assignment," she commented.

Ares thought to himself, is she naive? Staring at Qiao Qiang like that, what sort of task is that? Is she willing to forgo points just to fixate on this one NPC?

Guan Yingying ignored his skeptical glance, continuing to observe Qiao Qiang.

She wasn't lying; Guan Yingying truly hadn't stumbled upon any other clues.

However, she had this lingering feeling... that she had seen Qiao Qiang before.

It wasn't a familiarity of appearance, but an inexplicable recognition, as if it resonated deep within her soul.

Guan Yingying couldn't help but wonder why she felt a connection to an NPC in a dungeon. Had she known this Qiao Qiang before?

Meanwhile, on the other side, the players exited the supermarket and discreetly followed the woman who had returned the lamp.

The sun was still intensely hot, but compared to the bustling scene on the street earlier, the residential area now seemed sparsely populated.

A player pondered aloud, "Why are there fewer people now? Is this some kind of clue?"

Zhu Ping quickly surmised, "It's past noon. This is when the NPCs take their rest."

The lively crowd they had seen before was due to office workers returning and students being let out of school, creating a bustling environment in the residential area.

At this hour, those who needed to be home were home, those who needed to eat had eaten, and most were taking their midday rest, hence the fewer people.

"Such an incredibly realistic dungeon!" someone couldn't help but remark.

Zhu Ping was deep in thought.

Logically, dungeons are system-generated, and the NPCs within are also creations of the system.

But there's something odd about this dungeon.

The XinXin Home Community should be within the dungeon's boundaries, perhaps also including the bus routes they've been traversing.

Beyond these, other locations should be part of the small world upon which the dungeon is built.

Yet what was strange... was the absence of others. The surroundings seemed like a ghost town, with only NPCs present within the vibrant enclave.

It felt as if... the entire small world was within the domain of an instance dungeon.

With that thought, Zhu Ping suddenly had a daring idea.

"You all continue following her; I'll go take a look outside."

With that, Zhu Ping briskly walked out of the enclave, identified her direction, and activated her speed skill, dashing away.

As she hurriedly departed, the players were unsure of her intent. The group could only keep trailing the girl, following her right to her doorstep.

This wasn't like a community supermarket or a public place where players could discreetly observe.

Without the appropriate skill in such private residences, sneaking a peek would indeed be challenging.

Fortunately, among the players were those with particular talents, and indeed, some had the skills for the task.

One player transformed into a centipede, wriggling through the door gap.

After a short while, he emerged again.

"How did it go?" the other players inquired, "Why are you back so soon?"

The player looked a bit embarrassed, "She was about to take a shower."

After hearing his words, some players nodded knowingly, while others looked somewhat disdainful, feeling that there was no need to be so cautious regarding NPCs.

Clearly, this was yet another conceptual difference.

The player transformed into a centipede remained silent. After waiting at the door for a while, he re-entered the room.

Time ticked by. Every so often, the centipede player would emerge from the room to provide an update.

In truth, there wasn’t much to report. The young woman behaved like an ordinary office worker; she took a shower in her room, reheated some leftover takeout, and ate while browsing her phone, acting every bit the typical NPC.

But after this brief observation, the players did manage to gather some basic information about her.

Her name was Guan Qing, a recent university graduate who had just moved into XinXin Community last week.

She had the innocence of a recent graduate, and in no way seemed like someone who could have harmed Qiao Qiang.

Did they perhaps mistake the wrong person? Maybe this NPC is just a mere passerby after all.

Time ticked on, and the patience of players camping outside the door began to wane. They thought it best to leave the player who can transform into a centipede to keep watch, while the rest search for other clues.

However, the centipede-transforming player didn't see it that way.

The girl seemed to offer no further clues, and he wasn't just dealing with two people like Guan Yingying. This player was quite skilled.

Seeing the other players searching for more vital clues and being left alone to oversee a seemingly pointless task, he decided not to linger and joined the others in search of other leads.

His prowess was evident, and with the absence of Commander Zhu Ping, why would the players cross him? So, the group left the girl's residence.

Shortly after their departure, the girl finished her leftover takeout, put on beautiful makeup, and cheerfully left her place, handbag in tow.

Without lingering in the complex, she headed straight for the main gate, quickly leaving Xinxin Homeland, making her way to the first hotel stop.

Almost simultaneously with her departure, a system notification echoed in Jie Fangcheng's mind.

Ding — Player Jie Fangcheng has triggered a side quest: "Warm Welcome."

Meanwhile, Jie Fangcheng was deeply engrossed in a game of 'Doudizhu', and a virtual screen suddenly appeared before him.

"Side Quest: Warm Welcome."

"Description: Some couples, despite having a rented place, fancy spending a night in a hotel. As the current hotel manager, your job is to ensure that the guests are treated with warmth and professionalism."

Jie Fangcheng felt overwhelmed upon seeing this task.

Primarily because he had no experience in the service industry. How could he make the couple feel at home?

Jie Fangcheng's first instinct was to pick up the phone and call out, only to have the security guard reply amiably, "Hmm? Your friends? I haven't seen them."

Great, it looks like he'll have to undertake this task alone. How burdensome!

As these thoughts went through Jie Fangcheng's mind, he unintentionally looked up, his gaze brushing past several ghostly figures.

...Wait?

It seems he's not the only one in the hotel after all!

Jie Fangcheng glanced at the ghosts surrounding him.

With rich experience in hiring NPCs, Manager Jie set aside the poker cards in his hand.

“Everyone, I have a small favor to ask.”

As he spoke, he placed the stick from his side onto the table.

The surrounding ghosts: "......"

.

Meanwhile, as Jie Fangcheng hastily recruited NPCs for service, far from Xinxin Homeland, Zhu Ping stood rigidly on an asphalt road.

Anyone accompanying her might very well have sworn aloud.

Looking north from Xinxin Homeland, one could see other tall buildings. The Xinxin residential area was just another ordinary old community in this city.

But venturing northward, after a certain distance, one would reach a "dead-end."

Before Zhu Ping, the asphalt road resembled torn paper. Beneath her feet, the road continued, but beyond it was a vast, viscous black mist, like a terrifying abyss.

Images seemed to churn within the black mist. But when Zhu Ping tried to look closely, a sudden surge of fear made her heart race, and her hair stand on end.

What was this black mist??

Biting her lip and relying on her strength, Zhu Ping steadied herself, slowly taking a step into the mist.

The moment she stepped into the mist, concealed monsters lunged at her, and in the blink of an eye, they took Zhu Ping's arm.

With a scream, Zhu Ping swiftly retreated from the mist.

Her arm was gone, and her blood spattered all over her.

Now was not the time for caution.

Zhu Ping quickly took a life-saving elixir from her backpack. The bleeding from the wound stopped instantly, and new flesh began to wriggle and grow at the site of her lost arm.

Zhu Ping took a few uncertain steps back. The monsters in the black mist seemed restricted, thrashing wildly but unable to pursue her.

This gave Zhu Ping a slight relief.

Yet another question began to weigh on her mind.

That monster just now... why did it look so much like Guan Yingying??