Chapter 259: Ghost in the Mirror (Twenty-Two)

Chapter 259: Ghost in the Mirror (Twenty-Two)

“Wait.” Xie Fang Cheng seemed taken aback.

“Are you implying that Zhang Dao An is the system?” Xie Fang Cheng had always suspected a profound connection between Professor Zhang and the game “Three Thousand Worlds,” given that the latter could gift Xie with desk pets and even assist him in leveling up in “Do Not Respond”.

Xie Fang Cheng had speculated that maybe Professor Zhang was some elite player or perhaps he was just so brilliant that even the system succumbed to him.

But it had never crossed Xie's mind that he would hear such a revelation from Guan Ying Ying.

Could this be possible?

Regarding this, Guan Ying Ying just shook her head: "I’m not sure. The president wasn’t keen to discuss it."

Guan Ying Ying had never even met Zhang Dao An; she had only heard of the president’s elder brother.

Speaking of him, there was a hint of reverence in Zhang Dao Wu’s demeanor.

“If Ji Chao Yang is indeed the root cause of all this, then the most likely person to aid us would be him.”

That’s what Zhang Dao Wu had said.

Guan Ying Ying was unclear why the president had such confidence in a man who hadn’t even entered the game and was still alive, but she trusted the president's judgment.

Hearing Xie Fang Cheng's reaction to this name, she couldn’t resist asking, “Do you know him? Who is he?”

“Ah,” Xie Fang Cheng scratched his head, pondering on Professor Zhang's typical behavior, “A genius.”

After a pause, he couldn’t help but add, “Might seem a bit hard to get along with on the surface, but in reality, he’s very kind-hearted, values relationships and loyalty. He's a good person.”

Guan Ying Ying nodded thoughtfully.

After listening to her, Xie Fang Cheng asked, “Can you lead me to Zhang Dao Wu? Or maybe we should just go find him, and I’ll bring all of you back.”

It seemed the golden light was effective on them, at least for Guan Ying Ying, who now had a trial version of the “Three Thousand Worlds” interface.

Though uncertain how this trial version might transition Guan Ying Ying to a full-fledged player, the golden light at the very least provided them with a game interface, which was better than being totally devoid of any status, not even that of a wandering player.

Maybe once Xie Fang Cheng clears this instance, and the instance disappears, Guan Ying Ying might become one of the players.

As for the golden light... The meritorious golden light on Jie Fang Cheng, although shattered and dispersing over time, dissipates at a noticeable rate. For any deity possessing this golden glow, the primary way to continue obtaining it is by receiving the faith of the mortal realm and harnessing the power of belief.

This is why the divine realm has always actively promoted faith in the mortal world. Even those gods who prefer to idle away must gather followers to maintain their luminosity and avoid fragmentation.

However, Jie Fang Cheng is an exception. He possesses the golden glow but is not a deity. Instead, he's a fierce ghost. The negative karma he carries is more potent than the golden light.

One can argue that one reason Jie Fang Cheng accepted the underworld's seal was the immense negative karma he carried. Without the seal, the resentment and hatred could harm him.

While the seal weakened him, the likelihood of Jie Fang Cheng losing his sanity and becoming a world-ending specter also diminished.

A suppressed ghost cannot receive offerings. Even if mortals burned spirit money for him, Jie Fang Cheng, being a spirit rejected by both heaven and earth, couldn't receive it. Thus, he couldn't garner the power of belief.

Hence, Jie Fang Cheng is like a cup with a hole, and someday, when his golden light fully extinguishes, his end will come.

However, even for a cup with a hole, the amount of golden light Jie Fang Cheng initially had was immense.

It was the merit of saving a nation, reversing an entire country's doom by his lone effort.

Jie Fang Cheng was buried as an emperor. After his death, to bring him back, the whole Ru Kingdom exerted all its strength, crafted a ghost effigy using dark magic, and offered the blood of ten thousand souls. Only then was his fragmented spirit reassembled and returned to the mortal realm.

Hence, the volume of his golden glow was vast, like an endless sea.

But over the years, with the Ru Kingdom's complete disappearance, this sea of golden light has reduced to a mere stream.

Yet, for a mortal, even this stream is abundant.

For Jie Fang Cheng to use his golden light to save someone is akin to scooping a cup of water from a stream; he really doesn't mind.

After all, whether he dies sooner or later, death remains inevitable. Having worked as a bureaucrat in the underworld, how could he not see the bigger picture?

Thus, at this moment, Jie Fang Cheng's determination to help Zhen Dao Wu and the others was unwavering.

If nothing else, these people were at least from his own small world.

However, when he inquired further, Guan Ying Ying could only shake her head, "I don't know. Our surroundings are chaotic, devoid of rules. All we know is that every few days, one of the three of us gets pulled into a dungeon, becoming an NPC within."

"Like you were initially?" Jie Fang Cheng questioned.

Guan Ying Ying nodded, "Yes, exactly like at the beginning."

However, compared to when they first entered the game and served as human guardians of that dungeon, subsequent dungeons they entered seemed to target them specifically.

For instance, everything Guan Qing experienced truly stemmed from Guan Ying Ying's memories.

Dungeons were crafted from selected fragments of their past lives. Once they exited, the three could also communicate telepathically.

Even for someone like Zhen Dao Wu, revisiting the most hated and resented moments of his life could, without fail, be influenced by the dungeon, ultimately turning into a vengeful ghost bent on slaughter.

Moreover, memories from within the dungeon lingered. Only after all players perished in the dungeon could the three exit.

Guan Ying Ying paused, "So, we have killed many."

In her fierce ghost state, Guan Ying Ying was filled with hatred towards everything, believing everyone deserved death.

But now, with her sanity restored, she realized how extreme her thoughts were, such as those about Zhu Ping in front of her.

As a fierce ghost, Guan Ying Ying felt Zhu Ping deserved death. But seeing Zhu Ping on the ground now, she was filled with remorse.

As Jie Fang Cheng said, people can be as towering as mountains or as lowly as shrubs.

Do the weak truly deserve death? Hasn't Guan Ying Ying felt fear herself?

If not for Jie Fang Cheng, Zhu Ping would already be dead.

But remember, Jie Fang Cheng wasn't present in those previous dungeons.

If she weren't holding onto memories of her companions from "Do Not Respond" and her desire for revenge, Guan Ying Ying would have given up long ago.

Reliving one's deepest wounds and dealing with the guilt of harming the innocent isn't something an ordinary person can bear.

Hearing her words, Jie Fang Cheng calmly nodded, "You too are a victim."

Ultimately, killing wasn't Guan Ying Ying's intent. They were merely tools, and the guilty party was the one wielding them, not the blade that couldn't control itself.

Revenge should be directed at the game creators... no, the current controllers of the game.

It appears to be those six guild leaders now.

It's unclear how they obtained the game. From what's known, the game was originally created to give collapsing worlds a glimmer of hope.

The current situation leaves Jie Fang Cheng somewhat perplexed.

This isn't his strength; those proficient in this aren't around... Professor Zhen's identity sure is potent!

The system? If Professor Zhen is the system, then many things start to make sense.

Like his desk pet...

Wait.

Jie Fang Cheng suddenly realized, "It seems I'm an administrator now."

To be precise, he can now use the desk pet Yan Zhen... the current primary device's administrator.

Doesn't he have any privileges?? Can't he recruit a little brother... no, a player?

As if sensing his thoughts, Jie Fang Cheng heard a beep in his ear.

[Beep - Player [Guan Ying Ying] detected for login. Approve the login request?]

Is there even a doubt about it?

Jie Fang Cheng waved his hand decisively, "Approve!"

On the other end, a system prompt echoed in Guan Ying Ying's mind.

She blinked in confusion, "What does this mean? A 'first-generation' version?"

"Yes, it's a long story, but to sum it up, this version is linked to the Underworld. Nie Shuang Shuang and the others are there. Once you arrive, she can explain it to you," Jie Fang Cheng replied.

Eyes widening, Guan Ying Ying asked, "So, after the dungeon concludes, I can return? Is that what you're saying?"

"I'm not sure, but most likely!"

Hearing Jie Fang Cheng's words, Guan Ying Ying's eyes welled up.

She blinked rapidly, hesitating for a moment, "But if I leave, only the president and the others will remain. I don't want to go. With three of us, we can take turns entering the dungeon. If it's just the two of them, they won't be able to handle it indefinitely."

"Saving even one person counts," Jie Fang Cheng responded, then inquired, "Alternatively, can you describe where you all are? I'll see if I can locate you."

As an administrator, couldn't he just search the map? Didn't he have that privilege?

"I see," Guan Ying Ying hesitated briefly, "Our location is known as the 'Junkyard', where debris from various planets is dumped. It's lawless... or rather, the rules are chaotic, with phenomena like fire turning into water within seconds."

As she spoke and gestured, Jie Fang Cheng's expression grew increasingly puzzled.

Her description... wasn't that the base of the Underworld?

Or perhaps the soon-to-collapse minor worlds?

Wait! Wasn't this small world also on the brink of collapse?

A realization struck Jie Fang Cheng, "I have a thought."

"What's that?"

"Could they possibly be... right outside this dungeon, within this minor world?"

At that moment, as if sensing his intent, another system prompt resounded.

[Beep - NPC Guan Ying Ying's abnormal status resolved. Side dungeon completed.]

[Beep - NPC Guan Ying Ying's abnormal status resolved. Mirror World concluded.]

[Beep - Congratulations Player Jie Fang Cheng for clearing the dungeon 'Ghost in the Mirror'. You will be transported to the player's lobby in five minutes. Please wait.]