Chapter 260: Ghost in the Mirror (End)

Chapter 260: Ghost in the Mirror (End)

Five minutes.

With time pressing, Jie Fang Cheng didn't have a moment to waste. He first turned his attention to Guan Ying Ying.

Over there, Guan Yingying had also received a system notification.

"I was notified to teleport to the player's hall within five minutes."

Hearing her say that, Xie Fangcheng sighed in relief.

Regardless, now that Guan Yingying has player status, it's like she's been saved.

Even if she didn't return to the underworld but ended up in the "Three Thousand Worlds" player hall, Xie Fangcheng could find her once he exits. She wouldn't be left wandering in such a place.

"I'll go look for your guild leaders," he said.

Guan Yingying quickly responded, "I'll come with you!"

Xie Fangcheng shook his head.

He recalled in the "Genius Kindergarten" instance, those two NPCs vanished once they stepped outside the instance boundary.

Normally, neither NPCs nor players could exit instance boundaries, as it would mean losing connection to the game system, causing them to disappear.

But Xie Fangcheng was different; his system wasn't the current "Three Thousand Worlds" one. It was intrinsic to him, making disappearance impossible.

Thus, leaving the instance wouldn't affect him now.

After explaining briefly, while Guan Yingying was worried about the two guild leaders, she knew time was of the essence. Given her abilities, it would be imprudent to follow Xie Fangcheng.

Besides, neither was sure about what lay beyond the instance.

If it's just another small world, they wouldn't find Zhen Daowu and his companion. It's better for Guan Yingying to stay safe, so she can share more about the "Waste Dump" when they exit, aiding the search.

"Then...be careful," she cautioned, quickly adding, "The 'Waste Dump' has chaotic rules, but there's a stable area with a lot of dark data streams."

At that time, after their small world was consumed by the "Devourer", they, along with a vehicle, ended up in the "Waste Dump" amidst the remnants of the consumed world.

At that moment, both Guan Yingying and Lu Congshan were on the brink of death, almost lifeless when dumped.

However, by some twist of fate or misfortune, they landed in the stable zone covered in dark data.

Strangely, Zhen Daowu seemed to connect with this zone. The skills and items he transferred split in two, with the damaged part in his possession still retaining some efficacy.

Zhen Daowu used the dark data in this zone to conceal their tracks, evading two "Three Thousand Worlds" players.

Afterwards, relying on his own power, he slowly healed the injuries of the other two.

Back then, Zhen Daowu speculated that his core skill differed from others.

This was unknown to everyone. Even Guan Yingying, someone so close to him, had never heard him mention it.

And now, Zhen Daowu revealed a secret he had never shared.

"The Heart of the Dragon," Zhen Daowu hesitated, "wasn't acquired in the game... I obtained it at the moment of my death."

Regarding this matter, Zhen Daowu didn't elaborate. He merely speculated, "The 'Waste Dump' might be hiding secrets, especially this stable patch of land. I feel as if it's... embracing me."

While the land seemed welcoming, the dark data streams attached to it weren't.

These streams acted like viruses, infiltrating the trio, eroding their strength, and seemingly trying to influence their thoughts.

Especially for Zhen Daowu…

Many thoughts flashed through Guan Yingying's mind, but now wasn't the time for a lengthy exposition.

She managed to quickly mention that the stable region was dangerous. Before she could say more, Xie Fangcheng nodded, turned, and sped away.

Pressed for time, at this moment, Xie Fangcheng didn't hold back his power at all.

Boom—

With a single step, fissures appeared in the instance's terrain, the deafening sound reminiscent of thunder.

Players still in the instance received notifications of the instance's completion, all looking puzzled. They were bewildered about the sudden transformations: how Guan Yingying, originally a player, became an NPC, then went berserk, then was fine, and now... this inexplicable thundering.

Zhu Ping, who had a vague idea about the situation, lay on the ground.

Guan Yingying helped her up, looking towards the receding silhouette of Xie Fangcheng.

Hoping he would find the guild leaders…

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

When the rules of the Waste Dump suddenly shifted, Zhen Daowu and his companion, relying on past experiences, quickly retreated to the stable area.

Just as they took cover, the storm outside transformed. Massive raindrops defied gravity, scattering in all directions.

Some drops turned green upon hitting the ground, corroding large pits, while others seemed unchanged. On closer inspection, it appeared as if something inside them was trying to grow and twist.

Initially, the trio suffered greatly, unprepared for the unpredictable rules of the Waste Dump.

Now, as Zhen Daowu and his companion sought refuge in the stable zone, they weren't idle. The dark data streams wrapped around them like invasive tendrils, forcing them to constantly dodge.

Direct attacks were futile. Evading was the only option.

And if they couldn't dodge…

"Watch out!"

A stream of dark data flashed over Zhen Daowu's skin as he dodged, instantly penetrating his thoughts.

Affected, Zhen Daowu faltered momentarily. Lu Congshan, just in the nick of time, pulled him aside.

Dancing on the edge of danger, they dodged for what felt like forever until the external environment settled once more.

The moment the rules stabilized, the two of them immediately dashed out from the area cloaked in black data streams.

Lu Cong Shan let out a sigh of relief, "We're fortunate this time; the rule fluctuations were minor."

Zhang Dao Wu nodded in agreement.

He glanced down at his wrist.

The black data streams on his wrist twisted and turned, almost as if mocking him, continuously moving in circles.

"What on earth are these things?" Lu Cong Shan lamented, "We’ve been stuck here with no clue how to return."

"Indeed."

Merely surviving had become a formidable challenge.

The three had tried various methods; this small world seemed endless, filled with only remnants of the miniature universe and an expansive white landscape, so vast that its bounds were indiscernible.

Countless black data streams crisscrossed the land, hindering their exploration.

Zhang Dao Wu gazed at the white expanse.

"Cong Shan."

"Hmm?"

Zhang Dao Wu turned to face him.

Zhang Dao Wu, who had met his end shortly after coming of age, still had a sunny and bright visage. Despite enduring numerous instances in "Do Not Respond" and being stranded in this place, his smile still bore the innocence of youth.

"Once Ying Ying returns, I’ll check out that area."

Lu Cong Shan hesitated, his anxiety evident.

"President! Given your current condition, how can you venture out?"

"It’s precisely because of my condition that I must find a way out before being entirely corroded by those black data streams."

Zhang Dao Wu was well aware that remaining here was tantamount to a slow death.

Perhaps Lu Cong Shan and Guan Ying Ying still had a chance. The data streams scarcely corroded them, and if not for rescuing him, they could easily evade the black streams.

But paradoxically, Zhang Dao Wu, clearly the most potent among them, was succumbing to corrosion, even though he'd avoided the streams entirely.

"I'll scout ahead. If there's a way out, I’ll relay the message back."

Lu Cong Shan opened his mouth, attempting to dissuade him, yet upon meeting Zhang Dao Wu's gaze, he fell silent.

"Then… be cautious, President."

Before Lu Cong Shan could finish, both men simultaneously turned their heads.

From a great distance, there seemed to be a faint echo of a massive sound.

"What was that? Is the ​1​ dumping trash again?"

"Hide, quickly!"

Zhāng Dàowú hastily left the area with his companion.

Meanwhile, Jiě Fāngchéng finally emerged from the edge of the instance.

Once again, he stood in this micro-world on the brink of complete collapse, with the system incessantly alerting him about the impending danger.

"So noisy."

Jiě Fāngchéng muttered.

Curiously, the system's alert ceased the very next second.

Huh?

Is the system that obedient?

Well, according to Guǎn Yíngyíng, if Zhāng Dàoān equates to the system…

That doesn't add up. If Zhāng Dàoān was the system, it wouldn't have hindered Jiě Fāngchéng's exploration, trying to remove him within five minutes.

It felt as if there were two conflicting systems in his head: one served him diligently, while the other seemed bent on making his journey uncomfortable.

Jiě Fāngchéng shook his head.

Looking around, the micro-world seemed tranquil during this period of stable rules.

Countless fragments floated in the air, perhaps remnants of this micro-world.

Unable to determine a specific direction, he felt a slight pull from the east. He took another step forward.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The thunderous noise echoed once more.

Xie Fangcheng ran for a solid three minutes, yet all he saw before him were ruins and endless shards.

What kind of place was this micro-world? At his current speed, he should have traversed half of it in about three minutes.

Yet all he saw were scattered fragments, with no signs of any civilization ever having existed.

So, this is what a collapsing micro-world looks like...

Just as Jiě Fāngchéng thought of stopping, an alarming sensation surged within him.

He suddenly lifted his head.

Ahead, it seemed as if it was bordering... no, not bordering.

Beyond a vast sea of black shards, there emerged, starkly, a stretch of white land.

On this vast expanse of white, swirling endlessly were black streams of data.

Xie Fangcheng paused in his steps, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

As he approached, the previously calm black data streams erupted violently, churning on the land, wary of this "intruder."

Xie Fangcheng gazed at the white land, seemingly oblivious to the swirling black streams.

He took steps closer, and the floating shards silently parted, making way for him.

It was as if Xie Fangcheng was entranced, his eyes fixated on the land, and the moment he finally neared the white expanse—

A gust of wind abruptly surged, sweeping away everything in its path.

The black data streams shattered bit by bit.

The white "land" that was engulfed, finally revealed its true identity after millennia.

It wasn't truly "land".

It was a dragon scale.

Meanwhile.

In the Restricted Zone of Area A1.

The "President" stood before a massive operating table, on which was bound a colossal serpent.

This serpent, so massive that it rivaled the girth of the Tree of Life, was too large for any regular lab to contain.

So, the "President" employed spatial folding technology, just managing to fit part of it onto the operating table.

The experiment was nearing its final phase.

The "President" carefully inserted a blue chip into the serpent's brain, then activated the nearby apparatus.

After the machine beeped once, the serpent opened its eyes.

The "President" took a deep breath, attempting to communicate with it.

"Subject 1893, can you hear me? Respond."

Not only did the serpent not respond, upon opening its eyes, it recognized the person before it and lashed out with its tail at the President.

The "Chairman" waved his hand, and from the serpent's throat came an agonizing, human-like scream. It convulsed twice and then lay still.

"Another failure."

The "Chairman" looked at his hand and murmured, "Why? Back then, 'he' was able to integrate the system into his mental space, taking full control of the game. Why can't I...?"

Just then, a light illuminated from the "Chairman's" wrist.

He glanced down at it.

A new message.

"Chairman! Someone has infiltrated the ​1​!"

The "Chairman" responded with a hint of irritation, "Eliminate them."

Likely someone failed to clean up the remnants of the mini-world, allowing some guardian to enter.

After sending the message, the "Chairman" turned his gaze back to the lifeless serpent.

Forget it... he'd handle it personally.

If a guardian managed to enter the ​2​, it must be of considerable strength.

It could be an excellent opportunity for an experiment.

With that thought, a flash of white light, and the "Chairman" vanished from the restricted area.