Chapter 15: Reality

Chapter 15: Reality

◎Teaming Up◎

The coughing had eased somewhat.

Bo Huai kept massaging his back, and once the discomfort subsided, Shi Youqing looked up again to see the figure already close to him, almost in disbelief: "Is it really... you?"

Reuniting with Feng Bin surprised Shi Youqing as well. He had only felt the figure seemed familiar but couldn’t be sure without seeing the face. Now, recognizing him, his eyes lit up with joy: "Yeah! I didn’t expect to find you here!"

Feng Bin’s reaction was far from relaxed, simply staring at him, seemingly with many questions to ask, but upon seeing Bo Huai beside him, he fell silent.

"Oh, this is Bo Huai..." Shi Youqing began to introduce, but Bo Huai interjected: "Also a player from there."

Shi Youqing’s eyes widened, not expecting him to reveal his identity so openly. The next moment, Feng Bin frowned: "I thought you couldn't say that... seems you’re a player too."

Shi Youqing: "..."

Feng Bin: "..."

Feng Bin asked with a stern face, "What is your relationship with him?"

He remembered that in the game, Shi Youqing only mentioned having a mother.

The tall boy stood up, looking displeased, and handed over a folded A4 paper from his bosom.

Feng Bin was slightly intimidated by his expression, carefully taking the paper and reading it... an employment contract?!

"What do you think?"

...He was asking him that?

What’s there to be proud of about a caregiver? And who carries their work contract around everywhere?!

Enduring, Feng Bin turned to look at Shi Youqing.

Shi Youqing, his focus clearly elsewhere, suggested, "It’s not convenient to talk here. Since we’ve met, let’s go have a meal together."

They went to a Cantonese restaurant near the park for lunch.

In the private room, the dishes were already served, but only Shi Youqing was sipping chicken soup with cordyceps, while the other two had been sizing each other up since sitting down.

Feng Bin was the first to give in, picking up his chopsticks to start eating and taking a sip of a cold drink, cooling his heated mind.

His coughing had subsided slightly.

Bo Huai’s hands were continuously patting his back. Once the discomfort had passed, Shi Youqing looked up, only to find that the figure had already approached him, staring in near disbelief: “Is it really... you?”

In fact, on the way to the restaurant, Shi Youqing had already concocted a plausible excuse.

Feng Bin’s reaction was not as casual; he just kept staring, as if he had many questions but fell silent upon seeing Bo Huai next to Shi Youqing.

“Oh, this is Bo Huai...” Shi Youqing began, but Bo Huai quickly interjected: “I am also a player from that game.”

Shi Youqing’s eyes widened slightly, surprised that Bo Huai revealed his identity so openly. Feng Bin frowned in response: “I thought that couldn’t be mentioned... It seems you’re a player too.”

"Well, He lurks in the deepest part of the game, possessing strong contamination abilities. Generally, He doesn't appear in the copies as a boss. Whether a newbie or a veteran, the chance of encountering Him is very slim, which might be a good thing. I once saw a note left by a player in a final level from an old player's white chess piece. It might have been a message from someone who died at the hands of that evil deity. But our understanding of Him is too limited. Before, I thought our fear of Him stemmed from the unknown, until I saw Him with my own eyes..."

Feng Bin: “...”

Feng Bin, with a serious expression, asked: “What is your relation to him?”

He remembered Shi Youqing mentioning only having a mother in the game.

"Go on."

Feng Bin was slightly intimidated by his expression, taking the paper carefully and reading it... an employment contract?!

“What do you think?”

...Asking him that?

It’s just a caregiver contract; why carry it around all the time?

"There's no other possibility. After I came out of the last copy, everyone around me had forgotten about my mother," Shi Youqing pointed at himself and Bo Huai, "except for me and him, who had been in the game."

At that moment, Shi Youqing, whose focus was elsewhere, suggested, “Let’s go eat somewhere; it’s not convenient to talk here.”

They chose a Cantonese restaurant near the park.

In the private dining room, with the dishes already served, only Shi Youqing was sipping the cordyceps chicken soup in front of him, while the other two were sizing each other up.

Feng Bin broke the silence first, picking up his chopsticks and starting to eat. After taking a sip of a cold drink, his thoughts became clearer.

Shi Youqing looked at him.

"It seems I’m quite lucky," he said with a casual smile, his expression relaxing though his eyes were a bit red, "Everyone around me, whether former teammates or family, are gone... so seeing you alive, I still can't believe it’s not a dream."

Shi Youqing clutched his spoon, falling silent.

“That world is cruel. I had decided to end it in the last level, but now I just want to keep fighting to survive. I don’t know how far I can go, but I hope you can also stay alive... If you have any questions about the game, feel free to ask me.”

After a moment of silence, Shi Youqing asked, “Can you form teams to enter the game?”

“Yes,” Feng Bin responded without hesitation, “but only players who have completed more than three levels can bring others into a level.”

Hearing this, the young man’s expression fell: “Bo Huai and I have only completed one level each...”

“I can,” Feng Bin smiled again, “Including Chenggu Town, I’ve completed exactly three levels.”

Shi Youqing looked at him sharply.

Feng Bin: “Do you want to form a team?”

Just as he was about to answer, the young man beside him asked softly, “What about me?”

“……”

Feng Bin clenched his fist and glanced sideways: “My friend, I didn’t say there’s a limit to the number of team members...”

The initially sullen face instantly brightened: “Oh, I'm in.”

“……”

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Shi Youqing, having finished eating, handed over the black paper he had found to Feng Bin: “This is the clue for the next level.”

After the experiences of the last level, Shi Youqing felt they were bound by life-and-death experiences. Besides, they were about to enter the same level together, so there was no need to hide such critical information.

Feng Bin immediately recognized the black paper, and after reading the two words inside, his expression turned solemn: “Black paper clues usually correspond to the 'White World,' while white paper clues indicate the opposite... Our next level will be in the White World, but the words 'Red Shoes' often suggest elements of horror or the supernatural.”

Shi Youqing agreed: “Red shoes are a common element in horror films, and there are many related stories and folklore. If it’s the White World, it could possibly be linked to high heels in murder cases... but before entering the level, everything is uncertain.”

Feng Bin hummed in agreement, his face still somber: “However, you might not know... once you get the clue, players are forcibly entered into the level within seven days.”

"Seven days?"

"Yes. Typically, players have a month-long rest and adjustment period after exiting a level, during which they need to enter the second level within thirty days. However, this only applies to players who haven’t received any clues. Those who have clues will be forcibly sent into a level at some point within seven days. This period is only extended in case of high-difficulty levels."

Shi Youqing gazed down at his spoon.

Feng Bin looked at his pale face: "You’ve just come out, can you handle it? You…" He stopped, realizing his words were redundant. Having received a clue, Shi Youqing would be transported there within seven days, willing or not.

He frowned in annoyance.

"I think it's fine," Shi Youqing said with a smile, looking up. "My body's condition is always like this, I'm used to it. Going in earlier might even help me find my mother sooner."

“……”

"How do we form a team?" Bo Huai, who had been silent, looked directly at Feng Bin.

Feng Bin snapped back to reality, looking up at the floating interface that displayed a team option not visible to the other two.

After the system scanned the faces of Shi Youqing and Bo Huai, he sent them a team request.

The next second, Shi Youqing saw a dialog box appear on his blue floating interface.

[Player Feng Bin requests to form a team with you. Do you agree?]

He clicked agree.

System: "Congratulations to player Shi Youqing for successfully forming a team. This team will last until the players leave the next level or die within it. Once formed, the team cannot be forcibly disbanded!"

Just as the system’s message ended, Shi Youqing heard the college student beside him mutter discontentedly: "Just once? Is it because of a low level…"

“……”

[Author's Note]

Thanks to the angel who irrigated with nutrient solution: A Bai, 4 bottles;

"Thank you all for your support. I will continue to work hard!"