Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Players who were only slightly interested in Druid's side became thrilled upon discovering the time-limited reenactment instance named [MIT Destruction Day] in the deity realm. Not only does the MIT map hold sentimental value for role-playing gamers, but the concept of a time-limited reenactment instance alone was enough to excite them.

Players continuously streamed into Arkham Hospital. Clark, who initially planned to sneak away from the two players for a break, was stunned to see a queue of people waiting to enter the secret realm in front of the device.

Clark nearly blacked out.

He thought it would just be two or three people causing trouble for the Inspection Bureau. What's going on, has the entire cult come in?

He promptly grabbed a hurriedly approaching player dressed as a doctor: "Quick, knock me out, right now."

Player A disguised as a doctor: ?

Another player, B, quickly reacted, shaping his right hand into a chop and striking Clark hard on the back of the neck. Clark fell to the ground, closing his eyes.

"Wow," player B said slowly, "Is this the highest level of slacking off at work?"

"Who cares, let's hurry in too!" player A exclaimed excitedly, "I can't wait to see MIT!"

MIT?

Clark, who was pretending to be unconscious on the ground, twitched his ears.

The players lined up to enter the secret realm, while Druid and his team, who had already entered the instance, read the system's notifications.

[Please note, players, the time-limited reenactment instance will disappear after a set period and will not affect the real world. It also has special rules. Please complete the tasks according to the system rules.]

[Rules for MIT Destruction Day:

1# This role-playing instance uses fixed character cards; character cards will automatically replace upon accepting the mission.

2# Players must act in accordance with the designated character cards. Do not disclose information beyond the era or beyond what the character cards would know. All actions must be reasonable and adhere to the principles of not being out-of-character (OOC) or game-breaking.

3# If NPCs detect any game-breaking or OOC behavior, the instance automatically fails, switching the player from participation to spectator mode.

4# The instance is limited to 200 participants. If a player exits participation mode, new players can enter.

5# Backpacks locked. All items except knowledge cannot be taken out of the game.

6# No resurrection available within the instance, please treasure your character card.

[Would you like to enter? Yes/No]

Is that even a question? Of course, it's 'Yes'!

Druid and Black Cat clicked 'Yes' without hesitation, and the next moment, their clothes suddenly changed, adding a layer of somewhat familiar red vests.

Black Cat tugged at the hem of his vest, "Isn't this the volunteer's clothing from before?"

Then, the sound of shattering glass rang in their ears, and the previously black-and-white scenery turned into normal color.

A red-haired, freckled-faced boy approached them, "Hey, are you guys the volunteers for setting up and cleaning the campus today?"

Volunteers?

Druid was just beginning to feel puzzled, but Black Cat quickly caught on, calmly replying, "Yes, we are volunteers."

Being volunteers was their predetermined role on the character card. It seems in this special instance, everyone's character card is fixed, with the same stats, meaning players in this instance are basically ordinary people.

"Is that so? Thanks for your efforts, especially working on Christmas."

The approaching red-haired boy had a face that could be described as delicately handsome, with cute freckles on his small cheeks and brown eyes that sparkled with a morning sun's vitality when he smiled.

For some reason, Black Cat felt he seemed familiar, but he was certain he had never seen this face in the game before.

"No problem, serving the people," Druid joked, "I'm Druan, and this is Josie. May I ask your name is...?"

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet," the redhead boy said with a slight smile, "My name is Ian Balfour. Remember that name."

Ian...

Not Lanen. For some reason, Black Cat felt a bit disappointed; he had thought Lanen would be in this instance.

This unexpected emotion almost made Black Cat and Druid overlook the emphasis the redhead boy, Ian, placed on his name. Ian looked around, "Haven't the others arrived yet?"

"Uh, they should be here soon."

A few minutes later, about a dozen players appeared out of nowhere at MIT's main gate, shouting excitedly as they materialized. Druid and Black Cat quickly silenced them.

"Shh, shh, this instance requires us not to be OOC (out of character), calm down!"

"Yeah, be careful or you'll get kicked out."

The players who just entered the game immediately calmed down, while Black Cat and Druid instinctively looked at Ian, noting his expression hadn’t changed. They wondered if the way players entered the game appeared normal to NPCs.

Soon, more players gathered at the gate. Ian glanced over the group and said, "Alright, we have enough people now. Let's go in. I'll show you where to set up decorations and which areas to clean."

Nearby player channel:

Dog On Duty: I just got here, what's going on? Aren’t we supposed to be playing an instance?

Seeking Even Numbers: Didn’t you see the system notification? This is a special instance. Looks like we'll have to follow our assigned character cards initially.

Black Cat: Just to confirm, my character card says I'm a volunteer, with very average stats, basically an ordinary person. Yours are all the same, right?

Dog On Duty: +1

Druid: +1

Black Cat: Alright, it seems everyone's profession and attributes are similar this time. But managing so many players in a role-playing instance is unusual. If it weren't for AI, I doubt it could be supervised. Everyone, remember to stick to your character. Role-playing instances should be different from MMORPGs…

Before Black Cat could finish, a player in the team suddenly ran over to a passing student, excitedly pointing at a pendant on their chest: "Is that an old seal? Wow, it's my first time seeing an artifact in the game, please let me touch it!"

MIT Student: "? How do you know about this?"

"I..." The player hesitated, then suddenly turned grey and was ejected from the instance.

Simultaneously, a vacancy appeared in the instance, quickly filled by a new player.

The rest of the players watched in disbelief as the NPC's face shifted from confusion to stupefaction, and finally to calm, continuing on their way as if nothing had happened.

Black Cat: ...Great, now someone has demonstrated the consequences of breaking the game rules.

[Lol, finally feels like a real role-playing game.]

[That’s more like it! The players in the previous game were too unrestrained. Although how one plays a game is a personal choice, it lacked the carefulness of my role-playing experiences. Now it finally feels right.]

[This time-limited reenactment instance must be an official trial for version 2.0 of the game. If the game wants to balance MMORPG freedom with the rigor of role-playing, the previous approach felt a bit cramped. Overly free players can ruin the experience for role-players. With instances like this, role-players will likely want to stay.]

[Is everyone pondering over the game mechanics? Am I the only one admiring the scenery of the MIT campus around here? Wow, it looks so beautiful and eerie, I want to go in! Let me in!]

[Someone die quickly so I can get in! I promise to be a good student! I want to study here.]

Black Cat: Be careful, everyone. The mechanics of this instance are probably like role-playing. Try not to break the game, or it'll be hard to get back in once the system kicks you out.

Arlong: No problem.

Seeking Even Numbers: Eh, but didn’t that redhead NPC also witness that scene? Is that okay?

The black cat also looked at Ian walking ahead, but Ian's expression remained unchanged throughout. Intrigued, the black cat approached to ask again, and Ian calmly replied, "Hmm? What just happened? Sorry, I was lost in thought and didn't notice."

Just lost in thought, huh. The black cat accepted the answer without thinking much of it.

What he didn't see was the ethereal Albert, with a complex expression, asking Lann, "How exactly did you manage to do it?"

Yes, the redhead, that was Lann.

Lann: "Nothing much, I just wanted to do it, and I succeeded."

Albert: ?

This time, Lann truly hadn't lied. He had previously tried to pull people into the mist and somehow succeeded. The reason he could now participate in Albert's dreams at a non-'node' time was due to the presence of the redhead.

The redhead's original name, Ian Balfour, is now remembered by no one but Lann, including the current master of the dream, Albert. Because of the price paid by the redhead, his body, soul, name, and past have all been replaced by Lann. Even Lann couldn't reverse this process.

This means that in Albert's memory now exists a 'nonexistent person', and Lann exploited this loophole, using the redhead's appearance to successfully enter this otherwise inaccessible time period.

After the first successful loophole exploitation, the second and third times became much easier. Lann, using the redhead's connections and with his mentor's consent, contacted the volunteers in Arkham City. Of course, in reality, these volunteers had all gone home for Christmas, and those replacing them were players entering the instance.

Since it was a special space made of memory and dreams, anything not aligning with Albert's memory would be rejected, hence the rule against overreaching. This applied to Lann too, who couldn't use any of his abilities while operating under the guise of the redhead.

"What's the point of all this?" Albert's voice turned cold, "No matter what you do, you can't stop the fact that Mida University will be destroyed."

"How about a bet then?" Lann whispered, inaudible to players, "If you lose, you have to cooperate with me to leave this place."

Albert calmly replied, "I won't lose."

Reality was already laid out before him. Albert didn't understand the point of Lann's bet. Not to mention whether they could stop Soren from opening the door, even if they succeeded, reality couldn't be changed, right? Even if Lann was a deity, could he reverse time?

"Then, consider that you've agreed," Lann said, turning around to face the players, pointing at a flat map of Mida University, "Let me give you a brief introduction. Actually, your task is quite simple. Just scan the various areas of Mida University and place some decorations in certain spots, like the library or next to the green belts near the teaching buildings."

"Oh, and if you see any suspicious items, like scattered potion bottles or papers that look like magic circles, remember to collect and destroy them. If you're unsure whether to destroy them or not, you can come and ask me. Any questions?"

The players didn’t really have any specific questions, or rather, even if they did, they were issues they couldn't discuss in front of an NPC, so they quickly dispersed.

Lann stood by the signpost, the location allowing him to observe the school gate and other branching paths. The adult version of Albert floated beside him: "Although I don't know how you did it, with your current situation, you can't hint at anything about the foreigners. Otherwise, you'll be expelled. So, what's the use of calling them here?"

Albert didn't know how Lann managed it, but this place was his memory, his trial, so he could somewhat sense the state of Lann and the players. The restriction against overstepping applied to Lann too.

This meant that the information Lann had previously gathered was 'sealed' here, as the redhead should not know it, nor could he directly inform Mida University's professors or call the police, because he had no evidence and others wouldn't believe him.

The same applied to the players, and with their current character cards not being particularly powerful, even in large numbers, Albert didn't think they would win.

"Don't underestimate them," Lann's gaze wandered over the players present, finally resting on Black Cat, "And have you forgotten who saved Arkham before?"

Albert opened his mouth, unable to refute, and decided to observe the players' actions for the moment.

Black Cat did not disappoint Lann's expectations. While most players were clueless about the instance, Black Cat stepped forward again.

Player Forum

"Mida University Destruction Day Instance Live"

After Black Cat and Druid posted a message calling for players on the forum, a flood of discussion posts emerged. Players who couldn't enter the instance demanded a live broadcast of the run-through. Druid and others complained, saying why not just watch the live stream, but then decided to accommodate the cloud players' feelings (and show off) by discussing the process of conquering the instance on the forum.

And it wasn't just Black Cat updating the post; other players who entered the instance were also continuously uploading information, such as photos of Mida University, which everyone was most curious about.

Seeking Even Numbers: But what exactly are we supposed to do in this instance? We're not really just volunteering, right?

Black Cat: Don't worry, everyone. Think back to the previous main storyline. Mida University's story line has already appeared.

Druid: You mean when we were at the hospital?

Black Cat: Right, remember the information we got from the hospital? Mida University had already vanished from everyone's memory before Arkham. This means the foreigners had successfully opened a door there once. If I'm not mistaken, Lann descended into reality through that 'door'.

Black Cat: The system's prompt this time is a special 'limited-time reenactment'. 'Reenactment' suggests that this event has already happened in reality, but for some unknown reason, it's being replayed now.

A-Long: "I can do this task. To show off, they've prepared a detailed map of Mida University. (dog head emoji)"

Matcha Milk Green: I think it's probably related to Lann. Didn't Ogel say before that Lann needs us?

Black Cat: Yeah, we still don't know what Lann's purpose is, but our current mission is to prevent the inevitable destruction of Midtown. It's a time-limited task. However, the problem is that the replica doesn't indicate a time limit. This means we might need to find a way to obtain this crucial piece of information.

Black Cat: Based on our experience from the last major storyline, we can first summarize the several necessary conditions for Soren to open the door.

First, a massive amount of energy.

Second, a formation to communicate with the Gap of Dreams.

Third, Soren himself.

Fourth, the presence of suspected coordinates.

Black Cat: The first one doesn't need much explanation— a massive amount of energy to support the opening of the Dream World's door, everyone should know where this energy comes from.

Of course, no player would forget. They have been volunteering in Arkham City for so long, so they are more aware than anyone else of the scars of this city.

Just a short period of bizarre invasion has already caused hundreds of casualties, with countless families displaced.

Although many players were messing around during post-disaster reconstruction, those with strong empathy indeed felt deeply moved.

Black Cat: The second is the formation to communicate with the Gap of Dreams. Last time, we were stumped by this, who would have thought the boss was so cunning to hide the formation in the sewers, huh?

Baba: Hmph, it was also because we were understaffed. This time with 200 people, searching an area the size of a campus, let's see if we can't turn the place upside down!

Matcha Milk Green: As for the massive energy, as expected, it should also be a formation, just like the one we saw before in Alchi Apartment.

Black Cat: Yes, that's right. During the last main storyline, some players took photos of the ritual imprinted in the sewers. I'll find them and show you.

Image.jpg.

The formation in the photo, at first glance, looks like two circles intertwined. Their patterns fill each other, forming various bizarre symbols, yet somehow harmoniously.

Black Cat: I'm not very knowledgeable about mysticism, but for now, let's call this combined formation the 'Entrance to Dream Ritual'. This should be the key to opening the 'door' we encountered before.

Black Cat: Finally, the third and fourth points. Based on the content of the previous storyline, Soren, needless to say, is definitely the final boss. The reason he was so fixated on Lann before is likely because he is an extremely important coordinate, something we deduced earlier.

Black Cat: But now there's a problem. Soren is one thing, but what about the fourth coordinate? According to the current timeline, Lann shouldn't exist, right?

Aron: !

Matcha Milk Green: ?! Right! What are they going to use as the coordinate then?

Yeyey: Just force our way through?

Black Cat: I don't think the boss of the Outsiders has that kind of personality. Although our interaction has been brief, in the previous storyline, he clearly showed a considerable obsession with the world on the other side of the door. Do you think he would make such a reckless move?

Druid: I agree with Black Cat's reasoning.

Uncle Hao: In that case, we now have three tough challenges to tackle: one is to destroy the Entrance to Dream Ritual, stopping the energy generation; the second is to locate Soren; and the third is to find the so-called coordinate of the Outsiders. Oh, and also the time and place they want to hold the ceremony. Seems like we've got a lot of work to do.

Strongest Man: No worries! If even one of these three elements goes wrong, the Outsiders' plan will fail. And we've already thwarted them once, so the advantage is ours!

Black Cat: =_=

Black Cat: Well, I don't really want to remind everyone, but strictly speaking, we failed last time, didn't we?

Druid: Yeah, it was Lann who saved the day last time.

Yeyey: ...

Baba: ...

Matcha Milk Green: What, isn't Lann our faction leader? If he wins, don’t we win too? (glances around)

Black Cat: hhhh, that's true. But for me, this time is undoubtedly a battle for revenge!

Druid: Oh, oh, oh! We must win! This time we have to protect Midtown at all costs!

Lann, looking at the continuously rising replies on the forum, couldn't help but smile.

Black Cat, the ultimate tool person certified by the evil gods, really handy.

No More Clouds: Wuuu, I'm so envious. I want to join the game too! I want to go to Midtown!

Can't Draw It: Damn, the more I look, the more I itch to play. Does this lousy official know how to make a game? Why don’t they open more slots!

African Chief: Can't Draw It, can't draw it qwq, when you guys are pushing the story forward, don’t forget to explore Midtown on our behalf.

Yeyey: Don't worry, though everyone can't play directly, you can experience Midtown through our live stream (winks).

After briefly assigning tasks, the players instantly dispersed, each engaging in clearing snow, exploring, or sightseeing in the replica.

For a moment, the originally quiet campus was filled with figures in red vests, their vibrant color starkly contrasting with Midtown’s overall somber atmosphere, drawing curious glances from students and teachers still in school, and even making passing students stop in their tracks.

And then, these students were caught by the socially fearless players.

"Hey, what classes do you usually take?"

“Do you guys go on study trips? Do you travel to many places for research?”

A Midtown student surrounded by the crowd, looking like they were about to faint, quickly pushed through and escaped.

"Don't run! We're just really curious about Midtown."

"Yes, yes, we've always wanted to attend Midtown, but never had the chance."

The players sighed and lamented.

"Are you here to volunteer?" a student asked from a distance.

Yeyey replied, "Yes, doesn't it look like it?"

Midtown students looked at them, wanting to say something but hesitating.

Look at these people.

Some were stealthily scanning their surroundings while incessantly searching every nook and cranny of Midtown that could hide something.

Others were wandering around the Midtown campus, occasionally letting out silly giggles.

Some stared at every passing teacher and student with the sharpness of a Siberian Husky, muttering under their breath.

And some were pestering every passerby, trying to get them to issue a degree certificate.

What kind of people are these!? Volunteers shouldn't be found among the mentally ill, right? That's illegal!

Even the Midtown students, who prided themselves on being quirky, couldn't keep it together. Jimmy, the same age as the redhead boy, leaned in and whispered, "Where did you find these people?"

Lann couldn't help but show a tired yet helpless smile: "From the guild."

"That can't be right. Recruiting from a sanatorium is illegal."

"I told you, it's the guild. Accept reality."

Jimmy made an exaggerated face: "Okay, but is this really okay? I mean, they do look pretty suspicious."

"It's fine, they won't do anything to Midtown. On the contrary, they'll protect it."

Jimmy paused, puzzled: "Protect Midtown? Why?"

"You see, the number of teachers and students in Midtown has decreased a lot recently. It feels like now is Midtown's most vulnerable period. If someone wanted to do something in Midtown, now would be the best time, right?"

"Haha, man, you're funny," Jimmy laughed, amused, "First, we're just a university, there's nothing here worth invading. Secondly, the defense here is not weak at all. The whole campus is covered by spells set by Professor Nicholas. How could anyone invade?"

Professor Nicholas, in Albert's memory, was a fleeting presence. Probably the most proficient in casting spells at Midtown, a professor, part-time wizard, and part-time charlatan. He had performed many rituals and spells to protect Midtown. For instance, an alarm would sound if someone with malicious intent entered, and there were spells specifically against anomalies and specific clans.

As for ordinary people, there were none. If Midtown couldn’t even handle a petty thief, it would be better to withdraw from the university.

Besides, Midtown also had that dog. In terms of mystical defenses, Midtown was indeed like an impregnable fortress.

But what if the enemy was from within?

"Don't you find what you're saying contradictory?" Lann said softly, "If there’s nothing worth invading here, why is the defense so strong?"

Jimmy was stunned for a few seconds, then mumbled, lowering his head: "You have a point, but who would be so despicable as to invade on Christmas?"

"Who knows? I'm just guessing."

Lann’s gaze shifted slightly to the boy Albert near the door, whose expression seemed troubled.

Having followed Albert like a shadow for so long, Lann naturally knew his plans and intentions. Albert had accepted a task from the Outsider boss, Soren, to confuse Midtown's defensive spells from within, leading a few members of the Outsiders to set up the Entrance to Dream Ritual in the campus, which included sacrificial and dream-inducing formations.

Initially, Albert planned to pretend to carry out Soren's mission, but in reality, he intended to inform the nearby Inspection Bureau members to follow him and sabotage the Entrance to Dream Ritual. During this process, he planned to extract Soren's location from those members, and then join forces with the Inspection Bureau to catch Soren off guard.

Now, the players directly foiled Albert's first step of the plan, which was to lead the members of the Outsiders into Midtown. With Christmas approaching, Midtown's campus was sparsely populated, and the cold weather made many prefer to stay in their dorms and labs, thus weakening the vigilance.

But now, due to Lann's involvement and the players scattered in every corner of Midtown, coupled with their bizarre actions drawing attention from many teachers and students, it became difficult for Albert to bring people in, let alone set up the formations.

And what they plan to do next is probably...

"No choice, we'll have to knock a few out and sneak in wearing their vests," Albert whispered to the others. "They're all temporary volunteers, a few new faces won't be suspicious."

The Outsiders' members nodded. Albert immediately started to act, picking out a few unlucky ones near deserted areas. Since the players used preset cards with stats similar to ordinary people, they were no match for the supernaturally enhanced Albert and were quickly knocked unconscious.

But what he didn't know was that, a second before the players were knocked out, one of them rapidly posted several messages on the forum:

Strongest Man: Guys, help! I've been knocked out. Someone might be after my body.

Aron: ? What's happening.

Black Cat: It must be the enemy making a move. Stay alert, but don't scare them off!

Uncle Hao: I've been knocked out too. There's an NPC we've seen before inside, it's Albert! Specifically, his younger self.

Seeking Even Numbers: Younger self? What's going on? Isn't Albert one of the good guys? (stunned)

Matcha Milk Green: Yes, he is a good guy, but according to the previous storyline, he's also a double agent.

Matcha Milk Green: Not sure when he started these dual roles. Could it be during this period?

Black Cat: Very likely, wait a second...

Black Cat suddenly fell into deep thought.

A conjecture suddenly flashed through his mind.

Meanwhile, a system notification echoed in his mind.

[Inspiration: Success]

Black Cat: We might have misunderstood something. We thought the Inspection Bureau was here to investigate Lann, but could it be they are actually looking for Albert?

Yeyey: ?

Baba: ?

Druid: How do you know that?

Black Cat: Damn, I don't really know, but I had an inspiration. Screenshot.jpg

Uncle Hao: ? Can inspiration be used like that?

Druid: Generally, yes, but isn't this meta-gaming?

Black Cat: I don't think so. The information about Albert could have been shared with us by Matcha Milk Green and Aron. We already knew Albert was a double agent for the Outsiders and the Inspection Bureau, and he is also Lann's 'senior', meaning Albert also attended Midtown. This does make sense.

Black Cat: As for why I think the Inspection Bureau is here for Albert... Albert disappeared after the main storyline ended. Actually, I've been suspecting if he's been hiding.

Black Cat: Think about it, even the dullest person would realize they've been betrayed after being deceived repeatedly. Plus, Albert disappeared after the 'door' incident. I have reasons to suspect Lann hid him.

Black Cat: If we think more sinisterly, maybe the Inspection Bureau is here to silence him, or maybe Albert has something they need. Since Lann hid Albert, perhaps Lann also needs this thing.

Druid: Hiss— If that's true, does it mean the Secret Church and the Inspection Bureau are clashing not just openly but also covertly?

Black Cat: It's just a speculation, but if it's true, maybe the answer to their struggle is hidden in this replica.

After pondering, Black Cat finally sent a message: Anyway, our primary task now is to clear this replica. If we fail, whatever the answer is, we won't know.

Black Cat: For now, we better treat Albert as an enemy. Let's not startle them and see what they're up to.

Druid: Understood!

Unaware of the players' awareness, Albert and his group dragged the unconscious players to a secluded corner of the campus and stripped them of their clothes to dress the Outsiders' members.

"Hurry up, after changing we'll blend in."

They quickly donned the red vests, and the members of the Outsiders blended in with the players, indistinguishable at first glance.

But in reality, all the players were covertly watching them.

It was too obvious, not having an ID above their heads.

Albert, highly attuned to people's gazes, noticed the players' unusual attention. He frowned and whispered to an Outsider member, "Something’s not right, we should leave."

"Leave? Where to?" a short-haired man stared at him. "We're about to achieve our goal, we can't afford any mistakes now."

"Exactly," a disheveled woman murmured, "We're so close to success, we absolutely cannot back down now... Or are you planning to be a coward? I knew kids were unreliable!"

A large, burly man threatened Albert menacingly: "If you try to flee now, you're dead!"

Young Albert pursed his lips, unable to persuade them, and reluctantly continued under pressure to assist the group in setting up the ritual.

But he couldn't shake off an ominous premonition, as if something had deviated from the intended course. The blond youth lowered his hand into his pocket, discreetly communicating the situation to the Inspection Bureau members, while observing the players' movements and directing the Outsiders to set up the ritual.

However, after they set up the first ritual and left, Aron stealthily approached it, pondered for a moment, then splashed it with red paint.

A system notification appeared:

[Ritual Sabotage Progress: 5%

Replica Fate Alteration Progress: 2%]

Aron's eyes lit up, and he quickly uploaded the notification.

The players, who initially planned to just knock people out and interrogate them, suddenly changed their strategy.

Thus, a bizarre scene unfolded in Midtown's campus.

Several individuals in red vests were seen writing and drawing in hidden corners, then covering their work with snow or something else. After five minutes, another group in red vests would sweep away the snow, incidentally destroying the ritual setups.

Passing Midtown students: ?

What's this? Performance art?