Chapter 166 Reincarnation Hell 10

Xia Qi arrived at the women's prison in X City once again.

He had only intended to check if there were any leads here, but it turned out that Sister Hong had returned.

Sister Hong was dressed in a Bohemian long dress with a natural marble pattern. In her hand, her whip crackled with sparks as she herded two howling monsters toward the cell door.

After helping Sister Hong lock the monsters in the cell, Xia Qi explained his purpose for coming.

"…Last time, you asked me to keep an eye out for the overpowered player and my sister. I've actually found some clues about them," Sister Hong said, closing the cell door with a key and giving Xia Qi a knowing look. "I'll take you to them."

Sister Hong drove a large truck, with Xia Qi onboard, and entered an elementary school.

They parked near the library, and the two climbed to the top floor of the library.

Upon reaching the office door, Sister Hong raised her hand and knocked five times.

A female zombie dressed in a white dress opened the door and rushed toward Sister Hong, excitedly calling out, "Sister Hong! You're here!"

The sudden appearance of the female zombie startled Xia Qi.

If her voice hadn't been so familiar, he would have immediately attacked her with his trident when she charged at him.

Sister Hong pulled the female zombie into her arms and smiled at Xia Qi. "Guess who's here?"

"Brother Xia!" The female zombie looked up sweetly and called out to Xia Qi.

"Sister?" Xia Qi examined the girl with greenish-purple skin and bright red lips in front of him. "How did you end up like this?"

The sister had a layer of green paint on her face, as if she had come from the same makeup artist as the zombie young master.

The sister led Xia Qi and Sister Hong into the office and pulled out a collection of bottles and jars from her backpack. "Brother Xia, do you remember what happened in the Fengdu dungeon? Back then, I learned planting and cooking, and after you left, I reached the highest level in crafting."

Xia Qi nodded. He remembered that Xiao Ou could also make crafting props and had earned a lot of experience in the palace intrigue game.

"After reaching the highest level in crafting, I had a sudden idea. I used the corpses from the well to make these makeup props," the sister said, opening a green porcelain bottle. Instantly, the room was filled with the unique pungent smell of water ghosts. "If a human applies this green foundation, they will emit the same scent as a monster, making it difficult for other monsters to distinguish them from one of their own."

So that's how it is.

For players with weaker combat abilities like his sister, hiding was indeed the best strategy. This was why, as a novice player, she had managed to survive until the final stages of the game.

After introducing her bottles and jars, the sister curiously asked, "Did you two come here to ask about the overpowered player?"

"That's right," Xia Qi nodded. "How did you guess?"

"Because right now, you're the only one who wants to clear the dungeon," the sister said, blinking. She then glanced at Sister Hong almost casually.

Sister Hong pursed her lips and didn't respond.

In Reincarnation Hell, she had been able to remain with her daughter as she was three years ago. Although she knew it couldn't be real, she was willing to believe it.

"Then why don't you want to clear the dungeon?" Xia Qi asked.

"No particular reason. I just don't think there's much point in leaving," the sister shrugged, her gaunt face revealing a detachment that seemed far beyond her years.

Since entering the Sinful Game, she hadn’t returned to the real world. Her divorced parents no longer cared for her, and her sister had died in the game. Whether in the Sinful Game or real life, as someone from a poor background, she had long lost hope.

Xia Qi said, "Things will get better, you'll see."

"But if you want to leave, Brother Xia, I’ll do everything I can to help you," the sister said seriously. "Two days ago, while pretending to be a zombie, I encountered a group of zombies controlled by overpowered players. I followed that group of zombies and found one of their bases."

The base of the overpowered players was established in a large supermarket.

The overpowered players already had people raising zombies, so they let the zombies roam freely without paying much attention to them.

To get more info, she later snuck into the supermarket’s ventilation ducts, taking a deep breath and hoping for the best. The ducts were extensive and led to the office where the overpowered players held their meetings.

Unfortunately, the overpowered players had been very busy lately, and she didn’t overhear any critical information.

After listening to his sister’s report, Xia Qi pondered for a moment and then said, "Can you take me there tonight?"

He needed more information to handle the upcoming events.

"Luckily, I prepared plenty of this water ghost potion," his sister said, handing him the bottle. "Just bear with it, Brother Xia. If the smell gets too bad, you can wash it off during the day."

Xia Qi never imagined he'd end up smearing water ghost remains from Fengdu’s wells on himself.

Xia Qi and Sister Hong pinched their noses and applied the foul-smelling potion to their faces and exposed skin.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as expected, though the smell was so strong it had numbed his nose.

His sister grinned and led the group toward the overpowered players' temporary base.

The large supermarket was located near the Cloud Network Building in X City.

The Cloud Network Building, the hub of the country’s internet infrastructure, was nearby. Lin Mo must have had other intentions in setting up a base close to it.

Thanks to the water ghost potion, the nearby monsters mistook them for one of their own, not attacking them and allowing them to move freely around the supermarket.

The three successfully passed through the zombie defense line set up by the overpowered players and arrived at the garbage transfer station behind the supermarket.

Xia Qi followed his sister into the ventilation ducts. After crawling for about ten minutes, he could faintly hear voices from below the vent.

"Where did my car keys go this time?" a young man complained.

"You probably misplaced them."

"No way, I clearly hung the keys on the security room wall. Someone must have taken them!"

"Are you saying there’s a thief in the base? We need to investigate."

A group of overpowered players chattered as they walked down the corridor below.

Once the overpowered players were gone, the three resumed their silent crawl. As they passed a room that looked like an office, Xia Qi glanced through the iron bars and caught a glimpse of a familiar figure outside the glass window.

"Wait," he said, patting his sister’s foot. "Hold on."

The three stopped and peered through the gap into the room.

An old man, stooped and hurried, pushed open the window and nimbly flipped into the office.

His sister’s eyes widened, and she glanced at Xia Qi.

It was the old man, no doubt about it.

Unfortunately, they were on the roof and couldn’t see the old man’s expression below.

The old man looked around, and seeing that the room was empty, he boldly walked over to the water cooler, opened the lid, and poured in a packet of powder.

After finishing, he climbed back out the window and vanished like a shadow, moving with the agility of a spider.

Xia Qi: “……”

The old man moved so quickly that it wasn't until he was gone that the three of them snapped out of their daze.

“The old gentleman is truly something,” Sister Hong whistled in admiration.

Xia Qi never imagined that the old man would be so bold as to sneak into Lin Mo's base alone for revenge.

The incident of the overpowered player's missing car keys was probably the old man's doing, right?

“...Why is the old gentleman behaving like this?” the girl couldn’t understand the old man's actions. He was both stealing and poisoning water—what’s gotten into him?

Xia Qi let out a bitter laugh but didn’t respond.

The girl and Sister Hong were unaware of Xiao Ou's situation, so naturally, they couldn't grasp the old man's motives.

The three were about to continue upward when suddenly, the door of the office below them banged loudly, having been rudely pushed open from the outside.

“You useless fools!” an angry voice came from below. “I told you to find Xia Qi's accomplices, but you haven't found a single one?”

Hearing Lin Mo's familiar voice, the three were startled and immediately held their breath, frozen in place, afraid of being discovered by Lin Mo below.

An overpowered player complained, “Xia Qi rarely comes to X City, and his accomplices rarely show up.”

Sister Hong nervously pressed her lips together. Unlike the cautious girl, she had been recklessly wandering outside. It was pure luck that she hadn't been discovered by the overpowered players until now.

Another person picked up a cup from the table, filled it with water from the dispenser, and then, with a nervous grin, handed the cup to Lin Mo. “Director Lin, please calm down.”

Seeing someone offer Lin Mo water, the three widened their eyes and stared intently at the cup.

They couldn't help but wonder, what exactly had the old man put in the water?

If Lin Mo drank it, would he keel over right there?

Unexpectedly, Lin Mo didn't take the cup but instead impatiently pushed the person's hand away. “...Z is working on helping Xia Qi recover his memory. I need to slow down the progression of the daytime events. I can’t let Xia Qi remember what happened.”

Xia Qi was immediately stunned.

He had always known that Lin Mo was aware of his memory loss.

But why would Lin Mo be afraid of him regaining his memory... Could it be that Lin Mo had something to do with his lost memory?

And what did Lin Mo mean by slowing down the events? Was it even possible to control that?

No wonder he had felt the progression of daytime events had slowed down recently. He had assumed it was because Yuanzhou wanted to spend more time with him or that his own memory recovery had slowed.

“You, go to the entrance now. I need to use the control device,” Lin Mo said before rudely shooing the others out.

Once the others had closed the door, Lin Mo took out a gray device, about the size of his palm, from his briefcase.

Xia Qi stared intently and realized that the control device in Lin Mo's hand was exactly the same as the one his assistant had operated three years ago.

Could the control device from three years ago still be functional?

Based on what Lin Mo had just said, the control device likely had some authority to control the speed of daytime events.

Lin Mo placed the control device on the table, about to open it, when suddenly, a loud shout came from outside the door. “Someone's been poisoned!”

“What?!” Lin Mo stopped what he was doing and slid the control device back into his briefcase before hurrying out again.

The sounds of overpowered players shouting continued to come from the door.

"He just drank water from the dispenser, and someone poisoned it! Go check!"

"We've been infiltrated!"

Hearing the commotion outside, Xia Qi could no longer focus on observing. He gritted his teeth, turned around, and gently nudged Sister Hong: "Let's go!"

Although the ventilation duct was still safe for now, they had no idea what other tricks the powerful players might have. If they were discovered, there was no way the three of them could take on over twenty players down below.

Fortunately, the lower floor was already in chaos, and the three managed to escape at top speed without being noticed.

They ran all the way to a secluded café.

"What exactly is Lin Mo's control console?" Sister Hong always found the palm-sized machine odd-looking. "Why does he keep it in his briefcase? Isn't he afraid someone might steal it?"

"Lin Mo's control console doesn't seem like a system item," Xia Qi's sister pondered. "If it were, its edges would glow when taken out of the backpack."

"It definitely isn't a system item," Xia Qi said coldly.

The Sinful Game has strict rules about carried items. After entering the Central Space from the real world, players can't bring anything with them except their clothes.

However, Lin Mo's control console is an exception. It's neither a system item nor something from the real world, but an exploit that allows him to control the game.

Xia Qi remembered that the control console in Lin Mo's assistant's hands could only be used in the Central Space. Combined with Lin Mo's later actions to destroy the Central Space...

"The Reincarnation Hell we're in now is the Central Space," Xia Qi concluded.

Since the control console can only be used in the Central Space, the Reincarnation Hell isn't a new dungeon—it's the Central Space.

"Wait, what?" Sister Hong was completely dumbfounded. "Why is this the Central Space? I thought this was the Reincarnation Hell."

Maybe Yuanzhou deliberately placed the Reincarnation Hell at the bottom of the Central Space as a cruel joke. Even if someone reaches the 18th floor, they'll still fall into this place...

Was Yuanzhou trying to ensure that sinful people could never be redeemed?

"So, the players who fell from the 18th floor are trapped in the Central Space forever, in the Reincarnation Hell," Sister Hong said, covering her chest as a pang of sadness hit her.

Some of the strongest players she once knew, full of hope, ended up just like the failures—trapped in the Reincarnation Hell.

Is this what happens to everyone who screws up?

No one realized that the supposed exit was actually a trap leading straight to death.

"There might still be a way out," Xia Qi said.

"How is it possible to get out?" Xia Qi's sister laughed helplessly. "We have no way to clear the game, no clues for any progress. You just said it yourself—the Reincarnation Hell is the Central Space. Who can get out of the Central Space?"

Xia Qi pressed his temples and explained, "We can get out by removing the game's control."

Just like Yuanzhou brought us in, he can also let us out.

So, our only option now is to find Yuanzhou and convince him to let us out.

Xia Qi's sister continued, "I heard last time they were waiting for the complete arrival of night, and at the end of hell, they were going to kill someone called Z. Brother Xia, who is Z? Is he the Cloud Brain? Is Lin Mo trying to kill the Cloud Brain to get out?"

Xia Qi’s fists tightened, and his expression darkened as he processed what she said.

Lin Mo didn't want to get out at all. He clearly intended to kill Yuanzhou and seize control of the entire Sinful Game.

Sister Hong and his sister rarely saw Xia Qi lost in thought. Noticing that his expression was off, the two girls exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Isn't Z the one who became the Demon Dragon?"

Xia Qi looked at the two across from him and nodded silently.

Sister Hong covered her eyes, her voice trembling. "It really is him..."

Although the younger sister and Sister Hong had long known that the BOSS was unusual, it was still hard for them to accept that Yuanzhou was the mastermind behind the entire game.

"He didn't mean to." Xia Qi pressed his temples and explained seriously, "He had his reasons."

Though he hadn't reached the critical plot point from three years ago, Yuanzhou would eventually transform into the vengeful mastermind behind the Sinful Game, which had much to do with the crazy oaths of Lin Mo and the others.

Worried that the two would misunderstand Yuanzhou, Xia Qi took the time to explain Lin Mo's actions.

After listening to Xia Qi's explanation, Sister Hong slammed her fist on the table in righteous anger. "What kind of twisted ideas did Lin Mo plant in their heads? It's already very magnanimous of Z not to have wiped out all of humanity!"

"Brother Xia, I've changed my mind. I'm going to help you take them down," the younger sister said through gritted teeth.

With just an hour and a half before dawn, Xia Qi had no choice but to say goodbye to the two. Sister Hong drove a large truck and dropped Xia Qi off back at the women's prison.

Xia Qi drove the car back himself, his mind in chaos, nearly crashing into a tree.

How could Lin Mo have a control console?

Did Yuanzhou know about this?

"How do I save you? How do I uncover the truth from three years ago?"

Xia Qi felt like his path ahead was shrouded in fog. What key plot point had he forgotten?

Ever since seeing Yuanzhou being forced to kill someone three years ago, his mood had hit rock bottom. By tonight, he had been holding back, not letting his negative emotions affect his teammates.

Yuanzhou, what should I do?

On the streets, all kinds of monsters wandered around, and the water ghosts near the gas station kept letting out hissing sounds, as if the world had descended into chaos.

Xia Qi felt a crushing weight on his chest.

No, he couldn't give up.

Three years ago, Yuanzhou had left him the admin status. Every time they entered a dungeon game, the admin status given by Yuanzhou protected him.

He absolutely couldn't give up on him.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Xia Qi's mind.

"USB drive!"

Xia Qi swerved abruptly and drove the car back into the desert where there were fewer monsters.

After parking the car, he undid the button on his collar and pulled out the USB drive hanging around his neck.

The USB drive, labeled "Leave My Love with You," had always seemed out of place.

Just like Lin Mo’s control console, the USB drive could be brought into the Central Space but couldn’t be stored in the system backpack.

Xia Qi fumbled to unscrew the cap of the USB drive, his hands trembling with anticipation.

Sure enough, a soft blue light pulsed from the connector.

When Xia Qi first got the USB drive from Cha Gong, he had checked it multiple times in the dungeon, but found nothing out of the ordinary.

But in Reincarnation Hell, the USB drive started acting up, which only confirmed his suspicion that this place was the Central Space.

So, did the USB drive have a function similar to a console?

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Xia Qi tried giving the USB drive an instruction to select and read the information.

After the instruction was given, the USB drive in his palm suddenly floated into the air and projected a black light screen in front of him.

Xia Qi stared at the black light screen without blinking.

"Item: ???"

"Authority: ???"

Xia Qi: "……"

What did Yuanzhou mean by giving him a bunch of question marks?

Below the two lines that didn’t explain anything, there was an input box and a confirmation button, which looked very much like an operation backend.

The input box was basic, but it clearly allowed for more commands.

Recalling that Lin Mo planned to use the console to slow down the plot progression, Xia Qi tried entering an instruction to speed up the plot in the input box.

After the instruction was given, a line of small text quickly flashed past the top of the screen.

"Plot acceleration successful!"

Seeing the success notification of the instruction, Xia Qi's heart rejoiced.

It turned out that the USB drive in his hand could also be used as a console.

After closing the instruction screen, Xia Qi leaned back on the seat, quietly waiting for daybreak.

If the instructions input into the USB drive were correct, by tomorrow, when he met Yuanzhou, they should progress further into the plot.

He rubbed the smooth surface of the USB drive with his right thumb. Yuanzhou couldn’t have anticipated that he would need a console three years ago. In fact, Xia Qi also didn’t believe that the USB drive’s function was limited to speeding up the plot. Therefore, this USB drive, named "Leave My Love with You," must have other meanings and undiscovered content...

Also, what was the important "file" that Cha Gong smuggled out after using the USB drive?

Xia Qi rested for a moment, and soon, daybreak arrived.

He couldn’t even be bothered to park the car properly, grabbing the personal recorder Zhang Yun and rushing into the sphere.

Contrary to his expectations, Yuanzhou was exceptionally cold today. He stood with his arms crossed, leaning sideways against the white wall of the small sphere, not greeting him when he arrived.

His hair had changed to a striking silver-white, with a small curl by his ear, mimicking Xia Qi’s style.

Xia Qi took a few steps towards the glass to check his expression.

Seeing Xia Qi approaching, Yuanzhou didn’t even look at him, turning his head away awkwardly.

Xia Qi crouched down, looking up at his face through the glass in a strange posture.

From this angle, Yuanzhou’s eyes appeared a bit red.

Not knowing what his past self had said three years ago, Yuanzhou pouted, his voice heavy with disappointment. "You don’t love me anymore."

Xia Qi: "???"

How did things go from sneaking kisses yesterday to this?

The mood shifted so fast, he barely had time to process it.