Chapter 318 Meeting Qin Ge

Chapter 318 Meeting Qin Ge

"What? Becoming a player isn't necessarily a good thing?"

When Sha Linghai uttered these words, all the trainees in the warehouse turned to look at him. While not every trainee thought becoming a player was inherently good, it was Sha Linghai's declaration that made it truly astonishing.

After all, everyone present knew Sha Linghai was the most fervent devotee of the Nightmare World. If other trainees' enthusiasm scored an 80, Sha Linghai's would undoubtedly hit 200.

Yet, after just one night, this very person now believed becoming a player wasn't such a great thing?

"Sha Linghai, are you alright?" A nearby trainee reached out, as if to check for a fever.

"I'm fine, it's just that too much happened in one night." Sha Linghai sat on a low stool, trying to make himself small. "I just need some quiet."

Just as the other trainees were bewildered, someone sitting in the warehouse's dark corner opened his eyes. Though not a training instructor and rarely speaking in front of others, he was the soul of the Honghuai City training base. His "self-isolation" ability had transformed the warehouse into a secluded sanctuary.

A person's talent often correlates with their personality, and this player's nature meant he disliked conversing with strangers.

But after observing Sha Linghai for a moment, the player leaned halfway out of the shadows and asked in a muffled voice—

"You've become a player, haven't you?"

First, the notoriously enthusiastic Sha Linghai was dejected. Then, the reclusive senior in the corner suddenly spoke. And now, the implication was that Sha Linghai might have become a player?

How could that be? If that guy had become a player, wouldn't he be shouting it from the rooftops for the whole world to hear?

As everyone held their breath, Sha Linghai remained silent.

After a long while, Sha Linghai still hadn't answered the player's question. Instead, he sighed and said, "Senior Chen, I encountered some unusual circumstances during my beginner quest. Could I possibly meet with Captain Qin Ge?"

Sha Linghai's words unequivocally confirmed his status as a "player."

Though the surrounding trainees didn't show overt surprise, whispers about Sha Linghai began to circulate privately. When Sha Linghai looked up, he saw the envious expressions of his familiar fellow trainees, which only deepened his sense of helplessness.

Sha Linghai knew that if he had been in their shoes yesterday, he wouldn't just have felt envy—he would have displayed an ugly, jealous expression. But now, Sha Linghai understood that the Nightmare World was precisely what its name implied: a nightmare, an inescapable nightmare, a hell beneath a crimson moon!

"Since you've become a player, Qin Ge will surely seek you out once he gets the news. Just remember to register with the instructor," the player in the corner said, clearly aware that it was no cause for celebration. He then quickly retreated back into the darkness.

Sha Linghai could have met with Qin Ge, the person in charge of Honghuai City, immediately. However, due to Qin Ge's entry into the Nightmare Game, it wasn't until two days later that Sha Linghai arrived at Qin Ge's office.

As the assistant led Sha Linghai upstairs, he specifically warned him that Qin Ge hadn't been in good spirits since returning from the Nightmare Game.

"Captain Qin may have cleared the game, but the process was far from easy," the assistant said, looking troubled. "In the nightmare game he experienced, only players who survived for forty-eight hours could clear it. The terrible part was that the identities and even memories of players and eerie entities were swapped. Captain Qin and the other true 'players' believed they were the harmful eerie entities, with no memory of their actual mission."

"Captain Qin instinctively refused to harm others, but the other players, who believed they were eerie entities, quickly slaughtered all the 'humans.' Soon, the entire game scenario was left with only these 'eerie entities' roaming around."

"And then everyone cleared the game?" Sha Linghai tried to imagine how he would handle such a game, and the more he thought about it, the more his scalp tingled.

The assistant shook his head and continued, "If, after forty-eight hours, the 'eerie entities' remained 'eerie entities,' then naturally no 'players' would survive. In that case, Captain Qin and the others wouldn't have been able to clear the game. Fortunately, because Captain Qin refused to harm others and clashed with the other 'eerie entities,' he regained his memories as a 'player' during the conflict. He naturally reclaimed his identity as a player and became the sole surviving 'player' when the game ended."

"The sole survivor? What happened to the other players?" Sha Linghai felt a chill run down his spine.

"Those?" The assistant frowned. "I'm afraid they'll forever wander within that game scenario, trapped with the memories of the 'eerie entities.'"

"These rules were discovered during Captain Qin's post-game analysis with us. During the game, even his memories were altered. So now, whenever Captain Qin thinks about what might have happened if he hadn't held onto his true self, he shudders at the thought of losing his memories as a 'human' and wandering the Nightmare World with the memories of those 'eerie entities,' just like the other players. He hasn't quite recovered from it yet."

As the assistant finished speaking, they arrived at the door of Qin Ge's office.

Although the assistant had only described one of Qin Ge's nightmare game experiences, Sha Linghai couldn't help but break into a cold sweat. He admired Captain Qin for maintaining his integrity even while possessing the memories of an eerie entity, but he also felt certain that in such a game, he himself would have likely lost his sense of self and become one of those eerie entities.

"Captain Qin, I've brought him," the assistant said, ushering Sha Linghai into the office before stepping out.

As soon as Sha Linghai entered the office, he saw Qin Ge sitting in his chair, resting with his eyes closed. Qin Ge, who had the demeanor of a military officer, seemed to be trapped in a nightmare—his brow furrowed from time to time, and he occasionally let out frustrated sighs. It was as if even the assistant’s voice hadn’t fully roused him.

"Captain Qin," Sha Linghai called out again.

Qin Ge slowly opened his eyes, his gaze initially unfocused before sharpening. He straightened up abruptly, as if jolted awake from a bad dream.

Qin Ge let out a long breath and turned his attention to the person standing at the door.

"You must be Sha Linghai, the one who just became a player," Qin Ge said, rubbing his temples as if trying to regain his composure. "When trainees from the base become players, it's my duty to guide them in understanding their awakened talents and ability evolution. But I heard you specifically requested to see me? Why?"

"Although I hold the title of captain here, I'm not necessarily stronger than other players," Qin Ge sighed. "As you can see, I'm not some powerful veteran—just a player struggling to keep my own head above water."

"Captain Qin," Sha Linghai said, sensing the lingering exhaustion from Qin Ge's recent game. He, however, had an urgent question that needed answering. "During my beginner quest, I encountered a very... peculiar player."