Chapter 588 Are They Players Too?

Chapter 588: Are They Also Players?

The young man carrying the sword tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping coldly over the burly man for less than a second before he indifferently looked away, showing no intention of responding to the excited shout.

"Dude, that Mr. Pei... is he a big deal?" A young woman standing nearby spoke up. She wore a white chiffon dress with a light-colored jacket over it, giving her a fresh and gentle appearance, like the girl next door, super approachable.

The burly man paused, staring at the girl's face for a few extra moments before his gaze returned to Pei Zhan, his tone suddenly brimming with excitement: "That's Pei Zhan, one of the top players of the 'Candlelight Association,' ranked 78th on the player rankings! A real veteran!"

"'Candlelight Association'? 'Player Forum'?" The girl looked confused, her eyes clearly showing bewilderment. She bit her lip, lowered her head sheepishly, and her voice softened, "Sorry, I've only done one game, so I'm still pretty clueless."

As she spoke, she moved a step closer to Pei Zhan, her dress swaying as she moved, the slit accidentally flashing a bit of pale thigh. Lu Jinyan instinctively looked away but still caught a glimpse of the white lace garter barely visible on her leg.

He quickly looked away, dropping his gaze and not glancing back—no matter what, it was just her personal preference.

"Mr. Pei, my name is Bai Qi." She looked up at the young man with a perfectly timed smile, her eyes bright with a hint of admiration, "You're a really strong player, right? If we run into trouble later, can we ask for your help?"

Pei Zhan frowned at first but then turned to appraise Bai Qi, saying in a tone devoid of warmth, "Just don't slow me down."

"Don't worry, I'm smart." Bai Qi responded lightly, her smile still gentle as she naturally positioned herself beside Pei Zhan, not bothered by his cold attitude.

"In this nightmare world, don't count on anyone." At that moment, a familiar female voice came from behind Lu Jinyan.

Lu Jinyan froze, turning around awkwardly. When he saw who it was, he gasped, he was so excited he wanted to shout her name, but the words got caught in his throat.

"Wen Ya! Oh my god, you're that huge star Wen Ya!" Bai Qi was the first to react, letting out a low exclamation of shock and excitement, "The famous Wen Ya is a nightmare player too!"

Lu Jinyan looked at the figure dressed in a crisp white top and black pants, wearing stilettos that felt totally out of place in the nightmare world, his face turning red with excitement.

If the hottest female celeb in the Eastern Continent right now was Su Ye, for Lu Jinyan, his idol was always the bold, unapologetically fierce Wen Ya.

Unlike Su Ye's ethereal, otherworldly aura, Wen Ya's look and personality were the total opposite of her name—trademark red lips, long black hair flowing over her shoulders, and a stance that had a hint of arrogance and edge. Even standing in a crowd like this, she seemed to have her own spotlight on her.

"That Wen Ya who's always beefing with Su Ye? I think I see her on trending topics a lot. People say she likes to start drama by clashing with Su Ye, but no matter how much she hypes it, she can't beat her—still 'second fiddle.'" The burly man beside them didn't seem to follow celebrity news closely, but he at least caught the headlines.

"Dude, Wen Ya's right here, that's not cool to say." Bai Qi whispered a reminder before regaining her smile and blinking at Wen Ya, "But I never thought I'd be this close to a big star."

"So what if Su Ye showed up too?" The burly man shrugged, continuing in a gruff tone, "No one's gonna act like a celebrity here, right? For us players, even if we're fans, we'd only look up to someone as strong as Pei Zhan."

Wen Ya shot him a cold look but said nothing, too annoyed to bother, just turning away from everyone.

"Oh, come on, we're all players, let's just act like players." A gentle, calming voice cut in, trying to ease the tension.

Lu Jinyan looked over and saw a well-dressed woman standing there, her makeup tidy and her manner elegant. Even with some white streaks in her hair, she had a calm, refined grace.

She looked like she was in her forties or fifties, but could be older.

"I'm Shen Guanlan," she said, smiling warmly at everyone, "When I was younger, I was just as good as those female stars. As for abilities, I'd say I'm a control-type."

"Xiong Yi," the burly man introduced himself simply, his voice deep and muffled, "I'm a body enhancement type, but don't underestimate me because of that. A lot of flashy players can't even take one punch from me."

"Pei Zhan, skilled with a sword." Pei Zhan remained aloof, his introduction brief.

"My name is Chu Qianren." The voice was steady, carrying an undeniable efficiency. The speaker was a short-haired woman with calm eyes, dressed in work pants and a vest jacket, her exposed arms clearly showing muscle definition. "This is my third game."

Lu Jinyan couldn't help but glance at her. If she hadn't admitted it herself, he would never have guessed she was a newcomer like him. She exuded a sense of pressure, looking very capable in a fight.

"I'm Zhou Shirong." The middle-aged man Lu Jinyan had noticed earlier introduced himself, his expression still somewhat dazed, "I've already cleared one game, so why am I being dragged back in?"

"A newcomer who just finished the tutorial game?" Bai Qi looked at him with a comforting smile, "Mr. Zhou, don't worry, I'm a newcomer too! We can help each other! I'm sure Mr. Pei and the others will help us as well."

"Mr. Pei does look very strong." Zhou Shirong seemed to have many questions but held them back, unable to voice them.

"Wen Ya, everyone should know me by now." The celebrity in question gave a light snort, lifting her chin with a dismissive tone, "I don't like teaming up. I can clear games on my own."

"Young girls these days have such strong personalities." Shen Guanlan chuckled softly, her tone not reproachful but resigned, "But since we're all in the same boat, I won't hesitate to help where I can."

Lu Jinyan stood off to the side for a while, realizing, as usual, that no one had noticed him. He had to muster his courage and raise his voice: "I, I'm Lu Jinyan."

Since some players had only given their names, Lu Jinyan decided to hide the fact that he was a newcomer.

"Huh? I didn't notice you there just now." Xiong Yi turned around, startled, frowning suspiciously as he looked at him, "You're not an eerie entity in disguise, are you? Slipping in like that?"

The suspicion wasn't unfounded—in nightmare games, eerie entities disguising themselves as players and infiltrating teams was not uncommon. The others instinctively cast wary glances at him.

"No! I'm a real player!" Lu Jinyan panicked, his ears turning red, his voice stammering, "I just... have a low presence! It's natural!"

His mind was buzzing, but he quickly thought of something and turned to Wen Ya: "Miss Wen Ya, I'm your fan! I'm really looking forward to your new movie about the forest fire—I've been following it closely!"

"That's my newly announced film. Eerie entities wouldn't care about that." Wen Ya glanced at Lu Jinyan before looking away.

"Everyone seems pretty easy to get along with." Bai Qi let out a relieved sigh, "So there are eight of us in this game, right?"

"No, there are two more over there." Shen Guanlan's expression turned odd as she pointed toward the rest area near the front desk.

Lu Jinyan and the others followed her gaze to the rest area beside the front desk.

There was a row of gray leather sofas, and two people were sitting there—or rather, one person was holding another, who was either unconscious or asleep.

A figure draped in a black cloak sat quietly, completely covered by the cloak, their face hidden. But just from their posture, it was clear they were tall.

Strangely, they were holding someone else in their arms.

That person lay motionless in the cloaked figure's embrace, impossible to tell if they were unconscious or asleep. All Lu Jinyan and the others could see was their ink-black hair, soft strands spilling over the cloaked man's arm.

The person wore a set of soft, homey pajamas, the collar slightly loose, revealing clean collarbones. From the wrist exposed under the sleeve to the bare feet resting on the sofa, their frame seemed small, their skin pale, giving off an overly quiet, almost fragile impression.

Whether it was because Lu Jinyan stared too intently, he felt as if the cloaked figure suddenly looked up at him. The gaze was hidden beneath the hood's shadow, unclear, but the sensation sent a chill down his neck, making his scalp tighten.

The next second, the cloaked figure pulled the cloak tighter around the person in their arms.

"..."

Are they... also players?