It would be too conspicuous to stay at the transfer station any longer, so after collecting the props, Suer nodded to Ji Heng, indicating that he could leave.
After returning to the real world and taking only a few breaths, a raindrop hit his eyelashes. Soul looked up at the dark clouds floating in the sky and felt that it was necessary to check the weather forecast before entering the dungeon.
He was still wearing the clothes he wore when he entered the game. The overgrown hair and bruises on his body had all disappeared, but the fatigue in his eyes could not be concealed.
Ji Heng: "Go back and rest early."
After saying that, he walked to the side of the road and prepared to help hail a taxi.
"I'm going to have a meal first." Rejecting his kindness, Suer took out his mobile phone to search for nearby restaurants.
He had been eating bread for more than twenty days in a row, and didn't even get to eat bread on the day the poisoning occurred. His sense of taste was almost numb.
Meeting the helplessness in his eyes, Ji Heng said jokingly, "Don't search anymore. I'll take you there."
On the way, Su Er squinted by the window for a while, and when he opened his eyes again, he saw a luxurious high-rise building. As a famous gathering place for wealthy people in the city, everyone in this city has heard of it.
Ji Heng paid the fare, and Su Er got out of the car, looked up at the building, and asked, "Is this your home?"
Ji Heng nodded: "Since you are not in a hurry to go back, I just happen to have some information to show you."
The apartment is designed with one household per floor, and the interior area is large. You can overlook the night view from the balcony.
Watching him take out noodles from the cupboard, Su Er said honestly: "Before I came out of the game, I ate noodles every day."
Ji Heng then took out abalone, oysters, prawns, etc.
Su Er's throat moved: "It's okay actually."
The delicious flavor of the broth could be smelled from a distance, greatly increasing one's appetite. After the noodles were served, he patiently waited for them to cool slightly before beginning to enjoy the fruits of others' labor.
"How does it taste?"
Su Er responded seriously: "Even if these ingredients are just cooked in a pot for a while, they won't taste bad when dipped in sauce."
Ji Heng sat on the sofa and laughed out loud. When he had almost finished eating, he got up and went to the study to get a file bag.
Su Er wiped his mouth and asked as he unpacked it, "What is it?"
"Your information."
These four short words made Su Er pause, and then he pointed at himself: "Me?"
Ji Heng: "Last time you asked me to check on your parents, I didn't get much useful information, so I decided to start with you."
Pour the contents of the file bag onto the table, and before reading it, Su Er decided to prepare himself mentally: "Is he a biological child?"
Unexpectedly, he asked this question. Ji Heng raised his eyebrows and said, "Of course."
The information is very detailed, even recording the awards I won for my essays in elementary school. I read through it quickly but didn't find anything special.
"Look carefully at the photo."
Sur's elementary school had a tradition of organizing spring outings for students, which were like going to a movie together; the latter involved writing a review, the former a short essay. The Chinese teacher would set aside twenty minutes for students to practice describing scenes, then collect and grade their work before the outing ended.
Looking at these long-lost memories, Su Er exclaimed, "How can you find all this?"
Ji Heng: "A few of them were made into billboards and are still there."
His eyes caught a glimpse of something, and his smile gradually faded. The child in the camera still had a bit of baby fat on his face, his pencil case casually placed at his feet, and his chubby little hands holding a correction fluid, correcting a mistake.
This is just a scene in a photo, and there may be errors if you rely on the naked eye to identify it.
Ji Heng took out a photo and said, "This is the enlarged one."
The pixels were a lot blurrier, but easier to identify than before. Now Sul could be sure that the child was erasing the blank space in the upper right corner.
When handing in the finished product, he would write his name there.
It wasn't unusual to misspell names as a child, but Soul put the photo aside, feeling a sense of unease. His brows furrowed as the old object awakened some of his forgotten memories. "Before third grade, I sometimes misspelled my last name."
Ji Heng: "What did you write?"
Sur's eyes were motionless, and he was as stiff as a statue as he fell into deep thought.
"Yes..." After a pause of a few seconds, there was a vague outline in my mind, just a little bit away, but I couldn't see it clearly.
"Zhou." Ji Heng said the word without any warning.
Su Er laughed, inevitably linking it to Zhou Linjun, and shrugged: "A night terror joke?"
However, there was no smile on Ji Heng's face.
Seeing him like this, the moment of relaxation he had finally achieved vanished in an instant. Perhaps it was a subconscious lingering effect from the other party's sudden interruption, but when Soul racked his brains again to recall the word, it suddenly struck him that it was indeed this word.
I tried to write it on the table with my fingers, and I shuddered for no apparent reason.
Ji Heng made a cup of soothing tea and placed it in front of him, then went to the room and got a clean, loose-fitting short-sleeved shirt.
Only then did Su Er realize that his clothes were soaked with cold sweat. It had nothing to do with his emotions, as if it was just an instinctive reaction of his body.
"Did you find something?" He raised his head and spoke in a hoarse voice.
There is no way the other party would bring up this matter for no reason.
Ji Heng: "I said during the dungeon, don't ignore the things that are right in front of you."
Some things are hard to see because they are too close.
Sur took a sip of tea, the lemongrass aroma flowed down his throat, and his tense body relaxed again.
"Achievement points."
When these three words came out of Ji Heng's mouth, he quickly recalled his previous achievements, was silent for a moment, and said: "Report Zhou Paopi by real name?"
Ji Heng stood up and walked to the window. "Zhou Paopi is a famous villain in literary works. It sounds normal at first, but the word 'paopi' has come to mean exploitation nowadays. Using your own surname would be more appropriate."
Su Er's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly asked him if he had ever written his name wrong.
"No." Ji Heng stared into the endless night. "But when I was a kid, I would often stare blankly for a few seconds before writing my name."
He was deeply impressed, and during the exam the teacher even called on him to remind him not to be distracted.
The remaining complexity in Suer's eyes dissipated. Adhering to the principle of not wasting, he walked to the kitchen to scoop out the remaining noodles and abalone in the pot.
His emotions changed drastically. Ji Heng turned sideways and asked, "Not worried?"
If this happened to any player, they would probably feel terrified.
Who am I? Is my identity real? Such confusion may be like a tide, overwhelming and suffocating.
And Su Er... at this moment he was circling the pot with a spoon, trying to find the 'slippery fish'.
"Are you scared?" a voice came from the kitchen.
Ji Heng shook his head the moment Sur turned around. Fear would wear away a person's willpower, so when he went into the dungeon for the second time, he deliberately ignored that feeling.
"Then I have nothing to be afraid of." Sur came over with soup still on the corner of his mouth.
You have to keep playing in the dungeon twice a month. If you worry about these things, your quality of life will be reduced.
It was already very late after we finished chatting, and the night sky outside was so dark that not even a star could be seen.
Su Er just stayed here temporarily.
Ji Heng found him some toiletries. Su Er brushed his teeth and took a quick shower. The accumulated fatigue suddenly hit him. When Ji Heng changed into his home clothes and was about to lead him to the guest room, he saw that he had already fallen on the sofa bed and fell into a deep sleep.
The blanket was pressed under his body, so he had no choice but to get another thin blanket to cover him.
Instead of resting immediately, Ji Heng sat on the sofa and began to look at the information of other players, including Qu Qingming and some players who had long since died.
During this time, Sur turned over and seemed to be sleeping uneasy.
Patting him through the quilt, Ji Heng sighed softly, "Go to sleep."
Even if the sky collapses, there will still be something taller blocking it.
The next day was the weekend, but Su Er's biological clock told him to wake up at 7:00. Ji Heng wanted to wake up half an hour earlier, but seeing Su Er's sleepy eyes, he asked, "Why don't you sleep a little longer?"
"Go home and practice the questions."
"…very determined."
There was no public transportation nearby, so Ji Heng picked up the key ring and said, "I'll take you there. We can go to the supermarket."
The car wasn't going too fast, and the wind blew in through the window, not stinging my cheeks, but rather comforting. Su Er squinted his eyes in a smug way, enjoying himself, but then he started talking about something that was a letdown: "The fortune teller mentioned that the show is about to start, and the host is rushing to distribute tickets."
Ji Heng watched him out of the corner of his eye: "There should be quite a few special copies recently."
Sur's vision was a little blurred because of the wind, and he remembered that his admission ticket was also obtained from a special copy.
"In Gou Baopu's hands..."
He was only halfway through his words when the car suddenly accelerated. Sur subconsciously looked at the rearview mirror, thinking someone was following them, but he could only see that the car behind him was pulled away by a large distance.
There was no parking space around, so Ji Heng drove quickly all the way to the outside of the mall.
Soul also felt something unusual, his chest burning, and his expression immediately changed: "It seems like the game is forcing us to enter."
Although the time after coming out does not change, people may become distracted at the moment of connection, and driving is definitely not a safe option. When Ji Heng stepped on the brakes to stop, Su Er also breathed a sigh of relief.
The burning sensation seemed to penetrate into my internal organs, which was more uncomfortable than any other transmission. The sounds from the streets and alleys outside the window were intertwined and mixed, and gradually, I could not hear a single sound.
I was unconscious for a few seconds, and when I regained consciousness, the world had turned upside down. I was no longer in the cramped car, and a light mist enveloped the sky and the earth, though fortunately it didn't obstruct my vision too much.
Su Er felt something on his palm, and when he looked down, he found it was an admission ticket.
"Where is this... Nongxu?" A strange voice sounded, also asking the confusion in his heart.
Looking around, Ji Heng was standing next to him, and there were dozens of other people, more people than in any previous copy.
"Welcome everyone to the world of seven days and seven nights." Following the voice, a black snake in mid-air spoke in human language: "I am the host of this event, the Lord of Teng Snake Cave."
It gave people a very uncomfortable feeling, with black scales all over its body, and the light in its snake pupils seemed to be poisoned.
Everyone standing here had a ticket, each with their own strengths, and they weren't as intimidated by the host as the average player. The woman who had spoken earlier repeated her question.
"After passing through the maze, you can enter Nongxu." The Lord of Tengshe Cave hooked his tail in mid-air, proudly showing off his greatest masterpiece.
The fog had dissipated a little at this moment, and everyone calmed down and looked at the things in front of them. They all took a step back more or less.
Like a winding mountain range, even from the left and right sides, one could imagine the complexity of its internal structure and its vastness! The most terrifying thing was the arched sign at the entrance to the maze. It was composed of hundreds of tiny snakes entwined, and the colorful pattern formed the three characters: Ghost Gate.
The snakes were alive, spitting out red tongues, as if they would bite fatally at any moment with lightning speed. The venom dripping from their mouths gathered on the ground, causing slight corrosion to the surface.
The Tengshe Cave Master gazed at the player's pale face with satisfaction: "It's not fatal, at most just some minor injuries."
This sign took a lot of effort to create. Using patterns to arrange words is no simple task. It can both injure players and have a shocking effect.
Many people showed annoyance in their eyes, but they could do nothing about it.
"You can fly into the air and find an exit." The Teng Snake Cave Master patiently instructed, "But I don't mind doing this."
A mouse appeared out of thin air in his hand and was thrown into the air above the maze in a parabolic shape. The next moment, the nearby wall suddenly stretched out into a red film, and the mouse wrapped in it instantly turned into a pool of blood.
"Alive. The maze is alive!"
With a low cry, Soul's breathing became heavier.
Tengshe Cave Master: "Before you go in, I will prepare a candle and a box of matches for each of you. As long as the candle is lit, the area will not be swallowed by the maze."
Snakes have no expression, but Sur could feel a cruel smile on the cold snake face.
"You have one minute to prepare."
Everyone fell into deep thought.
Soul glanced at their badges; the stats were quite high. The fact that no one had backed out, asking if they could withdraw under the forced summons, was a testament to their mental fortitude.
"I don't know what's going on inside, so it's best to go in groups."
"I agree. It saves candles."
"There's no mention of food supply issues. We have to consider emergencies arising from hunger."
…
At this moment, a player with long hair suddenly looked up at Suer: "What do you think?"
Being suddenly called out, Su Er was a little confused.
"To get so many achievement points, he must have some special qualities." The long-haired player smiled gently. "At least he's very good at adapting."
Sur naturally responded well to the other person's proactive outreach, replying, "The maze is enormous. The outer perimeter alone is over a kilometer long."
He emphasized the obvious thing again, which seemed a bit redundant, but no one interrupted.
Sur then continued, "The host's explanation was vague, but it gave us the impression that we could reach Nongxu by passing through the maze. With such a large area, there's no shortage of chances of getting lost, and even saving candles wouldn't be enough."
After all, it is impossible for dozens of people to form a team and keep moving forward. If there is a monster in it, it is normal for the group to disperse.
The long-haired player immediately understood his idea: "You think the exit of the maze is in the middle?"
Soul nodded.
"Games don't intentionally kill people," someone on the left mused. "That's very likely."
"Each instance has its own world. Nongxu wouldn't be just in a small area in the middle," Soul said calmly. "If the exit is in the middle, there are two possibilities. One is that there's a teleportation platform that can send us directly into Nongxu. The other possibility is that this is a pure prank."
"…"
"Snakes are cunning, and judging by the design of the maze, they have a strong sense of malice," said Soul, clapping his hands lightly. A smile appeared on his lips. "Who knows, after going through so much hardship to reach the exit, there might be an unexpected answer waiting for everyone."
The Tengshe Cave Master in mid-air looked very gloomy: "Exchange time is over."
Everyone had an extra candle and a box of matches in their hands.
Su Er glanced at Ji Heng, who nodded slightly. He stepped forward and said, "The road is behind us."
The Teng Snake Cave Lord twitched the tip of his tail.
Soul: "I guess there's a similar message left at the exit of the maze."
If this is true, it is quite cruel. After going through so much trouble to reach the exit, you find that the fake entrance is actually behind it, and then you have to find a way to get back.
Being in the same instance with such a sinister host would surely lead to his death sooner or later. Thinking of this, Su Er's eyes darkened, and he shouted, "I, Su Er, am reporting the Teng Snake Cave Master for leaking the exam questions!"
"Nonsense!" The black scales exploded, each one as sharp as a blade, as if they were about to rush down and cut him into pieces in the next moment.
Pointing to the arched snake sign outside the maze, Su Er said righteously: "Throughout the ages, anyone who enters the gate of hell has died. Isn't this suggesting that turning back is the way to life?"
After a pause, he looked at the Teng Snake Cave Master: "Are you right, host?"
"…"