Chapter 267, Seventy-Third Cycle (97)

September 20th.

Nine o'clock in the evening.

"Run Towards the Sun" Holographic Game Forum.

Casual chat area.

[Live stream of this closed beta test of the holographic reasoning (survival) game] (HOT)

[OP: I was slacking off at work, but I'm really curious about how to beat this insane game (I want to see other players die and come back to life), so I started this thread to discuss it with everyone. Feel free to add your own progress updates! (heart emoji)]

1L: I was watching Arthur's livestream. This player must be a really good detective in real life; his game progress is the highest. (Although every time I think he's about to finish, he suddenly reloads and starts over.)

2L: It's 9:30 AM now, and I'm on my seventh playthrough. Ah Huai's death method has been updated again (image) (image)

3L: I'm devastated! I'm going crazy! I just got back from my seventh playthrough! Ah Huai died right in front of me this time! I can't take it anymore, I really can't take it, waaaaaah, I'm quitting!!! I'll just stay on the forum and see how others play, otherwise my heart just can't take it (vomiting blood) (dying with eyes wide open)

4L: Goodness, you're a brave soul upstairs! I stopped playing after my fourth playthrough. I would come out of the game in the middle of the night and be so frustrated that I couldn't sleep. Even watching the live stream outside was unbearable. My heart would stop every now and then. You actually managed to stick with it until your seventh playthrough.

5L: I'm so unwilling to accept this! I'm so unwilling to accept this! I really love Ah Huai! But why couldn't I save him?! Why did Ah Huai have to die?!

6L: What do you mean running towards the sun?! This is clearly sinking into darkness! Where's the sun? Is it the blond-haired Xiao Huai? But he can't be saved at all! This is a guaranteed death trap! I've never seen such a twisted game!! How can a holographic game have save/load functionality? Mobile games can save and quickly skip repetitive scenes! This holographic game forces us to experience the same events and storylines every time, and then "snap" kills the protagonist and makes you start over when a new storyline arrives!! What kind of logic is this???

7L: I'll kill the game planner! (knife)

8L: I'll kill the game planner! (Knife) (Knife) (Knife)

...

999L: Damn! I just had a meeting and was about to go to lunch, how come I'm already on my tenth playthrough?! Why did Arthur stop streaming? Did he quit too? Can someone kindly summarize this for me?

1000L: We don't know the specifics either. It seems that Arthur and a few skilled players in the game discussed it and decided to quickly test the game rules with three playthroughs. Then they logged off to rest, saying they would come back later that night after a good night's sleep. (Actually, I think they originally wanted to test more playthroughs, but seeing Ah Huai die in front of them time and time again was too much for them, so they logged off to take a break.)

1001L: But, do they really sleep? I keep getting woken up by nightmares, dreams full of scarlet butterflies and having to reload saves...

1002L: Isn't it said that sleeping and resting in a holographic game is the same as in real life? You can even sleep better without being affected by negative physical conditions, so why not sleep in the game? In case something important happens, you can get there immediately, right? I think they've become obsessed with beating the game, otherwise, how could ordinary people have persisted until now?

1003L: Sleeping in the game is indeed more enjoyable, but that's only if no one fails and has to reload! During the fourth playthrough, many players were sleeping in the game, only to be suddenly startled awake by the sound of the system loading a save and a swarm of red butterflies. They were left standing dumbfounded at the game's starting point, completely disoriented. I believe no one wants to experience that feeling again (yes, I was one of them).

1004L: Yes, this is really bad for the heart. No wonder the game emphasizes that people with heart disease and mental illness should not play it. People could really die from it. (smoke)

1005L: Stop talking, I'm a normal person, and I'm going a little crazy right now (hahahaha, I'm in great spirits, I'm fine, I can still keep playing).

1006L: Oh no, another one's gone mad. Let's drag them away. (shakes head)

...

2411L: !!! A shady player deliberately went live to cause trouble while most top players were resting! (Link)

2412L: Huh?! How can anyone dare to mess around like this?! Aren't they afraid of being caught and punished at their respawn point?!

2413L: So that's why he's called a "mischievous player," he's just a madman. He didn't intend to go head-to-head with the pro players, he just wanted to cause trouble while they were away (cursing).

2414L: Holy crap! He said he's going to try and kill his way through the game! What is he going to do? Who is he going to kill?

2415L: If he dares to touch Ah Huai and the others, he's dead! I'm going online right now and killing him!!!

2416L: ...It seems like I don't need to go?

2417L: Hahahaha! Serves him right! He got headshot the moment he approached Ishihara's house with the bomb! Dumbfounded, huh?! Good job, pro player! Who was that sharpshooter? Please, please start a live stream hunting down troublemakers!

2418L: Good grief, that guy wasn't satisfied yet. He found the bomb again and went straight to Twilight Villa. Is he trying to blow up the villain's lair? ??

2419L: ? Wow, this guy is really fierce. Where did he get his bomb?

...

2434L: Forget it, forget it. He was sneaking around with a bomb and got shot in the head as soon as he approached the Twilight Villa. He doesn't even know who fired the shot. It seems like it's impossible to beat the game by brute force.

2425L: Huh?! He actually wants to kill Masaya Oki?! No, is he insane?!

...

2444L: LOL, your squad leader is still your squad leader! Do you really think the police are just for show? With their capabilities, they'd definitely be on guard against criminals retaliating! Dumbfounded, aren't you?

2445L: Speechless. Anyway, this guy is finished. The sharpshooter has already found his respawn point and is blocking him there, taking him down one by one. Go play somewhere else.

...

3235L: Arthur is online!!!

3236L: Finally logged in! Everyone else who went to follow the story died even faster. Arthur is much more reliable. Will I be able to clear it today? I'm really curious about the upcoming story! What secrets are hidden in the secret passage of the Twilight Mansion? Will I be able to uncover the truth and advance to the next level before the end of the day? I'm going crazy from endlessly looping through this dungeon...

3237L: According to the expert's analysis, the Twilight Villa from twenty years ago should be a dungeon-like instance. After clearing it, you might find something behind that door that allows you to travel back eight years or to the present, and then Kudo Huai will lead the players to start the next level of the game.

3238L: Waaaaah, Arthur is finally online! It's already 6 PM, I've already finished work, and I'm on my tenth playthrough of the game. Will there be any new developments next?

3238L: Let's go! I suddenly have confidence again! I'll go check out the game! After all, there's so much new information now! This time we can definitely do it!!!

...

3782L: Aaaaaah, he died again! Huai Zai, ahaaaaah!!!

3783L: It's 7:30 PM now. I've finished my eleventh playthrough. The CG is about how good things don't last long.

...

4444L: Twelfth playthrough! Joy turns to sorrow! Joy turns to sorrow, hahaha! I'm going crazy, I'm really going crazy! I really don't want to reload and start over again!!! (Screams) (Twisting) (Crawling in the shadows) (Crazy writhing) (Rolling) (Twisting) (Spasms) (Roaring) (Wailing) (Splits) (Wriggling) (Grimace) (Stabs himself wildly with a knife) (Blood splatters everywhere) (Takes out his heart and gives it to you) (Thuds and falls to the ground) (Attacks indiscriminately)

*

[The protagonist, Kudo Jun, has been detected as dead!]

[Game lost!]

[Achieve the Bad Ending: Joy Turns to Sorrow]

[Game CG included]

[Loading save file...]

Save file loaded successfully.

You have started your thirteenth playthrough.

I opened my eyes, and there was the familiar alley again.

He returned to April 1st, the very beginning of the game, at exactly 4 PM.

Conan Edogawa rubbed his temples, glanced at the chaotic wailing and frenzy on the forum, and guessed that there probably wouldn't be any ordinary players participating in the thirteenth cycle.

That's good, it puts their minds at ease.

The game's closed beta test lasted for three days, the same as the auction period for Twilight Villa.

Therefore, Conan Edogawa was a little worried that the game would also, like the Twilight Mansion, begin a bloody night on the second night.

Despite Hiroki's veiled assurance, the game's psychological challenge far exceeded his expectations, and there were bound to be even more dangerous things to come. It was best not to let ordinary players join in.

Conan Edogawa skillfully bought an umbrella, took a taxi to the Ishihara residence, and while thinking in the car, texted Shuichi Akai and kept an eye on Professor Agasa's live stream—yes, he had Professor Agasa start a live stream as well, but he turned off his own.

The car quickly stopped in front of Ishihara's house. Conan Edogawa skillfully got into Ishihara's car and, as a detective seeking help from the police, went with him to the Twilight Villa.

After arriving at their destination and getting out of the car, Ishihara Yujiro noticed the blond child in the trunk. He was angry but helpless, and finally agreed to take the child with him to the memorial service and auction.

The memorial service will be held from 6 p.m. to midnight on the first day, followed by the auction.

So far, the development and their plan have gone perfectly, and the few remaining players are quite familiar with the game, able to navigate the storyline even with their eyes closed.

Before midnight, the group didn't gather together. Instead, they were scattered throughout the villa, even pretending not to know each other and using the game's chat function to create a group chat.

【Operation Save the Golden Sun】

[Arthur, Holmes's apprentice: I was too careless last time. We were only one step away from entering the gate, but things turned out badly. This time, I need to be even more careful in protecting Kudo Huai.]

[The dying detective: I really think this game is targeting the protagonist, Kudo Huai. Nobody expected that simply asking him for the password to the gate would trigger that security cordon. Even he himself didn't expect it, otherwise he wouldn't have given out the password, right? Speaking of which, isn't this game too restrictive for Kudo Huai? Can the red butterfly around his neck be removed?]

[White Detective: It's alright, we already know the password this time, so we're not bound by those restrictions. This time, we can open the door.]

[Dark Baron: Removing the red butterfly might cause him to lose his time-traveling ability, so let's not do that. Besides, even we players can't just open the door with the password, or we might get killed by the villain hiding in the villa. Perhaps we could try to carefully observe the surroundings and find the clues to solve the puzzle? After all, this is a deduction game; it won't set up a guaranteed death trap for the players, there will always be some clues left.]

The group reviewed their plans again before starting their own preparations.

The Dark Baron, wearing a strange white mask, approached the black-haired boy by the window.

"Are you alright?" Kaito Kid asked in a low voice. "You seemed really shaken by Kudo Jun's death. Have you recovered yet? By the way, why did you react so strongly?"

Conan Edogawa didn't turn around, but quietly watched the blond child darting around in the crowd as if playing hide-and-seek, and said, "Don't worry, although I do have something I care about, it won't affect the plan."

"That's good." Kaito Kid leaned against the other side of the window and smiled. "In that case, you should stop watching him. Otherwise, not only will Ishihara and Okiya be wary of you, but even Kudo Jun himself won't dare to continue his actions."

The blond boy crawled out from under the table, glared at them, and then stormed upstairs.

Conan Edogawa then shifted his gaze to Ishihara Yujiro, who was chatting and laughing with an important figure, and whispered, "Those who have been confirmed to be connected to the organization have all had some contact with Ishihara Yujiro, Oki Masaya, Shibata Jun, and Hayami Jun, seemingly testing them and asking them about Kudo Huai. This means that the villain who also traveled back in time was already suspicious of Kudo Huai, but he probably didn't tell anyone in the organization, only instructing others to pay close attention and act immediately if anything strange was discovered. This also suggests that the villain holds a high position in the organization and has probably also concealed his own time travel."

Kaito Kid sighed: "The enemy is in the shadows, and we don't even know their identity yet."

Conan Edogawa paused for two seconds, then said a name: "Scotland."

Kaito Kid paused, then turned to look at him: "Hmm? But the Scotland in the novel, is he the policeman who died a long time ago? He's not even a police academy student yet, and he doesn't seem to be acting strangely... Are you talking about him?"

Conan Edogawa didn't explain, but said with a serious expression, "I have a guess, and I'll explain it to you after I confirm it."

Kaito Kid shrugged: "Okay, all I want to do now is finish the game quickly. To be honest, repeating the same things over and over again is really driving me crazy, especially in dangerous environments where I can't be careless. I'm going to go insane if this doesn't end soon. I really don't know what the person who designed this game was thinking, and I don't know why so many viewers are still watching the stream while they're going crazy. I originally thought this game would be criticized to death and no one would play it, but it's so popular, it's ridiculous."

"It's almost over," Conan Edogawa whispered.

He... didn't want to see the blond child die again.

*

Conan Edogawa didn't start his live stream until the evening of the second day.

In reality, it was already 3 a.m., and most people couldn't stay up for the second night and went to sleep. The audience had dwindled significantly, and they no longer had high hopes for clearing the game.

The plan has progressed smoothly to its final stage.

Inside the villa, bright lights shone brightly late into the night as the auction proceeded in full swing, with people lavishly throwing away their enormous wealth in pursuit of something that symbolized immortality.

Outside, the torrential rain and the pitch-black night seemed to isolate the entire castle from the outside world.

This creates a very eerie and unpredictable atmosphere, as if anything strange or bizarre could happen here.

Given that they already had a vague idea of ​​what was going to happen next, everyone was on edge, waiting for the unknown terror to descend.

Three in the morning in the game.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the tightly closed door, and two soaking wet travelers emerged from the rain, their dark, lifeless eyes scanning everyone in the room.

The once bustling auction fell silent for a moment.

The auction organizers took something from them and then let them in.

An eerie smoke began to fill the hall, and the NPCs, absorbed in it, wore crazed and obsessed smiles, muttering incantations.

Conan Edogawa also had something that looked like a cigarette in his hand, but he had already confirmed that it was not such a simple thing.

However, this is not something he needs to worry about for the time being.

Ishihara Yujiro didn't come here unprepared. The police will handle the subsequent arrests, while the protagonist, the child Kudo Jun, the detectives, and the players will continue with the exploration storyline.

As for what happens next... that's completely unknown.

Conan Edogawa is ready.

Just like the previous playthroughs, this one is no different.

Police officer Yujiro Ishihara and police academy prospective students Jun Hayami and Jun Shibata went to arrest those who were high on drugs, while the detectives took the opportunity to put their deductions into practice, turning on the switch of the Twilight Villa and transforming it into the Golden Villa.

Amidst the rumbling and shaking sounds, the tunnel was revealed.

The blond kid reacted the fastest, like an impulsive and mischievous child who rushes in excitedly without thinking.

Conan Edogawa was right next to him, following closely behind.

Chongya, who was behind, was also taken aback and quickly followed after them.

Conan Edogawa was already very familiar with this dimly lit tunnel, and didn't even glance at the tangled butterfly pattern on the wall.

At the end of the tunnel was a black door, huge and heavy.

Each of the two doors is carved with a butterfly wing pattern on its left and right sides, covering the entire door, like a giant butterfly perched on the door.

Several letters are also carved above the door.

【Gott ist tot】

God is dead.

This time, Conan Edogawa's gaze lingered on it for a little longer.

He roughly knew what the red butterfly meant.

But what does the death of God signify?

As more players arrived, the detectives began to figure out how to open the door.

After failing to find an answer last time, they casually asked Kudo Jung what he thought.

Kudo Huai hesitated for a moment, then revealed the password and how to open the game. He then suddenly died, and the game was restarted.

So this time, just in case, Conan Edogawa even picked up the blond child in front of his shocked eyes, his hands ready to cover the child's mouth at any moment.

Once you have the answer, it becomes quite simple to deduce the source of the question by working backward from the answer.

As planned, the group pretended to study and reason for a while, discussing the butterfly murals in the tunnel, the patterns on the door, and the phrase "God is dead." Finally, they quickly deduced the password and how to open the door by sticking to the bottom line of logic.

With a loud bang, the heavy stone gate slowly opened.

Quiet.

The scene was very quiet, and everyone was holding their breath and on high alert, fearing that something unexpected might happen that would require them to reload their save.

But in the end, there were no bullets fired suddenly, nor any deadly traps, and Kudo Huai remained silent.

The door was fully opened.

Meanwhile, the live stream chat was already flooded with screams and screams.

Finally! Finally, the door is open!!!

[Ahhh, I'm so excited!!!]

[Waaaaah, Ah Huai, you absolutely have to survive this time!]

[I'm so excited! What secrets are hidden behind this door?!]

However, at that moment, a line of text suddenly popped up in front of Conan Edogawa, and the system's voice rang in his mind at the same time.

[You have triggered a hidden storyline. Due to confidentiality requirements, the live stream will be temporarily closed.]

The viewers who also received the notification were stunned for a moment, and then the chat exploded even more violently.

【？？？】

【Huh? Huh? ? ? 】

I waited until now just to see this! And you say it's a secret?? What kind of person does this??

[Wait! Don't close the live stream! What is it that we can't watch?!]

[If you dare shut down the live stream at this moment, I'll fight you to the death!]

I'll kill the game planner!!!

The next second, the live stream shut down.

Conan Edogawa slowly frowned, his vigilance reaching its peak.

He did indeed develop some psychological trauma; his first reaction was to hug the blond child tightly in his arms, fearing that the child would die in front of him again.

"..." The blond child patted his arm and said helplessly, "It's okay, put me down."

Conan Edogawa watched as the other players rushed in impatiently. Although he immediately froze, it seemed that nothing was wrong, so he put down the child he was holding tightly in his arms.

The blond boy glanced at him, then said nothing, turned around, and prepared to walk through the door.

Chongya, who had been lost in thought for some reason, snapped out of it, immediately stepped forward, took the child's hand, and went inside with him.

Conan Edogawa took a deep breath, brought up the game panel, sent a few messages, and then followed.

He wanted to see what was inside.