Chapter 178 Ark Player

The River of Life and Death, or the Styx.

If this statement was made in other areas, many players would probably be confused, but there were actually a few people in the venue who only changed their expressions slightly and did not raise any objections.

Qiao Song understands that players who have been in the blind box mall for a long time, or even have been on this infinite road for several years, have actually more or less realized a certain problem.

The escape door had long since disappeared.

Those doors back to the real world are gone.

Qiao Song did not directly say other information about the river. After all, she only had a general idea about it.

"What we are going to talk about next may be tainted as long as you hear it. If you want to regret it, leave this room now. I will buy the blind box in your hand according to the price you proposed."

Qiao Song paused for a minute. Since no one left, she took out her toolbox.

With a click, a slippery human fell out. Jin Jiaqi's stagnant mind had just recovered, and before she had time to go crazy, she heard Qiao Song say, "Basson is dead."

Seeing her look of disbelief, Qiao Song raised his eyebrows and said, "Why are you so surprised? Didn't you see his body when you were clearing the level before?"

At that time, Jin Jiaqi was only thinking about turning into a monster, and her mind was only on the aquarium tickets. She didn't care about the life or death of her accomplices at all.

When Jin Jiaqi learned about Bassen's fate, she couldn't believe it.

"No, how could he die? He should still have a chance to..."

Although Boss Jin only spoke half of her words, Qiao Song understood what she meant:

"Are you talking about the resurrection game? Although I don't know the specific method of that game, most of Bassen's body was directly corroded by the lake water in the Soul Factory. The half I dragged back at that time was at most an empty shell for the system to deal with. His soul and the source of power contained in his soul should have been absorbed by the river water."

Absorbed by the river...

Jin Jiaqi's eyes gradually widened: "Then how come you are okay?"

Since Basson was cooperating with Boss Cai, he must have fixed tools to manipulate the river water. How come he got into trouble but Qiao Song was fine?

"No, how dare you, do you know who he is working with?!"

"Tsk, isn't it just a display screen?"

Qiao Song was even reluctant to call Mr. Cai Boss.

Seeing her fearless look and the many players around listening to their conversation, Jin Jiaqi suddenly felt like a clown being publicly interrogated.

"What on earth are you trying to do? Not only do you not pass the dungeon properly to get the items, but you also actively make enemies with the administrators of these special dungeons. You will be doomed sooner or later!"

Perhaps she realized that it was inappropriate for her to say this in her current position, so she quickly changed her attitude:

"You just want a blind box of props, right? I can cooperate with you. I know the game strategies and rules for many stores. The administrators and guild leaders will also exchange some of the small props I produce from me. I can provide you with the same as long as you..."

Qiao Song flicked the ticket to the aquarium in his hand and said, "As long as I help you restore your human appearance?"

Jin Jiaqi's eyes, which had been rolling around, stopped at the ticket and she nodded frantically:

Once the things that come out of this special copy are damaged, if Jin Jiaqi wants to get them again, she can only find the exact same machine in the Scream Game Hall, re-enter the amusement park, and enter the aquarium.

But it is unlikely that Jin Jiaqi will have this opportunity again.

"Bassen is working with the display screen, so why would they bring you along? As far as I know, the value of the raw materials they salvaged from that creek is far more valuable than the professional exchange skills you requested."

Jin Jiaqi had her eyes on Tang Xiaoxiao's skills. It was impossible that Bassen would specially join the group game just to cooperate with her for such a small matter. The big thing they did of smuggling goods was enough to affect the inventory of hundreds of convenience stores on the Infinite Highway.

What role does Jin Jiaqi play in this?

Jin Jiaqi suddenly stopped talking. Instead, Buckley in the front row looked at the prisoner for a moment and suddenly said, "They should not only cooperate with convenience stores. As far as I know, the people of the Twelve Committees are divided into two distinct groups."

Baklie stared at Jin Jiaqi: "Who are you working for?"

Jin Jiaqi stared at him with eyes that were swollen like dead fish: "Your brother is dead, and you are not sad at all?"

"He wouldn't be sad if I died. He would even be happy to learn from my skills. And if I hadn't found a way out in advance, I would have been more likely to be killed by him."

Being able to say such things means that Baklie already knows the truth of everything. Jin Jiaqi said dejectedly: "You really have also entered the factory and read those books."

"Like Baklie, I am also a partner of Boss Cai, but he is still observing me and has not given me as much authority as Bason."

This can be seen from the fact that Bassen would rather let Baklie help carry the water pipe instead of Jin Jiaqi.

Anyway, Jin Jiaqi herself didn't really want to enter the Soul Factory at that time. She knew that Bassen, like herself, had been looking for a career that suits him. It might not be a good thing that Bakri escaped from the predicament on his own.

The shelves there are simply like a vast ocean of treasures, but unfortunately there are so many skills in it that it is difficult to find one that is truly suitable for you and has strong attack power.

The best way is to bring an acquaintance in, confirm the other party's skills, and then kill the sheep and eat the mutton on the spot.

Jin Jiaqi didn't want to do that. She had sincerely hoped to be friends with Tang Xiaoxiao, to be with that kind of pure, strong, and trusting high school student.

She even found some prop sets for Xiaoxiao in the two team games in advance when she was looking for the black card, so that at least after becoming a disabled person, Tang Xiaoxiao would not immediately become powerless.

But what did these people do? They actually used her to set up a trap!

Qiao Song grabbed the net and made Jin Jiaqi, who looked a little angry and regretful, raise her head: "What's wrong with your expression of being caught for attempted murder? Jin Jiaqi, do you dare to look Tang Xiaoxiao in the face and tell her in person what you had planned to do to her?"

"You dare to say that you have been close to her for so long just to understand all her skills, trick her into the machine, take out her abilities like a commodity, and put them on yourself, and then be merciful and reward her with a few life-saving props to show your kindness? Then I am mercifully sparing your life now and letting you reveal some information. Isn't this also kind?"

Qiao Song's words made Jin Jiaqi's face turn red and then pale. Her appearance, which was originally a fish-man monster, became even more weird. In order to prevent her from turning into a monster too quickly, Qiao Song directly stuck the ticket on her face.

This made the latter feel humiliated.

"Tell me, when did you enter the infinite game? You were crying and making a fuss before, saying that you were also deceived by a big guild. What did you mean by not wanting to cooperate with the dungeon manager?"

Jin Jiaqi usually doesn't talk much, and people who are not familiar with her think she is introverted. In fact, she is a dark and hysterical person by nature. The words she said in a hurry at that time might be the truth she said because she thought she was going to die.

"Every word you say next will determine your final outcome. We have players who entered the game more than ten years ago, some members of large guilds, and even the younger brother of your partner this time. Jin Jiaqi, you'd better carefully consider every word you say next."

After Qiao Song put the ticket on, Jin Jiaqi, who had calmed down, perhaps finally understood her current situation. After all, she reluctantly and slowly began to reveal information. The first sentence was a little unexpected to the inquirer.

Qiao Song frowned: "You entered the game eight years ago?"

Jin Jiaqi: "Well, I was lucky. That year was the time when players gradually adapted to the dungeon game and began to build guilds and caravans. It was also at that time that players discovered a river."

Jin Jiaqi fell into recollection: "The Styx you just mentioned is what the players call it. The NPCs call it the River of Life and Death. The earliest ghosts in the infinite map crawled out of that river."

They had broken arms and missing eyes, and some even had their bodies broken in half with only their intestines connected. They looked like dead ghosts, completely different from the players' condition.

"Those guys said that when they climbed ashore, they were restricted by some force and suddenly became part of the map, freed from the torment of the Styx. Then, like workers, as long as they completed basic work in the map, they would be protected by some force."

"Their job is to make games that keep players in the map, and their original memories and identities will resonate with the copy."

"It sounds strange, doesn't it? A bunch of dead ghosts crawled out of the river and became staff members, while the players who looked relatively intact, without even any external injuries, seemed to have come to this world due to an accidental coma, were restricted to the map and constantly tortured by the levels."

Jin Jiaqi's eyes suddenly turned mocking. "Then there was a group of arrogant players who united and said they wanted to cross the river. They wanted to build an ark and cross the Styx."

"Since the dead can crawl out of the river, then could the other side of the river be the place of rebirth, the real world?"

"They say that after death, people go to the underworld, cross the Wangchuan River, and walk across the Naihe Bridge. Maybe those of us who are not completely dead still have a chance. We can go back as long as we go upstream."

The meeting room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, but at this moment Jin Jiaqi stopped.

Qiao Song asked: "They failed, right?"

Jin Jiaqi sneered: "You can say it was a failure, or you can say it was a success. Half of the people in it disappeared. When they crawled back from the river like drowned dogs, they no longer looked like human beings."

“After entering the water, they discovered that the power of the river supported the entire game. Ghosts were like the raw materials in the game. They would be continuously absorbed by the game and become the most basic component.

"Those who went down the river and came back alive were able to possess some of the river's power. These people formed the first 12 committees."

“They said they wanted to manage this infinite world and make it more scientific. Even if players can’t go back, they can live permanently in the dungeon in other ways.”

"They also said that they would soon use the power of the river to create escape doors. We wouldn't have to go into the water or risk having our souls melted. We could just push open the doors and return to the real world."

Jin Jiaqi suddenly gnashed her teeth and said, "But those guys deceived us. Before they went into the water, they collected props from most of the players who supported them in their risky crossing of the river and built their own Noah's Ark. But in the end, they turned around and returned in failure, using the power of the Styx to continue to maintain the infinite world."

"Even the so-called escape door introduced later was fake. The players who opened the door never appeared again, but they did not go back, and they did not return to the real world at all."

Qiao Song was silent for a moment: "How do you know they didn't go back?"

Jin Jiaqi smiled and said, "Do you know the Happy Cemetery?"

Qiao Song didn't say anything, but Buckley suddenly frowned: "Have you been to the Happy Cemetery?"

Jin Jiaqi: "I just passed by there. No players can enter. This is a semi-finished copy that is not open and not in shape. It is located at the edge of the river. There is a stone tablet outside the copy with a changing number engraved on it, which shows the number of players who have entered the game so far."

"That number is fluid. The number of players on it has never decreased and it increases every year."

"Every once in a while, mysterious hearses would appear on the road, bringing lost souls one after another. Some of them said they had been in a car accident, and some said they were being rescued in the hospital. Without exception, they could not confirm that they were dead, but at least they were dying."

"The funniest thing is that the guys from the Twelve Committees later announced that the escape door was no longer effective, and even the fake door rarely appears anymore."

"Hahaha, they even started to do business with players, trying to build the infinite flow world into a real world, with shopping malls, theme parks, and paid parking lots. Entering a dungeon is just like working to earn money, and you can use the soul coins and props rewards to save your life. It's even possible to come to a place like Blind Box Paradise and live forever by catching bugs."

"Sounds familiar? It's just like what we do in the real world, houses, cars, money, except there are no newborns. If we continue to develop, it will be almost the same as the real world."

"Since you can't go back, why not live a better life here? At least there is a resurrection game here, and there is also a soul factory here. You can throw your own book into the river, fish it out and reassemble it, and maybe you can be yourself again."

"Those managers can even gain eternal life here. They were once human beings. There are no laws and no weapons that can completely destroy them. For the underworld capitalists who control soul coins, isn't this their paradise?"

"I'm a small business owner, so what's wrong with wanting to join them?"

Jin Jiaqi's frenzy gradually subsided. She lowered her head and murmured, "I just want to go home. What have I done wrong?"

Qiao Song looked at her for a while and pronounced coldly: "You haven't wanted to go home for a long time."

Jin Jiaqi raised her head slowly after hearing this. This time, she was no longer angry, but smiled: "It doesn't matter. Those of you who want to go back can't go back."

"The escape door was just a lie from the beginning, and the river disappeared after the establishment of the 12 Committees. It only appears occasionally in certain copies of the highway."

Qiao Song was not curious about the direction of the river. Instead, he suddenly asked, "When did the blind box mall appear?"

Jin Jiaqi paused, but under the pressure of the gazes of the others in the meeting room, she still told the truth: "It was a long time ago. There were no roads at that time. The shopping mall world at that time was the entire infinite world."

Qiao Song turned his gaze to Aunt Huo in the front row, who nodded: "Everything she said is true, but she left out a few words."

Aunt Huo stood up holding the cat:

"After the first crossing of the river, a new map appeared outside the mall. The river appeared after completing a game in a certain store, just outside the lobby on the first floor. Since then, the outside world has become more and more vast. The water vapor brought by the river spread and a thick fog appeared. The subsequent roads that extended in all directions gradually emerged in the fog, which was about the same time as the establishment of the Twelve Committees."

Jin Jiaqi squinted at Aunt Huo: "Why do you know this?"

She had almost no impression of this aunt who looked very old. She should not be a high-ranking member of a guild, and it was impossible for a copy manager to appear here.

But these secrets are not known to ordinary players.

Aunt Huo smiled and gently touched the kitten's back with her fingers: "Because I was there when we first crossed the river."

Jin Jiaqi slowed down, her eyes widening a little bit: "Are you a player at that time? You were on the ship... No, that's impossible, then why are you still outside..."

Aunt Huo had no intention of clearing up Jin Jiaqi's confusion, and Qiao Song had already heard what he wanted to hear. He covered Jin Jiaqi's mouth, stuffed the aquarium ticket into her hand, and locked her up again, allowing her to slowly recover in the space prison.

After Aunt Huo, Baklie also stood up: "Most of what Jin Jiaqi said is correct, but regarding the cemetery, my brother and I have tried to draw a map before."

They were driving from one copy to another. In the foggy weather, they couldn't even see the fog, but suddenly they heard the sound of splashing water.

"...In short, this copy may be moving like the river, and it will not stay in any fixed place on the road."

Seeing that Qiao Song was so interested in the cemetery, Baklie asked tentatively, "Do you suspect that the secret to returning home is hidden in that copy?"

Qiao Song thought for a moment and said, "Not entirely. The accuracy of the escape door is questionable, but the river itself is more important than the door. I still have to go to Zootopia next. I want to confirm one thing."

"My friends and I have been to the Hell Community, and they also saw a shadow behind the door in the end, so the escape door is not necessarily fake. Some things still need to be verified."

Tang Xiaoxiao curled her fingers slightly. She had seen it and felt it before. It didn't seem fake. It was her mother's voice. She could tell the difference between a fake and a real one.

And there was not only Tang Xiaoxiao in the conference room. There were others who had also been to the Hell Community, such as the auctioneer behind.

After revealing such a big secret, everyone was not so restrained when discussing the balance of their blind boxes later. These things were no match for the truth of this world, and everyone was a little absent-minded.

Props produced by non-blind box malls are not affected by binding. Qiao Song and Pangbo traded blank prop cards. She needed some raw materials to synthesize lucky coins.

When Lao Wu saw her, perhaps because he felt that Qiao Song’s ability to integrate information was indeed very strong, he suddenly raised a point that he had been puzzled about before.

"I don't think things are as pessimistic as Jin Jiaqi said... Some dungeon managers are still very friendly to human players. Although we have never been to the Hell Community, we have participated in the corresponding game in Blind Box Paradise. There is a very friendly crow in it. The Hell Gate Transmission Card felt like it was sent to our faces at that time."

"If the Twelve Committees were full of people who wanted to trap players in the game, the death and injury rate in the game would definitely be higher than it is now."

Fan Xi's paper-drawing copy is also clearly teaching players some skills. Talented players can even indirectly have a second career.

Jin Jiaqi's subjective description is definitely based on her own emotional judgments.

However, it is certain that the Twelve Committees were divided into two diametrically opposed factions.

In the end, Qiao Song sorted out all the information from everyone and roughly pieced together a list.

Crow, Yin Yin, Bobcat, Fan Xi, Boss Cai, and the manager of Zootopia, a guy with an animal's head.

These few are at least one of the members.

Aunt Huo: "The administrators of Zootopia can be changed at any time. The only thing they have in common is that their heads are all certain animals. You will know this when you go there. The more information you know about Zootopia, the higher the possibility of influencing the camp. I don't want to say too much and interfere with your choice in advance.

But I can still provide you with two pieces of information. First, due to the particularity of the blind box mall, there is no manager. "

The mall’s predecessor was a simplified version of Infinite Highway, which is understandable.

"Second, there is no manager at the Happy Cemetery."

Aunt Huo looked at her gently: "Qiao Qiao, you should know that there are some things that I won't tell you, but I can't tell you until you get the relevant information yourself."

"Cats are really powerful, but I don't want them to be struck by lightning along with me."

As soon as Aunt Huo finished speaking, the little white cat in her arms hooked Qiao Song's finger with its tail.

As Qiao Song tried to pet the cat, he understood something.

It's okay for players to exchange information with each other, but there are some entities that really can't be done, such as the paper man struck by lightning, the little white clam, and even the three spiders.

But Aunt Huo is clearly a player, why would this happen?

All the communication that needs to be done has been completed, and all that remains is to set off and complete the final blind box exchange.

Tang Xiaoxiao, Xin Yue and others went to count the data, and planned to use the remaining blind boxes of their European Emperor Alliance to cooperate with each other and try to help everyone get professional suits at one time.

This also involves the final inflow and outflow costs for each person, which is not a simple calculation.

Qiao Song plans to exchange for more high-level blind boxes and collect as many professions as possible. If he wants to go to Zootopia, he naturally has to be well armed.

Moreover, it is not advisable to stay in the mall for a long time. I don’t know if the fire caused by the river will spread to the mall through the Scream Game Hall.

What happened to the Soul Factory that was flooded by water? It would be great if the display screen could lose money and leak electricity.

While Qiao Song gathered a lot of information and worked with the players to clear the fog, the NPCs in the blind box mall also encountered a nightmare.

Some lonely little NPCs who were working during the summer vacation had their wages deducted because they did not complete their work properly. They were dropping gold beans while preparing to cause trouble in the game center.

As a result, when the little black dragon cried and sneezed, he found that the AI ​​who had just quarreled with him seemed to have water in his head, and sparks began to come out of his body.

Then he heard a bobcat's voice that almost exploded: "Didn't the bastards just say in a meeting that the river was under Zootopia? Why did they come to my place?!!!"

"I don't care. If you don't give me an explanation, I will ruin Lao Long's Zootopia celebration and make sure no one has a good life!"

The little black dragon pricked up his ears and wanted to listen to the gossip, but it turned out that all the data of the Scream Game Center was blurred, and these temporary employees were directly thrown into a corner of the map. The little black dragon also saw a large number of NPCs from other stores going off work.

While recalling what the Bobcat Administrator had just roared, Xiaolong's eyes lit up, and he suddenly saw someone who still owed him money, oh no, his family still owed him payment.

"A boy and a girl! Oh no, Tong Yao, Tong Nan! Long time no see!"

The little black dragon, ready to ask for his "salary", came up eagerly.