Chapter 4 Twin Guardians Congratulations, player, you have officially entered the world of rules...
The sudden notification of passage caught Liang Jun off guard.
While the system was compiling data, Liang Xun keenly noticed some key information.
There were only two humanoid green-skinned monsters in the rented room, and according to the system's judgment, these were the key bosses in this level.
The system's detection is infallible—Liang Jun firmly believes this.
That means there won't be any more strange level bosses in the room right now.
The wisp of fog that hasn't dissipated yet shouldn't pose much of a threat to me.
Thinking of this, Liang Xun's heart sank. But she still didn't let her guard down completely, continuing to back away, gradually distancing herself from the unknown new object.
[Congratulations, player, on officially entering the world of rules-based games!]
Without any warning, the system suddenly started beeping again.
Liang Jun was startled and, after realizing what was happening, couldn't help but roll her eyes at the system in her mind.
The rule-based world is a world shared by all survival players.
Players are required to participate in rule-based game levels periodically, with a typical playtime of seven days. After completing a level, the system will require each player to take a break, which typically lasts fourteen days.
In the game, players must uncover hidden rules while adhering to known ones, and ultimately survive until the level's time runs out to successfully complete the level.
It's important to note that violating the rules will be severely punished by the system. Furthermore, a player's death in a rule-based world also signifies their death in the real world.
[Please remember this, all players—]
The cold, ruthless mechanical voice constantly filled Liang Jun's brain, making her head feel throbbing, yet she couldn't get rid of the voice from her subconscious.
The black and white mist seemed to sense Liang Xun's rejection, and after slowly moving a few centimeters, it stopped in place.
Seeing this, Liang Jun asked the system, "Are you finished? Is there anything else you want to say?"
The system includes built-in modules for "Player Information," "Storage Space," and "Shop," which players can access through a tutorial or explore on their own.
Liang Jun was reluctant to explore on her own. She feared that without systematic guidance, she might overlook some important information.
However, it's clearly not the right time to start a new player guide.
Liang Xun looked up at the restless black and white mist—there were clearly more important things to do right now.
"Can the new player guide be reopened later?"
Liang Jun's hand holding the wooden stick was a little unsteady, so she tried to put it down and brace herself on the table.
The system provides relevant beginner guides at any time, with no expiration date.
Hearing this answer, Liang Jun was completely relieved.
She breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, let's turn it off now."
The system remained silent.
Before her mind could process what was happening, the black and white mist in front of her began to move again.
The mist rustled and flowed in the air, gradually taking on the shape of a human figure.
Liang Xun lifted the wooden stick again. The sudden movement caused her to strain her right arm.
Liang Xun hissed in pain and gasped, "Don't come any closer!"
The mist seemed to understand her words and stopped moving, but the outline of the human figure gradually became clearer.
Are you a human or a ghost?
Liang Jun was already pressed against the wall; she had nowhere left to retreat.
She hadn't expected a response from the other side; she was even prepared for a do-or-die situation.
To Liang Jun's surprise, the mist began to transform, with black and white as the dividing lines.
To her even greater surprise, a voice responded to her from within the mist.
"We are your guardian spirits."
Those were two completely different male voices—
"Twin Guardian Spirits".
As the words fell, the transformation of the black and white mist was finally completed.
They were like two real, tangible 1:1 silhouettes.
The two factions, one black and one white, stood on the left and right sides respectively, as if shadow and light were overlapping in this rare moment.
Liang Jun was somewhat surprised; she didn't know how to describe it.
"Guardian spirit... what is that?" She racked her brains, searching her vocabulary. "Is it... a type of demon?"
“A guardian spirit is a guardian spirit,” the white mist replied to Liang Jun. “We are neither human nor ghost; we are your guardian spirits.”
"But I don't understand..."
Liang Xun suddenly noticed something, and she abruptly lost control of her expression. Instead of pointing with her finger, she used a wooden stick to point at the upper body of the white mist.
"You actually have... a mouth?!"
After the mist transformed into a human form, the facial features became blurred, but they could still be discerned upon closer inspection.
The white mist even scoffed indifferently, "What's the big deal? How can we talk without mouths?"
"Bie Ming, you've scared her a bit."
The voice from the black mist was more composed. He noticed Liang Xun's face turning pale and then pale, and his tone softened considerably. "I'm sorry, my brother is just like that, he speaks very bluntly. I hope I didn't scare you."
"Won't."
Liang Jun waved her hand repeatedly, but she gripped the wooden stick even tighter.
The black mist clearly noticed this, so it spoke first: "My name is Zhu Shengqing, and this gentleman in white is my younger brother, named Zhu Bieming."
Out of politeness, Liang Jun echoed, "My name is Liang Jun."
“We know your name,” Zhu Bieming chimed in from the side.
Liang Jun tilted her head and stared at him in disbelief, feeling an embarrassment as if her underwear had been completely exposed.
Zhu Shengqing sighed softly, "Bie Ming, didn't we agree to take it slow?"
Seeing that Zhu Bieming wanted to say something more, Liang Jun quickly spoke up.
"Excuse me, I need to interrupt for a moment." She took a deep breath. "Would you two like to explain why you suddenly appeared in my house? And why do you even know my name? And... what exactly is a Guardian Spirit?"
Sensing that the misunderstanding between the two sides was growing, Zhu Shengqing could only shield Zhu Bieming behind him and explain to Liang Yan one-on-one.
"Simply put, when the host's life is threatened, the guardian spirit will step forward and choose to take the harm for the host or eliminate the threat."
Zhu Shengqing's voice was as mellow as a latte, which eased Liang Jun's tension considerably.
"So just now, we sensed the signal that you were about to die, which is why Bie Ming and I suddenly appeared here to eliminate the threat for you."
Upon hearing Zhu Shengqing's words, Liang Jun's eyes involuntarily glanced at the tragic scene on the ground.
“So…” Liang Xun began to recall, “So, you killed that monster NPC?”
Zhu Shengqing shook his head, while Zhu Bieming, who had been hidden behind him, suddenly leaned out and shook his gaseous finger at Liang Yun.
"No, we just helped you regain your mobility and incidentally immobilized him. You defeated him yourself."
Upon hearing Zhu Bieming's reminder, Liang Xun suddenly remembered the hand she had accidentally raised to wipe away her tears, and the bewildered terror in the monster's eyes at that moment.
Once she confirmed that everyone in front of her was one of her own, Liang Xun finally let her guard down completely.
She tossed the stick aside and shook her hands, which were already somewhat numb.
"Where have you been all this time?"
“They’re all around you,” Zhu Bieming replied immediately. “We’ve been following your every move, from your daily life to yours. For example, I even know that your graduation project was approved by your advisor…”
Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Shengqing quickly covered his mouth, leaving only Zhu Bieming struggling and shouting.
"My thesis proposal was rejected four times by my supervisor." Liang Jun sighed and finished his sentence for him.
Zhu Shengqing glared at Zhu Bieming.
"Sorry, Bie Ming is just like that, he's straightforward."
"It's nothing." Liang Xun waved her hand dismissively, then changed the subject, "Since you've always been by my side, why have I never seen you before?"
Zhu Shengqing patiently explained, "We only appear when we sense the host's death signal. Our purpose is to ensure that the host's life can continue normally."
"Whether in the real world, or in..." He paused for a moment, "in a world with rules."
Liang Xun suddenly looked up, "You guys also know about rule-based worlds?!"
Zhu Bieming nodded in agreement, "We just found out too."
He pointed to his temples, "We can hear your conversation with the system."
Liang Jun nodded as if she understood, then shook her head.
"What if I don't need your protection?"
Seemingly surprised that Liang Jun would say such a thing, even the usually jovial Zhu Bieming became serious for once.
The mist seemed to be moving faster. "What does that mean?"
"Since you also know about the existence of rule-based worlds, there's no need for me to beat around the bush with you."
Liang Jun felt uncomfortable and coughed twice.
"The world of rules is dangerous. In this world, there are many people who are weaker than me and who need help."
She remembered the blown-up car outside the window and Qin Miao's desperate cries before he died.
Liang Xun closed her eyes tightly. "You possess unimaginable power, so I implore you, could you please help those who truly need help?"
Her voice trembled slightly, "Didn't you sense the death signals they sent out?"
"No."
Zhu Bieming's straightforward and decisive answer surprised Liang Jun.
The airflow passed through him, and he instantly teleported to Liang Xun's side.
Zhu Bieming placed his hands on Liang Xun's trembling shoulders, and she instantly felt a warm current flow from her shoulders to all parts of her body.
“We are your guardian spirits,” Zhu Bieming emphasized again, with more credibility than any of his previous statements. “We are your guardian spirits, uniquely yours.”
Liang Jun looked up at him, barely able to make out his exquisite features sculpted by the mist.
Zhu Shengqing remained standing there. "I understand your thoughts, Liang Jun."
His composure, so different from Zhu Bieming's, made his voice sound more convincing.
"But we also have an obligation to tell you that once a guardian spirit has chosen a host, it will never change for life; if the host wants to forcibly separate, it will not have any impact on the host itself."
That doesn't sound quite right.
Liang Xun frowned, catching the key point in the words. Her gaze passed over Zhu Bieming in front of her and fixed on the humanoid black mist.
"And what about you? How will this affect you?"
Zhu Bieming, standing in front of him, seemed to sigh softly and let out a bitter laugh.
"Completely crushed to pieces, reduced to ashes."
A note from the author:
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Xiaoming: Bro, some people dislike us, some people don't want us ToT
Aqing: (Busy comforting)
Sister Jun: It wasn't me! Don't look at me! I didn't do it!
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