Chapter 33
Upon hearing the word "hope," most of the players present couldn't help but show emotion, until they were interrupted.
It was Xiang Jun, who was always eager to stir up trouble, who spoke up to refute: "Wait a minute, don't make any absolute statements."
"Leaving aside how absurd it is to place humanity's hopes on an NPC, the 'Dog Harm' instance has been destroyed by the system, including this NPC, which was blown up to dust."
"Where do we look for him? Does this game have cemeteries or crematoriums for NPCs?"
Seeing Xiang Jun scoff at Xie Xubai, Xu Qingran was immediately enraged, but Yan Yue grabbed her arm.
The analyst, seemingly anticipating the question, remained excited: "This brings us to Xie Xubai's second unique characteristic: he most likely knows the player's identity!"
A commotion erupted instantly. The crowd chattered amongst themselves, their faces filled with disbelief and skepticism.
It's worth noting that the research team conducted countless experiments, ultimately confirming, with regret, that the truth of the game world was being monitored by the system, and that NPCs had no way of knowing anything about the players.
But now, even this ironclad rule has been broken?
Someone couldn't help but ask, "Is this conclusion based on the NPC's final farewell speech?"
Although all the players in the strategy team were in the dungeon at the time and couldn't watch the live stream to find out what was going on, they all heard a bit about Xie Xubai's story afterward.
Including that blessing that captivated countless players.
I hope you find your way home soon.
“That’s right,” the analyst said confidently. “At first glance, there’s nothing wrong with that statement, but the key point is that Xu Qingran previously revealed that her family was destroyed. Since she’s already lost her family, why wish her to find her way home? Isn’t that a contradiction?”
"To verify our hypothesis, we spent a lot of points to hire a 'Super Memory Recorder' who repeatedly analyzed Xie Xubai's facial expressions during the live stream through three memory replays. In the end, he assured us that Xie Xubai could absolutely understand all the players' conversations!"
The player, codenamed "Super Memory Recorder," possesses the god-level skill [Memory Rewind] that countless players envy. In order to avoid having his memories erased, he has only participated in three first-clear trials so far, yet he is a well-known top-tier solo player who ranks in the top ten of the overall strength leaderboard.
His guarantee was absolutely true and reliable, and no one would question it.
The analyst brandished his laser pointer, wrote "The Omniscient One," and drew a large question mark next to it.
"How could such a bug-like existence be so easily eliminated by the system?"
Xiang Jun said coldly, "But the instance he was in is gone, that's a fact."
The analyst smiled slightly: "So, we need to look for him in other instances."
The players present thought they had heard enough shocking news, but little did they know that there was another bombshell hidden behind it all!
Immediately, someone jumped up and asked in a loud voice, "Are you saying that there is interoperability between instances? But wasn't that speculation debunked as a rumor a long time ago?"
The biggest reason why players feel powerless and fearful when clearing the trial for the first time is the "unknown" aspect, as only the dungeon name provides a pitifully small amount of information.
If the dungeons are indeed interconnected, it means they might be able to pre-plan strategies for the next trial.
Just like preparing exorcism charms for supernatural dungeons or a large amount of survival items for Don't Starve dungeons, being prepared for the enemy will definitely give you a better chance of winning than being completely clueless.
Others also began to get restless.
Ultimately, emphasizing the special features of the story is not as exciting as telling them concretely that "the difficulty of the first pass will be greatly reduced."
"Is this information guaranteed to be true? You're not kidding?"
"This is a major discovery!"
Their excitement was short-lived, as the analyst suddenly poured cold water on their enthusiasm: "No, this is just our inference."
Before anyone could open their mouths in anger, the analyst said quickly, "But soon, the next first-run trial, 'Dragon Slayer,' will allow us to verify its authenticity."
As he spoke, his speech became faster and faster, his voice trembled with excitement, and his face turned red.
"In our memory, there has never been a precedent of two A-level Ghost King dungeons opening in succession. Isn't this another sign that the rules have been broken? We can boldly guess that Xie Xubai, who caused all the anomalies, will also appear in the next dungeon and exist as a key NPC."
"His appearance would confirm the interoperability between instances, and it's even possible that the instances are real worlds! Based on the rules of relevance, we might be able to analyze the origins of the instances, tracing them back to the origins of the infinite game, and then—"
"Stop, stop, stop!" Seeing that the analyst's argument was gradually going astray, everyone quickly raised their voices to interrupt.
Someone frowned, suddenly realizing a crucial issue, and asked in an icy voice: "So, we could have avoided experiencing two consecutive A-level Ghost King dungeons, but the appearance of this special NPC caused all of this, is that right?"
Upon hearing this, the air fell into a sudden, deathly silence, and the previously lively atmosphere instantly cooled down.
The smiles of most of the strategy team members vanished instantly, their faces turning terrifyingly dark.
NPCs who can help players are naturally their favorites, but if they can harm players, then they are their enemies...
Just then, the council speaker interjected, "It's not necessarily caused by this NPC."
His voice was calm and powerful, quickly drawing the attention of all the players in the room.
The council speaker faced the crowd with a piercing gaze: "A full year has passed since the Infinite Game began. We have gone through at least twenty or thirty dungeons, but to this day, the highest record for clearing a dungeon is only [7]."
"Everyone, ask yourselves honestly, are we really that bad? Counting down from the top of the overall strength rankings, there are plenty of god-level players who are strong enough to solo the A-level Ghost King dungeon. Are they really that careless, stumbling one after another in ordinary levels?"
"Players' memories were repeatedly erased, and even the prudent memory recorders died more than once, resulting in 300 million people being unable to piece together the full picture of this year!"
"Who can be sure that we've only experienced one A-level Ghost King dungeon? And who can guarantee that the system won't suddenly turn on us at the last minute, opening A-level, S-level, or even SS-level Ghost King dungeons in succession, using the excuse of a major dungeon failure to launch a devastating mass purge and make everyone lose their memories?"
The Speaker's sharp, eagle-like gaze swept across the room, and all the resentful people instantly felt as if they had been gripped by claws, their momentum weakening as they reluctantly turned their heads away to avoid his gaze.
The Speaker of Parliament said, enunciating each word clearly, "Tell me, who can?"
No one can.
Any knowledge related to clearing the game can only be disseminated orally, making communication among players almost non-existent, let alone exchanging key information.
Should I send out a survey? I'm afraid it'll be forcibly deleted by the system before it even gets sent out.
Assemble an investigation team and ask them one by one? Not to mention the limitations of human memory, even if each person asked ten players, it would still require thirty million people!
Thirty million people gathered together, analyzing the situation in a chaotic scene, like a pot of boiling oil.
Besides, people's hearts are not united to begin with.
At the start of the game, instead of uniting to discuss what to do, all players divide themselves into groups based on race and nationality, demarcating their territories with clear divisions between continents.
The players in the conference room were almost all from Central Continent.
The Speaker of Parliament also tried to contact other continental countries to participate in the meeting, but as before, the message either disappeared without a trace or was politely declined, as they simply did not care to form an alliance with them.
If the person recorded [7] was from their Central Continent Kingdom, would those people still dare to treat him so badly?
The council speaker rubbed his temples: "No matter what, we have finally regained our record after so long [6], we must maintain it and do everything we can to conquer this A-level Ghost King dungeon."
"I hereby announce that all non-profit organizations, including the frontline strategy team, will give up 50% of their points and items to fully support the player who achieved record [6]! If the dungeon does not limit the number of players, the other members of the strategy team will enter the dungeon as 'suicide squads' and spare no effort to help [6] explore and test the waters!"
At this moment, the Speaker named five people, including Yan Yue. These burly, tough men suddenly couldn't help but have their eyes turn red.
He solemnly raised his hand in salute: "Passing this trial is a weighty responsibility. The end of the game is our...home. I know the task is arduous, with a slim chance of survival, but I'm counting on you!"
The five people quickly stood up, some hiding their own selfish motives and remaining silent, others hesitant and stammering, their emotions unstable, and they did not speak for a moment.
But in the end, they all said in unison, "We will do our best and live up to your expectations."
As the meeting adjourned, Xu Qingran suddenly asked, "Council Speaker's Records [0], did you not participate in the last first-pass trial?"
Yan Yue was still somewhat dazed, never expecting to be entrusted with such a solemn mission.
Upon hearing this, he let out a deep breath: "Yes, but it's definitely not because of cowardice."
"He is the Speaker of the Council, the head of the frontline strategy team, and can connect with all the public welfare organizations and most of the guilds in the Central Continent, as well as nearly 60% of the veteran players on the organization ranking list."
"It can be said that anyone's memory can be erased, except his."
Yan Yue looked at Xu Qingran and said in a deep voice, "The Speaker's previous record was [5]. At that time, many people were watching him. Under such circumstances, it takes more courage to ruthlessly abstain than to choose to challenge the dungeon."
Xu Qingran: "Someone is cursing him?"
“More than that.” Yan Yue pointed to the area above his left eye. “See that scar on the council chairman’s face? He was slashed by his own people who didn’t understand him in his own guild territory.”
Xu Qingran couldn't believe it and felt a chill run down her spine.
"Analysts say that there is a lack of data on Xie Xubai's appearances, so it is impossible to deduce any patterns. We can only place our hopes on players who have had contact with him in the past."
Yan Yue said, "Our live stream will be under close scrutiny. If we really encounter Xie Xubai, we must try our best to extract information from him, and ideally, provoke him into losing control of his emotions or taking action, so that the technical team can analyze and interpret his behavior."
Xu Qingran suddenly looked up, incredulous, and said, "How can we provoke him? Are we supposed to attack him?"
She couldn't help but get emotional: "He saved our lives, and we're repaying kindness with enmity? How can we be such people?"
Seeing Yan Yue remain silent with a sullen face, Xu Qingran turned and left angrily, not hearing him suddenly say in a hoarse voice, "Of course I won't..."
He shut his mouth and opened the player's personal panel.
After receiving funding from the strategy team, the points balance on the screen has skyrocketed to an astronomical figure that ordinary players cannot imagine.
Not only that, but since the beginning, many members of the strategy team have added him as a friend, vying to volunteer to be his "suicide squad," urging Yan Yue not to hesitate to squeeze every last drop of value out of them.
They were willing to sacrifice their lives for one purpose: to help Yan Yue and other players who had recorded [6] win the game.
Recalling the Speaker's eager gaze, Yan Yue felt powerless. He leaned wearily against the monument in the parliament building that read "Humanity Never Gives Up," and let out a heavy sigh.
Of course he wouldn't.
—But among the other four players with records [6], three are thugs like Xiang Jun who don't treat NPCs like human beings. It's unimaginable what those three might do under the weight of the reward.
The time for the opening of the dungeon "Dragon Slayer" arrived in the blink of an eye, and all participating players were on high alert.
Other players also flocked to the live stream the moment it opened, anxiously waiting in front of their screens.
"We can definitely win, right?"
"This is an A-level Ghost King dungeon. Last time, a total of 60,000 people died. It's too difficult."
"Yan Yue and Xu Qingran have indeed signed up for the dungeon. Good, good. I want to see if they can still clear it smoothly without the help of special NPCs to cheat."
"??? Are you sick in the head? Can't we, as fellow human beings, hope for something better?"
"I saw the strategy team post an announcement saying that a special NPC named Xie Xubai is very likely to appear in this dungeon, and they are calling on all viewers to help find him, with a very generous reward!"
"What did you say? My wife is still alive? Ahhhhhh, this is amazing!"
Don't underestimate Xie Xubai just because he's an NPC; he has just as many fans as popular streamers.
They were heartbroken, thinking that their idol and the game had been wiped out by the system. But they never expected to have another chance to see him in person, and they were overjoyed and cheered loudly.
Amidst shouts and cheers, the trials of "Dragon Slayer" finally began.
...
Xie Xubai, whose consciousness was in a state of confusion, felt a churning sensation, but his strong willpower prevented him from falling into a coma.
He fought against overwhelming drowsiness and finally opened his eyes abruptly at a certain moment. His body, which was sitting in the chair, leaned forward due to inertia. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, and he felt completely exhausted and drenched in sweat.
"Haa, ha...!"
The stark white fluorescent lights shone directly down, which was very dazzling.
There were many figures outside the desks, and the sound of phone calls with clients rang out constantly. Employees in white-collar uniforms were busy moving back and forth in the aisle, barely having time to rest.
Xie Xubai leaned on the table for a while to catch his breath. When he looked up, he saw the information processing software on the computer screen and his eyes widened slightly.
He felt a sense of disorientation, as if waking from a dream.
"I'm at...the company? No, that's not right."
Xie Xubai suddenly remembered everything that happened before he lost consciousness, and shook his head violently, trying to wake himself up quickly.
But when I opened my eyes again, I saw the same scene.
Busy colleagues, a lucky tree planted in front of the door, cramped workstations, and...
"What happened to you just now? You suddenly jumped up and startled me," Lü Xiangcai said, leaning closer, his suspicion undisguised.
Xie Xubai stared intently at Lü Xiangcai, finding no trace of falsehood on his face.
Without hesitation, he pinched himself hard.
It hurts a lot.
"It's not a dream, it's an illusion?" Xie Xubai murmured.
Lu Xiangcai was startled again when he saw the red marks on his arm from being twisted: "Even if you have something on your mind, you can't hurt yourself! Let me see!"
Xie Xubai paused, then stretched out his arm, his gaze deep as he carefully observed Lü Xiangcai's reaction.
The latter was clearly very distressed and pulled out a bottle of safflower oil from somewhere, intending to rub the wound on him: "What exactly happened? Tell me, and I'll help you fix it."
Aside from being more concerned about his safety than before, there seemed to be no problem.
Xie Xubai withdrew his hand before Lü Xiangcai could unscrew the bottle cap, and said with a faint smile, "It's just a mark, it's not that serious."
"Actually, I was still half asleep and my mind wasn't quite clear, so I pinched myself to wake myself up," Xie Xubai said. "By the way, do you know what day it is today?"
"What date?" Lu Xiangcai hadn't really paid attention to that, and looked at the date displayed on the computer when he heard the voice.
Just then, a gasp suddenly came from the direction of the company's main gate.
"Isn't that the eldest young master of the Jiang family? He's driving a Rolls-Royce Phantom!"
Xie Xubai's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly turned around and stood up, staring straight at them.
A tall, slender figure strolled in through the crowded entrance.
The young man held the same sandalwood brocade box as before. His expensive attire and elegant demeanor made him stand out from the crowd.
At the same time, Lü Xiangcai's voice reached Xie Xubai's ears: "Today is the 13th."
Xie Xubai snapped out of his reverie upon hearing the sound, and frowned. This was the time when he first met Jiang Kaile.
Could it be that he traveled back in time?
The next second, the boy at the door looked up and stared precisely in the direction where Xie Xubai was.
Xie Xubai seemed to sense something and met his gaze, instantly feeling a chill run through his body.
Those eyes were bloodshot and clearly not human eyes.
Author's Note:
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