Chapter 64 When the false is taken for the true, the true becomes false.
The setting sun cast an ominous golden-red glow over the town square, where all the surviving players were gathered by the mayor.
The mayor stood by the fountain in the center of the square, still with his amiable demeanor, stroking his beard with a smile, but when his cloudy eyes swept over the crowd, they carried a chilling insight that seemed to see through everything.
"Dear new residents who have come from afar," the mayor's voice boomed, echoing throughout the square, "today is your last day in our happy town."
One sentence sent a chill down the spines of all the players. It was finally coming to an end, but no one felt any relief.
"The town appreciates your... 'contributions' over the past few days." The mayor deliberately emphasized the word "contributions," his gaze lingering a moment longer on the players who had chosen the [Sturdy] and [Economical] houses, as if appreciating the value extracted from them by the daily fines.
“I would like to remind you all,” he continued, his voice carrying a seductive rhythm, “that true ‘wealth’ often lies alongside a stable ‘home.’ Gold coins, though ephemeral, will eventually disappear, but a sturdy ‘home’ is the foundation for weathering storms and securing one’s livelihood.”
He paused, his cloudy gaze sweeping across the room, and said, word by word:
"May you all, in your final moments, safeguard your own 'family'. Only in this way can you... witness the final 'happiness'."
After saying that, he said no more, leaned on his cane, and slowly turned and left, leaving the fourteen players standing in the deepening twilight, each with their own thoughts.
The prompts are still vague, but the keywords are crystal clear: "Final Day", "Homeland Stability", "Protecting Our Home".
“On the last night, it will probably no longer be just scattered monster attacks.” Gu Yunqing said to Jun Xiangbei beside her almost immediately, her eyes sharp.
"'Protect your home'... Attacks may target the house itself directly, and even the house's 'attributes' may change or become invalid."
Jun Xiangbei nodded slightly, his eyes reflecting the last rays of dawn, and came to a similar conclusion.
His gaze briefly met Gu Yunqing's, and both of them saw solemnity and confirmation in each other's eyes.
Without needing many words, a tacit understanding based on rational judgment has already been formed.
"Attribute invalidated?" Wang Hu, who was listening from the side, turned pale. "Then... then the absolute defense of the [Fortified] room..."
“It’s very likely that it won’t exist.” Gu Yunqing calmly interrupted his wishful thinking. “The mayor emphasized ‘protection,’ which means we need to rely on our own strength to protect it. The previous ‘safety’ and ‘profits’ may just be false comfort given before the final ‘celebration.’”
On the other side, the members of Elena's Alliance also looked grim.
Their aesthetically pleasing houses have the weakest defenses, almost equivalent to none.
If the attack on the last night targets the house itself, or if they lose their attribute buffs, their situation will be more dangerous than Gu Yunqing's.
Ji Changyu subconsciously gripped the [Dice of Fate] in his pocket. The icy touch cleared his mind, which was still aching from overexertion.
This last trump card might really have to be used.
Han Chunhua bit her lip, her face devoid of its usual liveliness, replaced only by tension and fear of the unknown.
She subconsciously looked in the direction of Gu Yunqing and Jun Xiangbei, and saw them standing together discussing in hushed tones. A strange sense of envy and unease arose in her heart.
Those in Gu Yunqing's live stream who heard their analysis felt a chill run down their spines:
"Here it comes, the final battle!"
"Protecting your home? Does that mean your house will be forcibly demolished?"
"Attribute invalid? Then wasn't choosing the sturdy house a waste of time?"
"Elena and the others are doomed. The house is practically made of paper."
The invisible pressure descended as if it were a tangible force.
No one spoke anymore. The surviving players silently dispersed, heading towards their respective "homes" with heavy steps.
The last bit of time must be used for the most crucial preparations.
Gu Yunqing, Jun Xiangbei, the Silent Monk, Wu Jueji, and Wang Hu naturally formed the most solid alliance.
They were taking stock of the supplies they had accumulated over the past few days: healing potions, energy crystals, temporary reinforcement materials, and some functional items they had bought from the general store, such as "exorcising powder" and "flashbangs".
"On this final night, we'll concentrate our defenses." Jun Xiangbei made the decision, his voice leaving no room for doubt. "Target: my stone house."
Although Gu Yunqing suspected that the house's properties might be invalid, the stone house was still the best choice for basic defense at present.
Moreover, concentrating our forces is always better than being scattered and defeated one by one.
“Mr. Wu and I will be responsible for the direct confrontation and provide support from Wuyan. Gu Yunqing, you…” Jun Xiangbei looked at Gu Yunqing and paused, “You will be responsible for observation and command, and finding the patterns and weaknesses of the attacks.”
He entrusted the most important "brain" position to Gu Yunqing, which was based on the trust built up in their previous cooperation and also an acknowledgment of his abilities.
Gu Yunqing did not refuse and nodded: "Okay. Wang Hu, you are responsible for using these materials to reinforce the doors and windows as much as possible while we are fighting, and hold on for as long as you can."
He handed a package of reinforcement materials to Wang Hu, whose legs were still a little weak, giving him a clear and relatively safe task.
Wang Hu quickly took it and nodded vigorously.
Wu Jueji leaned against the wall, his eyelids drooping, seemingly indifferent to the impending battle, but the faint yet solid aura around him indicated that he had already entered the battle.
The silent monk wiped the prayer beads in his hands silently, muttering incantations as if preparing for something.
Meanwhile, in Han Chunhua's beautiful room, which had been simply reinforced and surrounded by numerous "flower traps" containing deadly thorny flower seeds, the atmosphere was equally tense.
Elena and her two followers sat together, praying softly, a holy light swirling around them as if gathering strength.
Elena's complexion was much better than a few days ago, and she had clearly recovered considerably, preparing to unleash her full potential on the final night.
Ji Changyu sat alone in the corner, repeatedly stroking the [Dice of Fate] in his hand, his eyes filled with struggle.
To use it or not to use it? Using it might greatly increase his chances of survival, but the "unknown side effects" were like a thorn in his side. Not using it, facing the unknown ultimate test, he had no confidence in his still-healing condition.
Han Chunhua closed her eyes and tried to sense and control her newly acquired power. She tried to make an ordinary ornamental flower grow rapidly, twist, and become tough and thorny on her fingertips. She also tried to sense the flower seeds buried in the soil outside the house and simulate the feeling of them bursting out and entwining at any moment.
She is racing against time to become more familiar with her own strength, which is currently her only reliance.
Night, like thick ink, completely engulfed the town.
The last night was exceptionally quiet.
There were no insects chirping, no wind blowing, and even the lights in the distant NPC houses had been turned off long ago.
The entire town seemed to have turned into a giant tomb, with only a few houses where the players were located emitting a faint and tense light, like a lone boat swaying in a storm.
A suffocating sense of oppression filled the air, as if countless eyes were peering into the darkness, waiting for a certain moment to arrive.
Gu Yunqing stood by the window of the stone house, pried open a crack, and looked outside.
The streets were deserted, with only the cold moonlight shining on the ground, reflecting a pale light.
His mental energy was highly concentrated as he quietly drew upon the power of Zhuge Jin's cards, attempting to capture any trace of fate or omen of danger.
Jun Xiangbei stood slightly behind him, gripping the hilt of his sword, his eyes scanning the window warily.
His breathing was steady, but Gu Yunqing could feel the tension in his body, like a bowstring ready to be released.
Neither of them spoke, and a silent tension spread through the air.
In this profound silence, time seems to stretch out.
Every minute, every second felt like torture.
Gu Yunqing could hear her own steady heartbeat, and she could also hear Jun Xiangbei's almost inaudible breathing beside her.
Suddenly, Jun Xiangbei's deep voice broke the silence, carrying a hint of barely perceptible hesitation:
“Inside the Heart Refining Tower…” He paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully, “When you lunged at me… was it really… or…”
He finally asked the question that had been lingering in his mind for so long.
In this final, uncertain moment, he found himself surprisingly concerned about the answer.
Gu Yunqing tilted his head slightly, the moonlight outlining his delicate profile, obscuring his expression.
He did not answer immediately.
Outside the window, a faint sound, like sandpaper rubbing against the ground, seemed to be coming from afar and quietly approaching.
A storm is coming.
From an angle unseen by Jun Xiangbei, Gu Yunqing's lips curved into a faint, ambiguous smile.
"Who knows?" he asked softly, his tone elusive, like the night breeze. "Perhaps... what seems real may become false?"
Instead of giving a clear answer, he threw the question back at him, which seemed more like a tacit agreement.
This ambiguous answer made Jun Xiangbei's heart skip a beat, as if a hand was gently gripping his heart. He couldn't tell whether it was disappointment or some other, more complex emotion that was growing within him.
And at that very moment—
"Thump!"
A heavy, slow thud, as if striking everyone's heart, came from the direction of the town center.
Then came the second sound, the third sound...
Like the awakening of some colossal creature, it approached the area where the players were located with earth-shaking force.
The final "carnival" has begun.
Gu Yunqing's eyes sharpened, she suppressed all distracting thoughts, and said in a low voice:
"Prepare!"
Everyone tensed up and gripped their weapons or staffs tightly.
Wu Jueji opened his eyes, and those usually lazy eyes were now filled with only cold fighting spirit.
Jun Xiangbei took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging questions in his heart, and sword energy began to condense around his body.
The prayer beads in the silent monk's hand stopped spinning, emitting a faint golden halo.
Elena raised her staff, and holy light emanated from it.
Ji Changyu clenched the [Dice of Fate] tightly in his hand, a resolute glint in his eyes.
Han Chunhua gritted her teeth, and a faint golden phantom of thorns flashed past her fingertips.
Wang Hu clutched the reinforcing material tightly in his arms, his body trembling like a leaf falling in the autumn wind.
In the darkness, the heavy footsteps grew closer, accompanied by a teeth-grinding metallic scraping sound and a low, inhuman roar...
Through the crack, Gu Yunqing saw the gradually clearing, distorted, and enormous shadow under the moonlight.
His pupils suddenly contracted.
"They're here."
Author's Note:
This story is almost finished [doge head with rose in hand]. If you like romance stories, you can check out my other series, "I Use My Alias to Make Top Stars Fight Over Me" [heart emoji].
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