Chapter 70.2 Crazy Love Season
Ji Yuanzhi glanced in the direction of the scarecrow and suddenly said to the chief attendant, “His domain is in the real underworld.”
Not in this so-called junction.
The chief attendant also realized that this was an impossible task. After hesitating for a moment, he said, “Then, it’s likely that this wedding won’t happen.”
In just a few words, for someone, it was like a bolt from the blue.
The scarecrow’s bat-like wings began to flap restlessly and aggressively. The frequency of the vibrations became too rapid, displaying a ferocious and threatening demeanor. Finally, just as it was about to charge at the chief attendant’s eyes, aiming to make him pay the price for his inaction with blood, a tingling sensation suddenly spread across its back.
The slender cat tail lightly brushed against the membrane where the scarecrow’s wings had emerged, serving as a form of comfort. For some unknown reason, this area was particularly sensitive. Big Eye, which had been fierce moments ago, now appeared somewhat hazy. The veins on the wings tightened, and it felt like it was about to faint.
Unlike the dazed little scarecrow, the cat-eared young man had a serious expression. He gently touched his fair chin, deep in thought about whether there was another way to complete the task.
After about two minutes, Wen Shi turned and got back into the hearse, making a decisive choice to give up.
The scarecrow chased after the agile tail, flapping its wings in pursuit.
The hearse didn’t make a U-turn. Instead, it abruptly reversed. Despite the urge to vomit, Tian Wanling managed to say intermittently, “Sooner or later, I’ll die on this damn car.”
In the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Ji Yuanzhi seated opposite, appearing to be deep in thought.
Is this what it’s like in the world of the big shots?
Ji Yuanzhi had only one concern: the punishment was too light.
Just reversing a short distance didn’t quite align with the game’s sadistic nature.
Everything in the Mirage Landscape passed by like fleeting clouds, almost turning into a blur as the hearse speedily retreated.
They quickly returned to the “1000” mark.
The host signaled the camera for a close-up, particularly focusing on capturing Wen Shi’s facial expressions.
“Quick, a few more close-up shots.”
The live chat praised the sweetness of life they felt once again.
The host joyfully addressed Wen Shi, “Everyone really enjoys seeing Mr. Aaron suffer, don’t they?”
Ji Yuanzhi, who was getting off the vehicle up ahead, turned back and quipped, “You guys are this thrilled over someone getting motion sickness?”
The expressions of the other players were equally hard to describe.
Shouldn’t the intriguing part for the supernatural beings be the scenes of death? At the very least, shouldn’t players sustain serious injuries and spill some blood?
How come everyone’s so excited just because Pei Wenwei got dizzy in a car? They even got close-ups.
“……”
Both the host and the viewers watching the show fell into collective silence. After a string of blows over the past two days, they genuinely felt that witnessing motion sickness was already quite remarkable.
A male player rubbed his waist and muttered softly, “Although NPCs aren’t good people, I somehow find them a bit pitiful.”
Wen Shi: “……”
Is it my fault?
Ji Yuanzhi had already thrown the dice. He utilized an item that added a lucky bonus and eventually rolled a【5】.
After the dice landed, Ji Yuanzhi looked at Wen Shi with a mix of emotions. Why did someone, without using any items, just kick the dice and get a【6】?
The hearse advanced to the 2000 mark, a safe zone without any rewards or penalties.
Upon arrival, Liu Yun took a deep breath. It was her turn.
Liu Yun brought out her lucky item, using three of them in a row.
“Prayer.” She clasped her hands together, bowing her head in devout supplication for ten seconds, then earnestly tossed the dice.
The soft, smooth, and bouncy dice rolled around on the ground with a ‘boing’ sound, coming to a stop on the number four.
Liu Yun’s gaze subtly shifted towards Wen Shi.
People’s destinies indeed varied.
Fortunately, even though the position changed minimally, reaching it was still within the safe zone.
Learning from those ahead, Tian Wanling consumed a lucky candy when it was her turn.
Due to her overly vigorous throw, the dice fell to the ground and bounced twice. One of those bounces hit her face with a thud, leaving a deep red mark before revealing the number two.
The group silently boarded the hearse.
The hearse suddenly accelerated wildly. This time, the production team got off ahead of the players, and the remaining three cameras were all aimed towards the door.
It was clear that the outcome wouldn’t be favorable.
Tian Wanling stole a glance at Wen Shi, feeling a myriad of sorrows in her heart.
What was most distressing for an unlucky person wasn’t just being unlucky, but encountering someone extremely lucky.
Wen Shi: “?”
Why is everyone looking at me?
He directly leaped down to the final step, facing a prominent skull pattern that was clearly a punishment zone.
The host struggled to contain his expression, but his lips curled upward in excitement.
Anxiousness surged within the players.
“Do you all remember what I mentioned earlier?” The host playfully blinked his eyes. “Everything here is related to life and death.”
The inscription “rebirth through death” from the couplet flashed involuntarily in the players’ minds, causing them to unconsciously swallow.
Without a choice, they steeled their nerves and approached the skull to observe it up close.
The three-dimensional, lifelike painting featured a black skull with starkly contrasting gleaming white teeth. Thin crimson lines wafted in its hollow eye sockets, swaying in the wind.
Wen Shi narrowed his eyes. These lines were exactly the same as what he had seen during his descent earlier.
The ratings picked up again, and a glimmer appeared in the host’s eyes as he looked at the slightly perplexed players. He softly explained, “These lines are called…”
Wen Shi: “Red string?”
“Shut up, you cupid,” the host snapped irritably.
In that instant of scolding from the host, the scarecrow schemed in the shadows, pondering ways to assassinate him.
Wen Shi shrugged. He was merely thinking from the perspective of a dating game.
“They’re the most intriguing things in Mirage Landscape. They’re called Cause of Death Threads,” the host introduced kindly, “As the saying goes, sow what you reap. These lines sow the causes of the deceased. If you’ve ever caused someone’s death, whether directly or indirectly, they’ll all follow the Cause of Death Threads to Mirage Landscape and seek revenge against you.”
Astonishingly, the host managed to connect this with the theme of the show: “This segment serves as a good way to detect if anyone has a criminal history, ensuring the other half’s right to know.”
Tian Wanling’s initial reaction was, “So people really turn into ghosts after death?”
Ji Yuanzhi shook his head. “The Tianhai City we’re in is all fake. Naturally, the things we see aren’t real either.”
It was nothing more than data created by the game based on the deceased person’s personality and background.
The expressions of everyone subtly changed. Even if i was just data, the harm it brought was undoubtedly real.
Among all the people, Wen Shi had the most unpleasant expression on his face.
Liu Yun noticed this and reassured, “We should be worried, not you. You’re only in the third instance.”
As she said that, she rubbed her temples. Which player in the game hasn’t caused harm to others? Defending against attacks, team battles—all those count as indirect killing.
The system prompt sounded once again—
【Side Quest: Soul Hunting
In the next three minutes, all the fierce ghosts will resurrect in this city, returning to their state half an hour before their death, giving their all to take your life.
Quest Requirement: Survive for thirty minutes
Additionally, the stronger the deceased’s power was in life, the shorter their resurrection time, ranging from three seconds to eighteen hundred seconds.】
“In other words, some people might respawn, but then disappear after three seconds,” Tian Wanling sighed in relief. Thank goodness for that, otherwise, for certain advanced players, if they were given thirty minutes, they’d definitely wreak havoc.
As the prompt ended, the red threads fluttered away with the wind, merging with the city’s soil to form bloody mud. More threads wriggled into the bodies of the bloody mud, shaping complete blood people. Within just a minute, these blood people multiplied, their skin turning smooth and their features distinct, gradually resembling the living.
These people’s conditions were all different. Some wore prison clothes, some had iron chains around them, some held sharp blades… The only commonality was the intense hatred flickering in their eyes after resurrection.
The wind blew from all directions, carrying a scent of blood. The players sensed a looming catastrophe drawing near.
Ji Yuanzhi: “The red threads mostly drift southeast. We need to head north.”
Before he could finish speaking, a car accelerated and headed toward them.
Zhou Lulu’s expression changed. “Does that include real-life enemies?”
She would never forget this car. After a fight with her ex-boyfriend, she got out of the car in a fit of anger, and he accelerated, seemingly trying to run her over. But karma caught up to him—his car crashed into a utility pole, and he died on the spot.
Now, history seemed to repeat itself as the car careened wildly again. However, Zhou Lulu no longer felt the panic she had back then.
Experienced from numerous battles within the game, she scanned the surroundings and immediately dashed towards a narrow spot, leading the crazed car away.
The car seemed to want to crush everything in its path, and other players scrambled to escape. Leveraging his cat-like agility, Wen Shi dodged with ease. He even managed to search the in-game store for items he could use.
Shortly after the car appeared, a man with a knife rushed out of an alley, and even more figures appeared in the distance, none of them seeming friendly.
The camera crew deployed drones to capture the scene, while the host excitedly stood in place, addressing the camera, “It seems our guests all have quite a colorful history, don’t they?”
Zhou Lulu leaped forward, causing the pursuing car to flip into a ditch. With a fierce look in her eyes, she immediately kicked the car door open, her intent clear—to snap the intruder’s neck.
“Run!”
How familiar it sounded.
The cries.
The last time she heard such heart-wrenching screams was… No, it was just a few hours ago during Pei Wenwei’s martial arts matchmaking competition.
Wen Shi shouted as he sprinted, “Don’t waste time!”
Only then did everyone notice that he had practically armored himself from head to toe. He had covered every inch of his body with defensive items, even donning an explosion-proof suit.
Liu Yun, who was closest to him, looked puzzled. “With all these on, can you even run?”
Pausing briefly, she added, “We need to hold out for half an hour. Running endlessly won’t work. We should find a place to hide now.”
Wen Shi gave her a look as if she were joking, but before he could say anything, the sound of helicopter blades reached his ears.
Liu Yun looked surprised. “Why is there a helicopter?”
Players surely couldn’t use something like that in the game. It must be a result of real-life actions.
No time for further contemplation, the aircraft’s cabin door swung open. Accompanied by a series of “rat-a-tat-tat” sounds, the incoming guests from above started a furious barrage down below.
Several holes were shot through the nearby pedestrian bridge, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder.
After their initial shock, players quickly crouched down to seek cover.
Tian Wanling’s head buzzed. “Whose enemies are these, for heaven’s sake?”
Taking a closer look, she saw Wen Shi ahead, deftly finding cover in this hostile environment, even crawling forward.
Realizing things might be out of the ordinary, Tian Wanling covered her ears and shouted, “Where are you going?”
Wen Shi gestured ahead, indicating they needed to move quickly.
“Even in a game, there should be a way out.”
The phrase sounded rather ominous.
The machine gunner’s respawn time was only thirty seconds. As soon as he disappeared, Wen Shi swiftly got up, utilizing his cat-like speed to the fullest.
Liu Yun and Ji Yuanzhi also sensed the danger. They had participated together in the Big Factory interview. After all, Pei Wenwei’s resume included experiences of assisting the police in busting criminal hideouts.
Running against the wind, the gusts slapped against their faces. Wen Shi looked up, almost wanting to cry. “Father, how are you going to repay what you owe me?”
The father who had adopted him had taken him to several risky countries under the pretense of “building mental resilience” during their travels. He claimed it would be beneficial in the long run. During that particularly physically taxing year, rather than tending to his health, he seized every opportunity for life-threatening journeys.
Young Wen Shi had tried to rebel once, only to receive a dismissive remark, “You little luckyboy, what are you afraid of?”
“Even luck won’t withstand such relentless calculations!”
The handsome middle-aged man remained unfazed, blowing smoke rings as he said, “Don’t worry, when you’re deep enough in debt, even if you jump off a building, the bank will put a cushion underneath.”
Snapping back to reality from his memories, Wen Shi’s forehead was covered in cold sweat. According to the quest’s terms, indirectly causing someone’s death would also be taken into account, which was quite horrifying.
…This game is heartless!
He berated in his mind, why couldn’t they go back five minutes before death? Those heinous criminals were usually at their most deranged state within the last half hour of their lives.
Meanwhile, the viewership ratings continued to soar to new heights!
The arrogance the guests had shown in their scheming and plotting was now being fully repaid in Mirage Landscape that boasted “rebirth through death.”
Watching a residual shadow dart away and vanish into the depths of the street, the host smiled and said, “Our special guest Aaron seems to have some formidable enemies, I wonder if he knows…”
His words abruptly trailed off.
The air around trembled violently, accompanied by a buzzing sound, as a beautiful arc streaked across the sky.
A tremendous roar echoed, and the sky split open, unleashing a terrifying mushroom cloud, followed by an immensely powerful shockwave sweeping through. Thousands of skyscrapers below turned into ruins in an instant.
The iconic Mermaid Tower of Tianhai City collapsed, the beautiful mermaid figure shattered into pieces, falling into the raging sea of flames. However, as horrific as the scene was, the weapon hadn’t revealed even half of its true might. It was a malfunction that resulted in an abnormally severe impact.
The hearse was flung into the sky by the aftermath of the explosion. The host, who was smiling moments before, was now flung dozens of meters away by the shockwave. His brand-new pink suit charred, and his heavily powdered face turned pitch-black.
He moved his fingers, struggled to rise from the ground, attempted to take a deep breath, but only coughed out a mouthful of black soot.
“Who…” the host’s throat was raspy and harsh, resembling a crow’s croak, “Who… is it—”
The muscles in his throat tensed as he used every ounce of strength to shout, “Whose enemy can launch missiles?!”
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