When Bai Lixin woke up the next day, he discovered a gold-edged movie ticket on the bedside table.
The metal ticket lay silently, its edges reflecting the sunlight, as if afraid that Bai Lixin might miss it.
Bai Lixin picked up the ticket and examined it:
[Location: Cinema on the 400th floor, VIP Hall No. 3]
[Movie: Animal World]
[Time: 8:30-10:30 tonight]
In the game lobby, the concept of time was disregarded, and there was no notion of dates. The term “today” meant the current day.
Simple enough.
With a day off, Bai Lixin’s first task upon waking up was to process the guild membership application. He sifted through the pile and clicked on Li Cangshan’s application.
Having no other pressing matters, he began checking his point cards and prop cards.
The prop cards accumulated over time had either been used or given away, so there were not many remaining.
However, the performance point cards were all intact. After totaling them, Bai Lixin discovered that he possessed a whopping 300,000 performance points.
After considering his options, he decided to exchange all his points prop cards for performance points.
As white lights flickered successively, the escape system’s prompt rang out.
[Ding! Congratulations to player Bailixin for successfully redeeming 300,000 performance points.]
[Congratulations to player Baili Xin, your floor has been raised to 430.]
[Dear player Bai Lixin, you are welcome to your new home! Experience the leap in quality!]
The excited voice of the escape system resonated in Bai Lixin’s mind as the clouds outside his window swiftly passed by.
Simultaneously, his surroundings underwent dramatic transformations.
The once expansive flat floor morphed like building blocks, shaping into a two-story Western-style building with high ceilings.
The previous hall descended to the first floor, while the study, bedroom, and washroom relocated to the second floor.
The wooden boards beneath his feet entangled and stretched all over but Bai Lixin felt no fluctuations. From his perspective, the surroundings remained as stable as flat ground.
Was this the advantage of being in a digital environment?
After about three minutes, the evolution of the house came to a halt.
The initial 185-square-meter flat floor had transformed into a 220-square-meter two-story structure.
The escape system’s voice grew more excited: [Master Bai Lixin, to enhance the player’s immersive game experience, the upgraded dormitory comes with an additional feature.]
[You can use your mall points to purchase companionship from the Points Mall and bring warmth to your room. Many players opt for pets, and so can you. To facilitate your entertainment area purchases, we recommend exchanging your mall points for a point card. Currently, you possess a total of 330,000 mall points. Would you like to exchange them?]
[Okay, let’s exchange.] Bai Lixin responded, opening the Points Mall. At the bottom, he noticed a prominently displayed category labeled [Companion].
[Ding! The mall points black card has been successfully redeemed. From today, you can use the black card for direct consumption in the entertainment area.]
As the escape system announced this, a beautifully designed black card with golden embossing materialized on Bai Lixin’s desk.
The front side resembled a circular tower, adorned with golden lettering that read: [Mall Points Black Gold Card]. The back resembled an ordinary credit card with simple rules.
[This black card is linked to your mall points, allowing simultaneous usage for your convenience,] the escape system explained.
Bai Lixin stowed the black card in his backpack and proceeded to explore the [Companion] category. The available choices were [Relatives], [Pets], [AI], [Lover], and [Friends].
He first selected [Relatives], which presented a variety of family members to choose from: father, mother, daughter, son, grandpa, grandma, niece, and more.
Each had a significant value, ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 points.
The escape system clarified, [The relatives created here are simulated individuals designed based on the player’s expectations. Their personalities will adjust accordingly, providing the player with the most fulfilling family experience.]
[For instance, some players may have had troubled family dynamics in reality, such as an alcoholic and abusive father, an overbearing and controlling mother, or a misbehaving son. In this escape game, they find solace and a sense of belonging they never experienced in the real world.]
Pausing for a moment, Bai Lixin closed the [Relatives] category and proceeded to [Pets].
The available pet categories were limited, labeled simply as [Pet 1], [Pet 2], and [Pet 3].
Each pet came with a price tag of 70,000 points.
The escape system elaborated, [Similar to the previously mentioned relatives, upon purchasing a pet, players receive an egg. Through careful nurturing, the desired pet will hatch from the egg.]
[For example, if a player wants a tricolored cat, a tricolored cat will hatch. If they desire a Bengal monitor lizard, the hatched pet will be a Bengal monitor lizard.] The escape system paused. [Interestingly, the value of Bengal monitor lizards has recently surged, seemingly due to the involvement of four individuals.]
Bai Lixin inquired, [Can phoenixes and unicorn beasts be hatched?]
The escape system responded, [That’s not possible. Only the animals that exist in reality can be hatched. Once a pet successfully hatches, it will have a separate attribute panel. Players can purchase necessary items such as medicine and toys directly from that panel.]
[Thanks to that, many players find solace in the companionship of their pets.]
Bai Lixin decided against purchasing a pet and instead opened the [AI] page.
It presented several options: [AI Little Butler], [AI Waiter], [AI Entertainment Companion], and more.
Each option carried a hefty price of 100,000 points.
The escape system marveled, [This is truly amazing—an innovation from the future, and one of our best-selling products.]
[Purchasing this option summons a simulated robot, with players having the freedom to choose its appearance and personality.]
[The AI Butler seamlessly integrates with all the electronic equipment in your home. Even when you’re away, it can keep things in order, such as feeding pets and tending to relatives. The AI waiter offers various services like laundry, cooking, cleaning, massage, and healthcare. As for the AI entertainment companion, it engages in interactive entertainment with you, such as immersive holographic online games.]
Bai Lixin muttered to himself, [Playing an immersive holographic online game within an immersive escape game? It’s like a nesting doll within a nesting doll.]
The escape system: […]
After roughly understanding the routine, Bai Lixin didn’t continue flipping through the next two options. Instead, he closed the mall interface.
Seeing this, the escape system said, [Master Bailixin, is there nothing you want? With such a large room, you can add some vitality.]
Bai Lixin held the movie card between his index finger and middle finger and shook his head lightly. [Not interested.]
This special purchase service made him subconsciously ponder deeper. Was the purpose of using bonds to connect players more closely to the game lobby so that they were reluctant to leave?
Behind the warmth, there was a lot of fear upon careful consideration.
At the request of the “house slave” escape system, Bai Lixin spent half a day using the Points Mall to decorate the home. It still had the simplest black, white, and gray decoration style, but the materials were replaced with more high-end ones, giving it an elevated and sophisticated atmosphere.
Bai Lixin made himself a cup of black tea, took a rare break, and opened the event forum.
“Nationwide Battle” was the first large-scale event since the game was launched, and it would last for 60 days.
Now, 20 days had passed, leaving only 40 days remaining.
The game was launched by the system under the temptation and instigation of Dijia. Although the ultimate purpose of its establishment was unknown, at least he could estimate how many players were trapped in this game.
As of today, the number of applicants had stabilized at 300,000.
In other words, the immersive horror escape game had trapped at least 300,000 people.
It was outrageous.
With the increasing number of applicants, the number of prizes in the prize pool had also reached an astonishing amount.
To obtain rewards, players had to either collect tokens on entertainment floors or complete the mysterious tasks of the [Mysterious Guest] randomly.
The activity Interface displayed the activity process transparently in front of the players.
There were a total of 36 tokens in the entire event, with 3 on each floor. So far, 8 tokens had been found.
One of the players with a token died after entering the copy, and the token was restored to a random location, so the number of found tokens changed from 8 to 7.
Players with tokens were protected by a mosaic. From the activity interface, players could only see which tokens had been found. The players who owned the tokens couldn’t be seen.
The forum was as lively as ever, with countless posts flying up. Perhaps due to the competition between players, there were no useful guide posts for finding tokens, but there were many topics about the [Mysterious Guest].
Bai Lixin casually clicked on the most popular post titled [Mysterious Guest, You Are My God], which had hundreds of thousands of discussions.
The author of the post was an anonymous player named [Superman].
Superman: [Fuck, good brothers! I met the mysterious guest on the 100th floor today. He asked me to sing him a song. After I sang it, he seemed arrogant and disgusted, but he still rewarded me with an A-level prop card. Guess what it is!]
Big Bird: [I’m curious, what is it? ]
Little Madman: [Yes, I want to know too. ]
Superman: [Hey, it was an A-level weapon card, and I got an AK48.]
Big Bird: [Gah! A-level weapon card, it’s awesome, I’m so envious, landlord, please, how can I tell that the other party is a mysterious guest, what does the mysterious guest look like? Good people are rewarded, let us know. ]
Superman shared: [Okay, let me tell you. The mysterious guest I encountered was dressed as an NPC with a female body type. I was playing on the 100th floor, searching for tokens without hope, when she asked me to help her find a missing earring.]
Boundless Sea: [Hey, this is different from the mysterious guest I met. I also encountered one on the 200th floor, but it was an NPC child.]
Milk piece: [What I saw was a male NPC.]
Big Bird: [So many? ! So the mystery guest is more than one person? ]
Superman explained: [It might be the same person, but there is no fixed form. In any case, if you encounter any strange NPC asking for help, just assist them. Also, spend more time in the entertainment area. The mysterious guest appears unexpectedly, and you never know where they will show up. The tasks are not difficult. Don’t expect something for nothing, right?]
Big Bird: [That makes sense. ]
This post was made at the initial stages of the game. Since then, this post has continued to be popular, and people came to this post every day. It was like a hide-and-seek game.
Like a game of hide-and-seek, players joyfully searched for this mysterious guest on all floors.
Bai Lixin quickly scrolled back and found that this mysterious guest had become a model figure and a famous celebrity. The players had given them the title of “Living Bodhisattva.”
The tasks were simple, and the rewards were high.
At around eight o’clock in the evening, Bai Lixin cleaned up and arrived on the 400th floor on time.
He thought there wouldn’t be many people on the 400th floor at this time, but to his surprise, there was a continuous stream of people as soon as the elevator opened.
Recalling the post he had read earlier in the day, Bai Lixin relaxed a bit. It was said that the requests were simple.
The entire 400th floor was a movie theater divided into several halls. Amidst the crowd, Bai Lixin felt helpless.
After contemplating for a while, he handed the movie ticket gilded with gold to the NPC standing at the door and said, “Hi, I’m here to watch the movie.”
The NPC, wearing a fox mask, donned their usual white shirt and black vest. After receiving the movie ticket with both hands covered in pure white gloves, the NPC respectfully said, “Dear VIP guest, please follow me.”
To avoid the crowd, Fox Mask opened a secret door that revealed a long, narrow, empty passage.
Fox Mask stood under the dim light, and the illumination from above created a play of light and shadow on the fox’s smiling face, adding a touch of eeriness.
Standing respectfully in front of the long and narrow passage, Fox Mask extended his arms slightly to guide the way, his voice mechanical and indifferent. “Guest, this way, please.”
Bai Lixin pondered for a couple of seconds, then followed behind Fox Mask.
Fox Mask walked at a slow pace, and the soft, high-quality carpet absorbed all footsteps, leaving only the sound of fabric rubbing against each other.
Casually holding the movie ticket in his right hand, Bai Lixin gazed at the back of Fox Mask and asked, “Is anyone else in this room?”
Fox Mask replied, “No, guest. The VIP hall is designed as a private movie café with excellent privacy and viewing comfort.”
“The movie will start soon, and today’s movie is called ‘Animal World.’”
Bai Lixin inquired, “Could you provide a brief introduction to ‘Animal World’?”
Fox Mask’s voice took on a subtle tone. “No, but it’s best not to spoil this kind of movie. You can only experience true happiness by watching it from the beginning to the end.”
As he spoke, Fox Mask came to a halt in front of a room.
Gracefully, he opened the door and stood in front, bowing slightly with politeness. “Guest, your VIP room 3 is here. The movie you’ll be watching this time is called ‘Animal World,’ and the viewing time is from 20:30 to 22:30. Please enjoy the movie.”
Bai Lixin stood at the door, looking inside with some confusion, and was slightly surprised by the arrangement he saw.
He couldn’t tell if it was meant to reflect the movie’s theme or if the room itself was intentionally designed this way.
In the dim light of the room, a simple dwelling adorned with rocks unfolded before him.
The cave-like interior was covered with thick hay, and outside, there was an expanse of yellow sand.
There were no seats on the sand; the only place to watch the movie was on the withered grass within the narrow cave.
Fox Mask stood beside him and urged, “Guest, the movie is about to begin. Let’s go inside.”
When Bai Lixin woke up the next day, he discovered a gold-edged movie ticket on the bedside table.
The metal ticket lay silently, its edges reflecting the sunlight, as if afraid that Bai Lixin might miss it.
Bai Lixin picked up the ticket and examined it:
[Location: Cinema on the 400th floor, VIP Hall No. 3]
[Movie: Animal World]
[Time: 8:30-10:30 tonight]
In the game lobby, the concept of time was disregarded, and there was no notion of dates. The term “today” meant the current day.
Simple enough.
With a day off, Bai Lixin’s first task upon waking up was to process the guild membership application. He sifted through the pile and clicked on Li Cangshan’s application.
Having no other pressing matters, he began checking his point cards and prop cards.
The prop cards accumulated over time had either been used or given away, so there were not many remaining.
However, the performance point cards were all intact. After totaling them, Bai Lixin discovered that he possessed a whopping 300,000 performance points.
After considering his options, he decided to exchange all his points prop cards for performance points.
As white lights flickered successively, the escape system’s prompt rang out.
[Ding! Congratulations to player Bailixin for successfully redeeming 300,000 performance points.]
[Congratulations to player Baili Xin, your floor has been raised to 430.]
[Dear player Bai Lixin, you are welcome to your new home! Experience the leap in quality!]
The excited voice of the escape system resonated in Bai Lixin’s mind as the clouds outside his window swiftly passed by.
Simultaneously, his surroundings underwent dramatic transformations.
The once expansive flat floor morphed like building blocks, shaping into a two-story Western-style building with high ceilings.
The previous hall descended to the first floor, while the study, bedroom, and washroom relocated to the second floor.
The wooden boards beneath his feet entangled and stretched all over but Bai Lixin felt no fluctuations. From his perspective, the surroundings remained as stable as flat ground.
Was this the advantage of being in a digital environment?
After about three minutes, the evolution of the house came to a halt.
The initial 185-square-meter flat floor had transformed into a 220-square-meter two-story structure.
The escape system’s voice grew more excited: [Master Bai Lixin, to enhance the player’s immersive game experience, the upgraded dormitory comes with an additional feature.]
[You can use your mall points to purchase companionship from the Points Mall and bring warmth to your room. Many players opt for pets, and so can you. To facilitate your entertainment area purchases, we recommend exchanging your mall points for a point card. Currently, you possess a total of 330,000 mall points. Would you like to exchange them?]
[Okay, let’s exchange.] Bai Lixin responded, opening the Points Mall. At the bottom, he noticed a prominently displayed category labeled [Companion].
[Ding! The mall points black card has been successfully redeemed. From today, you can use the black card for direct consumption in the entertainment area.]
As the escape system announced this, a beautifully designed black card with golden embossing materialized on Bai Lixin’s desk.
The front side resembled a circular tower, adorned with golden lettering that read: [Mall Points Black Gold Card]. The back resembled an ordinary credit card with simple rules.
[This black card is linked to your mall points, allowing simultaneous usage for your convenience,] the escape system explained.
Bai Lixin stowed the black card in his backpack and proceeded to explore the [Companion] category. The available choices were [Relatives], [Pets], [AI], [Lover], and [Friends].
He first selected [Relatives], which presented a variety of family members to choose from: father, mother, daughter, son, grandpa, grandma, niece, and more.
Each had a significant value, ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 points.
The escape system clarified, [The relatives created here are simulated individuals designed based on the player’s expectations. Their personalities will adjust accordingly, providing the player with the most fulfilling family experience.]
[For instance, some players may have had troubled family dynamics in reality, such as an alcoholic and abusive father, an overbearing and controlling mother, or a misbehaving son. In this escape game, they find solace and a sense of belonging they never experienced in the real world.]
Pausing for a moment, Bai Lixin closed the [Relatives] category and proceeded to [Pets].
The available pet categories were limited, labeled simply as [Pet 1], [Pet 2], and [Pet 3].
Each pet came with a price tag of 70,000 points.
The escape system elaborated, [Similar to the previously mentioned relatives, upon purchasing a pet, players receive an egg. Through careful nurturing, the desired pet will hatch from the egg.]
[For example, if a player wants a tricolored cat, a tricolored cat will hatch. If they desire a Bengal monitor lizard, the hatched pet will be a Bengal monitor lizard.] The escape system paused. [Interestingly, the value of Bengal monitor lizards has recently surged, seemingly due to the involvement of four individuals.]
Bai Lixin inquired, [Can phoenixes and unicorn beasts be hatched?]
The escape system responded, [That’s not possible. Only the animals that exist in reality can be hatched. Once a pet successfully hatches, it will have a separate attribute panel. Players can purchase necessary items such as medicine and toys directly from that panel.]
[Thanks to that, many players find solace in the companionship of their pets.]
Bai Lixin decided against purchasing a pet and instead opened the [AI] page.
It presented several options: [AI Little Butler], [AI Waiter], [AI Entertainment Companion], and more.
Each option carried a hefty price of 100,000 points.
The escape system marveled, [This is truly amazing—an innovation from the future, and one of our best-selling products.]
[Purchasing this option summons a simulated robot, with players having the freedom to choose its appearance and personality.]
[The AI Butler seamlessly integrates with all the electronic equipment in your home. Even when you’re away, it can keep things in order, such as feeding pets and tending to relatives. The AI waiter offers various services like laundry, cooking, cleaning, massage, and healthcare. As for the AI entertainment companion, it engages in interactive entertainment with you, such as immersive holographic online games.]
Bai Lixin muttered to himself, [Playing an immersive holographic online game within an immersive escape game? It’s like a nesting doll within a nesting doll.]
The escape system: […]
After roughly understanding the routine, Bai Lixin didn’t continue flipping through the next two options. Instead, he closed the mall interface.
Seeing this, the escape system said, [Master Bailixin, is there nothing you want? With such a large room, you can add some vitality.]
Bai Lixin held the movie card between his index finger and middle finger and shook his head lightly. [Not interested.]
This special purchase service made him subconsciously ponder deeper. Was the purpose of using bonds to connect players more closely to the game lobby so that they were reluctant to leave?
Behind the warmth, there was a lot of fear upon careful consideration.
At the request of the “house slave” escape system, Bai Lixin spent half a day using the Points Mall to decorate the home. It still had the simplest black, white, and gray decoration style, but the materials were replaced with more high-end ones, giving it an elevated and sophisticated atmosphere.
Bai Lixin made himself a cup of black tea, took a rare break, and opened the event forum.
“Nationwide Battle” was the first large-scale event since the game was launched, and it would last for 60 days.
Now, 20 days had passed, leaving only 40 days remaining.
The game was launched by the system under the temptation and instigation of Dijia. Although the ultimate purpose of its establishment was unknown, at least he could estimate how many players were trapped in this game.
As of today, the number of applicants had stabilized at 300,000.
In other words, the immersive horror escape game had trapped at least 300,000 people.
It was outrageous.
With the increasing number of applicants, the number of prizes in the prize pool had also reached an astonishing amount.
To obtain rewards, players had to either collect tokens on entertainment floors or complete the mysterious tasks of the [Mysterious Guest] randomly.
The activity Interface displayed the activity process transparently in front of the players.
There were a total of 36 tokens in the entire event, with 3 on each floor. So far, 8 tokens had been found.
One of the players with a token died after entering the copy, and the token was restored to a random location, so the number of found tokens changed from 8 to 7.
Players with tokens were protected by a mosaic. From the activity interface, players could only see which tokens had been found. The players who owned the tokens couldn’t be seen.
The forum was as lively as ever, with countless posts flying up. Perhaps due to the competition between players, there were no useful guide posts for finding tokens, but there were many topics about the [Mysterious Guest].
Bai Lixin casually clicked on the most popular post titled [Mysterious Guest, You Are My God], which had hundreds of thousands of discussions.
The author of the post was an anonymous player named [Superman].
Superman: [Fuck, good brothers! I met the mysterious guest on the 100th floor today. He asked me to sing him a song. After I sang it, he seemed arrogant and disgusted, but he still rewarded me with an A-level prop card. Guess what it is!]
Big Bird: [I’m curious, what is it? ]
Little Madman: [Yes, I want to know too. ]
Superman: [Hey, it was an A-level weapon card, and I got an AK48.]
Big Bird: [Gah! A-level weapon card, it’s awesome, I’m so envious, landlord, please, how can I tell that the other party is a mysterious guest, what does the mysterious guest look like? Good people are rewarded, let us know. ]
Superman shared: [Okay, let me tell you. The mysterious guest I encountered was dressed as an NPC with a female body type. I was playing on the 100th floor, searching for tokens without hope, when she asked me to help her find a missing earring.]
Boundless Sea: [Hey, this is different from the mysterious guest I met. I also encountered one on the 200th floor, but it was an NPC child.]
Milk piece: [What I saw was a male NPC.]
Big Bird: [So many? ! So the mystery guest is more than one person? ]
Superman explained: [It might be the same person, but there is no fixed form. In any case, if you encounter any strange NPC asking for help, just assist them. Also, spend more time in the entertainment area. The mysterious guest appears unexpectedly, and you never know where they will show up. The tasks are not difficult. Don’t expect something for nothing, right?]
Big Bird: [That makes sense. ]
This post was made at the initial stages of the game. Since then, this post has continued to be popular, and people came to this post every day. It was like a hide-and-seek game.
Like a game of hide-and-seek, players joyfully searched for this mysterious guest on all floors.
Bai Lixin quickly scrolled back and found that this mysterious guest had become a model figure and a famous celebrity. The players had given them the title of “Living Bodhisattva.”
The tasks were simple, and the rewards were high.
At around eight o’clock in the evening, Bai Lixin cleaned up and arrived on the 400th floor on time.
He thought there wouldn’t be many people on the 400th floor at this time, but to his surprise, there was a continuous stream of people as soon as the elevator opened.
Recalling the post he had read earlier in the day, Bai Lixin relaxed a bit. It was said that the requests were simple.
The entire 400th floor was a movie theater divided into several halls. Amidst the crowd, Bai Lixin felt helpless.
After contemplating for a while, he handed the movie ticket gilded with gold to the NPC standing at the door and said, “Hi, I’m here to watch the movie.”
The NPC, wearing a fox mask, donned their usual white shirt and black vest. After receiving the movie ticket with both hands covered in pure white gloves, the NPC respectfully said, “Dear VIP guest, please follow me.”
To avoid the crowd, Fox Mask opened a secret door that revealed a long, narrow, empty passage.
Fox Mask stood under the dim light, and the illumination from above created a play of light and shadow on the fox’s smiling face, adding a touch of eeriness.
Standing respectfully in front of the long and narrow passage, Fox Mask extended his arms slightly to guide the way, his voice mechanical and indifferent. “Guest, this way, please.”
Bai Lixin pondered for a couple of seconds, then followed behind Fox Mask.
Fox Mask walked at a slow pace, and the soft, high-quality carpet absorbed all footsteps, leaving only the sound of fabric rubbing against each other.
Casually holding the movie ticket in his right hand, Bai Lixin gazed at the back of Fox Mask and asked, “Is anyone else in this room?”
Fox Mask replied, “No, guest. The VIP hall is designed as a private movie café with excellent privacy and viewing comfort.”
“The movie will start soon, and today’s movie is called ‘Animal World.’”
Bai Lixin inquired, “Could you provide a brief introduction to ‘Animal World’?”
Fox Mask’s voice took on a subtle tone. “No, but it’s best not to spoil this kind of movie. You can only experience true happiness by watching it from the beginning to the end.”
As he spoke, Fox Mask came to a halt in front of a room.
Gracefully, he opened the door and stood in front, bowing slightly with politeness. “Guest, your VIP room 3 is here. The movie you’ll be watching this time is called ‘Animal World,’ and the viewing time is from 20:30 to 22:30. Please enjoy the movie.”
Bai Lixin stood at the door, looking inside with some confusion, and was slightly surprised by the arrangement he saw.
He couldn’t tell if it was meant to reflect the movie’s theme or if the room itself was intentionally designed this way.
In the dim light of the room, a simple dwelling adorned with rocks unfolded before him.
The cave-like interior was covered with thick hay, and outside, there was an expanse of yellow sand.
There were no seats on the sand; the only place to watch the movie was on the withered grass within the narrow cave.
Fox Mask stood beside him and urged, “Guest, the movie is about to begin. Let’s go inside.”
