It was already past three in the afternoon, and these people were busy stuffing their suitcases with what they considered valuable items, not wasting a single minute.
Bai Lixin and Hongyue stood at the staircase, looking upstairs for a while before turning around and leaving.
Just as the tour guide had said, they quickly found Emil and Samael in the room next to the reception area.
Judging by the decoration of the room, it didn’t seem like an infirmary but rather a temporary setup to resemble one.
When Bai Lixin entered the room, Emil was supporting his temple with the back of his hand, and the words coming out of his mouth were like cold nails.
“Tsk tsk, so you’re the craftsman, huh?”
“I thought you were capable, but you’re just a pitiful little thing.”
“By the way, do you like hearing stories? There used to be someone who loved telling me stories while bullying me. Thanks to him, I’ve learned quite a few stories. How about I tell you some stories too?”
“What kind of story do you want to hear? Chopping demons with a random knife? Beating up old masters with a club? Or tearing off a black cloak?”
His voice was full of provocation.
Bai Lixin and Hongyue exchanged a silent glance: “…”
How deep was Emil’s grievance?
Opposite Emil was a frail man.
His dislocated hands had already been put back in place, and each of his ten fingers was wrapped in thick bandages.
Thin boards were used to fix both sides of his palms, and from the current view, his twisted fingers had been corrected. It was hard to imagine that just hours ago, his fingers had deformed into the shape of chicken claws.
The man was awake and lying on his back on the bed, his sunken cheeks were adorned with a pair of golden, dark eyes staring at the ceiling above.
Although he appeared weak, the well-defined bone structure still revealed his handsomeness.
Beside him, Emil continued speaking, and the man slightly furrowed his brows, showing impatience and restraint in his deep eyes.
‘So noisy.’
“Heh, Emil, you seem to be in high spirits. You healed from broken ribs so quickly?” Hongyue walked into the room with confident strides. She walked around the room a couple of times before confirming that there were only the two of them in the room. Then she approached Emil, raising an eyebrow as she asked.
Emil groaned and instantly put on the expression of a prodigal son on his face. “Sigh, there’s actually nothing wrong. I scared myself for nothing.”
“There was no fracture at all, but that craftsman is really miserable. He has around 200 bones in his whole body, and almost half of them were fractured. Fortunately, we found him in time; otherwise, he would have lost his life.”
“Poor craftsman, now he can only lie in bed like a vegetable and listen to my stories. He can’t resist at all.”
The man frowned again when he heard this.
Bai Lixin and Hongyue: “…”
How deep was the psychological shadow?
Bai Lixin walked up to the man, whose entire body was wrapped in bandages except for his face.
He couldn’t move his neck, so when he sensed someone approaching, he could only move his eyeballs to see who it was.
When he saw Bai Lixin’s face clearly, a flicker of surprise appeared in his calm eyes, and his pupils trembled along with it.
Bai Lixin smiled faintly, “Hello, Mr. Craftsman. Let me introduce myself. I am Bai Lixin.”
Hongyue boldly bent down, bringing her face closer to the craftsman’s. “Haha, I’m Hongyue. Do you know me now?”
The man was taken aback, his eyes scanning Hongyue up and down for a while.
He seemed to want to move his mouth and say something, but after struggling for a long time, he ultimately failed.
Hongyue laughed, lightly patting the bedside a few times. “Don’t worry, once you recover from your injuries, we’ll have plenty to talk about. Are you unable to speak now?”
The man made an effort to open his mouth, and after some tugging, his dried lips finally parted, revealing the dark void inside.
Upon seeing the empty cavity, both Bai Lixin and Hongyue were stunned.
The man’s tongue had been removed, and all that remained in his mouth were two rows of teeth. His tongue had long disappeared.
Hongyue was surprised, “How did this happen?”
Seeing Hongyue’s expression, a tinge of shame flashed through the man’s eyes, and he slowly closed his mouth.
In everyone’s minds, a message notification sound rang.
Bai Lixin and Hongyue opened the chat window and saw a message from Emil.
Emil: [He suffered for a long time before we rescued him .]
[Not only were his fingers broken, but his spine was also fractured, and both of his legs were broken. His tongue has been removed as well.]
[The doctor just finished treating his wounds, and he didn’t make a single sound. It was so painful when I fell to the ground yet he didn’t even make a sound.]
[Samael is strong. Please don’t show pity in front of him; it will only make him feel worse.]
Hongyue: [Tsk tsk, so you were comforting him earlier by teasing him. What a strange way of getting along. I really don’t understand.]
Emil sarcastically: [Well, I don’t understand you and President Song either.]
Hongyue: [One of us likes to give and the other likes to receive. It’s called foreplay. What does it have to do with you?]
Emil: [Well, you can’t understand us either.]
Bai Lixin: [What is his current status? Is he an NPC or can he still connect to the system?]
Emil: [He is an NPC. Unlike Hongyue, who was originally a player and was forced to become an NPC in the copy, Samael is an NPC himself. I don’t know how he managed to enter the game lobby.]
[And the timeline seems different too. From our perspective, he has just left not long ago, but judging from his condition, a considerable amount of time has passed.]
Bai Lixin: [Since there’s no private chat function, how did you communicate with him?]
Emil: [Through blinking. Now I can only get simple yes or no answers. I’m afraid of being discovered by some unknown force that I’m not a movie character, so I didn’t ask too detailed questions. Besides, I didn’t ask much; his surgery has just been completed not long ago.]
Emil: [Bai Lixin, I know you’re very powerful. Is there any way you can take him back to the game lobby?]
[I asked the doctor, and all the bones in his body that could be broken have shattered. He can only lie in bed for the rest of his life. These injuries can only be cured in the game lobby. We can’t leave him here; If we do, he’ll become the way he was before.]
[He used to be such a proud person, and if he spends the rest of his life lying in bed, it would be better to kill him outright. But did you notice? He doesn’t even have the ability to commit suicide now.]
[He can only lie there like a vegetable, and even if he wants to bite his tongue, he no longer has one.]
Bai Lixin: [I’m sorry, I haven’t reached the level of being able to take an NPC out to the game lobby. But give me some time; maybe I can find a solution.]
After sending this message in the chat window, Bai Lixin looked at the motionless man once again.
The man had already closed his eyes, unwilling to look at the two of them anymore.
Hongyue furrowed her eyebrows tightly, took a deep breath, and quickly walked out of the hospital room.
After walking around the room, Bai Lixin asked, “Where is the doctor?”
Emil replied, “The doctors have all left, and they probably won’t be back for a while. What happened outside? It’s so chaotic.”
Bai Lixin explained in detail everything that had happened earlier, and Emil widened his eyes in surprise. “Damn, those idiots actually accused us?”
“Is it that difficult to make them believe in the supernatural?”
“But since you know that Nick’s daughter is involved in this, why didn’t you reveal the truth and let her continue her actions?” Emil furrowed his brow. “Were you also deceived by her pitiful appearance? You were not like this before. What happened to you?”
Bai Lixin replied, “Because I realized that even if I said something, it wouldn’t make a difference. Besides, I discovered something interesting, but I still need to confirm it.”
Emil nodded, “I knew you couldn’t be such a person. By the way, Jia’er has also gone missing. How can you remain so calm? Isn’t that your sweetheart?”
Upon hearing the words “sweetheart,” the frail man, who had been keeping his eyes closed, opened them again and looked at Bai Lixin with a puzzled expression.
Bai Lixin replied, “Well, I’m not completely unconcerned.”
“But I also don’t know which one I should be worried about.”
Emil: “…”
Impressive, a boss is always a boss.
Samael: “…”
“And I already told him that if he disappears, I will find him.”
“I came here not only to check up on hiw you are doing but also to ask for a favor.” Bai Lixin spoke seriously, “Tonight, I plan to open the Golden Room.”
“What?!” Hongyue’s raised voice suddenly came from outside the door. “What are you planning to do?”
Bai Lixin continued, “I have basically figured out the rules of the Golden Room. If I want to make a wish, I need a sacrifice. Emil, do you want to be the wish maker or the sacrifice?”
“…” Emil: “Is there no third option? Like not being anything and just living a good life?”
It’s so much better to be alive, why risk it?
Hongyue stared directly at Bai Lixin.
Bai Lixin said, “Hongyue, how about you choose?”
Hongyue: “…”
No, thank you.
Emil recalled the strips of flesh hanging on the wall that day and shivered. “I… I have a question. If we become the sacrifice, can we still go back?”
Bai Lixin answered, “In theory, yes.”
“The only reason we won’t be able to go back is if we are mistaken for dead. When I questioned Mrs. Oude that day, I discreetly checked her pulse and found it to be strong, indicating she wasn’t dead. She was also breathing.”
“And…” Bai Lixin touched the necklace hidden beneath his collar, “I have this.”
The Mermaid’s Heart, a resurrection item.
Emil tentatively asked, “Then… should I be the wish maker?”
Bai Lixin nodded seriously, “Alright, you want to be the sacrifice, that’s fine.”
Emil: “…”
Was there any point in asking me this question?
Thank you so fucking much.
Hongyue: “…”
Sometimes, God Xin can be ruthless, not sparing even his own people.
No, he doesn’t even spare himself.
“Wait,” Hongyue looked at Bai Lixin, “Did you forget something? The sacrifice can kill the wish maker. Then you’ll end up as decoration on the wall, do you realize that?”
If there really are monsters, killing them is not difficult.
But if they kill the monsters, they will definitely be considered as characters from outside the movie. They will then be trapped in the movie at that time.
It’s a dead end no matter how you look at it.
“Nick’s youngest daughter survived,” Bai Lixin chuckled lightly, “Although she didn’t tell me much, I think I know how to avoid it.”
Hongyue and Emil looked at each other, and even Samael looked at Bai Lixin curiously.
Bai Lixin replied, “By relying on the statue of the Holy Mother.”
“If this place is really the Garden of Eden, then the owner of the Garden of Eden is the Father God.”
“The entities here cannot attack the owner like they can attack others.”
“Each statue of the Holy Mother is pregnant, and the hidden door behind them is located exactly where the pregnant belly would be.”
“This is not a coincidence but a clever design.”
“When we enter that hidden door, from the outside, we will appear as the Father God conceived in the Holy Mother’s belly.”
“This is not just a random speculation. Do you remember when we went to the apple orchard, and I secretly checked each statue? I noticed a fresh mark behind one of the statues, like a small scratch. When I talked to Nick’s youngest daughter, I paid attention to her nails, and they showed signs of wear.”
“As long as I hide behind the statue of the Holy Mother before that unknown mysterious force comes knocking, I will be safe.”
Emil and Hongyue exchanged looks and then both gave Bai Lixin a thumbs up. “Impressive.”
————————–
In the live broadcast room:
[….So this is the difference between a top student and an underachiever?]
[When I saw the statues: Oh, that’s strange.
When God Xin saw the statues: There’s something wrong!]
[When I saw Nick’s youngest daughter crying: Fuck, she’s a sick, white lotus!
When God Xin communicated with Nick’s youngest daughter: Oh, her nails are worn out.]
[Another day of being oppressed in a lower dimension.]
[Exciting. Everyday in God Xin’s live stream makes me realize that I came to this world just to be a spare part.]
—————————–
“But didn’t the tour guide say that no one left last night? Why did Nick’s youngest daughter appear in the garden?”
Hongyue still didn’t understand something.
“It’s actually not that strange,” Emil answered before Bai Lixin could, “Think about it, the eldest daughter can fill her stomach in reality through dreams, so it’s not impossible for the youngest daughter to enter the back garden in reality through dreams.”
“After all, it’s a supernatural event. Once something is connected to the supernatural, many things can be explained.”
Hongyue suddenly realized, and after a moment, she slapped her forehead. “I was so focused on discussing with you guys that I forgot. I took a stroll outside earlier and found that Mr. Nick was arguing with the tour guide.”
Bai Lixin asked, “Why?”
Hongyue explained, “Mr. Nick wanted the tour guide to drive them to the location blocked by the mudslide. But the tour guide said the car keys were taken away, and without the keys, the car couldn’t start. Mr. Nick scolded the tour guide, accusing him of deliberately trapping them. But the tour guide just kept smiling and didn’t say anything.”
“In the end, Mr. Nick punched cotton. He had no choice but to go back upstairs in frustration.”
Emil furrowed his brow. “Bai Lixin, do you think they can leave?”
Bai Lixin chuckled and smiled brightly like a blooming summer flower. “No, not a single one of them can leave.”
It was already past three in the afternoon, and these people were busy stuffing their suitcases with what they considered valuable items, not wasting a single minute.
Bai Lixin and Hongyue stood at the staircase, looking upstairs for a while before turning around and leaving.
Just as the tour guide had said, they quickly found Emil and Samael in the room next to the reception area.
Judging by the decoration of the room, it didn’t seem like an infirmary but rather a temporary setup to resemble one.
When Bai Lixin entered the room, Emil was supporting his temple with the back of his hand, and the words coming out of his mouth were like cold nails.
“Tsk tsk, so you’re the craftsman, huh?”
“I thought you were capable, but you’re just a pitiful little thing.”
“By the way, do you like hearing stories? There used to be someone who loved telling me stories while bullying me. Thanks to him, I’ve learned quite a few stories. How about I tell you some stories too?”
“What kind of story do you want to hear? Chopping demons with a random knife? Beating up old masters with a club? Or tearing off a black cloak?”
His voice was full of provocation.
Bai Lixin and Hongyue exchanged a silent glance: “…”
How deep was Emil’s grievance?
Opposite Emil was a frail man.
His dislocated hands had already been put back in place, and each of his ten fingers was wrapped in thick bandages.
Thin boards were used to fix both sides of his palms, and from the current view, his twisted fingers had been corrected. It was hard to imagine that just hours ago, his fingers had deformed into the shape of chicken claws.
The man was awake and lying on his back on the bed, his sunken cheeks were adorned with a pair of golden, dark eyes staring at the ceiling above.
Although he appeared weak, the well-defined bone structure still revealed his handsomeness.
Beside him, Emil continued speaking, and the man slightly furrowed his brows, showing impatience and restraint in his deep eyes.
‘So noisy.’
“Heh, Emil, you seem to be in high spirits. You healed from broken ribs so quickly?” Hongyue walked into the room with confident strides. She walked around the room a couple of times before confirming that there were only the two of them in the room. Then she approached Emil, raising an eyebrow as she asked.
Emil groaned and instantly put on the expression of a prodigal son on his face. “Sigh, there’s actually nothing wrong. I scared myself for nothing.”
“There was no fracture at all, but that craftsman is really miserable. He has around 200 bones in his whole body, and almost half of them were fractured. Fortunately, we found him in time; otherwise, he would have lost his life.”
“Poor craftsman, now he can only lie in bed like a vegetable and listen to my stories. He can’t resist at all.”
The man frowned again when he heard this.
Bai Lixin and Hongyue: “…”
How deep was the psychological shadow?
Bai Lixin walked up to the man, whose entire body was wrapped in bandages except for his face.
He couldn’t move his neck, so when he sensed someone approaching, he could only move his eyeballs to see who it was.
When he saw Bai Lixin’s face clearly, a flicker of surprise appeared in his calm eyes, and his pupils trembled along with it.
Bai Lixin smiled faintly, “Hello, Mr. Craftsman. Let me introduce myself. I am Bai Lixin.”
Hongyue boldly bent down, bringing her face closer to the craftsman’s. “Haha, I’m Hongyue. Do you know me now?”
The man was taken aback, his eyes scanning Hongyue up and down for a while.
He seemed to want to move his mouth and say something, but after struggling for a long time, he ultimately failed.
Hongyue laughed, lightly patting the bedside a few times. “Don’t worry, once you recover from your injuries, we’ll have plenty to talk about. Are you unable to speak now?”
The man made an effort to open his mouth, and after some tugging, his dried lips finally parted, revealing the dark void inside.
Upon seeing the empty cavity, both Bai Lixin and Hongyue were stunned.
The man’s tongue had been removed, and all that remained in his mouth were two rows of teeth. His tongue had long disappeared.
Hongyue was surprised, “How did this happen?”
Seeing Hongyue’s expression, a tinge of shame flashed through the man’s eyes, and he slowly closed his mouth.
In everyone’s minds, a message notification sound rang.
Bai Lixin and Hongyue opened the chat window and saw a message from Emil.
Emil: [He suffered for a long time before we rescued him .]
[Not only were his fingers broken, but his spine was also fractured, and both of his legs were broken. His tongue has been removed as well.]
[The doctor just finished treating his wounds, and he didn’t make a single sound. It was so painful when I fell to the ground yet he didn’t even make a sound.]
[Samael is strong. Please don’t show pity in front of him; it will only make him feel worse.]
Hongyue: [Tsk tsk, so you were comforting him earlier by teasing him. What a strange way of getting along. I really don’t understand.]
Emil sarcastically: [Well, I don’t understand you and President Song either.]
Hongyue: [One of us likes to give and the other likes to receive. It’s called foreplay. What does it have to do with you?]
Emil: [Well, you can’t understand us either.]
Bai Lixin: [What is his current status? Is he an NPC or can he still connect to the system?]
Emil: [He is an NPC. Unlike Hongyue, who was originally a player and was forced to become an NPC in the copy, Samael is an NPC himself. I don’t know how he managed to enter the game lobby.]
[And the timeline seems different too. From our perspective, he has just left not long ago, but judging from his condition, a considerable amount of time has passed.]
Bai Lixin: [Since there’s no private chat function, how did you communicate with him?]
Emil: [Through blinking. Now I can only get simple yes or no answers. I’m afraid of being discovered by some unknown force that I’m not a movie character, so I didn’t ask too detailed questions. Besides, I didn’t ask much; his surgery has just been completed not long ago.]
Emil: [Bai Lixin, I know you’re very powerful. Is there any way you can take him back to the game lobby?]
[I asked the doctor, and all the bones in his body that could be broken have shattered. He can only lie in bed for the rest of his life. These injuries can only be cured in the game lobby. We can’t leave him here; If we do, he’ll become the way he was before.]
[He used to be such a proud person, and if he spends the rest of his life lying in bed, it would be better to kill him outright. But did you notice? He doesn’t even have the ability to commit suicide now.]
[He can only lie there like a vegetable, and even if he wants to bite his tongue, he no longer has one.]
Bai Lixin: [I’m sorry, I haven’t reached the level of being able to take an NPC out to the game lobby. But give me some time; maybe I can find a solution.]
After sending this message in the chat window, Bai Lixin looked at the motionless man once again.
The man had already closed his eyes, unwilling to look at the two of them anymore.
Hongyue furrowed her eyebrows tightly, took a deep breath, and quickly walked out of the hospital room.
After walking around the room, Bai Lixin asked, “Where is the doctor?”
Emil replied, “The doctors have all left, and they probably won’t be back for a while. What happened outside? It’s so chaotic.”
Bai Lixin explained in detail everything that had happened earlier, and Emil widened his eyes in surprise. “Damn, those idiots actually accused us?”
“Is it that difficult to make them believe in the supernatural?”
“But since you know that Nick’s daughter is involved in this, why didn’t you reveal the truth and let her continue her actions?” Emil furrowed his brow. “Were you also deceived by her pitiful appearance? You were not like this before. What happened to you?”
Bai Lixin replied, “Because I realized that even if I said something, it wouldn’t make a difference. Besides, I discovered something interesting, but I still need to confirm it.”
Emil nodded, “I knew you couldn’t be such a person. By the way, Jia’er has also gone missing. How can you remain so calm? Isn’t that your sweetheart?”
Upon hearing the words “sweetheart,” the frail man, who had been keeping his eyes closed, opened them again and looked at Bai Lixin with a puzzled expression.
Bai Lixin replied, “Well, I’m not completely unconcerned.”
“But I also don’t know which one I should be worried about.”
Emil: “…”
Impressive, a boss is always a boss.
Samael: “…”
“And I already told him that if he disappears, I will find him.”
“I came here not only to check up on hiw you are doing but also to ask for a favor.” Bai Lixin spoke seriously, “Tonight, I plan to open the Golden Room.”
“What?!” Hongyue’s raised voice suddenly came from outside the door. “What are you planning to do?”
Bai Lixin continued, “I have basically figured out the rules of the Golden Room. If I want to make a wish, I need a sacrifice. Emil, do you want to be the wish maker or the sacrifice?”
“…” Emil: “Is there no third option? Like not being anything and just living a good life?”
It’s so much better to be alive, why risk it?
Hongyue stared directly at Bai Lixin.
Bai Lixin said, “Hongyue, how about you choose?”
Hongyue: “…”
No, thank you.
Emil recalled the strips of flesh hanging on the wall that day and shivered. “I… I have a question. If we become the sacrifice, can we still go back?”
Bai Lixin answered, “In theory, yes.”
“The only reason we won’t be able to go back is if we are mistaken for dead. When I questioned Mrs. Oude that day, I discreetly checked her pulse and found it to be strong, indicating she wasn’t dead. She was also breathing.”
“And…” Bai Lixin touched the necklace hidden beneath his collar, “I have this.”
The Mermaid’s Heart, a resurrection item.
Emil tentatively asked, “Then… should I be the wish maker?”
Bai Lixin nodded seriously, “Alright, you want to be the sacrifice, that’s fine.”
Emil: “…”
Was there any point in asking me this question?
Thank you so fucking much.
Hongyue: “…”
Sometimes, God Xin can be ruthless, not sparing even his own people.
No, he doesn’t even spare himself.
“Wait,” Hongyue looked at Bai Lixin, “Did you forget something? The sacrifice can kill the wish maker. Then you’ll end up as decoration on the wall, do you realize that?”
If there really are monsters, killing them is not difficult.
But if they kill the monsters, they will definitely be considered as characters from outside the movie. They will then be trapped in the movie at that time.
It’s a dead end no matter how you look at it.
“Nick’s youngest daughter survived,” Bai Lixin chuckled lightly, “Although she didn’t tell me much, I think I know how to avoid it.”
Hongyue and Emil looked at each other, and even Samael looked at Bai Lixin curiously.
Bai Lixin replied, “By relying on the statue of the Holy Mother.”
“If this place is really the Garden of Eden, then the owner of the Garden of Eden is the Father God.”
“The entities here cannot attack the owner like they can attack others.”
“Each statue of the Holy Mother is pregnant, and the hidden door behind them is located exactly where the pregnant belly would be.”
“This is not a coincidence but a clever design.”
“When we enter that hidden door, from the outside, we will appear as the Father God conceived in the Holy Mother’s belly.”
“This is not just a random speculation. Do you remember when we went to the apple orchard, and I secretly checked each statue? I noticed a fresh mark behind one of the statues, like a small scratch. When I talked to Nick’s youngest daughter, I paid attention to her nails, and they showed signs of wear.”
“As long as I hide behind the statue of the Holy Mother before that unknown mysterious force comes knocking, I will be safe.”
Emil and Hongyue exchanged looks and then both gave Bai Lixin a thumbs up. “Impressive.”
————————–
In the live broadcast room:
[….So this is the difference between a top student and an underachiever?]
[When I saw the statues: Oh, that’s strange.
When God Xin saw the statues: There’s something wrong!]
[When I saw Nick’s youngest daughter crying: Fuck, she’s a sick, white lotus!
When God Xin communicated with Nick’s youngest daughter: Oh, her nails are worn out.]
[Another day of being oppressed in a lower dimension.]
[Exciting. Everyday in God Xin’s live stream makes me realize that I came to this world just to be a spare part.]
—————————–
“But didn’t the tour guide say that no one left last night? Why did Nick’s youngest daughter appear in the garden?”
Hongyue still didn’t understand something.
“It’s actually not that strange,” Emil answered before Bai Lixin could, “Think about it, the eldest daughter can fill her stomach in reality through dreams, so it’s not impossible for the youngest daughter to enter the back garden in reality through dreams.”
“After all, it’s a supernatural event. Once something is connected to the supernatural, many things can be explained.”
Hongyue suddenly realized, and after a moment, she slapped her forehead. “I was so focused on discussing with you guys that I forgot. I took a stroll outside earlier and found that Mr. Nick was arguing with the tour guide.”
Bai Lixin asked, “Why?”
Hongyue explained, “Mr. Nick wanted the tour guide to drive them to the location blocked by the mudslide. But the tour guide said the car keys were taken away, and without the keys, the car couldn’t start. Mr. Nick scolded the tour guide, accusing him of deliberately trapping them. But the tour guide just kept smiling and didn’t say anything.”
“In the end, Mr. Nick punched cotton. He had no choice but to go back upstairs in frustration.”
Emil furrowed his brow. “Bai Lixin, do you think they can leave?”
Bai Lixin chuckled and smiled brightly like a blooming summer flower. “No, not a single one of them can leave.”
