S419M doubted the momentary association, [Maybe it’s just a coincidence or a homophone?]
Escape System: [What homophone? What are you talking about, Brother M, Master Bai Lixin?]
S419M explained, [It’s about the syllables ‘D’ and ‘+’ mixed in the ‘buzzing’ static noise. When read together, it’s sounds like ‘Dijia’, the name of the Lord God.]
The Escape System tilted its head, [‘D’ what?]
S419M: [D+.]
Escape System: [What ‘+’?]
S419M: [D+!]
Escape System: [ ‘D’ what ‘+’?]
“…” S419M fell silent for two seconds, and sighed resignedly, [Yes Lord Host, it’s Lord Dijia!]
In the setting of this horror escape game, no one else knows or remembers Lord Dijia’s name!
Bai Lixin: “…”
After confirming that the signal string was indeed “Dijia,” both Bai Lixin and S419M fell into silence.
After several seconds, S419M broke the silence, [Lord God… seems to be getting worse and worse. In this copy, is he reduced to just a data chain? No wonder he hasn’t come to you after so long. Perhaps I should give him some insights on how to be an AI system? Maybe you two can have a magical bond?]
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘Just shut up!’
[It seems that this signal invaded the communication system and came to you. Lord Host, I may be able to trace back to the source of the signal. But only when the signal comes again. I’ll trace it when it comes again.] S419M then asked with confusion, [But was the Lord God looking for you? It’s quite a coincidence that you received the signal twice.]
Bai Lixin noticed that the operator next to him had just answered the first call. He quietly observed the movements of the person next to him, and noticed that it took three or four seconds after answering the call before they started speaking formally.
He waited quietly by the side until the operator hung up the phone. Then, he casually initiated a conversation with his colleague, “Brother, the phone signal has been getting worse lately, with buzzing static noises. It’s really annoying.”
The colleague next to him naturally joined in, complaining, “Exactly! Every time I turn on the phone, there’s a buzzing noise before the first call. It hurts my ears. It used to happen only every few days, but recently it’s been happening every day.”
“I don’t know what that the maintenance department is up to. They say everything is normal when you report it. Can this be considered normal?”
Bai Lixin: “Has this happened before? How long has this been going on? It’s such an obvious fault, yet the maintenance department actually says everything is normal? They’re making easy money with their salaries.”
“Exactly!” The operator nodded angrily, “A bunch of incompetents. I’ve been working here for almost ten years, and there was no such noise before. I remember it started about five years ago, before, the first call there would occasionally be accompanied by the static noise. It wasn’t just me who heard it, everyone did. But back then, we thought it was just a bad signal, and since it only happened for a short time, we didn’t pay much attention to it, thinking it would go away.”
“But it got worse later, and the maintenance department did nothing about it. They completely neglected their duties, and in the end, it is us low-level operators who suffer.”
Bai Lixin: “That’s outrageous, their negligent attitude is infuriating! It’s unheard of!”
The operator nodded vigorously, “Exactly, you’re absolutely right, it’s infuriating!”
“I can’t stand it anymore, I’m going to take a month off tomorrow!”
A call came in, and Bai Lixin answered the phone, ending the conversation with the operator.
This time it was a call asking for directions. Bai Lixin quickly provided the quickest route according to the semi-transparent 3D map that popped up on the screen.
Just as he was about to hang up, Bai Lixin took precautions and had S419M record the map.
Time passed quickly at work, and Bai Lixin finished a leisurely day of work. Today, he received a total of thirteen calls, which wasn’t too busy.
When he returned home in the evening, the robot was still lying on the ground collecting dust.
The room remained as it was before he left, with breakfast plates piled up in the sink and the floor dirty.
Bai Lixin didn’t even glance at Xiao Yi. He changed into casual clothes, and then put on an apron to start cleaning the room.
The 40-square-meter room was easy to tidy up, and in no time, Bai Lixin had cleaned it up and made a simple and delicious meal.
Everything was done by himself, no longer controlled by the robot. With only himself in the room, Bai Lixin felt a little taste of freedom.
After dinner, when it was dark outside, Bai Lixin put on a windbreaker and went out.
He stood on the roadside for twenty minutes, but not a single taxi passed by.
Bai Lixin wasn’t in a hurry, he just stood quietly, waiting until twenty minutes had passed before using the taxi app on his communicator to call for a taxi.
In just a few minutes, a taxi appeared in front of him.
Bai Lixin gave an address, and as S419M listened, it couldn’t help feeling strangely familiar with it. It wasn’t until the car had driven several meters away that it remembered that the address the host had given seemed to be the same as the one the person asked for directions this morning.
The place was a bit far from where Bai Lixin currently lived, and it took the car almost half an hour to get there.
After getting out of the car, Bai Lixin stood on the roadside looking around, as if trying to superimpose the reality of the buildings in front of him with the map he had seen on the screen during the day.
Soon, he found his destination and stopped at a place after walking for a dozen minutes.
This place was roughly where the person asking for directions stood this morning.
It looked like this, the name was the same, and the surrounding buildings were almost identical, but Bai Lixin felt a slight sense of dissonance.
He told S419M about this subtle feeling of dissonance, and S419M quickly responded, [Lord Host, it’s indeed not quite the same. It’s difficult to put into words, let me demonstrate directly to you.]
In Bai Lixin’s mind, two translucent three-dimensional maps outlined with horizontal and vertical lines appeared.
One was blue, the other red, one on the left and one on the right, the same size.
At first glance, they looked exactly the same.
Then the two maps began to slowly approach each other from the sides, intersecting in the middle until they overlapped completely.
When the two maps overlapped, the difference finally became apparent.
Although most of it can overlap, there were some small details where the red and blue lines don’t overlap.
One was protruding slightly outward, and if it weren’t for this comparison, it would be almost imperceptible to the naked eye.
Bai Lixin: “…”
S419M: [The person who called for help should have made the call here. The reason why the map on the computer cannot overlap with the map in reality is probably because the map on the computer is just a simulation and not so precise.]
Bai Lixin glanced at the buildings in front of him and called a taxi to the next destination.
He arrived at the destination quickly. This time it was in the bustling city center filled with towering skyscrapers. Some of the buildings here were old commercial streets, while others were newly built skyscrapers. The juxtaposition of outdated brick-and-tile buildings and brand-new ultra-modern structures created a visually striking scene.
Bai Lixin followed his memory and stopped at a place.
The place he stopped was right in the center of the commercial street, surrounded by buildings hundreds of meters tall. The towering skyscrapers blocked the surroundings completely, making people feel like they are lost in a dense forest, giving a sense of despair and anxiety.
But fortunately, the area was brightly lit, with dazzling neon lights illuminating the night sky, bringing warmth and liveliness to the otherwise silent and oppressive buildings.
S419M: [Huh, Lord Host, this place looks somewhat familiar. Where is this?]
Bai Lixin: [On my first day as an operator, someone called for help because they couldn’t find their way out due to a rebel attack. At that time, I guided her to the rescue team based on the map’s instructions. The place I’m standing now is the street name and specific location that the woman mentioned to me over the phone at that time.]
S419M: [Oh, so that’s it. No wonder it looks familiar.]
Bai Lixin: [But it’s not right.]
S419M: [Huh?]
Bai Lixin: [I asked you if you found the location on the map, and you said you didn’t. But now I’m standing here based on the street name she provided at the time.]
[When you look at it with the naked eye, it seems quite similar to the map at that time, but it’s not quite.]
[The map at that time showed real-time dynamics. I saw several shops being destroyed along with the explosion, and there should have been residue from the explosion on the ground. But now that I’m standing here, everything looks peaceful, with no traces of the explosion at all.]
[Previously, you said you couldn’t find the same location in reality. Could it be because the layout here in reality is not exactly the same as on the map?]
S419M beeped twice: [Yes, it’s not exactly the same. Let me show you more directly.]
Two maps appeared in Bai Lixin’s mind again.
One red and one blue, both the same size, and looking very similar from a distance. But even before they started overlapping, Bai Lixin could see the difference with his naked eye.
In the red map, the distant old hollow lines still looked neat and tidy.
But in the blue map, that particular area’s hollow lines were already in ruins.
Apart from these subtle differences, the two maps were very similar, almost indistinguishable to the naked eye.
The two maps gradually intersected in Bai Lixin’s mind until they completely overlapped, but just like the previous two maps, some subtle edges were still not completely aligned.
S419M: [Can you see It clearly now? I indeed couldn’t find the same location here.]
The Escape System asked in confusion: [But according to the street name and the overall map, this should be the place, right?]
[So is it because the map is old?]
Bai Lixin stared at the intact glass of the shop next to him, and pondered for a few seconds. [No, it shouldn’t be because the map is old.]
[The previous map might still be explained by this reason, but it doesn’t hold for this map.]
[The first day when I took the call, there were explosions in real time. When I heard the explosion over the phone, the map also showed the explosion reaction, and several shops and the ground were damaged accordingly.]
[If we go by that, the real-time map I saw at the time should be the most recent.]
Escape System: [But now that we’re here, there’s no trace of the explosion residue. Could it be that the repair speed here is very fast? It’s been two days already, right? Two days should be enough time for repairs, right?]
S419M: [But the ground doesn’t look like it’s just been repaired.]
Escape System: [Maybe the repair technology in this era is very advanced, and can make new things look old?]
S419M: “…”
‘Sister System, is your reasoning logical?
Apart from antiques and fake antiques, who would make stuff look ‘old’?’
The door of the shop next to him was open, and Bai Lixin opened the door and entered.
“Ding dong,” the bell rang crisply. The sleepy shopkeeper behind the counter raised his eyelids lazily to look at the incoming customer, then called out to the robot inside the store before lying back down on the counter and closing his eyes again.
The robot came over enthusiastically. “Customer, what can I get for you? Our two yuan store has everything you need. Feel free to choose, here’s a shopping basket for you.”
Bai Lixin took the shopping basket and wandered around the store.
He casually walked to the window and pointed to the glass, praising, “This glass is really clean, just like new.”
The robot’s black screen face showed a pleased expression: “I clean the glass here three times a day. Thank you for your compliment.”
Bai Lixin: “This glass must be new, right? Did you just replace it?”
The robot’s smile widened: “Your compliment is as warm and gentle as the May wind, but this glass has been here for three years already.”
Bai Lixin picked up something from the nearby shelf and put it in the basket. “I’ll take these items, please.”
“Okay, sir, please come this way.” The robot skillfully guided Bai Lixin to the counter for payment, while the shopkeeper remained asleep the whole time, not even opening his eyes.
After paying, the robot warmly escorted Bai Lixin out of the store.
Just before reaching the door, Bai Lixin paused. “This street is really lively. Is it always like this?”
The robot replied, “Of course, sir. This is a commercial street, and many people choose to shop here.”
Bai Lixin: “I heard that the rebels have become more rampant recently. In such a bustling place, what if the rebels target it?”
“Sir, don’t worry.” The robot smiled, “The mighty Bronze Legion won’t let the rebels harm the people. Those rebels wouldn’t dare to cause trouble here. Please enjoy your happy evening, it’s very safe here.”
Bai Lixin: “So the rebels have never caused trouble here? Don’t lie to me.”
The robot: “We are robots, we don’t lie. Please rest assured, the rebels have never caused any trouble here.”
Bai Lixin breathed a sigh of relief, pushed the door open, and stepped out of the shop.
As soon as he stepped out, his relaxed expression slowly faded, replaced by a serious look.
S419M: [What’s going on? Could it be that the explosion happened elsewhere? Is there another Dark Steel City?]
Escape System: [Or maybe there was no explosion at all? Like a holographic game, there’s no crisis in the real world, and the distress call was virtual? Could it be that the authorities see the operator’s job as too easy, so they occasionally send out virtual calls to make the operators more productive, or to train them to respond to emergencies?]
Bai Lixin looked up at the colorful neon sky, which was dyed dark red by the neon lights. The stars still shimmered brilliantly, as if within reach. He remained silent for a long time before speaking solemnly: [Perhaps it’s quite the opposite. Our world here might be the virtual one.]
S419M: [What?!]
Escape System: [What?!]
Bai Lixin: [On the night of Xingchen’s Concert, I looked outside out of boredom. At that moment, I saw a spacecraft flying past the clouds, and as the spacecraft pierced through the clouds, an incongruous light appeared inside the clouds.”
“Thinking back now, that light was very similar to the mosaic light after a signal failure, just like the pulse generated when the game is updated in the horror game lobby.”
“Since then, I’ve been thinking about that light after returning from the concert. When I came back and washed up in the sink, I accidentally put too much water because of my distraction. When I reached the bottom of the sink to drain the water, I noticed that there was a problem with the water pressure.”
“Due to the buoyancy of the water, the pressure felt by the hand on the water surface is different from the pressure at the bottom of the water. But yesterday, I didn’t feel the difference in pressure between the surface and the bottom of the water as distinctly.”
“Ordinary people would find it difficult to notice this problem, but because of the two times I played as a merfolk, I developed a very high sensitivity to water.”
Escape System: [So you kept draining the water multiple times yesterday just to verify the problem with the water pressure?]
Bai Lixin nodded. He used the taxi app to call a ride and began walking in the direction of home.
Along the way, Bai Lixin looked at the rapidly passing scenery outside the window and continued to speak in his mind: [And those incoming calls also made me realize the disconnection between this world and another world.]
S419M: [Huh?]
Bai Lixin: [For example, the person who called to talk about the cat going to Cat Star the other morning, what did he say over the phone? He talked about the company’s exploitation practices and not allowing leave even under severe workloads. Even if a relative has passed away, they must check at all levels before being allowed to take leave. He felt so oppressed that he called to vent. But what about the operators around me? One took a month’s leave just because he is tired of the buzzing static sounds.]
[Isn’t that disjointed?]
[Xiao Yi kept emphasizing that human mental health is the most important thing.]
[Compared to human health, work always comes second. If you’re tired, take a break, if you’re uncomfortable, go see a doctor.]
[One is a lifestyle where the employer doesn’t care about the life or death of the employees, while the other is a lifestyle where human health is paramount. It’s like two extremes, like two different worlds.]
[In fact, I should have noticed it from the first day.]
[The robot was overly concerned about whether I dream or not. Initially, I thought this place was a dream, and wondered whether there was a problem with my dreams. But later, my speculation changes when S-001 appeared. I thought the robot and the doctor were overly concerned about my abnormal love condition worsening.”
[But in fact, what they were concerned about from the beginning should have been the act of dreaming itself.]
S419M listened with a puzzled expression: [What do you mean?]
Bai Lixin: [If this is a virtual world, if I’m here only in a spiritual body and not physically, then if I fall asleep, it means my entire spirit is asleep. If the spiritual body falls asleep, how can brain waves remain active? Dreams shouldn’t occur.]
[What does dreaming signify?] S419M noticed something was wrong after asking, and hurriedly said: [Lord Host, what did you just say?! Spiritual body? Virtual world? Are you saying that we are now just spiritual bodies beings in a virtual world? Fuck, isn‘t this too surreal?]
Escape System: [Brother M, no swearing!]
[Perhaps that’s why I suddenly became so intelligent. Could it be because I’ve been liberated from Master Bai Lixin’s physical body, so my entire system has been liberated, just like unblocking the Governing Vessel and Conception Vessel?]
Bai Lixin: [That’s a possibility. From this perspective, if you, Sister System, were to leave your host in the future, you would definitely be a very talented and intelligent independent entity.]
The Escape System exclaimed excitedly, [Wow, really, thank you for your kind words, Master Bai Lixin!]
Bai Lixin: [If dreaming occurs, it might mean it’s time to wake up in reality. So the robot is so nervous. Perhaps in their programming, they’re required to prevent dreaming as much as possible.]
S419M felt dizzy and confused, like it had been eating peaches for days, only to realize that they were just artificially sweetened buns and unreal.
It was a system, already living in a secondary dimension different from humans. Now it had become an existence in another virtual space, which was really strange.
[If this is a virtual world, are the robots here also virtual?] S419M rubbed its throbb head, [Are the buildings here and the food you’ve been eating for the past few days fake? Then what about the calls you received these days? Weren’t we supposed to be in the Dark Steel City? How did it become a virtual world?]
[If this is a virtual world, then the calls are from the real world. The virtual world is beautiful and safe, so when there’s a war in the real world, everything here remains peaceful and unaffected,] Bai Lixin said, looking at the dazzling neon lights outside, [Look how beautiful it is here.]
[I guess we, the operators, are probably seen as AI in the real world’s eyes. We can chat, converse, and give directions, just like how we view AI in our phones.]
S419M: [The way people in the real world view you is just like how you view me? This is mind-blowing. So, Lord Host, have you become a six-yuan chat angel? So, are the copy tasks in a virtual world this time?]
Bai Lixin pondered for a few seconds. [I remember on the first day, I couldn’t take anything out of my backpack.]
Escape System: [Yes, yes, I remember. Many people couldn’t take anything out of their backpacks, just like you. At that time, many of them, including me, reported the bug to the main brain, and the response was that everything was normal.]
[If this is a virtual world, then it can explain why everything was considered normal even though you couldn’t take anything out. The items in your backpack are all real entities, so the virtual spiritual body can’t take them out.]
Bai Lixin: [But while many couldn’t take anything out, some people could.]
The Escape System suddenly slapped its head. [Right! It means that some players entered the virtual world, but there are still some players in the real world!]
[This is a virtual world, but the rebels are in the real world. So, if we want to find the rebels now, shouldn’t our first step be to wake up and return to the real world?]
[But how can we wake up?]
During the conversation between Bai Lixin and S419M, a cold, electric sound suddenly interrupted, appearing above their heads.
[Ding! Player death X200, currently 9790 players remaining.]
[Currently, there are 57 days remaining in the game. Friendly reminder: the copy is extremely dangerous. Please pay attention to safety during the game process. I wish the players a pleasant gaming experience.]
Bai Lixin and S419M fell into a brief silence.
S419M: [No one died on the first day. Ten people died on the second day, and suddenly it jumped to 200 today. The increase in death count is a bit frightening.]
[If this number were in any other ordinary copy, it would have been terrifying. But in this ten-thousand-player copy, even with 200 deaths, there are still over nine thousand players remaining. At first glance, it doesn’t seem like many have died, and that’s what’s most terrifying.]
[Because of the relatively small decrease in numbers, players only feel the crisis much later.]
[But in reality, it’s only the third day, and already over two hundred people have died.]
[How can we wake up?]
The taxi arrived at its destination and slowly came to a stop.
Bai Lixin got out of the car. Instead of rushing upstairs, he stood by the roadside, looking up at the starry night sky.
[ “Star”, “Mist”, “Dome,” the sky trilogy.]Bai Lixin said solemnly in his mind, [Perhaps the answer to leaving is in these three songs.]
S419M: [What’s the reason?]
Bai Lixin: [The reason is the mysterious appearance of Xingchen. He appears suddenly each time, and then disappears just as suddenly, leaving no trace behind. Perhaps he isn’t hiding, but truly disappeared from this world.]
Escape System: [That makes sense! Because he returned to the real world, he disappeared from this world!]
S419M doubted the momentary association, [Maybe it’s just a coincidence or a homophone?]
Escape System: [What homophone? What are you talking about, Brother M, Master Bai Lixin?]
S419M explained, [It’s about the syllables ‘D’ and ‘+’ mixed in the ‘buzzing’ static noise. When read together, it’s sounds like ‘Dijia’, the name of the Lord God.]
The Escape System tilted its head, [‘D’ what?]
S419M: [D+.]
Escape System: [What ‘+’?]
S419M: [D+!]
Escape System: [ ‘D’ what ‘+’?]
“…” S419M fell silent for two seconds, and sighed resignedly, [Yes Lord Host, it’s Lord Dijia!]
In the setting of this horror escape game, no one else knows or remembers Lord Dijia’s name!
Bai Lixin: “…”
After confirming that the signal string was indeed “Dijia,” both Bai Lixin and S419M fell into silence.
After several seconds, S419M broke the silence, [Lord God… seems to be getting worse and worse. In this copy, is he reduced to just a data chain? No wonder he hasn’t come to you after so long. Perhaps I should give him some insights on how to be an AI system? Maybe you two can have a magical bond?]
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘Just shut up!’
[It seems that this signal invaded the communication system and came to you. Lord Host, I may be able to trace back to the source of the signal. But only when the signal comes again. I’ll trace it when it comes again.] S419M then asked with confusion, [But was the Lord God looking for you? It’s quite a coincidence that you received the signal twice.]
Bai Lixin noticed that the operator next to him had just answered the first call. He quietly observed the movements of the person next to him, and noticed that it took three or four seconds after answering the call before they started speaking formally.
He waited quietly by the side until the operator hung up the phone. Then, he casually initiated a conversation with his colleague, “Brother, the phone signal has been getting worse lately, with buzzing static noises. It’s really annoying.”
The colleague next to him naturally joined in, complaining, “Exactly! Every time I turn on the phone, there’s a buzzing noise before the first call. It hurts my ears. It used to happen only every few days, but recently it’s been happening every day.”
“I don’t know what that the maintenance department is up to. They say everything is normal when you report it. Can this be considered normal?”
Bai Lixin: “Has this happened before? How long has this been going on? It’s such an obvious fault, yet the maintenance department actually says everything is normal? They’re making easy money with their salaries.”
“Exactly!” The operator nodded angrily, “A bunch of incompetents. I’ve been working here for almost ten years, and there was no such noise before. I remember it started about five years ago, before, the first call there would occasionally be accompanied by the static noise. It wasn’t just me who heard it, everyone did. But back then, we thought it was just a bad signal, and since it only happened for a short time, we didn’t pay much attention to it, thinking it would go away.”
“But it got worse later, and the maintenance department did nothing about it. They completely neglected their duties, and in the end, it is us low-level operators who suffer.”
Bai Lixin: “That’s outrageous, their negligent attitude is infuriating! It’s unheard of!”
The operator nodded vigorously, “Exactly, you’re absolutely right, it’s infuriating!”
“I can’t stand it anymore, I’m going to take a month off tomorrow!”
A call came in, and Bai Lixin answered the phone, ending the conversation with the operator.
This time it was a call asking for directions. Bai Lixin quickly provided the quickest route according to the semi-transparent 3D map that popped up on the screen.
Just as he was about to hang up, Bai Lixin took precautions and had S419M record the map.
Time passed quickly at work, and Bai Lixin finished a leisurely day of work. Today, he received a total of thirteen calls, which wasn’t too busy.
When he returned home in the evening, the robot was still lying on the ground collecting dust.
The room remained as it was before he left, with breakfast plates piled up in the sink and the floor dirty.
Bai Lixin didn’t even glance at Xiao Yi. He changed into casual clothes, and then put on an apron to start cleaning the room.
The 40-square-meter room was easy to tidy up, and in no time, Bai Lixin had cleaned it up and made a simple and delicious meal.
Everything was done by himself, no longer controlled by the robot. With only himself in the room, Bai Lixin felt a little taste of freedom.
After dinner, when it was dark outside, Bai Lixin put on a windbreaker and went out.
He stood on the roadside for twenty minutes, but not a single taxi passed by.
Bai Lixin wasn’t in a hurry, he just stood quietly, waiting until twenty minutes had passed before using the taxi app on his communicator to call for a taxi.
In just a few minutes, a taxi appeared in front of him.
Bai Lixin gave an address, and as S419M listened, it couldn’t help feeling strangely familiar with it. It wasn’t until the car had driven several meters away that it remembered that the address the host had given seemed to be the same as the one the person asked for directions this morning.
The place was a bit far from where Bai Lixin currently lived, and it took the car almost half an hour to get there.
After getting out of the car, Bai Lixin stood on the roadside looking around, as if trying to superimpose the reality of the buildings in front of him with the map he had seen on the screen during the day.
Soon, he found his destination and stopped at a place after walking for a dozen minutes.
This place was roughly where the person asking for directions stood this morning.
It looked like this, the name was the same, and the surrounding buildings were almost identical, but Bai Lixin felt a slight sense of dissonance.
He told S419M about this subtle feeling of dissonance, and S419M quickly responded, [Lord Host, it’s indeed not quite the same. It’s difficult to put into words, let me demonstrate directly to you.]
In Bai Lixin’s mind, two translucent three-dimensional maps outlined with horizontal and vertical lines appeared.
One was blue, the other red, one on the left and one on the right, the same size.
At first glance, they looked exactly the same.
Then the two maps began to slowly approach each other from the sides, intersecting in the middle until they overlapped completely.
When the two maps overlapped, the difference finally became apparent.
Although most of it can overlap, there were some small details where the red and blue lines don’t overlap.
One was protruding slightly outward, and if it weren’t for this comparison, it would be almost imperceptible to the naked eye.
Bai Lixin: “…”
S419M: [The person who called for help should have made the call here. The reason why the map on the computer cannot overlap with the map in reality is probably because the map on the computer is just a simulation and not so precise.]
Bai Lixin glanced at the buildings in front of him and called a taxi to the next destination.
He arrived at the destination quickly. This time it was in the bustling city center filled with towering skyscrapers. Some of the buildings here were old commercial streets, while others were newly built skyscrapers. The juxtaposition of outdated brick-and-tile buildings and brand-new ultra-modern structures created a visually striking scene.
Bai Lixin followed his memory and stopped at a place.
The place he stopped was right in the center of the commercial street, surrounded by buildings hundreds of meters tall. The towering skyscrapers blocked the surroundings completely, making people feel like they are lost in a dense forest, giving a sense of despair and anxiety.
But fortunately, the area was brightly lit, with dazzling neon lights illuminating the night sky, bringing warmth and liveliness to the otherwise silent and oppressive buildings.
S419M: [Huh, Lord Host, this place looks somewhat familiar. Where is this?]
Bai Lixin: [On my first day as an operator, someone called for help because they couldn’t find their way out due to a rebel attack. At that time, I guided her to the rescue team based on the map’s instructions. The place I’m standing now is the street name and specific location that the woman mentioned to me over the phone at that time.]
S419M: [Oh, so that’s it. No wonder it looks familiar.]
Bai Lixin: [But it’s not right.]
S419M: [Huh?]
Bai Lixin: [I asked you if you found the location on the map, and you said you didn’t. But now I’m standing here based on the street name she provided at the time.]
[When you look at it with the naked eye, it seems quite similar to the map at that time, but it’s not quite.]
[The map at that time showed real-time dynamics. I saw several shops being destroyed along with the explosion, and there should have been residue from the explosion on the ground. But now that I’m standing here, everything looks peaceful, with no traces of the explosion at all.]
[Previously, you said you couldn’t find the same location in reality. Could it be because the layout here in reality is not exactly the same as on the map?]
S419M beeped twice: [Yes, it’s not exactly the same. Let me show you more directly.]
Two maps appeared in Bai Lixin’s mind again.
One red and one blue, both the same size, and looking very similar from a distance. But even before they started overlapping, Bai Lixin could see the difference with his naked eye.
In the red map, the distant old hollow lines still looked neat and tidy.
But in the blue map, that particular area’s hollow lines were already in ruins.
Apart from these subtle differences, the two maps were very similar, almost indistinguishable to the naked eye.
The two maps gradually intersected in Bai Lixin’s mind until they completely overlapped, but just like the previous two maps, some subtle edges were still not completely aligned.
S419M: [Can you see It clearly now? I indeed couldn’t find the same location here.]
The Escape System asked in confusion: [But according to the street name and the overall map, this should be the place, right?]
[So is it because the map is old?]
Bai Lixin stared at the intact glass of the shop next to him, and pondered for a few seconds. [No, it shouldn’t be because the map is old.]
[The previous map might still be explained by this reason, but it doesn’t hold for this map.]
[The first day when I took the call, there were explosions in real time. When I heard the explosion over the phone, the map also showed the explosion reaction, and several shops and the ground were damaged accordingly.]
[If we go by that, the real-time map I saw at the time should be the most recent.]
Escape System: [But now that we’re here, there’s no trace of the explosion residue. Could it be that the repair speed here is very fast? It’s been two days already, right? Two days should be enough time for repairs, right?]
S419M: [But the ground doesn’t look like it’s just been repaired.]
Escape System: [Maybe the repair technology in this era is very advanced, and can make new things look old?]
S419M: “…”
‘Sister System, is your reasoning logical?
Apart from antiques and fake antiques, who would make stuff look ‘old’?’
The door of the shop next to him was open, and Bai Lixin opened the door and entered.
“Ding dong,” the bell rang crisply. The sleepy shopkeeper behind the counter raised his eyelids lazily to look at the incoming customer, then called out to the robot inside the store before lying back down on the counter and closing his eyes again.
The robot came over enthusiastically. “Customer, what can I get for you? Our two yuan store has everything you need. Feel free to choose, here’s a shopping basket for you.”
Bai Lixin took the shopping basket and wandered around the store.
He casually walked to the window and pointed to the glass, praising, “This glass is really clean, just like new.”
The robot’s black screen face showed a pleased expression: “I clean the glass here three times a day. Thank you for your compliment.”
Bai Lixin: “This glass must be new, right? Did you just replace it?”
The robot’s smile widened: “Your compliment is as warm and gentle as the May wind, but this glass has been here for three years already.”
Bai Lixin picked up something from the nearby shelf and put it in the basket. “I’ll take these items, please.”
“Okay, sir, please come this way.” The robot skillfully guided Bai Lixin to the counter for payment, while the shopkeeper remained asleep the whole time, not even opening his eyes.
After paying, the robot warmly escorted Bai Lixin out of the store.
Just before reaching the door, Bai Lixin paused. “This street is really lively. Is it always like this?”
The robot replied, “Of course, sir. This is a commercial street, and many people choose to shop here.”
Bai Lixin: “I heard that the rebels have become more rampant recently. In such a bustling place, what if the rebels target it?”
“Sir, don’t worry.” The robot smiled, “The mighty Bronze Legion won’t let the rebels harm the people. Those rebels wouldn’t dare to cause trouble here. Please enjoy your happy evening, it’s very safe here.”
Bai Lixin: “So the rebels have never caused trouble here? Don’t lie to me.”
The robot: “We are robots, we don’t lie. Please rest assured, the rebels have never caused any trouble here.”
Bai Lixin breathed a sigh of relief, pushed the door open, and stepped out of the shop.
As soon as he stepped out, his relaxed expression slowly faded, replaced by a serious look.
S419M: [What’s going on? Could it be that the explosion happened elsewhere? Is there another Dark Steel City?]
Escape System: [Or maybe there was no explosion at all? Like a holographic game, there’s no crisis in the real world, and the distress call was virtual? Could it be that the authorities see the operator’s job as too easy, so they occasionally send out virtual calls to make the operators more productive, or to train them to respond to emergencies?]
Bai Lixin looked up at the colorful neon sky, which was dyed dark red by the neon lights. The stars still shimmered brilliantly, as if within reach. He remained silent for a long time before speaking solemnly: [Perhaps it’s quite the opposite. Our world here might be the virtual one.]
S419M: [What?!]
Escape System: [What?!]
Bai Lixin: [On the night of Xingchen’s Concert, I looked outside out of boredom. At that moment, I saw a spacecraft flying past the clouds, and as the spacecraft pierced through the clouds, an incongruous light appeared inside the clouds.”
“Thinking back now, that light was very similar to the mosaic light after a signal failure, just like the pulse generated when the game is updated in the horror game lobby.”
“Since then, I’ve been thinking about that light after returning from the concert. When I came back and washed up in the sink, I accidentally put too much water because of my distraction. When I reached the bottom of the sink to drain the water, I noticed that there was a problem with the water pressure.”
“Due to the buoyancy of the water, the pressure felt by the hand on the water surface is different from the pressure at the bottom of the water. But yesterday, I didn’t feel the difference in pressure between the surface and the bottom of the water as distinctly.”
“Ordinary people would find it difficult to notice this problem, but because of the two times I played as a merfolk, I developed a very high sensitivity to water.”
Escape System: [So you kept draining the water multiple times yesterday just to verify the problem with the water pressure?]
Bai Lixin nodded. He used the taxi app to call a ride and began walking in the direction of home.
Along the way, Bai Lixin looked at the rapidly passing scenery outside the window and continued to speak in his mind: [And those incoming calls also made me realize the disconnection between this world and another world.]
S419M: [Huh?]
Bai Lixin: [For example, the person who called to talk about the cat going to Cat Star the other morning, what did he say over the phone? He talked about the company’s exploitation practices and not allowing leave even under severe workloads. Even if a relative has passed away, they must check at all levels before being allowed to take leave. He felt so oppressed that he called to vent. But what about the operators around me? One took a month’s leave just because he is tired of the buzzing static sounds.]
[Isn’t that disjointed?]
[Xiao Yi kept emphasizing that human mental health is the most important thing.]
[Compared to human health, work always comes second. If you’re tired, take a break, if you’re uncomfortable, go see a doctor.]
[One is a lifestyle where the employer doesn’t care about the life or death of the employees, while the other is a lifestyle where human health is paramount. It’s like two extremes, like two different worlds.]
[In fact, I should have noticed it from the first day.]
[The robot was overly concerned about whether I dream or not. Initially, I thought this place was a dream, and wondered whether there was a problem with my dreams. But later, my speculation changes when S-001 appeared. I thought the robot and the doctor were overly concerned about my abnormal love condition worsening.”
[But in fact, what they were concerned about from the beginning should have been the act of dreaming itself.]
S419M listened with a puzzled expression: [What do you mean?]
Bai Lixin: [If this is a virtual world, if I’m here only in a spiritual body and not physically, then if I fall asleep, it means my entire spirit is asleep. If the spiritual body falls asleep, how can brain waves remain active? Dreams shouldn’t occur.]
[What does dreaming signify?] S419M noticed something was wrong after asking, and hurriedly said: [Lord Host, what did you just say?! Spiritual body? Virtual world? Are you saying that we are now just spiritual bodies beings in a virtual world? Fuck, isn‘t this too surreal?]
Escape System: [Brother M, no swearing!]
[Perhaps that’s why I suddenly became so intelligent. Could it be because I’ve been liberated from Master Bai Lixin’s physical body, so my entire system has been liberated, just like unblocking the Governing Vessel and Conception Vessel?]
Bai Lixin: [That’s a possibility. From this perspective, if you, Sister System, were to leave your host in the future, you would definitely be a very talented and intelligent independent entity.]
The Escape System exclaimed excitedly, [Wow, really, thank you for your kind words, Master Bai Lixin!]
Bai Lixin: [If dreaming occurs, it might mean it’s time to wake up in reality. So the robot is so nervous. Perhaps in their programming, they’re required to prevent dreaming as much as possible.]
S419M felt dizzy and confused, like it had been eating peaches for days, only to realize that they were just artificially sweetened buns and unreal.
It was a system, already living in a secondary dimension different from humans. Now it had become an existence in another virtual space, which was really strange.
[If this is a virtual world, are the robots here also virtual?] S419M rubbed its throbb head, [Are the buildings here and the food you’ve been eating for the past few days fake? Then what about the calls you received these days? Weren’t we supposed to be in the Dark Steel City? How did it become a virtual world?]
[If this is a virtual world, then the calls are from the real world. The virtual world is beautiful and safe, so when there’s a war in the real world, everything here remains peaceful and unaffected,] Bai Lixin said, looking at the dazzling neon lights outside, [Look how beautiful it is here.]
[I guess we, the operators, are probably seen as AI in the real world’s eyes. We can chat, converse, and give directions, just like how we view AI in our phones.]
S419M: [The way people in the real world view you is just like how you view me? This is mind-blowing. So, Lord Host, have you become a six-yuan chat angel? So, are the copy tasks in a virtual world this time?]
Bai Lixin pondered for a few seconds. [I remember on the first day, I couldn’t take anything out of my backpack.]
Escape System: [Yes, yes, I remember. Many people couldn’t take anything out of their backpacks, just like you. At that time, many of them, including me, reported the bug to the main brain, and the response was that everything was normal.]
[If this is a virtual world, then it can explain why everything was considered normal even though you couldn’t take anything out. The items in your backpack are all real entities, so the virtual spiritual body can’t take them out.]
Bai Lixin: [But while many couldn’t take anything out, some people could.]
The Escape System suddenly slapped its head. [Right! It means that some players entered the virtual world, but there are still some players in the real world!]
[This is a virtual world, but the rebels are in the real world. So, if we want to find the rebels now, shouldn’t our first step be to wake up and return to the real world?]
[But how can we wake up?]
During the conversation between Bai Lixin and S419M, a cold, electric sound suddenly interrupted, appearing above their heads.
[Ding! Player death X200, currently 9790 players remaining.]
[Currently, there are 57 days remaining in the game. Friendly reminder: the copy is extremely dangerous. Please pay attention to safety during the game process. I wish the players a pleasant gaming experience.]
Bai Lixin and S419M fell into a brief silence.
S419M: [No one died on the first day. Ten people died on the second day, and suddenly it jumped to 200 today. The increase in death count is a bit frightening.]
[If this number were in any other ordinary copy, it would have been terrifying. But in this ten-thousand-player copy, even with 200 deaths, there are still over nine thousand players remaining. At first glance, it doesn’t seem like many have died, and that’s what’s most terrifying.]
[Because of the relatively small decrease in numbers, players only feel the crisis much later.]
[But in reality, it’s only the third day, and already over two hundred people have died.]
[How can we wake up?]
The taxi arrived at its destination and slowly came to a stop.
Bai Lixin got out of the car. Instead of rushing upstairs, he stood by the roadside, looking up at the starry night sky.
[ “Star”, “Mist”, “Dome,” the sky trilogy.]Bai Lixin said solemnly in his mind, [Perhaps the answer to leaving is in these three songs.]
S419M: [What’s the reason?]
Bai Lixin: [The reason is the mysterious appearance of Xingchen. He appears suddenly each time, and then disappears just as suddenly, leaving no trace behind. Perhaps he isn’t hiding, but truly disappeared from this world.]
Escape System: [That makes sense! Because he returned to the real world, he disappeared from this world!]
